GameMaster_Phil
2016-04-21, 01:25 PM
Hi All,
first post on these boards here. Aight, let's get going:
I have been playing and DMing a long time, but our group is until the end of the year on hiatus. But this here needs to be done.
I would like to create and DM an Old School Megadungeon for my group. I have DMing experience, but I find the modern model of "shared storytelling" and "adventure paths" and stuff like "death flags" to be not my cup of tea. I like a real challenge in my games.
I read up on the relevant blogs (like angry DM, hackslashmaster, dungeon fantastic, Benoists posts on rpg.net, the alexandrian) on how to create a megadungeon and what has to be done to get the "megadungeon feel". Maybe this will be discussed in another thread if people are interested.
I like 3E and Pathfinder by and large, all my books are for these systems, so Pathfinder it will be (with 3E elements, but later more). Do not bother suggesting other systems.
The Pathfinder System as found on d20pfsrd is... a mess. I found that it starts being cluttered up by badly thought up and unbalanced rules. So I need to introduce some house rules which I'd like to discuss here:
Allowed Books
Core Rulebook
Ultimate Magic
Ultimate Combat
APG
These books should meet the needs for conservative players. Anything not in these books from Paizo is banned.
Psionics Unleashed from Dreamscarred
Path of War from Dreamscarred. Expanded as well, if I can get my hands on a copy.
Tome of Battle. In case of redundant rules, use the Path of War equivalent. It is possible to trade 1 martial discipline like described in the Path of War book. The system is transparent, so a Crusader could end up with Silver Crane. I will allow a lot here and see how it works out in game.
I like the ToB and Dreamscarred stuff, and I would like to see my players use it. It has a good reputation.
Warlock from 3.5 is allowed, I found a conversion somewhere.
Other Rules for players
Crafting magical items is severely restricted. Only items from the core rulebook can be crafted at all without finding a blueprint. The rule that crafting requirements can be traded for a +5 skill check DC no longer exists.
Magic Marts do not exist. Do not expect to be able to obtain a specific magic item. A given trader only has a certain amount of items.
Experience:
The fast track for advancement is used.
XP for Encounters is reduced TO 10% of the normal value. If the encounter is somehow not permanently solved at first, it grants only 5% of the normal XP, and the other 5% at permanently solving the encounter.
1GP of treasure looted yields 1XP of experience. This XP is always evenly distributed over the whole party, and this only grants XP if there was some sort of risk involved (so robbing old ladies won't make you cast spells better, guys.) This way, characters are always at roughly WBL until level 10. I will worry about higher levels later.
There will be a lot of new, custom magic items for the players to loot and test. These are somewhat underpriced at sale, so players are encouraged to keep them. And I can hand them out earlier.
Game starts at level 1. All characters start the game with 1 fate point, which can be spent to save the characters' life once or turn a saving throw into a natural 20 even after the consequences are known (within reasonable time limits). Fate points do not regenerate. They are given out by the DM for doing major advances in the story, like entering a new dungeon level or thwarting a major cult. A character can have a maximum of 2 fate points.
Hard mode (optional)
At character creation, players can choose hard mode. This cannot be changed for a character. If so, the maximum fate point limit becomes 3. The character can only be ressurrected by any given spell once, however. The exception is Breath of Life. If you were once raised by Raise Dead, the spell will never again work on you. There are no other exceptions.
Assume that all NPCs, even if they don't have fate points, play hard mode.
GM Resources
Any 3E book and all PF books I consider necessary. But by and large, if I bring it, the players can take it. For example, 3.5 spells can be found in the form of magical spellbooks, which allow characters to prepare/ready the spells as long as they have the book.
Regarding monsters, builds and templates, I will hit the players with anything I find useful and/or entertaining.
Remember, I want to go for the Old School feel and the campaign is a megadungeon. Did I miss anything? Thoughts? Comments? Criticism? Questions? All is appreciated. Looking forward to your responses.
first post on these boards here. Aight, let's get going:
I have been playing and DMing a long time, but our group is until the end of the year on hiatus. But this here needs to be done.
I would like to create and DM an Old School Megadungeon for my group. I have DMing experience, but I find the modern model of "shared storytelling" and "adventure paths" and stuff like "death flags" to be not my cup of tea. I like a real challenge in my games.
I read up on the relevant blogs (like angry DM, hackslashmaster, dungeon fantastic, Benoists posts on rpg.net, the alexandrian) on how to create a megadungeon and what has to be done to get the "megadungeon feel". Maybe this will be discussed in another thread if people are interested.
I like 3E and Pathfinder by and large, all my books are for these systems, so Pathfinder it will be (with 3E elements, but later more). Do not bother suggesting other systems.
The Pathfinder System as found on d20pfsrd is... a mess. I found that it starts being cluttered up by badly thought up and unbalanced rules. So I need to introduce some house rules which I'd like to discuss here:
Allowed Books
Core Rulebook
Ultimate Magic
Ultimate Combat
APG
These books should meet the needs for conservative players. Anything not in these books from Paizo is banned.
Psionics Unleashed from Dreamscarred
Path of War from Dreamscarred. Expanded as well, if I can get my hands on a copy.
Tome of Battle. In case of redundant rules, use the Path of War equivalent. It is possible to trade 1 martial discipline like described in the Path of War book. The system is transparent, so a Crusader could end up with Silver Crane. I will allow a lot here and see how it works out in game.
I like the ToB and Dreamscarred stuff, and I would like to see my players use it. It has a good reputation.
Warlock from 3.5 is allowed, I found a conversion somewhere.
Other Rules for players
Crafting magical items is severely restricted. Only items from the core rulebook can be crafted at all without finding a blueprint. The rule that crafting requirements can be traded for a +5 skill check DC no longer exists.
Magic Marts do not exist. Do not expect to be able to obtain a specific magic item. A given trader only has a certain amount of items.
Experience:
The fast track for advancement is used.
XP for Encounters is reduced TO 10% of the normal value. If the encounter is somehow not permanently solved at first, it grants only 5% of the normal XP, and the other 5% at permanently solving the encounter.
1GP of treasure looted yields 1XP of experience. This XP is always evenly distributed over the whole party, and this only grants XP if there was some sort of risk involved (so robbing old ladies won't make you cast spells better, guys.) This way, characters are always at roughly WBL until level 10. I will worry about higher levels later.
There will be a lot of new, custom magic items for the players to loot and test. These are somewhat underpriced at sale, so players are encouraged to keep them. And I can hand them out earlier.
Game starts at level 1. All characters start the game with 1 fate point, which can be spent to save the characters' life once or turn a saving throw into a natural 20 even after the consequences are known (within reasonable time limits). Fate points do not regenerate. They are given out by the DM for doing major advances in the story, like entering a new dungeon level or thwarting a major cult. A character can have a maximum of 2 fate points.
Hard mode (optional)
At character creation, players can choose hard mode. This cannot be changed for a character. If so, the maximum fate point limit becomes 3. The character can only be ressurrected by any given spell once, however. The exception is Breath of Life. If you were once raised by Raise Dead, the spell will never again work on you. There are no other exceptions.
Assume that all NPCs, even if they don't have fate points, play hard mode.
GM Resources
Any 3E book and all PF books I consider necessary. But by and large, if I bring it, the players can take it. For example, 3.5 spells can be found in the form of magical spellbooks, which allow characters to prepare/ready the spells as long as they have the book.
Regarding monsters, builds and templates, I will hit the players with anything I find useful and/or entertaining.
Remember, I want to go for the Old School feel and the campaign is a megadungeon. Did I miss anything? Thoughts? Comments? Criticism? Questions? All is appreciated. Looking forward to your responses.