Games 3 - rpg punk

Elbonian Empire culture

The old Elbonian Empire unified numerous smaller cultures under the umbrella of a single government. After the Empire fell and chaos reigned, these individual cultures separated once again. In some instances, old regions reverted to their old ways, army units who identified mostly with a particular culture imposed that culture on the area around which they were stationed, or a past kingdom went on a conquering spree before itself falling apart. In this way, neighboring kingdoms can be very different from each other, while sharing similarities to kingdoms they do not border.

Some cultural quirks instituted by the old Empire are still common among all the kingdoms, and serve to keep at least some amount of cultural unity among the people of the continent.

Among these quirks are social class and identifiers of one’s social class.

Borrowing from TMNT: Mutants in Avalon, social class is divided into five levels, based on a rating system. The rating system is based on individual occupation, and is identified by an animal type. In ancient times, the people were divided into various clans who held animal totems. When the Empire rolled over the continent and united the people, these animal totems gradually indicated the social status of descendants of those clans. The leaders and allies of the Empire formed the highest classes, while the lower classes were composed of those clans that fought against the Empire. Eventually, the lower classes were integrated and formed the mass of laborers, farmers, and unskilled workers of the Empire.

This continues to this day. In most kingdoms, individuals are required to wear some identifying mark to show their social class. This mark is in the shape of the animal that represents their class. This can be conspicuous jewelry, a patch, an armband, a flag, a tattoo, embroidered clothing, etc.

Social Rating

Each rating has dozens or hundreds of sub-ratings within it. Player-characters may roll on the appropriate table (by occupation) to determine their social class animal.

E: slaves, criminals, tramps, hobos, most foreigners (from outside the kingdoms), pretons.

Rat
Weasel
Magpie
Adder
Frog
Lizard
Newt
Toad
Tortoise
Wolf
Skunk
Raccoon
Possum
Porcupine
Aardvark
Bat
Vulture
Flounder
Eel
Lamprey

D: serfs, laborers, artisans, travelling merchants, mercenaries.

Mouse
Goat
Hamster
Hedgehog
Rabbit
Sheep
Shrew
Squirrel
Chicken
Crow
Duck
Goose
Gull
Bluejay
Pidgeon
Sparrow
Turkey
Beaver
Boar
Monkey

C: skilled laborers, soldiers, wizards, squires, wealthy merchants.

Woodpecker
Robin
Puffin
Heron
Horse
Seal
Lion
Pig
Mole
Donkey
Cow
Cat
Trout
Bass
Catfish

B: military officers, clerics and priests, courtiers, land-owners, knights, extremely wealthy merchants.

Dog
Fox
Otter
Dove
Falcon
Owl
Pheasant

A: nobles, royals, high priests/clerics, generals/admirals.

Elk
Eagle
Peacock
Swan
Mink

Species and Race in Elbonia

The old Elbonian Empire was founded by dwarves, taken over by humans, and infiltrated by halflings.

Dwarven history starts with the founding of the Empire and its spread from the Sunward mountains and across the fertile plains.
Human history starts with their pledge of unity with the dwarves, and the rapid expansion of the Empire throughout the continent.
Halfling history is long, going back before the dwarves appeared. However, halflings love keeping secrets and never discuss their origin. One of their favorite secrets is how they tricked the dwarves and humans into thinking the Empire began with them.

The Manse of Silence, a library of repute.

The Lightless Manse of Silence is well-known as one of the greatest libraries in the world. It is said that any subject can be researched in detail at the Manse, and its Librarian keeps the place organized in such a way that research takes less time than at other libraries. There are some drawbacks to this library, though. It gets its name because there are no candles or torches allowed within the library, so for most people it is only useful during daylight, and even then only in the areas near enough to windows that allow light to illuminate the shelves. No book, scroll, or text is allowed to leave the library. Speaking aloud is forbidden, even at a whisper. Breaking the rules brings down the wrath of the librarian, an elderly woman with glasses and hair in a bun and a severe frown at all times.

Fall of the Elbonian Empire

The ancient Elbonian Empire was the largest of the human kingdoms at its height. It’s fall began with the conquest of the land known as Pretonia. The native Pretonians were a savage and barbaric race said to cavort with foul gods and bestial demons. When the Elbonians came in their triremes and built colonies on the coast in preparation for an invasion, the Pretonians united their various tribes to drive off the invaders. This war lasted for generations, sucking up vast amounts of wealth and manpower from the Elbonian Empire. Eventually, when the Elbonians thought they finally won, the last of the Pretonian shamans appealed to their gods and brought forth a great disaster in a suicidal attempt to finally defeat their enemy. Bankrupt, in political turmoil, war-weary, and beset by enemies in other parts of the empire, the once-great Elbonian Empire crumbled and fell. Today, in its place, are dozens, perhaps hundreds of petty kingdoms and city-states fighting not just amongst themselves, but with the remnants of the ancient pretons who still rule the deepest forests.

Free Cities Bar Association

In the Free Cities, law and order is maintained by an elite corp of attorneys. The Free Cities Bar Association is the guild that controls the pricing of the services of attorneys. While the people of the Free Cities call them attorneys, the rest of the world considers them to be duelists or assassins. Free City Attorneys do not argue cases in a court of law, rather they are paid to duel on a patron’s behalf. They are also rumored to take payment in exchange for quietly eliminating anyone a wealthy patron wishes. As such, the wealthiest attorneys are also the most deadly, feared, and expensive to keep on retainer or hire.

Some of the eldest attorneys have created partnerships, where successful attorneys pay younger attorneys with little to no reputation to take on cases for them.

The Ship in the Trollands

On the Dark Side, in the Trollands, is a ship. This ship fell from the sky years ago and lodged itself into a hillside. No one has ever been able to gain entry to the ship. It’s smooth metal surfaces are seemingly impervious to any axe, pick, or battering ram. Strangely, since the ship crashed here, the native life to the area has… changed. The trolls and giants native to the region have mutated in strange ways. Multiple heads, hunchbacks, bestial limbs, and extra eyes are all common with even stranger mutations rumored.

The Silt Sea

The Silt Sea is a shallow sea, named for its bed of silt formed from the runoff of hundreds of rivers and streams that empty into it. The body of water is also called the Gold Sea, as small gold nuggets are frequently found by sifting through the silt. Prospectors have formed boom towns all around the sea, and theft and murder is a common occurrence among the prospecting towns. Fortunes can be made at the Sea, but getting that fortune out to real civilization, past the other prospectors, pirates, and highwaymen, not to mention monsters, is easier said than done. Vast caravans travel by land to and from the various towns selling wares and trading for gold.

The Rim

Strathos, the world, is made up of four sections. The first is the Axis, which is the central spoke. The vast majority of the world is made up of the Disc, which is actually two separate sections stuck together like wafers; the Light Side, and a Dark Side. The outer edge of the Disc forms the fourth section; The Rim.

Rimward is the word used to describe travel away from the Axis towards the Rim.

Regardless of which side of the world one is on, The Rim is considered the Unknown, due to its isolation. Many myths, legends, and stories exist pertaining to the Rim, and many of these tales involve intrepid but doomed adventurers falling off the end of the world, or being taken away by celestial beings for use as playthings.

The lands leading toward the Rim are cold and desolate. On the Light Side, there are often coniferous forests or tundra. On the Dark Side, there is simply tundra or glaciers or barren rock. Mountains often tower at the edge, overlooking the interior. In a few spots, the ocean drains down from the Rim in massive waterfalls, to be collected and funneled back toward the Axis through the center of the planet and belched forth back to the surface from springs within the central continent.

It is said that the lonely towers found on the rim are the retreats of monks who have given up on the world. Some say these monks oppose the lords of the Axis. Some say they call themselves the Children of Gith.

The Axis of the World

While I haven’t been keeping up on the blog, I have been keeping up in my notebook.

Strathos has expanded from a continent to an entire world!

Strathos (the world) is in the style of a “Flat Earth,” in that it isn’t a globe or sphere, but rather a disc. However, this disc, like a coin, has two sides. A Light side, and a Dark side. Which is kind of a misnomer, as there is darkness on the light side and light on the dark side, but well I’ll explain as I go on.

Imagine a coin or wheel floating in the air, laying parallel to the ground. Now put an axle through the center of the wheel, with equal lengths on either side of wheel. At each end of the axle, imagine a light bulb. When one light bulb is turned on, the other turns off. Now, place a bubble on either side of the wheel, encompassing everything within that side of the wheel, including the axle and light bulb.

That’s a rough description of Strathos.

I never claimed to be a good artist

For our purposes, I will refer to the world as the Coin, and the previously described axle as the Axis. The light bulb is the Sun.

The center of the coin, the area surrounding the axis, is the hottest area of the world. Jungles, swamps, deserts, tropics, etc. The outer edge of the coin is the coldest; tundra, ice flows, glaciers, and so on. In between is the temperate regions.

The Light Side of the coin experiences daylight for a uniform 16 hours a day, and 8 hours of darkness. The Dark Side, by contrast, experiences daylight for 8 hours a day, and 16 hours of darkness.

The Light Side is where I’m going to concentrate first.

The Axis in the center of the Coin, rises higher than the tallest mountains. At its pinnacle rests a gigantic sphere that emits light and heat. Not as much light and heat as a traditional star, of course. But just enough to mimic most of the conditions here on Earth.

Surrounding the Axis is a continent filled with steaming jungles.

Outward from that continent are more continents and landmasses, each with their own ecological systems and dominant life forms. These would be the “sandbox,” to borrow the popular term. I will build upon the central continent and Axis, while the rest of the world can be whatever; premade settings, homemade ideas, or a mixture of both.

The Primacy

The Primacy is based on expansion and ruled through a strict and formal military bureaucracy that pervades all aspects of life. Because of rapid expansion, massive population growth, and emphasis on military industries instead of agriculture, the Primacy is always in need of food and supplies. This causes the Primacy to constantly raid its neighbors, which also serves as a means of scouting and reconnaissance for future invasions.

The Primus and their subordinates truly believe that subjugating people means bringing order and peace to their lives. That they are doing the conquered peoples a favor by bringing true civilization and law to the lands they invade and the cultures they destroy.

They follow (not necessarily worship) the order and structure of the Modron’s Nirvana. The Empire is structured in the same way as Nirvana.

Think of the Primacy abstractly as a wheel, with the Primus as the central hub. Four spokes reach out from the hub and within those spokes are the realms of the Secondus. Each of those quarters is subdivided into a region ruled by a Quarton. Each of the Quarton’s regions is further subdivided into the sectors of the Octons.

When the occasion arises where a citizen of the Primacy dies, a member of the next lower class is elevated to the newly opened position as a replacement. This usually happens rather quickly as everyone has ranks and sub-ranks and is well aware of their place in society. If a citizen should fail in their duties, then they can be demoted and replaced. In this way, a lowly Monodrone has the potential to become Primus, and even Secondus have the potential to be cast back to the status of a Monodrone if they fail in their duty. Only the Primus is exempt from demotion. Titles and status are not hereditary; all citizens begin as Modrons.

Lower classes –

Monodrones: There are innumerable Monodrones, who are could be considered the laborers or serfs of the Primacy. They also serve as a militia force when needed.
Duodrones: There are innumerable Duodrones, about one for every six or seven Monodrones. Duodrones act as the lowest ranks in the military.
Tridrones: There are one hundred forty five thousand one hundred fifty two Tridrones and the act as the corporals in the Primacy’s military and police forces.
Quadrones: There are twelve thousand six hundred eighty eight Quadrones and they act as the sergeants in the Primacy’s military and police forces.
Pentadrones: There are one thousand three hundred sixty four Pentadrones, and they act as the lieutenants in the Primacy’s military and police forces.

Sub-ranks of the lower classes.

Due to the number of Monodrones and Duodrones, they are further divided into lesser ranks based on number. A Monodrone rank 2 outranks a Monodrone rank 1, for example. This ranking system is used for organization of work and jobs. A Monodrone or Duodrone does not have to work their way up every sub-rank in order to be promoted to the next major rank.

Upper Classes – these can be considered the nobility of the Primacy. Most of the upper classes have cleric powers of considerable power, and are correspondingly fanatical in their loyalty to the Primacy. Names in BOLDare those that govern territory within the Primacy.

Decaton: There are one hundred Decatons; one assigned to each Octon, and one assigned to each Hexton. Decatons oversee the well-being of the lower classes, and act as the voice of the lower classes to relay their needs and wants to the Octons and Hextons.
Nonaton: Nonatons serve as the Captains of the military and police forces. One Nonaton serves each Octon, one serves each of the nine Tertians, and eight report directly to the Primus, for a total of eighty one Nonatons. Each Nonaton has twelve Pentadrone lieutenants, one hundred forty four Quadrone sergeants, and one thousand seven hundred twenty eight Tridrone police.
Octon: Octons are regional governors, of which there are sixty four. The lower classes, as well as the Nonatons and Decatons, are the Octon’s responsibility. Each has a personal staff of one Decaton, one Nonaton, five Pentadrones, sixteen Quadrones, eighty one Tridrones, two hundred fifty six Duodrones, and one thousand seven hundred twenty eight Monodrones.
Septon: There are forty nine Septons; 8 serve the Primus, four serve each Secondus, one serves each Quinton. Septons are officials who travel throughout their assigned areas as inspectors and charged with transporting/relaying information from outlying areas to the centers of the regions, quarters, and the capital.
Hexton: There are thirty six Hextons, each the commanding general of an army. Nine serve the Primus directly, three serve the Tertians as military police, each Secondus has the services of two Hextons, and the remaining sixteen serve the Quartons. Each has a personal staff of twelve Pentadrones who are fanatically loyal.
Quinton: There are twenty five Quintons; five reside within the the palace of the Primus, one with each Secondus, and one with each Quarton. Quintons are record-keepers, inventors, and scholars.
Quarton: There are sixteen Quartons, each of whom administers a quarter of a Secundus’ territory. Each Quarton resides in a tower that is similar too, although smaller than, that of the Secondus.
Tertian: Tertians are the judges of the Primacy. They supervise law enforcement as well as cast judgement in trials. There are only nine Tertians at any one time.
Secondus: There are four Secundus, who each rule a quarter of the Primacy. Each has a staff of two Tertians, two Hextons, and four Septons. Each Secondus has their own tower that is very similar too, although smaller than, that of the Primus.
Primus: The ruler of the Primacy. The Primus is chosen from among the Secundus, by the Secundus. The position is for life. Rules from a massive tower that serves as the capital.

Species of the Primacy

Hobgoblins created the Primacy and hold most of the upper class positions. As the Primacy has expanded and new peoples have been brought into it, other species have joined the ranks. All start as Modrons and have the opportunity to work their way up the ranks. Theoretically, any person of any species can become any rank, even Primus.

Magical species are never allowed to be citizens and are driven away or killed when encountered. If they are powerful, they are ignored until overwhelming force can be brought to bear. Elves, faeries, dragons, and the like are considered magical.

While this bureaucratic system works for the Primacy as a whole, there is constant infighting and backstabbing as citizens are promoted or demoted based on influence, favors, friendships, and more.

The Primacy is not currently located in Strathos, but on a distant continent and launches raiding/scouting missions to Strathos.

Wizard Spells in Dungeon Crawl Classics

I’m really trying not to mod the shit out of DCC, which is hard because I love tinkering with rules (which should be obvious from reading this blog or any of my previous blogs).

However, a particular aspect of the magic system rubs me the wrong way and it has to go.

Wizards in DCC have a very limited number of spells they are allowed to know. As in, a level one Wizard could have books with 500 spells in them, but can only cast four of them. Not four in a day and the next day can study and switch them out. No, they know the same four spells forever, unchanging. Those other 496 spells collect dust, never to be used.

How does that make sense? How does that go with Appendix N which DCC constantly trumpets the virtues of?

Screw all that. It isn’t fun. The Wizard already has a pretty crappy lot in life; spells have a good chance of hurting them (temporarily or permanently), patron bonding is arguably more hurtful than helpful, they have few hit points and armor makes it harder to cast spells. On top of all that, they can never learn new spells?

It’s almost like the rule is a mistake, but apparently it’s made it through four printings and the official DCC forums say it’s for real.

Furthermore, the rules say a Wizard can not cast spells higher than their level chart indicates. So a level one or two Wizard can not cast spells higher than level 1. A level three Wizard can not cast spells higher than level 2.

But later on in the magic section it says spells of higher level CAN be cast, but it is more dangerous. It doesn’t say exactly how or why it’s more dangerous, but I have to assume it’s because the Spell Check is higher and the Wizard being of lower level doesn’t have as good of a bonus to cast as a higher level Wizard would.

Not only that, but non-magic characters can cast magic, albeit with mandatory Luck burning, but still. If a Warrior can cast a spell at all, then a first level Wizard should be able to cast a 5th level spell (with all the associated penalties).

So, here is my very simple rule change.

A Wizard character can know any number of spells. The number they can memorize is equal to the number indicated on the Wizard chart in the class description. So a level one Wizard can memorize four spells, regardless of the level of those spells. A level two Wizard can memorize 5 spells, and so on.

Spells that are available to be memorized must be researched and a check roll must be made, as is written in the rules. A character isn’t just automatically going to have access to a spell just because they have a grimoire or scroll in their possession.

When a Wizard character successfully checks to learn a spell that is in their possession, it goes into their pool of available spells to choose from. If the check fails, they must wait until they reach the next level of experience before attempting to learn the spell again.

Example:

So a level one Wizard has their normal four starting spells from level 1. In the course of an adventure they find a spell book with two level 2 spells in it. For brevity, we’ll assume that the adventure ends with the Wizard making it to a town or other safe area to rest for an indefinite amount of time. During this down time, the Wizard studies the spell book and attempts to learn the two spells contained within. The fail the attempt at learning the first spell, but succeed in learning the second spell.

Now, the first level Wizard can memorize a total of four spells per day, but has five spells to choose from. The fifth spell being a level two spell means it is more difficult to cast, and therefore more dangerous to the Wizard, but gives them another spell casting option.

Man, I think that is a simple rule change. Yeah, it’s more like DnD, but it also makes sense.