The Marches Campaign

WyzardWhately · (Lars) Joined: 24 Mar 2008 Posts: 260

I've got spiral-bound graph-paper, and I'm pretty sure I can draw Icarus, from the Zep's album cover. What's that get me?

Also: Howdy John. I looked through the ED core thingy a while back. It looked cool, but kind of heavily sick in places. Glad to see I was more or less right.

John Thompson · (Ymmas Ragah) Joined: 25 Mar 2008 Posts: 116

Scott · Posted: Tue Mar 25, 2008 10:26 pm Post subject:

New draft of cover, done in OD&D "supplement" style.

Bhartec Redhands · Posted: Wed Mar 26, 2008 2:46 am Post subject: Re: Pre-campaign discussion

Nick · (Sinlocah) Joined: 24 Mar 2008 Posts: 121

Scott · Posted: Wed Mar 26, 2008 4:18 pm Post subject:

I'll post brief setting information on Sunday, March 30th, probably in the evening. This will be about a page worth of text to set the tone and provide you with enough information to generate characters.

The rulebook goes out by e-mail on Sunday, March 30th, immediately after the setting info is posted. The initial rulebook will be in Word format, with the only illustration being a header. I'll wait until it's been in use for a bit before I worry about integrating full illustrations, cover, table of contents, and concrete .pdf layout. So, the initial rulebook will be a little rough in terms of formatting. It will evolve, and eventually, if the campaign warrants it, we'll have a relatively polished document.

After I've distributed the rulebook, I'll generate ability scores on my usual online server, cc'ing the appropriate player. The scores will be in in original order -- Strength, Intelligence, Wisdom, Constitution, Dexterity, Charisma. This is probably a different order than you're used to, as Dexterity wasn't a prime requisite for any class until thieves were introduced in Supplement I: Greyhawk.

There are provisions in the rulebook for raising prime requisites by lowering other abilities, but it's predictably expensive to do so.

Beginning characters will be 1st level. The original xp rules get you through the first couple of levels with relative swiftness, and since no one has played OD&D, I'd like to get a sense of the game from the very beginning levels.

I wouldn't fall in love with a character concept until we've generated ability scores, as the vagaries of the dice can take you to unforeseen places, and I wouldn't write more than a short background until the character has been around a while.

Scott · Posted: Wed Mar 26, 2008 4:20 pm Post subject:

Scott · Posted: Wed Mar 26, 2008 4:27 pm Post subject:

Scott · Posted: Thu Mar 27, 2008 12:10 pm Post subject:

The stats for your motley crew have been e-mailed.

All of the characters have something about them that makes them potentially interesting. Nathan (Wyzard) got the most rubbish stats I've seen in some time.

My policy for utterly terrible stat lines in this campaign is KEEP THEM. They take players out of the comfort zone of The Character I Always Play, and stats don't make any big mechanical difference in play. Everyone in the world is grotty -- think Erol Otus, not Larry Elmore. (Words to live by.)

If the character is truly non-viable, we'll find out soon enough.

As for party composition, work that out however you like. I'm not going to nudge you towards creating the archetypal party with the ideal mix of classes.

Nick · (Sinlocah) Joined: 24 Mar 2008 Posts: 121

Scott · Posted: Thu Mar 27, 2008 3:26 pm Post subject:

I rolled 90 gp for everyone. Spoooky.

John Thompson · (Ymmas Ragah) Joined: 25 Mar 2008 Posts: 116

WyzardWhately · (Lars) Joined: 24 Mar 2008 Posts: 260

My character is going to have a strength of thirteen (12 if I can't find anything to trade out), and everything else below ten. He is a filthy, mentally disabled, murderous hobo with a flail. One of your characters is probably going to have to be his handler, because he's not terribly capable of taking care of himself.

Scott · Posted: Thu Mar 27, 2008 4:00 pm Post subject:

CLW is nerfed in OD&D. It takes a full turn to work. Magical healing in general is less powerful and less common than in other editions.

Which doesn't matter at the moment, as 1st level clerics can't cast spells.

Attracting men-at-arms to the banner requires the initial expenditure of gp for "advertising" -- 100-600 gp per week, presumably spend on boozing, whoring, blessings, and other demonstrations that you're a likely bunch. After that, the monthly rates for employment become quite reasonable.

(I actually like this rule a lot, as I doubt most soldiers would run into a hole in the ground for less than the cost of a dagger a month, absent some assurance that their prospective employers had some sense, and a pot to piss in.)

So your first expeditions are likely to be sans hirelings. As you gain wealth and renown, retainers become a plausible option.

Scott · Posted: Thu Mar 27, 2008 4:02 pm Post subject: