Campaign Rules
Character Race & Class
We’re taking the almost anything goes approach (with DM approval) to character options. All races are allowed that can be found using the D&D 3.5 rules. All characters must start at first level. We are using the point buy method and the characters can spend 28 points on character creation. If a player wishes to be of a race that has a level adjustment, that player may only do so only if they take monster character class that can be found in D&D 3.5 accessories, exceptions may be made if there is no monster class available and if the player and/DM create a steady progression for characters with enhanced abilities due to level adjustment.
Races foreign to Fall From Heaven will be allowed as long as the player under the oversight of the DM have developed sufficient back story explaining how the race came to be; this will be allowed only on the condition of DM approval that such back story meshes coherently with the campaign. Currently, back story for the halflings is that they were a nomadic tribe of humans who wandered to this region at the beginning of the Age of Rebirth, and have since been growing smaller with each generation as they have been exposed to the residual magic of the Expanse. All races will use whatever race they are supposed to be in the FFH setting except as follows: Luchuirp are Gnomes, however gnomes are considered to be a subset of dwarves in the story even though we’re using all the rules for the gnomes as they stand. Svartalfar will be Drow. Sidar are all human. Shades are not, and no one starts as a shade. Sheiam will be Valashtar from the Book of Vile Darkness. Mercurians can be human, or if you can find an angel that is equivalent to a first level character then be my guest. Infernals will be tieflings or demons along the same lines. Again, you can be whatever you want outside of the PHB as long as it is the equivalent of a first level character.
All character classes in the PHB 3.5 are allowed, as are all base classes and prestige classes found in any other accessory subject to DM approval. If you’re going to pick something oriental then make sure you have a good background to explain how fits in the FFH setting. No class will be banned outright; however, particular classes found to be overpowered may be subject to slower experience gain and other small limitations. To get some ideas about which classes may or may not be overpowered, consult the Living Greyhawk Campaign Sourcebook under the limited and restricted sections. Powerful spells, feats, and other overpowered features found outside of the core rulebooks will never be outright banned. Anything particularly powerful will be availabe, however it will require effort to acquire, such as a side quest searching out a capable teacher of a secret technique/spell and other reasonable ideas. Just keep in mind that having fun playing whatever you want to play is the goal as long as it doesn’t unbalance the campaign.
Themes
The goal here is to have a fun time and tell a really great story, so on that note all themes that can be found in Fall From Heaven will be explored and probably others I can’t think of off the top of my head. Think of a theme or two when creating your character. I’m still toying with the idea of using a destiny mechanic to emphasize this. Just to be clear, your race and class are not themes. Examples of themes: the temptation of power, fear of death and lust for immortality, the end justifies the means in pursuing the greater good, sacrifice, searching for the truth, controlling ones emotions, getting in touch with one’s humanity, atonement. These are just examples, your theme doesn’t have to be along the lines of love/loss, good/evil, or life/death. You don’t have to state what it is, though it should be apparent in your backstory.
Character Connections & Backstory
It is strongly encouraged that characters forge a strong bond with at least one of the other player characters in each party, whether that bond is antagonistic or friendly is up to the players. Creating back story where the characters have strong bonds with NPCs is also encouraged.
Furthermore, for the start of the campaign characters will begin play heading into the Badlands from the mainland of Erebus. You will be traveling in alone or in groups according to your backstory. Player characters must include back story on why their characters are heading into the Badlands in search of the Expanse and the important aspects of what has happened in their character’s life up until that point.
Player Organizations
You, the Player Characters, will not be the only ones playing in the Expanse. Simultaneously with the D&D campaign, I will be running an NES where each of those players will be running an organization. Expect to interact with them and them to interact with you. For those of you who don’t know what an NES is, it stands for Never Ending Story. Essentially it’s a roleplaying game where the player plays a group instead of a character. Each week they turn in their orders for what their group does and the moderator (the DM, too, in this case) posts an update describing what’s happened. During the week all sorts of diplomacy and intrigue go on behind the the scenes. Eventually you end up with a story as rich as a D&D campaign. My ambition was to go one step up and make this story affected by as many people as possible, in essence adding another dimension to both games.
In the future, when you encounter these organizations you will have the option of joining them if you fulfill their requirements and are on good terms with the organization in question. Joining an organization has benefits such as providing you with access to feats, magic items, and prestige classes that you normally would not have access to, in addition to other benefits. Being a member of an organization also has duties that need to be fulfilled by the PC regularly. More information and rules on how to join organizations will be given when you encounter them.
That’s that. Send your histories to me via e-mail. Just click on my name to the right of this post and select ‘send e-mail.’ Looking forward to seeing some backstories.
