Eclipse of Eternity (D&D Next)

[shenron]

Ya, I actually liked a lot of the rules and ideas that have come from it. I think at first it was a little rough but I am a rules light person so a lot of what bothered other people I did not blink an eye at.

My only worry was they were going to pigeon hole classes without a lot of background/skill options/specialties. Oh, and that it would turn into mage wank.

[shenron]

It would be awesome if you could put them up somewhere - so we all get the right versions.

[WildKnight]

091913 is the last set they put out. It was from... September or thereabouts

[shenron]

This is not the rule book, but an awesome reference sheet I found.

docs.google.com/file/d/0B5x7sgceEOgiNXpueG1WOXdHOFU/edit?pli=1

[shenron]

Is this the right one?

maximumvoltage.net/dnd/

[WildKnight]

That's a pretty nice little reference, thanks.

A couple of things I know I'll be monkeying with...
No penalty for using ranged weapons in melee (I'll probably give Disadvantage to characters doing so)
No penalty for arcane casters in armor if proficient (again, I'll probably give Disadvantage for armors that already cause Disadvantage to Stealth)
Ritual Magic + Healing (not sure what I'll do there, but unless I've missed something, any character with a basic healing spell can make sure his party has full HP going into each and every fight, assuming he has time to cast the spell as a ritual repeatedly)

[WildKnight]

May 29, 2014 21:08:28 GMT -5 shenron said:

Is this the right one?

maximumvoltage.net/dnd/

Yes

[shenron]

I am leaning towards a half orc rogue.

[takewithfood]

Awesome, this is going to be fun. ^__^ I'm pretty flexible about character concepts so far. I guess I'll wait for any additional details about race and stuff from WK?

~TWF

[WildKnight]

I should be able to get everything you'll need up tomorrow

[Gris]

It looks like a better, simpler, more versatile version of 3.0 (I just skimmed through, so I could be horribly wrong) and it looks nice. I'm shuffling ideas for a cleric, paladin or fighter, will see as this develops.

[WildKnight]

They don't have a Paladin in the final version of the playtest rules, and the one from previous versions won't have compatible mechanics. You could easily simulate a Paladin by multi-classing (Cleric/Fighter) though. The Cleric even has a couple of spells (not till higher levels though) that effectively mimic "Smite"

[WildKnight]

Ignore my previous post, they DO have the Paladin. It's only the Sorc and Warlock from previous versions that have been removed.

[WildKnight]

Character Creation Guidelines

Ability Scores
Roll 4d6, keeping 3 results of your choice
Repeat 6 times
Place in your order of preference
Please bear in mind that if you plan on multi-classing, you must meet the following prerequisites for taking additional classes (you do not need to meet these for your initial class)
MULTICLASSING PREREQUISITES
Barbarian Strength 13+, Constitution 13+
Bard Charisma 15+
Cleric Wisdom 15+
Druid Wisdom 15+
Fighter Strength 15+
Mage Intelligence 15+
Monk Dexterity 13+, Wisdom 13+
Paladin Strength 13+, Charisma 13+
Ranger Dexterity 13+, Wisdom 13+
Rogue Dexterity 15+

Race
See the next post

Alignment
Good preferred, but I might be sold on a Neutral alignment if there is a good story reason for it

Equipment
Because of the depressed local economy and desperate lack of resources, each character begins with only 75 gold pieces to equip their character

[WildKnight]

Races
(Not every race in the document is represented here, because not all of them are available for this Campaign. I haven't changed any game rule details, but cultural information here supersedes that in the Races document, as I hope should be obvious. For Religion details, see the next post.)

DWARF
Legend has it that the dwarves were the second great civilization to arise in the world, after the elves. The two races almost immediately clashed, the elves fighting with their arcane magics and bond to the living world, while the dwarves made war with ingenuity and machines, which the elves considered blasphemous mockeries of magic. These hostilities might well have devoured the world if not for the arrival of a threat to both; dragons. Of course, few now living believe that dragons were ever real, much less that the sudden appearance of enormous flying lizards disrupted a war between griffon-mounted elven mages and dwarves with machines that could hurl rocks with mountain-shattering force. What is undeniable is that the dwarves are a clever race with nearly endless stamina that they dedicate to all of their endeavors. They are not incapable of wielding magic, but they shy away from it (particularly arcane magic), preferring artifice. Dwarves are thought by many to be dour and humorless, but those few non-dwarves who have ever truly won the trust of one of their kind know better. When in the company of those that they can truly trust, dwarves are given to (albeit strangely morbid) jokes, uproarious laughter, and bawdy songs. Dwarves are very slow to accept friends (particularly non-dwarven ones), but a dwarf is as steadfast in friendship as he is stubborn in all other matters.
Clans
Dwarves are sticklers for genealogy, and have an ancient saying; "good ale never was made from bad grain." There are a dozen or more Clans theoretically represented in the two thousand or so dwarves living in Fairhaven, but the reality of their limited (and diminishing) numbers has united them under the banner of the Broadshield Clan.
Subrace
There are only Hill Dwarves in Fairhaven


ELF
The politically dominant race of the fallen Kaeolyn Empire, legend tells that the High Elves were the firstborn of the world, a fusion of the spiritual essence of the faerie world and the solid form of the physical world. They once wielded great magics, far beyond anything now imagined. Their connection to the wild and living things of the world brought them into early conflicts with dwarves and dragons (if such things ever existed), and their legends claim it was only elven hubris that was able to end their reign of total dominance over the globe. Today, the elves are still the most common and, in their own minds at least, powerful arcane magicians in the world. They are considered haughty by many, but they see themselves as demanding excellence from themselves and those around them. Elves retain a strong dislike for complex machinery, preferring to craft what they need with magic rather than physical labor. Some elves even retain the ancient belief that machinery, by it's very nature, is blasphemous and antithetical to their faerie heritage. Elves still possess much of the political power in Fairhaven, and most are politically adept, or at least wise enough to avoid the machinations of their relatives. Elves have somewhat of a reputation for being mercurial, and this is well-earned; like their fey parents they are creatures of the moment, despite their long lives.

Of Wood Elves: The Wood Elves of Fairhaven are the primary scouts and advanced warning system for the city. They defend resource gathering groups that travel outside the city walls, monitor the movements of various enemy groups, and conduct raids against them should they make themselves vulnerable. Wood elves can be brutish and crude, but most citizen of Fairhaven ignore it and are simply thankful that they have defenders at all. Wood elves are afforded a great deal of respect, and often given more latitude than others might be, because of their service.

Adventuring Elves
Most adventuring High Elves are children (fewer than 100 years old), as once they reach adulthood they are expected to find a respectable place in elven society. Wood elves have no such concerns.


HALFLING
(Probably best if you think "Hobbits from Lord of the Rings" more so than more recent D&D versions of the Halfling)
Creatures of comfort and ease, the halflings have not had it easy in Fairhaven in recent generations. As resources have dwindled, the halflings have dutifully tightened their belts and done their best to contribute. Luckily, what genius the dwarves show for working with metal and stone, halflings show with food and drink, and their presence may be responsible for staving off starvation. Though they once lived primarily outside the walls in rural estates, they have now moved entirely within the protection of the ancient city, but even now a halfling home without a well-kept garden is a rarity, and halfling-run inns are known for having the finest food and drink available, despite the scarcity of resources. Halflings have a particular fondness for humans, whom they consider to be kinfolk.


HUMAN
Though most of them resent it, humans are seen as "the world's children" by elves and dwarves alike. Elves were born of a union between the flesh of the physical world and the spirit of the fey realm, dwarves sprung fully formed from the bones of the earth... no one knows where humans came from, only that they suddenly arrived in enormous numbers and immediately changed everything. Humans display a diversity of personality and thought that no other race has. They were the first practitioners of divine magic, which some have interpreted to mean that they have the favor of the ascended powers. Humans are short lived and often short-sighted, capable of both the most heroic and most depraved behaviors imaginable. They have greater numbers than any other race, and some others have noted with trepidation the frequency with which humans in large groups have become dangerous mobs and wreaked havoc within the city.


GNOME
The gnomes sprung up from the same rock as the dwarves, and most of their cultural development has paralleled that of their cousins. Where dwarves have focused on the construction of larger things such as fortresses and siege engines, it is the gnomes who have specialized in more delicate artifice; much of what is considered "dwarven art" was actually crafted by gnomes. Gnomes are clever creatures, full of sarcastic humor and keen wit. Though they are often overshadowed by the dwarves with whom they dwell, gnomes are considered by many to be the more pleasant company to keep. Gnomes are also more open to mixing enchantment and artifice, and have a special love of alchemy and the creation of permanent magical items. Gnomes zealously guard the secrets of their "clockwork" inventions.
Subraces
Only the Rock Gnome is available

HALF-ELF
Exceptionally rare, half-elves are likely to face a great deal of prejudice, particularly from elves.

HALF-ORC
More common than half-elves, half-orcs are almost universally reviled. Orcs are the monsters most commonly seen by the general populace of Fairhaven, and the adage that "the only good orc is a dead orc" is a common utterance throughout every corner of the city. Orc savagery has resulted in more than a few half-breed births, and the people of Fairhaven have little sense of charity for the children that result.