Hi,
Thanks for stopping by! So that everone's clear on the premise of this forum and what topics are welcome here, I'll offer a brief introduction.
We define Classic D&D as the Basic, Expert, etc line of products, from the late 70s to the early 90s and the Rules Cyclopedia. AD&D 1e and 2e are covered amply elsewhere here on Canonfire, so we've narrowed the scope here and excluded them. Likewise, newer games with a self declared Old School, or 1e, or classic feel are still outside the scope of this forum, and are kindly directed to the Greyhawk- Other Game Systems forum, or one of the other specialty forums.
What we do welcome is any and all discussion of using Classic D&D to run a Greyhawk game. New classes, spells, monsters, treasures and so on are all welcome. Discussions of the rules themselves is also welcome, as is converting newer material, or material from other game systems.
What we hope to accomplish the most is conversion of Greyhawk material to Classic D&D. So if you have material to add, or want to work on conversions, go ahead and post, and most of all, let's have fun, that's what the game is all about.
For various reasons having nothing to do with GH or CF, I don't expect Darva to be around much, so in her absence, I've resumed host duties on the Old Lore forum section.
In reality, this means little to anything going on here, beyond the fact that if anyone has questions or comments about Old Lore, they should send me a private message.
To clear up the clutter, I unstickied the old posting template posts, but I'll be reposting them in this thread for reference.
I'm not posting a formal template for the [New Magic Item] thread group, like I did for [Rogues Gallery], but I do have a goal in mind for such posts. To me, a magic item should be unique and special, not just a boring +1 or +2 tacked on to a weapon, for that reason, I hope that all magic items will include some background history and information that ties them into the setting, and gives them a little bit of unique flavor.
Compare the following:
Quote:
Darva wrote:
Magic Lockpicks
Magic lockpicks are a set of exquisitely crafted thieves tools made of platinum decorated with diamonds of various colors. When used by a non-thief, they grant the user the ability to Open Locks af if he were a thief of 1/2 his current level. Example: Giana, the current owner of the lockpicks, is a 4th level halfling. When using the lockpicks, she can open locks as if she were a 2nd level thief.
In the hands of a thief, they are even more powerful, granting a bonus of +5 effective class levels when calculating the Open Locks chance on the tables. For example, Magwell, a 5th level thief, steals the lockpicks from Giana and then tries to unlock a door with them. Using the lockpicks, he has the Open Locks chance of a 10th level thief!
The lockpicks are a unique item, and worth about 5000 gold pieces if sold.
And
Quote:
Avrine's Lockpicks - New Magic Item
Avrine Nimblefoot is a legendary figure among the folk of Sterich and western Keoland, especially the Hobniz. She lived about 200 years ago in Istivin, and was a daring swashbuckler of a lass, living a life of wild adventures and daring deeds. Among the stories told about her are the tale of how she retrieved the jeweled crown of Cryllor County from a bugbear bandit who accosted then Count Fabius Manz on the Miller's Road on a return trip to Cryllor after a holiday in Istivin, and a wild yarn about a game of dice with the god Olidammara himself which lasted the entire Needfest holiday week and earned Avrine the enchanted lockpicks that now bear her name when she tricked the god into admitting defeat (even though he was obviously winning, the storytellers add with a knowing wink and grin).
Avrine's lockpicks are a set of exquisitely crafted thieves tools made of platinum decorated with diamonds of various colors. When used by a non-thief, they grant the user the ability to Open Locks af if he were a thief of 1/2 his current level. Example: Giana, the current owner of the lockpicks, is a 4th level halfling. When using the lockpicks, she can open locks as if she were a 2nd level thief.
In the hands of a thief, they are even more powerful, granting a bonus of +5 effective class levels when calculating the Open Locks chance on the tables. For example, Magwell, a 5th level thief, steals the lockpicks from Giana and then tries to unlock a door with them. Using the lockpicks, he has the Open Locks chance of a 10th level thief!
The lockpicks are a unique item, and worth about 5000 gold pieces if sold.
It's easy to see that the second description achieves both goals much better than the first. It links the item to the setting by explaining where they came from, and also makes them unique and special.
This has multiple benefits to the campaign. First off, it makes this item different than similar ones. DMs can create items that are very similar, such as perhaps a set of magic lockpicks that grant a bonus to open locks checks but are only useable by thieves, but give them a completely different backstory and they will seem like two distinct treasures instead of boring recycled results of a random treasure table.
The backgrounds also, as is the case with Avrine's Lockpicks, give the DM a chance to introduce new legends, stories or plot hooks into the campaign. A character who comes to own the lockpicks will probably eventually take them to an expert to learn about their powers and origins, and at this point the DM can give teasers about some of Avrine's other legendary exploits. What if the story is one of a treasure that Avrine looted from beneath Krelont Keep in Istivin, and then supposedly buried in a false grave in the cemetary in Crystal Falls when the Earl's agents caught on to her? Any respectable thief character would jump all over that!
So please include some bits of information about your items, or, if you have a really great item idea, but are at a loss as to its story, post your idea and ask the other Old Lore D&D readers to help you flesh it out.
Rogues Gallery posts will be new NPCs to use in your campaign, complete with Classic D&D stats and a brief history, description and role playing notes.
Everyone is welcome, and encouraged, to submit their NPCs, but I ask that you use the following template when posting them:
Quote:
Name (Nicknames and when they are used)
Level, Alignment, Class, sex, age, Str, Dex, Con, Int, Wis, Cha, Hit Points, Armor Class (Armor or Relevant Magic), Total money in GP (NPC may have various coins, specifics are left to the DM), Spells and/or Magic Items
Description, history and roleplaying notes
(All data that can be referenced on a chart in the rule books, such as Hit Tables (or THACO) and Saving Throws, are omitted here for ease of reference. In addition, I've decided to leave mundane equipment and general adventuring gear (rations, bedroll, clothing, etc.) out of the "stat block". Since most of these NPCs are would be adventurers, most will have a collection (though perhaps not complete) of gear related to their class, specifics are left to the DM for all NPCs.)
Here's a sample NPC, to get started.
Kelsen Silverknife (Kel, to his friends)
8th level Nuetral Halfling, male, age 43; ST 7, DE 13, CO 14, IN 10, WI 9, CH 9; HP 42; AC 3 (Plate Mail); Money: 85 GP; Items: Mace +2, Rope of Climbing
Kelsen is a fairly reknowned adventurer who calls Istivin home. Until two years ago, he was a cheerful, outgoing chap, eager to join in almost any adventure for the sheer fun of it, but his encounter with Sword Wraiths in the Stark Mounds has left him changed. He barely escaped that encounter with the undead, and it has left him somewhat cowardly and subject to mood swings, sometimes laughing and singing along with folk in a tavern, othertimes sulking alone and quiet. Kel wanders the Earldom now, picking up odd jobs as he passes through the towns to get by, but he obstinantly refuses to enter the Stark Mounds. He secretly dreams of adventuring again, however, and a party that can draw out his inner confidence again will find him eager to join them.
At first, Kel will be of limited use to a party, tending to lurk back during encounters and slinking away from danger whenever possible. A party who meets with little success in the first few weeks they have Kel with them will find him asking to leave as soon as they're stopped in a town, since he sees the party failures as his fault and gives up hope of ever being the hero he dreamed of in his youth. A party who triumphs quickly with Kel will see his cowardice fade, and find him to be a loyal and devoted ally.
Please post each [Rogue's Gallery] NPC in his or her own thread, so that comments and questions about them do not get mixed up.
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