![[CER'RIN.GIF]](images/cerrin.gif)
i. This is the portion of the docs where I welcome you to Cer'rin. This is the game setting that I've been working on for some three years, and I've spent something over two years doing this information archive. It's not been a full-time endeavor, obviously, but I do work on it when the opportunity arises.
One thing I would like to make very clear from the outset is that I do not make use of the Players' Option series of rule supplements at this time. For one thing, I've been using many of the "innovations" contained therein for a number of years, anyway, and for another, the rest of the material is pure drivel, in my educated opinion. I DO use the Complete Handbooks, as a rule, though not the Necromancer or Ninja, or others that I do not own. If you desire a character that is spawned from the depths of a manual that I don't have, by all means request it, and include COMPLETE information on all of the special abilities, spells, and kits that you wish to utilize. Just remember that I reserve the right to disallow any of it, if it isn't in the best interests of the game in general.
This file deals almost exclusively with the AD&D rules as they pertain to your character. Please see THE_WRLD.TXT for information on the world of Cer'rin itself, and STARTUP.TXT for guidelines on the correct procedures for responding to game moves, as well as some good "how-to" information on the responses themselves.
And a quick note. No mention of the game title "The Source of Magick" is made because the information in this file will pertain to any AD&D game that I undertake.
ii. When using this material, especially if you make printouts, you will find that the best results are achieved with DOS/ascii type viewers and printing engines. Windows Notepad, Write, or other such utilities will do well enough, but the way that fonts are proportioned in Windows is completely different from the standard DOS method, so the painstaking work that has gone into formatting the files in this archive will not be evident. Please note that there is no actual printer formatting in any of these files, though that will likely be part of the package at some point in the future.
iii. This file (THE_GAME.TXT) is indexed in a
fashion that you may find useful, if you view it with a searchable ascii
viewer such as LIST.COM (a util I can't recommend highly enough). The other
files will also be so treated as soon as I can get it all done. In order to
go directly to a section of the file, simply find the reference number for the
portion you wish to review and initiate a search (using the "\" character will
do it in LIST) for that number. For example, if you wanted to check out the
description of the new Ildequar character class, all you'd have to do is
initiate a search for the next "3.61" in the text, and you'd go right to
it.
Back to Table of Contents
1.0 Obtaining ability scores for your character is very easily done, and I believe in being fairly generous about it without going overboard. In truth, ability scores are not all that important in a game played the way this one is. Most things attempted by the characters will be likely to succeed, provided the players have thought those actions out and planned well.
1.1 The Method:
Roll 3d6 twelve times. Pick out the six scores that you wish to keep (by no
means are you limited to only the highest, though it would be most logical to
do it that way), and arrange them in any fashion that you like. A player who
wants a non-human character is one example of a situation in which stats come
into effect even in the CRPG. Those requirements do apply.
1.2 Successive steps:
Once attributes are rolled, the player must choose a race for his character,
and then class. Results of this process are best when the player has an idea
of what it is that he wishes his character to be prior to ever touching a die.
With these important decisions made, the player is ready to detail (as much as
he's able) the life of the character up to the point where he enters the game.
The more color added to the character at this stage, the more enjoyable that
PC will be to play. The personality, habits, mannerisms, and other
characteristics should also be decided. Use the information provided below on
Races, Classes, and so forth to flesh out the character concept to completion.
1.3 Alignment:
For some, an alignment is the most important statistic a PC has. For the
CRPG, you will need to specify one, but the GM fully understands that everyone
acts in ways dictated by his circumstances, and that no person can really be
stuffed into a constricting label at all times. Alignment will indicate a set
of tendencies on the part of your character. More importantly, you will also
answer the series of questions in the file PCODE.TXT. That information will
be considered much more than your two-word alignment, as to whether or not you
are playing out of character. You will find that, with the Personal Code
completed, your character's entire attitude about things will be quite clear.
1.4 Experience:
Characters in the CRPG will start with a total of 20,000 experience. They are
already fairly experienced adventurers, and as such will deal at times with
notoriety, or infamy. This amount of experience can be split to allow
multi-/dual classed PC's. Guidelines for doing so are below.
1.41 Multi-class characters:
Very easily done. Simply divide 20,000 by the number of classes that the
character will practice, and apply the result to the appropriate level
advancement chart(s) in the Player's Handbook (hereafter referred to as the
PHB). For simplicity's sake, no bonuses or penalties to experience due to
high or low attributes will be taken into account for the purpose of
determining initial level(s). If your conception of the character so
dictates, you may assign the experience instead of dividing by the number of
classes. In this way, a Fighter/Thief who is much more adept at trickery and
legerdemain than at battle could be generated.
1.42 Dual Class characters:
I've no problem with people wanting to switch classes, either as part of the
character's background, or in the game. I do, however, insist that it be done
by certain guidelines which are poorly explained in the PHB and other
reference materials. Here's how it works. The character must first meet the
requirements for the initial class. No problem, we'll use an example of a
Fighter, since that's about the most common class chosen for the first one.
It allows the use of the extra CON bonus, and weapon specialization. Say the
player wishes to have the character advance to 4th level, then switch to Mage.
The character must have 17 INT, as INT is the prime requisite for the Mage
class, and must obtain 16,000 experience as a fighter. What, you say that's
too many? It's not. A character wishing to switch professions must do so
immediately upon gaining enough experience to go up a level. Instead of
receiving the next level in the original class, the character, after
appropriately role-playing it and spending the necessary amount of game time
preparing, gains 1st level of the new class. The character must then attain a
level higher than that he had gained in the original class before the old
abilities can be used without penalty. In our example that would mean that
the novice Mage must be 5th level in his new profession before he can use his
Fighter abilities and still gain experience for whatever it is he's doing.
Hope that's cleared up for you, now.
1.5 Hit points:
Use the standard AD&D methods for generating Hit Points for your new PC.
Please note that I do sanction the optional rule that recommends allowing
maximum HP at level 1. Other levels should be rolled on the appropriate dice.
Remember, multi-classed characters add CON bonus (if applicable) AFTER all
dividing for number of classes is completed, and such characters which also
include any Warrior class or subclass get to use the Warrior special CON bonus
when CON is 17+. As a footnote, I've always been willing to allow players to
reroll 1's and 2's rolled for hit points. Feel free to do this, also.
1.6 Starting gear:
Since the characters are starting out as somewhat experienced adventurers, it
is appropriate for them to have most any mundane equipment that the player
thinks the character should have. Mundane means non-magical, and also
excludes money. The money a PC starts with should be in some way justified by
the character background. If there's no provision in the write-up concerning
money, then give the character d20x100 gold. It should be noted that any
large amounts covered by character background are still subject to GM
approval.
1.7 Character generators:
There is no reason why you shouldn't use character generation programs, such
as ADDCHAR.EXE, which comes with the Tome of Vast Knowledge, and is the best
one that I've seen so far. The only restriction is that whatever program you
use needs to be able to generate the scores in the same way that I described
above. I do ask that you not just generate the parts of the character that
such a program will cover, and then stop. The character needs the background
and personality information, as well as gear, before he's ready to actually be
used in the game.
1.8 Submitting the character:
There are a couple of ways this can be accomplished. You can attach the file
to an email message to me on Cer'rin, which is probably the best way. You can
send the information via internet email. Or you can send a printout of the
character to me using snail mail, if you want. The phone numbers and
addresses needed to use any of these methods are detailed later.
Back to Table of Contents
2.0 The races available to be played on Cer'rin are much the same as what you are used to in most other AD&D campaigns. Some of the names are different, but the statistical information still comes from the same source.
2.1 Endarni:
These beings are equivalent to Elves in other AD&D games. Endarn is the
generic word for "Elf", and specifies no particular subrace. Be careful when
using this word to address one of the Geldarn, as they are very particular
about racial purity and easily take offense at being lumped in with the other
Endarni. Following is a list of the subrace names:
| Nadarn | --- | High Elf |
| Geldarn | --- | Grey Elf |
| Luzdarn | --- | Sylvan Elf |
| Argindarn | --- | Aquatic Elf |
| G'thrag'n'darn | --- | Drow Elf |
2.15 G'thrag'n'darn:
Of course, these evil and often savage entries in the Endarni family tree are
pretty much hated by all, and especially by the other Endarni, but you can
play one if you must. Just remember that you will be faced with many
difficulties with such a character, as they are known outside the Forest of
Shadows only in the form of Legend, and it ain't a pretty picture that is
painted in those stories.
2.16 Hraliim:
There is yet another category of Endarni. The Dark Ones. Endarni who have
turned from the light and embraced the Darkness. They are distrusted by all
the other Endarni, even the G'thrag'n'darn. The only advantage one of the
Hraliim would have over a G'thrag'n'darn in role-playing terms is that they
don't have to worry about being subjected to more suspicion from Humans or
Dwarves, etc than their light-loving brothers. But by the other Endarni, they
are called Hraliim, and are usually killed on sight. Bladesingers should be
avoided at all costs, to be sure.
2.17 Half-Darni:
These lonely souls, often called half-breeds by the humans, and referred to as
Kshafhaz by the Endarni, are the result of the union between an Endarni and a
Human. While they have many options as a hero and adventurer, the existence
of a half-breed is a solitary one most of the time. They are accepted fully
by neither of the parent races, and almost always end up dying alone and
uncared-for.
Still, they are a viable option for you to use as a character, and the multiclassing capabilities they possess are surpassed by none.
Remember that they are not eligible for the kits put forth in the Complete Book of Elves.
A Half-Darn will have one set of genes that takes precedence in his appearance. Choose whether you want your character to look mostly Endarni, or mostly Human. Some are indistinguishable from the dominant parent's race without close scrutiny.
2.2 Dwarves:
Nothing much changes about these lovable little guys. They are the same dour,
crotchety folks that they ever were. The main thing you need to know about
Dwarves is that they are the consummate merchants. If a Dwarf has one, he can
sell it to you, whether he knows what it is or not. And always be wary when
you hear a Dwarf extoll, "Fairly bargained and done" (which is their favorite
saying), because it will often mean that he has just made a month's wages at
your expense.
Dwarves, back in times of old, used to make lots of things that are no longer around. Heavy armors, and Dwarven enchantments are the ones that come immediately to mind. With the cycle turning back to magick and such, maybe it's possible that some of these old things will resurface. Keep your eyes open.
I do not generally use information out of the Complete Book of Dwarves. If there is something that is in there that is not in the core rules that you really, really want, you can ask about it, but I reserve the right to say no.
2.3 Halflings and Gnomes:
They don't exist. Nuff said.
2.4 Other races:
You may ask for a character that comes from the Complete Book of Humanoids. I
will allow most of them as PC races, but keep in mind that you will have to
accept all of the race's disadvantages along with the advantages. That means
that I will always penalize a 12' tall character in a confined space, and
reactions will be modified per the character's outlandish appearance. If you
want them, though, some of them are available.
Back to Table of Contents
3.0 All of the standard classes which are available in the basic game rules for AD&D are available for play on Cer'rin, though some have undergone various amounts of modification. Following, is a brief rundown of any pertinent bits of info that may be necessary to your playing a given class, such as where they may be found, how common they are, etc. Most of these guidelines are specific to Cer'rin, so you will not be able to rely on published game material in this regard.
3.1 Warriors:
The warrior classes are available as described below.
3.11 Fighters:
You will find the Fighter to be a very versatile class to play in the Cer'rin
RPG. With the frequency of the other Warrior sub-classes being very low, the
Fighter is able to take a much higher profile role than in many campaigns.
Many generals, soldiers, and other denizens of Al'Shadri are proud members of
this noble class.
Please note that I DO use the Complete Fighter's Handbook. Rules and ideas from that book can be assumed to be valid on Cer'rin. The use of special maneuvers that play up the role of the character and/or his personality are especially encouraged.
Fighters receive an additional capability that other Warriors do not. They are able to keep spending Weapon Proficiency Slots (WPS) on weapons that they are specialized with. The effect that the extra expenditure has is to give the Fighter sort of a bonus to damage with the weapon (only). Each WPS spent on a weapon above and beyond specialization level increases the minimum damage for the weapon by 1 HP. In other words, if your character is specialized with the long sword, he can spend another slot to make his long sword damage 2-8. Note that a point is in no way added to the damage, nor do you alter the dice that are rolled for the weapon. Simply consider any die roll of 1 to be a 2 instead. This ability has no real limit, except to say that no character may have already used this rule at 1st level. If one wished to, he could make his damage 8+ each time he hits with the long sword. Of course, after a point, it is really no longer necessary to roll damage dice at all.
3.12 Paladins:
These great warriors are very rare in Cer'rin, coming only from the south
(Tandril), or from the large island of Jhoumael. The Tandrillian Paladins are
called Tandrilli, and are a very special breed who are hand-picked and trained
personally by King Ander. For detailed information on theTandrilii, peruse
section 3.62 below.
The Howlers are a cult that has existed on Jhoumael for centuries, and are a primitive alternative to the standard Paladin. Naturally, a PC Howler will have a level of sophistication sufficient to warrant his travelling away from the island and into the more civilized parts of the world. More on the people of Jhoumael is to be found elsewhere in this archive.
3.13 Rangers:
Rangers must specify what type of terrain they come from, to determine where
there nature-oriented abilities work the best.
3.2 Magi:
Magi are just a bit different. Make the character up all except for his
spells. I will give you those. Magick is just coming back into its own on
Cer'rin and many of the more powerful spells haven't been rediscovered yet.
Don't worry, that doesn't mean that you won't get any good spells. What it
mostly means is that 4th level spells are about the most powerful around. One
of the objectives of the campaign is going to be rediscovering the old magick
once again. Of course, specialty wizards are perfectly acceptable.
3.3 Priests:
Priests are all of the specialty variety. There are only 3 "real" deities
that oversee Cer'rin, but people have invented many, many "aspects" for these
three, and named them. The Holy Three go along with it, cus it doesn't
inconvenience them. Therefore, you can make up just about any deity you want,
give it a name, and have it be an aspect of one of the three real ones.
Aspects are no different from deities in game terms. There will undoubtedly
come a time when I will no longer add any more new aspects to the deities, but
for now, there aren't that many, so knock yourself out.
3.4 Rogues:
Rogues are played right out of the book, just remember to let me assign spells
for any Bard characters.
3.5 Psionicists:
Psionicists are subject to special rules in the game I run. They are not a
widely spread character type, and the only ones I have available for use as
PC's so far are the Ildequar. These are a sort of fighting monk which use
psychometabolic sciences and devotions to enhance their fighting abilities and
seldom use any weapons. When they do use weapons, they use cestis. They get
d6 for HP, the fighter's THAC0 chart, can gain benefit from exceptional
strength and constitution, and gain a couple of other benefits for the class.
See section 3.61 below for a complete description of
the Ildequar.
3.6 Special Classes
This section of the chapter contains "home-grown" character classes for the
Cer'rin RPG.
This class is an interesting variation on both the Fighter and the Psionicist classes, and is something of a hybrid of them.Back to Table of ContentsThe name "Ildequar" means "Living Blade" in the ancient Al'Shadri language. The origin of this brotherly order spans back some centuries to a time when the Empire was younger, and idealism was still known among its rulership. At that time, the Ildequar were the devoted guardians of his Imperial Majesty, the Emperor. They were fanatics, protecting the empire itself by preserving its temporal head from all harm. To make a very long story short, approximately four hundred years past, the monastics became disillusioned as they came to the realization that the emperor was decadent, as were all of his lackeys in the government of the north. One monk swayed all of his brethren at that time, convincing them that such a man was in no wise worthy of the devotion bestowed upon him. A schism occurred, as the Ildequar broke from the palace in Zhifresta, moving en mass to build themselves a new home in the wilderness at the northern end of the Western Range, which they named Aginsar. The place is still called that, though "Monastery" is now commonly tacked onto the end. Since that time of four centuries gone, the Ildequar have not once lifted a hand in the aid of the emperor or his government, though they do strive mightily to bring goodness and well-being to the land.
All races present on Cer'rin, and both sexes, are welcome at Aginsar, and will be taught if the proper requirements are met. Requirements: STR 9; DEX 12; (as psionicist); Lawful Good align
Use Psionicist experience and saving roll charts.
Use Warrior THAC0 table.
Gain benefits of exceptional STR, and warrior bonuses for CON.
Hit points determined by d6.
Primary Discipline: Psychometabolism
Additional Disciplines are usually gained in the following order:
- Psychokinesis
- Clairaudience
- Telepathy
- Psychoportation
- MetaPsionics
The last three MUST be gained in those positions, though the first two are at player's discretion. Ildequar rarely learn powers from Clairaudience, Telepathy or Psychoportation, even once they have gained the ability to, with the exception of certain members of the sect who happen to show unusual capacity for them. These unusual Blades, once discovered, are cultivated as a special internal security force, to ensure that no people of dark aspect are able to infiltrate the Monastery. Any monk who has been out wandering is immediately queried by this special force upon returning to Aginsar.
May not wear armor nor use any weapons other than cestis. May not use any sort of AC-enhancing enchantments, though psionic items may be employed.
The Ildequar do not ride upon the backs of other animals. Nor do they travel in any other way than on foot. This is partly in penance for their self-proclaimed failure as the Emperor's guardians, and partly in order to promote self-sufficiency in themselves. Naturally, boats are exception to this rule, provided there's no feasible way to go on foot.
An Ildequar must observe the wisdom of the elders of the order at all times. Read this as, he must always do as he is told.
At level 2, Ildequar get natural AC-9. This improves 1 step per level thereafter (see house rule on Ildequar use of Flesh Armor psionic ability). The natural AC of an Ildequar may get to 0 by this method. Higher level Ildequar often find it difficult to remain incognito, as the movements and mannerisms of such a character are very distinctive.
Knights of the Pure Faith are the perennial enemies of the Aginsar Monks, the former being well aware of the rightful role of the latter in times past. Rarely will a Knight pass over an opportunity to harass or otherwise impede one of the Ildequar, if the smallest chance presents itself.
The Tandrilii is listed here as a separate character class because of two primary pieces of data. First, it is significantly different from the standard Paladin class, and second, the Tandrilii are able to use kits such as the Medician, which would not be the case if it were, itself, a kit. The decision to allow Tandrilii the use of kits is based upon their individualistic nature - each is very likely to be quite different in a variety of ways from all of the others - and the fact that they are the only Paladins native to Al'shadri. All of this being the case, the Tandrilii is presented to you here as a sub-class of the Paladin, and a character class in its own right.Back to Table of ContentsIndividuality is the key to understanding the Tandrilii. Some may view this aspect of the Order as an insurmountable dichotomy - individuality coupled with lawful alignment. Resolution of the dilemma is achieved when one accepts several of the facts about the Tandrilii:
- They are quite few. Not significantly greater than one hundred in number.
- They are scattered across a vast geographical area.
- Their origins are as diverse, perhaps even moreso, as the places they patrol.
Taking these things into account, it is easy to see that the Tandrilii are not just trained to operate as one cohesive unit. Rather, individual initiative is highly valued. A Tandrilii does whatever he can with the resources available to him. He thrives alone when he must, and is a great team player when in the company of others, whether they be Tandrilii or not. Such versatility, which does not seem to be present to such a degree in other types of Paladin, serves as a very important tool in the accomplishment of a Tandrilii's goals.
Which brings us to the meat of the matter, so to speak. Now that you understand something of the Tandrilii mindset, a bit of history is in order. According to legend, which is all we have to rely on for such things as these, the Order of the Tandrilii was founded by the ancient rebel who also established Vellinost, and through it, Tandril itself. It's said that he wished to bring into being a force for good that would be dynamic and able to change and grow with the changes and growth of the kingdom. Apparently, the idea was a good one, because Tandril soon proved itself to be a place of unprecedented peacefulness and prosperity. Until the Great Calamity, of course. When the first king's evil enemies loosed hordes of Tanar'ri upon Tandril, the Tandrilii were among the first to be slaughtered. They could not have upheld their vows and done any differently. The survivors, pitifully few though they were, somehow managed to keep their traditions alive. Throughout the centuries, while they have been few in number, the Tandrilii have ever managed to put themselves in the way of the worst problems faced by the kingdom. With Ander's ascendance to Tandril's throne, the Tandrilii have come again into something resembling their former prominence. It is not known whether this is mere coincidence, or if there is some sort of connection there.
After more than nine years of Ander's rule, it can truly be said that every citizen of Al'shadri knows what the word 'Tandrilii' means. The Order is technically based in Vellinost, though a member might not ever set foot in the city again after finishing his training. Each of the participants in this extremely exclusive brotherhood is personally hand-picked by his majesty, Ander of Tandril. The king also takes a significant hand in the training of new Tandrilii. Graelyn Farseer, Duke of Vellinost, and Honorable Sir Larnith Cramekan, Graelyn's most trusted vassal, round out an elite teaching staff. Both of these men are Tandrilii of great renown, incidentally, as King Ander seems to be, also, though noone is apparently able to attribute any heroic deeds to him from more than three or four years prior to his coronation.
Ok, so now we know something about the attitude and history of the Tandrilii. The only thing remaining is to find out what it is that Tandril's elite warriors actually do. Most simply, they do anything that they wish to do, which they believe will be of some benefit to the kingdom. Several Tandrilii have decided that staying in Vellinost and serving as household guardians in the House of Lions is their best course of action. Another very popular choice is for the Tandrilii to return to his homeland and provide stability and status to that place. Some of the Tandrilii have even assumed particular duties, the healing of all that they encounter, for example, or warring against particular enemies, such as undead. This latter has become more and more common with the apparent increases in the sightings of monsters in general. In truth, there is little, if anything, that a Tandrilii would not be allowed to do, if he wished it. The vows, edicts and virtues that bind all Tandrilii prevent any misuse of the trust of the people, of course.
Legally speaking, the Tandrilii are intended to have the ability to apprehend criminals and dispense justice. Their inability to lie, coupled with their knack for detecting such in others, makes them very effective while virtually eliminating the possibility of an innocent person being punished by mistake. Commonly, a Tandrilii who apprehends a suspect will take great pains to ascertain the guilt or innocence thereof. If the person is determined to be guilty, then the most common course of action would be to transport the person to the nearest seat of government (defined as any town or city which serves as home to a member of the greater nobility. Greater nobility is any noble with a rank of ten or greater. See the Noble Rank table in the world info file for a generalized rundown) so that the citizens of Tandril can see the results. This becomes a necessity in cases which call for incarceration as the punishment. But this is one of the more minor uses for the talents of a Tandrilii. Most Tandrilii are continually seeking the one great thing that they will accomplish during their lifetimes, the feat for which they will be remembered.
Finally, the status of the Tandrilii with respect to other citizens of Tandril. In actuality, the king's own occupy an unique niche in their society. They are not treated as common folk by far, but neither does taking the Vows bestow noble status upon them. For purposes of determining how a Tandrilii interacts with both the nobility and the peasantry, treat him as if his noble rank were 6 at level one, which is equivalent to the rank held by the first son of a Grand Knight. There may, in fact probably will, be times during the career of the Tandrilii when it is appropriate to increase or decrease that value. Note that this rank number only applies to the way in which the character interacts with others. It has no effect in situations where actual noble rank is required. Note that this section does not effect those of the Tandrilii who *are* of the nobility.
Ability Requirements: Strength 12
Constitution 9
Wisdom 13
Charisma 17 Prime Requisite(s): Strength,
CharismaRaces Allowed: Human Ministration: The government of Tandril Symbol: The coat of arms employed by his majesty, the king is born by all Tandrilii. One may also employ a blazon of his own family crest, but it must be worn subordinate to that of the king, according to the rules of heraldry employed in the kingdom. The king's blazon is always the same, that being a gold lion rampant wielding sword on field crimson. The crest may be worn on a tabbard, flown on a banner, blazoned on a shield, or other method. This may be partially dictated by the manner in which the character chooses to bear his own coat of arms. Benefits:
- Sanctuary - A Tandrilii may request sanctuary in any stronghold in Tandril, and even in some parts of the Empire. Any landowner in the kingdom is always happy to provide food and lodging for one of the king's own and his companions.
- Reaction Bonus - These beloved characters receive a +2 reaction from all NPC's they happen to encounter, even those of evil alignment.
- Proficiencies - The grueling training of the Tandrilii leaves them with the following knowledge: Heraldry (Tandril), Etiquette and Law*. The character may also choose either Bureaucracy* or Oratory* as well.
(* indicates skills described in The Complete Paladin's Handbook)- Detect Falsehood - When he concentrates upon the words of another to the exclusion of all else, a Tandrilii is able to tell if and when the other person is lying. This ability does not provide the Tandrilii with the truth, only with the fact that someone has lied. A lie is defined as knowingly making a false statement. A person can be incorrect about something, but if he believes that he's giving good information then he's not lying. If he knows the truth, but says something else, then he is lying.
- Immunity to Disease - Tandrilii are immune to all natural diseases. This special immunity does not protect against magickal diseases or curses.
- Choose four of the following:
- Bonded mount - The Tandrilii may, at any time after reaching level four, have a bonded mount bestowed upon him. In the vast majority of cases, this mount will be a war horse of some sort, but exceptional circumstances can dictate some other type of creature on very rare occasions. The animal will have at least 6 hit points per hit die, enhanced INT and morale, and be stronger and faster than normal specimens of its type.
- Cure Disease - The Tandrilii is able to cure a disease in any human or natural animal one time each week for every fifth level gained. One disease may be cured by a Tandrilii of first through fifth level, two at sixth through tenth, and so on.
- Detect Disease/Corruption - This benefit bestows upon a Tandrilii the ability to discern when a person has a disease, or is suffering from any sort of infection. This applies also to such things as the water in a well, food, and so on. Manufactured poisons may not be determined in this way, and neither can ailments or afflictions of magickal origin. The Tandrilii must be able to study a person or item for no less then one turn and then make a successful WIS check in order to make use of this benefit. If some sort of corruption is detected, the Tandrilii will also have the knowledge of what sort of affliction it is, and more or less how to deal with it, though this in no way guarantees that the character will have the means to do so on hand.
- Detect Evil Magick - The Tandrilii can detect magick radiating from any being, object, or location that has been enchanted by an evil being. The Tandrilii must actively concentrate in order to use this ability, which has a range of 60 feet. He will also perceive a general feeling as to the intensity of the magick when he detects it (faint, moderate, strong, overwhelming).
- Dispel Evil Magick - This ability, if taken, does not manifest itself until the Tandrilii reaches level three. The character must also have the Detect Evil Magick ability to be eligible for this one. The Tandrilii will be able to cast a Dispel Magick against any spells or effects that he's detected using the prerequisite ability, with no verbal or somantic components, with a base 100% chance of success. It has a casting level equal to the level of the Tandrilii, and may be used once per day at third through fifth level, twice at sixth through eighth level, and so on.
- Lay on Hands - Once per day, the character is able to restore up to his level times two in hit points to another character or natural animal. The hit point total of the beneficiary of this power may not exceed its normal maximum, and any points not used are wasted. The character may not "split" the healing provided by the Laying on of Hands between two beings, or any such thing as that.
- Saving Throw Bonus - the Tandrilii receives a bonus of +2 to saving throws across the board.
- Spell Use - At level nine, the Tandrilii gains the ability to use priestly magick, as a standard Paladin. Note that the character needs to have some background material that deals with the rationale for this ability.
- Turn Undead - At level three, the Tandrilii may turn undead as per the standard Paladin.
Strictures:
- Alignment - Tandrilii must be of Lawful Good alignment
- Magick Item Limit - A Tandrilii is allowed to have up to 10 items of enchanted equipment. He may have one suit of armor, one shield, up to four magickal weapons, and up to four other items.
- Wealth Limit - Tandrilii keep only enough of the wealth that they accumulate to provide for their needs. This is the case, whatever the needs, whether the character must provide for himself alone, or if he's responsible for the maintenance and care of a castle.
- Truth - Because of the binding nature of the vows taken by the Tandrilii, it is literally impossible for them to speak an untruth. Note that this doesn't eliminate the possibility of misleading half-truths, but the player had best be extremely careful in such an attempt. Any statement made by a Tandrilii that is interpreted as a lie by the GM will result in some fairly strong repercussions.
- Tithing - Tandrilii must always tithe no less than 25% of their income to the government of the kingdom. There is no minimum in the event that the character doesn't actually earn any money for a period of time. Also, if the amount of money accrued by the character is barely sufficient to allow him to support himself, no tithe is required. This is handled according to the honor system, hedged by the inability of a Tandrilii to lie.
- Alignment of Associates - Tandrilii always tend to gravitate toward companions of good alignment. Lawful good is most preferred, of course, but any sort of good will do. Tandrilii will not remain in a party the majority of the members of which are other than good. If the party has any evil members at all, the Tandrilii will go his own way as soon as finding this out. Note that Tandrilii must base their decision on the actions of the person or persons in question, since they do not possess any special powers for the detection of evil.
Edicts:
The primary edicts that the Tandrilii must adhere to are passed down from the government of Tandril. While there is all sorts of elaborate wording involved, what these edicts boil down to is that the Tandrilii is a servant of his majesty, the king, and must perform any service required of him as such. This could include undertaking the command of a military unit, performing as an armed escort for an important personage, or virtually any other task. In all cases, these edicts will be for the good of the kingdom and will be based in the philosophy upon which the kingdom was founded.In some cases, a Tandrilii may have one or more other sources of edicts. A mentor, a religion, his family, or a sub-culture that he was brought up in are examples. Unlike standard Paladins, Tandrilii place precedence upon their own personal beliefs and on the philosophy of the king before any religious edicts that they may have.
Virtues:
The most important of the virtues held dear by the Tandrilii is their fealty to Tandril and its monarch. This fealty is defined in much the same way as the edicts described above, in that its requirement is nothing short of selfless service on the part of the Tandrilii. Other virtues considered important to these characters are courtesy, honesty (a foregone conclusion), valor, honor, and humility. The open nature of these terms precludes absolute description in this text, but the use of common sense should be more than adequate in maintaining them.Permitted Kits:
- Chevalier
- Envoy
- Equerry - must take the Bonded Mount benefit
- Errant
- Expatriate - since this would basically amount to a Tandrilii who's become disillusioned in some way, this kit is only available after the character is already in the game. It is the only kit which may be gained after the completion of the character generation process.
- Ghost Hunter - must take the Turn Undead benefit
- Inquisitor - must take both the Detect Evil Magick and the Dispel Evil Magick benefits
- Medician - must take both the Lay on Hands and the Cure Disease benefits
4.0 I allow most all of the kits to be utilized by the players, in fact, one might even say that I encourage their use. It can, and usually does, enhance the player's feel for the character, and consequently adds to his ability to role play it. If the kits give an extra perk here and there, well, what's the harm in that? The only ones that are not available are the kits which give the PC a flying mount, and the Greenwood Ranger, along with a couple of the ones out of the Bard's Handbook that I do not have stats on. I also reserve the right to disallow any kit on the basis that I may not be remembering all of the ones I don't like right now. It's very important to remember that multi-classed characters can use either single-classed kits, or kits designed for that race, which are found in the handbook applicable to the race in question. Some such kits are found in class-based handbooks, also. Under no circumstances is it ever permitted to acquire more than one kit, or to gain a kit after the character generation process is completed. For example, if a character were to abandon a kit, he would never be able to assume a new one. The exception to this rule rarely comes up when new materials become available that apply especially well to a particular character.
4.1 New kits, like character kits in general, are eagerly accepted, and encouraged in the game. If you have developed one, or know of one that another has made, let me know about it. I may or may not use it, but the odds are that I will. Following will be some kits and the commensurate descriptions for them that are not found published in any TSR manual.
4.12 Acrobat (Fighter, Thief, Bard)
The gods of the Renshai have instilled in them that bows and and other types of missile weapons are for cowards. This being the case, they will use them only in cases of direst need. In the defense of their homesteads is the most common example of such need, but a Renshai may use some sort of thrown or propelled weapon to save his life if he is vastly out-numbered. They quite literally live by the sword, that being the only weapon that they concentrate on. The knowledge of the making of other weapons is no longer available to them. This does not disadvantage them terribly, however, for they are wont to train their offspring from the earliest years in the use of some sort of sword. There is a special bond between the Renshai and their weapons. This is both because of the vital importance of the swords to the survival of the Renshai, and because of the devout observance of the Renshai to the martial preferences of their gods. For whatever reason, the Renshai do not tell outsiders any details of their lives or of their homeland.
5.0 Most of the equipment list in the PHB gets to go unmolested by me, but there are some guidelines you need to know about to game on the wonderful world of Cer'rin.
The world does not have the tech level that many of the premade settings
have. I find it very inconsistent to have people using weapons that originate
all through every period of Earth history. As a result, I have somewhat
limited the availability of the really hi-tech, heavy-duty stuff. Don't
worry, though, cus your enemies will almost always be limited in the exact
same fashion. 5.1 Armor: Hide armor is not commonly sold in stores, but it is not very difficult to
make, or have it made for you.
Brigandine armor is less common. However, the cost is 75 gp because it is
not that hard to make and gold is not that plentiful.
Scale mail is even less common, and costs the full 120 gp as listed in the
PHB.
Chain Mail is the heaviest armor commonly available on Cer'rin. It costs
250 gp in most places, sometimes more, and that is just if you can find some.
Heavier armor than chain must be found out in the wilderness or in a ruined
city or something, and the few suits that are available are astronomically
expensive. They are also ancient and extremely rare.
5.2 Weapons: 6.0 Well, I do try to use the rules as written for the most part, but here
are the things that I have noticed myself doing a but differently from time to
time.
* Magic works differently from race to race. Endarni magic is different
from Human magick, and the magic of the G'thrag'n'darn is slightly different
from that used by other Endarni. Other magic-using races may also be
different. Translation of spells from one type of magick to another requires
some research and the facilities required for such, but not as much as if the
spell were being designed from scratch, by far.
* Priests and Magi do NOT have to prememorize spells to be used on a
day-to-day basis. Spells/Level/Day are as per the PHB, but they may be cast
as needed by the character. Rules for magi learning spells, and max
spells/spell level are also as per the book.
* Magi often end up having a non-specific ability to detect the presence of
other magi, or to sense magical ability in another person in my game. It can
be handy, but be warned, it is primarily for theatrical purposes, and won't
necessarily work every time. (G) This ability can also detect the relative
strength of the magic, or the user of it. As a rule, the actual use of magic
will always be sensed by a nearby mage, this part of the ability not being
subject to uncertainty. In the case of a character sensing the talent in folk
who use other types of magic (a human sensing a Nadarn Mage), the ability
might still work, but the magic will feel "different" or "alien". Bards also
fall under this house rule, as magic-sensitive characters. * Any attacker suffers a -1 penalty to hit an opponent who has superior
position. I.E., on a horse, up slope on a hill, standing on a table, etc.
You get the idea. It is the converse of the existing rule which states that
the combatant with superior position gets a +1 to hit.
* Death's Door Rule -- a character reduced to less than 0 HP is in a coma
and loses 1 HP or more per round until he reaches negative HP equal to his CON
score, at which point he dies.
* Wounds that are very comprehensive and do a lot of damage in one shot may
not be fully effected by the Cure Light Wounds spell. If the wound is really
bad, Cure Serious may not even be of much assistance. In these cases, a more
powerful priest or time may be the only ways to provide healing for the
injured character.
* Monster poisons -- with only a few exceptions, this stuff is not fatal.
In general, the poisons that are listed in the Monstrous Compendium as being
fatally poisonous will do 1d10 HP damage per HD of the monster. A successful
save drops the damage to only 1 point per HD. * Ildequar using the Flesh Armor devotion -- If AC provided by the power is
worse than natural AC, then improve natural AC by +1. If result is better
than the natural one, then just use it.
* The Adrenaline Control Devotion can cause attributes to exceed the racial
maximums. * The Druidic ability to assume different animal forms is slightly modified
in my game. At 7th level, you get to choose one animal, bird, or reptile as
part of your totem. You will be able to change into that creature once per
day at that point. At 9th level, you choose another, of a type you did not
already choose at 7th. Finally, at 11th level, you choose a creature for the
third category, and complete the ability. You then have three types of
animal, whose form you can assume once each per day.
* Priest characters will use a slightly different THAC0 chart on
Cer'rin than the one that's given in the PHB.
One advantage of this method is that is allows for more
variability between the different types of Priest. The servant of a
more war-like deity, for example, might progress to THAC0 19 at
level 2, rather than at 3. It also prevents the table from dropping
by 2 points every few levels, which seems unwieldy.
* There is nothing on Cer'rin that can really be called a "Thieves' Cant".
That term, at least to me, indicates a universal system for identification of
rogues. Things on Cer'rin are a little more decentralized than that. There
ARE signs that each individual guild or organization have developed to
identify each other, and some folks are able to learn more than one set, but
there's no system that encompasses the entire world, or even a whole section
of it.
* When a Warrior PC dual-classes to a class that doesn't receive the
benefits of exceptional STR, he loses those bonuses. Exceptional STR is
gained by constant and exhaustive work. Classes which don't qualify for the
bonuses don't because they focus on other aspects of the person. Note that
any Warrior class, some Priest kits, and a few of the Rogue kits do maintain
exceptional STR. * Ordinarily, noticing things that are not obvious requires the Observation
proficiency. Those without that skill may still try to notice things by
rolling the proficiency check (based on INT) with a -6 penalty. The same goes
for any other proficiency that you would like to use but haven't spent a slot
on. Of course, there area couple of NWP's which you absolutely HAVE to be
trained in to use, but not that many fall into that category. Also, if for
example, you were to make a leather jerkin by these rules, and didn't actually
have the proficiency, you could come up with a serviceable garment, but one
that would still not look or fit like the work of a professional, without even
rolling a proficiency check.
* I can't say this one enough times. I highly encourage everyone to use
the optional rule whereby additional non-weapon proficiencies can be obtained
for high INT scores. It's one of the few real benefits of high stats in my
game, folks, so you might as well take advantage of it. (G)
* Concerning acrobatic skills. There is a penalty of 1 for the first
twenty pounds carried by the character, an additional penalty of 1 for every
10 additional pounds. This will apply to Jumping, Tumbling, and Trapeze.
Tightrope Walking will require a proficiency check prior to the attempt, so
that the character can see if he has whatever weight he's carrying balanced
properly. If the preliminary check is successful, the character will suffer a
penalty of 1 if he's carrying 30 or more pounds, but no further penalties will
apply. If the check is unsuccessful, penalties apply as per the three other
skills mentioned. The character will be unaware of the result of the check
prior to venturing out onto the wire. * This section details a method by which it will be possible for characters
to increase their attributes through intense study and training. A note from
the outset, though. This is, for the time being, a *provisional* rule.
Though I've made every effort to ensure that the theory behind it is sound, I
have no way outside of the PBEM arena whereby I can test it, so the practical
use of the material that is to follow remains to be seen. I reserve the
right, at any time, to discontinue the use of this set of rules or to change
them. In either case, all future changes will be retroactive (meaning that
anything having already been done using them would have to be recalculated to
adhere to whatever change might be made, or, in the case of the cancellation
of this section as a valid part of the CRPG, characters would have to revert
back to however they were prior to the introduction of this section). It is
automatically assumed that anyone who makes use of this capability agrees to
comply with the above.
Now we have that out of the way... :)
Improving the basic attributes of a character in the CRPG is possible, but
very difficult. Such an endeavor on the part of a character will almost
certainly preclude any sort of adventuring activity, because of the commitment
involved with such an undertaking. To envision the amount of work involved,
think of the number of hours per day that a body-builder must spend working
out in order to maintain a contest-ready physique.
Pursuant to the implementation of the increase of attributes, the following
table provides information on the chances of attaining each of the possible
scores with 3d6. Group shows the chance of a score being one of the three in
its category. 1/p is a notation method indicating 1 possibility out of p
attempts. As is easily seen, at less than half of a percent chance, or one in
216 attempts, an 18 is and should be considered to be quite a special score.
Also introduced here is the concept of the WP, or Work Point. Work Points
(hereafter referred to as WP) are similar to experience points, but may only
be used to purchase attribute points. Further, the WP earned in pursuit of
one attribute may only be used for that attribute, so when recording WP
totals, the attribute they were earned for must also be noted: STR-WP would
indicate strength-based WP, for example.
Take a look at the table provided below:
Now, here's the way this works. First thing is, records of the character's
original attributes must *always* be kept. This is both for the purpose of
calculating subsequent increases, and also in the event that the GM ends up
scrapping the idea of attribute increases. It's pretty simple, really. The
character decides to raise an attribute, settles upon the method he will use,
and implements the method. The method must be approved by the GM, and must
involve regular, exhaustive exercise of whatever attribute is to be increased.
Then, the character simply adjusts his lifestyle in whatever fashion is
necessary to accommodate the method. He must spend at least two of every
three days on his method, and he'll receive 2 WP each day. The character can
earn a maximum of 50 WP per month doing this, as every person reaches a point
in any endeavor where further pursuit becomes an agony of repetitiveness.
Note that the above presumes that a character is working alone, with only
his own judgment to guide him. If the character is lucky enough to locate and
secure the services of a person to train him, he will earn 3 WP per day with a
maximum of 75 per month. A potential improvement of 50%.
As you may have already guessed from examining the table above, the last
column labelled WP Cost provides the total number of WP required to raise an
attribute from the next lowest score. For example, increasing WIS from 11 to
12 would require 173 WP. Note that the number before the slash(/) is used for
stats that start out less than 11.
Now, as can be expected, the more an attribute is increased, the more
difficult it becomes to continue increasing it. The original statistic is
referred to as the "stable" level of that attribute. The amount of WP
required increases exponentially for each level of the attribute above stable.
So, figure the actual WP requirement using this formula:
WP=WPCost * (CurrentStat-Stable+1)
So, if your character had STR 10, and had already increased it to 11, then
the cost of increasing STR to 12 would be:
WP = 173 * (11-10+1) That's pretty easy, eh? :)
There is a secondary use for the WP's. During the character generation
process, a player may opt to decrease an attribute and receive a number of WP
in return. To determine the number of WP gained, subtract the number of WP
(to the right of the slash if the score is 10 or less) associated with the new
attribute value from that of the original attribute value. The absolute value
of the result is the number of WP that can then be utilized to enhance the
character. So, if one were to decide that he wished to decrease one of the
attributes of his character from 6 to 5, he would proceed as follows:
WP for 6 = 432 Gain = Absolute Value (432 - 720) The 288 WP gained could be used to increase another attribute from 13 to
14, for example. It's interesting to note that decreasing a score from 11 to
10 results in no WP gain, due to the fact that the mean average of 3d6 is
10.5. It's easy to see that one could make significant improvements to his
character by lowering an 18 to 17.
Once a number of WP have been obtained, they may then be used in the same
fashion as is described above with one exception. The pool of WP may be spent
on any attribute, regardless of the source of those WP. Again I stress, this
is possible only during the character generation phase.
Once a physical attribute has been increased using WP, either during
character generation or in the course of the game, there are considerations
that must be observed thenceforth. Whatever attribute has been enhanced is
now higher than the character's stable level. For each level that a
character's physical attributes are above stable, he must perform one hour's
worth of exercise specific to the attribute in question in each period of 48
hours. In the case that this does not happen, see the
Acrobat kit above. There are no further requirements
pertaining to the increase of mental attributes (INT, WIS, CHA). These are the only ones I have down right now, but more may be added as I
realize them, and be included in later versions of this text.
AD&D and Shadowrun are Registered Trademarks of TSR, Inc.
and FASA Corporation, respectively. Original AD&D material Copyright 1989-97
by TSR, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Used without permission. Original Shadowrun
material Copyright 1990-97. All Rights Reserved.Used without permission. Any
use of the above-mentioned copyrighted material or trademarks on this web site
should not be viewed as a challenge to those copyrights or trademarks.
Leather, studded leather, and ring mail are commonly available armor types and
are usually sold at somewhere right around the book price.
The following weapons are NOT available for use by the inhabitants of
Cer'rin:
Those are the only restricted weapons. Have fun with the rest.
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1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20
~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~
20 20 19 18 18 17 16 16 15 14 14 13 12 12 11 10 10 9 8 8
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Score 3d6 -Odds- WP cost
~~~~~ ~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~
3 1 0.46% 216 80/4320
4 3 1.39% 4.63% 72 90/1440
5 6 2.78% 36 100/720
6 10 4.63% 22 110/432
7 15 6.94% 21.30% 14 120/288
8 21 9.72% 10 130/206
9 25 11.57% 9 140/173
10 27 12.50% 8 150/160
11 27 12.50% 48.15% 8 160
12 25 11.57% 9 173
13 21 9.72% 10 206
14 15 6.94% 21.30% 14 288
15 10 4.63% 22 432
16 6 2.78% 36 720
17 3 1.39% 4.63% 72 1440
18 1 0.46% 216 4320
WP = 173 * 2
WP = 346
WP for 5 = 720
Gain = Absolute Value (-288)
Gain = 288
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