Rhunarian Houserules And Miscellany

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The common intelligent races of Rhunaria, generally playable as PCs, are humans, halflings,
gnomes, dwarves, jungle elves, dark elves, sea elves, kobolds, lizardfolk, orcs, goblins, hobgoblins,
and bugbears. Lizardfolk and bugbears have Level Adjustments and Effective Character Levels,
as per the Savage Species supplement for 3E D&D. The other common races listed here have
minor to moderate alterations in Rhunaria compared to the versions in the Core Rules. Most of
these races live amongst their own kind and only mix slightly with other races. Lizardfolk, elves,
and halflings seem to be the least numerous of the common races, at least considering how few
settlements of theirs are known, and how few individuals of those races are seen elsewhere.

Humans are divided primarily into four groups, the Gilden, Tashi, Rizan, and tribal humans;
Gilden and Tashi are leaner and fair of complexion, while Rizans and most tribal humans are of
stronger and darker appearance. Gildens are humans from the Majestic Kingdom of the Gilded
Throne, Rizans are from the Theocracy of Riza, and Tashi are from the Hirotashi Empire.

Typically, the Tashi humans get along best with dwarves, hobgoblins, and Rizans, who share their
deep respect for discipline, tradition, religion, and law, while Tashi also get along reasonably with
elves and halflings, who share similarly animistic religions and respect for ancestors. Tashi fight
frequently with others though, especially kobolds and orcs. Rizan humans get along best with
dwarves, halflings, and Gildens because of their similar degrees of technological and theological
affinity, sharing inventions and other finds occasionally, but the Rizans tend to squabble with
many other races in their drive to convert people to enlightened Rizan ways. Tribal humans are
insular and only tend to get along with halflings, kobolds, elves, and some Tashi, due to sharing
similar respect for spirits and non-conflicting religions, though their cultures still grate on the
tribal folk, while the tribal folk fight amongst themselves as well.

Halflings stay out of most other peoples' affairs, so they have only occasional conflicts or
alliances. Only dark elves, kobolds, lizardfolk, orcs, and a few goblinoids tend to repel or fight
halfling traders, so the halflings do business with most folks at least occasionally. Gnomes are
similar to halfings in this regard, but their homeland needs to repel frequent assaults by kobolds,
orcs, and goblinoids, so they have little trust for such folk. Gnomes have peaceful relations with
dwarves, Gildens, and sea elves, while occasionally trading with halflings or Tashi, but they rarely
get involved with those peoples' politics or battles. Jungle elves are mostly reclusive and stay
hidden in their home jungles, and most folk treat them with suspicion or indifference at best, due
to the old bad blood between elvenkind and everyone else. Sea elves are more respected for their
peaceful and mercantile nature, but are still not really trusted. Dark elves are rarely seen, and
are said to dwell somewhere underground, generally distrusted and disliked by non-elves.
Kobolds, halflings, dwarves and orcs are the most frequent and bitter enemies of elvenkind,
though halflings and dwarves are at least somewhat willing to trade with with jungle or sea elves
on rare occasions.

Orcs fight with just about everyone, though on rare occasions they trade with halflings or
goblinoids, and they sometimes ally themselves with kobolds or goblinoids for raiding. The
goblinoid races share similar goals and temperments, but often fight amongst themselves because
of their egos and differing methods. Each goblinoid race thinks itself better than everyone else,
and this is particularly true of hobgoblins, but one way or another they tend to work together,
either in alliance or in subservience. Kobolds work with goblinoids and orcs once in a while, but
prefer their own kind, and view other races as too chaotic and stupid to be useful minions, while
other races think of kobolds as too cowardly and selfish. Kobolds, like goblinoids, fight with most
other folk, but unlike goblinoids they are quite loyal and cooperative with one another. Lizardfolk
have no typical allies, are reclusive and territorial, fight anyone even remotely close to their
lands, and generally expand their holdings to everyone else's chagrin.

The playable classes in Rhunaria are those from the 3E D&D Player's Handbook (barbarian,
bard, cleric, druid, fighter, monk, paladin, ranger, rogue, sorcerer, and wizard), as well as those
from the 3E D&D supplement Oriental Adventures (samurai, shaman, shugenja, sohei, and wu
jen). Rhunaria has no psionics, so any creatures that would normally have psionic abilities in the
Core Rules (such as yuan-ti or couatl) instead have magical abilities. Few variations of the core
classes can be found in Rhunaria. The races are somewhat restricted in what classes they can
take, unless they grow up amongst members of other races. Dwarves, jungle elves, sea elves, and
orcs have no wizards or bards in their own societies, while goblins, dwarves, hobgoblins, and orcs
only have a few sorcerers in their societies. Barbarians and druids are usually only found
amongst the humans, orcs, jungle elves, and goblins, though sea elves have a few barbarians or
druids, and halflings also have a few druids. Only humans, halflings, sea elves, and hobgoblins
tend to have monks or sohei, while only a rare few individuals of other races ever join a
monastery in the lands of those races. Only humans and dwarves tend to have samurai or
paladins, though gnomes, halflings, and sea elves have a few paladins. Shugenja and shamans are
found amongst the humans, halflings, sea elves, jungle elves, and orcs.

Humans, dwarves, hobgoblins, kobolds, and goblins may start with crude black-powder weapons,
but they are very rare and expensive. Flint-Lock Pistols are small ranged weapons of the
projectile type, with a cost of 350 gp, 2d6 damage, 20 threat range, x3 critical multiplier, 50-foot
range increment, weight of 3 pounds, and damage type of piercing. They require two hands to
reload, which takes a move-equivalent action, or a full-round action for nonproficient characters.

Flint-Lock Muskets are similar, but are medium-sized, have a cost of 600 gp, do 2d8 damage,
have a 150-foot range increment, and weigh 10 pounds. They also require two hands to reload,
which takes two move-equivalent actions to reload, or two full-round actions for nonproficient characters. Neither firearm can be loaded any faster than normal, not even with the Rapid Reload feat,
as it is simply impossible to load the crude devices any faster than proficiency in them already allows.
However, two firearms may be fired simultaneously if held in different hands, in the same manner
as two crossbows of equal size, if the wielder is of sufficient size. Neither firearm's damage is
modified by Strength. The threat range of firearms cannot be increased by any means. Crude
flint-lock firearms are barely accurate enough to aim at a specific target, let alone trying to hit a
specific spot. There are no such things as masterwork firearms or masterwork bullets for
firearms. Any firearm or firearm bullet may be enhanced with magic, however, as though it were
masterwork. Firearm enhancements stack with those of the ammunition, as with a crossbow.

Firearm bullets come in bags of 10, which includes miniature powder packs for the bullets, and
each bag of 10 bullets costs 5 gp and weighs 2 pounds. These are not the same as sling bullets.
Both types of firearm hold only a single bullet at a time. There is a 5% chance that a firearm will
not fire, discovered only when next the character attempts to fire, and in such an event the
character must spend another move-equivalent action to remove the jammed powder pack and
bullet, thus unloading it, and then they may attempt to load the weapon again normally (which
still carries the same chance of not working, and the same bullet/powder pack may be used if the
weapon failed to fire). Nonproficient characters require twice as much time to unjam and unload
a firearm, and regardless, any firearm loaded by a nonproficient character suffers a 20% chance
of not firing, in place of the 5% chance suffered when loaded by a proficient character. Exotic
Weapon Proficiency (Firearms) grants proficiency in both Flint-Lock Pistols and Flint-Lock
Muskets. Flintlock firearms can be fired from a prone position at no penalty, like crossbows.

Besides firearms, the aforementioned races also have access to black-powder explosives. A
Black-Powder Bomb costs 200 gold pieces, deals 3d4 fire damage within a 5-foot blast radius
(allowing all creatures in the blast a DC 20 Reflex save for half damage), has a range increment
of 10 feet, and weighs 1 pound. It is a grenade-like weapon, so does not require proficiency to use,
but requires a ranged touch attack, and can be thrown up to five range increments. A Black-Powder
Bomb must be lit with a flame before throwing, which takes a standard action. Black-Powder
Bombs have a fuse which can be of any length, and this determines how soon they explode after
being lit. The fuse cord may be cut shorter, when desired. Regardless, the Bomb explodes after a
certain number of rounds have passed, at the end of the appropriate turn of whomever lit the
Bomb. Thus, if a fuse is long enough for 4 rounds, the Bomb explodes at the end of the
fuse-lighter's 4th turn, counting only the turns after lighting the Bomb.

Any character who has readied an action to defend against the Black-Powder Bomb's user may
use their readied action to kick the Bomb away immediately, before it can explode. This may also
be done as an attack with a standard action or full-attack action, on any character's turn in which
the Bomb is not already in the midst of being held, thrown, or kicked. Regardless, this counts as
an attack, and the kicker chooses a target within 20 feet, applying the usual range increment
rules for the Black-Powder Bomb. The kicker must succeed at a ranged touch attack to reach the
target, otherwise the Bomb ends up in a random spot within 10 feet of the target, in a random
direction from the target. Any character within reach of the Bomb may instead pick it up as a
move-equivalent action which provokes attacks of opportunity from any opponents who threaten
them. However, this move-equivalent action may not be taken with a readied action if the Bomb
is set to explode at the end of the current character's turn (not the readied' character's turn).
A Black-Powder Bomb explodes if destroyed while lit, but if destroyed while unlit, the Bomb just
scatters its explosive powder all over the 5-foot space it was in. That powder will explode if any of it is
exposed to flames (even a candle) or great heat.

The 2,500 gp worth of starting wealth for my saturday Rhunaria campaign may be spent on magic
items from the Dungeon Master's Guide as well as mundane/alchemical items from the Player's
Handbook. It can also be spent on items from other books, to an extent. Each character will also
begin with a starting outfit from the Player's Handbook, as noted in the Equipment section of the
PH. If you want your character to start with an item from some book other than the PH, you will
have to list the sourcebook that item is from and, preferably, the page number, as well as the
statistics and details of the item. I will approve or disapprove such items on a case-by-case basis,
depending on whether they're balanced or whether they fit in Rhunaria. Even a few items in the
DMG won't be allowed because they are either unbalanced or don't belong in Rhunaria.

Magic items will only be allowed from the DMG, Sword & Fist, Defenders of the Faith, Tome
& Blood, Song & Silence, Masters of the Wild, Oriental Adventures, and maybe, possibly, the
Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting book or Magic Of Faerun. The 2,500 gp for starting gear is
sufficient for a +1 weapon, +1 shield, +1 armor, or other minor items like potions, wands, scrolls,
and so on. Note however that Rhunaria does not have quite as many monsters with Damage
Reduction as in Oerth or Faerun, so do not worry about your character needing a magic weapon
right away; critters with DR will only be encountered occasionally.

When figuring out the cost, don't forget that a magic weapon/armor/shield has not only an
enhancement cost, but also a masterwork cost and a base cost. Also remember that you can use
Craft, Alchemy, and item creation feats yourself to equip your character, since it is cheaper to
make your own gear than it is to buy it, but this will require any skill checks and the like (taking
10 is of course an option, but any rolls you need to make will be done on my OpenRPG server
when I'm around). Just let me know what items you intend to craft. Also, if you are uncertain
what items you wish to start with, or do not own the aforementioned books, just ask me and I'll
tell you about some appropriate items and their costs (as long as I know what race, class, or
general theme you intend for the character, I should be able to reccomend some helpful items).

As some of you are bound to notice, 2,500 gp is not what the DMG recommends for 4th-level
starting wealth. Rhunaria is still a relatively young world, with no far-flung empires or ancient
kingdoms to provide tremendous amounts of coinage and magic items. The only large nation
known to have existed is the fallen elven kingdom, and even it was not terribly vast nor wealthy.
That nation lasted only about half a millenium, and while the ruins of that fallen kingdom do
indeed contain wealth, it is not even close to the obscene proliferation of coinage found in
Greyhawk or Forgotten Realms.

The existing nations have some coin currency, but not a vast amount. Instead, many
communities and nations, most especially the halflings, gnomes, dwarves, and humans, tend to
award heroes, nobles, allies, and loyal vassals with plots of land, castles, monuments, festivals,
holidays, feasts, noble titles, governmental offices, prestige, favors, or services. Most trade,
rewards, treasures, and payments come in the form of trade goods or services, such as offerings
of livestock, batches of food, barrels of water, bottles of wine, articles of clothing, pieces of
furniture, tools, and other commodities or necessities. Only travelers and adventurers tend to
have much wealth measured in coins, and even they don't use much coinage. So, an adventurer in
Rhunaria is as likely to receive a new horse, basket of fruit, sheaf of grain, new sword, or the
like as payment for a service done to the community, compared to receiving a sack of coins or
gems. Sometimes they may receive a noble title or a few acres of land, perhaps with some serfs
working the land and maintaining it to produce a little income for the character. Great deeds may
earn an adventurer a festival in their honor, or maybe a monument built in dedication to their
deeds, or perhaps even a new annual holiday devoted to them, carrying on their name and
greatness for innumerable generations to come....

Magic items are less common in Rhunaria than in Greyhawk or Forgotten Realms, but not by
any means rare. Minor magic items can be found in nearly every community, though maybe not a
great number of them in each, and more potent items are also available in some places. Gnomes,
elves, halflings, and the humans of Riza are great sources of major magical items, though only
in small supply. Gnomes, dark elves, and halflings produce some great arcane items, while
halflings, jungle elves, sea elves, and Rizans craft excellent divine magic items. As noted before,
the kobolds, goblins, hobgoblins, dwarves, and Gilden humans possess a rare few firearms and
similar technology, while orcs, sea elves, dark elves, and tribal humans don't even know how to
make a simple crossbow, catapult, or lock. Those four groups don't even have paper, parchment,
or papyrus, so they make any scrolls or spellbooks with seashells, flesh, thin plates of copper,
stone tablets, or the like.

Monks of Rhunaria tend to be a bit more varied in their training and a bit more flexible in mind
than those presented in the Player's Handbook. As a houserule, a Rhunarian monk can multiclass
freely without losing the capacity to progress in level as a monk, though their lawful alignment
restriction still applies normally. Also, Rhunarian monks can use their base unarmed damage from
the class as the base damage of any weapons that they could use with a monkish flurry of blows, in
addition to using it for unarmed damage. A monk of Rhunaria gains a bonus martial arts feat of
their choice at 5th-level, another at 9th-level, and one more at 17th-level. They must meet any
prerequisites for these feats. Additionally, Rhunarian monks may choose a martial arts feat in place
of the Deflect Arrows feat at 2nd-level, and/or in place of the Improved Trip feat at 6th-level, and/or
in place of the Quivering Palm class ability at 15th-level. If doing so, they must meet the normal
prerequisites of the feats they choose in place of these monk features. The list of martial arts feats
is in the Oriental Adventures supplement for 3rd Edition Dungeons & Dragons. Lastly, monks of
Rhunaria add the skills Animal Empathy (Cha), Bluff (Cha), Heal (Wis), Iaijutsu Focus (Cha),
Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge [Religion] (Int), Knowledge [Spirits] (Int), and Spot (Wis) to their class
skill list. Iaijutsu Focus and Knowledge [Spirits] are from Oriental Adventures.

As clarification to the standard monk rules, the following applies in Rhunaria. The monk AC
bonuses are an extraordinary ability. Their unarmed strike and special weapon damage, combined
with their flurry of blows and unarmed attack bonus, are an extraordinary ability. Monks can make
off-hand attacks unarmed and with weapons just like anyone else, they simply aren't limited to
using hands, such that a primary or off-hand attack could actually be a kick, headbutt, knee thrust,
elbow jab, or the like. The monkish class abilities that are affected as though by arcane spell failure
when wearing armor or using a shield are stunning attack, wholeness of body, abundant step,
quivering palm, and empty body. Monkish fast movement is an extraordinary ability, but its benefits
from 9th-level onward are supernatural, and if those are suppressed, the extraordinary benefits are
not (that is, the increased speed from 6th-level). Evasion is an extraordinary ability of the monk, as
are slow fall, purity of body, improved evasion, timeless body, and perfect self. The monk abilities
leap of the clouds, diamond soul, and tongue of the sun and moon are supernatural abilities.

Paladins in Rhunaria are mildly more versatile outside of combat and also somewhat so in
general, compared to those presented in the Player's Handbook. As a houserule, Rhunarian paladins
may forego gaining a special mount, but must make this choice upon reaching 5th-level as a paladin,
and in place of the special mount they gain a bonus divine feat at 5th-level, another at 11th-level, and
one more at 17th-level. Divine feats are detailed in the 3rd Edition D&D supplement Defenders of
the Faith. Aside from this option of the Rhunarian paladin, a Rhunarian paladin also adds
Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge [Geography] (Int), Knowledge [History] (Int), Knowledge [Local] (Int),
Knowledge [Nobility & Royalty] (Int), Listen (Wis), Perform (Cha), Speak Language, Spot (Wis), and
Use Rope (Dex) to their list of paladin class skills. Lastly, Rhunarian paladins have a base of 4 skill
points per level rather than 2 per level. Paladins in Rhunaria may follow a Code of Conduct, and
Associates restriction, appropriate to the knightly or religious order they belong to, if it is a
significant order and has such defined restrictions that are reasonably similar to the standard
paladin restrictions.

Rhunarian rangers have slightly more skill flexibility than those presented in the Player's
Handbook. As a houserule, a ranger of Rhunaria adds Knowledge [Spirits] (Int) to his or her list of
ranger class skills, and they get a base of 6 skill points per level rather than 4.

Rogues of Rhunaria may learn to use a few slightly different weapons than rogues presented in
the Player's Handbook. As a houserule, Rhunarian rogues may, upon taking their 1st level in the
class, choose to forego proficiency in sap, and/or shortbows, and/or light mace, and/or club, and/or
heavy crossbow, and/or morningstar, and/or rapier. They cannot forego a proficiency they would not
have gained anyway. For each of the above proficiencies they forego, they may instead gain
proficiency in either the blowgun, greater blowgun, fukimi-bari, tonfa, kama, nunchaku, or
shuriken. The blowgun, greater blowgun, fukimi-bari, and tonfa are from Oriental Adventures.

Samurai in Rhunaria are slightly more nimble and impressive than those presented in Oriental Adventures. They have strong base Reflex saves rather than weak base Reflex saves. In addition, they gain a +1 bonus to Initiative per six samurai levels. Furthermore, while carrying both of their ancestral daisho weapons, a samurai of 11th-level or higher gains +2 on all Charisma checks and Charisma-based skill checks, while a samurai of 20th-level or higher also gains +1 on all saving throws in that case. Samurai in Rhunaria add the following feats to their selection of bonus feat choices, based on their style of training: Crab (Combat Reflexes, Daisho Mastery, Hold The Line, Improved Sunder, One-Handed Prowess), Crane (Daisho Mastery, Death Blow, Improved Critical, One-Handed Prowess, Power Critical), Dragon (Daisho Mastery, Improved Two-Weapon Fighting, Off-Hand Parry, One-Handed Prowess, Two-Weapon Fighting), Lion (Chink In The Armor, Daisho Mastery, Knock-Down, One-Handed Prowess, Power Lunge), Phoenix (Blindsight 5-Foot Radius, Daisho Mastery, Expert Tactician, One-Handed Prowess, Resistance To Energy), Scorpion (Daisho Mastery, Dirty Fighting, Knock-Down, One-Handed Prowess, Quicker Than The Eye), and Unicorn (Daisho Mastery, Improved Critical, Iron Will, One-Handed Prowess, Power Critical). Daisho Mastery and One-Handed Prowess are custom Rhunarian feats. Hold The Line, Improved Sunder, Death Blow, Off-Hand Parry, Knock-Down, Power Lunge, Blindsight 5-Foot Radius, and Dirty Fighting are feats from Sword & Fist. Power Critical and Resistance To Energy are feats from Masters of the Wild. Chink In The Armor, Expert Tactician, and Quicker Than The Eye are feats from Song & Silence. Lastly, Rhunarian samurai improve their Ancestral Daisho weapons somewhat differently from the samurai of Oriental Adventures. The value of material sacrifices is reduced, but a samurai must also pay a minor experience point cost. He or she cannot enhance their Ancestral Daisho if the experience cost would make them lose a level. Also unlike Oriental Adventures samurai, the minimum level they need in order to enhance the daisho is a samurai level requirement, rather than a character level requirement. The new table for Ancestral Daisho improvement is as follows:

In Rhunaria, bards tend to be a bit more versatile than those presented in the Player's Handbook. Rhunarian bards get base skill points of 6 per level instead of 4 per level, and gain the ability to ignore up to 5% of their total arcane spell failure from armors and shields at 4th-level, increasing to 10% at 10th-level, and 15% at 16th-level. However, this arcane spell failure reduction applies only towards casting bard spells.

Rhunarian fighters are likewise more versatile than their equivalents in the Player's Handbook. A fighter in Rhunaria adds the skills Balance (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge [War] (Int), Listen (Wis), Spot (Wis), and Use Rope (Dex) to their list of class skills. Fighters of Rhunaria also gain base skill points of 4 per level instead of 2 per level. Rhunarian fighters gain a +1 bonus on all attack rolls, weapon damage rolls, natural weapon damage rolls, unarmed strike damage rolls, and grapple check damage rolls, once they reach 9th-level, which increases to +2 at 17th-level. They also increase their base AC by +1 at 13th-level, and again at 19th-level. Lastly, fighters add the following feats to their list of selectable bonus feats: Chink In The Armor, Circle Kick, Close-Quarters Fighting, Dragon's Toughness, Dual Strike, Dwarf's Toughness, Flying Kick, Giant's Toughness, Greater Two-Weapon Fighting, Hold The Line, Improved Grapple, Improved Overrun, Improved Shield Bash, Improved Sunder, Knock-Down, Multidexterity, Off-Hand Parry, Pin Shield, Power Critical, Rapid Reload, Roundabout Kick, Sharp-Shooting, Shield Charge, Shield Expert, and Snatch Weapon. The feats Flying Kick, Improved Grapple, and Roundabout Kick are from Oriental Adventures. Circle Kick, Close-Quarters Fighting, Dual Strike, Hold The Line, Improved Overrun, Improved Sunder, Knock-Down, Off-Hand Parry, Pin Shield, Rapid Reload, Sharp-Shooting, and Shield Expert are feats from Sword & Fist. Improved Shield Bash and Shield Charge are feats from Defenders of the Faith. The feats Dragon's Toughness, Dwarf's Toughness, Giant's Toughness, Greater Two-Weapon Fighting, Multidexterity, and Power Critical are from Masters of the Wild. Chink In The Armor and Snatch Weapon are feats from Song & Silence.

Shamans in Rhunaria are just slightly more diverse in their spell selection than those presented in the Oriental Adventures book. Rhunarian shamans add the following spells to their class spell list: Magic Fang as a 1st-level spell, Greater Magic Fang as a 3rd-level spell, and Animal Growth as a 5th-level spell. This allows shaman animal companions to remain useful at middle and upper levels.

Shugenja in Rhunaria are a bit more capable than they are presented in Oriental Adventures. As
a houserule, any shugenja of 5th-level or higher may turn creatures like a cleric of 2 levels lower
could, but they turn elemental creatures instead of undead. Shugenja turn any creatures that
have the elemental subtype (Air, Earth, Fire, or Water) corresponding to the shugenja's chosen
element, and creatures that have the opposite elemental subtype. So for instance, a fire shugenja
turns creatures with the Fire subtype and creatures with the Water subtype. Like a cleric, their
turning attempts have the capacity to destroy weak creatures of these types. Rhunarian shugenja
receive the same number of turning attempts per day as a cleric: 3 + their Charisma modifier. In addition to their turning ability, shugenja of Rhunaria gain a few other minor benefits. As a spell-like ability the shungenja of 1st-level or higher can duplicate the effects of a Trance spell, at will, as per a caster of their shugenja class level. At 7th-level the shugenja gains +2 on saving throws against the spells listed for their element on the shugenja spell list, as well as any other spells with the descriptor of their favored element. This save bonus applies also against any spell-like abilities that duplicate such spells, and the save bonus increases to +4 at 13th-level and then to +6 at 19th-level. Rhunarian shugenja of 9th-level or higher add +2 to the save DC of shugenja spells they cast of their favored element, which is in addition to the Spell Focus of their Element Focus. Lastly, at 16th-level shugenja in Rhunaria gain +2 on caster level checks for overcoming Spell Resistance with shugenja spells.

The sohei of Rhunaria differ slightly in their gifts and talents from those presented in Oriental Adventures. As a houserule, Rhunarian sohei may choose to gain Weapon Finesse in place of Weapon Focus at 1st-level. Further, a sohei who already possesses the Deflect Arrows feat before reaching 3rd-level as a sohei gains Snatch Arrows as their 3rd-level sohei bonus feat, regardless of the normal prerequistes. The Snatch Arrows feat is detailed in the book Sword & Fist. Sohei in Rhunaria may choose to gain Prone Attack as their 5th-level sohei bonus feat, instead of the Remain Conscious feat, ignoring the normal prerequisites for this Prone Attack bonus feat. Prone Attack is a feat detailed in the books Sword & Fist and Oriental Adventures. Rhunarian sohei may choose to gain Hold The Line as their 7th-level sohei bonus feat, instead of the Defensive Strike feat, without needing to meet the normal prerequisites for Hold The Line. Hold The Line is a feat from the book Sword & Fist. As a further benefit, Rhunarian sohei gain an ability called Steadfast Defense at 18th-level in the class, which doubles the total AC bonus from fighting defensively or taking the total defense action.

Additionally, a sohei in Rhunaria adds the skills Animal Empathy (Cha), Balance (Dex), Knowledge [Spirits] (Int), Listen (Wis), Spot (Wis), and Wilderness Lore (Wis) to their list of class skills. Also, sohei gain Greater Ki Frenzy at 13th-level in the class, which simply increases the Strength and Dexterity bonuses of Ki Frenzy from +2 to +4. Lastly, Rhunarian sohei add a few extra spells to their sohei spell list. They add Detect Disease as a 1st-level spell, Detect Poison as a 1st-level spell, Detect Undead as a 1st-level spell, Entropic Shield as a 1st-level spell, Know Motivation as a 1st-level spell, Remove Fear as a 1st-level spell, Calm Emotions as a 2nd-level spell, Divine Sacrifice as a 2nd-level spell, Rebuke as a 2nd-level spell, Remove Blindness/Deafness as a 2nd-level spell, Zeal as a 2nd-level spell, Detect Curse as a 3rd-level spell, Elemental Ward as a 3rd-level spell, Magic Vestment as a 3rd-level spell, Mental Weakness as a 3rd-level spell, Remove Disease as a 3rd-level spell, Dismissal as a 4th-level spell, Metal Skin as a 4th-level spell, Remove Curse as a 4th-level spell, and Summoning Wind as a 4th-level spell. Detect Disease, Know Motivation, Rebuke, Detect Curse, Elemental Ward, Mental Weakness, Metal Skin, and Summoning Wind are spells from the book Oriental Adventures. Divine Sacrifice and Zeal are spells from the book Defenders of the Faith.

Rhunarian wu jen are a bit more flexible than those presented in Oriental Adventures. As a
houserule, the wu jen may gain a bonus metamagic or item creation feat in place of any Spell
Secrets they would gain, at any level where they would otherwise gain a Spell Secret. They must
meet the normal prerequisites for any feats gained in this manner. In addition, the wu jen learns
an extra spell at each wu jen level where they do not normally gain a Taboo, of any spell level no
higher than the highest-level wu jen spell they can currently cast. A Rhunarian wu jen who
violates their alignment restriction suffers the same penalties as one who violates their Taboos,
but suffers the penalties for as long as they are of lawful alignment. Additionally, a wu jen who
becomes lawful in alignment cannot progress in level as a wu jen until their alignment becomes
nonlawful once more.

Sorcerers in Rhunaria come in various types, bearing different gifts and sources for their power.
Common sorcerers are called blood sorcerers or natural sorcerers, as their arcane talents come
from a magical heritage, some ancestor or parent who belonged to a magical race such as dragons,
celestials, fiends, or fey. Many descendants of these creatures have a talent for sorcery, though
only some pursue the development of this talent further. As a houserule, Rhunarian blood
sorcerers gain a bonus metamagic feat, Spell Focus feat, Spell Penetration feat, or Skill Focus feat
at their 3rd sorcerer level and every four beyond that.

The next most common variety of sorcerer in Rhunaria is known as the talisman sorcerer or
fetish sorcerer, who requires some unique sort of extra material component for every spell, out of
some unknown eldritch connection to that type of item. Theories abound on how or why these
connections are formed, ranging from divine selection to spirits' favor to mysterious astrological
arcana. Some think this type of sorcerer is created artifically through some alchemical or arcane
ritual used by some unknown cult or secret society. In any case, the type of talisman or fetish
used as a reagent varies by the individual but is consistent for that individual. Thus, some use
coins as reagents, others use teeth, yet others use dragon scales, many use handfuls of particular
spices or herbs, and a few even use such odd reagents as knives or tankards of ale! As a
houserule, Rhunarian talisman sorcerers must sacrifice an appropriate material component in
order to cast any sorcerer spell, but in exchange the save DCs of their spells are increased by +1,
and they learn an extra spell at each even-numbered sorcerer level.

A fairly rare type of sorcerer is the spirit sorcerer, who possesses some inherant bond with the
Ghostlands and is favored by worldly spirits, for reasons unknown to sages. Spirit sorcerers
befriend spirits who serve them through tasks appropriate to the spirit's nature, such as a fire
spirit lighting campfires or building walls of flame to keep enemies of the spirit sorcerer at bay.
Often the spirit sorcerer doesn't know why the spirit has befriended him or her, and the spirits
seem offended or agitated if asked why they serve the sorcerer, so there's no telling what their
motives are. Then again, spirits are otherworldly beings not easily comprehended by mortals, so
they may simply refuse to explain because it could be beyond mortal ken. Spirit sorcerers must
often focus their attention on their spirit benefactors, whether they like it or not, as the spirits
demand constant attention by the sorcerer and seem to crave mortal interaction or answers.

As a houserule, Rhunarian spirit sorcerers gain the ability at 1st-level to sense the presence
of most worldly spirits and communicate with them, partly through speech and partly through the
spirits' mental communication. Often the spirit sorcerer is contacted through dreams to converse
with the spirits, but rarely remembers these sessions upon waking. Spirit sorcerers are not
inherantly able to sense ephemeral spirits, such as wraiths and ghosts, who have no worldly form
and only take on temporary forms to harass mortals. Through the spirits they do sense, however,
they can tell what sort of mood has been around the area recently, infer minor hints about recent
activities in the area, determine the alignment of any recently-deceased creatures in the area
(whether or not corpses remain), judge the general health of an area or individual, and sometimes
notice the presence of magic, evil, good, law, or chaos in the vicinity. Of course, the sorcerer can
only detect that which the spirits allow him or her to, as all he really senses is what sort of spirits
are in the area, and he can't really identify specifics (such as a spirit's name) and he cannot sense
the presence of creatures (whose spirits/souls are too tightly bound to their bodies). Hostile or
single-minded spirits are unlikely to reveal their presence to a spirit sorcerer, let alone speak.

Spirit sorcerers may, at 1st level, choose to gain Knowledge [Spirits] in place of Knowledge
[Arcana] as a sorcerer class skill. A spirit sorcerer's familiar is always a spirit creature, regardless
of whatever templates or creature types it technically has; the familiar gains the Spirit subtype from
Oriental Adventures, which pretty much just renders them susceptible to certain spells from that
supplement. At 5th-level a spirit sorcerer gains the Improved Familiar feat, from the 3E D&D
supplement Tome & Blood, and it costs them nothing to replace their familiar at that time, if any,
with a new familiar appropriate to the feat. For purposes of the Improved Familiar feat, however,
the spirit sorcerer does not get to choose their type of familiar, and cannot dismiss it afterward; only
death will separate them from that particular familiar, and then allow them to summon another
random familiar after a year and a day. However, intentionally killing the familiar is likely to
prevent any other spirits from ever answering a familiar summons by that spirit sorcerer. Aside
from their spirit sense and familiar differences, a spirit sorcerer gains a bonus feat at 10th-level,
which can be either a Spell Focus, Spell Penetration, Combat Casting, or metamagic feat, or can
instead be any other feat that requires spellcasting ability, as long as the spirit sorcerer meets any
prerequisites. Spirit sorcerers of 17th-level or higher gain See Invisible as a permanent
supernatural ability, and if they already knew that spell, they learn a new spell of the same level in
its place. Spirit sorcerers often learn various custom spells based on the spirits that befriend them.

Rumors abound of rare, mysterious, exotic sorcerers in Rhunaria, such as totem sorcerers, shadow
sorcerers, bone sorcerers, necrophage sorcerers, elemental sorcerers, exalted sorcerers, storm
sorcerers, chaos sorcerers, ley sorcerers, void sorcerers, phantom sorcerers, abyssal sorcerers, or
machina sorcerers. However, while these rumors are common, they are generally laughed at by
sages and discredited as uneducated observances of shamans, shugenja, wu jen, or druids.
Nonetheless, at least a few of these rumors likely hold kernels of truth.

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Associates restriction, experience points, XP, and ability score abbreviations, are property of Wizards of
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(c) 2004-2006, property of John J. Korsog, Jr., internet aliases Arkhandus and Mist Phantom. This
content free for personal use but not for commercial distribution.

Rhunarian Race & Class Basics

Technology In Rhunaria

Wealth In Rhunaria

Rhunarian Shugenja, Sohei, & Wu Jen - Houserules

Rhunarian Sorcerers - Houserules

Rhunarian Monks & Paladins - Houserules

Rhunarian Rangers, Rogues, & Samurai - Houserules

Minimum ......... Total ............ Total GP ................ Total
Samurai ............ XP .............. Value Of .......... Enhancement
Class Level ...... Cost ............. Sacrifices ........... Equivalent
4th .................... 60 ................ 750 ..................... +1
7th .................... 240 .............. 3,000 .................. +2
9th .................... 480 .............. 6,750 .................. +3
11th .................. 960 .............. 12,000 ................. +4
13th .................. 1,500 ........... 18,750 ................. +5
14th .................. 2,160 ........... 27,000 ................. +6*
15th .................. 3,090 ........... 36,750 ................. +7*
16th .................. 3,840 ........... 48,000 ................. +8*
17th .................. 4,860 ........... 60,750 ................. +9*
18th .................. 6,000 ........... 75,000 ................. +10*
*Actual enhancement to attack and damage cannot exceed +5

Rhunarian Bards, Fighters, & Shamans - Houserules