Character Classes

Character Classes BARBARIAN BARD Skills Spells Beguiler* CLERIC Domains and Class Skills: Spells: DRUID The Druid's Animal Companion Druid spells Duskblade* FIGHTER Knight* Knights Templar MONK Paladin RANGER Ranger Spells: ROGUE SORCERER Sorcerer Spells: WIZARD Wizard Spells Multiclass Characters Alternative Class Features

The information below supercedes the "flavor text" found in the Player's Handbook, and supplements the information in the SRD. In the case of Monks, Rangers, and Paladins, this information replaces what is found in those sources. Some classes listed below are from the PH II*. If you wish to play one of them, you should have a copy of that book available to you. If a PH II class is not listed here, it is NOT permitted in my campaign.

 

BARBARIAN

The Plainsfolk, the Woodsfolk north of Greenvale, and some Szathair fit the category of Barbarians. There are also tribes of orcish barbarians dwelling north and west of Harothar and Lathamsfind. Some were-folk might also take the Barbaraian class.

 

BARD

One of the oldest and best organized colleges of Bards (and of music as a whole) is in Greenvale at Jerint. Even the Shalani have been known to send their most musically inclined children there. Bards are also found most anywhere on 'Boria, trained individually or in small groups by a master Bard. Humans and half-elves are the most common races to follow the bardic tradition, but the essential lawlessness of the profession appeals to elves and marchat. In Miran, bards are frowned upon as frivolous and reckless. Of course, they must keep hidden their magic-using abilities or ascribe them somehow to a divine source; frequently bards in Miran will take a level in Cleric. In Harothar dwarvish bards are uncommon but not unheard of; dwarves practice a form of music that involves much drumming and chanting, but little actual singing; voices that shout above the sounds of a forge all day rarely remain tuneful.

 

Skills

Bards gain a free skill point in language at every level. See my skills section for a description of the language skill.

Spells

Like wizards and sorcerers, bards are first limited to the list of spells in the PH/SRD. As they advance levels, they may find opportunities to learn new spells from other sources. Most of the time, these will be provided to the bard by the DM, but a bard may research or seek out for purchase other spells; as always, the DM has final right of approval on all spells available to the bard.

 

Beguiler*

Beguilers are tricksters and liars. They have no organized place of training, and there are no organized hierarchies. Most beguilers are loners or at least avoid others of their own kind except for rare exchanges of gossip and one-up-manship. Some beguilers join thieves guilds, but many remain travelers and outsiders. Many Shalani who have fallen away from their own folk for one reason or another become beguilers (or perhaps that is why they leave their folk). Many beguilers worship Mirinha, Catashli, Beara, or Mikar if they are of the darker sort. Beguilers are actually slightly more common in Miran than in Greenvale - while they are outlawed as are all other magic-users, the subtle and tricky nature of their powers is well-suited to hidden use.

 

CLERIC

Clerics know that the gods are real. They have an ability to sense the presence of their particular chosen deity's power and can draw upon it. Anyone with a clerical bent must choose a single god or goddess to worship. He or she may be limited then in what weapons and/or armor they choose to use or are permitted to use depending on the god\'s preference. (See Vishteer Gods for a description of each deity). A cleric's alignment must be within one step of his deity's (that is, it may be one step away on either the lawful-chaotic axis or the good-evil axis, but not both). A cleric may not be true neutral unless his deity's alignment is also true neutral.

 

Domains and Class Skills:

A cleric who chooses the Animal or Plant domain adds Knowledge (nature) (Int) to the cleric class skills. A cleric who chooses the Knowledge domain adds all Knowledge (Int) skills to the list. A cleric who chooses the Travel domain adds Survival (Wis) to the list. A cleric who chooses the Trickery domain adds Bluff (Cha), Disguise (Cha), and Hide (Dex) to the list. See Deity, Domains, and Domain Spells, below, for more information.

 

Spells:

A cleric casts divine spells, which are drawn from the cleric spell list. However, his alignment may restrict him from casting certain spells opposed to his moral or ethical beliefs; see Chaotic, Evil, Good, and Lawful Spells. Clerics meditate or pray for their spells. Each cleric must choose a time at which he must spend 1 hour each day in quiet contemplation or supplication to regain his daily allotment of spells. Time spent resting has no effect on whether a cleric can prepare spells. A cleric may prepare and cast any spell on the cleric spell list in the Player's Handbook or SRD list, provided that he can cast spells of that level, but he must choose which spells to prepare during his daily meditation. A Cleric's initial spell list is limited to the Player's Handbook or SRD list. However, if the PC wishes to use other sources for spells (as approved by me) he or she may swap out spells on a 1 for 1 basis (but the decision must be made when the character goes up a level, not in the middle of game play). Spells should be chosen with an eye to the Cleric's deity, domains, alignment and backstory. The DM reserves the right to revoke any spell swap made.

 

DRUID

Druids are followers of an ancient religious philosophy. They claim that once many ages ago there was a time when there were no gods. The world, they claim, was born out of formless chaos, and became self-aware. This self-awareness became sentient, and gradually grew lonely. In its loneliness, it created plants and animals. Eventually it cut off pieces of itself, molded them into forms, and breathed life into them. These creations were the gods. Druids have no name for this first being, but they worship it as the first creator of life. It is neither good nor evil, nor does it deliberately help or harm those who reside within its being. Druids have merely learned that its power can be tapped by those who know how. It is not particularly a safe thing to do, and they have learned as well that those who use the power unwisely and too forcefully for a cause (such as good or evil) will find that it turns on them. Thus they have come to understand that neutrality - walking the fine line between using the power, and disturbing its source - is their best route to survival. Druids frequently learn the language known as sylvan, or woodscommon, in addition to their racial tongue, as this language is used by many natural and faery beings. Druids view faery creatures as being “closer” to the natural divine than many other species. Druids have a written language which has no spoken component, composed of marks and symbols which can be carved or drawn on the ground, into a tree\'s bark, or otherwise left as semi-permanent messages (including more normal ink and paper surfaces). All druids learn this form of communication without spending skill points.

 

The Druid's Animal Companion

A druid's animal companion is different from a normal animal of its kind in many ways. The companion is treated as a magical beast, not an animal, for the purpose of all effects that depend on its type (though it retains an animals HD, base attack bonus, saves, skill points, and feats). It is superior to a normal animal of its kind and has special powers. A druid will treat his or her companion as if it were a member of his or her own family. Note that it is possible for a druid to dismiss a specific animal companion and summon a new one, but later call back the first companion (as for example, if the druid left an environment suitable for one companion, and then later returned to that locale).

 

Druid spells

A Druid\'s initial spell list is limited to the Player's Handbook or SRD list. However, if the PC wishes to use other sources for spells (as approved by me) he or she may swap out spells on a 1 for 1 basis (but the decision must be made when the character goes up a level, not in the middle of game play). Spells should be chosen with an eye to the Druid's alignment, personality and backstory. The DM reserves the right to revoke any spell swap made.

 

Duskblade*

Duskblades are a blend between warrior and spellcaster. As such they are fairly rare. Because of their ancient ties to elvish culture, most are half-elves or elves themselves. Frequently, a duskblade will have gone to Avenvole or Irgirth for training. Duskblades are not religious folk, and are rarely found in religious organizations, but will pay their respects to Kehret and Elanora (or whatever other gods are dominant) in their home region. In Greenvale, there is a small elite band of Duskblades who accompany Prince Starbow as his personal bodyguard. They were assigned to him after he paid a visit to Irgirth a few years ago. Some Greenvalers, particularly the closest followers of St. Ilyria find these elves unnerving, and a few rumors have been heard that they are "dangerous" to the Prince, influencing him to favor his elvish side.

 

Duskblade spells

The list of possible spells is very limited. If you wish to play a duskblade but want to swap out for different spells, discuss it with your DM. Duskblade spells are very focused, and that focus is deliberate, but with all the approved spell sources around, it may be possible to find some options.

 

FIGHTER

Most fighters have spent a year or two in the Greenvale Guard. It is unusual for them to have been in the Patrol, because the Patrol’s training is lighter and more oriented towards law-enforcement (npc warrior class). Some Fighters may have gained their training in a knightly order; they may be a failed templar squire, or they may have left a landed order for other reasons. Still others may have been in the service of a Count or Baron, although these units are small enough that this is uncommon. A very few may have grown up around a mercenary encampment. Most mercenaries are dwarves, or the rare band of were-folk. Human mercenaries are most likely foreigners, from Miran or Mistland, hired to serve one of the Counts of Greenvale in a border skirmish or internal quarrel. In Harothar, most mercenary units are only present in the "off season". They ship south to Miran or Greenvale during the spring, summer and fall months.

 

Knight*

This class reflects the fighting style and training of those men who have been trained all their lives to be leaders in battle. They are the landed knights of Greenvale, the typical army officers of Miran, and the best mercenary trainees of Harothar, among others. Always lawful, they are highly disciplined, if not always good in outlook. In Greenvale, a knight PC is a member of a landed (non-templar) knightly order. He or she will have a code of behavior to follow, and will have some sort of over-arching tenets based on the order's founding purpose. However, because they are not part of a religious order, these codes are usually less restrictive, and the orders may be quite small. Five well-known orders that exist in Greenvale include:

• Order of the White Rose - knights who have sworn to serve Princess Brigitta. They are often found escorting and guarding members of the royal family, especially children and elders
• Order of the Greenbriar - Knights who serve Commander-General Duke Osmond. They serve as bodyguards, esccorts, errand-runners and as a small personal unit following his most critical orders. Their loyalty is supposed to be to the position of Commander-General, not Duke Osmond himself.
• Order of the Loyal Blades - an order founded by Prince Dellfer during his reign. It is more an honorary title than the others, and its members are found mostly at court. Most if not all members are younger sons in the second and third generation of the Counts and Barons of Greenvale, who play at knighthood to relieve their boredom.
• Order of the Light of Mikol - while not an order of Knights Templar, this order does follow a specific deity. They hold themselves as slightly "better" than other orders (specifically the Loyal Blades) because of this, but they are made up of very similar types of unlanded gentry.
• Order of the Stone Fist - this order claims to have existed since the days of the 2nd Empire. Members are drawn from all walks of life, and they have a small keep north-east of Marig in the otherwise unimpressive village of Windy Shore. They are militant and train constantly. Their vows are almost aescetic.

 

Knights Templar

are prestige classes. They replace Paladins. See my prestige classes.

 

MONK

Monks do not exist in my campaign world. Don't even ask...

 

Paladin

Paladins do not exist in my campaign world. They have been replaced with the prestige classes of Knights Templar, and the Knight Class from PHII

 

RANGER

Most rangers who originate in Greenvale are ex-members of the Greenvale Guard’s special division of Greenwardens. These men and women patrol outside the borders of the kingdom, keeping an eye open for monsters, humanoid armies and other dangers in the wild lands that border the kingdom. Most of them serve many years before retiring, becoming more and more skilled in their woodland ways. However, a few find the work to be too dangerous, too limited, or not profitable enough. A few simply find that they disagree with their superiors and strike out on their own. It is these latter two groups that most often become adventuring rangers. Many rangers are half-elves or elves. A few are of other races, but still most are human. In Harothar, rangers are independent sorts with little or no organized support. Many are human, a few are dwarves and even fewer are elves or half-elves. Frequently they are folk who have some personal reason for hating their chosen enemy which drives them to be adventurers. I use a popular revised ranger, not the standard ranger from the Player's Handbook.

 

Ranger Spells:

A Ranger\'s initial spell list is limited to the Player\'s Handbook or SRD list. However, if the PC wishes to use other sources for spells (as approved by me) he or she may swap out spells on a 1 for 1 basis (but the decision must be made when the character goes up a level, not in the middle of game play). Spells should be chosen with an eye to the Ranger\'s deity, personality, alignment and backstory. The DM reserves the right to renig on any spell swap made.

 

ROGUE

Greenvale boasts two major thieves guilds; the old guild based in Marig and dominating most of Eastern Greenvale, and the new guild which is centered west of the mountains - this guild is much less centralized, more of a cooperative. See me for more information. Non-guild rogues may have any suitable background the player wishes to invent. In Harothar, guilds remain small, focused on a single town or city, and perhaps encompassing the villages that support it. Few dwarves are rogues, and those who are usually fall into the adventuring trapsmith category, so guilds are usually mostly human and hobyt-specific. In Miran, the thieves guilds are mostly controlled by their political masters; while they may not realize it on an individual level, they are fairly tightly knit into a framework of illegal smugglers, thieves, assassins, beggars and other criminals. Independent theives are almost always the adventuring type, moving on quickly when they are warned off or coerced into joining the local guild. Miran is largely human, but rogues are frequently from the less-accepted races, and so are not uncommonly hobytlan, szathair, half-elf or even the rare dwarf or marchat.

 

SORCERER

The ability to cast spells without memorization or study is a powerful one. Normal humans find that it is quite beyond them without years of study. However, a certain few of the human and demihuman races have always found themselves able to do so. These beings find that their magical powers more closely resemble those of dragons, fey and outsiders than traditional spellcasters. Indeed it was during the time of the First Miraborian Empire that Sorcerers are reputed to have been first discovered, or created. It is now believed by some scholars that all sorcerers of the modern world are descended from experimental breeding that occurred as overly greedy and power-hungry mages of that era exercised their authority without forethought. These mages crossbred humans and other demi-humans with dragons, fey and other magical beings to create more powerful tools to use in their endless feuds and power-struggles. Today, the descendants of those cross-breeding experiments still find themselves with unusual abilities and physical characteristics. All sorcerers must choose some unusual physical feature, from something as minor as eye color to something as high-impact as having feathers instead of hair. The feature may not give the character any physical or rule-bending benefit, but may at the player’s whim entail some penalty. (EX: no wings that allow the PC to fly, but a forked tongue that causes a severe speech impediment is fine). The PC is free to choose any ancestry for his PC that he wishes, as long as his chosen feature reflects his choice. (Ex: scaly skin might suggest a dragon ancestor, while slitted eyes, pointy ears and pronounced nose/jaw area hint at a feline ancestress). Sorcerers can be found in all parts of Miraboria equally. In Harothar, Greenvale and anywhere except Miran, they are generally thought of as slightly strange wizards. Few non-sorcerers realize the innate nature of their powers. In Miran, sorcery is feared even more than wizardry, and a family that is suspected of carrying the blood taint may find themselves burned out and hunted down to the last individual. In Miran, because of this hunting-out, the physical traits of a sorcerer are usually subtle and concealable (otherwise the person would have been killed or driven out.)

 

Sorcerer Spells:

Sorcerers may choose spells from the SRD/PH at first level. At levels above 1st they may choose from any DM-approved source. The DM reserves the right to revoke use of any spell deemed unbalancing (but the player is free to choose any other spell from an approved source to replace it).

 

WIZARD

Wizards are more common in Greenvale than Sorcerers. About 2/3 of wizards are specialists. Many belong to one or another of the organized wizard "schools" in Greenvale. These groups include the Red Wizards and the House of Ivorr, and at least by rumor, the Black Wizards. Note that sorcerers may also join these "schools" but the likelihood is considerably less. Unspecialized wizards in Greenvale are likely to have been trained by a local small-town or village hedge-wizard, or to come from one of several long-time wizarding families (that is how the House of Ivorr began, several generations ago). Harothar is actually the home of the most famed school of Wizards. Many folk from Greenvale who choose to study wizardry will pay the rather large fees to travel there and study; being a graduate of the Harothan Wizard's School is a near guarantee of high pay/high prestige positions. Note that some scholarships are available to the school, but almost never to outkingdom folk. Wizards are extremely rare in Miran. Magic there is anathema, banned by the state religion. Wizards who enter Miran from outside would do well to hide their nature or risk being arrested and convicted of heresy. Heretics are commonly burned alive, or worse. A very few brave family lines study wizardry, keeping their abilities hidden from all but a few trusted companions - unfortunately trust is not always well placed. Lone wizards occasionally appear and disappear after carrying out obscure actions of their own, but they are nearly always greeted with great suspicion and fear by the ordinary folk. Rumors of secret evil wizard societies are whispered in stories, but rarely seem to hold any truth.

 

Wizard Spells

Wizards may select spells from the SRD or Player's Handbook for initial spells. As the campaign progresses, the DM may offer chances to gain spells from other spellcasters, from captured books, by purchase, etc... that come from other sources. You may also have chances to spend time researching spells from other sources, as well. When choosing new spells at level advancement, you must clear choices that are not from the PH/SRD with the DM.

 

Multiclass Characters

A character may add new classes as he or she progresses in level, thus becoming a multiclass character. The class abilities from a character's different classes combine to determine a multiclass characters overall abilities. Multiclassing improves a characters versatility at the expense of focus. Follow the normal multiclass rules in the SRD/PH.

 

Alternative Class Features

In PH II there are a number of alternative class features made available for all the base PH classes. These alternatives are all available to new characters in this campaign world. If you wish to investigate any of these abilities, you must have the PHII available to you. There are also one or two classes discussed from other books (such as Favored Soul from the Complete Divine supplement). At this time, I will not be making any of the CD or CA or CW classes available to players in my campaign world.