Inspired by the thunderdome threads, and geographically constrained from face to face gaming I am looking to run a modified D&D 3.5 game using my setting of Haven (thus the title!), which is available in mass detail in a sticky in the Design Forum if you have a LOT of time on your hands.

I have made a vastly simple intro guide which I will be posting and linking later today and I am working on a sort of bulk 'houserules' document to cover Haven specifics, though I intend to keep as much of Core as possible (excepting monsters and prestige classes).

Starting point:

Core PHB is legal.
Any alternate core classes need sweettalking and/or bribery (bonus points if you do the hard work of explaining how they fit Haven... haha)

Alternate Races: See the Ethnic Guideline already posted (link in sticky) before you even try. Again: sweet talk and bribery and hard work or it didn't happen.
Lizard men are playable: ask me how!  Earth Genasai are playable, as are Aasimar and tieflings. Orcs are playable (caveat to come, so don't get all excitable)

Starting point will be level 2-3 (group decision), 3d6 straight line stats on the big boy program to start with. If this winds up being a problem it's dice rollers for you bastards.  

I would like a generic goal for the character and the player.

If you tell me your general concept I can fit your character into the world for you.  Note: If you want to play a big viking dude (for example) tell me if you want to be a big shaggy guy with an ax, or if you want a fearsome reputation as a reaving pirate who lives in Fjords... the number of direct analogs is limited.   I may give you multiple options if you're concept is vague.

Prestige Classes: Don't worry about building your character towards a P.Class.  I'll have more specfic rules up later, but as a guideline: a level seven character with a vaguely appropriate background (spellcasters for casting classes, etc) will qualify to seek a prestige class.   If you give me a heads up in your goals that will make it easier... but I understand that levelling can be glacial in PbP gaming, so this is a low priority all-round.

More (links) to follow, and I'm here to answer any questions/respond to feedback.


Edit:  Spike's World: Quick and Dirty Thread
The Sticky of DOOM!!!!
Gods of Haven (ongoing project)
Update to Monster Manual

Each post from me in that thread should be a self contained introduction to a facet. First (and currently only) is Cosmology, which is a good starting point. Its a thousand words, which for me is positively brisk!  Next should be the main world entry, though I think I'll pare it down some first, since there is overlap.  I should note that the Cosmology is important in how is directly influences Haven as a distinct entity from bog-standard D&D tropes.   I'll also knock out a list of Gods for the religious minded.  I think that will get its own link, though.

I know, I promised links. Sorry, I've been busy making the edit Monster Manual list, soon to be followed by a brief Deity List. Spent at least four hours doing 'data entry'... dull but I've actually had to put some thought into what sort of critters live where... which has been surpringly useful as a late step worldbuilding project!  Who knew?

The other delay has been that every time I sit down at my personal laptop to write entries at work, my co-worker has had a personal emergency that needed my personal attention. Its what I get for starting a project on the boss's dime, I guess.

Still, they are coming, and soon.  I have the brief intro and I'm working on the quick'n dirty cosmology.

At least... until I realize that no one cares.

You serious Pika man? Really? If you are I am game to try but I have no books. And I have to phone post most times. So if you accept me. Just give me the numbers or a stat array. Then a bit of help unless I can use Pathfinder as a guide for character build? For the feats and stuff. I can easily give you the mods. So you know if they would be allowed or not.

I am a horrible optimization person by the way. I think I would run an Evoker just to see if I could pull it off.

You need numbers? Man, you MUST be out of touch! I'm in the middle of nowhere and I just got some d6s (and poker chips, and cards...)

M'kay!

STR 14
Dex 5
CON 12
INT  8
WIS 11
CHA 13


Hmm. The first roll I did (on the SRD page, but that proved unlinkable) gave similar numbers. The second roll was all single digits, so I, generous pika that I am, threw it out.  

I'ma make a campaign page on invisble castle as soon as I get the registration email and get a chance to muddle it out, but there ya goes. Might make a decent fighter or even paladin maybe? (paladin, paladin... wherefore art my paladin? well I have some ideas where, but for all I know you're planning on a sorcerer who likes to punch people in the face before you blast 'em. I'll wait.)

Well I can do a Paladin if I must.  But Sorcerer? Me likey especially if I get a theme like Rokogun or Pathfinder.

Give me the gods/patrons and I can do a sorceress.

I have been meaning to keep it simple, but I do like letting players actually enjoy their characters.

There are several asian influenced cultures, of course, and fey creatures and dragons and all sorts of other supernatural stuff wanging around (onomatopaeic doppler effect sound? bah, I'm too tired, should sleep... I'm not even sure anymore.)

I recently got my hands on copies of the rest of my exhaustive library. I've pushed players towards the sorcerer feats for theme type stuff in the past, but I'd like to see what other (currently speculative) players have to say...

... or how you intend to bribe me with sweet, sweet backstory on why you should have a cool theme. I'm a sucker for hard work.  

Marleycat: Don't feel compelled to pick your class based on my musings. Occupational hazard when I roll stat dice.  

If, on the other hand, you actually want to play a sorcerer, I am familiar with the beta-test Pathfinder, and have a rule book. I'll look over their 'themes' again this afternoon but as a preliminary calling: if you give up the ability to have a familiar I'll let you have a theme.  What sort of theme were you thinking about?





Everyone (lurkers?):  I should be able to get the quick'n dirty overview up in about six hours, maybe less. It'll appear first in the discussion forums, probably in Design, along with the massive MM tweak list (which is full of colorful tidbits about Haven for the curious).

I'm going to do a quick and dirty cosmology overview that is a bit more indepth than the overall overview's take. Could be important for wizards and clerics.  If I get it done before lunch it'll get posted in Design before everything else, and I'll edit a link into the OP.

Also, as a note; If you are interested in the game but intimidated by Haven and/or something I said in the OP about the rules, please speak up.  If people aren't going to have fun with 'Rule X', then I'd rather change Rule X than stand on some vague principle.

Hallo??? (listens for echos...)

Well. I don't actually know if I have any players at all at this point, but in case I do:


Having looked over the pathfinder sorcerer rules I can't just import the bloodlines as is (or with the caveat that you'd lose your familiar) without unbalancing the class in comparison.  

However!

While I intended to keep the classes and rules mostly to core (being allowed to change monsters is GM's perrogative, not houserules...) to keep everyone on the same page, rather than experiment, if enough players want, I am not adverse to doing wild things like importing  Pathfinder class abilities, or something like it. Fantasy Craft is right out, sadly. I don't have my book and it to radically alters the game to just move pieces over.

Also, and I should have mentioned this in the first place:  Haven is roughly in a renessance (sp! hate this word!!!!) period. There are, in fact, alchemical firearms for those interested in such things.  If you want one, they are exotic weapons (though I normally hate the EW feats, in this case I make an exception), and mechanically (feat wise) treat them like crossbows (rapid reloading feat, etc... ). I'd say use the Iron Kingdom's rules, but they had about seventy feats to master firearms, which is too much redundancy!  

They are, however, rare.

Christ.


Really?


Mods, please just put this dead end out of its misery.

Crap, I am so flighty.  I''m not sure about it. But if the game happens I will do a sorcerer with theme, no familair so arcane bloodline is no go.

That's not a bad limit actually ....thinking maybe Fae? Or a blaster. Which would be Infernal.  You pick because either would be fun for me.

Fae is probably a safer bet given the cosmology.  

Am I really going to try and run a PbP with only one player?  Le Sigh.

Only me? You don't have to because I am busy like you.  But if you really want to. I am game.  If not we can try another time.

I had half a mind to post that scene from ghostbusters, at the neighbor's party just before he gets eaten by the demon-dog?


And that was.... two days ago.

And since I'm already house ruling the sorcerer bloodline thing, I see no reason not to do something I've been meaning to do for a while and do away with class/cross class skills.  I find it an unnecessary restriction.

Great: so for a core game I've got two house rules and a massively reworked MM...  The best laid plans...

Houserules are Dnd hon:)  As long as they aren't something silly of course. So remember I have no books, so what is my.next move?  I think my name shall be Xanth of the Owl Nation.  She is nobility so be careful.

We are going grey elf just to make this fun.