TWLD Rule Clarifications

Purpose: This campaign is meant to provide many hours of comradeship, jokes (some good--some bad), and the spell binding weaving of all of our many stories (some sad, some happy and everything in between.) It is our combined responsibility to make this happen. I for one, will do everything I can to have fun with this. But--I expect you to have fun too--so if you are not, I need to know about it. Otherwise we can't fix the problem...

The Two Campaigns: are separate. And should stay that way. I highly recommend you avoid reading the events in Campaign B if you are in Campaign A. And vice versus. I realize that most of us searched our parents room for presents before Christmas. Can we assume everyone has grown up now? All you will end up doing is ruining the surprise... There are many other very interesting PbP's here--go read them if you have extra time on your hands. The 2 campaigns will evolve differently anyway over time--so you will just end up wondering why you didn't get that +5 Flame Blade...

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0 Level Spell Like Abilities: I am going to modify the ability to use spell-like abilities that are based on 0 level spells. Rather than once per day, these abilities, for this campaign, will be considered unlimited use (just as they are as 0 level spells.) This rule mod will also apply to other creatures in the game (NPC's and monsters too.)

Acronyms: AC=Armor Class; AP=Action Point; CM=Combat Maneuver; CRB=Pathfinder Core Rule Book; HP=Hit Points; ICD=Invisible Castle is down; OOC=Out of Character (also refers to the OOC Thread); PbP=Play by Post (the style of game we are playing); PC=Perception Check;

Absences from Game: If a character is gone for more than a few days, I would appreciate (as would the group I'm sure) a short note in OOC so everyone knows what is up. Major posts (validations) will get 2 full days for responses to come in. So if I post on a Monday night, I will wait till Thursday morning before posting another response. Unless I know that everyone has posted and we can move on--then I may move quicker than that. But in general this will result in roughly two major posts per week, which is a realistic pace for everyone I believe. Under this guideline, if after the two days someone has not posted, as long as there is no direct response we are waiting on (in response to a direct question or necessary action) I will assume that a PC has nothing to add to the current events and move on with the next post. If I ever do pass someone over who would have liked to do something but did not get to it before I posted again--just give a shout out and we can do a little history makeover and fit things in.

Action Points: This campaign will use Action points as described here. They will be rolled over as players advance in levels, unless a player chooses to not allow this for his character (essentially you have the ability to reject your chance for "luck" as a player.) If you choose to do this you will have to log them on your own (possibly under notes) as TOS+ does not support this feature. There will be additional uses of Action Points available such as...

Die Rolls other than d20: You can choose to spend one action point, before you roll, to add 1/2 of the die points to the roll (to the maximum allowed). So, for example, after first level (which is maxed) hit points will be rolled normally: so a wizard using an action point this way would be guaranteed to receive at least 4 points on their roll up to the maximum of 6 points for any roll over 3. Action Points can also be used this way for damage rolls (physical and magical attacks), healing, etc. If, for example, the damage would normally be 3d6+3: the use of an Action Point would guarantee a minimum of 12+3 points of damage.

Severe Consequences: If an action taken by a PC results in severe consequences to self or others, and the player realizes this is the case, the use of two action points can be used to modify the action in a way that changes the results, at the discretion of the GM, but in the favor of the PC's. This essentially emulates a form of Limited Wish spell. This use of Action Points is related to the storyline in this Campaign, which will be detailed in other posts.

Free Action Points: You may have noticed I like complex interweaving story lines. I also don't like making mistakes. SO I would like all of you to keep an eye on me and let me know if you catch any story flaws, goofs, bloopers, or whatever. If you catch me in a mistake and I agree that it is a mistake, you'll get an extra Action Point to use in the game for your character.

Arguing: I have absolutely no problem with people arguing with me, by the way. If you have a point you want to make and don't think I'm getting it--just keep hammering away until you are satisfied we are both on the same page. In any discussion where there are two opposing ideas someone is going to eventually be able to make or break their case--and like I said--I prefer you do that rather than just backing down and feeling resentful. No fun there at all... Worse case I may say I don't feel this will work in this campaign--DM's choice is always an option--but I will never do that in an arbitrary way. I have a deep seated need to make sense of my surroundings--the "because I said so" ruling is bad juju for me--so I don't use it on other people either.

Armor and Shields in TOS+: Working on someone's character sheet I noticed that they had armor in the equipment section. This is in error--armor and shields are already calculated in the total weight when they are "geared up" in the Armor and Shield boxes on the Back workpage. So if you didn't realize this go back and check--you may gain yourself a bunch more #'s by getting those items out of your equipment area...weapons do need to be added as they are not automatically calculated when entered in the Front workpage.

Balance: Balance as a concept is all relative--I hate how people bandy that word around like a bible. There are so many ways to create balance--and ultimately there is nothing balanced about the game really--it is high fantasy designed to be fun. The balance for me comes in trying to get everyone participating in ways that are enjoyable for each person. The equipment is just a little piece in the equation.

Charge & Overrun: A Charge can be implemented through an occupied square, if this square contains a non-engaged ally by using the Overrun CM.

Class Powers: All Class Powers based on rounds of 6 seconds (Bard Performances, Cleric Granted Powers, Sorcerer Bloodlines, etc.)will instead be based on minutes per day (or 10 rounds.) Many of these are based on 3 + Charisma, so they will now be a minimum of 3 minutes per day usage (assuming no bonus/penalty). One caveat--once activated the affect will last in full minute increments--so with no Charisma bonus that means the ability can be activated 3 times per day max for 1 minute per activation (or 3 full minutes at once).

Concentrating on Spell: Concentrating on a spell is a standard action. You can't attack and concentrate.

Concentrating to Maintain a Spell: Some spells require continued concentration to keep them going. Concentrating to maintain a spell is a standard action that doesn't provoke an attack of opportunity. Anything that could break your concentration when casting a spell can keep you from concentrating to maintain a spell. If your concentration breaks, the spell ends.

Doors: Here's some basic info that will apply throughout the Dungeon.

Unless otherwise stated, all walls are stone and all doors are iron-bound wood.

STANDARD DOORS (unless stated otherwise) 1) Are made of wood and bound with iron. 2) Open in one direction only and have pull rings on both sides, allowing it to be pulled open or closed. All doors push open into the Rooms from the hallway or from the previous Room, unless otherwise noted. 3) Although heavy, are well anchored on common hinges and can be opened by any creature of Small size or bigger simply by leaning on it. Any door can be pushed, but they may only be pulled by a creature able to grasp the ring. Creatures of Tiny size or smaller do not have the mass to pull the door open even if they have the strength. 4) Are neutrally hinged and do not swing open or closed on their own; a closed door stays closed and an open door stays open unless someone, or something, shuts it. 5) Have roughly a half-inch gap between the bottom of the door and the floor, allowing for air, light, noise, and smells to escape. Most prison/vault doors are sealed completely.

SECRET DOORS (unless stated otherwise) 1) Are made of stone, or whatever material the wall is made of. 2) Pivot on a vertical axis by being pushed on one or the other. Require a successful DC 12 Strength check to push open or closed (Large +4, Medium +0, Small -4). Creatures of Tiny size or smaller do not have the mass to push open a secret door, no matter how strong they are. In addition to these modifiers, any creature that is on more than two legs or is otherwise exceptionally stable gains a +4 modifier. 3) Unless noted, have no locking mechanisms and thus cannot be locked, nor do they have a return mechanism; secret doors remain open if opened, or closed if closed. 4) Are six feet high by seven feet wide. When fully open (the door is completely perpendicular to the wall) there is a total of two feet worth of maneuvering space between the secret door and the wall. This is large enough for a single creature of Medium size to squeeze through on either side simultaneously; creatures of large size or larger normally cannot fit through such a space (depending on the physical characteristics of the creature). The door sits one foot off the ground on a threshold to allow for the pivot. Keep in mind that when opened, there is a threshold one foot high that creatures must step over in order to pass through. 5) Are built to very tight tolerances, although there is a slight gap at the top and bottom through which noise or air might pass. Because of the thickness of the secret door, this gap is not large enough to allow light through. 6) Pushing it open causes the stone to scrape slightly and makes the same amount of noise as a person in medium armor trying to walk silently (DC 5 Listen check to detect the noise).

Die Rolls: During the course of play there will be situations were it is easier for me to roll dice as a DM for a player. In certain cases, at my discretion, I would allow you to use an Action Point to re-roll this result (like, for instance, if it is what I would possibly have done as a PC playing your character). If this is the case, I would PM you with this and you could then decide what you want to do. In most cases these rolls (by me for you) will be for checks needed that would damage the flow of the story if I continually had to wait for die rolls before posting. If you have a particular kind of roll that you would prefer to always roll for yourself (that would be a quirk  :)), just send me a PM and we can figure out an alternate plan.

Individual Character Threads: Individual character postings (those with each Characters name in the Post) are fair game for others to read/think about/use in the game (this will not be considered metagaming). Any info that I feel should not be shared due to the circumstances of the main campaign (a combat setting for instance) will be shared via PM and then later posted to the Character's public post when it can again be assumed this kind of information would be shared between party members. Any info that a character chooses to not share will be removed as soon as I am aware of this decision.

In the normal course of a group of people being near each other, they share points of interest with the people around them naturally in conversation--specifically to get to know others and in many cases just habitually during the lull times of life when you are staring at someone and something needs to be said to keep people comfortable with each other. Naturally some are better at this than others.

In a PbP this natural form of communication is much more forced--the lull times tend to be truncated--so there is no easy way to share these day to day stories in a way that is fun (in relation to playing a PbP.)

This campaign is going to have individual communications going on in different situations that others in the party may not necessarily know about immediately--but that I would assume would be talked about over time as everyone learns to work together as team. So for these situations I am going to start threads for each player where we can communicate in settings not specifically related to the main campaign events. These will, in most cases, be situations that start out as private, but that I am assuming will not stay that way.

As I get to know the characters better and we develop a gaming relationship I will adjust what is shared based on what each character wishes to make available. Any items either I or the player would wish to be private will still be handled with PM's.

An example of what I am talking about is the post "INTRO: I was up above it--now I'm down in it." This is the intro description/focus of TWLD campaign. Not all players are going to have this information to start out with, but in the course of introductions during the first week of play, I am assuming that all these facts will be out on the table for whoever cares to know them. Some of the characters could care less, I am sure about the history and even about the why's and what's. There will be varied reasons why characters have chosen to work together and do this thing. But for those with an interest--you would be able to learn these things while getting to know each other. Trying to role play that would be boring as hell, however, so the best way to do this that I can come up with is just sharing all of it and letting each character pick what he or she cares to remember.

Initiative: On a similar note: based on what seems to work well with other PbP games on the TOS Forum, I will be rolling initiatives for players and posting those at the start of any combat based encounters. Depending on the initiative of any NPCs or Creatures, there may be a partial PC turn, followed by a partial validation combined with the Creature's turn, and then another PC turn and validation afterwords for the players left. For this method to work, it is VERY important that players follow the initiative roll and take turns based on their die roll. This prevents posts that do not make sense or that need to be changed, due to posts not factoring in the actions of the people whose initiative should have happened first. If your action will not interfere with the flow of other events, and you are confident that nothing anyone else does will change your post, then feel free to NOT follow the initiative posting order, when it is more convenient to post sooner. In most situations where there are multiple Creatures in a combat based encounter, they will all get one initiative and move in concert when attacking or whatever...

Ken-den and Kenken: Are two Celestial Living Constructs that are mostly level-based. I used a striped down Monk to create a class for them--as the party goes up in level they will too; using this modified class. The main exception to this is that their Hit Points are fixed except for the Con bonus. So each level they will progress with saves/attacks/skills/feats/etc as a PC would.

They are intelligent/free willed beings. They have an agenda--as long as that agenda isn't circumvented they are essentially a second character for the two players who control them. I don't want to create a "see if he will do this" question every time you want to do something--so the best option I can see is to let the player control him as he does his regular character. As we all interact together I am sure there will be some comfortable patterns we will all begin to depend on. That's how real life and role play life works :) Some thoughts on this:

They are meant to be indestructible to the extent that can be done--otherwise the whole concept of what they are wouldn't work. They are the product of a hyper intelligent angel (who has a knack for invention, design and engineering) who had untold millennium to work on a specific problem (how to contain these damaged beings in a way that would not fail over time.) This means they have a unique position in a party doing what you are doing. They can scout ahead without fear of running into something they can't run away from--and chances are good they will be undetected when they do run away (did you notice the Stealth skill stat?). They can spring traps without fear of dieing (unless it is a REALLY dangerous trap.) So given these things--I am not giving you them naively thinking you won't realize that they have a huge potential to be a very useful member of the party. I am sure you will think of ways to play them that I never dreamed of--possibly to the point that I may have to adjust some things--but that is ok by me.

The same thoughts apply to the Lantern Archons too. They are a great asset to both parties--not just because they are a well full of knowledge about the dungeon--but because they are competent creatures in their own right with great skills and powers. One thing you may have not figured out about the Archons--you basically have a complete map of the dungeon through them--including all secret areas. This is basically going to be a great big treasure hunt--you know the area--just have to find the things hidden in it...

This campaign is all about character development and interacting with each other--that is, in my opinion, where this game(DND or Pathfinder or whatever) is so much better and so much more fun than most games out there.

Use them--it's like love--never gets used up, just keeps growing... Capturing the "damaged ones": Ken-den and Kenken have Blindsight and the Scent abilities to track the damaged ones--each damaged one has a mark that they can sense to be sure what they are. The spell like abilities (Banishment and Soul Bind) are used to capture the beasts. Banishment has a chance of zapping them right away--right into the prison (but with a save that is fairly easy to make). Soul Bind is much more powerful, but the creature basically has to be destroyed (soul released from material body) for it to work.

Magic: This campaign will be high magic (both for players and creatures). For the sake of game play I am removing the "material" component aspect of spells. For players and all other creatures. This will be for normal casting purposes only--the manufacture of potions and other magical items that "store" a spell will still require the proper material components.

Modifying Posts: You can change your post anytime, including the use of action points, up until I make an official validation, in any way you choose. If I have time, I may edit the initiative stats and map to reflect any changes as individuals make their posts--this is not an "official" validation though, and I can always go back and move things if something changes.

Morale: There isn't really a setup for Morale checks in Pathfinder apparently. I do like to add a random effect to this possibility--so just to give you an idea--any time I consider a morale check is appropriate, I calculate (using the infinite power of my brain) a percentile chance for that to happen. In a group I roll this separately for each creature. Then, if at least one creature does bolt, I roll an additional chance that some or all of the rest of the group will panic and do the same (based on the character of the creatures.) I won't show these rolls in the game--but wanted you to have an idea of how it is done...

OOC Box for Special Info: Just a heads up, I will always post any items of interest (Treasure, Magic Items, Level up, etc) in an OOC box to make it easier to go back and find things in the posts--so if you ever need to refer back to something, you can focus on looking for this kind of info in the yellow boxes, which should be a big time saver...

Quirks: Actually this really is a good example of a quirk (being quiet.) Quirks don't all have to be weird obsessive stand out things--we all have quirks--they are what define us in much the way that traits and habits do. Some are strange sure--but many are just things like "being quiet." The difference between a quirk and a trait or flaw is just the degree. Being quiet is a quirk. Being quiet to the degree that it makes people extremely uncomfortable is a flaw...Some of the "quirks" people have chosen should actually be flaws because they have a significant impact on how other people will view them. It seems you are all having fun with them, though, just keep in mind it is ok to back off a bit once the novelty wears off if you are finding that it is becoming difficult to role play some of these really strong quirks. I for one am enjoying how everyone is playing with the quirks...

Spell Range: Range in all cases will be inclusive of the lessor ranges preceding it: Personal, Touch, Close, Medium, Long, Unlimited.

Start Up Money & Craft/Profession Backgrounds: I assume that start-up cash is the money you have to become an adventurer at 1st level. If you develop your character as having had a Craft or Profession prior to becoming an adventurer, I do not include the items from the Craft or Profession in your start-up costs. A good example of this--if you are a blacksmith--you would have made yourself a weapon while being a blacksmith. And it would likely have been a masterwork item (or depending on your circumstances possibly made of Cold Iron or Mithral.) Unless you were a bad blacksmith and that is why you became an adventurer. In which case you would need to buy your weapon (unless your dad is a good blacksmith, in which case, he will make you one...)

Surprise, Charge and Flat Footed (To clarify the Pathfinder Rules):

Surprise Round: If some but not all of the combatants are aware of their opponents, a surprise round happens before regular rounds begin. In initiative order (highest to lowest), combatants who started the battle aware of their opponents each take a standard or move action during the surprise round. You can also take free actions during the surprise round. If no one or everyone is surprised, no surprise round occurs.

This means you can not move and attack during a surprise round.

"Charge" attack: If you are able to take only a standard action on your turn, you can still charge, but you are only allowed to move up to your speed (instead of up to double your speed) and you cannot draw a weapon unless you possess the Quick Draw feat. You can't use this option unless you are restricted to taking only a standard action on your turn.

Attacking on a Charge: After moving, you may make a single melee attack. You get a +2 bonus on the attack roll and take a –2 penalty to your AC until the start of your next turn.

Flat footed: At the start of a battle, before you have had a chance to act (specifically, before your first regular turn in the initiative order), you are flat-footed. You can't use your Dexterity bonus to AC (if any) while flat-footed. Barbarians and rogues of high enough level have the uncanny dodge extraordinary ability, which means that they cannot be caught flat-footed. Characters with uncanny dodge retain their Dexterity bonus to their AC and can make attacks of opportunity before they have acted in the first round of combat. A flat-footed character can't make attacks of opportunity, unless he has the Combat Reflexes feat.

Being flat footed has nothing to do with Surprise, per say, it just means that until you are able to act (with your initiative) you are incapable of using your dexterity and therefore your Dex bonus (or any related bonuses such as Dodge Feat) is not used to determine your AC. Likewise being flat footed does not imply anyone can use a sneak attack unless they have that ability (typically by being a Rogue.)

Time in Golarion: Time travels on Golarion much as it does here on our own Earth. Sixty seconds form a minute, sixty minutes create an hour, and twenty-four hours make a day. The people of Golarion measure time much like we do as well, with seven days to a week and twelve 30-day months to a year. Years are marked since the founding of the last great empire, that of Aroden, the Last Man. Although the empire has collapsed, its calendar remains in use to this day. At the start of the campaign, the date is 4707 AR (Absalom Reckoning).

Days of the Week: The days of the week are as follows. Each day has a general purpose that most people in the Inner Sea region follow.

Moonday (Work, religion [night]);Toilday (Work); Wealday (Work); Oathday (Work, pacts signed, oaths sworn); Fireday (Work); Starday (Work); Sunday (Rest, religion)

Months: The months in Golarion correspond to our own, with each new year starting shortly after the solstice. You'll notice that the name of each month is etymologically tied to a specific god—residents of Golarion see the gods reflected in the changing of the seasons, and their names for the months reflect this. (Gozreh's month, for instance, is a time of budding and new life, while Zon-Kuthon's is seen as the death of the old year.) Holidays in a given month are generally tied to their patron deity. In order, the months are:

Abadius (January); Calistril (February); Pharast (March); Gozran (April); Desnus (May); Sarenith (June); Erastus (July); Arodus (August); Rova (September); Lamashan (October); Neth (November); Kuthona (December)

Time Tracking: Barring unusual circumstances, looks to me like morning "stuff" is going to average about 2 hours. This includes prep, workout, meditation/prayer, and eating (keeping in mind that Hero's Feast takes an hour to consume properly--the spell fails if this is not done). So we have 2 hours morning, 1 hour lunch, 11 hours Supper and Evening break (time for people to have lives/knit stockings/etc); that leaves roughly 10 hours per day for work at the office (5 after breakfast and 5 after lunch.)

This is a huge generalization, of course, as there will be times when you will not be able to follow such a simple pattern; I am just trying to set up a basic guideline to help me track events over time and leave room for all the simple things of life that need to be done but don't need to be role-played.

So for tracking purposes, I should be able to fit in 2 five hour bits per day and keep track of time fairly easily (which is why I'm going here in the first place.) I will be tracking time as a header on posts once we get moving--so anyone doing a journal or using the wiki can use that as a reference. Current start date: 10 in the morning; Moonday, 1st of Rova, 4708.

Traits: For those who wish to incorporate the Golarion Character Traits (which should be all of you given they are essentially free bonuses), here is a complete list of Traits available at this time. You may choose up to 4 of these for your character--no two from the same Type (as listed on the spreadsheet). You can also create your own within the spirit of how they work if you can't find what you are looking for...

Upkeep: Fun means not having to worry about logging that Pig you killed and how much salt you have left. Or going to the bathroom. Or sharpening your dagger. I will assume, as long as regular breaks are taken, that there is a "between game time" when everyone takes care of all the mundane aspects of staying alive. You found that hidden cache of salt the goblins left behind...You skinned the pig and had a fine meal with a few of those weird mushrooms the cleric said he eats "all the time." etc., etc. We don't need to log this stuff--just assume it happens. I will be providing a few choice items for players to take care of many of these mundane processes. The exception to this is if the characters are in a situation where it can NOT be assumed this is easy to do. Like if you are a prisoner, for example. Or in a maze naked with nothing but cold stone and a shiver up your back. That's not to say these things can't be talked about at logical places. I just want you to know that I'm not logging belt notches to see when you pass out from exhaustion because you haven't mentioned eating in a few days.

XP: This campaign is an XP intensive experience. The writers of TWLD offer several recommendations of how to balance this out. Pathfinder offers it's own take on Experience Points--allowing for the required experience points per level to vary based on a "slow", "medium" or "fast" game. I've considered the various options and am opting for a method that is simple and fair while still maintaining balance: I will award Levels rather than individual Experience Points. So to put it simply, everyone will level up together at specific places throughout the campaign. I will reward exceptional play/unusual risk in other ways.