[Information] Infodump

[Fragmaster01]

Plot Summary ’Don’t be so melodramatic; None of this is real anyway. Just pieces on a gameboard, moving as you command.’ - Dr. Kelvas, Professor of Illusion, explaining an enchanted chess set. The skies are murky, and the fall air is a little too nippy to stay outside for long. The football crowd is going to a local game, but… let them go. Tonight is a perfect night… for Magic & Mystery™! You and three to four other friends have gathered to start up a new campaign, one of drama and suspense, one of learning and triumph, and possibly one of leveling up your characters and acquiring phat loot. So settle back into your chair, gather up the chips and mountain dew, and let’s go on an adventure! You will be making two characters for this game. The first is an ordinary human-folk, who has gathered to join the game. We will refer to him or her as the Out-Of-Game Character, or OOC. One of these players will randomly be selected to be the DM for this game, though they’ll still join the rest in making their ICs, or In-Game characters. Both will be important, but statistically, we’re more concerned with your ICs. The campaign will begin in the fantasy realm of Alomaria. A charming, developed place, where real men are real men, real women are real women, and the bats are few and far between(though they make a good beer). No one’s tried to kill them in the longest time, and generally the monsters are nice enough to die to adventurers when they’re told to. You get to be part of this lovely country, as a person or thing that has some special talent for being adventurous, and is not currently dead/jailed/incapacitated. Coincidentally, this character will be undertaken right before Bad Things happen, because such is just how things go in adventure games.

Important Notes Your characters come with three additional things: A Boon, a Curse, and a Flaw. A boon is just that: a thing your IC has that is cool and snazzy. They might be high-class(giving them status or money), well trained(extra proficiencies or spells known), or have some nifty item their parent gave to them in a dramatic manner. A curse is something that's not necessarily bad, but your OOC would see it as bad. Maybe the OOC is a dude, and the IC is not. Perhaps the OOC likes the finer things in life, and the IC couldn't care less. Obviously, you might end up with more than one of these, but put the one that would be most important to your OOC. A flaw is something mechanically bad. You're blind, and use some sort of magic to detect things nearby. You're young, and haven't developed those strong muscles or grown tall enough to be respected. You're illiterate, and need someone else in the party to tell you what the road signs say. That sort of thing.   Alomaria is a magical country, settled on a series of terraces on the sides of an excessively large(25+ miles high) rock spire. Most towns are outside the spire, but there are a few tunnel dwellings for ease of mining. The country is ruled by the Noble House Devorae, though there are five other Noble Houses who would just love to take back executive rule, rather than just owning their little pieces of the place. Technology wise, Alomaria is somewhat blessed. They understand the principles of architecture such to make properly large cities, and the rich have access to some of the finer things in life, like primitive indoor plumbing(more important than you'd think). They're not very good at explosives or devices of war, but that's what mages are for, right? Alomaria is densely populated in the cities, but rather empty between them. Farmland rules these areas, though they import much of their food, thanks to their geographic condition.   Name Archenai Rulers House Mccharen Population 110,000 Common Race Alomarian Common Religion Varies Economics Trade, Manufacturing(Enchanted House Products, Airships) Status Somewhat crowded, Semi-Affluent Unusual Laws Public casting of high-level magics needs a license with the Magi Council.   No entering/exiting the city after dark, without permission of the guard.   Merchants need a license.   Drawing a martial/exotic weapon, unless to defend yourself, without permission of the guard is a minor crime.   Some characters might be part of a noble house. Important members of the house have the house symbol tattooed on them somewhere(hopefully somewhere decent), and start with the High-Class boon, giving them status, money, or both(both generally meaning they have obligations expected of them in exchange, however). Houses Power Military Territory Opinion in Archenai Style Devorae 1st 2nd 1st Moderate Magical Clan Mccharen 2nd 3rd 3rd Liked Diplomats and Nobles Revan 3rd 1st 4th Moderate Military and Guardians Ersiine 4th 6th 2nd Liked Magical Clan Forthen 5th 5th 5th Grudging Acceptance Miners and Tradesmen Bek'kalen 6th 4th 6th Distrust Creature Association Devorae: The current rulers of Alomaria. Formed out of a clan of wizards, their sponsorship of magical education throughout the realm paid off, ensuring that they had quite a lot of influence when the economy started shifting into a more magical one. They're lacking in raw might, but they use their extensive funds to compensate. +1 DCs on one spell school, or +1 saves versus a school if non-spellcaster. Mccharen: Rulers of the starting town of Archenai, these folks are the old aristocracy of Alomaria. While not as focused on military and trade exploits, they are quite good at getting people to get along, and as such are considered trusted aids to the Devorae rule. +2 Diplomacy, Sense Motive Revan: Born out of the upper soldiers of the realm, House Revan serves as the head of the current military. Their expertise is grand, though they are a bit prone to demanding military solutions to simple problems.Weapon Unproficiency penalties are only -2, you don't need to be a Fighter to take Fighter feats(Fighters gain a bonus feat) Ersiine: Not originally a Noble family, House Ersiine is nonetheless a collection of several priesthoods and clergy that have come together to provide their services to the realm. They tend to be well liked, though severely lacking in military might, aside from the odd paladin.+2 Spellcraft, Use Magic Device Forthen: The heads of mining and trading companies in the realm decided to inter-marry and form their own noble house. Other aristocrats think this is silly, but let them have their fun, so long as prices stay down.+2 Appraise, better deals at major shops/services Bek'kalen: Not related by blood, house Bek'kalen is the association of several creature races in the realm, who felt marginalized by Alomarian rule. They're not liked very much by the Alomarians, but at least they're peaceful. We think.+1 HP/Level, more well-liked in creature areas Unaffiliated: You're either a former member of a house, or one of the many sorts that just wish they could be aristocracy. +1 Skill points/level   Name Common in Archenai? Description Alomarian Yes The fantasy counterpart to humans. They have slightly pointed ears, due to old elven blood, but nothing else unique about them. Recommended Class: Any. Bugbear No These large black bears are certainly an eye-fixation, and their long claws for fingers(similar to the hands of a mole) serve to give others silly reasons to segregate them from society at large. Bugbears come with a keen vision even at night, and have the supernatural ability to fit in spaces They Should Not. They're usually found in caves or forests near towns, though you do see the occasional one around town. It's only recently that these folk have been allowed inside Archenai, though, so most you'll see there will have the Young flaw. Recommended Class: Barbarian, Fighter, Monk, Paladin, Rogue. Goblin Yes These little critters look relatively humanoid, save for the fuzz all over their cheeks/forearms/forelegs, the upturned nose, the thumb and fingers where their toes should be, and their overall similarity towards scrawny apes. Not too strong, but they can hang from their feet, so that's always good for something. Right? Their hair/fur is generally greenish-brown/greenish-blondRecommended Class: Bard, Cleric, Druid, Rogue, Sorcerer. Laetyr No Plural Laetyri, these bat-like folk aren't seen very often in Archenai, due to being un-repentant meat eaters and xenophobes, for the most part. They're quite good of hearing and smell, and their wing-arms let them glide aroud, and even gain height when flying if they take the time to build up the muscles. Their clawed, 4-fingered toes are great for picking up small critters and eating them(or just drawing a picture with your feet, if you're so inclined). They come with a flat, feathered tail that reaches out about 2.5 feet, and is slightly thick, letting it wrap around things(though it's a bit lacking in strength). Clothing needs to be shaped to fit them, though, due to those arm membranes. Most Laetyr have darker shaded fur, and dark-pale colors for their hair/tails, usually teal, dark brown, black, or grey.Recommended Class: Barbarian, Cleric, Fighter, Monk, Paladin, Ranger, Rogue Satyr Yes Unlike the feral Satyrs of myth, these sorts are much more homely. They still clip-clop everywhere, though they have almost no body hair on their Alomarian half(save for a pair of large, triangular ears, and the occasional goatee), and they tend to be good sorts that enjoy a nice party. Fast too, gotta love that. Fur colors are usually brown, black, or chestnut, with a propensity for white spots ala freckles, while their hair is standard for an Alomarian.Recommended Class: Bard, Barbarian, Fighter, Sorcerer. Synth Somewhat Derived from golems of yore, these humanoids are made out of rubber or metal, and used for menial work. They're quite hardy, and can take quite a beating, though the fact they're relegated to second-class citizens annoys them to no end, and ensures that they rarely get to go to magic school. Unlike classic golems, synths can heal naturally(so long as they're not in areas of anti-magic), though they do use air to speak(people decided that this made them more approachable). Similarly, they're made to look male and female, even though this doesn't serve a practical purpose with them. Think something like this, where they're human-ish, but not entirely generic robot. Note: Synths automatically have the Second-Class Citizen flaw. Recommended Class: Fighter, Monk, Paladin, Ranger, Rogue. Tove No An odd sight in Archenai, these humanoid lizards are generally good-natured. Long post-abdomenal tails with a bit of hair on the end, teeth that are impressively flat so as not to offend the cows, and a flexibility that creeps most people right out. Easily recognized by their green or blue smooth scales, ears the size of the side of their face(they claim it makes them aerodynamic, but to what end is unknown), and hair that's some shade of grey, usually silver, grey-blue, or grey-green. Recommended Class: Druid, Monk, Paladin, Ranger. Troll Yes These guys are always great fun. Noses half a foot long, nice pointy ears, thin fuzzy rope-like tails with that adorable tuft on the end. They're short(small size), and generally work as much cuter gnomes. They're usually grey-skinned, with light brown, red, or white hair. You can see an example of a troll-face in my icon.Recommended Class: Bard, Rogue, Sorcerer, Wizard.   Short summary of Doom.(doom!) Race Adulthood Standard Starting Age Height Weight Gender Alomarian 16 20 5'6" 145 As humans. Bugbear 18 23 6'4" 180 The women tend towards larger busts, while the men tend to be stockier. Goblin 15 18 4'10" 100 Goblin women tend towards petite figures, and they still have the fur on their cheeks(just no beards). Laetyr 16 20 5'4" 105 Laetyr women have much more colorful hair/tail patterns. Satyr 16 20 5'7" 140 As humans, though the women tend to have smoother fur. Synth 10 13 5'4" 150 Gender differences are merely in appearance. Gender characteristics are smaller than humans, for practicality. Tove 20 25 5'8" 155 Tove women don't have breasts(silly lizards). This makes it hard to tell them apart from the men for other races(hint: it's the hips). Troll 24 31 4'2" 70 Troll women have straighter hair, and only on their heads. Their noses have a more gradual curve as well.

Houserules No favored class stuff. Pick whatever class you will. In exchange, you get a bonus based on what Noble House you are(or more likely, Aren't) affiliated with. You need to fill out that boon/curse/flaw section. Boons and flaws will come with mechanical effects, curses will not. Starting gold is average for your class, modified by a High-Class boon or a Second-Class Citizen flaw(or something else of the sort). Ask me if you want a non-core book, as I might not have it. Pretend the in-game DM is poor, or something.