D&D 3.5 - Planescape Explorer Campaign

*Updated Nov 10.*

PC Starting conditions

What follows are the starting conditions as agreed at our campaign set up meeting. Broad intention is to create medium in power PCs, social in nature, generally good aligned. PCs should have the inclination to explore as the group will be members of an explorers guild. Campaign start is at 4th level. (New additions after we've started will join at the lowest existing level in the group.)

Hit Points

First three levels dont need to be rolled, they are maximum with the modifier applied. Ie. You are a Cleric with D8 hp and CON modifier of -1. You start with 7, 7, 7 for your first three levels.

Attributes

Point buy system in the DMG (every attribute begins at , 28 points to spend, racial modifiers are applied at the end.

9-14 each costs one point
15 and 16 each costs 2 points
17 and 18 each costs 3 points

Point value for individual abilitity scores
9 - 1 points
10 - 2 points
11 - 3 points
12 - 4 points
13 - 5 points
14 - 6 points
15 - 8 points
16 - 10 points
17 - 13 points
18 - 16 points

Races*

Any found in PHB1 or FRCS. Anything else needs prior approval and new players are advised to please keep it simple.

Classes*

Any found in PHB1 or FRCS. Anything else needs prior approval and new players are advised to please keep it simple, classes can possibly be revised later if there is a burning issue.

Factions

Planar characters should have a faction, however we are using the 2e material so the benefits and disadvantages need conversion. Speak to someone in the group and we'll get it sorted. Prime's can either have one or not, depending on their background.

Cash

Pick any normal equipment within reason, rough 10k budget, anything out of the DMG/PHB should be ok. Magic items for new characters will be dished out before play by the current DM.

*Some of the classes/PrC's out there are seriously broken which is why its PHB/FRCS only at least to start with. Once a character is in the game and off and running there is more scope to discuss potential PrC's etc.

The key objective is to have a party that is broadly balanced with each other, and where everyone is the best at their specialist area. Dont make a PC thats a demigod compared to everyone else, it really wont impress anyone.

Just some useful links. Ive reposted the text at the beginning that I typed up last time by way of introduction for those unfamiliar with Planescape:



A cool as fuck old school one!!:



Introduction.

Clueless? I see. Well, you had better listen in or it wont be long till your booked by some cross trading cutter who knows the dark of it. Anyway, I suppose you just want me to stop rattling it and lann you the basics:

Magic in the Outlands. Magic is gradually nullified the closer you get to the spire, 9th level spells don’t operate fail in the first ring, then 8th, 7thnd, then no magic more powerful than 6th, and so on. Until all magic is negated beside the spire itself.

Magic in the Outer ring. Every plane effects magic in its own ways, too numerous to go through here. But suffice to say a blood would be barmy to stock up on chaos magic before a trip to Mechanus, the plane of absolute law.

Magical Weapons. Plane of origin is everything with these things. The closer you are to the weapons ‘home plane’ the more effective it will be. Each plane you move away from the place it was manufactured, your blade will lose a portion of its power, until, eventually, it becomes inert. Temporarily of course. Armour is unaffected. Don’t ask me why.

Clerics. Similar to weapons really cutters. Clerics lose a portion of their power the further they get from their philosophical home. The difference being, clerics can’t jump their power through the most logical route from their deities home plane, weapons can. I guess they are more affected by the power of belief. Power key’s can fix this problem, but they’re pretty hard to come by.

Gates and portals. These are the main means of travel from place to place in the planes. Loads of them, everywhere, particularly in Sigil; its called the city of doors for a reason. Gates usually require a gate key, which isn’t necessarily a key as such, it could be a rhyme, or vial of blood, or maybe you have to walk backwards through it. The main chant is, beware primes, cos planar cutters are able to see gates, where as they will be invisible to you until it’s too late.

Petitioners. Be wary of these folks, they are the poor dead sods who have died in their prime world and gone to ‘heaven’ as it were. They remember little of their past lives so if you see a berk you booked sometime don’t expect him to remember ya. But long story short, they all are aligned to their place of rest. So remember where you are before you try and talk to ‘em.

Primes. The clueless. Yep, that what we call you. You have a few advantages on the rest of us though, gates aside. Protection magic, summonings and abjurations that can cause a planar blood a lot of agro aren’t likely to effect you. Also, many of you seem to be pretty powerful, having got here in the first place, so many bloods will be peery of taking you on right away. You’re kind of thought of as dangerous, yet potentially powerful kids that are thrill seeking out here.

Factions. Now, this is important. Belief matters here. In fact, its everything here. Its what the fiends are tearing up the lower planes about, its what separates the good berks of Mount Celestia from the poor treacherous imprisoned sods in Carceri. Almost all planar cutters are a member of a faction, whether they say so or not. And there are about twelve main ones, depending on your philosophical point of view. Factions look after their own generally speaking and can help you out in all sorts of ways. Oh, and they’re always looking for new recruits fresh from the prime worlds. Wanna join the fated? Discounted joining fees olks!

That’s it. Oh, and we talk differently here. But I guess you’ve tumbled to that dark by now.

Campaign Information.

Some useful resources:

http://www.planewalker.com (2,3,3.5 and 4e)

http://www.mimir.net (2e)

http://dotd.com/planescape/Players_Guide_to_the_Planes.htm - (all the factions are in here)

http://mike_c.f-m.fm/Planescape%20DM%20guide.pdf - all the planar conditions and a page describing each one nice and succinctly.

http://www.mimir.net/cant/cant2.html - Planar cant index

http://www.deathstar.org/~krlipka/ps/things/thoughts/sigilcal.html - Calendar for Sigil

http://mike_c.f-m.fm/Sigil_with_Key_by_zen79.jpg - Full Map with Key for the cage.

Do you have a link to the full pic, that seems to be missing the rightmost 1/3rd.

What nerfs house rules are we applying to wizards for this campaign?

Right click. Select copy image location. Paste into browser.

And you call yourself a computer person

owch!

as to nerfs as you put it, magic is only effected in that it works slightly differently depending on what plane you are in. ie, gray waste, good place for necromancy.

spell keys are work arounds to these restrictions, much like power keys are for clerics.

on the outlands there is a progressive dead magic zone working out from the spire but it doesnt come up much.

Actually I meant stuff like the spell level changes (eg fly=l5) we've used in the past.

I understand there are planar environmental effects and the dead magic around the spire and so on, that's understood and accepted

as i understand it the decision, which wasnt debated in any particularly passionate way, was to keep the status quo. but as i recall the main objection with going back to core was from myself and zert on the skills issue.

all.

all planar PCs have an awareness of gates and portals. its spot, usually DC20 to see if a portal is there. that doesn't mean that there are any indications as to what the gate key might be mind.

its a two way street, as most things are in that there are downsides to being an outsider too. abjurations...

Just a couple of things on planar conditions lemmie know if anyone has a drama with these. We are using the 2e PS stuff, which describes magic conditions in a given place as either unaffected, diminished, enhanced, or null. (or words to that effect.) The 2e game effects obviously dont make sense, so translated into our 3.5 then:

Enhanced.

All spells cast are treated as empowered as per the feat. (numeric effects +50%)
+2 to spell DC's and spell penetration rolls.

Diminished.

The opposite. (numeric effects -50%)
-2 to spell DC's and spell penetration rolls.

Null/Maximised.

They dont work, or are treated as if they are cast with the maximised feat, and as above except +4/+4.

Note:

The above is very rare, only on the inner planes do you really get this i think, and occasionally certain spells in certain places.

PS. what cunt fucked with my avatar.

I said this on Trom's PC thread, but saying it again here.

I think the first 3 levels for all characters should be max HP, this will help a lot with survivability and make sure no one ends up with total turd HP (worse being Mung or Jonas to be frank).

After the 3 levels, everyone is back to rolling, so 85% of all HP will be random, which I feel is okay.

The HP idea sounds good. We did a similar thing in the Braavos/Larue/Cel/Tyei campaign and it worked out well there (extra hit-die instead of full HP though, I believe).

Yeah, I gave everyone an extra HD and no one died (through some nasty stuffz too) until Celandina got her wand, lol.

Hopefully you won't need so many HP related feats that way too, because I am potentially a little concerned about them Zert, what with your AC (which will get much higher), naturally damage reduction and natural immunties.

I'm happy with the featy thing you wrote up, but if it gets to a point when we say, "I think you've got enough boyo, you've got 90 more HP than the next guy", then you'll need to chill on them.

Speaking as the HP deficient member of the party, anything which gives me more isn't attracting dissent here.

the HP thing is fine by me.

Then it is settled, I shall adjust my character sheet/HP accordingly.

gents, i draw your attention to the dm's guide to the planes which if added to the handy links section.

if you want it quick and dirty with a minimum of fuss what the craic is with anywhere, its in there. the other longer books are good too if you have the time but im gonna stick to this.

has a page on each plane and quickly explains the environmental and magic conditions, done. please dont refer mid session while playing if you can help it.

*Bump*

Resources section updated with calendar info and a proper Sigil Map.

http://www.planewalker.com/sites/www.planewalker.com/files/chapter2.pdf

This PDF contains lots of original 2E planescape races converted to 3E along with lots of other bit and bobs. Worth a look if you're short of ideas and such.