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Topics - Excalibur

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31
World of Taluria, The / [E] Session Report: Session 1
« on: January 21, 2012, 01:25:56 AM »
I believe the session went well! We found out that Gellac Thov and Ella Wilder have been traveling together. They served as deck hands aboard the Slippery Sprite. Bobo was bribed/hired by someone to smuggle a weapon aboard the Slippery Sprite. Talek's childhood enemy was one of the prisoners (neither recognized the other) and she's a serial killer. The keep across from New Unswich harbor is under the control of tainted monsters. The Slippery Sprite is no more. The forces at the keep sank her in the harbor. New Unswich is in need of adventurers to clear out the Slums and the Sewers in order for the city to expand and eliminate a vermin problem.
[more]

I gave out language decoders to everyone so if something written in a particular language is found, if the party can speak that language, they can decode it. I also printed out all the city council's proclamations in the Common Tongue which is just different enough to look like a foreign language, but can be read by literate English speakers.

Over the next three weeks, I will be getting a better map of the Slums created (though the map from Beyond the Crystal Cave worked well as a starter). I am also going to get the maps done for some of the other areas such as the sewers and the civilized section of the city. I will have the information for all of the taverns, inns, and temples as well as the NPCs you'll be dealing with (including Ms. Serial Killer).

I'm thinking about bringing in a renown system and so I am keeping track of the number of critical hits made, critical skill successes, moments of greatness (not voted on, if you use an action point that causes something momentous to happen), and other items. I'll talk more about the renown system when it is written/added to the campaign.

I am not going to give out XP. I am going to keep track of how many successful combat and non-combat encounters are completed per character. That will determine how you gain levels.

Hopefully our Drow Cleric will be with us next time!

32
World of Taluria, The / [E] Solo Adventures Have Begun...
« on: January 16, 2012, 11:51:04 PM »
I've emailed everyone with their solo adventures, one is currently underway. We have only a few days before Session 1 begins.

If we can't get the solo adventures finished, I'll write up a narrative for you that explains how you arrived where we are at the start of the adventure.

33
World of Taluria, The / [D] Dice Rolling Server
« on: January 16, 2012, 08:00:39 PM »
For online dice rolling, I request you follow these instructions:

Go here https://dicelog.com/register and create an account.
After you validate your account, go to the Dice Mail Service page here https://dicelog.com/maildice and fill in your login information.
Add my email address to the "send to" field.
Set the subject of the email to what I tell you in the adventure dialog.
Then finally click on the button I instruct under fast usage section.
This will send me the dice results.

34
World of Taluria, The / [D] Background Generated Skills
« on: January 15, 2012, 10:15:45 PM »
Due to dialog with everyone I have come to a firm decision on what to do with those skills you gained during your background generation. I want the skill ranks you put into the Heroes of Legend skills to count but I don't want to take away your choice when it comes to selecting your class skills.

So, with this in mind I present the following rule:


[CLASSRACE]Heroes of Legend: Conversion to D&D 4th Edition[/CLASSRACE][FLAVOR]If you gain skills during your background generation (everyone should have some sort of Survival unless they got knocked down to 0 or less ranks) you will add the converted skill to your class skill list before selecting your trained skills. If you have 6 or more skill ranks in one or more of those skills, you gain a +2 background bonus to those skills. Even if you are not trained in a skill that has 6 or more ranks in it, you still gain the +2 background bonus for having 6+ ranks in that skill.[/FLAVOR]

I believe this ruling is more in line with the standard D&D 4e background rules. I initially was thinking about patterning this after the Heroes of the Feywild character background generation chapter, but Heroes of Legend is actually more restrictive in the skill section than the HotF material.

Now you may choose whatever skills you want to be trained in, possibly be lucky to gain bonuses in some untrained skills due to your experiences. AND you won't lose any of your trained skills to chance.

35
World of Taluria, The / [E] Pre-Session 1 Solo Adventures...
« on: January 14, 2012, 05:40:46 PM »
Everyone has an option: You may do an email-based adventure that will bring you to where you are at the start of the first role-playing session. Email me, post on the Facebook group, or email the group if you'd like to participate! These will be solo adventures, most likely in an interactive fiction/choose-your-own-adventure style. We'll use an online dice rolling program if we need dice rolled.

36
World of Taluria, The / [E] Session Report: Session 0
« on: January 14, 2012, 05:38:01 PM »
Our first session went off pretty well, I'd say! We technically made a game of character background generation and it took 5 hours or so to accomplish. I'm sorry that not everyone was involved fully and didn't get to do more! I hope you had some amount of entertainment watching the others figure out what they were discovering :)
[more]

Please remember, I wanted to use Heroes of Legend to generate backgrounds to get you to think about your character's history a bit more. You don't have to use anything from your background or you can change what you don't like.

Any skills you received will become class skills that you're trained in. Subtract that many from your class skills granted at first level. If you have any left, you may choose them from your class's skill list.

Survival: Wilderness = Dungeoneering, Rural = Nature, and Urban = Streetwise (to make things easier overall since we don't have a Rural survival skill...).

Please email me your skills and their ranks also any additional material you want me to expand upon. You are free to expand upon anything in your character's background.

The War of Darkness happened 20 years ago. There are still a lot of problems stemming from the evil that war brought upon the world.

37
World of Taluria, The / [M] Email Group
« on: January 14, 2012, 02:12:53 PM »
I have set up an email group for the players so that it's easier to stay in contact. You should have received an email from me sent to the group at this point. If not, just email me and I'll make sure you get the address.

38
World of Taluria, The / [D] A Quick Summary of the War
« on: January 14, 2012, 05:46:39 AM »
There was the War of Darkness. More to the point, the Lord of Entropy attempted to make planetfall on the continent of Egesa. A massive amount of people (nearly half the population) were enticed by the darkness, corrupted, and then transformed into the Orc (Strength), Goblin (Dexterity), and Minotaur (Constitution) races. At first it was a trickle, these dark races suddenly appearing and killing people in murder sprees, but then the creatures began attacking more frequently and in greater numbers. The targets were almost unilaterally followers of the good-aligned deities but then the blood began spilling from those who didn't worship any particular god.
[more]

A call for action was put out to any and all willing and able to fight the beasts and it became terrifyingly apparent that the number of humans still alive were quickly dwindling (roughly 1/16 of the remaining population had been killed by this point). Some of the greatest wizards of the area began systematic destruction of the monsters attacking the realm's people only to find where these creatures were coming from.

It took a lot of magic to track down the gate that was nearly opened and there was not enough strength left on the human's side to shut the portal. A band of adventurers, who had destroyed a corrupted dragon, discovered a vast horde of magic items and, in particular, seven artifacts. These were actually legendary weapons that were lost to time (some say older than even the Changelings) but were the key to the defeat of the dark armies that were multiplying too fast to stop. These intrepid heroes sacrificed themselves by attempting to destroy these artifacts, hoping that the energy that was unleashed from such a destruction would be enough to close the Dark Gate.

The result of the attempt was the destruction of the continent and it's current configuration of islands.

This took place 20 years ago.

39
World of Taluria, The / [D] Deities: Revealed
« on: January 14, 2012, 01:35:12 AM »
Well, I thought I'd give a list of the Deities and their areas of influence since there was interest in this during "Session 0." The info is taken from Heroes of the Fallen Lands.

Good/Unaligned Gods:
Avandra/Good/Change, Luck, Travel
Bahamut/Lawful Good/Justice, Honor, Nobility, Protection
Corellon/Unaligned/Arcane Magic, Spring, Beauty, the Arts
Erathis/Unaligned/Civilization, Invention, Laws
Ioun/Unaligned/Knowledge, Prophecy, Skill
Kord/Unaligned/Storms, Strength, Battle
Melora/Unaligned/Wilderness, Sea
Moradin/Lawful Good/Creation, Artisans, Family
Pelor/Good/Sun, Summer, Agriculture, Time
Raven Queen/Unaligned/Death, Fate, Winter
Sehanine/Unaligned/Trickery, Moon, Love, Autumn

Evil Gods:
Asmodeus, Bane, Gruumsh, Lolth, Tharizdun, Tiamat, Torog, Vecna, Zehir

40
World of Taluria, The / [M] Updated Character History Worksheet
« on: January 11, 2012, 06:27:40 AM »
I have updated the Character History Worksheet to include a second page for additional events. There should be more than enough room for them if you run into a few "1d3 additional events occur" entries. I had this happen once with the sample character and I also didn't have room for everything the military provided or the butler...

41
World of Taluria, The / [D] Deities
« on: January 11, 2012, 06:13:16 AM »
To make things a bit simple all around, I have decided that the available deities are those from the Essentials class handbooks (Heroes of the Forgotten Kingdom and Heroes of the Fallen Lands). Kind of generic, yes, but will make my life a bit easier. I had been thinking about a different pantheon but the work involved would take away from the main story too much.

42
World of Taluria, The / [M] New Material Posted
« on: January 08, 2012, 10:48:44 PM »
I have created random tables for Race/Sub-race and Class/Sub-class determination. You can find this on the right. Additionally, I have created a worksheet for you to use while creating your character's background, if you choose to go with the Heroes of Legend book that I'll be bringing. I'd like for everyone to try this book because it goes into a depth that will not only flesh out your character and get you thinking about him or her, but also gives me fodder for NPCs, encounters, quests, and historical background about the world.

Note: In my posts, I will not refer to any player by their real name. I will instead refer to character names, which will be posted to the right once the game starts. It is my intention to keep the cast of characters up to date with any deaths, episodic appearances, and regulars.

43
World of Taluria, The / [D] Racial Notes COMPLETED!
« on: January 07, 2012, 02:00:05 PM »
I have finally finished off the racial notes. There are quite a few write-ups in the two as well as a number of flavor/story modifications. Feel free to read them over and leave feedback in the Facebook group!

44
World of Taluria, The / [D] The Races of Taluria (Part 2)
« on: January 07, 2012, 01:36:44 AM »
Below you will find racial write-ups for the majority of races found in the World of Taluria.
[more]

Half-Orcs and Half-Elves are rare but do exist. They are unchanged from official sources.



Canin are a bane to any caravan that happens to be nearby. They are race of anthropomorphic dogs who have become rogues, bandits, and outlaws. Typically, Canin are found in gangs called (unimaginatively, Howl Packs) and just about any illicit activity is something they are involved with.

In game terms, Canin are Gnolls. Their ability bonuses are  (instead of the Gnoll's ability bonuses).

Canin
Outlaws, rebels, and all-around plagues for caravans.
 
Racial Traits
Average Height: 4'11" - 6'5"
Average Weight: 120 - 280 lbs.
 
Ability Scores: +2 Dexterity; +2 Charisma or +2 Intelligence
Size: Medium
Speed: 7 Squares
Vision: Normal
 
Languages: Common, choice of one other
Skill Bonuses: +2 Acrobatics, +2 Stealth
Blood Fury: While you're bloodied, you gain a +2 bonus to damage rolls. This increases to a +4 bonus at 21st level.
Ferocious Charge: You can use Ferocious Charge as an encounter power (see Dragon Magazine 367).
Pack Attack: You deal an extra 2 damage on melee attacks against an enemy that has two or more of your allies adjacent to it.



  • Giants are currently the rulers of the world. They wrested control from the Dragons who had obliterated the previous rulers, the Changelings (the Changeling race presented in Eberron is a distant ancestor).

    Giants are functionally similar to Goliaths.

    Giant
    The current, indisputable rules of the world.
     
    Racial Traits
    Average Height: 7'2" - 7'8"
    Average Weight: 280 - 340 lbs.
     
    Ability Scores: +2 Strength; +2 Constitution or +2 Charisma
    Size: Medium
    Speed: 5 Squares
    Vision: Normal
     
    Languages: Common, Giant
    Skill Bonuses: +2 Athletics, +2 Intimidation
    Powerful Athlete: When you make an Athletics check to jump or climb, roll twice and use either result.
    Just Tough: Gain +2 bonus to Fortitude.
    Encumbered Speed: You move your speed, even when wearing heavy armor or carrying a heavy load.
    Focused Strength: You gain Focused Strength as a racial power.
        [ENCOUNTER]    Focused Strength[POWLEVEL]Giant Racial Power[/POWLEVEL][/ENCOUNTER][FLAVOR]    You flex your large muscles, bringing every ounce of strength to bear.[/FLAVOR]    Encounter
        Minor Action        Personal[ALTROW]    Effect: You gain a +5 power bonus to damage rolls with melee attacks until
        the start of your next turn.[/ALTROW]



    Drow, like the Elves and Eladrin are not native to Taluria. The Drow of Taluria were not rebels following Lolth but were twisted by Illithid (also not native to Taluria). The very few Drow who have made appearances beyond their secluded home do not remember where it is, or how to find others of their own kind. In all other respects, Drow are as described in the official 4e books.



    Trolls have been asleep for a very, very long time. Their regenerative capabilities have kept them alive without sustenance for longer than the earliest Changeling empires. After the destruction of the Human homelands, Trolls began to awake and take stock of the new world. It is not as they remember and believe now is the time to strike out and begin subtle subjugation of the world.

    Unlike your traditional D&D Troll, Talurian Trolls are intelligent and look more like Humans. Their skin is a black-ish or brown-ish green and their hair can be any color a Human's can. Otherwise they resemble a Human in all other respects, save one: Their ability to regenerate.

    Troll
    Mysterious sleepers who are now re-entering the world.
     
    Racial Traits
    Average Height: 4'0" - 7'0"
    Average Weight: 180 - 380 lbs.
     
    Ability Scores: +2 Constitution; +2 Strength or +2 Intelligence
    Size: Medium
    Speed: 6 Squares
    Vision: Normal
     
    Languages: Common, Giant
    Skill Bonuses: +2 Diplomacy, +2 Insight
    Regeneration: Whenever you start your turn and have at least 1 hit point, you regain hit points equal to 1 + one-half your level. Special: If you have taken fire or acid damage (other than ongoing damage) since the start of your last turn, the regeneration does not function at the start of your next turn.
    Not dead yet: Whenever you are reduced to less than 1 hit point and you make a death save, you can spend a healing surge on a result of 15 or higher.
    Troll Rage: You gain the Troll Rage racial power.
        [ENCOUNTER]    Troll Rage[POWLEVEL]Troll Racial Power[/POWLEVEL][/ENCOUNTER][FLAVOR]    When you get hurt, you get mad.[/FLAVOR]    Encounter [BULL] Healing
        Immediate Rection        Personal[ALTROW]    Trigger: An enemy damages you with an attack.[/ALTROW]    Effect: You regain hit points equal to 3 + your level. Until the end of your next
        turn, you gain a +2 power bonus to attack rolls against the triggering enemy.
        Level 11: Regain hit points equal to 6 + your level.
        Level 21: Regain hit points equal to 9 + your level.



    The Sparok are a religious race, some say the keepers of religion for all Talurians. In any given Sparokian city, you can find any number of shrines, churches, and other places of warship each dedicated to a different patron diety, demigod, spirit, or other religious belief. Sparoks are avian creatures as varied as natural birds found in any forest. Eagles, sparrows, chickadees, quails, pheasants, peacocks, etc. are all found in this diverse race's makeup.

    Sparok
    The religious leaders of the world, Sparok are the first to greet the gods each day.
     
    Racial Traits
    Average Height: 5'3" - 6'4"
    Average Weight: 90 - 210 lbs.
     
    Ability Scores: +2 Wisdom; +2 Dexterity or +2 Intelligence
    Size: Medium
    Speed: 4 squares. Fly 6 squares. You cannot use this fly speed if you are carrying more than a normal load. While flying, you take a -2 penalty to attack rolls. If you do not land at the end of your movement, you fall.
    Vision: Normal
     
    Languages: Common, choice of one other.
    Skill Bonuses: +2 Perception, +2 Bluff
    Mimicry: A Sparok can mimic sounds and voices. A successful Insight check opposed by the Sparok's Bluff check allows a listener to determine that the effect is faked.
    Power Dive: you gain the Power Dive racial power.
        [ENCOUNTER]    Power Dive[POWLEVEL]Sparok Racial Power[/POWLEVEL][/ENCOUNTER][FLAVOR]    You leap into the air and then plummet into your foe in a devastating attack.[/FLAVOR]    Encounter [BULL] Martial, Weapon
        Standard Action        Melee 1[ALTROW]    Target: One creature.[/ALTROW]    Effect: Before making this attack, you can shift up to 4 squares.
        Attack: Wisdom vs. AC
    [ALTROW]    Hit: 1[W] + Wisdom modifier damage, and you knock the target prone.[/ALTROW]    Level 11: 2[W] + Wisdom modifier damage
        Level 21: 3[W] + Wisdom modifier damage



    Ratlings appeared recently, from where, nobody knows. They have proven to be excellent scouts and trackers and their services are highly sought after. Ratlings look like humanoid rats having fur from brown and black to silver and white. Their eyes are usually brown or black though any color is possible.

    Ratling
    Dextrous and agile trackers and scouts but not much is known about their origins.
     
    Racial Traits
    Average Height: 4'5" - 5'7"
    Average Weight: 80 - 150 lbs.
     
    Ability Scores: +2 Dexterity; +2 Intelligence or +2 Wisdom
    Size: Medium
    Speed: 6 Squares
    Vision: Low-light
     
    Languages: Common, choice of one other
    Skill Bonuses: +2 Nature, +2 Dungeoneering
    Skilled Hunter: When you are fighting a creature you have combat advantage against, you receive a +3 bonus to attack rolls made against the target instead of the usual +2.
    Scuttling Escape: You gain the Scuttling Escape racial power.
        [ENCOUNTER]    Scuttling Escape[POWLEVEL]Ratling Racial Power[/POWLEVEL][/ENCOUNTER][FLAVOR]    You use your natural mobility to extricate yourself from a dangerous situation.[/FLAVOR]    Encounter
        Move Action        Personal[ALTROW]    Effect: If you are slowed or immobilized, you end that effect. In addition, you
        shift a number of squares equal to one-half your speed..[/ALTROW]



    Raptors are a race of lizardfolk who have been isolated from the rest of the World's population for millenia. The Great Eastern Desert and Skyspire Mountains have proven to be an effective barrier to the rest of the continent of Marglish. Raptors range in appearance from short, green-scaled swamp lizards to tall, dinosaur-like brutes. Their scales are a variety of colors with a multitude of different patterns and their eyes range from black to green to yellow. Raptors have no eyelids, much like an alligator, and instead have a clear film that keeps their eyes moist.

    Raptor
    Cut off from the rest of the world, Raptors are excited about exploring other environs and meeting new people.
     
    Racial Traits
    Average Height: 4'11" - 6'10"
    Average Weight: 100 - 340 lbs.
     
    Ability Scores: +2 Charisma; +2 Dexterity or +2 Wisdom
    Size: Medium
    Speed: 6 Squares
    Vision: Normal
     
    Languages: Common, Draconic
    Skill Bonuses: +2 Athletics, +2 Endurance
    Meditation: Rather than sleep, you enter a meditative state. You need to spend 6 hours in this state to gain the benefits of an extended rest. While meditating, you are fully aware of your surroundings and notice approaching enemies and other events as normal.
    Resilient: Gain +2 bonus to Fortitude.
    Camouflage: A Raptor gains a +5 bonus to Stealth checks if it is in an environment that has colors matching his scale color.
    Green: Forest, Swamps
    Brown: Forest, Desert
    Black: Shadow, Darkness
    Tan: Desert, Mountains
    Gray: Shadow, Mountains
    Tail Lash: You gain Tail Lash as a racial power.
        [ATWILL]    Tail Lash[POWLEVEL]Raptor Racial Power[/POWLEVEL][/ATWILL][FLAVOR]    Wounded, your instincts take over and you employ the power of your tail.[/FLAVOR]    At-Will
        Minor Action        Melee 1
        Requirement: You must be bloodied.
        Target: One creature
        Attack: Dexterity vs. AC[ALTROW]    Hit: 1d6 + Strength modifier damage and you can shift 1 square.[/ALTROW]

45
World of Taluria, The / [D] Character Backgrounds
« on: January 05, 2012, 06:48:48 PM »
You are, of course, free to choose backgrounds from any official D&D 4e source. This does include the background generation rules in Heroes of the Feywild (which I find pretty fun!).

I am going to provide another method for in-depth character backgrounds. The source is a very old book titled "Heroes of Legend" (HoL). I really enjoy the stories that come from the table rolls in this book. If you want a completely random character, you can go with my modified version of HoL which updates tables to work with D&D 4e and my homebrew campaign specifically.

I will be bringing Heroes of the Fewild and Heroes of Legend with me during the first session. You are free to choose which background generation you wish.

In all cases, I plan on spinning all of your character backgrounds into my campaign. So, in essence, you will be helping to develop the history of the world and some of the flavor of the land.

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