Celtricia, World of Factions-posting thread

[LordVreeg]

[blockquote=Llum]This comment (from another thread) got me thinking, the amount of Orcash undead, is it due to their large population? Or does their tendency to be near strong necromantic users (The Dreadwing had an Orcash army I believe, as did Arbor) just mean that they're most often used as corpse fodder, being a relevant supply? A kind of dying in the wrong place at the wrong time deal.

A Gnoll mummy or vampire would just be badass  [/blockquote]

You are getting quite the handle on that part of the history...there is no racial basis towards being raised, but plain-old too many orcash have served under necromancers, and after they die, they serve under them again, if you get my meaning.  

The Igbarians just fought an Ograk necromancer, and the Antroo Vampyre does have as primary servants a female klaxik and male gartier (bugbear) Vampyre.  The fact that they are former PC's is more than icing...I have also recently had a pair of hill giant ghasts...

On Lairs...
[blockquote=Llum]Yes I did  The imagery is very classic necromancer. Also very useful in the evil lair, and what self-respecting Big Bag Evil Guy wouldn't have a lair?[/blockquote]
This is actually a theme for me.  The spell list is not even 1/2 done yet, but I have taken the time to create a number of 'sanctum' style spells, such as 'Sacred Grove', 'Sacred Fire', all the 'Comforts of Home' spells, etc.  I've always believd that a caster would be able to make their lair into a haven, but most systems don't take the time.

[Llum]

I was checking over the Spell List again, the Zombie Servant, Red Zombie spell page still isn't working.

Is there any particular order or system to how the spells are presented? (It seems like its roughly based on power, the most powerful spells at the bottom of the list).

I did notice a few more of your sanctum spell. There are also temporary ones as well, they don't seem to be permanent, more like a battlefield boost kind of thing.

I was reading the Golem Spells and it mentioned that only 1 per 5 levels of caster can be controlled, so for the ultimate caster it would be 2 total (12.5 being highest attainable level I believe, in terms of spell casting check, 10+(10/4).

Now it said that the golem wields a weapon, would it be possible to enchant this weapon with Crystal Edge, superior for example?

This led me to a second question, does the animated skeleton have to be humanoid? It says that 12' is the maximum height, now could you animate a large lizard skeleton (maybe a small sauroid one?) that is less then 12' tall but maybe 20' long? Or does the 12' apply to the largest dimension of the skeleton?

Would the vampiric blade spell work for a golem wielding it?

[LordVreeg]

I was checking over the Spell List again, the Zombie Servant, Red Zombie spell page still isn't working.

Is there any particular order or system to how the spells are presented? (It seems like its roughly based on power, the most powerful spells at the bottom of the list).

I did notice a few more of your sanctum spell. There are also temporary ones as well, they don't seem to be permanent, more like a battlefield boost kind of thing.

I was reading the Golem Spells and it mentioned that only 1 per 5 levels of caster can be controlled, so for the ultimate caster it would be 2 total (12.5 being highest attainable level I believe, in terms of spell casting check, 10+(10/4).

Now it said that the golem wields a weapon, would it be possible to enchant this weapon with Crystal Edge, superior for example?

This led me to a second question, does the animated skeleton have to be humanoid? It says that 12' is the maximum height, now could you animate a large lizard skeleton (maybe a small sauroid one?) that is less then 12' tall but maybe 20' long? Or does the 12' apply to the largest dimension of the skeleton?

Would the vampiric blade spell work for a golem wielding it?

Damn.  Red Zombies, here I come.
The spells are listed by total spell points needed.

The sanctum spells need to be cast a certain amount to become more permamnent, but all must be cast once per year no matter what, though there could be a few ways around that.  they are all based arounf that 'lair' idea we've spoken about.  Even the 'recall' spells, Celtricia's pathetic excuse for teleports (and the recall system that used to exist) is based on the sanctum spells.

No, you've got something wrong abput the casters.  I think it must be becasue I only list to level 10 on the wiki, but I have it figured to level 20.  There are a number of NPC's with higher level than that.  Vigor Sheering, the vassal of the Antroo Vampyre, is level 12 in Spirit and level 10 in Artificer, giving him  a functional art level of 14.  The Vampyre in question is level 18 Spirit, level 15 Necromancer.  You have given me a good reason to put in more of that chart.
There are slo some PC's with higher than level 10 skills in the Miston Group.  Grak Dung is level 13 in Basic Surprise.

And you are very right about the Bone Golem and artified weapons: if the artificer can make a golem, he can certainly enchant the weapons.  The Igbarians recently ran away from Vigor's Bone Golem in the SHeering family tomb.  And he has it wielding a Glaive that is 20% larger than normal, +10% hit, +2 damage after divider, 3/'Rotting Charge' per day.  Yuck.

I totally agree with you on the use of differnent skeletons, except the lack of weapon use.  Hell of an Dark Artificer/Necromancer mount!

And the Vampiric weapon will work for undead, but not for a contruct, sadly.  Very good questions.  I spend  a lot of hours working on these for my PC's to create a world where evenh the magic makes sense in the context of the setting, your questions are helping me sharpen that.

[Llum]

For the skill XP system, the EXPMOD is determined by the basemod+attributemod+racemod?

Dropdown affects only skill, so if I had a skill of 10% and a dropdown of  .2 I would have 2% in the drop down skill correct?

I'm happy to say I finally found the skill list again, took me ages >_< Now I was curious as to what commonality 5 skills there are? I've only found two commonality 4 skill (neutralize poison and Legend/Lore) and was wondering if there were more commonality 4 skills and if commonality 5 was they most specific they got?

What exactly is the Mechanic-Enliven skill?

[LordVreeg]

For the skill XP system, the EXPMOD is determined by the basemod+attributemod+racemod?

Dropdown affects only skill, so if I had a skill of 10% and a dropdown of  .2 I would have 2% in the drop down skill correct?

I'm happy to say I finally found the skill list again, took me ages >_< Now I was curious as to what commonality 5 skills there are? I've only found two commonality 4 skill (neutralize poison and Legend/Lore) and was wondering if there were more commonality 4 skills and if commonality 5 was they most specific they got?

What exactly is the Mechanic-Enliven skill?

I think I am going to have to buy Llum a flight to Boston.  He's prepping to play.

As for EXPMOD, You have the right of it.  In fact, you have it perfectly.
The Basemod is actually determined by the school/guild.  The Base XP listed on the skill sheet are supposed to describe an average basemod from a school that teaches it.  So BAsic Actor shows a BaseMod of.7.  Someone trying to learn this on the street or from inference has  BaseMod of .35.  The .7 represents a school that is good at acting, so a school where acting is pretty tertiary might have a Basemod of .5, while a Best-Of-Breed royal acting acadamy of Argus might have a Basemod of .8.  
So the underlying idea is, "Where did you learn the skill, what genetic predispostion do you hae to the skill, and what did your cultural background help?"

You also have the idea of dropdowns correct.  This was a concept/mechanism that I spent a lot of time on.  I knwe I needed prerequs, but I also wanted some braod based skills.  I wanted some esoteric skills that people had to work to learn and get to.  
The Dropdown becasme that mechanism.  It allows for broad basal skills (Basic Trap), as well as very exclusive and difficult dropdowns (Catch/deflect missle). While we still tweak and add skills regularly, this mechansim has gotten nothing but raves from my PCs.

There are currently 5 commonality 4 skills done, Legend/Lore, Detect Tracker, Neutralize poison, Auro of Healing, and Contagion/Anticontagion. However, as you look at the sub skills list, despite the amount that is in here, there is a lot of work still to do. My PC's and I consdeir the skill list 1/3 done.  There will probably be some level 5 skills in spells, lore, mercantile and social, particularly in Leadership and specific network building.

The Mechanic dropdown of Enliven is a passive skill akin to a 'magic touch', it allows a mechanic to create masterwork mechanicval machines that work so well that they can actually gain quality bonuses beyond masterwork.

"I don't know why Bill's waterwhel grinds so fine.  Grinds finer than any gristtmill north or south on this river..."

Okay, Llum, you've convinced me to get back to work on my skills.

[Llum]

Alright I was looking at the map and reading the wiki again and a few thoughts came to mind. Firstly, Igbar is a coastal city, as are other prominent places. How major a role do pirates and other sea based factions play? I don't recall there being a major mention of it, most of the history being relegated to the main land (unless I'm blind of course).

Another thing that crossed my mind was Coom Isle. It looks like its similar in size to most of the British Isle (at least the main one with England and Scotland). How major a role has it played in the power politics of the world? Most references to it come from Palimar being a native. And a couple references from earlier in the century.

Finally is there a water route across the continent? Is it possible by river travel? The Red Pass seems to obstruct the single main route of naval travel between the two seas.

Finally this is something I've been wondering for a long time, how major a role did D&D canon play in the creation of Celtricia? I've noticed similar names popping up, along with attached similarities (Jubilex being the most prominent one I believe).

[LordVreeg]

[blockquote=Llum]lright I was looking at the map and reading the wiki again and a few thoughts came to mind. Firstly, Igbar is a coastal city, as are other prominent places. How major a role do pirates and other sea based factions play? I don't recall there being a major mention of it, most of the history being relegated to the main land (unless I'm blind of course). [/blockquote] Igbar was actually settled by a pirate, Coth the Unworthy, a Venolvian Pirate-lord, back in 260.  And pirates have off and on been major issue, but such issues are mitigates by the need to have a water mage on board any sea-going vessel.  A normal merchant vessell will have a mariner -mage, who can call wind and water magic, and a pirate without these will never catch them, and the open seas have many portals to the House of Water, and many elementals lie in wait for a common pirate.

[blockquote=llum]Another thing that crossed my mind was Coom Isle. It looks like its similar in size to most of the British Isle (at least the main one with England and Scotland). How major a role has it played in the power politics of the world? Most references to it come from Palimar being a native. And a couple references from earlier in the century.[/blockquote]  Coom Isle was raised from the bottom of the sea by the BArd Numansongs in the Age of Heroes, during his time of power, using the Telekonese Instrument.

" I've been waiting here
Waiting for faith
And the word to fall.
Now the darkness comes
And I'll pray for
The end of us all.

Don't let the dark into me
We killed the angels that warned us of you
Don't let the dark into me
We raised the tower of Keith's Hope for you
Don't let the dark into me
We let the children build temples for you
Don't let the dark into me
Don't let the vengeance of Heaven be you

So pray to me, I'm the Lord's new disease,
Look down into the face of God.
Bow down and cry, I'm the black Messiah,
The one true divinity.
Kneel before my altar and drink the wine of slaughter,
Who said I'd save anyone?
So bleed for me, I need hostility
To lead the faithful and the blind.

Don't let the light shine on me
I am the poison that feeds life to you
Don't let the light shine on me
I am the demon that waits inside you
Don't let the light shine on me
I am the ghost that reminds death of you
Don't let the light shine on me
I am the darkness that crawls into you"

The Venolvians moved their capital their from the Steel ISle on -4 RON when their Sea Empire went through a governmental change, when Tarman Von Arbor of the Arcanic Guardians joined with the Pirate Lords to displace the Amererian Theocracy.  It was after this that the Venolvians went through their greatest amount of growth, and when it seemed the Church of the Entropic Overlords ruled the waves and washed onto the land.[note=Devenshold] The fall of the Devenshold Monarchy is very recent, some 7 years earlier.  A PC group including Gearsar, Palimar, and a few others was in Devens during the coup.  Palimar did not tell the group of his surname (Devenshold) as they left...[/note]
But all things end, and when Jon of Triston's war of the Shield through the venovians into the sea, Coom Isle became a collection of city states, until the last 30 years.  At this time, the group of Falathar and Heliopolis and their fellows took control of the underworld of Devens, destroying the Devenshold family and killing most of the Zingo Mysteriarchs who defended them.  While Falathar is the ostensible king now of Coom Isle, none doubt that Heliopolis Von Arbor is the real power.

[blockquotellum]Finally is there a water route across the continent? Is it possible by river travel? The Red Pass seems to obstruct the single main route of naval travel between the two seas.[/blockquote]  Nope.  Celtricia of Celtricia, the second largest and most populous continent of the planet, has to be gone around or over.

[blockquote=Llum]Finally this is something I've been wondering for a long time, how major a role did D&D canon play in the creation of Celtricia? I've noticed similar names popping up, along with attached similarities (Jubilex being the most prominent one I believe). [/blockquote]  Celtricia was my fifth major setting/campaign.  And it was a very consious decision to turn many thing on thier sides and on their heads, including the treatment of religions (as the Church of Change and Irony/Jubilex in Igbar shows).  Orcs and ogrillite humanoids having personalities and being part of civilization, and many other things were created specifically to refute and trasnform that canon you speak of.  Remember, Celtricia was created 25 years ago, and the old 1st edition ADAD needed some serious refuting...

[Biohazard]

Reading about the Bowyers reminds me how stunned I continue to be about the level of detail in this setting. Celtricia just possesses complexity on so many levels that I doubt I would ever flesh out with my own material. But who knows, this sort of thing has a tendency to inspire. I have to wonder sometimes if you would be capable of writing me a few thousand commoner biographies, if need be - sometimes it feels as though it's that detailed, and there's something about that part of Celtricia that I like.

[LordVreeg]

Reading about the Bowyers reminds me how stunned I continue to be about the level of detail in this setting. Celtricia just possesses complexity on so many levels that I doubt I would ever flesh out with my own material. But who knows, this sort of thing has a tendency to inspire. I have to wonder sometimes if you would be capable of writing me a few thousand commoner biographies, if need be - sometimes it feels as though it's that detailed, and there's something about that part of Celtricia that I like.

It is funny, in any campaign, about how some NPC's DO take on a life of their own.  And it helps when everyone has skills and levels in skills, just differfent types of skills.  being able to give a bartending levelor a leadership level or a seduction level to an NPC hels define them.
Though some NPC's, like Nighttimer, Bummy the Bandit, Xia Du Ping, and Shambar have taken on more than a life of their own.

[Nomadic]

So vreeg, when are we gonna start gaming again? I want to get back into it.

[Llum]

Just a couple quick questions.

1. How aware are the common people of Celtricia that the House of Fire is destroyed? (and the other House)?

2. How prolific are poisons? And how prolific is the use of poisons? If I remember correctly there is a Demon Lord associated with it, so are they fairly common?

[LordVreeg]

Just a couple quick questions.

1. How aware are the common people of Celtricia that the House of Fire is destroyed? (and the other House)?

2. How prolific are poisons? And how prolific is the use of poisons? If I remember correctly there is a Demon Lord associated with it, so are they fairly common?

It is part of church canon, an agreed-upon part that is in almost all the slightly different stories of creation, that the House of Fire and the House of air were destroyed in the times of strife.  It is common knowledge, kind of at the same level as knowing the continentals fought the british during the war of us independence.  

Poisons and their illigitimate use can be seen like guns in our world, to some degree.  Everyone knows it exists, and that while dishonorable and against the law, everyone knows it is very commonly used by the underworld and by some military groups.  For example, many Scarlet Pilum special units are issued different poisons before battle, and anyone who is pretty bright knows that if they are fighting an artificer, that they might be dealing with poisons.
Poisons are common enough that most of the major churches have 'reduce poison' and 'remove poison' potions available at all times, or variations of 'blessings of snake and spider'.

[Steerpike]

I'm very much enjoying the Igbarian session posts.  Realy fun to read.

You've made some references that slightly boggle my mind in terms of the detail level.  You mention the Street of Carvings and that two individuals in Igbar sell musical instruments.  How much of the city do you have mapped?  Every street?  Every building?  The amount of work you've put into fulling fleshing out the city is astonishing and inspiring.

[LordVreeg]

I'm very much enjoying the Igbarian session posts.  Realy fun to read.

You've made some references that slightly boggle my mind in terms of the detail level.  You mention the Street of Carvings and that two individuals in Igbar sell musical instruments.  How much of the city do you have mapped?  Every street?  Every building?  The amount of work you've put into fulling fleshing out the city is astonishing and inspiring.

Sorry it is taking so long to get that session out ther.  I swear, I add a line or 2 a day, that's about it.  There ias a lot more that happnned, including librarians on meat hooks.

I do have old maps that include every street, but they aer out of date and have been redoing certain sections recently.  I've been kind of fleshing out certain areas more completely.  
[spoiler=wards and neighborhoods]
The Neighborhoods and Wards
Like all cities that have grown organically, Igbar's roads and street wind somewhat confusingly.  Couple that with the small pond and the stream (the Vdalek) in the middle of the west side, and the growth of the city has just 'happened around it', and has not been organized.

 

The Dockside area is not just the coastal side, it includes mainly the central coastal area where the oldest Docks are, which leads down 'the Keep Way', one of the oldest streets in the city.  The Dockside area has no paving, and most of the buildings are made of wood, many of which are sinking into the ground.  There are a few old captain's houses, mostly Inns now, that show there was some money in this area at one point.  However, the area is mainly bars, inns, taverns, a few businesses, lots of older warehouses, and poverty.
 

The Royal way is the opposite.  It stretches from the Northern City gates do the Southern Gates, and was conceived by Artic Husamin IV, the sixth Duke of the Northern Argussian Marches.  This whole, wide street is paved in white, and in the center, on the waterside, is the Royal Keep, built by Artic in 680-689 RON.  There is a small park that abutts the Vdalek Pond.  Many of the most wealthy families have their bricked, in-town residences along that road.
 

The South-Eastern corner of the city is the Harou section of town, where the quaint, introspective social graces of the Harou cultures is observed.  Tea service, outdoor porches, and piinut incense in the air are the staples of the area.  
 

The Godstraat.  The North Eastern corner of the city is dominated by the 'Street of the Gods', as it is called commonly, though it's proper name is the 'Avenue of Worship'.  Though not all the temples and Churches are their, the Lawful Triumverate, the Church of the Green Mother, The Church of Chaos, and the Platform of Trade.  Also, one of the oldest Boneyards within the city limits, now full to bursting with old headstones, is there.  That boneyard dates back to the early dates of Igbar.  The oldest dates are from ~320 R.O.N.  Around 470 R.O.N., the Igbarians uncovered a long sunken garden to north of the Street of Worship, and that Northern Boneyard is where many of the family Crypts were moved to.
 

The Brewer's Quarter is the eastern part of two Streets, The Talleyrand Path and the Marcher's Hope.  Here 4 major breweries and a number of smaller ones all contrive to best each other in their crafting of local brews.  None really compete, however, with the Golden Bullette brewery and the gold and red brews it sends out on wagons labelled with their sigil.  The Birchright Quaffer's Guild (named after the old, defunct brewery of the same name) is the largest brewer's Guild, but many of them belong to Chernow's Libations, a guild that covers many mead, wine, and other distillers as well as brewers.
 

Opposite of the Brewer's quarter on the Unicorn Vex is the 4 street west-bound roads known as the Rip-cut Crucible, where many crafts guilds and manufacturers make their home and ply their wares.  The Stret of Carvings is where woodworkers do much of their work in Igbar.
 

The Trio is the area around the South Gate (The Argus Gate), where almost all the streets converge on the small square just inside the gate. It is named because of the three Argussian officials who were hung their by Trabler Aptor when he took over the town.  Many shops are here, as well as teamsters.
 

BravoTown is a long, two street area south of the Godstraat, where mercenaries, both locally born and outlanders, found housing and employment.  The local chapterhouse of the Kulranik Guild is in this area. As these 2 streets near the Harou section of town, there starts to be a neatening up.
 

Leper's Bastion (or just 'The Bastion') is the southern dock area and slightly inland area typified by slums, Krrfshops, and flophouses.  There actually was a Leper's colony by the water over two hundered years ago, but the name stuck for an area with little hope.
 

North Docks are a collection of 3 small docks and about two-dozen small buildings outside the gates to the north, about 300 yards.  They used to be an area where there were woods, and it was here that smugglers would land back in the days of the Northern Argussia Marches.  It grew to a legitimate dock area for the Bartles & Jamie wine importing group, and has since continued to grow.  There is a Scarlet Pilum's tower in the northern area, in case of attacks.  Many duel masters use this area.[/spoiler]

There are dozens of people who make instruments in Igbar, though I might mention specifics here and there.  

This stupid city has been gamed continuously for a quarter century.  I have so many notes that are not even put to paper yet.  I have not placed Phidipidies Strepsiades huge fountain on the page yet, or the 'Uopper Crust' he owns, or much about the real political daily life, where argument and discourse run rampant through the streets all day, and through ther Bardic Taverns all night...

[Llum]

Another quick question. In character creation one of the results you can roll for race is Cross.

I believe this is for half-races, like a half klaxik/half hobyt. However is there a limit on what races and interbreed?

Are there half-Omwo~/Half-Gartier? Half Orckash/Half Human?

On a mechanical side of things, when creating a character with the Guildschool system, do you roll for appearance as well?