Rule Set: The Known Lands campaign will operate under the v3.5 Revised Rules for Dungeons & Dragons, with the addition of material found on this website. All materials implemented into this setting will be Open Game Content. No closed content will be used in this game.
Adjudicating the Rules: When attempting to resolve an issue in a dispute over apparently conflicting rules, the following order of precedence is established, from most relevant to least:
When The Rules Change: Please remember that every feat, race, spell, prestige class, variant rule, etc. is subject to change or removal at the discretion of the DM. Even if a game element is initially permitted, if it is later deemed incompatible with the campaign, it will be modified or removed. Any characters (PC or NPC) that use that element may be required to adjust to the change (in other words, grandfathering is not guaranteed). The DM will attempt to keep this sort of thing to a minimum (if at all), but sometimes this may happen in the process of keeping the rules appropriate to the campaign setting.
Ability Scores: All characters ability scores will be created using the Nonstandard Point Buy method, at the High-Powered Campaign level (32 points.) This webpage will randomly generate ability scores for 32 Point Buy characters.
Races: Only races in this Online Campaign Sourcebook are available for character creation.
Classes: Only classes in this Online Campaign Sourcebook are available for character creation.
Hitpoints: Every character receives full hitpoints at first level. For each additional character level, the character receives a number of hit points according to the new class by taking half the maximum value for the class and adding one (i.e. d4=3, d6=4, d8=5, d10=6, and d12=7), plus their Con modifier.
Starting Wealth: All first level characters start off with maximum gold for their class.
Equipment Lists: Everything (equipment-wise) needs to be written down on your character sheet. If it isn't written down, your character doesn't have it.
Concept: It is the player's responsibility to create a character that can work and play well with others. If the character can't, then the player shouldn't be playing that character in this game. If the party has to split up, the amount of time each "side" gets will be proportional to the number of members in that group, modified by the importance of the group's activities as they relate to the group's goals. For example, rogues that are always going off for "breaking and entering" that isn't in line with the party's goals will get very little "air time," compared to the rest of the group and their pursuit of the party goals.
Second and subsequent characters: Characters do die, unfortunately, and a player may choose not to have that character Raised from the dead or Resurrected. Sometimes, a player abandons a PC to create another one, wishing to explore another concept. In either case, second and subsequent characters follow the rules for creating new characters in mid-game, as given below.
New players entering characters after the party achieves 2nd level or higher: Characters created at this point follow the rules for creating new characters in mid-game, as given below.
Creating new characters in mid-game: New characters are created with enough experience to begin play at one character level lower than the highest level character in the party, minimum of 1st level. (First level characters follow the standard rules for character creation for a first level character.) These characters start with wealth appropriate to a character of a level one lower than the highest level of the party. Characters with the appropriate Item Creation feats can spend experience and gold to create their own items, reducing the item's monetary cost at the expense of experience. (The character must still be able to create any such items at their final level of experience.)
Character Backgrounds Are Required: All characters are required to have a background story, which must be posted to the gaming group's mailing list for review by one's peers (and approval by one's DM) at least forty-eight (48) hours before the gaming session begins. A successful background story must meet these three basic requirements:
Experience will be awarded based on the v3.5 Core Rules experience award system, which results in lower level characters getting more than higher level characters for facing the same challenges. Experience is awarded once per week, between gaming sessions.
Experience for Absent Players: Characters of players who are absent for a gaming session will earn half the normal experience for that session. This is done to prevent too great a gap from building between the levels of characters. Please bear in mind the attendance policy outlined below.
Level Advancement requires that the character have at least one rest period in which they regain hit points after they have gained enough experience to advance in level. In addition, the player must have fulfilled the requirements described below, under 'Upon Attaining A New Level.'
A Note On Multi-Class/Prestige Class Characters: Taking a new class, either as a multi-class or prestige class, must be based on in-character motivations (not game mechanic benefits) AND must occur within the context of the story line. In other words, it is the player's responsibility to seek out a mentor in-game, and work with the DM to create an opportunity within the game and storyline for that event to occur.
Upon Attaining A New Level: When you have attained a new level, please fill out the form below and post it to the game's mailing list. In the form below, an asterisk (*) indicates that the field need only be completed if applicable.
New Class/Level:
Ability Boost* (at every 4th HD):
New HP total:
New Base Saves (Fort/Ref/Will):
New Base Attack Bonus:
New Feat(s)*:
New Skill Ranks:
New Spells/Powers Known (or Spells Added To Spellbook)*:
Any other changes that won't be obvious from the selected class:
In addition, post an updated character sheet to the Files section of the game's mailing list, or provide the DM with a hard copy of the updated character sheet.
You will not be able to play your character at the new level until you have done these two things.
End Of Session Bonus Experience: At the end of each session, all characters will have an opportunity to earn bonus experience, based on the events of the evening's session. Everyone has a chance to earn "points" at the end of the session, and each "point" is worth 10 X (highest character level) in XP. There are several possible "points" that can be earned, but most people only earn a few of them each night:
Online Contributions: It is possible to earn experience points (XP) for online contributions posted to the gaming group's mailing list. In order to be considered, the minimum post length must exceed 200 words, although the preference for online contributions is for 500 words or more. Online contributions can include the following:
Short contributions (~200-500 words) are worth 25 XP per character level of the highest level character in the party. Longer contributions (over 500 words) are worth 50 XP per character level of the highest level character in the party. Exceptional contributions, based on responses from the lurkers on the gaming group's mailing list, will be considered for higher levels of reward.
Second and later contributions between the same two sessions earn half the amount they would otherwise receive.
No one may earn more XP through online contributions between sessions than they received during the last session.
A Brief Note On RP Post Etiquette: If you intend to involve another person's character in your online contributions with actions that did not take place in-game, the DM would like to ask that you get the permission of the player before using their character in your posts.
You can talk about your character's perceptions of them without asking, with no problems. Your character's perceptions are the character's alone, and no one else has to agree with those views.
However, the player of the character deserves to have some input on the actions that are going to be attributed to his character. He may well be held accountable for those posted actions in-game at a later date, either by other PCs or by NPCs.
Waiting List: The gaming group often has several names of interested gamers on a waiting list, in the event a seat opens up. When there is an open seat available for the game, this list is reviewed in the the order that the names were added, with the following caveats:
Interview Process: Players new to the group are "interviewed" as part of their entrance into the gaming group. Prospective players will participate in one session in the game, for a chance to demonstrate their preference of play in both roleplaying and combat scenarios. Within three days after the session, the current players are required to contact the DM privately and give him a "Yay" or "Nay" in regards to allowing the new player into the group. The vote must be unanimously in favor of bringing in the new player, or the seat remains open. (Please note that a failure to gain a unanimous vote has only happened less than 10% of the time over the last five years.)
Members on the Blizz-Ravenwolf-Cedric Exception are exempt from the interview process.
Attendance Policy: Three consecutive absences from the game is considered a voluntary resignation from the game. In addition, three absences overall in a six week rolling period is also considered a voluntary resignation. At that point, the character becomes an NPC, unless the group unanimously decides to allow the player to continue to participate in the game.
Player Harassment: If one player feels that they are being harassed for by another player at a personal level (this does not include appropriate in-character harassment, which may result from in-game player-character actions) and brings it to the DM's attention, then the DM will evaluate the situation, perhaps seek the input of the others in the group (although such input is not mandatory nor is the DM required to do so), and decide whether the game would be improved by the removal of one or both participants.
Excessive Outbursts: If a player has an excessive outburst that is not in keeping with the events of the gaming session, or is so out of proportion that others express concern for their own personal safety or comfort level, then the DM will evaluate the situation, perhaps seek the input of the others in the group (although such input is not mandatory nor is the DM required to do so), and decide whether the game would be improved by the removal of one or both participants.
Physical Harm: It should go without saying that physically harming another intentionally or while under the influence of an emotional outburst is immediate grounds for removal from the premises and subsequent eviction from the gaming group. We are very careful to screen incoming players, but in the event that something occurs once a new player is part of the group, the paramount priority for the safety of our gamers needs to be understood.
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All original material on the Online Campaign Sourcebook website not designated as Open Game Content,
or not otherwise protected under the copyrights of other entities, is Copyright 2002-2005, Jason D. Kemp.