The Great Karameikos Campaign

Over at RPGnet, the inestimably clever Blacky the Blackball and NPCDave have been doing a retrospective of each Mystara/Known World setting product in turn. Reading it has helped me to gain a new appreciation for a setting I've traditionally been somewhat ambivalent about. Today Dave posted the writeup for the AD&D2e Karameikos: Kingdom of Adventure box set, largely focusing (logically, since obviously much of the rest of the information is similar) on the changes that did-- and occasionally inexplicably didn't-- happen during the 12 in-setting years that passed between Karameikos's previous iteration in the GAZ series. There's actually quite a bit, from Karameikos seceding from Thyatis to the disappearance of Alphatia. Either way, it was eventful enough, as were some of his remarks on the smaller details of the setting that seemingly stagnated during that time, that it got my mind moving a little.

One of the most beloved RPG supplements of all time is Pendragon's The Great Pendragon Campaign, a massive volume largely concerned with detailing the events of the 8 decades between Uther's rise to power and the end of Camelot. The sense of grand, sweeping, momentous history happening with the players right in the thick of events is a big reason why the Campaign is so beloved. Although not quite as grand, either in scope or in scale, as the entirety of the Matter of Britain, those dozen years offer no shortage of interesting times. Why, indeed, could one not create a similar detailed project about Karameikos, perhaps taking more or less inspiration from some of the BECMI modules set in the region?

I dunno, just something I've been thinking about the last few hours. Maybe it'll go somewhere. Maybe not. I should probably take this to the Piazza or Vaults of Pandius or something, surely it'll either fire the imaginations of the community or drag out the obsessive lore-experts to shout me down and point out exactly how and why it's utterly misbegotten.

Maybe the rivers of the Thunder Rift make more sense than I gave them credit for?

Over at the Piazza (and right here on this blog as well), some feedback on my rant about the fluvial system of everyone's favorite micro-setting reached me that I thought was particularly interesting. Maybe these things were more thought-out than I initially assumed they were, or maybe it's just a happy accident that they seem to hold up to surface analysis. Either way, it put me in a good mood. Here's the comment itself reposted for the convenience of those of you who don't follow links.

Possible ret-cons or reinterpretations:

• Change the flow of the southern rivers. They now empty into Lake Melinir. We can’t really tell the slope of that SE canyon/channel from eyeballing the map. 

• Where does Lake Melinir drain? It drains into a subterranean river system that leads into cavernous realm connected to the Rift. Thunder Rift’s Underark, if you will. 

• The Gloomfens, as you note, may be whacky due to magic origins. But why not Wizardspire, too? Does the stream in fact flow uphill in contravention of the laws of nature? That would be pretty trippy. These two sites, Gloomfens and Wizardspire, have linked histories, of course. The Wizard-Warrior feud, magical curses thrown down.

• Option two Wizardspire- Somebody left the tap water one when the assassins wiped out the magic-users. That’s not ONE stream flowing uphill and then down, but TWO streams flowing downhill from two windows/spouts/gutters on the hidden side of the spire. 

Seven Cosmic Rumors

Might as well try to write something.

• Illithids once had an empire that spanned worlds. Why have they degenerated and devolved into a handful of enclaves deep within the earth? Because the dead god on which the Githyanki built their astral capital is Ilsensine, their patron. What the Githyanki don't know is that sooner or later Ilsensine is going to stop playing possum.
• It's easier to get to the Astral Plane from the elemental planes of water and air than the planes of fire and earth. Water and Air elementals are known to brag about this in mixed company.
• It's said that there's one location in the world that is a natural gate to each outer plane. Mount Celestia is a particularly tall mountain range on which an order of Lawful Good monks live forever in pursuit of spiritual alignment, the Abyss is a massive gorge shrouded in scalding-hot steam and noxious vapors, Mechanus is an elaborate space station that has sat in orbit since time beyond memory, and so on and so forth. Regardless, all are hopelessly remote and it would be a fool's errand to try to journey to them... unless one were a great hero.
• The best way to get to the Moon is by ethereal travel. Somehow it manages to be the one part of the Ethereal that's really scenic. The moon itself is ethereal stone and exists equally in both planes.
• Ilepho, a gnome philosopher, once wrote that the Feywild and the Shadowfell are not separate planes unto themselves, but that the material plane, like many outer planes, has overlapping layers (if you must know, he compared it to a Spanakopita). His half-sister Argia the Elder disagreed, she wrote that the Feywild is the ancient, mythic past and the Shadowfell is the aftermath of some future catastrophe yet to be seen. Their disagreement culminated into a duel to the death.
• The stars are roughly divided (in increasing order of frequency) between being the distant suns of other worlds, holes in the dome of the sky through which the radiance of distant planes leaks, the eyes of unfathomable entities that coolly and enviously regard the earth, and ordinary rocks with Continual Light spells cast upon them that slipped the surly bonds of earth to float in the sky. Depending on who you ask, this list might be in a different order.
• There used to be other elemental planes. No one has seen them in centuries.

13 Monstrous rumors

Some ideas I had while paging through the 5e Monster Manual (which I'm quite impressed with, I may have to write a review later.)

• The basilisk is the female of the species. The cockatrice is male. To stumble upon them as they mate is not a pleasant experience.
• There once lived an albino red dragon whose favorite amusement was battling wizards who, believing him to be a white dragon, had filled their minds with fire spells.
• Erelhei-Cinlu and Menzoberranzan are the drow equivalent of the (ahem) Deep South. While dark elf society is decadent and duplicitous, other drow mock their excessive devotion to Lolth and cultural obsession with slavery.
• Dryads love to ride on the shoulders of treants. It makes them feel safe.
• Gargoyles only move when no one is watching... or so they believe; they are in fact rather poor judges of other creatures' visual acuity.
• All genies are able to grant wishes, but only nobles are authorized to do so.
• Ghouls and ghasts are actually a living race, not a type of undead, they merely recoil from holiness as if they were.
• Ice devils are not truly devils, but have lived in the nine hells so long as to work their way into the hierarchy anyhow.
• It is a mercy that the Invisible Stalker cannot be seen, and an even greater one that enchantments to see the invisible relay only a vague, formless outline. Those under the effects of truesight who have seen an Invisible Stalker uncloaked invariably retreat beyond the farthest shores of madness.
• "Blibdoolpoolp" is just an approximation of the name of the Kuo-Toa's lobster-headed goddess. Her real name is pronounced identically to the last three bubbles of air that leave a drowning man's lungs.
• In the far north, the deathless creature we call a mummy is known as a draugr.
• A shadow that impresses Orcus may become a shadow demon.
• All wraiths are bound to a magical item they coveted in life, all wights are bound to the tomb in which they were buried, and all spectres to a particular bloodline they wish to exterminate.

In which the last horse crosses the finish line, or "Hey Rachel, why come so many dungeons?"

You may not know this, but I spend a lot of time around Reddit. One of my favorite subreddits is /r/AskScienceFiction, where people ask questions about sci-fi, fantasy, and occasionally other fictional universes, and the answers are provided from an in-universe perspective. Some of the time the answers come from an obscure bit of canon, but a lot of the time it's just a platform for who can come up with the most interesting speculative answer.

Recently, someone asked what defensive fortifications look like in a high-magic fantasy world. After all, he reasoned, real castles evolved to combat the siege tactics that were being used historically, but a world with magic-users, dragons, and other fantasy elements would present different challenges to a lord looking to protect his holdings.

One common answer we use is that these things are so rare that it seldom presents an issue. But that doesn't quite jive with the assumptions most versions of D&D (really, any versions that I can think of) present about the world by default. But there's another answer that does. To put it simply, the keep as we know it is obsolete as a form of defense in D&D. It is replaced, interestingly enough, by the humble dungeon. A thick layer of earth provides a barrier to many forms of divination, and hinders many magical forms of ingress (teleportation becomes a risky proposition if you can't see where you're going, even with otherwise relatively safe short-range methods like Dimension Door), The narrow, twisting passages of a dungeon reduce visibility, create defensible chokepoints to halt invaders from, and discourage the use of area-of-effect spells by an attacking force, and can be constructed to be a difficult or impossible fit for larger enemies.

More traditional fortifications do retain some use-- after all, moats, palisades and curtain walls will still serve as obstacles for an approaching army, and towers offer a vantage point for spotting any approach, as well as high ground for archers and mages to rain death from above on. But the construction of these will differ. I would expect to see, rather than the more conventional open roofs with parapets, a wide room or machicolation with a sturdy roof and many arrow slits, the better to protect the defenders from being snatched up or dive-bombed by flying monsters.

Most people, and most domesticated animals, will still prefer to live aboveground, so there will likely be buildings inside the bailey. Generally these will be made from cheaply-replaceable wood, as the auxiliary buildings of many real-world castles are, but even the main hall stands a good chance of being made of wood. Any strategically-important business must be conducted underground where prying magical eyes and ears will have a harder time spying on it.

In short, the reason your campaign setting is peppered with underground complexes is because the dungeon is the natural evolution of a castle to defend against the kind of threats unique to a fantasy world. Much as abandoned or ruined castles are scattered across the countrysides of Europe today, so will the remains of an old or conquered fortress be a common sight for travelers and explorers. The advantages of underground fortifications against magical or monstrous assault will have been realized early, probably even before the advent of masonry, so the dungeon will remain even when the wooden structures and fortifications of more ancient castles are gone.

As always, questions, critiques, or further insights are welcome.

Getting off my ass

So I need to start blogging again. Just for the sake of having something productive to do. And because, goddammit, I want readers.

Behold, the Outdoor Survival map, the first campaign setting.

Mentioned in the pages of OD&D, and for all the geography is wackadoo, it's still a pretty sexy little piece of cartography. And here it is with its hexes all conveniently numbered for us.

What could I do with this, I wonder?

Well, how about I stock it?

From here on, I'm making a commitment to create a write-up for every inhabited hex on the map, as well as scattered points of interest throughout, in the style of a Wilderlands map, or maybe Rob Conley's Blackmarsh and Points of Light-- all of them fine old-school products you should probably go and get your hands on. When it's done, maybe I'll make a PDF available with the whole thing consolidated. Expect the first couple hexes sometime during Memorial Day.

The Sorcerer (An ACKS Class), second draft

ETA March 22: This is not up to my balance standards. I advise not using this version. I'll get a better one made eventually, I'm sure.

After thinking about it today I decided I wanted to try again and see if I couldn't get my Sorcerer to be a little more... street-legal. To that end I'm gonna give staggered custom powers that should put it in under four build points, as Tavis and Alex intended. Sadly, this means Sensing Power had to go back on the proficiency list... for now. This time around I (mostly) borrowed level titles from the excellent Blood and Treasure (Plus one sneaky Acquisitions, Inc. reference), but I still have no intention of employing them myself.

SORCERER
Prime Requisite: CHA
Requirements: None
Hit Dice: 1d4
Maximum Level: 14

Sorcerers are humans born with an instinctive grasp of magic. Many claim descent from wizards, or even from dragons that assumed human form. For a sorcerer, magic is not a skill that must be studied and refined like a mage does, but an instinctive ability as natural and intuitive as breathing. Some societies are fearful of sorcerers, but others hold them in special reverence. Some suggest that the name "sorcerer" was originally applied as a pun, for they are a natural source of magic.

Sorcerers seldom train in the arts of warfare, preferring instead to rely upon their innate gifts to see them through danger. At first level, sorcerers hit an unarmored foe (AC 0) with an attack throw of 10+. They advance in attack throws and saving throws only two points every six levels of experience (i.e., half as fast as fighters). They may only fight with quarterstaffs, clubs, daggers, and darts. They are unable to use shields, fight with two weapons, or wear any kind of armor.

Sorcerers learn and cast arcane spells as mages of two-thirds their class level. The number and levels of spells the sorcerer can use in a single day is summarized on the Sorcerer Spell Progression table. Like a mage, the Sorcerer’s spell selection is limited to the spells in their repertoire. A sorcerer’s repertoire can include a number of spells up to the number and level of spells listed for their level, increased by their Charisma bonus. Unlike other arcane spellcasters, many sorcerers do without a physical spellbook, although changing their repertoire or learning a new spell still incurs similar costs for research and training. A sorcerer can use any magic items usable by mages.

Each sorcerer also has a unique combination of spell-like abilities, chosen (or randomly determined) as they are attained on the Sorcerer Level Progression Table. A first-level sorcerer may use one first-level spell once per hour. At second level, the sorcerer gains a second first-level spell usable once per hour. At fourth level, the sorcerer gains one second-level spell, usable once every 8 hours. At tenth level, the sorcerer gains one third-level spell, usable once per day. At twelfth level, the sorcerer gains one fourth-level spell, usable once per week. Each of these spells takes one round to cast, and otherwise functions like a normal spell cast by a mage of their class level.

At 7th level, the sorcerer may begin to research spells, scribe magical scrolls, and brew potions, as if they were a mage of 5th level. Upon reaching 13th level, the sorcerer gains the ability to create magic items such as weapons, rings, and staffs as a mage of 9th level. They may also cast ritual spells and conduct other magical research as a mage of 11th level.

A sorcerer may also build a sanctum, often a great tower, when he reaches 9th level. They will then attract 1d6 apprentices of 1st-3rd level plus 2d6 normal men seeking to become mages or with the potential to become sorcerers. Their intelligence or charisma scores will be above average, but many will become discouraged from the rigorous mental training and quit after 1d6 months. While in the sorcerer’s service, apprentices must be provided food and lodging, but need not be paid wages. If the sorcerer builds a dungeon beneath or near their tower, monsters will start to arrive to dwell within, followed shortly by adventurers seeking to fight them.

Sorcerer Proficiency List: Alchemy, Battle Magic, Beast Friendship, Black Lore of Zahar, Collegiate Wizardry, Contemplation, Craft, Diplomacy, Elementalism, Elven Bloodline, Engineering, Familiar, Healing, Illusion Resistance, Knowledge, Language, Magical Engineering, Mapping, Mystic Aura, Naturalism, Quiet Magic, Performance, Prestidigitation, Profession, Sensing Power, Transmogrification, Soothsaying, Unflappable Casting

Sorcerer level progression					Sorcerer Spell progression
Experience	Level	Hit Dice	Level Title	Special Abilities	1	2	3	4	5
0	1	1d4	Prodigy	1st level spell 1/hour	1	-	-	-	-
2075	2	2d4	Curiosity	1st level spell 1/hour	1	-	-	-	-
4150	3	3d4	Freak	-	2	-	-	-	-
8300	4	4d4	Spectacle	2nd level spell 1/8 hours	2	1	-	-	-
16,600	5	5d4	Whiz	-	2	1	-	-	-
33,200	6	6d4	Wonder	-	2	2	-	-	-
65,000	7	7d4	Phenomenon	-	2	2	1	-	-
130,000	8	8d4	Witchalok	-	2	2	1	-	-
280,000	9	9d4	Sorcerer	-	2	2	2	-	-
430,000	10	9d4+1	Sorcerer	3rd level spell 1/day	3	2	2	1	-
580,000	11	9d4+2	Sorcerer	-	3	2	2	1	-
730,000	12	9d4+3	Sorcerer	4th level spell 1/week	3	3	2	2	-
880,000	13	9d4+4	Sorcerer	-	3	3	3	2	1
1,030,000	14	9d4+5	Sorcerer	-	3	3	3	2	1

The Sorcerer (An ACKS Class), first draft

I am perfectly aware that this technically breaks the ACKS custom class rules-- if it were broken down it would be worth 5 points and some change (Arcane 3, Thievery 2, and one extra custom power) but the final XP base is below that of the mage (though I have rounded it up to equal the mage to make everything neat and head off the balance concerns a little.)

The idea came to me last night when I happened to look at the gnome trickster class-- previous attempts at the sorcerer were very bloodline-focused, but this time I eschewed that in favor of making them naturally-gifted with arcane magic.

No level titles were provided because I don't much care for them.

This is very much a work in progress, so I'd definitely like to hear ideas on how it might be cleaned up.

SORCERER
Prime Requisite: CHA
Requirements: None
Hit Dice: 1d4
Maximum Level: 14

Sorcerers are humans born with an instinctive grasp of magic. Many claim descent from wizards, or even from dragons that assumed human form. For a sorcerer, magic is not a skill that must be studied and refined like a mage does, but an instinctive ability as natural and intuitive as breathing. Some societies are fearful of sorcerers, but others hold them in special reverence. Some suggest that the name "sorcerer" was originally applied as a pun, for they are a natural source of magic.

Sorcerers seldom train in the arts of warfare, preferring instead to rely upon their innate gifts to see them through danger. At first level, sorcerers hit an unarmored foe (AC 0) with an attack throw of 10+. They advance in attack throws and saving throws only two points every six levels of experience (i.e., half as fast as fighters). They may only fight with quarterstaffs, clubs, daggers, and darts. They are unable to use shields, fight with two weapons, or wear any kind of armor.

A sorcerer is so attuned to magic that they may sense power, as the proficiency of the same name. Each sorcerer also has a unique combination of spell-like abilities, chosen (or randomly determined) at the time of their creation. Once per hour, a sorcerer may use two first-level arcane spells. Once per 8 hours, they can cast two second-level arcane spells. Once per day they can cast one third-level arcane spell. Each of these spells takes one round to cast, and otherwise functions like a normal spell cast by a mage of his class level.

Sorcerers learn and cast arcane spells as mages of two-thirds their class level. The number and levels of spells the sorcerer can use in a single day is summarized on the Sorcerer Spell Progression table. Like a mage, the Sorcerer’s spell selection is limited to the spells in their repertoire. A sorcerer’s repertoire can include a number of spells up to the number and level of spells listed for their level, increased by their Charisma bonus. Unlike other arcane spellcasters, many sorcerers do without a physical spellbook, although changing their repertoire or learning a new spell still incurs similar costs for research and training. A sorcerer can use any magic items usable by mages.

At 7th level, the sorcerer may begin to research spells, scribe magical scrolls, and brew potions, as if he were a mage of 5th level. Upon reaching 13th level, the sorcerer gains the ability to create magic items such as weapons, rings, and staffs as a mage of 9th level. They may also cast ritual spells and conduct other magical research as a mage of 11th level.

A sorcerer may also build a sanctum, often a great tower, when he reaches 9th level. He will then attract 1d6 apprentices of 1st-3rd level plus 2d6 normal men seeking to become mages or with the potential to become sorcerers. Their intelligence or charisma scores will be above average, but many will become discouraged from the rigorous mental training and quit after 1d6 months. While in the sorcerer’s service, apprentices must be provided food and lodging, but need not be paid wages. If the sorcerer builds a dungeon beneath or near his tower, monsters will start to arrive to dwell within, followed shortly by adventurers seeking to fight them.

Sorcerer Proficiency List: Alchemy, Apostasy, Battle Magic, Beast Friendship, Black Lore of Zahar, Collegiate Wizardry, Contemplation, Craft, Diplomacy, Elementalism, Elven Bloodline, Engineering, Familiar, Healing, Illusion Resistance, Knowledge, Language, Magical Engineering, Mapping, Mystic Aura, Naturalism, Quiet Magic, Performance, Prestidigitation, Profession, Transmogrification, Soothsaying, Unflappable Casting

Sorcerer level progression			Sorcerer Spell progression
Experience	Level	Hit Dice	1	2	3	4	5
0	1	1d4	1	-	-	-	-
2500	2	2d4	1	-	-	-	-
5000	3	3d4	2	-	-	-	-
10,000	4	4d4	2	1	-	-	-
20,000	5	5d4	2	1	-	-	-
40,000	6	6d4	2	2	-	-	-
80,000	7	7d4	2	2	1	-	-
160,000	8	8d4	2	2	1	-	-
310,000	9	9d4	2	2	2	-	-
460,000	10	9d4+1	3	2	2	1	-
610,000	11	9d4+2	3	2	2	1	-
760,000	12	9d4+3	3	3	2	2	-
910,000	13	9d4+4	3	3	3	2	1
1,060,000	14	9d4+5	3	3	3	2	1

Would I sell hagga to a slayer such as you?

Although the common pink or white lotus is a simple flower with edible shoots that grows in the rivers and swamps of some of the world's warmer regions, it has relatives whose effects are rather more exotic. Some of the more notable such flowers are described here (As is a trigger warning for drug use and potentially for rape, seriously I tried to steer as much clear from explicating it as possible but I am just warning you now that it might come through anyway).

• Black Lotus: Black lotus is probably the most famous and dangerous of the lotuses. Legend states that the plant itself is ambulatory, and that even the smell of its flowers can put a grown man to sleep in a single breath. The crushed stamens of the black lotus may be smoked, requiring a save against poison. If the saving throw is unsuccessful, there is a 1 in 6 chance of death. If it is successful, there is a 1 in 6 chance that the smoker will be blessed with visions granting them insight as if they had successfully cast a commune spell. Either way the smoker will fall into a state of paralysis for 1d4+2 hours. The sap of the black lotus's stem can be boiled down into a black, syrupy liquid which is among the deadliest of poisons. However its dark color and strong taste mean it is favored more for poisoned blades or needles than it is for tampering with food and drink.
• Yellow Lotus: The resin of the yellow lotus's buds is greatly prized by spellcasters, as it restores magical energy to those who eat or smoke it. One who partakes of the yellow lotus will lose consciousness for 1d4 hours, but when they rise will be able to prepare spells anew as if they had slept through the night. Any spells the user has prepared at the time are lost, however. It is said that overuse of the yellow lotus can cause the loss of mental faculties over time, resulting in dependence upon it to be able to prepare spells at all.
• Grey Lotus: Also called red lotus, ash lotus, or flame lotus, the stems and leaves of the red lotus may be chewed, or the juice rubbed into the gums, nostrils, or other mucous membranes to induce a berserker rage lasting 1d4+1 turns. It tends to cause itching and sensitivity in the tissues it was rubbed into, so the depraved and the reckless sometimes turn small doses of the stuff to uses that they would probably not want to discuss in front of their mothers.
• Blue Lotus: the least potent of the lotuses, blue lotus is used by steeping the petals in hot water, then drinking the resulting tea. It is commonly used as a soporific in the lands where it grows, and in addition to a feeling of drowsiness that makes it easy to sleep, one who drinks it will take a -1 penalty to saves against charm or sleep effects.
• Purple lotus: Purple lotus is a favorite drug among decadent merchants and nobles. Smoked or eaten, it is known to cause unconsciousness with vivid, but meaningless, dreams for 1d6 hours at a time. Purple lotus can also be steeped in strong drink for the same effect, but it is weaker in this form and the drinker is entitled to a save.

Of Matters Divine and the Three Alignments

Tonight after pain keeping me from sleep, watching Excalibur of all things, somehow shotgunning all three Pathfinder bestiaries in a single night, and revisiting previous discussions with my brother, I think I might have finally cracked some things that have been weighing on my mind.

Gods: Both Law and Chaos have gods. Gods have a physical presence in the world. They are possible though difficult to take down (and it's harder still to bring down a god permanently). They are certainly beings of enormous power, but are neither omnipotent nor omnipresent.

Law: The gods of Law are reasonably consistent in form and power, and not entirely unlike the mortals that are their charges. Some mortals believe the gods of law created the world, others believe they created or bestowed sapience and free will on mortals, others believe they are merely self-appointed guardians of it. Not all lawful gods are nice or good, but many are at least one or the other. The ultimate goals of law are the continued existence of the world and the flourishing of civilization. To be lawful can mean to be cooperative or individualistic, to be rigid or flexible, to be authoritarian or liberated, but ultimately all Lawful beings wish for life as we know it to continue existing in a recognizable form.

Chaos: The gods of Chaos are more protean and singular than their opponents, though generally they have icky tentacles and slimes and things like that and are just nasty all around. Few wander free. It is possible that they are more powerful than the gods of Law, but as they are both rarer and unlikely to present a united front they are dismayed in their efforts to unmake creation. The ultimate goals of chaos are to reduce mortals to savagery or worse and to reduce the world to a blank slate the gods of Chaos may do as they please with. To worship chaos is to be destructively insane and evil on some level.

Neutrality: Neutrality is the alignment of nature. There are no neutral clerics or neutral gods. There is only the land, and The Dragon, and the druids. Unlike the gods, the Dragon cannot be said with certainty to exist (some even believe it to be more of a metaphorical being than a literal one), except inasmuch as the land and sea that its being suffuses is clearly real. Neutrality cares for life, but has no special allegiance towards civilization or to the mortals that make it up, seeing them as things that can (and indeed must) gradually change and adapt like any other thing that wishes to endure. There is a tendency towards belief in natural selection in Neutral philosophy. Neutral people see the Dragon as both creator and creation, the world and its maker are one to them. They teach that the world is defined by the interaction of opposite forces which exist in concordant balance. While they bear Law and civilization no ill, will they also hold that the Dragon maintains itself regardless of the comings and goings of mortals and gods alike (so long as they do not attempt to conquer it outright), and that Law has an overinflated sense of its own cosmic importance. Druids by and large do not show Chaos such tolerance, as the gods of Chaos have proven time and again that they have no regard whatsoever for the Dragon.

Unaligned: Most people are not in fact aligned with anything bigger than themselves or their friends and family. If the gods were to make war, Lawful beings would fight to protect civilization and mortal life, Neutral beings would fight to protect the world and the Dragon, and Chaotic beings would fight to eradicate all other things, but unaligned people would keep their heads down and hope that whoever survives the battle would just let them live their lives. Unaligned people tend to worship whatever gods or spiritual powers hold sway over the place they are in, whether that means singing hymns and passing around a collection plate at a lawful church once a week, or offering Cthulhu space in their dreams before a sea voyage.

Clerics: The very fact that they are not omnipresent is why the gods of Law and Chaos imbue representatives among the mortals, to go where they are not, see what they do not see, and act when they cannot act. The clerical orders of Lawful gods are set up not unlike a sort of feudal system, in which divine authority is delegated down through the ranks, along with the knowledge of magic necessary to fill the needs of a cleric's station. Adventuring clerics, then, are the knights-errant of this system, taking on more power and responsibility as their prove themselves. Many gods of Law emphasize that a cleric's fealty must be as much to the people as it is to their Lord, though others demand absolute, jealous loyalty to themselves. As to the gods of Chaos, they seldom form a hierarchy. Instead each Chaotic cleric is directly the servant of his god, granted power in exchange for the sacrifice of lives to feed their master's horrid appetite or quests undertaken to hasten their awakening. Chaotic clerics are encouraged to take all they can and keep for themselves what the gods do not demand for their own.

Druids: Holy people of Neutrality, known as druids, seek to exist in harmony with the Dragon. Druids are highly individual, though they afford wary respect to more powerful ones than themselves. Most druids are solitary, but not truly hermits, as they periodically enter settlements or tribal communities to attend to whatever matters they feel merit the visit. They view their magic not as a reward for service to the Dragon, nor a tool to do the Dragon's bidding, but merely the natural consequence of existing in harmony with it. Magic is an intuitive thing for druids, they just know it when they do it.

NEXT: Astral beings and those who serve them, Arcane Magic, and maybe Witchery

On hidden treasure

So I'm sure that if you read this blog, you've seen Wayne's post about hiding unguarded treasures. I sort of wanted to have a chart to go with, so here's d20 places to hide treasure. These are designed to be fairly straightforward ones that can be recovered with basic searching-- crazy stuff like being dissolved in acid ala Bohr's nobel prize is cool but we're going for simple and functional here, I believe in leaving truly unique stuff up to individual information, not random charts.

d20	Location	d20	Location
1	Behind a brick or stone in the wall	11	In the base of a statue
2	Behind a mirror, painting, or tapestry	12	Inside of a hollow statue or decoration
3	Bottom of a barrel, pot, or chest full of nonvaluable objects	13	Inside of a sufficiently bulky piece of furniture
4	Buried in a refuse pile	14	Invisible, but otherwise just out of the way
5	Disguised as something else by illusions	15	Lining the bottom of a pool or fountain
6	False bottom of an empty container	16	Loose floorboard or flagstone
7	False bottom of a drawer	17	Under a (false) pillar
8	Hollowed-out book or books	18	Under the seat of a privy
9	Hollow spot above a panel of the ceiling	19	Up the chimney of a stove or fireplace
10	In a room behind a secret door	20	Up the spout of a fountain

8/15: Well, who knew? Dyson had something similar a while back. I'm surprised none of these occurred to me. Told you lot he was cleverer than me.

A thought about magical treasures

Why is it that the only magic items you ever see around are things that are useful for adventuring? There never seems to be, for instance, any magically-animated paintings (ala Harry Potter), enchanted farm or craft tools, potions of fertility, or things like that. Maybe I should make a chart about it. In the meantime here's all the ideas I could think of int 20 minutes and I'd love to hear your suggestions if you're reading this.

• Enchanted painting or tapestry: Figures seem to move on their own (possibly able to talk)
• Book with living illustrations
• Book that reads self aloud
• Lens that reads other books around
• Robe or dress with scintillating patterns
• Robe or dress that changes color to match mood or environment
• Robe or dress that seems to be lighter than air?
• Cufflinks that fasten themselves
• Vest that buttons itself/bodice that laces itself
• Cloth or clothes that can't be ripped or stained
• Potion of fertility
• Potion of contraception
• Potion of Sleep
• Hallucinogenic potion
• Hair tonic potion
• Self-pulling plow
• Enchanted seeds
• Size of plant
• Abundance of produce
• Fast-growing
• Don't need watered
• Fenceposts/chicken coop of repelling predators
• Net or fishing lure that charms aquatic creatures when cast
• Musical instrument that can play itself
• Musical instrument that always stays in tune
• Musical instrument that can play in multiple keys
• Musical instrument that creates its own accompaniment
• Cask of Liquid Gold (endless beer)
• Decanter of endless wine
• Shaker of endless salt
• Grinder of endless pepper
• Boots of foot massaging
• Living/dancing toys
• Self-playing chess set
• Self-shuffling cards
• Self-rolling dice
• Cheating cards
• Cheating dice
• Scissors/knife that never go dull
• Tools that work by themselves
• Hammer and tongs
• Hammer and saw
• Loom
• Strand twister (rope)
• Needle, sewing
• Needles, knitting
• Cauldron/pan
• Washtub
• Broom/mop/duster
• Self-sweeping broom/mop/duster
• Hairbrush/mirror/makeup brushes
• Whetston
• Clothesline of rapid drying
• Vat that can cure leather/dye cloth quickly
• Essence of flavor
• Wallet, alarm
• Wallet, trapped

Random elf names

This is meant to go with Jeff's Random Dwarf Names generator from a while back. The results will probably be gibberish most of the time to anyone who actually understands any Sindarin or Quenya, but I don't so fuck that.

Roll for the first part. Then roll 1d3-1 for the number of middle parts. Once you've gone through all your initial elements roll for the last part.

First Parts

1. Ar-
2. Cele- or Cir-
3. El- or Ea-
4. Fea-
5. Fin-
6. Gal-
7. Glor-
8. Hal-
9. Le- or Li-
10. Lu-
11. Or-
12. Thran-

Middle Parts

1. -a- or -ar-
2. -ad- or -d-
3. -b- or -eb-
4. -du-
5.  -e- or -er-
6. -fin-
7. -go- or -gol-
8. -in- or -n-
9.  -ir- or -r-
10. -la-
11. -ri- 
12. -th- or -thi-

End Parts

1.  -ad or -an
2.  -as
3. -dor or -rod
4. -el or -del
5. -gol
6. -iel
7. -il
8. -in
9. -ir
10. -on or -ond
11. -or or -orn 
12. -we or -wen

Guidelines:

• Double vowels and any diphthongs that don't look right should be broken up with an appropriate consonant-- any of g, th, l, or d usually work.
• Double consonants should likewise be broken up with a vowel, probably a or e maybe o.
• Like I said, most of the result you get out of this will be gibberish.