The Campaign Builder's Guild

Quote from: Elemental_ElfMaybe you should create a few of these items, to show off the differences between each of the 4 styles, which will also give us a better idea of where you are taking the class.

Well, basically what I wanted is what the styles are called.  Clanks are constructs, but without any magic powering them.  Thus, they are a cheaper but not as long lasting.  Firearms are, by and large, gunpowder weapons however this category allows for steam-powered repeating crossbows, and clockwork telescoping polearms and the like.  Armor is powered armor, whether steam or clockwork, and objects are, well, engines.  Devices for powering stuff that doesn't fall into the other categories.

For example, say you wanted a powered wagon.  Your options would be to take a regular wagon, upgrade the axles and wheels to metal to withstand the increased pressure, and build a steam or clockwork engine to power your wagon.  Ta-da!, now you don't need horses.  Option B is to build a transporter clank.  The clank would be more expensive because it would need an AI of sorts; otherwise it would just be an engine with a custom chassis.  But it would be the same process for creating, just standard Craft checks with the DCs set by the DM; but I would recommend these DCs:

Weapons
Steam-powered - DC 20
Clockwork - 27
Infused - 35

Armors
Steam-powered - DC 18
Clockwork - DC 24
Infused - DC 30

Engine:
Steam-powered - DC 15
Clockwork - DC 20
Infused - DC 25

Clank:
Steam-powered - DC 24
Clockwork - DC 35
Infused - DC 45

I've been talking about steam-powered and clockwork stuff for a while, here are the differences:

Steam powered is cheaper, heavier, and requires more maintenance.  Since this is steampunk, not true steam tech, you can make man-portable steam-powered stuff, but it still requires more stuff (but not as high quality stuff) as clockwork.
Clockwork technology is the way of the future.  A well-made clockwork clank will wind itself, never stopping unless you shut it down (this is steampunk, who cares about the First Law of Thermodynamics) and takes up only half the space of steam!

I mentioned Infused tech in the bit about DCs, and I just want to clarify.  An Infused item is the epitome of technology, taking on qualities nearing magical in behavior.  Only artificers of great level can create Infused item of greater than negligible strength.  Items are Infused during creation, and as such an artificer has to proceed with the greatest of caution, hence the higher DC.  When retro-fitting an item with an Infusion, you have to make Craft rolls as if crafting from scratch.  Simply assume the cost of the original item already made.

I'll probably ax the Infusion from the first 5 levels or so, to justify the fluff I just put up.

Quote from: Gwaihir Windlord

Quote from: Vreeg's Coachwhip.Can you provide poor me with a tad of fluff to describe your creation?  I do love artificers...

I'll get back to you on that; check back tomorrow or Tuesday.

Sorry, I'm still fleshing out the fluff.  It'll come soon enough.

I don't want to give it an XP cost.  I think XP costs are retarded.  I get why they are there, but I don't like the application of them.

A ton of gold makes sense...  Perhaps have the gold cost as if you were crafting a magic item.  What do you think about that?

Thanks for getting back to me.  Here comes my answers.

Quote from: Vreeg's Coachwhip.Can you provide poor me with a tad of fluff to describe your creation?  I do love artificers...

I'll get back to you on that; check back tomorrow or Tuesday.

Quote from: Gnomish Cheetosthat seems way overpowered. Basically an artificer can make anything into a permanent magic item at no extra cost to himself.

That was my biggest worry.  I tried to balance it by not giving the artificers all the fun upgrades that regular magic items do, limiting their infusions per level, and having infused weapons not count as magic for the purposes of overcoming damage reduction(did I mention that?  I forget).  What are you recommendations for balancing that?

Quote from: Elemental_ElfI'm not seeing the point of the Craft Tech, it seems really open ended unless you have items and flavor in mind for all 4.

The one problem I have with Craft Focus is that people could combo that with Skill Focus (Craft (xxx)). Why not just eliminate a needless feat and stick to basics. Then make Craft Focus something more interesting, like say:

Craft Focus:
The character has learned through study and experience how best to assemble and maintain technological items within the field chosen.
Prerequisite: Skill Focus: Craft (steam), (clockwork), (gunpowder), or (clanks)
Benefit: Once per day an Artificer may re-roll any Craft check with which he as the Skill Focus feat. He further gains an additional +1 to Craft checks made to build or maintain technological items, weapons or armor within the chosen field. The fields are Steam, Clockwork, Gunpowder, and Clanks.
Special: This feat can be chosen up to 4 times. Each time the benefit applies to a different field of technology.
Special: An Artificer may take this feat regardless as one of his Bonus feats even if he does not have the prerequisites for it.

This way it makes for a really interesting and powerful feat and still nets the Artificer a +5 on the check but the benefits are spread over 2 feats.

I really like that, and I'll change it.  Thanks for the feat.

Well this one started out as a modified Artificer from Ebberon, but it turned out that I was changing more than I wasn't, so here is the beta version.  Click the link in Game Rule Information for the 20-level table.

[spoiler=Game Rule Information]The Artificer

Game Rule Information
Artificers have the following game statistics.

Abilities: Intelligence is by and away the most important ability for the artificer; as the Craft skills are based off of it.  Dexterity is also important, as it improves the ranged combat.

Alignment: Any
Hit die: d6

Class Skills
The artificer's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Appraise (Int), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Disable Device (Int), Knowledge (technology) (Int), Knowledge (architecture and engineering) (Int), Listen (Wis), Open Lock (Dex), Profession (Wis), Search (Int), Spot (Wis), and Use Technological Device (Int).

Skill Points at 1st Level: (6 + Int modifier) X 4
Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 6 + Int modifier.

 http://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?key=pLMZmMCpXpmhgEqjlUAJ_Zw&hl=en
[/spoiler]
[spoiler=Class Abilities]Infusions
     An artificer can cast any Infusion from the list spontaneously.  Infusions are not arcane or divine in nature; rather they represent some inherent quality in the item created.
     When creating or repairing an object, an artificer can choose to use on of his infusions to effectively enchant the object.  The object is considered magic for the purposes of damage reduction, and must be masterwork to be infused.  If the artificer is creating a fresh item, it may be infused so long as it is being crafted as masterwork.  
     An artificer may also retrofit mundane technological weapons and armor to masterwork quality.  He must sacrifice an infusion slot to while making a Craft (technological) check as if he was repairing the object.  
     An artificer may also remove one infusion on a given object by sacrificing an infusion slot of equivalent level to the infusion being removed or higher.
     Each level the artificer receives new infusions.  Any infusions from the previous level that were not used do not carry over and are lost.

Craft Reserve
     Artificers have a reserve of Craft points that they use when crafting items.  Each Craft points is worth 1 gp of raw materials, representing the artificers ability to make superior items with inferior materials.  The pool is refreshed every level; any leftover points do not carry over and are lost.

Craft Tech
     The three versions of Craft Tech all follow a standard template.  Craft Tech I gives the basic item creation feat associated with the field (gunpowder, steam, or clockwork).  Craft Tech II gives the masterwork item creation feat, and Craft Tech III gives a +5 bonus on Craft (mechanical) checks involving the technology.

Artificer Knowledge
     An artificer can make a special artificer knowledge check with a bonus equal to his artificer level + his Int modifier to determine what the task of a technological object is.
   The artificer must hold (if possible) and examine the object for 1 minute (+1 minute for every size category above Small).  A successful check against DC 15 determines what the object is desined to do, but does not tell for how long or how well the object is functioning (or if it even is at all, though a Spot check usually will tell you if it's working or not).
   An artificer cannot take 10 or take 20 on this check.  A particular item can only be examined in this fashion one time; if the check fails, the artificer can learn no more about that object (the DM can determine if a retry is appropriate, or if the artificer needs some outside help to try again).
Artisan Bonus
   An artificer gets a +2 bonus on Use Technological Device checks to activate an item for which he has the appropriate Craft Tech feat.

Disable Trap
   Artificers have the technological know-how to shut down technological wonders just as easily as they can create them.  Artificers can use the Disable Device skill to disable steam-powered and clockwork traps.  Normally the Disable Device skill can only be used to disable simple machine traps.

Bonus Feats
At levels 3, 7, 9, 11, 17, and 20 artificers receive a bonus feat.  The feat must be chosen from the list below, and the artificer must meet all the prerequisites as normal.
Augment Clank**, Craft Focus (Clank)**, Craft Focus (Clockwork)**,  Craft Focus (Gunpowder)**, Craft Focus (Steam)**, Exceptional Artisan*, Extraordinary Artisan*, Legendary Artisan*, Point Blank Shot, Quick Draw, Rapid Reload, Skill Focus (must be a class skill), Weapon Focus (firearms)
*from the Ebberon Campaign Setting
**new feat described below[/spoiler]

[spoiler=New Feats and Skills]New Feats and Skills
New Skills

Craft (mechanical) (Int)
Used as the other Craft skills, Craft (mechanical) allows the construction and repair of technological items.

Use Technological Device (Int)
As Use Magical Device, but for technological items that one does not have the creation feat for.

New Feats

Craft Focus:
The character has learned through study and experience how best to assemble and maintain technological items within the field chosen.
Prerequisite: Skill Focus: Craft (steam), (clockwork), (gunpowder), or (clanks)
Benefit: Once per day an Artificer may re-roll any Craft check with which he as the Skill Focus feat. He further gains an additional +1 to Craft checks made to build or maintain technological items, weapons or armor within the chosen field. The fields are Steam, Clockwork, Gunpowder, and Clanks.
Special: This feat can be chosen up to 4 times. Each time the benefit applies to a different field of technology.
Special: An Artificer may take this feat regardless as one of his Bonus feats even if he does not have the prerequisites for it.

Augment Clank
The character has learned how to position members and gears within a clank to increase strength and durability.
Prerequisite: 10 ranks in Craft (technological), Craft Clank
Benefit: Clanks you craft receive +4 to Strength and hardness.

Craft Clank
Allows the crafting of clanks (steam powered or clockwork robots), as per the Craft rules.  The function of the clank varies, but a guideline of DCs and raw material pricing for clanks is below

(-there should be a chart here, but right now I am too lazy to put one up.  Assume slightly lower costs than the battle clank for servant, laborer and transporter clanks-)

The raw material cost for a battle clank is 2,000 gp per size category.  A battle clank can only be from size Small '" Colossal.  This cost does not include weapons for the clank.

All clank material costs are given for iron clanks.  A clank can be made out of a special material by adding to the price as normal. [/spoiler]

[spoiler=Infusion List]Artificer Infusion List
All infusions are from the Ebberon Campaign Setting, Magic of Ebberon, or the Player's Handbook v 3.5

Level 1
Ablative Armor: Infuse armor with DR 0 + caster level (max 20).
Armor Enhancement, Lesser: Infuse armor with a +1 bonus.
Light: Infuse object with a light (light shines as a torch).
Resisting Item: Infused item gives bearer a +1 bonus on saving throws.  Clanks receive a +1 bonus on their saving throws.
Skill Enhancement: Infused item bestows a circumstance bonus on skill checks.  Clanks receive a circumstance bonus on their own skill checks.
Spell Storing Item: Store one spell in infused item.
Weapon Augmentation, Personal: Infused weapon with a +1 bonus.  Can not be retrofitted.

Level 2
Armor Enhancement: Infuse armor with up to a +3 bonus.
Lucky Blade: Infused weapon grants a single re-roll of an attack.
Reinforce Clank: Infused clank gains 1d6 + 1/level extra hit points.
Chill Metal: Cold metal items damage those who touch them.  Steam items cannot be infused in this manner.
Heat Metal: Hot metal items damage those who touch them.
Toughen Clank: Infused clank gains +2 or higher bonus to hardness.
Weapon Augmentation, Lesser: Infuse weapon with a +1 bonus.

Level 3
Armor Enhancement, Greater: Infuse armor with up to a +5 bonus.
Suppress Requirement: Item that requires a class feature, race, ability score, or alignment to function no longer does.
Adamantine Item: Infuse item with adamantine properties.

Level 4
Invulnerability, Lesser: Infused item cannot be harmed by 1st-3rd-level spells
Item Alteration: Item that provides a certain type of bonus provides a different type of bonus to the same value or roll.
Weapon Augmentation: Infuse weapon with up to a +3 bonus.

Level 5
Bear's Endurance: Infused clank receive +4 to hardness.
Bull's Strength: Infused clank receive +4 to Str.
Cat's Grace: Infused clank receive +4 to Dex

Level 6
Disable Clank: Shuts down clank.
Invulnerability: As Lesser Invulnerability, but 4th-level spells as well.
Hardening: Item's hardness increases by 1 per 2 levels.
Weapon Augmentation, Greater: Infuse weapon with up to a +5 bonus.[/spoiler]

[spoiler=Credits]
Since I have taken Elemental Elf's feat verbatim, I now have to credit my collaborators.
Craft Focus feat
Elemental Elf
Everything Else
Gwaihir Windlord[/spoiler]

Monoplanes move about twice as fast, if not faster, than a zeppelin.  Monoplanes are for one or two people that need to get somewhere fast, while a zeppelin is more of a liner, although they can and do have varying degrees of luxury.

Quote from: MithyI suggested an oil monopoly in the original thread as a "physical" reason that would help; your proposed magical ones are also helpful.

I used that oil monopoly idea, and credited you.  Thanks for it, it really goes a long way towards explaining all this.

One of the things I used is altering magic somewhat.  The biggest change is no wizards.  You can't go out a learn magic, if you've got the talent you've got it, and if you don't well, don't waste your money on fake wizards schools.

As for the argument on teleportation and bags of holding, a teleport spell will transport what, 10 max?  You can fit thousands in a zeppelin, along with all their stuff.

And the fly spell give you a 60ft fly speed, which translates to about 7 MPH.  Pretty pathetic compared to anything else in the air.

Because a plane can get you from one place to another faster.  While flight is already a possibility though magic, a plane is far more efficient.  You can carry more stuff in a plane, and go faster.

Just like cars and trains were invented.  We can already walk and run, why invent a car?  Because the car can get you somewhere faster than walking, and it can carry more stuff than you could on your own.

Not at all.  The Guild has a total monopoly on oil.  Anyone can make a plane, but the Guild is the only group that has fuel.

As do I.  I will credit people with their additions to my setting.

Quote from: JharvissThough guns and airplanes are scary, my biggest concern would actually be the navy.  In a world where navy matters (as in, not all countries are land-locked next to each other), having a couple WWII battleships next to rennaisance or medieval warships would be devestating.  A single WWII battleship could probably take out the entirety of Napoleon's navy.

Then, hey, let's throw in submarines!

No monster battleships.  Naval technology is Napoleonic.  Naval travel isn't cost-effective because of all the monsters in the ocean.  That's why air travel developed as fast as it did.

Ok, first off cannons do exist. Gunpowder weapons are very prevalent, and catapults and trebuchets are not used as much because of cannons. There are muskets, but they are crude and bows are more effective and cheaper. For that reason, they generally aren't used, although non-Guild scientists are continuing to improve upon them.

The Guild is so much more advance because they are all much smarter. Hundreds of years ago, lighter-than-air travel was developed and was quite prevalent. Heavier-than-air travel, however, had not progressed beyond Wright fliers because there was no need for them to. The original Guild members, however, saw enormous potential in heavier-than-air travel, but because no one else had yet seen that potential they also say enormous potential for profit. Everyone who believed in the potential power of heavier-than-air travel got on a blimp and headed out to an island where they would attempt to develop it. Only genius visionaries were on that blimp. As plane became more and more sophisticated, the Guild members realized that they would need something to power it. Crude oil reserves had been found on the island already, and while the internal combustion engine had not yet been developed the oil was already being used to power things. Soon the engine was invented, and eventually it was miniaturized enough to put into a plane.

The internal combustion engine is in use all over the world. Zeppelins and build by the Republic and the United Islands as well as the Guild, but the Guild controls all of the crude oil yet discovered. By now the Guild has so much money that whenever someone find more, the Guild will simply buy it. Six million gold now is a lot more appealing then 10 million 30 years from now.

I love this site.  I make one harmless little post (well, maybe not so little) and a bunch of people jump in and shoot it full of holes.

Ok, first off cannons do exist.  Gunpowder weapons are very prevalent, and catapults and trebuchets are not used as much because of cannons.  There are muskets, but they are crude and bows are more effective and cheaper.  For that reason, they generally aren't used, although non-Guild scientists are continuing to improve upon them.

The Guild is so much more advance because they are all much smarter.  Hundreds of years ago, lighter-than-air travel was developed and was quite prevalent.  Heavier-than-air travel, however, had not progressed beyond Wright fliers because there was no need for them to.  The original Guild members, however, saw enormous potential in heavier-than-air travel, but because no one else had yet seen that potential they also say enormous potential for profit.  Everyone who believed in the potential power of heavier-than-air travel got on a blimp and headed out to an island where they would attempt to develop it.  Only genius visionaries were on that blimp.  As plane became more and more sophisticated, the Guild members realized that they would need something to power it.  Crude oil reserves had been found on the island already, and while the internal combustion engine had not yet been developed the oil was already being used to power things.  Soon the engine was invented, and eventually it was miniaturized enough to put into a plane.

The internal combustion engine is in use all over the world.  Zeppelins and build by the Republic and the United Islands as well as the Guild, but the Guild controls all of the crude oil yet discovered.  By now the Guild has so much money that whenever someone find more, the Guild will simply buy it.  Six million gold now is a lot more appealing then 10 million 30 years from now.

Ok, lemme try to defend this.  First off, I'm not going to change the WW2 part, but if you guys argue me down to point where I have to say "It's magic let it be!" so be it.

Ok, I like the idea about the oil.  I think I'll use that, thanks Mithridates for that.

The Guild hasn't taken over the world yet because they simply don't have the manpower.  They've got a few hundred engineers and a few thousand workers, but that pales in comparison to the military of the two other nations.

As for the rest of the world, I'm leaving that alone for now.  Maybe I'll get to it later, but as of right now any other civilizations are more than 3,000 miles away.

The planes are somewhat magical in nature.  The mechanics of it are all mundane, but there are serious magical enchantments on the aircraft.  If two parts of a plane are separated by an inch or more, the smaller piece is destroyed (as if touched by a Sphere of Annihilation).

The Guild doesn't control all air travel.  Lighter than air travel is open, although non guild airships tend to be powered magically instead of mechanically.

Thanks for the criticism, anything else?

I don't know about anyone else, but to me it seems like the best eras for land, sea and air technologies never overlap.  So I took up the challenge to build a game world where they do overlap.  Here's what I've got so far:

[spoiler=General Information]

There are only two nations of any respectable size left. While there are other countries, they are for the most part puppets of the two big ones. On one side we have the Republic of Zarintan, in the other corner The United Islands. The Aeronautical Guild is located on an island somewhere, no one really know where. The two nations are like England and France, almost perpetually at war. However, it is downright suicidal to attempt to cross open water in a ship, as if the kraken doesn't kill you, the water dragons, sea serpends, kuo-toa, or merfolk will. Everything is done via the air, and while dragons, griffins and rocs make for fine mounts, something a bit easier to control is generally appreciated. Enter the Guild. Lizardfolk inhabit most shallower areas, and they can guarantee safe passage over them... for a price.[/spoiler]

[spoiler=Character Information]

Aircraft and creatures
Races, Feats, and One New Skill
Map of the region

No half-orcs, no paladins, no half-elves, no wizards, use above links for more information.

Level adjustment for planes is treated the same as level adjustment for monstrous races. If you choose to start with a plane, you cannot choose anything with a level adjustment of higher than +2.[/spoiler]

[spoiler=Technology]

Ground:
Ground-pounders are still using swords and spears for the most part. Some gunpowder weapons have found there way onto the ground, but nothing even remotely approaching the sophistication of the Aeronautical Guild. Late medieval technology rules.

Naval:
The seas are treacherous, to say the least, so naval tech is similar to that of the ground. The cannons that the armies of the world are making have been fitted on ships as well, and broadsides are exchanged whenever ships meet. Napoleonic technology, except marines are armed with swords and bows instead of guns.

Air:
Lighter than air travel was developed centuries before it was on Earth, as sea trade was impossible and the islands were to small to hold the rapidly growing population. Once airborne, some brilliant aeronautical engineers spilt off and gathered together, developing more and more sophisticated aircraft and weapons for them. They jealously guard their secrets, and none who enter the guild headquarters leave. The Guild sells aircraft to any who have the money, without any discrimination. World War Two technology in the air.[/spoiler]

[spoiler=The United Islands]

The United Islands are very Japanese, except with the power between the sexes reversed. Women rule that nation, and do it well. The physical disparities between the sexes are more pronounced, with the women rarely topping four feet and the men regularly over six, however the mental capabilities of males are severely reduced. The men are very warlike, and because of this the nation has almost constantly been at war with someone. If they men didn't have foreigners to fight, they would fight each other which would be immensely self-destructive. A pantheonic religion rules in the United Islands, and the nation's fighter pilots are much better trained than their Republic counterparts. Fighter pilots are looked upon as samurai of the skies, and treated as such.[/spoiler]

[spoiler=The Republic]

The Republic is very Roman. Men and women are treated equally, both in theory and in practice. The vast majority of their airfields and dockyards are around the Bay of Zarintan, but any and all attempts by the United Islands to seal off that bay have been thwarted thus far. The Senate is composed of 99 senators, some of whom are corrupt but for the most part the government is clean. Economically inferior to the United Islands, the Republic makes the most of its scant natural resources. However, a vast silver mine has recently been discovered on one of the colonized islands, so the economic station of the Republic may change very soon. The most common religion of the Republic is di-theistic.[/spoiler]

[spoiler=The Guild]
The Aeronautical Guild was the original developer of heavier-than-air flight.  When the first heavier-than-air flying machine was invented, most brushed it off.  But a few visionaries saw the immense potential for the machine, along with a few businessmen.  The businessmen convinced the scientists that not only was there extreme technological potential here, but also a lot of money.  So the group, calling itself the Aeronautical Guild, secreted itself away on an uncharted island, and there they developed airplanes.  Every few years the Guild would release a new model to one nation or the other, selling them at unbelievable prices.  Engineers with both the Republic and United Islands reverse-engineered this machines, and so the Guild had to continue coming out with new and better models to stay profitable.  Then a genius amongst geniuses discovered that the oil that had been seeping out of the ground on their island could be used for power.  Within months the technology had been miniaturized enough to put on an airplanes frame, and powered flight was born.
For the most part, repeating crossbows had been mounted on the planes thus far.  Then one of the Guild members thought to compress the scrap metal lying about the island and propel it using a powdered form of the oil.  This worked, and soon the machine guns were mounted in place of repeating crossbows.  And so the modern plane was born, although a dragon would still tear the best plane in the skies to pieces.  The Guild considered that an insult, and took to making a plane capable of killing a dragon in a dogfight.[/spoiler]

[spoiler=General Economic Info]

'¢ Both nations use paper money, as well as coinage, although the currency differs from nation to nation.
'¢ Silver is the most valuable precious metal, followed by gold.
'¢ No adamantine.
'¢ Mithral is LotR style.[/spoiler]

[spoiler=Sea Creatures]

There are three different kinds of monsters in the oceans of Aarseth. Krakens, sea serpents and water dragons.
There are only three krakens in all the world; and they are beings of immense power. Only very rarely do they come up to the surface, but when they do come up the whole world know.
Sea serpents are very much like lesser krakens; in fact that is their official name. The sea serpents can be counted on to attack any ship foolish enough to venture out into open water, and most that are attacked by a sea serpent don't live to tell the tale.
Water dragons are the least threat of the three monsters, but only just. They have no breath weapon, but possess far more magic than their airborne counterparts. Brilliant and ruthless, water dragons dwell near the surface but only in deep water.

Aside from the monsters, lizardfolk, kuo-toa, and merfolk inhabit the seas.
Lizardfolk are amphibious, but they spend most of their time in the water. Peaceful traders, it is from the underwater farms of the lizardfolk that the Republic gets a vast portion of its food.
Merfolk are tribal, and inhabit all the waters. Some tribes are warlike and will attack ships regardless of where they sail, while others are more peaceful. The population of merfolk at least equals that of humans, so they cannot be stereotyped (although that doesn't stop land dwellers from trying).
Kuo-toa are deep sea dwellers. Very little is known of them.[/spoiler]

[spoiler=Species]

Humans are as they always were, not the best at anything, but then not the worst at anything either. Humans pioneered lighter-than-air travel, although since the Guild has done everything since it is unknown whether humans kept it up. {as PHB}

Dwarves are the bankers of the world. An impeccable sense of money, along with inherent honesty allow dwarves to run the best banks. {+2 INT/-2 STR}

If dwarves control the banks, then elves control trade. Elvish trading companies control 76% of the trade that goes on in the world, and that number grows almost daily. Elves in general are rather snobbish and hold themselves above all other races. But when shown that they are not on top of the world, elves can become some of the most humble beings on Aarseth. {+2 WIS/-2 CHA}

Halflings and gnomes fill similar roles in society, they are the handymen, the entertainers, the chimney sweeps. Very few halflings or gnome move up very far in the world, but those who do are truly gifted. Many of the larger species look down upon gnomes and halflings and in fact often confuse the two, something the gnome or halfling will be quick to point out, generally with some form of violence attached. {Halflings as PHB, gnomes +2 DEX/+2 INT/-2 STR; no spell like abilities}

Orcs, while not looked down upon the way halflings and gnomes are, are still unfairly held back (at least when they aren't looking). Orcs are more often then not manual laborers, where their strength and intelligence (or lack thereof) are 'best put to use.' A better reason would be that the other "higher" species want to keep the orcs in their place. {as MM}[/spoiler]

[spoiler=Random Information]

Aarseth (the planet this game is set on) is much larger than Earth. As such, the gravity is higher. Everyone is a good foot shorter than they would be normally.
Magic is an inborn talent. While magic can be learned, it is rather pointless (no wizards).[/spoiler]

[spoiler=Special Thanks]
Mithridates for the idea that the Guild holds a monopoly on oil, and for shooting my idea full of holes that I had to plug
Epic Meepo for defending my stance when no one else did, and a multitude of reasons why this is theoretically plausible.
[/spoiler]

Quote from: Xathan, Actually Back This TimeThanks for the information - that's a huge help! Question - what would be faster, a sloop or a brig?

Sorry I've been gone for so long.

Sloops are both faster and more maneuverable than a brig, usually.  A brig can put out more canvas, so with the wind astern of the two ships, and both at full sail the brig will have a higher top speed, but the cruising speed of the sloop is respectably faster than that of the brig.