LOF Game Discussion and Sign-Up Thread

[Cyril Darkcloud]

DMs Note: In the interest of putting the miscellaneous rule adjustments made for the game in one place, the next couple posts will list the specific adaptations we have made for this game.

New Spells

The following spells have been approved for use in the LOF – Aftermath game:

* Cleric Spells granted to Anarimma These spells are taken and adapted from a 1st edition AD&D website.

Healing Sleep

Level: 4
Casting Time: 1 round
Range: 1"
Duration: 8 hours
Area of Effect: 1 creature per level
Components: V,S
Saving Throw: N/A


This spell is cast upon a creature or creatures just before they go to sleep. It encourages and promotes healing during this sleep. If the target creature(s) sleep for an uninterrupted 8 hours then they are healed for a number of hit-points equal to the level of the cleric. Each target creature should be treated separately with regard to the amount of time it has slept, so it is possible that some of them could be woken early and not gain the advantage of this spell, while others from the same group may sleep long enough to receive its full benefit. This spell may only be cast once within a 24 hour period.

Power Sleep

Level: 4
Casting Time: 1 round
Range: 20 ft
Duration: 1 hour
Area of Effect: 1 person/2 levels
Components: V,S,M
Saving Throw: N/A

When the cleric casts this spell, a number of persons can be caused to fall into a deep sleep for one hour. This sleep is so restful that it is equivalent to a full night's rest (i.e., 8 hours). Upon waking, any recipient of the spell who is a spell caster may memorise spells anew. Furthermore, all recipients heal 1 point of previously sustained damage as if they had rested a full night. Note that the cleric must designate the recipients of the spell, which may include him- or herself. Finally, note that the spell may be cast no more than once each 24 hours.
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* Mage Spell granted to Mistral -- In the interest of a bit of levity Mistral proposed an amusing adaptation of the Shout spell to me. The spell was used in the first battle against the grimlocks.

Rhianneth’s Beery Belch

Level: 4
Range: 0
Duration: Instantaneous
Area of Effect: 1"X3" cone
casting Time: 3 segments
Components: V, M
Saving Throw: Special

By means of this powerful enchantment, the rapid and reckless consumption of alcoholic beverages is turned into a dangerous offensive weapon. The caster, after drinking, releases an ear-splitting belch that proceeds outward from her mouth in a cone-shaped area. Any creature of 8 hit dice or less within this area will be knocked prone, taking 2-12 points of damage and requiring a full round to recover balance, and will be deafened for 2-12 rounds if a saving throw vs. spells is failed. A successful save will mean that the creature retains its balance but is still deafened for 1-6 rounds. Creatures with more than 8 hit dice are unaffected by the spell. The material component of this spell is a container of ale which is rapidly consumed immediately prior to the belch.

[Cyril Darkcloud]

House Rules

• Bonded Mounts for Paladins and other characters: A bonded mount will be able to acquire no more than 10 hit dice. It will make saving throws as monster of its present number of hit dice and will receive no bonuses from the character who rides it. Saving throws for the bonded mount and its rider are always to be made separately, thus the mount can be fully affected by an attack even if its rider successfully saves. In the event of the death of the mount, nothing short of a full Wish Spell will restore the creature to life.
• Recovery of Spells: Spells are not automatically recovered or memorized on resting [this holds for clerics and sorcerers as well]. Time needs to be spent in memorizing them and preparing material components [Mages]; in prayer and communion with one's deity [clerics and druids]; or simply allowing one's magical energy and ability to focus and control it to recover after having been spent [sorcerers]. Depending on the number and level of spells involved, this can take as long as a couple days. Note that rangers and paladins would be handled the same way with regard to their spellcasting abilities.
• Missile Weapons: The use of archery in the tunnels will be difficult as it will be nearly impossible to ‘arch’ an arrow’s flight. Thus the range of bows, especially longbows, will be greatly decreased while the group is underground. Brendon - Your bow will allow you to fire at targets a bit more distant than a typical bow would, but it will still suffer a dramatic decrease in range. Crossbows will suffer no real penalties.
• Critical Hits: This game does not make use of critical hit tables, nor are massive criticals allowed. A roll of a ‘natural 20’ to hit will automatically result in a critical hit and a critical hit will do maximum damage +3 to the target. Weapons or abilities that might allow a critical hit on something other than a natural 20 are possible in the game but need to be negotiated with the DM.
• Bladesinger spell casting: Bladesingers to not receive any level related bonus to their armor class when attempting to cast spells in combat. They may, however, make full use of their dexterity bonus when spellcasting, and AC benefit which not available to most other spellcasters. Dantes, as a Kensai/Mage, also receives the benefit of his full dexterity bonus.
• The Stoneskin Spell:This spell will function to block one melee attack per skin against opponents such as the grimlocks. However, against creatures of great physical power such as the Shadow Giants it will not absorb more than one or two blows before crumbling completely to pieces.
• The Dispel Magic Spell: Rather than defining Dispel Magic as a 3rd level spell, it will be understood as a spell of variable level depending on at level the caster chooses to memorize it [i.e., 3rd to 9th]. This is important as in this game 3 factors are important in determining the success of a casting of Dispel Magic:
  
  • The difference in level between the one casting Dispel Magic and the caster of the original enchantment. There is a 5% penalty for each level the one trying to Dispel an enchantment is below that of the one who originally cast it. Should the caster of the Dispel magic be higher in level, he receives a 5% bonus for each level higher than the caster of the enchantment.
  • The difference in level between the Dispel itself and that of the enchantment. A Dispel Magic that has been memorized as a lower level spell than the enchantment it is directed against receives a 10% penalty for each level it is below the that of the enchantment. Conversely, a Dispel Magic of higher level than a given enchantment receives a 10% bonus for each level of difference. For example a spellcaster who has memorized Dispel Magic as a 3rd level spell suffers a 60% chance of failure should he attempt to dispel a 9th level enchantment.
  • The base chance of success for Dispel Magic is 50%. This base chance is modified by the penalties and bonuses outlined above.
• Numerous Small magic Items: This pertains to such things as the coins with Continual Light cast upon them and the caltrops carried by Elethias, Morgeruat’s new character. No more than one or two handfuls [8-16] of such items can exist in the group’s possession at any given time. Thus, for example, a large sack of enchanted coins is not an option.

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Setting

This is not the Forgotten Realms setting, nor is it any of the other commercially available campaign settings, although elements from those games might be found here, such as Adalon from the BG II computer game who was destroyed by the Shadow Giants early in the first LOF – Aftermath thread. In particular, the Underneath of the Forums is not the Underdark of other game settings. Here for example there was only a single great Drow city and that city has been overrun and taken by the Shadow Giants and its citizens slaughtered, effectively destroying the Drow as a presence of any significance in the Underneath of the Forums as there are no other large Drow settlements in this game, nor are there sufficient survivors to form anything more than a small and fairly weak enclave. The Shadow Giants themselves are creatures unique to the Lord of the Forums game setting.

[ 08-19-2003, 09:55 PM: Message edited by: Cyril Darkcloud ]

[Larry_OHF]

OOC>>>Would it be feasible to ask that all OOC discussion for the LOF, Aftermath take place here, if your OOC does not include a post for your character? That would keep the actual game clean of unneeded extra talk and more concentrated on the actual game. If you make a post, and need to say something, then an OOC is perfectly fine. But this thread can be used for rules, questions, and comments that is pure OOC. Is that cool, or not?


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Dantes: I saw your post about the Mass Charm. Cyril has instructed me on the 2nd Ed. rules of that spell, which I am told work to your favor better than 3rd Ed. Being a level 8 spell will not need much convincing for these guys. The spell is high level, and my invading horde is very low level, although numerous. Therefore, the spell will automatically work as follows:

10-14 Grimlocks will be affected.
The spell cannot make the Grimlocks attack other Grimlocks, but will stop their bloody advance on the gnomes for a time. However, any Grimlock affected by the Chaos spell will have a higher chance at attacking a charmed Grimlock.

I will post accordingly.

[ 08-19-2003, 11:39 PM: Message edited by: Larry_OHF ]

[Morgeruat]

changes noted, at least we didn't get stuck with the 1st ed version of stoneskin

[Cyril Darkcloud]

*LOL* I was tempted ...... [img]graemlins/blueblink.gif[/img]

[Larry_OHF]

Information about the Grimlocks that the party can pick up on at this point.

- Almost all Grimlocks have a BattleAxe of rusty, plain make.
- A few carry old swords that bear no special markings,
- Maybe one or two Grimlocks are actually carrying two weapons at once, but it is general knowledge that a Grimlock is too dumb to successfully dual-wield.
- A few Grimlocks seem stronger and smarter than their associates. They are leading whole groups around in search of victims.
- The party knows about Euryale but no sign of her has been seen.

I will fill you in on more knowledge as the party learns it.

Hang on, I am confused. What are grimlocks?

[Cyril Darkcloud]

A warband of grimlocks has just attacked the gnome settlement where the party is staying. They are a race of blind, savage humanoids that feed on the flesh of humans and demihumans. More info is available here, although in 2nd edition format.

[AzRaeL StoRmBlaDe]

I really like the idea of a LOF discussion thread. There are times when I have something to say or ask for the group that I just dont want to do a solely OOC: post for, so this will make it a lot easier to do. it will also make it easier for me to crack dwarven lass jokes at larry. I wonder if there are gully dwarves in the underdark . . . Maybe I should save the "attract dwarven lass" spell for that. . .

[ 08-20-2003, 12:27 PM: Message edited by: AzRaeL StoRmBlaDe ]

Okay, thanx. I just looked in the 3rd ed monster manual, they are in there too. How powerful are they in 2nd ed, cuz according to this manual the challenge rating is 1, meaning level 1 characters would have an even fight with them.