[OOC] Into the Unknown

[chefTENGU]

By edict of our great and glorious Emperor, his majesty Garrod IV, and in accordance with the divine guidance of High Priestess Deilis Vren, Lawgiver of St. Cuthbert, an expedition of exploration is hereby ordered across the Dusky Sea into the unknown.

The Emperor seeks volunteers from the ranks of his mighty and indefatigable Imperial Legions to man this expedition. Applicants must submit themselves for screening by their superiors, and are promised a generous reward worthy of their efforts.

It is the imperative and sacred task of all who muster for this mission to expand the scope of the Holy Empire of Aldor, to bring the light of its Divine Law into the dark and savage places of the world, and to ensure its continuing prosperity in perpetuity.

For the Emperor, for Aldor, for the Divine Law!

Anyone who wishes to join this RP is free to do so, but there is one big step involved; namely, character creation.

First, I ask that prospective participants PM a character bio to me. I would like you to go into as much detail as you like (the more the better) about your character's history, personality, goals or ambitions, and skills. The two absolute requirements are that you choose a race and an alignment for him or her (more on this below).

From this information, and with a little work between you and me, I will generate a stat block for your character and PM an abbreviated version of it to you. It will include everything that will be important for your character to know, but it will lack many things players ordinarily know about their characters. I want you to be thinking as much in character as possible, not about math and statistics.

You may also choose a class for your character (information on classes in a bit), but this choice is optional. Your character will eventually have a class, rest assured, but if you aren't sure of what to pick (or simply don't choose), I will figure one out for you and it will be presented as part of your character's statistics block.

We will not be beginning until after The Ascended and All The World's An Ocean have concluded, so there's plenty of time yet for tinkering and hatching ideas.

Races
The Aldor Empire is vast and all of the common races are represented within it:

Humans are the ones running the Empire and are the most prolific race, worldwide. Humans don't seem to stand out much. They don't tend toward any particular attitude, class, or deity, but they demonstrate a versatility and energy for adaptation that other races lack. Humans can be found filling just about every imaginable role in the Imperial armed forces. In keeping with their natures, even their appearances run the gamut of variety. They are among the shortest-lived of the common races, only rarely ever exceeding a century in lifespan.

Dwarves are stocky and tough, though also taciturn and gruff; they are not as mobile as other races, but they are not encumbered by heavier armor, either. Their settlements are hewn from rocky mountains, where they delve deep for precious metals and gems. Dwarf culture celebrates heroism and martial might, and they grow up feeling comfortable with a warrior lifestyle. They also have a fondness for the arts of gemcutting, stone carving, and smithing, so these things are more familiar to them than to other races. Giants, goblinoids, and orcs are the natural enemies of dwarves; dwarves often carry a grudge or hatred for them. Dwarves and elves, though allies, rarely see eye-to-eye with each other, and are often dismissive of each others' abilities. Dwarf society esteems personal loyalty—to one's lord, friends, or clan; dwarves tend to be of lawful alignment as a result. Their warrior spirits, combined with their steadfast and constant natures, make dwarves formidable soldiers, especially when tasked with defense. Typically in between humans and the smaller races in height, a dwarf's bones and dense bundles of muscle will usually make him or her seem surprisingly heavy to a human. Their skin ranges from dark tan to light brown, with dark eyes. Dwarves' hair comes in shades of black, gray, or brown, and is typically worn long. Dwarf men prize their beards highly and keep them carefully groomed. A healthy dwarf can expect to live for a few hundred years or more.

Elves move with an almost bird-like grace and agility, but they also tend to be just as fragile. They hail from small woodland communities, though they just as often find their home wandering among humans. They have a deep fondness for artistic pursuits such as music, poetry, and lore, and their culture celebrates skilled swordplay and archery. Above all else, however, elves have a close connection to magic, and many devote their long lives to its study. Elves tend to be somewhat aloof from other races, but maintain at least a modicum of polite respect for most they encounter. Orcs, however, have been the enemies of elves since the dawn of time, and elves reserve a special hatred for them. Elves try to embrace the spirit of freedom: freedom of choice and freedom of expression, causing them to tend more toward chaotic alignment than other races. Within the Empire, elves often become highly respected scholars and wizards, or renowned soldiers. Military life gives them a chance to earn a living putting their spells, bows, and honed senses to good use, and this influence can often turn the tide of battle in the Empire's favor. Elves tend to be somewhat shorter than humans, though still noticeably taller than dwarves; their bodies are typically light and slender. They exhibit pointed ears, pale skin, green eyes, and dark hair, though they are devoid of the body and facial hair that is typical for humans. Unlike other races, elves do not sleep; they only require 4 hours of restful trance each day where others need 8 hours of sleep. Elves have long lives, and on average can live for more than half a millennium.

Half-Elves are born from the union of human and elf, or are the children of two other half-elves. Half-elves live as outsiders for most of their lives, too elven for human society, too human for elf communities. Still, they are living symbols of the cooperation between the common races, and are usually well-recieved wherever their travels take them. Their demeanors and perspectives can be as varied as humans', though they usually also retain some element of their elven heritage. Some find the idea of military life comforting, gaining a secure place in the world that they often have a hard time finding on their own otherwise. Physically, they are in between humans and elves. Though they come in all the colors humans do, they have the green eyes typical of elves (although on rare occasion, second-generation half-elves have human-like eyes). Half-elves age much slower than humans do, though their lives are still tragically short by elf standards, less than two hundred years.

Gnomes are a little race; although they can't hope to be as strong as bigger races, they are often hardier. Gnomes prefer to live in warrens and burrows dug underneath hills, and feel a special connection with the earth, even feeling a kind of kinship with animals who like to burrow as they do. They are a race that loves pranks and jokes of all kinds, though always in a lighthearted, rather than malicious, frame of mind. This affinity gives them a natural inclination toward illusion magic, which they often use to enhance their japes. A gnome's sense of humor may often grate against members of other races, but gnomes are generally very amicable and eager to please toward everyone; they are most often of good alignment. They do have their enemies, though: giants, goblinoids, and kobolds in particular. Gnomes enjoy using their minds, whether it's in making something new or studying magic; since bards often live off their spirit and guile, their lifestyle comes naturally to gnomes. Gnomes who enter military service are usually only used as soldiers when defending their own homes; elsewhere, they are much more likely to be found working as engineers or magicians than fighting on the front lines. Gnomes are quite short, though they usually have a sturdy, somewhat muscular frame. Their skin ranges from deep tan to woody brown, their hair comes in light colors, and their eyes are in any shade of blue. Males often grow short beards, which they prefer to keep trimmed neatly. Gnomes mature and age somewhat faster than dwarves, but will usually live about as long as them.

Halflings are another small race; though they can't hope to match the strength of others, they tend to make the most of their superior agility and coordination. Halflings are a nomadic race. They have no lands to call their own, but instead search for opportunity wherever it can be found. With the speed at which humans live and die, and therefore the relatively quick pace at which their societies change across the generations, halflings are most often able to make a comfortable niche for themselves living within human society. They tend to be unified in their attitudes (essentially, "live and let live") and ambitions (to integrate into wherever they go and make themselves useful, for as long as they see fit before moving on), and are also characterized by a love for slinging and throwing sports. Halflings tend toward a neutral alignment, trying to be as inoffensive and tolerant toward other races as possible. They are survivalists through and through, and have a knack for getting out of trouble, which makes them natural born rogues. Halflings who take up military service are often used as scouts or spies, or as ranged support for front-line infantry. Halflings are a little smaller than gnomes, with ruddy skin and black, straight hair; their eyes come in black and brown. Halfling men sometimes like to grow out long sideburns, but will only rarely maintain a beard (and they almost never wear mustaches). They usually live a few decades longer than humans do.

Half-Orcs are very rarely seen in civilized society; they are often born in frontier lands where orcish tribes still roam. The rare occurrence of a union between human and orc is another explanation for why they are seen so infrequently. Their mixed heritage gives them more physical power than humans, but it also inhibits their mental capabilities and ability to communicate on the same level as other races. Even though they are regarded as outcasts nearly everywhere they go, half-orcs tend to care little for how they are perceived by others. They enjoy simple pleasures like food, drink, and song, and are often impatient with or frustrated by anything more complex than that. They are at heart wild and aggressive, which colors them more towards chaos. Half-orcs naturally fall upon the explosive rage of their barbarian ancestors to aid them in combat, but it doesn't help them much in the legions of the Aldor Empire. Half-orcs sometimes eagerly join the military for the promise of frenzied, front-line combat, but just as many find the idea repellant because of the discipline and duty that is expected of a soldier. Half-orcs are taller and bigger than humans, with much more muscle. Their orcish heritage is readily apparent to all they encounter: sloping forehead, gray-green skin, and large tusks jutting from their lower jaws. Their eyes and hair are dark, and a half-orc is sure to be covered in coarse body hair and tattoos or scars (either decorative or earned through battle). Half-orcs age faster than humans, and those that manage to live into old age aren't likely to see many years beyond 60.

Alignment
Every character, every creature, has an alignment which gives a rough approximation of its disposition, attitude, and moral outlook. It's more or less a consistent way of categorizing characters' general behavior.

When you choose an alignment for your character, you are essentially declaring your intentions in how you want to play that character. Your character's alignment is never binding, however, and can't affect the choices that he or she may make. In fact, if your character consistently acts in a way that is not in accord with his or her alignment, it will cause his or her alignment to slowly change.

An alignment will always state where a character is along two spectra: Law vs. Chaos and Good vs. Evil.

Lawful characters are typically honest and loyal, and respectful and obedient of established traditions and authority. This alignment is based the idea that society can only exist peacefully if order (and the status quo) is maintained. Other aspects lawful characters tend to exhibit include stubbornness, narrow-mindedness, and a myopic or hidebound attitude.

Chaotic characters are free and creative, seeking to innovate and shake up conventions, or perhaps they are merely lovers of freedom. This alignment holds that only when people are truly and utterly free to act of their own accord can peace be maintained in the world. However, chaotic characters also tend to be unreliable or untrustworthy, unpredictable and inconstant.

Someone who is neither lawful nor chaotic sees both extremes as dangerous or limiting, or perhaps they can't decide between the two. They probably value freedom, but realize that it has its limits.

Good is characterized by a respect for life and concern for the well-being of others. Good characters are likely to make personal sacrifices and to go out of their way for the benefit of others.

Evil characters have no qualms about hurting or killing others. They may do so merely because it is convenient for them, or they may actively be pursuing evil as a sport or at the behest of an evil master.

Someone who is neither good nor evil will most likely have compunctions against killing, but will not go out of their way to protect or aid someone else unless they have a good reason to do so.

Deities
There are many deities in the cosmos; just how many is unknowable. Pious people may worship a single deity, though many have a level of respect for or offer prayers to several, depending on their need or desires. The most obvious religious adherents are clerics, warrior-priests who use divine magic in the service of their deity.

Every deity has an alignment, and each has a different array of domains which they govern, according to the deity's interests and the scope of his or her powers. Each deity also has a preferred weapon, which his clerics will themselves wield as a point of pride.

The most commonly known and worshipped deities are:

Boccob, god of magic (neutral). Boccob is an indifferent and uncaring god. Those who worship him, typically mages, scholars, and sages, are ones who seek knowledge or magical power. His domains are knowledge, magic, and trickery, and his favored weapon is the quarterstaff.

Corellon Larethian, god of the elves (chaotic good). Corellon Larethian is the creator and protector of the elven race. He is considered a patron of all things the elves hold dear: magic, swordplay, archery, music, and poetry. His most common worshippers are elves, half-elves, and bards. Corellon Larethian's domains are chaos, good, protection, and war, and his favored weapon is the longsword.

Ehlonna, goddess of the woodlands (neutral good). Ehlonna watches over forests of all sorts, and protects those who dwell within them or make their livelihood there. She has a particular affinity for elves, half-elves, gnomes, and halflings, though she is also worshipped by rangers and sometimes druids. Her domains are animal, plant, good, and sun, and her favored weapon is the longbow.

Erythnul, god of slaughter (chaotic evil). Erythnul advocates terror, havoc, and wanton killing. His followers in civilized lands are evil fighters, barbarians, and rogues, though he also has a following among savage humanoids such as bugbears, gnolls, ogres, and trolls. His domains are chaos, evil, trickery, and war, and his favored weapon is the morningstar.

Fharlanghn, god of roads and travel (neutral). Fharlanghn has no temples, but rather his followers maintain small shrines on the sides of well-traveled roads. He is commonly worshipped by travelers and wanderers of all sorts, particularly bards, merchants, and adventurers. His domains are luck, protection, and travel, and his favored weapon is the quarterstaff.

Garl Glittergold, god of the gnomes (neutral good). Garl Glittergold has watched over and protected the gnomes since he first led them into the world. He is revered primarily by gnomes, but also counts gemcutters, jewelers, and comedians as his followers. His domains are good, protection, and trickery, and his favored weapon is the battleaxe.

Gruumsh, god of the orcs (chaotic evil). Gruumsh drives the orcs to conquer all they can and will not abide either weakness or peaceableness. He is worshipped mostly by orcs and half-orcs, both savage and civilized. His domains are chaos, evil, strength, and war, and his favored weapon is the spear.

Heironeous, god of valor (lawful good). Hieroneous advocates honorable behavior, justice, and righteous might, and stands in opposition to his half-brother, Hextor. His most common worshippers are paladins, good fighters, and good monks. His domains are good, law, and war, and his favored weapon is the longsword.

Hextor, god of tyranny (lawful evil). Hextor's pleasures are war, conflict, and destruction; he has a particular hatred for his half-brother Hieroneous and his followers. Hextor's worshippers are typically evil fighters and evil monks. His domains are destruction, evil, law, and war, and his favored weapon is the flail.

Kord, god of strength (chaotic good). Kord is the patron of sports, athletes, and physical strength. He is worshipped by good fighters, barbarians, and rogues. His domains are chaos, good, luck, and strength, and his favored weapon is the greatsword.

Moradin, god of the dwarves (lawful good). Moradin is the father of the dwarven race, and is considered the authority on their favorite pursuits, from smithing and metalworking to warfare. His domains are earth, good, law, and protection, and his favored weapon is the warhammer.

Nerull, god of death (neutral evil). Nerull hates all life and favors those who do evil for their own enjoyment or gain. He is worshipped by evil necromancers and rogues. Nerull's domains are death, evil, and trickery, and his favored weapon is the scythe.

Obad-Hai, god of nature (neutral). Obad-Hai is the ruler of the elements all things natural and wild. Unlike Ehlonna, Obad-Hai maintains an indifferent attitude, mirroring nature's own impartiality. He is worshipped by barbarians, rangers, and at times, druids. His domains are air, water, earth, fire, animal, and plant, and his favored weapon is the quarterstaff.

Olidammara, god of rogues (chaotic neutral). Olidammara's followers pursue a lifestyle of wine, women, and song. He is regarded as a trickster and master of disguise. His is worshipped by rogues and bards. His domains are chaos, luck, and trickery, and his favored weapon is the rapier.

Pelor, god of the sun (neutral good). Pelor is the most commonly worshipped deity among ordinary humans, because he advocates good deeds and acts of charity. He also has a following among rangers and bards. His domains are good, healing, strength, and sun, and his favored weapon is the mace.

St. Cuthbert, god of retribution (lawful neutral). St. Cuthbert is the patron deity of the Aldor Empire; he exacts swift and just punishment on lawbreakers. His servants are devoted to the law and maintaining order. Though he is not good himself, he does favor good over evil, and forbids his clerics from being evil themselves. His domains are destruction, law, protection, and strength, and his favored weapon is the mace.

Vecna, god of secrets (neutral evil). Vecna is the master of forbidden knowledge and things people want to keep secret. He is worshipped by those who would gain this knowledge, at any cost to themselves or others. His domains are evil, knowledge, and magic, and his favored weapon is the dagger.

Wee Jas, goddess of death and magic (lawful neutral). Wee Jas demands absolute obedience from her followers, but she has quite a following among wizards and sorcerers, especially those who specialize in necromancy. Her domains are death, law, and magic, and her favored weapon is the dagger.

Yondalla, goddess of the halflings (lawful good). Yondalla gives her blessings and protection to all halflings everywhere, guiding them to prosperity and harmony with each other. Her domains are good, law, and protection, and her favored weapon is the short sword.

Classes
Every character belongs to at least one class, and each class determines the particular training each character has had in his or her career and what capabilities they have. It is possible for characters to belong to more than one class; they essentially sacrifice the best abilities they could potentially gain in order to become more versatile.

These are the most common classes found in the Imperial Legions:

The Bard is essential for maintaining troop morale. Bards are entertainers who learn to mix magical or supernatural powers into their performances, and they also learn to supplement these abilities with a bit of arcane magic on the side. They are more flexible in combat than a sorcerer or wizard, but they are most definitely support troops, not front-line soldiers. Bards are restricted to non-lawful alignments; their craft requires a certain level of creativity and self-expression, which just cannot be found in a lawful spirit.

A Cleric is a servant to a particular deity, imbued with his god or goddess's divine magic and supernatural powers over the undead. Clerics are essential healers and support troops, and their training in the use of heavy armor gives them more protection than other spellcasting classes. St. Cuthbert's clerics can be found all throughout the Legions' ranks, and the officer corps is full of them, but clerics of other good deities can be found, serving the various races and religions represented in the military as chaplains and spiritual advisors. Clerics, however, have very stringent alignment restrictions; they must ever strive to emulate their god or goddess, so their alignment must not stray too far from their deity's alignment. Further, deities of specific races can only have clerics who are themselves of that race. Corellon Larethian, for example, has many worshippers and supplicants from all the common races, but only elves or half-elves will ever have the opportunity to become his clerics.

An Expert is a highly-skilled individual of some sort. They oversee the logistical and engineering aspects of waging war, and are most often officers in command of teams dedicated to their area of expertise. They might be smiths, siege engineers, trap makers, shipwrights, tacticians, or anything else of fundamental importance to an army's supply, mobility, or success on the battlefield.

A Fighter is a catch-all term for career fighting men and women. They might be mercenaries, veteran soldiers, or similar men-at-arms, but what separates them from ordinary troops is the amount of training they receive in how to fight and survive combat. Skilled fighters will usually earn their way to a commanding rank through acts of bravery in battle and the spilling of much enemy blood, gaining the experience a commander needs all along the way.

Monks are disciplined, dedicated martial artists. They train with bizarre, specialized weapons that few other warriors learn to use effectively, and learn to make even their unarmed strikes lethal in their own right. Monks have a much different philosophy than the average soldier, they are all followers of ancient, esoteric traditions and see themselves on a hard path toward spiritual enlightenment and the perfection of their bodies and souls. A monk must be able to remain highly mobile to be effective, so these individuals shun the limitations of armor. They make extremely effective lone operatives, serving as spies and assassins when the need arises. At times, they will be formed into small, elite units for larger-scale needs. Due to the level of discipline a monk needs in order to advance in his or her art, all monks must be of a lawful alignment.

The Paladin is a warrior imbued with divine power, ever on a quest to stamp out dark or evil forces wherever they hide, and to bring solace to those in need. Paladins are like clerics in that they use supernatural power, often to the same end, but differ from them in that they sacrifice magical aptitude for combat prowess and often are more beholden to the ideals they hold dear than to any particular deity. All paladins adhere to a strict code of chivalric conduct, and must retain a single-minded devotion to their path in order to remain on it. All paladins must remain of lawful good alignment, and never deviate from it.

A Ranger is a warrior devoted to nature, and learns to incorporate its magic and ways into his combat ability. They are excellent trackers, survivalists, and are adept at not being seen, making them ideal scouts and reconnoiterers. They are most often deployed to wild, frontier areas far from civilization, where their assistance is indispensable to keeping ordinary troops alive in hostile or unknown environments.

Rogues are not often thought of as the type to join in with the Legion, but some do choose to serve their country in its ranks. They are dextrous, mobile individuals who are usually very good with their hands. They are often used as scouts, sent out in tandem with rangers, where they can work as spies, sappers, and saboteurs. Concealment is their greatest asset, as they are not well-suited to direct combat.

A Sorcerer is someone born with a natural talent for magic, often manifesting itself at puberty. Unlike wizards, these mages bring forth arcane magic from within themselves, not through study and practice. This limits their spellcasting ability somewhat, but it also enables them to be more spontaneous with their magic, which makes them better prepared for contingencies. Magicians are usually kept to the back, away from the dangers of the front line, but sorcerers are marginally more capable with weapons than wizards, if the need arises.

Wizards devote themselves to the study and practice of arcane magic, and they keep all their essential notes close within their spellbooks. Effective wizards are always learned individuals, so many become officers and skilled tacticians, as well as magical support for the troops fighting battles blade to blade. They must plan their spell selections carefully ahead of time, but they can learn or research a wide array of spells that makes them unparalleled users of magic. While many are generalists, some choose to forego study in some schools of magic (there are eight in all: abjuration, conjuration, divination, enchantment, evocation, illusion, necromancy, and transmutation) in order to specialize in a single school, thus focusing their study and their purpose.

Registered PCs
Valandil Coamenel, played by Z
Khal Waxbeard, played by Seeg
Krushak, played by KM
Aneiren Holt, played by DoC

[Seegtease]

I'm guessing you're playing this "behind the scenes" using DnD rules? If so, do we have certain commands, or will you interpret what we say into a command (behind the scenes) and do appropriate DnD rolls to determine the outcome? As in, we play freeform, but you determine the outcome via DnD rules?

If that is the case, I'll just say you should make sure it's not as difficult as a DnD campaign, since you don't want us playing by numbers. See, playing by numbers gives us an obvious advantage since we can see the odds of things working, so if you're asking us to not do that, I hope you scale the difficulty appropriately.

Other than that, I'm good with the idea.

How do you plan on getting it started? How do you plan on getting people together, especially if you have some good and some evil? Have you written out a campaign to guide us, or at least some rough places?

[chefTENGU]

Originally Posted by Seegtease

I'm guessing you're playing this "behind the scenes" using DnD rules? If so, do we have certain commands, or will you interpret what we say into a command (behind the scenes) and do appropriate DnD rolls to determine the outcome? As in, we play freeform, but you determine the outcome via DnD rules?

Players will be aware of which skills their character is good at (i.e., has a reasonable chance of performing successfully), feats (provided with short explanations about what they mean and do), class features (again, provided with a short how-to guide about how to use them), and will have a vague knowledge of their abilities. Instead of being presented with a numerical value, each one will be rated on a scale of "feeble" to "legendary" as follows:

Feeble -> Below Average -> Average -> Above Average -> Superior -> Rare Talent -> Incredible -> Legendary

That way, players will be able to assess their characters' strengths and weaknesses, and know their powers and limitations, regardless of prior experience with D&D.

Players are free to perform any actions that are possible for their characters to perform. I will be providing guidance (via the OOC thread, here) on when characters have free reign (such as when an encounter begins where the enemies are no match for the PCs) when players can feel free to assume that all their likely actions will be successful, and times when I will tell players to leave their actions unresolved so I can determine outcome.

Any secret information that would be privy to one or more PCs (but not all of them) will be conveyed directly to those players via PM (or, players can contact me by PM if they have ideas for their characters they'd like me to try to work into the story and don't want others to know about).

Initiative will not be important. Players are free to declare what actions their characters will take, and I will be able to resolve all actions accordingly. That way, people won't have to wait for others to take their turns before making their intentions known. It makes sense, since all actions during a round are taking place simultaneously anyway.

If that is the case, I'll just say you should make sure it's not as difficult as a DnD campaign, since you don't want us playing by numbers. See, playing by numbers gives us an obvious advantage since we can see the odds of things working, so if you're asking us to not do that, I hope you scale the difficulty appropriately.

Yeah, the emphasis is much more on character development, dialogue, and plot.

D&D veterans will have a better idea about how to make effective characters without any help from me, but what I'm trying to do, by asking players to submit character profiles to me by PM, is to work directly with the players in bringing their visions to life in a way that is satisfactory to them, even if they don't know the difference between a Rogue and a Ranger.

And in case you're wondering, base abilities will be determined by elite array method, so everyone will be on the same level.

I'm taking away a lot of choices that would normally be the players' to make, in the interest of streamlining the character creation process. But I won't be writing anything in that a player wouldn't want, and no PC will be finalized until his or her player is satisfied with it according to their specifications.

How do you plan on getting it started? How do you plan on getting people together, especially if you have some good and some evil? Have you written out a campaign to guide us, or at least some rough places?

I already have a storyline and setting in mind (I have a lot of time to think at work), and I know where I want it to go. Now you guys just have to give me some characters.

Getting started and getting everyone together won't be hard, I already know how it's going to be done. I don't want to give anything away, but since everyone's going to be in the same place at the beginning of the RP, getting them all together won't be difficult.

[Killer_Man_]

What? No barbarian class?

EDIT:

And I'll keep it in mind.

[chefTENGU]

Originally Posted by Killer_Man_

What? No barbarian class?

The Aldor Empire sometimes hires barbarians as mercenaries, most often to pit rival tribes against each other in wild, frontier lands, to help prevent any united, determined native resistance to Imperial authority. However, they never recruit them as soldiers, as barbarians do not follow orders very well, nor are they very useful troops outside of their native environments.

That being said, it is rare, but not unheard of, for individual soldiers of the Aldor Imperial Legions who are only a few generations removed from newly-integrated tribal peoples to incorporate some of their ancestral ways of fighting in with their other training (in game terms, a few might exist as muticlass characters, but never solely as barbarians); this is especially true of half-orcs.

But as I stated, it is rare for such a thing to happen, and most commanding officers try their best to discourage such savage behavior within their soldiers.

[Killer_Man_]

As you wish, I'll keep thinking cause I wanted to make a neutral good half orc barb but I'll have to settle with fighter. xD

[llama_egg]

Hmmm, I'll probably give this a shot. Plus, if enough people get involved and interested, might be able to harass them into the next step of real D&D, which is always a good thing in my books.

It's always interesting to see ways people bastardize D&D (I know I might have sounded sarcastic their, but I'm serious), taking something great, and turning it into something new!

[Seegtease]

I'm more curious on how you're going to integrate both good and evil characters together. Usually they don't band together, especially if the evil person isn't "secretly evil." This is even more strict if there's a Paladin around, too.

[Killer_Man_]

Bastardize how? -To Llama

Seeg: I never understood it either because when you accidently turn evil instead of being good. It's like you pump out an aura that says, "HEY I R EVIL PLEASE SHOOT ME!"

[chefTENGU]

Originally Posted by Seegtease

I'm more curious on how you're going to integrate both good and evil characters together. Usually they don't band together, especially if the evil person isn't "secretly evil." This is even more strict if there's a Paladin around, too.

That's really a problem for anyone seeking to play an evil character, not for me. Well, insofar as this:

I'm assuming that if anyone wants to play evil (and they're more than welcome to do so), they're going to have a way of keeping it secret. There's no way for anyone to actually prove their alignment unless someone casts detect alignment on them.

But even so, it's not a crime to be evil, just to do evil things. Since alignment doesn't always reflect the actions a character takes, but rather the attitude and moral compass the character has (and by extension the choices he or she is likely to take, though never certain to), it's entirely possible for someone to be evil without having to do evil things all day long.

For example, consider a soldier who does his duty to his commanders and comrades, but enjoys torturing or killing enemy prisoners, or killing enemy non-combatants. Sounds like lawful evil to me, but he's unlikely to get in much trouble with his superiors, since he's doing a good job in their sight (though not many people may like him as a person or enjoy the prospect of working with him).

Or, in the alternate case I had above, someone who is devoid of compassion or pity, or doesn't care if innocents (or even friendlies) die, just so long as the battle is won in the end, would have an evil attitude. An example would be like in KOTOR II,

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during the flashback in the tomb to the days of the Mandalorian Wars: Revan ordered Republic troops on a suicide mission to advance through minefields under heavy enemy fire, in order to secure the route for the "important" soldiers (i.e., the Jedi); it was an evil thing to do, but the battle, and by extension, the war, was won because of such brutal tactics, so the Republic was willing to look past the horrendous cost of the victory (the only ones who cared were the Jedi Council themselves, and they ended up losing a lot of their influence because they had hesitated to go to war against the Mandalorians while Revan refused to stand idly by).

Characters who are known to be evil are sure to be viewed with suspicion, and paladins would refuse to work with someone like that, of course. I'm just saying it's not outside the realm of possibility for someone to be evil and still have a career in the military.

Originally Posted by KM

Bastardize how? -To Llama

I'll pretend my name is Llama and throw in an answer:

Most DMs prefer to tweak the rules or make alterations to better suit the campaigns they have in mind, or to better reflect the worlds they create and the people who populate them. In fact, they are encouraged to.

The DM's Guidebook is full of popular variations (provided with explanations of obvious pros and cons) and common methods of arbitration and gameplay style, as well as helpful hints and things to keep in mind when DMs design their own races, monsters, classes, spells, magic items, cosmology, or anything else they might want to handle differently.

You might think of the rules like the skeleton and other body organs and systems that all people have—something which keeps DnD campaigns consistent so that people who have played with one DM will know what they're doing if they play in a different campaign, while the variations individual DMs make are the rest of the things that make a person unique and special.

Originally Posted by Llama

Plus, if enough people get involved and interested, might be able to harass them into the next step of real D&D, which is always a good thing in my books.

I think so, too. And Ron designed a nifty site for just that purpose...

I wanted to run this one here because it's more story- than game-oriented, and could handle a larger pool of participants, with a much less steep learning curve. Ron's castoff engine is totally swanky and I enjoy using it to run my other campaign, which has all the delightful dice rolling and nerdy math intact!

Get with him if you'd like a profile, you can see what we've been cooking up so far. And feel free to run a campaign of your own while I'm running mine (Hell, I'd play!), the site can definitely handle more than one campaign at once.

[Bloodcinder]

Oh my, so complicated. I think I'll stick with Xellis.

[deathofcheese]

I think I'd like to give this a shot.

For those that have already submitted their character ideas, can you tell the rest of us what's being played so we don't get any overlap (unless overlap is desired)?

[chefTENGU]

There have been no submissions thus far, merely statements of intent.

Don't worry too much about what other people have in mind, just focus on the sort of character you'd like to make. Even if other characters emerge that are of similar class and race, the chances are that the vision you have for your character will be very different.

If you want to play a chaotic neutral gnome illusionist, just take a moment to consider what makes yours different from any other chaotic neutral gnome illusionist out there. Overlap won't be a problem, I think.

[Seegtease]

Originally Posted by Bloodcinder

Oh my, so complicated. I think I'll stick with Xellis.

From my understanding, it's much simpler than the real thing, since you just roleplay and let Kevin handle the rest. It's basically the same game, except you need to know even less.

[Bloodcinder]

Yes, but I'm already playing Xellis and several other ongoing games. Maybe by the time this one rolls around I can manage it, but my commitment to this is sub-tentative right now.

[chefTENGU]

Oh, I forgot to mention in my last post, since Sechoes touched on this a bit:

One of the reasons I'm having people make submissions via PM, rather than posting in this thread, is to keep everyone's character information secret. That way, players will be able to make IC introductions and won't have any preconceived notions about characters they haven't met before.

And I will reiterate that overlap won't be a problem. Even two fighters may have vastly different areas of weapon training and expertise.

[chefTENGU]

No one has submitted anything yet. No need to rush, of course, but the SUSPENSE IS KILLING ME.

I did want to mention something I had been thinking about, however:

I was originally intending to reveal very little information about the PCs, nothing more than the character's name and a physical description, at the most (in essence, only things you'd know about someone just by looking), and only if the player chose to reveal it.

However, I've decided that it would be even more interesting if people were permitted to work together on designing characters. That being said, here are a few guidelines:

1. Players need no special permission to collaborate on character ideas, or to establish a previous history between their characters (friends, family, etc.). I ask that such details be made known to me as part of the requisite background that is to be submitted to me via PM.

2. Any communications made between players about their characters for purposes of such collaboration should be kept private from the other players. I want the IC development of all the PCs to be the driving force behind their relations, including how they learn about each other and get to know one another.

Players are also permitted to communicate privately during the game as well, IC and OOC. Please contact me, though, if you intend to do something that would change the characters' capabilities in some way (like by trading possessions, or doing something else in a similar vein).

[Z]

After considering it a while, I think I'm going to try this out. If it is, indeed, happening after part one of The Ascended concludes then I don't think I'll be too busy to keep up.

I'll think on a character tonight and try to get a submission in by this weekend.

[chefTENGU]

Like I said, no rush.

I figure that it might be a little much on players to be involved in more than one RP of this kind at once, which is why I'm waiting until after Ascended pt. 1 and All The World's An Ocean, lest participants wear themselves too thin.

[Seegtease]

Oh, I didn't know this is official enough for me to start making a character. I wanted to make sure it was going before I spent time doing so.

[Z]

The more I brainstorm about my character, the more excited I'm becoming about playing the game I'm going through a few ideas for my character with chef but hopefully I will have it set by the end of this weekend.

[chefTENGU]

As PCs get completed, I'll add their names to the roster in front, in the same way that BC has listed the registered participants for All The World's An Ocean.

[Z]

Originally Posted by chefTENGU

Registered PCs
Valandil Coamenel, played by Z

I believe we've finally got my character done. I'll post a physical description soon but I think the profile details will remain private as per le rules.

[chefTENGU]

Yes, our first PC has been completed.

The process has been exciting for me, too. I can't wait to see everyone's ideas and get them into action!

[Seegtease]

Sent. Let me know if you need any more info.