Assault on Aldera Campaign

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Lazybones
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Assault on Aldera Campaign

Post by Lazybones » Fri May 18, 2018 2:38 am

We still have a few months of gaming left in the Dragon's Village campaign, but I know you guys like to plan ahead. :)

So here is the Player's Guide for the upcoming campaign. This time around you play as the antagonists from the Siege of Aldera campaign, serving a dark master in the sunless tunnels of the Underdark...

* * *

Allowed Player Character Races

Drow (select elf, dark gray/black skin, white hair)
  • +1 Effective Character Level (ECL)
  • +2 Int, Cha
  • Spell Resistance 12
  • Darkness 1/day
  • Light Blindness (temporary blindness* and then -2 to attack in daylight areas)
Duergar (select dwarf, gray skin, pale hair, often bald)
  • +1 ECL
  • -2 Cha (in addition to normal dwarf penalty)
  • +4 Move Silently, +1 Listen/Spot
  • Immunity to paralysis, poison
  • Invisibility 1/day
  • Light Sensitivity (-1 attack in daylight areas)
Hobgoblin (select human, reddish skin, goblinoid head)
  • +1 ECL
  • +2 Dex, +2 Con, +4 Move Silently
Half-orc
  • +0 ECL
  • Stats and abilities per NWN standard
Goblin (select gnome, green or gray skin, goblin head will be added via LETO prior to start of play)
  • -1 ECL
  • -2 Str, +2 Dex, -2 Cha
  • +4 Move Silently
Kobold (select halfling, blue or gray skin, kobold head will be added via LETO prior to start of play)
  • -1 ECL
  • -4 Str, +2 Dex, -2 Con
  • +2 Craft Trap, +2 Search
  • +1 Natural Armor
  • Light Sensitivity (-1 attack in daylight areas)
* Note that drow characters will be briefly disoriented each time they move from a dimly lit area into a sunlit area.

Characters with lower ECL will receive additional experience points when plot and posting awards are issued.

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Lazybones
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Re: Assault on Aldera Campaign

Post by Lazybones » Fri May 18, 2018 2:47 am

Character Backgrounds

Play will begin in the Underdark town of Ezziroth. The place is ruled by the iron fist of Lord Xrex, who ensures that order is maintained so that he can profit from the trade that passes through the place. Ezziroth is known as a place where you can get almost anything and nobody asks too many questions, as long as you have coin or magic and don't break the rules. The number one rule is no violence in the streets, though often anything goes behind closed doors...

Everyone starts at level one. The Underdark is a dangerous place, so characters that rush about blindly and fail to secure allies will not likely last long. Players should select one of the following three backgrounds. Your chosen background will determine your starting choices in the OOC area.

Slave
  • No gear or gold.
  • 500xp starting bonus.
  • As play starts, the character is about to be auctioned off.
Exile
  • Starts with clothes/armor up to AC3
  • Bonus Item: Exile Cloak (+2 Hide skill)
  • Normal starting gold
  • Can keep default starting gear or sell it
  • Character is an outcast from their kind, maybe hunted by their own kin or others
Mercenary
  • Starts with clothes/armor up to AC4
  • Bonus Item: One Martial Weapon of choice
  • Normal starting gold
  • Can keep default starting gear or sell it
In the OOC starting area players will have access to a selection of outfits based on their character background. Free dye kits are implemented.

As always, if you have any questions about the setting or want to run a character concept by me, just send me a PM or e-mail. Remember that in D&D alignment, "evil" does not equal insane or stupid. Even though this is an "evil" campaign, actually stabbing your fellow party members in the back is frowned upon. The main plot line will give you reasons to collaborate, though there will be plenty of opportunities for clever characters to seize an advantage. Note that I will be implementing Spot checks vs. Pickpocket checks if people want to try to palm loot, but if you're caught, you're on your own. And don't expect to be able to pocket a suit of armor without anyone noticing...

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Karvon
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Re: Assault on Aldera Campaign

Post by Karvon » Sat May 19, 2018 12:51 am

A couple of questions

Are the favored classes per the normal race, for example hobgoblins treated as human?

Do all Races have being darkvision?

Do the drow have the other regular Elvish abilities such as immunity to sleep or is it just what you posted?

Thanks

Karvon

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Lazybones
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Re: Assault on Aldera Campaign

Post by Lazybones » Sat May 19, 2018 1:45 am

To make the custom races I basically just added a custom creature property skin to each one, so the favored classes will be the same as the race I used to make the reskin. I could change this but it would require 2da editing, and I'm lazy. The custom skin overwrites the racial stat bonuses of the reskinned race unless noted.

I will check if the hobgoblin skin has darkvision, it should.

Drow do have sleep immunity.

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Re: Assault on Aldera Campaign

Post by Topato » Sat May 19, 2018 1:54 pm

Here's what I've got so far;

Half orc fighter/weapon master specialising in duel scimitars (or maybe doubleaxe if anyone else really wants to use a scimitar?)

Background as a member of an enslaved orc tribe, forced to fight as a gladiator. He could be compelled to join the mission with the promise to free the rest of his tribe. He might be somewhat famous /popular around the town for his reputation as a gladiator.

I'm generally quite interested in playing "evil" realistically, with the premise that evil races and peoples still have thier own loyalties, social order and things they love. I imagine him quite honest with his dealings but quick to anger and with few qualms about hurting others. He'd probably have some sympathy for other slaves and a higher regard for other orcs in general and his own tribe specifically.
I think most people wouldn't be cackling sociopaths, gangs of outlaws and such probably rely on interpersonal relationships more than anything else to keep together and survive. I think one of the key thngs that makes a person "evil" is inability or refusal to see the bigger picture, or to empathise with others distant from them, so for example, if my orc had to slaughter a couple of other tribes in order to free his own, well he might judge that a fair exchange.

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Re: Assault on Aldera Campaign

Post by smartalec » Sat May 19, 2018 2:53 pm

VM had a Drow rogue exile idea in mind, I think. And I was thinking to go Drow mage exile, if only because I haven't been an arcane spellcaster for a while (and neither has VM been a rogue!), and because I can handle being treated like a lackey... to a point, anyhow. :roll:

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Vanya Mia
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Re: Assault on Aldera Campaign

Post by Vanya Mia » Sat May 19, 2018 3:13 pm

Yeah I know you're all bored of us doing it by now but as we had similar ideas we've decided we might team up and give you that nagging married couple we promised was next during devotion. Which with them being drow probably brings all the bells and whistles ... :D

Edit: Oh and a firm dibs on rogue scout, if I hadn't made that known sufficiently already, probably with assassin fairly quickly.

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Karvon
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Re: Assault on Aldera Campaign

Post by Karvon » Tue May 22, 2018 1:00 am

I'm familiar with the concept of ECL, but not clear on the actual mechanics; could you give couple examples of how this penalty/bonus would apply? Wanting to get a concrete idea of this to balance the cost vs reward.

Thanks,

Karvon

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Vanya Mia
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Re: Assault on Aldera Campaign

Post by Vanya Mia » Tue May 22, 2018 6:16 pm

With respect to ECL, if you want to have ability changes Leto'd in then if folks can get characters done early (or do it after the first session) I can sort that out. So, for example, spellcasting levels calculate accurately. I don't think they will from items as I remember it being a bit of an issue from the old Planescape campaign I ran.

Either that or I can alter the racial.2da file to incorporate them. It's not that much of a change but it will mean using the D20 Modern approach and creating characters locally then forwarding them on.

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Gulfwulf
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Re: Assault on Aldera Campaign

Post by Gulfwulf » Wed May 23, 2018 3:04 am

I'd go with Wizardy 1's definition: good characters would go out of their way to help an old lady across the street; neutral would do so if they're going the same why; and evil would only do so if there was money involved.

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