House Rules

Here's a quick overview of things that work or are defined differently from the core rules, as well as an overview of the game rules:
	The cardinal rules 3.5 System Reference Documents Alignment Combat Hit points, damage and recovery Spells and magic Money	Gaining levels/multiclassing Magical items Preconceptions ("Monsters") Races Experience points Hero points Environmental effects

            For quick reference, these are the main rules of the game; there's more on the rest of the site (check the protocols on the character generation page), but these are the ones to remember.

1. Game mechanics such as dice rolls, hit points, saves, ability checks etc. will be handled by me, but players are expected to keep track of their own health levels, money, equipment, spell components and so on.

2. Do not have your PC refer to anything in game terms; words such as ”alignment,” ”armor class,” ”hit points,” ”level,” and even the listed names of spells shouldn't be heard from a PC. The only exception to this is in the OOC clarification post to the DM, which must be in game terms to make sure there are no misunderstandings.

3. If you have a problem with some part of the game, by all means let me know and we can discuss the matter. Do not start fights with other characters/players (see rule 7). However, rule changes will not work retroactively, and once a decision has been reached all DM rulings are final.

4. While I'd like to keep this a fairly fast-paced game with player posts several times a week, players post whenever they like and DM posts will be made whenever needed. However, if you know you're going to be out of contact for a while, send me an email beforehand explaining when you expect to be gone and for how long. Your character will then be guided according to whatever standing orders and contingency plans have been arranged until your return.

5. In general, whoever posts first acts first, with the exception of in combat. Please read all the current posts before posting yourself. Don't "go back in time" to cut into a discussion, offer a reaction or, worst of all, try to do something before the other post (see rule 6). In general, facets of a discussion can be pursued until I've collated the results in a DM post, after which the order of response is set in stone.

6. Never describe the reactions of others - even for surprise or other seemingly obvious things. All players have the sole custody of their PCs and the right to determine how they react (barring certain magical effects). By the same token, don’t ignore the actions of other party members. An example would be if one PC promised an NPC they weren’t going to hurt him and another PC immediately thereafter injured/killed that NPC. Be considerate of the other players. Badassing will get you tossed from the game.

7. Don’t deliberately piss other players off - this includes things like backstabbing, insulting or otherwise harrassing other party members (badassing). IC is all good and well, but people should be enjoying the game. If you want to start a feud with a character, OK it with their player first.

8. Don’t post long soliloquies that assume the other characters wouldn't break in. This prevents others from reacting to parts of what you say (see rule 5). Think of your post as a scene in a movie - try to make it cinematic and entertaining. If you have a lot to say, break it up at obvious joints so that others can respond.

9. Follow the game protocols.

LG LN LE \ | / NG - TN - NE / | \ CG CN CE

Good - Neutral - Evil Lawful - Neutral - Chaotic

            A character's alignment defines their view of the world and their place in it, and the corresponding types of behavior they show the most often. This is represented by choosing two values: one on an ethical scale and one on a philosophical scale. The values of these two axis balance into behavior typical for an alignment type on the chart.
            Most people are actually neutral with tendencies toward one side or another; people with strong opinions about their actions (like PCs) are the extremes. While people can behave in different ways for many reasons, they are more likely to act in a way associated with their alignment than one opposed to it, which means that in general, it's easier to cross philosophical lines (lawful or chaotic) than ethical lines (good or evil). This means that a character shouldn't slip towards behavior they're not directly connected to on the chart, and must absolutely avoid acting in a manner directly opposed to their alignment on the alignment chart - for example, a NG character acting NE, or a LG character acting CE).
            For example, a LG character would generally behave as a law-abiding citizen with a willingness to help others. While the character might briefly slip into behavior associated with another close alignment (LN, NG or CG)- for example, bending or breaking the law to aid friends would be CG - it would be much less likely for them to act in a way completely unlike them - for example, a NE character pausing to release trapped prisoners while escaping a burning building (NG, CG or LG behavior). Such behavior would border on having a split personality.
            Apart from some special powers associated with alignment* and some spells that affect specific alignments, alignment primarily functions as a roleplaying guideline.

            For the purpose of this game, the philosophies, morals and alignments are defined as follows:

Lawful A lawful character believes in authority and hierarchy. (This doesn't always mean they obey the written law of the land - a thief might meticulously follow the laws of his guild, but not the country, and a barbarian might hold to a code of honor, but not the strange rules of the cities.) Chaotic A chaotic character believes in personal judgement and freedom. Unlike in most games, 'chaotic' is not another word for 'crazy' or 'evil.' Neutral A neutral person has no strong feelings about the rights of society vs. individuals and no great concern over whether or not their actions are selfish; it isn't important to them, and they go with the flow. (Note: All animals are neutral because they don’t have the capacity to understand complex philosophy.) People either seek a middle ground in both ethics and philosophy, don’t care one way or the other (like an animal), or choose to take a larger perspective on the situation (on the whole and in the long run, most concerns don’t have a lot of weight - things balance out in the end). Good A good character has compassion for others and demonstrates respect for them (i.e. doesn't put his own good ahead of theirs). Good is defined as a willingness to go out of your way to aid and avoid harming others. Evil An evil character behaves selfishly and is willing to use and harm others to have their way; they always think of themselves first. Evil is defined as the willingness to harm others needlessly and deliberately. (Evil people rarely think of themselves as evil - they just think they're wise to the ways of the world, or that their actions ultimately benefit others, or that they have a right to do what they're doing, or that it isn't really their fault.)

*Some classes (such as paladins) lose special powers when they act outside their alignment; what this means is that they belong to an order with a strict code of behavior which they must conform to. The alignment shows the character's basic values, worldview and general behavior; the code makes that behavior and those values an absolute requirement to retain the paladin's status - not least because the paladin represents the dogma of a diety, who probably wouldn't care to be misrepresented.

            For those unfamiliar with the basic rules of combat/how combat is run in this pbem, they are:

Initiative is rolled. The initiative order will last the entire combat, but can be affected by such actions as, for example, readying a weapon to attack at a specified point, delaying (having to wait until another character does something), etc. I (sometimes) post an encounter map in the Files section and end every post with a round summary in the [OOC] section. The round summary lists everyone by their initiative order, and tells you their health and latest action. If an action is listed, that character has already moved that round. If there's a question mark or a blank space rather than an action, it means that character hasn't taken any action yet. You state your actions. Every round (6 seconds), you get two actions - one standard, one move-equivalent (M-E). You get to use both of these actions, OR two M-E actions. Examples of the various actions can be found on pg.141 of the 3.5 PHB, in the SRD, or summarized on the Whine Sheet in the Files section. You should state your expected actions for about 3 rounds at a time. If you move somewhere, either be very specific about where you're going or copy the encounter map and mark your path on it. This is to avoid any misunderstanding as I run the encounter. Remember that there can be movement penalties due to weight carried, darkness, difficult terrain, etc. Remember to specify your target(s) when attacking/casting! Do this even if your target is as vague as, "the closest foe" or "anyone who looks badly hurt (mauled or worse)." If you use a feat, skill, Hero Point, special ability or spell, name it in your OOC action list (and contingencies) along with the (3.5) source, page number, and what your intent in using it is. If you think something (trait, feat, skill, special ability, current spell, etc.) will have an effect on what's going on, list it's source and page number. If you could have been aided by some quality but didn't mention it, too bad. I do my best to take everything into account, but I have a lot to keep track of. Help me out here. You should both write out your actions in the story section of your post (as much as possible, but try not to assume the automatic success of your actions) and state what you do in clear game terms in the [OOC] section of your post, as in the following example: _"Look out!"_ Dalia bellowed, lunging forward to knock Kendrel from his feet. Ignoring the arrows zipping by on all sides, she drew something out of one of the many pockets in her vest. She quietly breathed something over it as she made strange gestures with her free hand before lobbing it over the battlements. [OOC] Rnd 1: Free act: Call out a warning ME-act: Run to Kendrel and knock him down in a flying leap Action: Cast Arcane Eye (PHB pg.200) to get an idea of where the mob is likely to break through. You state your combat plans and contingencies in the [OOC] section in every combat post. This speeds up combat, keeps your plans up-to-date, and prevents me from having to go digging through old posts for them. The combat will pause if anything that justifies a change to your plans occurs. The combat plan defines your overall tactics for the combat - for example: Combat plan: PC X will to try to sneak around the shadowed area to kill NPC Y from behind, but if he sees any spellcasters he'll sneak around and then try to knock them unconscious with nonlethal damage first. Once he's done that, he'll search him/them as quickly as possible for the Grand Duke's letter or anything else interesting (Search +4). The contingencies describe what you'll do if things don't go as planned. Contingencies: 1) If NPC Y brings PC X down to mauled status, PC X will withdraw from combat to take stock of the situation, calling out for someone to cover him. He'll move to the spot marked 'PCX1' on the map. [Map with marks should be attached] 2) If the town watch shows up or if any spellcasters show up and are too hard to handle (ie. they reduce PC X to mauled or cast spells that freeze/trap anyone), PC X will shout a warning to the others and withdraw from combat to the spot marked 'PCX2' on the map. I run the combat until your goals are acheived, we reach a point you've asked me to break at, or something unusual happens, whereupon I'll break for you to respond. I do all the dice-rolling required.

• Called shot: You can strike a specific target on an opponent by taking a -8 penalty to your attack.
• What if...? Since PBEM players often disappear temporarily or permanently without giving notice, standing orders are important. I won't wait around until everyone has posted, but I will wait at least 24 hours before moving on; if we move on without you, it's assumed that your PC will defend itself and follow the group, but won't otherwise contribute (barring standing orders to the contrary).
• Special attacks (PHB pg.154)
• Special initiative actions (PHB pg.160)
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• Unconsciousness and death: Characters whose nonlethal damage exceeds their remaining total hps, or whose hps reach 0, are disabled. Rather than dying at -10 hps, they die if their hit points fall below their negative CON:Health score.
• Massive damage: If a character suffers a single attack that reduces him to 50% or less of his hps, the character has to make a Fortitude save at DC 15 or either a) die or b) suffer some seriously debilitating injury (a Hero Point can be used to avoid this). If he makes the save, he’ll still have the effects of being at 50% hps or less (see table below).
• Natural healing: Characters heal naturally if their wounds are tended and they rest.

  rest 8 hrs rest 8 hrs rest + Heal 24 hrs bed rest 24 hrs bed rest + Heal nonlethal (char.lvl) hps/hr lethal (char.lvl) hps/day (char.lvl x2) hps/day (char.lvl x2) hps/day (char.lvl x4) hps/day ability 1/day 2/day

• Magical healing: Magical healing is (usually) greatly accellerated natural healing, and leaves the patient hungry - a character who has been magically healed must consume an extra day's rations or be exhausted. Note that temples tend only their faithful (the exception being the Church of Ilmater; in the Moonsea, all the Dark Gods are considered to be parts of one faith, so their churches will tend the faithful of the other Dark Gods as well).
  [In the Moonsea, where all the gods serve Bane, Loviatar is prayed to for reprieve from pain, and Talona is prayed to for health - both via the Church. Actual divine healing is the province of the rare Chosen of Loviatar and Talona (clerics).]

• Resurrection: Resurrecting the dead is unheard of outside of legend and religious dogma. Such a thing would be the province of Myrkul, god of the dead.

            If a PC is injured, their injuries and health level will be described in the OOC section using the terms in the table below. During combat, everyone's current health level is shown in the round summary. The following table lists the health levels and their hp percentage equivalent. This table is also on the Game page.

HPs Physical appearance and penalties 100% Uninjured             The character is at full or nearly full health. Other than bruises and minor cuts or sprains, the character is fully fit. 81-99% Scratched 61-80% Injured             The character may have some deep cuts or bruises, or sore or injured limbs that affect his performance. 41-60% Wounded             At this point, the character is showing heavy signs of injury. He may have deep lacerations and severe injury of body parts that greatly affect his movement. 21-40% Mauled             Outward signs of harm are very severe. The character will exhibit terrible wounds, will suffer great physical impairments, and will have an extremely difficult time with any physical activity. Fatigued: cannot run/charge, 50% move 1-20% Critical             In addition to the penalties provided above and being disabled, the character must make a Fortitude check during each round of physical exertion, such as travel (unless being carried in a litter or other reasonable means of transport), combat, or other demanding tasks. Failing this check means the character collapses into unconsciousness for several days or until special healing methods, such as magic or herbal poultices, are applied. Fatigued: cannot run/charge, 50% move Disabled: can only take partial actions, strenuous actions cause 1hp dmg. 0% Critical and unconscious             Pretty much just that. -1% to -CON Dying             The character loses base hps (how many depends on the cause of the damage) each round for a number of rounds equal to his negative CON score. Characters with the Heal skill can stabilize a dying character with first aid if the hp loss isn't too great (PHB pg.75), preventing further hp loss from existing wounds. >-CON Dead             When the number of rounds has passed the character's negative CON score, that's all she wrote.

            I've monkeyed with the exchange rate; most things are paid for by barter, but copper is the most common coinage, with the more well-to-do using silver, and with gold reserved for the rich. A peasant can expect to make about the equivalent of 10 cp a day, while city commoners (mostly craftsmen (such as potters, chandlers etc.) and minor merchants) might make around twice that. This is one reason farmers like to sell their wares in cities if they can.
            Almost 100% of a peasant's solvent wealth is in items rather than coinage; for merchants the percentage is about 75%. Nobles and the upper class, on the other hand, don't make a habit of bartering for what everyday things they want, and tend to pay for most, if not all, their puchases in coin. However, their servants might also pay in various items owned by the master.
            To translate PHB prices, just figure out how many cps each item is, then convert it using the new exchange rate.

New exchange rate 100 cp 1 sp 30 sp 1 gp (3000 cp) Example: 3gp, 4sp, 2cp becomes 3sp, 42cp

• New hit points can be rolled by the DM, or you can decide to take the class average (half a hit die + whatever bonuses you get).

• You may be entitled to another reputation point. Reputation is a character trait that your character is known for. With people aware of that reputation, you can gain a bonus or penalty to your rolls when dealing with them, depending on what they think of you. For example, someone known as Giantsbane +4 would take a bonus on CHA checks when dealing with people plagued by giants, but a -4 when dealing with giants themselves.
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            Magic is special.

            Magic isn't all that common in this game, and magical items are uncommon, objects of great interest and awe. Many have names and histories attributed to them, weapons and armor in particular. However, magical items are not obvious - they generally resemble normal items, if of an exceptional quality. There are plenty of taverns who have stories to tell about the exploits of the "magical" weapon hanging over the hearth.
            Magical items can never be bought in shops; they always pass down from the hands of those who created them in other ways - graverobbing (or as many adventurers term it, looting) not being the least of those ways. They also might be claimed as spoils by bandits who don't even know their value, passed on down by a family or order, or even simply dropped by their fleeing owners and found by local woodsmen or farmers.

            While this adventure is set in the Forgotten Realms, this version of the Realms differs significantly from the canon setting in many areas, especially if you're familiar with the TSR novels. Magic is less common and treated less casually, monsters have different characteristics, resurrection is a matter of legend, almost no religions are treated as "evil," and most importantly, someone's alignment isn't obvious by their race, profession or nationality.

            In other words, take nothing for granted.

            Hero points let you perform some amazing, cinematic feat - as long as it's entertaining. These points are handed out to the most entertaining character each month, and five go to the best player of the year (both decided by the polls on the Cast page).
            The Character of the Year award comes with five Hero Points - and for five points, you can choose a template to add to your character, with the DM's OK. Similarly, you may choose a prestige class for three Hero Points. Note that these things must be earned in-game somehow; the DM will work out how with you.

Uses of hero points include:

Special uses: For three hero points, you may select a prestige class (with the DM's OK). This may also have some in-game requirements. For five hero points, you may select an additional feat. For five hero points, you may be able to select a template you've earned in-game; work this out with the DM. Boring but acceptable uses: Succeeding at one attack with maximum damage Succeeding overwhelmingly at a skill check Succeeding at a save Moving outside of the initiative count (one round of normal actions before returning to your place in the count) Succeeding at a grapple/disarm (within reason - ie. you can't disarm an ooze. Both counted together as one point) More cinematic uses: Firing an arrow (or throwing a sword, etc.) to cut the bonds of a bound ally in the middle of a fight Popping open a lock in the middle of combat by banging on it just right When disarming a foe, sending the weapon sailing into the hand of an ally Make something work in a way the rules normally do not allow. For example, a magister could use a hero point to cast a special version of vitrification that turned a foe to glass for only one hour (instead of permanently) or that could be undone only by some specific requirement (the touch of three honest men, or exposure to the light of heaven, for example). More comprehensive uses are at the DM's discretion. The use of Hero Points does not cover, among other things,: Automatically killing your foe Suddenly making impossible connections, such as the method of developing gunpowder, or reading a message written in a foreign alphabet Using a feat you don't possess

            To use a hero point, you have to indicate you're using it before the results of your action become clear - that is, you have to use it before you try the action; you can't try, fail, then use a hero point to succeed.

            This being a low fantasy game, the PCs will have to deal with all sorts of amusing things, like fatigue, hunger, thirst and weariness for themselves and any mounts, inclement weather and disease. These are crunchy rules players don't have to get involved in figuring out, but I've put a few of them up because they might be nice to know.

Temperature
            The basic effects of the weather can be seen at the WOTC site, but PCs must also consider their personal temperature - their temperature affected by exertion, armor, heat and cold. All this really means is that characters should remember their mittens in winter and never try a sunny day's forced march in plate armor.

Disease
            Just a reminder: low fantasy includes small doses of realism, like treating wounds immediately, not fighting in sewage, etc. to avoid getting infections. Then, of course, there are traps and monsters that can bestow a disease on you...

Hunger and thirst
            Players are expected to keep track of whether or not their characters (and their mounts) have enough food and water. Medium-sized creatures need at least a gallon of fluid and about two pounds of decent food (this also applies to both dwarves and halflings) to avoid starving (DMG pg.304).
            A waterskin typically holds half a gallon (4 pints/2 liters), which weighs about 4 lbs (2 kg). Standard trail rations typically consist of bread, cheese, some kind of vegetable or fruit, and some kind of smoked or salted meat, and keeps for 2 weeks. Iron rations consist of waybread or hardtack and dried or jerked meat (and maybe some dried fruit), and keeps for a month. There are no 'iron rations' for animals.

Minimum daily requirements Food Water Dwarves, half-elves, halflings, humans 2 lbs (1 kg) standard rations / 1 lb iron rations Between 6-10 pints; usually 8 pints (1 gallon / 4 l). Elves 75% of a human ration (1.5 lbs) 75% of a human ration (6 pints) Gnomes 25% of a human ration (.5 lbs) 25% of a human ration (2.5 pints) Hvy. horse (draft/war) 1.5 day's feed, min. 12 lbs. (hay or grain) min. 6 rations (6 gallons) Lgt. horse (riding)/pony 1 day's feed, min. 8 lbs. (hay or grain) min. 4 rations (4 gallons) Mule or donkey 1 day's feed, min. 8 lbs. (can graze on most plants) min. 4 rations (4 gallons) Dog as human as human