Game Rule Notes

Game Rule Notes

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The following information and changes exist for this campaign setting.

Races

The following races have additional notes and information.

Darkvision vs. Lowlight Vision

No race has darkvision; any race normally listed with that has lowlight vision instead.

Dwarf

You can choose either Hill or Mountain dwarf for your race; there is no cultural difference between the two. Duergar are not in play.

Elf

Elves are not the whimsical tree-hugging creatures of light and song you usually think of in a D&D game; they are haughty and self-righteous, as you would expect from medieval nobility. They firmly believe that they have an intrinsic right to what is theirs, and humans are their vassals. High Elves are the main species who live in manor houses and rule the lands, while Wood Elves are rare and remained isolated as tribes of hunter/gatherers rather than settling down.

Human

No changes.

Half-Elf

Half-elves are the quintessential bastard children of the feudal nobility. Some elven clans might be very welcoming to a half-elven offspring, allowing him or her to remain under the roof (although no claim of birthright or titles will ever be forthcoming), while other houses might banish the child to be fostered elsewhere and never heard from again.

Others

Halflings, Dragonborn, Gnomes, Half-Orcs, and Tieflings are not in play in this campaign.

Classes

The following classes have additional notes and information.

Barbarian

Barbarians are rare, and nonhuman ones are rarer still. Those who do exist live in the wilds, outcasts and hermits who are only half-civilized. A few tribes of barbarians live along the northern shore of Siluriel where it’s very much an arctic climate (think Fahfrd as a youth before he met the Gray Mouser in Lankhmar).

Bard

Bards are the keepers of knowledge, advisors to lords, and entertainers. They are revered in the lives of those who live on the manor, and they know the tales of old. If you are going to play a bard, be ready to concoct interesting titles for stories and legends just for fun on the fly during roleplaying. Note that there are no actual bard colleges in the game, but you still gain the benefits of pursuing the path.

Cleric

There is no unified pantheon in this campaign setting (with the exception of the NPC clerics who worshipped the God-King). Clerics worship something very personal in their lives, such as a sacred pool, grove, or standing stone, or perhaps an ancestor such as a founder of the clan. Prayers are done at small shrines or around a campfire. If you want to play a cleric, come up with some kind of spiritual “mentor” that fits with your overall character concept and pick whichever domains fit, as well.

Druid

Druids and clerics are very similar in this campaign, they just focus more on nature and animals. You might serve a manor or village to aid in the growing of successful crops and harvests or tending to sick or wounded animals.

Fighter

Eldritch Knight is not a playable option in this campaign. Otherwise, the fighter is pretty standard.

Paladin

In this campaign, you are the classic knight. As with clerics, your divine power comes from a very personal deity that is meaningful to you in some profound way.

Ranger

Rangers are often the huntsmen who serve a lord in his/her forest. Alternatively, a ranger might be a local hunter for a village or town.

Rogue

No changes; keep in mind that the lords of manors and the mayors of cities do not like crime waves and will work hard to capture thieves and punish them.

Sorcerer

Think of this as a “new” kind of character; someone who has just recently discovered their latent powers since the surge of magical energy has erupted from the land. The draconic bloodline is not in play; only the wild magic version fits in the campaign.

Warlock

Another “new” character who has just discovered his/her power. Only the Archfey patron is playable in this campaign, and the actual nature of it is still fuzzy in your mind.

Wizard

Wizards are very much occupied with relearning all the magic that has been lost, especially since Siluriel spent about 80 years forbidden from practicing magic during the Vilorian occupation. There are not many of them, but more are drawn to studying magic due to the surge.

Other

Monks are not playable in this campaign.

Alignment

I’m dropping the alignment system. Since most spells that focus on aspects of alignment only affect otherworldly creatures (and there is no evidence of them right now in the world) along with aberrations and such, it works differently now, anyway. I’d rather you roleplay your moral and ethical code than try to fit a mindset into an artificial structure. If you spot a reason why this is going to hamper your character in some way, let me know and I’ll rethink it.

Languages

The only languages known in Siluriel are Common, Elven, Dwarven, and the ancient language of the Titans (which very few people can read, and even then, only a smattering, due to there being no active translators and no “Rosetta Stone;” what little is known has been taken from the inscriptions on very old stone monuments).

Backgrounds

The Acolyte and Sailor backgrounds are not playable; all others are fine.

Equipment

The following additional notes about equipment are important for the campaign.

Coins

The main coin in the campaign is the silver piece. Some gold is around, but silver is the main ore mined in Siluriel, and most elven and dwarven houses mint a fairly standard coin with only clan markings as variations.

Armor

Breast plates, half plate, splint mail, and plate mail (anything over 75 gp in the book) are exceedingly rare and you have to have special permission from a noble patron or parent to wear the stuff initially.

Weapons

Anything on the list with the exception of the rapier, scimitar, trident, and blowgun are known in the region, but carrying a martial melee weapon anywhere other than as a lord or during a military campaign is going to get you scrutinized with suspicion.

Adventuring Gear and Tools

The list is too long for me to comment on individually. If you think it might be too advanced for the campaign world, ask.

Mounts

Horses are common enough, but few peasants and townsfolk have them.

Trinkets

Rather than roll on the Trinkets table, I want to work with you to create a special and personal item that has historical meaning to your character. That will come during the questionnaire part of character creation.

Customization Options

All the feats are in play.

Magic

The following additional notes are unique to this campaign setting.

Spells

The spell system works as written, but note that at the beginning of the campaign, no one knows of any spells over 2nd level. So much knowledge of magic has been lost over time that people have simply let higher-level spells slip away. Also note that, although I have ditched the alignment system for characters, spells like detect evil and good don’t work on that, anyway, and so are still useful.

Magic Items

Magic items are remarkably rare right now. No one even knows how to craft them anymore. If and when you find something, it’s going to be unique, have a history, and be a very special treasure. That doesn’t mean that I’m going to dole them out so rarely that you get frustrated, but I want the acquisition of magic to be a story-based issue, rather than just a harvesting/farming activity. There are rules in the DMG for characters crafting items, and I am going to use them, but with some modifications that will fit into the larger story plans I have. Bottom line: be patient, and it will work out as we get into campaign arcs.

Monsters

Last note: I’m going to try to make fighting monsters a more unique and memorable experience. This may be through changing up some features of a particular monster, and it might be through having them become more legendary, with names and histories, etc. I don’t want to punish you for knowing how to kill a troll by making it immune to fire and acid, but I also want to create a sense of wonder by incorporating new things that can be learned through song and legend and applied.