Okay, so I didn't think I'd post this so soon after joining. (Also figured I'd get to play a game before trying to run one.) But I'm just too antsy, I guess. I have run this before, but I want to see how different players tackle the story. So here's the run down.
[ Character Sheets ] 1] Diamanda Iothar, Deva Swordmage by AlphabetFish
2] Belmorn Soundinghorn, Eladrin Cleric by Arc Vembris
3] Mika Beastborn, Elf Barbarian by Callsigncaboose
4] Ka Natash, Kalashtar Psion by Roilvn Whiro
[ Premise/Foreword ] xxxThis game is based directly off the DnD lore set out by the 4th Edition books. It is intended to run a party of characters from low level all the way up to Epic tier. However, the cast of characters is pretty specific. So basically, I'm looking for 4 people who are willing to put up with my guidelines at the beginning and are also willing to not go dormant without at least a warning first.
[ Setting Information/Background ] xxxWhen the primordials created the world, they did so out of the remaining bits of creation from the First Day. They separated the bits; some were too dark and foreboding while others were too bright and energetic. The remaining mundane bits coalesced into the world, but the bits which had been separated coalesced as well. The dark bits became the Shadowfell and the bright bits became the Feywild: two worlds, distorted echoes of the first one.
xxxWhen the gods saw what the primordials had made, they were fascinated. They set out to tame the roiling elements and create life upon the world. With these changes, the echoes of the world changed as well, and all three were populated by their own appropriate examples of life.
xxxAnd so came to be the picture of the universe as it exists today. This mortal plane with its two echoes lays delicately balanced between the realms of creation. Above is the Astral Sea, home of the gods, and below is the Elemental Chaos, the realm of the primordials. It is this arrangement in itself which is the source of some magical power. (See page 161 in the DMG for a rough approximation.)
[ Game Introduction/Plot ] xxxThe Tower of the Bright Ones is a shining white bastion of knowledge and progress located near a sea-side cliff and surrounded by forestland, far removed from other civilized areas. Originally, it was built as a combined shrine for Pelor, Corellon, Erathis, and Ioun. However, as the years progressed, it became a beacon for magical scholars from around the world to gather and learn in concert. Nearly every discipline of magical knowledge can be found at the Tower. Because of this, and its geographical location, even followers of other gods gather here to exchange knowledge and further their magical understandings.
xxxIt is at this tower where four friends live their days in peace and research, even if some of their pasts did not always permit such luxuries. During their varied studies, it became apparent that there was some kind of minor disturbance with the methods of magical manifestation. It seemed only intermittent, but was puzzling enough to warrant extensive investigation on the nature of the disturbance. So it was that they found that some unknown factor was affecting the magical distribution contributed by the arrangement of the planes.
xxxAlarmed at the implications of such a discovery, the four scholars approached the resident fortune teller for insights into what might be the cause. Her scrying revealed only minor crumbs of information, but one morsel seemed concrete enough to relay: the Order of the Unchained Soul. A sect lies in some ruins which can be found approximately halfway between the Tower and the nearest city, Bronzin. Seek out this organization, for the answers you seek begin there.
[ Character Creation ] xxxAs is necessary for the story, the characters are from varied magical backgrounds. One character should be Arcane, another Divine, Primal, and one Psionic. Also note, the characters are all friends/acquaintances to the point where they would work in tandem to discover that the planes are misaligned. This is a Tower of scholars. As such, most of the Primal power source characters are difficult to fit into the setting. Whoever wants to tackle the roleplaying aspect of fitting a nature-lover into a tower full of civilization-loving magic users gets a cookie (read as: possible bonus). Certain classes from the other power sources are tricky to explain into the story as well. (I'm looking at you Paladin and Avenger.) Please feel free to talk to each other when planning which character you want to build.
Available Sources: PHB1-3, Eberron, Forgotton Realms, Essentials, Power Books, Adventurer's Vaults, and Mordenkainen. Dragon Magazine if you have it.
Banned Resources: No Shadow. No Demonic-based powers.
ECL: Characters begin at level 4.
Wealth: Level 2 Magic Item, Level 3 Magic Item, 2 Potions of Healing, 850g.
Races: Any from PHB1-3.
Ability Scores*: Choose one of these 3 arrays: 18 15 14 12 11 8
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx17 16 14 13 10 10
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx16 15 15 14 12 8
xxxxxxxxxxx*Edit: Almost forgot. Intelligence needs to be a minimum of 13 after racial modifiers.
Hit Points: Max first level. Roll the rest. Oh wait, it's 4e, duh.
Alignments: No Evil.
Pantheon: As laid out in PHB1 (and DMG).
Backgrounds: Please have some kind of background, which obviously eventually leads up to your stay at the Tower. I would love to put in a character-centric sidequest for each player which would be informed by each character's backstory, thereby creating character development not necessarily based on the over-arcing campaign.
[ House/Optional Rules ] 1] The Psionic character may have Dungeoneering as a class skill, if they didn't already, and they must have it trained. (All Far-Realm creature knowledge rolls require this skill.) Similarly, Arcane must train Arcana, and Primal must train Nature.
2] If you have access to them, feel free to utilize themes and/or backgrounds to add flavor to your characters.
3] I am fully willing to allow power re-writes which alter cosmetic or minor mechanic features.
4] As the story progresses, more options will open up, along with possibly more spots in the party. So if the starting guidelines scare you off, feel free to wait until things become less stringent.
Here's hoping I'm not laughed off for my presumptions. And PLEASE feel free to ask questions if there's something you're not certain of.
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