The Campaign Builder's Guild

*common - tho this is an aspect of cultural diversity.
how did a language come into being that is spoken by every creature with more than INT 5, that has no variations (except *drumroll* UNDERcommon), a vocabulary large enough to enable speakers to talk about trade, religion, philosophy and that is first language in every culture.
this is one of the things that really annoyed me in RAW dnd. after all, i have trouble understanding people who live 10 kilometers from my home. That's why i always reduce common to a trading pidgin that is basically "you buy sword, sword shiny." and "no kill me, i friend."

Quote from: WensleydaleWhy don't the angry gods just step down from their high heavens and obliterate one anothers' cultures? If they fight and one wins, what happens? This is a particular problem if you stat out the Gods.

this has been a big issue for me, too. that's why i absolutely love the religious concept of the Elder Scrolls game, where the "gods" are basically lesser planar beings who managed to kick out the real boss and now have to hide behind churches and dogma so they aren't found out. that's why they don't like to directly interfere.
@topic: i think religion is more fun in RPGs if you don't know for sure if there are gods and how mighty they are. with me, the clerics never know if their spells are handed out by the gods or if they only get them because they *belive* they should get them.
making the homes of the gods inaccessible is a really good move to restore mysticism, although i don't think you should get rid of the shadow plane. that would be a good home for ghosts and the like, i.e. spirits who have, for some reason, not passed on to the afterlife and still hang around closer to the plane of the living. that is, if your campaign has them at all.
i think, the astral plane in your setting is pointless, instead, make magic travellers use the shadow plane, either for shortcuts like teleport or ethereal jaunt, or to evade real-world obstacles like monsters or enemies. a good example for the latter is the umbra in the soul reaver games: there, enemies can't see you snd you can pass through some normally solid objects, but you will be attacked by ghosts, eventually.

The Lands around the Inner Sea
yay, the first fluff chapter. This is not really finished yet, and the individual entries will be updated somewhere down the line.
The statblock at the beginning of each land should be pretty self-explanatory. The line â,¬Å"Sunâ,¬Â, describes the colour of the sun in this land.

Global Phenomenons:
Changing Sun
The colour and size of the sun changes from land to land, The cause for this phenomenon is unknown, but some people think this might happen because one does not only cross the borders between lands, but also between worlds.
(DM Note: This is just a fluff phenomenon to vex the players and give each land more individuality.)

Heavy Sea
This phenomenon has a lot more impact on the world than the Changing Sun.
Some fifteen to twenty-five nautical miles off the coast begins the so-called heavy sea. The water is not different to normal water at first glance, but the difference becomes apparent once you steer your ship into it. In short, the Heavy Sea follows different laws of physics than normal water, its timescale is slowed by half. Practically this means that you are trying to sail your ship through soft concrete. At any rate, most captains avoid the Heavy sea and its unpleasant inhabitants. The only ships regularly crossing it are military ships with wizards on board, that can enforce their physical laws around the ship.

The Plains of Nyeth
Environment: Plains, Hills, Forest
Inhabitants: Catcentaurs 60%, Humans 30%, Goblins (Grim) 5%, Misc 5%
Cities: Nyeth-Leen, Sheathclaws
Exports: Gems, Pelts, Jewellery, Oil and Fabrics
Sun: Yellow
Protectors: Mort, Greymane, Maladicta

The Plains of Nyeth are mostly rolling hills and grassland dotted with small forests, resembling real-world Wales or Ireland. The southern coast is formed by cliffs of white chalk and is riddled with little fjords, the eastern and western coasts are mostly flat grassland with little to no beaches.
The climate is warm, almost Mediterranean with hot summers and humid winters.
The green river runs the entire length of the plains from north to south. It is very wide and not very fast. Its many fish are one of the chief sources of food for the catcentaurs.

Settlements
Nyeth-Leen (~30.000 Inhabitants)[spoiler]
The city of Nyeth-Leen was founded and subsequently named by the two Protectors Nyeth and Leen (who showed a considerable lack of creativity when it came to names).
Built on the South-Eastern peninsula, the city is one of the most important harbours in the world, as well as a good base of operations for expeditions into the Plagueswamps or the lands beyond the Dead Sea.
Nyeth-Leen's current Protector is Maladicta, a (relatively) young human woman whose competence is almost inversely proportional to her relative inexperience. The city's goddess is Bast, although there is a big temple and many shrines to Poseidon.
The city is governed by the High Council, an assembly of nobles. Maladicta uses her influence very sparingly, although she can veto any decision made.
The City, often named â,¬Å"The Pearl of the Westâ,¬Â is very rich and is not afraid to show this. It's architecture is mostly roman/greek in style. The city rises quite steeply towards the center as it is built on around a pillar of rock that stands out abruptly from the countryside.
The city's harbout extends into the second ring. In the first part, the sleek merchant galleys and other ships are docked while the second ring houses the rather impressive navy of Nyeth-Leen. Its ships are extremely old, so old that no one remembers how to build them. They are huge triremes with 300 oars and three masts. Their hulls are made from a strange, dull golden metal and are all but impenetrable for normal weapons. They are armed with four fire-throwers, huge catapults that can throw huge balls of liquid fire several hundred meters far.
Nyeth-Leen is divided into three parts, each encircled by a great round wall with twelve towers.
The first and outer wall is 60 feet high and made from light grey granite. It is decorated with countless bas-reliefs picturing great warriors and scenes of battle.
The first ring is where the sailors and artisans live. Access to it is not restricted and most adventurers consider it the most interesting ring anyway. Here you can find taverns, â,¬Å"boarding housesâ,¬Â, shops selling all sorts of equipment and blacksmiths. The taverns along the harbour are the best place to meet freelance captains and rogue traders always eager to make some money.
The streets of the first ring are always crowded and noisy. At night, it can get a bit rowdy an the city guard is known to often turn a blind eye on events, to keep out of too much paperwork.
The second wall is 90 feet high and made from white marble. It shows scenes of great events and festivities.
Inside it live the minor aristrocats, the rich merchants and many experienced dreamers. It also contains the upper-class artisans, most libraries and the main temples to Bast and Poseidon. The streets in this district are usually quiet during the day and the city guard always shows a strong presence.
The Third wall is full 180 feet high and made from black basalt. Its smooth surface is engraved with magical symbols and runes of power. From inside, the wall is a lot lower, as the innermost ring, the Citadel is built on the summit of the small mountain. Its black halls and passages are always quiet and there are few people around.
The Citadel Houses the city's garrison and the Assmbly Hall, where the High Council meets once per week.
The Citadel's architecture is very different from the rest of the city, featuring bladelike crenellations and almost alien angles. As one might guess, it was not built by humans and is actually from an era before the current Master of Dreams took over.
Its crypts and dungeons descend deep into the rock and are still not fully explored. Most of the passages are sealed with mechanical traps, runes and hexagrammic wards, making the whole subterran complex a huge deathtrap for everyone foolish enough to sneak in.
In these dungeons the Council and Maladicta imprison bound nightmares and insane dreamers for safekeeping and further studies. As you might have guessed, these labyrinthine halls are not a pleasant place and the insane wails of the inmates can sometimes be heard above ground on quiet nights.[/spoiler]

to be continued

yay, i'm back!
well, i had a long time to think some things over and something that has always bugged me were the alignments. the standard good vs evil and law vs chaos axis system just doesn't fit my idea of cosmic and personal concepts, so here are the ones i will be using along with what they are replacing.

Alignments

The new alignments still follow the two-axis system and contain a cosmic principle and a personal principle. the old principles in brackets are NOT to be taken as synonyms, they just show how to assemble the alignment.

Cosmic Principles
Static     (lawful)
Dynamic    (neutral)
Entropic   (chaotic)

Personal Principles
Violent/Egoistic     (Evil)
Balanced/Indifferent (Neutral)
Peaceful/Altruistic  (Good)

You only select one personal principle.

Descriptions
[spoiler]

Static, Violent
You want to preserve the status quo at all cost, resorting to force of arms more likely then resorting to diplomacy. You will not suffer any criticism towards your point of view.
This is a very common alignment in the Land of Dreams. The Servants of the Master are SV, as well as most sentient undead, their chief enemies.

Static, Egoistic
You want everything to stay the same, because the current state is beneficial to you. You don't care about other peoples' opinion. You will use all tricks in the book, ranging from bribery over diplomacy to outright violence if it furthers your cause.

Static, Balanced
You want everything to stay as it is, because you like it and you think that it's the best for everyone.
(Note: Balance is a rare personal principle.)

Static, Indifferent
If nothing changes, that's fine by you, although you perhaps wouldn't mind change. But in the end, who cares?

Static, Peaceful
Wouldn't it be nice if we all were friends? If we lived in a world without war and confusion?

Static, Altruistic
Everything should be organised and planned, and you will risk life and limb to further the cosmic order as you see it.
This combination of principles is very fanatic and can be taken by everyone from peace-loving revolutionary to zealous templar.

Dynamic, Violent
The world and the people living it must improve at all cost. Stagnation means decadence, and you will â,¬Å"convinceâ,¬Â everyone with fire and steel.

Dynamic, Egoistic
Only through constant change and evolution can your powers grow, so you must do your best to hone your skills and broaden your knowledge, stepping over the corpses of those standing in your way, if necessary.

Dynamic, Balanced
This one's tricky. You think, that change is necessary and welcome and should be everyone's goal, but you would accept other points of view. Of course, you will still try to convince them.

Dynamic, Indifferent
This alignment is paradox and does not exist.

Dynamic, Peaceful
If everyone would try to improve themselves and their surroundings, the world would be a better place. You will go out of your way to convince the stubborn that it is worth the effort.

Dynamic, Altruistic
You truly believe that the many are more important than the few and you would lay down your life for the Greater Good as you see it.

Entropic, Violent
This is the â,¬Å"Blood for the Blood Godâ,¬Â alignment. You revel in violence and only while dealing death and destruction you feel joy. You firmly believe that the world as it is has no right to exist and will gladly do your part to see it end. This combination is typical for the Revenant.

Entropic, Selfish
The world has wronged you, and you will do everything you can to spread unrest, chaos and decay.

Entropic, Balanced
Every begin needs and end to start from...

Entropic, Indifferent
If the world ends, that's fine by you. There is nothing in it worth fighting for, anyway, so good riddance. (this one's nicknamed â,¬Å"goth-emo-kid-alignmentâ,¬Â)

Entropic, Peaceful
Destruction and Peace don't go well with each other, so this one is paradox, too.

Entropic, Altruistic
This one is fun. In your opinion, the world is damned and death will be a relief for everyone...
So basically, this is Entropic, Violent, but with a twist.[/spoiler]

well, i just wanted to say that i'm not dead and neither is this project, but i'm currently on holidays in france. expect a big update when i come back. ;)

Quote from: supadupamani was giving the sandman comparison for several main reasons.
-land of dream where everyone visits but most don't realize it's real, and don't have much power at first
-dream lord living in a tower at the center. dream lod is called, among other names, Morpheus
-of assorted other gods, bast (cat-god) has one of the largest roles to play
-idylic and "dream-like" on the surface, but lots of horrible stuff in there once you go deeper

i actually considered transferin the sandman world into a CS at one point, but the idea was put on hiatus because of my other worlds.

I look forward to reading that story when i have some more time (maybe tonite), but i'm rushed at the moment.

that's a bit weird, isn't it, cause i never read anything connected to sandman, i know little more than the name? okay, morpheus is the obvious coice for a dream-god's name, and everybody knows that cats sleep a lot so basset is logical, too. but the rest... well, like minds think like thoughts, don't they? ;)

The Southern Lands
This is the southern half of the LoD. The rest is still WIP.
 
The Southern Lands

Thanks, nastynate. :)

Witchhunt:
I had a look at your Settings and I have to say they are really impressive. I'm looking forward to reading through them. :)

Quote from: supadupamanThis looks awesome.

from a mechanics standpoint, i like the generic classes and armour system. I really look forward to seeing how it is the magic system will work. Making it very variable but availiable to anyone will be dificult to design and balance.

Well, there is not so much to the system, since the slow regeneration of magic points keeps players from abusing it. A character with average WIS will have 10 Magic points with a recovery rate of 1/day. That means that he can cast a weak spell once a day tops. And that is not taking spells into account that cost more than 5 or 6 MP. That character would never be able to cast the really powerful spells anyway, as those have a two-digit MP cost. There will be a feat available that increases your MP as often as you take it.
The balancing will be mostly up to the DM, because in the end HE decides what spells the players discover. Apart from that, abusing Protector Magic isn't too healthy for non-Protector PsC as these take a severe toll on their sanity and health.

Quote from: supadupamanFrom a fluff point of view, i love the concept and the fiction looks great (reminds me that i need to make some fiction for my worlds too). I'm getting a very strong Sandman vibe from the setting rather than lovecraft for the most part (although i admit i haven't read much lovecraft). Not sure if you intended it that way but i seems heavinly based on the Sandman Dream realm, which i must say is a damn good place to get inspiration (Gaiman is a god).

i look forward to seeing how this progresses.

hehe, thanks. :)
as with Witchhunts inspiration, it's funny what you see in my work, because i know virtually nothing on Sandman. ;) I can only recommend lovecraft and you don't even have to buy the books, as his work is no longer copyrighted, i think. If you have the time, then read that story, my main source of inspiration: :)
The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath

Fluff Text: Black Magic

This is just a piece of fluff text and completely unrelated to this chapter. Just thought i'd post it (this will be relocated later to the chapter on magic.)

Gasping for breath, you lean your back against the wall's crumbling stone. The sun is high up in the sky and the heat is all but unbearable. You squint into the blue-tinged glare, seeking for movements or shadows that could betray your enemies' position. But there is no movement, except for the flight of the big, glittering beetles and the constant shimmering of heated air.
You are bone tired. First the forced marched through that thrice cursed desert, then the first encounter with the city's loathsome reptilian inhabitants. You feel like you are cooking inside your heavy chainmail, its weight pressing into your shoulders and the gorget almost choking you. You feel your eyes closing but manage to stay on top of your exhaustion. At least for the moment. Sweat drips into your eyes and you wipe it away unthinkingly, rasping a curse as the hot metal of your gauntlet burns your forehead. You almost yell as Rashid appears next to you but you can't help marvelling at the scout's abilities when it comes to sneaking.
â,¬Å¾Captainâ,¬Å", he whispers softly into your ear â,¬Å¾they are coming towards us, most likely they found our tracks.â,¬Å"
You give a nod, cursing again under your breath.
â,¬Å¾Tell the men to form a protective circle. Our... contractor was very definite when he told me to hold this ruin at all cost.â,¬Å"
â,¬Å¾I don't like this place, cap, and i don't like setting up a defense here. This place has â,¬Å¾Last Standâ,¬Å" written all over it.â,¬Å"
You shrug, trying to sound more confident than you are.
â,¬Å¾Just tell the men to lie low. Maybe they don't find us.â,¬Å"
You turn your back on your second in command, starting towards the temple ruin's main hall. Then you hear the hissing. As you turn, a savage blow to your left shoulder almost knocks you off your feet. In the courtyard, you can see Marcov on his knees, an arrow though his stomach. Lyne is flat on his back with an impressive puddle of blood spreading around his head where the arrow has punched through his helmet. You grab Rashid and, dragging him behind you, start running. You don't dare turn around, but you can hear the attackers: horned claws clicking on stone and the sharp hissing that is their speech.
As you sprint through the portal, you almost collide with Janon, the youngest of your mercenaries. His eyes are wide with fear.
Then he is pushed out of the way roughly and you are face to face with your contractor. As alwyas when facing him, you feel a strange loathing towards the old man, and you notice that in spite of the heat and his thick black robes, there is no sign of sweat on his wrinkled brow.
He looks past you and says only one word: â,¬Å¾Duck.â,¬Å" And without thinkin, you do. The fall seems to take a long time and you can see the old man raising his staff in slow-motion. He utters only a single word but that stills drags a white hot knife across your mind.
You are still falling and turning, so you can see the lizardmen charging towards the doorway. There must be dozens of them, you think with strange clarity. Then black lightning leaps from the old man's hands, writhing like the tentacles of some alien beast, tearing towards the attackers.
You hit the ground with a heavy thud and your perception of time returns to normal.
The sound the lightning produces as it is unleashed is so intense, that you don't here it for the first half second. Then it overwhelms you like the screeching of harpies, a knife draged across glass, the very foundations of the earth being shattered. You see the black lightning leaping along the walls, see it scything through the enemy, see severed limbs sent flying, stinking black blood spattering against walls and the ground, huge shapes being cut apart by strands of unholy magic.
The next thing you know is you're on your knees with your hands pressed on your ears in a futile attempt to shut out these nightmarish sounds. You feel yourself throwing up painfully and feel the acid biting into your throat. Rashid is lying on his face, three arrows in is back. You never noticd him dying. Sylva is curled up like a baby, screaming on top of his lungs. Janon is on his knees, blood welling up through his lips, his eyes glazed. He has bitten through his tongue. You try to get up but the maelstrom of black lightning paralyses you.
Then it is over and there is no living lizardman to be seen. You try to get up but fall back as your knees buckle. And for the first time, you notice the black-feathered arrow sticking in you chest.

Chapter II: Gods and Protectors[/b]

NOTE: This is not complete, yet and will be updated soon. I just posted it so people won't forget about me. ;)

***UPDATED***

Deep inside his vaults, Arsan the Sorcerer spoke the final syllables of the summoning spell and leant back, breathing deeply. The air was thick with the fragrant smoke of incense and candles threw dancing shadows on the walls. The old man intently watched the octagram he had drawn on the floor and for a moment he felt a pang of doubt. Could it be that he had wasted excessive amounts of money on components for the ritual and not to forget on the assassin that had to kill that stubborn priest? But the spell had looked genuine...
â,¬Å¾What exactly are we waiting for?â,¬Å"
The Sorcerer jumped and turned with an agility that belied his years. Behind him, a young woman was leaning against the wall, idly toying with the buckles of her leather armour.
Without waiting for him to speak, she took a step towards him and looked deeply into his eyes.
â,¬Å¾Don't think I don't know that Carlos was killed by your orders. You know, I really liked that old man, so it is very convenient for me that you have summoned me.â,¬Å" Her voice was soft, almost a purr. Arsan took a deep breath, but was cut off abruptly: â,¬Å¾Don't bother to defend yourself. As the Protector of this Domain, I can see everything. And it is my duty to protect my subjects from creatures like you!â,¬Å"
Suddenly, Arsan felt a sharp jolt of pain in his chest. His face was a mask of horror mixed with surprise as he looked down on the hilt of the stiletto that was protruding from his chest.

Some scholars of the Land of Dreams think that Protectors and gods are dreamers that have transcended the bonds of mortality. For most of them that is true.
In this chapter I will detail the most important gods and Protectors and give some background on their relations.

The Gods of Dreams

Morpheus
Almost all people that have ever occupied themselves with these matters think that Morpheus is the Master of Dreams, the Primus Inter Pares of the gods, because that is what all the books say. Morpheus' standard form is of a tall man shrouded from head to toe in shifting grey robes. His face is hidden by a mask almost completely devoid of facial features. Only his eyes can be seen through thin slits and they are glowing blue. One half of the mask is polished silver, the other half is jet black.  His sigil is the number eight (â,¬Å¾8â,¬Å") inside a circle. He is said to reside in the Clockwork Tower, in some hidden part of the Land of Dreams.
His people are the Azurin, a strange breed of humans that have their progenitor's blue eyes and an aptitude for magic.
If you like unsolved mysteries, then don't read on. If you want to know about the true origin and purpose of the Land of Dreams, than do read on. It's up to you. (NOTE:This is the kind of information that I keep fom my players. So should one of you read this, try to beat your curiosity and leave this be, okay?)
The Master of Dreams[spoiler]
As said before, Morpheus is not the Master of Dreams and he has not created the Land of Dreams either. More likely, he was the first human that found the LoD and thus was awarded a special â,¬Å¾priceâ,¬Å".
The true Master really resides in the Clockwork Tower, but he is nothing any human would ever worship as a god. The Master is a parasite who has ceated he LoD to feed on the psychic energies of its inhabitants. Everyone who dies in the LoD goes directly to the Master who sucks the soul clean of all memories and also of its personality, sending it back on the Wheel of Life afterwards to be reincarnated. If you want to know how the master looks like, think of the Elder God in the Legacy of Kain games. He's basically a huge mass of protoplasma that he can shape into any appendage or organ (think mega-shoggoth). This plasmic substance covers most surfaces in the caverns in and below the Clockwork Tower and is in turn covered with eyes of varying sizes. Do you remember the sigil? Well, that's not an â,¬Å¾8â,¬Å" in a circle, that's an eye with a distinctive pupil.
The Clockwork Tower itself contains the machinery, that keeps the LoD stable and also enforces the laws of nature. (I'll write more oabout the Clockwork Tower in the Chapter Far Corners of the World [/spoiler]

Moradin Dwarf-Father
The Dreamer that has become Moradin has turned himself into an almost identical copy of the dwarven god the legends tell about. He is tall for a dwarf, with a flowing silver beard, blue eyes and long, braided hair. He is mostly garbed in silver-grey robes and always carries his Runeblade Frostbite. His people are the Dwarves of the Heartlands' Mountains(not much of a surprise, eh?^^). Moradin is a traditionalist, so most things the legends tell about him and his children are true (The PHB dwarves are the only race I like "as is", so the LoD's dwarves might seem a bit clichéd.)

Poseidon Green-Beard
Poseidon Green-Beard is the god of wave and storm, father of the merpeople and husband of the sea-witch Thetis. He is a huge, muscular man with a wrinkled and weather-worn face, a huge green beard, green eyes and a mane of green hair braided with water plants. He roams the seas in is dolphin-drawn chariot an brings terrible vengeance down on anyone foolish enough to harm a dolphin. Sailors can try to calm his temper by giving offernings of fish and wine to him.

Fanghaughn
Fanghaughn is the god of the Wood and the Hunt (his name is pronounced FANG-hawn). He is the only god that has no permanent physical body. Most likely, Fanghaughn is the second oldest of the god and propably even more powerful than Morpheus. Early in his days, he felt that he would shortly succumb to the Nightmares. Knowing that he would not be able to resist them much longer, he tried to destroy himself. But the Master didn't allow him to die, so as his body perished, his spirit was drawn into a huge tree. From this tree, Fanghaughn's spirit that was now immune to the Nightmares slowly spread through the surrounding woods. This wood, now known as Arden, covers a surface roughly equal to Germany in size. (More details about Fanghaughn and the Woods of Arden in Chapter III)

Basset the Goddess of Cats
Basset is mostly worshipped in the cities around the Inner Sea. She looks like a woman with black hair and glowing green eyes. Her ears are pointed and a closer look reveals her elongated inscissors. It is said that a mortal man needs only take one look at her to be willing to serve her for ever.
There is a story that some time ago an ascendant Protector seduced her to find out the secrets of godhood. From this point, the story varies from telling that Basset found out her lovers intention, but was not able to kill him, thus turning him into a cat. Other versions tell of how the young Protector was banished deep into the Desert of Glass, to suffer forever in the heat and dryness of that remote land.
(NOTE: this is DM information. if you are one of my players, please don't read on.)
The true story:
[spoiler]Mortimer was a young human dreamer with an aptitude for magic only rarely seen among mortals. Soon, he was powerful enough to attain Protectorhood, but was not satified with it: he wanted to become a god. The gods, in turn had already noticed this remarkable individual, but did not want someone so young bullying their way into the "elite" circle of gods. Only Basset thought that Mortimer should get a chance and so she met him in disguise.
Not knowing that Mortimer had looked through her disguise, she let herself be seduced. Step by step, Mortimer pried the secrets of godhood from her, until, one day, the Master of Dreams noticed what he was doing. He sent his most powerful Clockwork Angel to dispose of the cheeky Protector when a something occurred that even the Master had not foresen: Mort vanquished the Angel of Death.
***i'm running out of time, so i'll finish this later tonight or tomorrow***
[/spoiler]

to be continued

Chapter I: House Rules.

all the many house rules that i use in the Land of Dreams. (yes it's a lot, i know. ;) )

Character Generation
[spoiler]Variant Generic Classes
The VGC are those from the Unearthed Arcana, only slightly modified. There are two of them, Fighter and Expert.

Fighter:
d8 Hit Die
2+Int skill points, six class-skills + craft
two good saves, one bad save
Defense Bonus progression C (starts with +4)
Proficient with Simple Weapons and two other Weapon Groups
Proficient with Light Armour, Medium Armour and Shields (not tower)

Expert:
d6 Hit Die
6+Int skill points, twelve class-skills + craft and profession
one good save, two bad saves
Defense Bonus progression B (starts with +3)
Proficient with Simple Weapons and one other Weapon Group
Proficient with Light Armour

Both classes get a Bonus Feat on first level and on every even-numbered level thereafter. Bonus Feats are not restricted and may be taken from any source. Should the prerequisite be â,¬Å¾Fighter Lvl xâ,¬Å", replace it with â,¬Å¾BAB +xâ,¬Å". For the purpose of obtaining feats, Magic Points count as Essentia Points.

The Defense Bonus
The Defense Bonus reflects the character's experience in combat and raises his AC. This is counted as a dodge bonus.

Magic Points
Each character has a number of Magic Points equal to his wisdom score. These regenerate at a rate equal to the character's wisdom modifier per day. Minimum is one point per day, even for characters with a negative modifier.

Sanity
A character's sanity points are equal to his wisdom score x5. Sanity does not regenrate naturally, but can be rewarded for destroying a nightmare. Each time the character looses 20%  or more of his original number of SP during a single encounter, he has a nightmare. If a character's sanity drops to 0, that character is forever insane and should be killed for his own good. Honestly, it's a kinder fate.

Character Traits
Each Character may select a Character Trait from UA

Character Flaws
Characters may be given up to two Character Flaws from UA. Each selected flaw entitles the character to another Bonus Feat.[/spoiler]

Combat
[spoiler]Armour as DR
Armours don't give a bonus to AC, they give their normal AC bonus as DR.
Shields still give Bonus to AC.

Critical Hits:
The Damage modifiers of all weapons are lowered by one (to a minimum of x1). Critical Hits always penetrate armour, no matter its DRR (there may be excemptions to this rule, like very powerful magic items).

The DR Penetration Rating
Each armour has a DR rating:
Leather, Chitin, other organic armour: DR x/1
Steel, Stone, other inorganic armour: DR x/2
Magic Armour or Artifacts: DR x/3

Weapons have a Damage Reduction Penetration Rating (DRPR)
Light/One-Handed Weapons/Polearms: DRPR 0
Two-Handed Weapons/Bows/Crossbows/Lances: DRPR 1
Heavy Weapons (Ballista, etc): DRPR 2
There are several special cases:
A crossbow, if fired at a target within its first range increment, has DRPR 2
A spear or similar weapon, if used to receive a charge has DRPR 1
If they are used during a mounted charge, they have DRPR 2 (also counts for lances)

Weapon Groups
For details on the Weapon Groups, see Unearthed Arcana[/spoiler]

Do you know the feeling, upon waking from sleep, that your dream was too vivid, too realistic to be just a figment of your imagination? Well, you are right, because ocasionally your spirit moves to a deeper level of reality, a world farther away than the stars but still as close as a shadow: the Land of Dreams. Many stories are written of that place and many legends are told about it. People call it Tir Nan Og, Phantasia, Atlantis, or the Wonderland, but all these names are just different ways of calling the same place. And sometimes, this place is calling you. Calling you, to fulfill your destiny, calling you to witness things you would never have imagined
-Taken from an anonymous scholar's diary-

*UPDATED 05-15-06*[/u]

(i also posted this on the wizards board, but i hope to get some more feedback here :) )
With this setting, i'm trying out some new things. First and foremost, the nature of the Land of Dreams is very nice for me as a DM, as it is not completely bound by normal laws of physics. But it's not only about showing the laws of nature the finger, it's also about a more primal form of magic called â,¬Å¾imaginationâ,¬Å", as well as about things Man Was Not Meant To Know. And of course, this setting is also about cats. There is actually some thought behind that and it's only partially motivated by a somewhat lovecraftian love for feline creatures. And before anyone asks: this was greatly inspired by the Lovecraft short novel "The Dream-Quest of unknown Kadath", so you might recognise some features of Earth's Dreamlands and its inhabitants.
Okay, let's cut out the fluff for the moment and get a bit crunchier.

Style of Play:[spoiler] High Adventure, although you can do virtually everything. Possibilities for Epic-Level Campaigns.[/spoiler]
Books Used: [spoiler]To create and play this setting, I am using the "Complete" series, the "Races" Series, Tome of Magic, Magic of Incarnum, Lords of Madness, Unearthed Arcana and the "Environment" books. The Ghostwalk Campaign Option was almost completely integrated, as was Sharn: City of Towers.[/spoiler]
Role for the PCs: [spoiler]On low levels the PCs are dreamers on a quest, on mid levels, they could have already become residents, giving up their mortal form. On Epic levels the PCs can become Protectors, creating their own new parts of the Dreamlands and protecting their inhabitants from the Dark Dreams. Of course, the PCs could also be natives or the dream-childs of Dreamers, but none of these can become a Protector.[/spoiler]
House Rules: [spoiler]Class-based defense bonus, armour as damage reduction, enhanced weapon-armour interaction, variant magic points, sanity.
[/spoiler]
Races: [spoiler]If the PCs are Dreamers, then the only possible race for them is human. If they are natives, they can choose from a wide variety of races like catcentaurs, goblins, gith, mermen, just to name a few. (It is possible fo a Dreamer to learn a way to change their form permanently.)
[/spoiler]
Classes: [spoiler]Variant Generic Classes. Players can choose between Fighter and Expert, although the differences are not too big. Both get a bonus feat every two levels. The fighter has higher BAB and a lower Defense modifier, a bigger HD but fewer skills and skill points. Levelups only count in the Land of Dreams. In the Mortal Realm, the players will forever be lvl 1.[/spoiler]
Religion: [spoiler]There are three godlike power-groups in the Land of Dreams:
-The Protectors: The Protectors are Dreamers that have transcended to a higher level of consciousness. In their own domain they can teleport without error at will and can use watcher-spirits to gather news. That makes them virtually omnipresent and omniscient, which are two important criteria of godhood. (In reality, the Protectors rarely bother to always keep an eye on everything. But they could. So watch your steps.^^)
-The Gods of the Dreams: These are beings who have taken he next step from Protector to godhood. There have been no new gods for a long time, though. The existing gods have all taken a shape corresponding to their or their original system of belief, so you might encounter a shrine of Basset, the Cat-Godess or a temple dedicated to Poseidon Green-Beard.
-The Master of Dreams: Most people think that the Master of Dreams is Morpheus, residing in the hidden Clockwork Tower. But even Morpheus, most powerful of the gods is just a pretty face for an elder and enigmatic power to hide behind...
Although they are not godly in any way, the Dark Dreams, Eaters or Nighmares fall in this category, too. They once were gods or Protectors but have become insane, thus turning their domains into nightmare realms or destroying them completely. They are the source of all the creatures like aboleths and mind-flayers.[/spoiler]
Magic: [spoiler]Rare but powerful. Anyone can learn spells, although leraning a single spell might take months. There are several distinct categories of spells. (Spell types were greatly inspired by the Call of Cthulhu RPG):
-Creation Spells: These are permanent enchantments to weapons or other items (btw, these are the only source of magic items) and permanently diminish the casters magical power.
-Summon/Bind: Summon and Bind (who'd have thought it) dream or nightmare creatures
-Call/Dismiss: Calls and Dismisses a Protector or even a God. Don't use these lightly. Or better, don't use them at all.
-Command: Pretty much self-explanatory.
-â,¬Å"Household Spellsâ,¬Å": This is a broad category that contains everything from â,¬Å¾Attract Fishâ,¬Å" to â,¬Å¾Know the Wayâ,¬Å"
-â,¬Å"Epicâ,¬Å" Spells: This category is even broader. It contains all the world-shaking spells a Protector or a God may know. Examples are â,¬Å¾Breath of the Dune Kingâ,¬Å" (aka Sandstorm) or â,¬Å¾Fury of the Seasâ,¬Å" (Wanna surf a Tsunami?) or the Protectors Signature Power: â,¬Å¾Genesisâ,¬Å".
-â,¬Å"Evilâ,¬Å" Spells: Also pretty broad. Contains everything from â,¬Å¾Create Zombieâ,¬Å" to â,¬Å¾Crisis of Lifeâ,¬Å". Many of them are â,¬Å¾Save or Dieâ,¬Å".
All of these spells could, in theory, be spoken by a first level character if he has a high enough wisdom score, BUT especially the monumental spells are not healthy for a characters mind.
And, no, the names are not the ingame names.^^
(Note: With this approach to magic, I wanted to bring back some of the awe and power of the â,¬Å¾magic of oldâ,¬Å". Normal DnD magic is not suited to allow scenes like in The Mummy II, when Imhotep chases the Airship with a giant wave and i have never liked the way how spells worked in DnD)
[/spoiler]
Nature of the World: [spoiler]It's hard to define the nature of the Land of Dreams, as it combines aspects of the Prime Material and several other Planes. It definitely is, in a sense, real.
On low levels the PCs still have a mortal form that is sleeping somewhere and into which they can (and must) return occasionally, but there are also beings native to the LoD. Actually, it is possible for the PCs to mate with these beings and to create offspring, but these beings (called dream-children) can never enter the Mortal Realm. On the other hand, PCs can learn a way to sever the connection to their body, thus becoming biologically immortal in the LoD.[/spoiler]
Conflict: [spoiler]There are different kinds of conflict. There is the constant low-tension squabble between the Protectors, leaning towards intellectual dispute, the more tense rivalry concerning the succession of the individual Protectors and behind all this is the conflict between the gods of the dreams and the Eaters, the Nightmares (ever read lords of madness?).
[/spoiler]
*UPDATED 05-15-06*[/u]
*Table of Contents*
Chapter I: House Rules *FINISHED 05-15-06*
Chapter II: Gods and Protectors *WORK IN PROGRESS*
Chapter III: The Domains around the Inner Sea *WORK IN PROGRESS*
Chapter IV: The Heartland and the Land of the Dead
Chapter V: Far Corners of the World
Chapter VI: Character Options
Chapter VII: Magic
Chapter VIII: Creatures of the Land of Dreams

That's it so far. PLEASE comment.
Say thankee, sai.
WarHamster

Life Story
TheMightyWarHamster is a 19 year old student from germany. He is in his last year at school and will be finishing by the end of june. He speaks german, english and french and owns enough books to open a small library (somewhere between 1.5k and 2k).
He is slightly under six feet tall and shows some signs of couch-potatoness. He has long brown hair, black-brown eyes and wears glasses. He mostly wears black cargo pants and black t-shirt under a coloured shirt.

Gaming Systems I use
-D&D 3.5 (At least that's what i say. in reality, i am very fond of house rules, so its more like DnD 3.7543B)
-On rare occasions, d20 Modern/Star Wars
-I've experimented with a lot of other systems like World of Darkness, Shadowrun, Alternity, Degenesis
-I'd really love to play call of cthulhu or inquisitor (i own both ruleset) or some ars magica, but there isn't much resonance from my friends and i haven't had the time to look for new plaers, yet.

General Gaming History
I have been playing DnD since ADnD 2nd ed somewher in the nineties and have been playing CRPGS since my computer allowed it. I'm a pretty uncriticising gamer and will try most things people hand me.^^

Published Settings
ImO, FR is wishy-washy. I've never tried Greyhawk or Dragonlance. My favourite published settings are Eberron, Birthright, Dark Sun and Raveloft. Planescape is pretty cool, too.

Personal Likes and Dislikes
Likes World Creation, English Literature, Norse myths, heavy metal, irish folk, dancing (well, i would, if i could. there far too few girls who still like the "old" traditions and values. lol.), cats, books, video games, martial arts (so sad my club closed down), tabletop games (warhammer 40k!) and anime/manga.
Dislikes maths, latin, hiphop, modern art and literature

Strengths and Weaknesses in game design
i'm pretty creative and can do five-minute-campaign settings if i have to, but a slight overdose of fantasy literature and creativity has left me with the attention span of a small kitten.

Influences on my Design
Lovecraft, Larry Niven, George R.R. Martin, Phillip Puillman, Terry Pratchett, Dan Abnett.

Currently, I'm developing my first long-term setting on the WotC boards:
 Dream-Quest: Adventures in the Land of Dreams [PEACH]