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Game Pitch

The game is set on Mystara, in Yalcaster, a free city on the border of the Helldann Freeholds and Denagoth. Nestled in one of the few hospitable valleys in the jagged, southern mountains of Denagoth, Yalcaster was founded by a combination of Wendarian explorers, Denagothian refugees and Helldanian preachers(and the occasional freethinker). It has weathered Helldanian crusades and Denagothian hordes in the past, and is now enjoying its twentieth unbroken year of peace, secluded from the rest of the Known World's struggles, adventures and dramatics.

Until this year.

A sudden surge of crime, some violent, but mostly theft, swept through the city in the spring. Soon, the usual suspects were rounded up by the city watch, but the thefts continued. When reports trickled in that they weren't committed by humans or demihumans, the city guard swept into the hills to kick over the usual caves and abandoned mines that seem to attract monstrous broods, but turned up nothing. After several nights of consulting old tomes and maps, the city's ruling council made a proclamation: they would reward well anyone who would venture into the old sewers and catacombs beneath Yalcaster, find the source of the crime wave, and put it to an end. Several poorly-prepared but greedy adventuring parties have already failed to report back, and the city watch is tied up keeping the city to its usual level of mild chaos rather than turning nasty.

Yalcaster

At last census, Yalcaster had about half a million citizens, of all known species of demihuman(and a few others).

The main faiths are Ka and Kagyar, and there are persistent rumours of a hidden temple to Asterius, God of Thieves. A small cult of Hel cares for the dead of the valley and is tolerated as gravekeepers. Most of the city's income is from caravans travelling between Helldan and Wendar, as well as brave souls willing to venture into the Denagothian wastes to recover rare resources and works of art.

Level Map

-2: Upper Yalcaster, 50 feet above ground level
-1: Yalcaster Streets, 0 feet above ground level
0: Sewers, 10 feet below ground level
1: Kobold Warrens, Duergar Town, Bee Cave, 40 feet below ground level,
2: Despoiled Temple, Cave Plateau, Orcish Camp, Elf Ruins 60 feet below ground level,
3: Catacomb City, Drow Caverns, 260 feet below ground level.
4: Frozen Lake, Elftown, 350 feet below ground level.

Every positive # level gains all party members 1000*Level when they descend past it to a level they haven't reached before.

Rules Primer

2e AD&D uses a mixture of roll-over and roll-under.

Roll-over: Saves, Attack Rolls
Roll-under: Stat-checks, proficiency checks, thief skill rolls, magic resistance checks

Combat

Initiative: Every round, everyone starts by declaring their action and rolling 1d10+speed factor(all weapons and spells have speed factors that increase initiative). Then take actions in order of lowest rolls going first, in case of ties, highest Dexterity goes first and PC's always go before NPC's. Spellcasters who take any damage before their turn comes up while casting a spell, lose their turn and memorized spell.

To-Hit: Your TN(Target Number, roll this or higher to succeed) when attacking is Your Thac0 - Their AC. So for instance, if you have a Thac0 of 18, and they have an AC of 10: 18-10 = roll an 8 or better. Note that this means enemies(or PC's) with negative Armor Class add to the TN.

Chargen

All PHB classes are permitted, Clerics MUST choose a faith(though not necessarily a Mystaran-native one).

All PHB races are permitted.

Racial level limits are removed.

All races can be all classes.

Humans may choose to either: increase their starting stat pool by +1 OR start with 1 extra Weapon Proficiency point and 2 extra Non-Weapon Proficiency points OR gain +1 HP at every level.

Hit dice are maximized for all levels.

Player's Option spells are included, Player's Option Combat & Tactics increased weapon specialization/expertise will be used.

Any weapon can be refluffed as any other as long as it's a reasonably similar one(i.e. if you buy a Two-Handed Sword you can refluff it as being a giant war maul or a huge battle axe instead if that fits your character's aesthetics better).

Stats are sorted by point buy, starting at 0 and requiring a minimum of 3 in all stats before racial modifiers. Stats are bought at a 1:1 ratio, except the jump from 15 to 16, which costs 2 points, 16 to 17, which costs 3 points, 17 to 18 which costs 4 points, and every 10 points of percentile strength which cost 2 points each.

The available stat pool is 74 points, though it may be edited if everyone feels too limited about their chargen options.

Arcane casters may choose up to 4 1st-level spells at chargen, +1 per point of Intelligence above 10.

Warriors(Fighters, Rangers, Paladins) and Clerics start with 150 gold for shopping.
Rogues(including Bards) start with 100 gold for shopping.
Mages(including Specialists) start with 50 gold for shopping.

House Rules

Arcane casters gain the same extra spells/day benefits from Intelligence as Divine casters do from Wisdom.

Non-Weapon Proficiencies

Your # of Languages from Intelligence are extra NWP's at chargen(though they can still be spent at a 1:1 ratio to learn languages if you prefer. Everyone is assumed to know Common in addition to these).

Characters gain extra non-weapon proficiencies at the following rates instead of the ones in the book:

Warrior: 2 per 3 levels
Wizard: 1 per 2 levels
Cleric: 2 per 3 levels
Rogue: 1 per level

Weapon Proficiencies

Warrior: 2 per 3 levels
Wizard: 1 per 3 levels
Cleric: 1 per 2 levels
Rogue: 1 per 2 levels

Natural Healing

Characters heal 1 HP per rest period, 3 HP for an entire day of rest.

A successful Healing NWP check(per character to be healed) changes these to 1d4 HP and 3d4 HP respectively. If the healer also knowns Herbalism and has access to herbs the healing increases to 1d6 HP and 3d6 HP.

Natural healing of any kind is only possible if the party has access to food(usually rations) and water.

Crossbows

Except as noted, crossbows have the same stats as in the PHB.

All Crossbows have a +2 to hit.

Hand Crossbows do 1d6+2/1d4+2 damage, and gain backstab bonuses against unsuspecting opponents if used by Rogues. Cost: 100 GP.
Light Crossbows do 1d8+2/1d6+2 damage.
Heavy Crossbows do 1d10+4/1d8+4 damage.

Selling and Buying

Buying is assumed to default to 100% cost, selling is assumed to default to 50% cost, for items with listed sale prices.

With a successful Charisma check, a character can lower buying cost by 5% or increase selling cost by 5%.

For every additional attempted Charisma check, treat the character's Charisma as 2 points lower.

Failing a Charisma checks resets the price to full.

Failing two Charisma checks resets the price to 150% cost for buying or 25% cost for selling.

Failing three Charisma checks gets you treated like a huckster and the merchants will no longer trade with you for the time being.

Haggling is not an option during chargen, and spending three days underground will reset your default prices.

It's possible to haggle bulk purchases rather than per-item.

Ammunition

If an enemy needs magical weapons to be affected, this only applies to magical ammunition for ranged weapons. It's not enough for the launcher to be magical.

Magical ammunition loses its charge when thrown or fired, unless specifically a reusable type(i.e. returning magical throwing weapons).

After a battle, 50% of spent ammunition can be recovered(round down).

Spells, Changed

Spells under this heading have been edited/rebalanced. Assume any non-mentioned aspects have not been edited.

Sleep(Level 1, Wizard)

Targets which are agitated(terrified/angry/in battle/otherwise with adrenaline pumping through them) get a Save vs Petrification to not be affected by Sleep. Unaware/relaxed targets get no save as usual. Specifically this means that almost any hostile creature or person which is aware of the party will get a saving throw.

Heroism

Characters of level 3 or greater are starting to bypass the limits of ordinary humans and demihumans, and have access to some special advantages.

Heroic Combat

From level 3 onwards, any character making a melee or ranged attack will always do at minimum damage equal to one-third their level(even on a miss), rounded up, up to at most the damage the attack could maximally roll, assuming the target was vulnerable to the attack at all.

Heroic Willpower

Once per rest, all characters of 3rd level or above may reroll any one die roll they make.

Henchmen

For any henchmen that take payment "per day," this ticks over every time the party rests or descends a dungeon level(unless a shortcut explicitly permits skipping multiple levels at once).

Each henchman also consumes a portion of rations at the same interval.

Baggage Carrier, Professional

Payment: 1gp per day

Contractually excused from combat or hazardous conditions thanks to a strong labour union. Require a successful Charisma check at -4 to do anything other than carrying things(eg. helping push open a stuck door, helping keep up a sagging ceiling about to collapse and kill everyone, traipsing first down a corridor that might be trapped, handing someone a potion or fresh ammunition during a fight, etc.). Conditions may worsen the check(i.e. if the body of the last baggage carrier, henchman or NPC is still smoldering in the middle of the corridor) or cause them to demand an extra feet for it.

Professional baggage carriers can carry 40lb. of equipment a piece.

Baggage Carrier, Desperate

Payment: only rations

Beggars, orphans, war veterans or otherwise desperate humans and demihumans. Malnourishment, injuries or other ailments prevent them from carrying as much as professional baggage carriers, but desperation and a lack of union membership means that they are much easier to convince to do the things that unionized labour will not. They will do non-carrying tasks if their employer succeeds at a normal Charisma check. Conditions may worsen the check(i.e. if the body of the last baggage carrier, henchman or NPC is still smoldering in the middle of the corridor) or cause them to demand an extra feet for it.

Desperate baggage carriers can carry 20lb. of equipment a piece.

Expert

Payment: 5gp per day, 10gp per NWP check

Experts are competent civilians, trained in one specific NWP(chosen when they're hired), which they have a target number of 10 in. They can make any number of checks per day, but will take payment for how much work they're required to do. Like baggage carriers, they're protected by strong unions and refuse to do anything outside of their contractually obligated duties. Unlike tasks you do yourself, however, you won't necessarily know if your expert succeeded or not until you rely on his knowledge/talents to not get you killed…

Expert, Highly Trained

Payment: 10gp per day, 50gp per NWP check

Experts are competent civilians, well-trained in one specific NWP(chosen when they're hired), which they have a target number of 15 in. They can make any number of checks per day, but will take payment for how much work they're required to do. Like baggage carriers, they're protected by strong unions and refuse to do anything outside of their contractually obligated duties. Unlike tasks you do yourself, however, you won't necessarily know if your expert succeeded or not until you rely on his knowledge/talents to not get you killed…

Magic Items

Purchase prices for low-tier magic items and details for non-standard items discovered and identified by the party.

Magic Item Library

Additional Combat Actions

These are combat maneuvers available to any character that satisfies the requirement(s) for base Thac0 and/or specialization required to use them.

Speed modifiers with a + are in addition to the weapon/gear/spell already in use, speed modifiers without a + use that speed modifier alone for determining initiative.

Dual Wielding

Counter

Prerequisites: Wis 12+, Thac0 18 or better.
Speed Modifier: N/A

Make no normal attacks for this round, at the end of the round, make up to your full allowance of attacks against any enemy that attacked you in melee(Touch-range spells also count), whether their attacks succeeded or not, if you are still capable of attacking.

Taunt

Prerequisites: Cha 12+, Thac0 18 or better.
Speed Modifier: +4

In addition to your action/attack for the turn, Taunt a number of enemies equal to your Cha/3(round up). Any enemy so targeted who fails a Save vs Petrification must target you this round if able.

Sword & Board

Any weapon and shield combination counts for this style.

Guardian Stance

Prerequisites: Wis 12+, Thac0 18 or better.
Speed Modifier: N/A

Make no attack for the duration of the round. If any ally is attacked, you may choose to intercede, replacing their AC with your own. If an attack hits, the damage is halved(round down). If the ally is targeted by an AoE attack or spell, they automatically pass their save(if any) and you automatically fail it. You can defend at base one ally per round, but at 14, 16 and 18 Wisdom this is increased by one ally each time.

Two-Handed

Brutal Swing

Prerequisites: Str 12+, Thac0 18 or better.
Speed Modifier: +2

Allows you to take a -1 penalty to attack in exchange for a +2 to damage, this penalty can be taken multiple times per attack.

Unstoppable

Prerequisites: Con 12+, Thac0 18 or better.
Speed Modifier: +4

For the remainder of the battle, you remain alive and able to act down to a negative HP value of half your maximum HP value(i.e. if your Max HP is 10, you can be reduced to -5HP and still act). At the end of the battle, if reduced to less than 0HP, your HP is set to 1. If not reduced to 0 or negative HP by the end of the battle, you lose half of your remaining HP.

Ranged

Suppressing Fire

Prerequisites: Cha 12+, Thac0 18 or better.
Speed Modifier: -2

Make an attack that does no damage, but instead forces your target to make a Morale check(all applicable modifiers apply). If the check is failed, they hunker down for cover/fall back/raise their shields or otherwise cancel their action for the round. This attack consumes three times the normal amount of ammunition for an attack.

Deities

Koryis

A deity of peace, negotiation and protection, home and the hearth.

Major Spheres(up to 7th level): All, Charm, Creation, Earth, Guardian, Healing, Law, Protection, Wards, Water.
Minor(up to 3rd level): Combat, Necromantic, Sun, Weather.
Allowed weapons: Standard Cleric(i.e. any Blunt damage weapons are allowed, from crushing mauls to thrown stones)

Special Abilities: Consecrate Home, once per week, the Cleric can consecrate a home(as large as a building or as small as a room) as a safe resting place. If someone steals from it or enters planning harm(theft or violence) while someone is resting there, everyone present will gain a +1 bonus to AC until the threat is ejected and be immediately roused to wakefulness with no penalties if they were resting or sleeping. This ceremony requires some holy water and an hour of prayer. The Cleric can only maintain two Consecrated locations at once, and if a Consecrated location isn't used for rest by an owner for a week, the Consecration fades.

Special Spells: Detect Lie(once per day at 7th level), Sanctuary(once per day at 1st level), Stone Shape(as Wizard spell, once per day at 9th level)

XP Tracker

This tracks the XP per session and the XP total. Keep in mind that we are not using the XP bonus for having a high primary stat

1st session: 500 XP
2nd session: 1000 XP
3rd session: 0 XP
4th session: 500 XP
Christmas Present: 500XP
5th session: 1000 XP
XP Recalculation Bonus: 500XP
6th session: 1000 XP
Council Reward: 1000 XP
9th session: 2000 XP
10th session: 500 XP
Dungeon Level 3 Award: 2000XP
11th session: 1500 XP
12th session: 1500 XP
13(?)th session: 1500 XP
14th session: 1000 XP
15th session: 4000 XP
16th session: 2000 XP
17th session: 4000 XP
18th session: 2000 XP
????th session: 2000 XP, and +1 to stat of choice(or +/10 if str between 18 and 19)
????+1th session: 5000 XP
????+2th session: 5000 XP
????+3rd session: 10000 XP
This session: 10000 XP
That session: 10000 XP
Some Session: 30000 XP

Total XP: 250000 XP

Character Sheets

Blair - Dwarf Fighter - Zeplin666
Kazadok - Dwarf Cleric - Sanev_Khan
Will - Human Bard - Fluffums
Lobralla - Half-Orc Rogue - Issyl
Trent - Human Fighter - Vann
Senator Master Sir Lord Alpha Beast the Third - Human (??) Wizard - Della

Summary Post

First Resurfacing
Dead Orc Report

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