D&D 3.5 - Desert of Desolation

Starting conditions thread....

Level 6 and Neutral or Good alignment is all we have so far. I think the main things to sort out are ability scores (points based?) and starting equipment. Also I guess this is the place for folks to discuss their character ideas and specific requirements if there are any.

I fancy the male warrior role as im due one, not a straight fighter though some kind of multiclass. Maybe ranger, or less likely fighter/bard. After a bit of an adventurer type with a fairly broad base of skills so Ftr/Ranger or Ftr/Bard or straight Ranger to start with multiclass later. I guess it doesnt matter that much as the PC's role in the party will be very similar regardless of how I do it with the above options.

Thats it thats ok with y'all?

k, i know im an impatient type and its only been a day but how about we go with 75 points free spend and wait for trom to get back to us on equipment...

Works for me. That way when Trom sets the standards, it's just a simple matter of adjusting bits or bobs.

For the record, I shall be playing an exiled Red Wizard of Thay.

.. or at least a wizard of some type.

Waiting a whole day. Gosh I am a bad mans.

75 point spend is absolutely fine by me.

Starting gold 3500gp. Book prices on magic items.

Wizards:

Spells for 1st level as per rules. Gain 2 spells per level beyond 1st as normal.
Finally, for each level of wizard beyond first, gain 2 spell level picks to spend on any spells up to 4th level. Each spell costs a number of spell level picks equal to the spell level.
Fly is presently banned as is any kind of long range teleportation, or in fact, any spell that could easily get you out of the desert. Use descretion.

XP:

All characters will receive same XP regardless of attendance/DMing. The main plot expects a certain progression and it won't help play balance to have any characters falling behind for whatever reason.

Other than that, currently accepted House Rules apply.

Right. Makes sense.

You didn't mention it, but I assume 6th level is set.

Have my picture and second name set, first name is changeable. Will write up something very basic soon enough.

6th level, as stated yes.

General campaign points I guess,

One, when we kicking off, looks like we gots 4 PC's. Im free Fri/Sat, I guess I could DM if Trom is unavailable, but if thats the case we other DMs need Trom's list of things we cant do, I guess the main one is letting the cretins out of the dust desert but it would be nice to hear what the proper restrictions are.

Which reminds me of another point, if we're doing this whole thing in a desert which presumably is arduous and dangerous, are the spells that solve that problem (endure elements/create water/rope trick/create food/etc) available as normal? Because if they are one would wonder whats the point in setting the campaign in a desert. There is a certain amount of self interest in this too as ill have the ranger and it rather negates his role. Maybe the desert is magical and cursed, like anarouch...

Lastly I guess, do we do anything about the 5' step business that has been rumbling on for a while. i.e, take it out of the game and make casting defensively worthwhile. If theres a majority in agreement we can add it to the custom rules section.

And, anything else we need to get in there while we have the chance?

Friday or Saturday is good and I was going to suggest same, but you beat me to it, so consider me available to DM.

There's no restriction on spells other than previously mentioned, you will in any case be given quite a lot of supplies at the start. If you wish to cripple your cleric's spellcasting capabilities by having him feed and water the party + mounts (you will be given mounts, you weren't planning on WALKING.. mwaahahahahaa really?) then that's up to you.

Actually, you know there IS a curse on the desert which you will find about in due course. Ok.. just for fun, no create sustenance spells, until and unless the curse is lifted. Rope trick you can use as normal, obviously you're completely fucked if the camels get stolen overnight.

Endure elements is fine, but again 1 spell per person per day please. Normally, if properly fed and watered it will be hot, but not requiring FORT saves just to get about.

Why a desert? So we can have adventures that fit the setting, like the massive pyramid you will explore. Further justification is likely to have massive spoilers so I'm keeping my mouth shut.

I maintain that 5' step is there for a reason and we spend far too much time second guessing experienced playtesters.

Update: I had been intending to work from a 3.0 conversion of the Desert of Desolation combined book from 1987, but split up somewhat according to the original I3-I5 series from 1982, as to be honest, it flows better that way.

However, I have located a 3.5 update of my 3.0 conversion, so that's nice. This now includes fatigue for being in the desert, so some wilderness survival skills will be applicable.

Again, however, Endure Elements will be allowed if desired.

It comes down to a simple choice, burn up all the magic on basic survival, or try to survive by mundane means and have magic available to deal with the incidents that arise during the adventure.

My exprience with Tyienah - being a mundane ranger in a largely magical group - is that it's annoying when there are rope tricks, endure elements and create food and waters all the time.

Really takes a lot of "ooph" out of the character, because magic IS better than their class skills for surviving in the wilderness.

My 2 cents. I don't care. I'm a wizard.

I think I've made a reasonable compromise, I take on board Mike's issues. Until (unless) the curse is lifted, create food/water doesn't work. Endure Elements can be used if you like, but you use up all 1st level spell slots to do the whole party. Rope trick is available, but you won't be able to fit party+mounts+gear inside and the desert is full of bandits to rob it, sand storms to bury it etc etc, so it's a risk.

I think it's a dangerous precedent to set, to remove magical powers from magical characters because mundane ones feel they might not get to shine.

The Desert is quite dangerous enough for everyone.

Works for me. As I said, I don't really care as I'm playing a wizard, BUT having played a ranger, I do sympathise.

I didn't take rope trick anyway. Very much deliberately.

Nor did you take endure elements. Very much this falls on me as my character is the cleric. On which basis, I wouldn't worry too much about it, as it doesn't do me as DM any good being an arse to the players.

OH... and Mike & I are opening up Fri/Sat.

Iain? Dennis?

Friday/Saturday are both good.

Saturday is best.

What time?

Saturday confirmed then. Shall we say 6:30pm UK?

sat is good here.

right, any dramas with doing a prequel mr main DM? im off for the week and at a loose end, am prepared to run a short side session or two if anyone else is of the same mind. might be able to get a few characters together and aquianted in advance of main kick off.

6.30pm is fine.

Looks like we're tied up on Thursday, but today or Friday I am free.

rogger. anyone else avail tonight?

k, we'll see whos about and who's not a bit later and consider the options.

Can if you want, I'll be too busy with other commitments though.

The start of the campaign assumes the characters have been arrested (rightly or wrongly) for causing some level of embarrassment to the local bigwig wizard to the court and are being exiled into the desert as a kind of punishment.

SO... if you want to run an advance side, have it in Brazillar or something and not in the desert proper.

XP rules as stated above will apply.

I'll be using OpenR for my stuff. Please all have 1.8 installed and ready.

Baat/anyone, if you have copies of any of my old character sheets, I'd appreciate it, all was lost in recent disk crash and I want a sheet I can work with.

I have sheets of course, but probably easier to just work with the character sheets from the forums and update them there?

That way all sheets are available to everyone all the time.

I was planning on just keeping a small .txt doc in OpenR to record current HP, spells used and other such things.

Anyway, onto something important.

I realise looking through the current house rules that we have nerfed summon monster down to a single choice. You pick one creature type and that IS what you can summon.

Now, I realise this is going to sound rather self-serving, but in fairness I havent played a wizard/cleric since Xavus and thus have been out of touch with magic as is.

Not until yesterday, when I was thinking about it, does this decision seem both ridiculus and against the flavour of the spell. I took summon monster I mostly so I would be able to potentially summon a variety of low-powered helpers (not really a combat spell for a 6th level PC), removing the ability to actually summon help based on the situation renders the spell pointless.

I don't mind, we can keep it as it is, but I will be removing the spell from my list, because it wouldn't be able to do what I wanted to do with it and will take unseen servant instead, which would do roughly the same thing.

I seriously think we need to reevaluate the change we made and WHY we made it.

The change was made off the back of Videl's amazing success with summoning magic and I think the changes made were a huge knee-jerk reaction to what was amazingly broken with the right combination of summoned monsters and feats.

Anyhow, discuss.

Hopefully Mike will post the log from our game yesterday and maybe a little of how I intended to use the spell will become apparent.

Btw. Since everyone said they had Friday/Saturday available..

Any chance of a shortish interlude/introduction session on Friday, before the real session on Sat?

Thought two games in a row quickly might get the campaign off to a good start.