Tesunden Isles

[Nolgroth]

Campaign Guidelines

Recruiting Status: Closed

Start Date: Thursday August 26, 2010

Game Time: 5 PM - 9 PM Pacific Time. Hours will adjust for Daylight Savings Time transitions.

 

Base Points: 300

Complications: 25

Characteristics: 10-20*

Speed: 3-4**

Combat Value: 10

Damage Class: 12

Active Points: 60

Skill Points: 30-80***

Skill Roll: 8-14****

Defenses/ Resistant Defenses: 12-24***** /6-12

(*)Normal Characteristic Maxima in use as listed on Page 20 of Hero System Basic Rulebook. Characteristic Maxima is adjusted by Racial Template bonuses. Racial Template characteristic bonuses must be listed separately on the character sheet and added to the final stats. All Racial Templates must be approved by the Game Master.

 

(**)Speed cannot exceed 4 even with Racial Templates. Due to the constraints of online gaming, high speed his often cumbersome to try to implement.

 

(***)This is a suggested range only. Character concept is the ultimate guide as to how many skill points are spent.

 

(****)These are the average Skill Roll ranges. Each character may designate two (2) skills that he is an Expert at. Those skills can be bought up to 15-. In addition, each character may designate one (1) skill that he is a Master at. Master skills can be bought to 16-.

 

(*****)Total with Resistant Defense added.

Equipment

Starting Money: 500 Silver Pieces

Equipment is generally purchased with coin. Specialized equipment and magical items are also allowed but must be purchased with points. Magical item treasure does not cost points but is not considered an essential part of the character and may be lost, stolen or otherwise removed due to the evolution of play. Magical items that the character pays points for will (almost) always be considered an essential part of the character and may be replaced if story evolution would otherwise indicate that the item is lost.

 

Sometimes, replacing a lost magical item requires a certain amount of "in-story" expense and trouble. It will usually be quite easy to replace an item, but common dramatic sense indicates that a lost sword will need to be replaced by a newly forged magical sword.

 

Example: Dwinden Steelhammer has purchased a mighty Hammer of Thunder with his starting character points. No matter what, the GM will make sure that Dwinden can replace the Hammer if it is lost or stolen.

 

During the campaign, Dwinden picks up a magical shield. It does not cost any points for him to use the shield. Sometime later, the shield is knocked over the edge of a cliff and into the Bottomless Trench of Terror. Dwinden has lost the shield forever.

 

Missing his magical shield, Dwinden starts to save Experience. When he gets enough saved, his

player asks the GM if he can forge a new shield to replace the old one. After the requisite materials are found and the shield is constructed, Dwinden now has a shiny new magical shield that will always be considered his. If it is lost, stolen or destroyed, Dwinden can make a replacement.

If a character is replacing an essential item and has the Experience Points, he may add to the item's abilities providing that the additions are approved by the GM. Generally, if the additions do not violate the campaign guidelines then they will likely be improved.

 

Powers

Powers can generally be bought within the Campaign Guidelines. Typical special effects are Divine Spells, Arcane Spells, Poisons and Potions, Mystical Abilities, Martial Abilities, Enchanted Items, or similar. The Special Effect of each power should be clearly marked on the character sheet.

As always, the GM has final say on if a power will work or not.

 

Some additional guidelines:

 

• Resistant Protection should be bought with the Resistant Protection power, not by buying normal defenses and applying the Resistant advantage to them.
  
• Powers are all bought individually, meaning they cannot be included into a general Power Framework. For example, a Wizard would buy all of his Spells as individual powers. He may not buy them as a Variable Power Pool or Multipower.
  
• Some Power constructs can be bought as Power Frameworks, but each Framework must be for a specific thing. For example, a Magic Shield would be bought as a Multipower with a slot for additional DCV and a slot for Hand to Hand Attack.
  
• There are no cost breaks for Powers.
  

 

Magic Specific Rules

 

• Some guidelines for creating spells;
  
• Long-distance Teleportation and Extra-Dimensional Movement must be done through Gates. Also, the Gate must open onto a Fixed/Floating Fixed location. All Gates must take the Extra Time: 1 Turn (or longer) Limitation. In the case of EDM, the Fixed location is determined by the GM. Only in rare cases (and not for starting characters) would an EDM allow instant access to a major planar NPC. See 6E1 page 301 for details on how Gates work.
  
• Short-range Teleportation works as described in 6E1 except where it directly conflicts with the rule above. Short-range is defined as anything within the character's visual range up to a range mod of -8. Vision with the Telescopic Adder (natural, mechanical or magical) can extend the visual range of the character but not the amount of Teleportation.
  
• FTL Travel is not allowed for obvious reasons.
  
• Megascale is only allowed for Long Distance Teleporation. No other movement mode is allowed to have Megascale.
  
• Precognition and Postcognition, if allowed, must take the Vague and Unclear Limitation.
  
• All spells must take the Spell (-½) and Unified Power (-¼) Limitations. In addition, each spell must take up to (-1) worth of Limitation from the following list: Concentrate -½ DCV, Extra-Time, Gestures, Incantations, Increased END Cost, and Requires a Roll
  
• Priest spells must take the Limitation Divine Gift. The value of the Limitation is anywhere between -¼ and -1 depending upon how strict the deity in question is. If the character violates the specific ethos of the deity in question, the spell is denied.
  
• Priest spells typically eschew END costs for Charges per day. This is NOT a requirement.
  

 

Other Campaign Settings

 

• The following additional settings will be used;
  
• Knockdown is standard. Does Knockback and Double Knockback may be purchased to upgrade.
  
• End Cost for Strength is 1 for every 10 Strength used.
  
• Hit Locations will be used. Powers that cannot be targeted will use the 1d3 Stun Multiple.
  
• The Immunity option for Life Support has been revised as follows. For each increment of damage caused by a Disease or Poison based attack, the character rolls a CON check. For each point that the CON Check succeeds by, the damage caused is reduced by 1. This accounts for both RKA and Drain damage. Poisons and Disease are bought as AVAD [appropriate Immunity] instead of NND. If the character's CON score is reduced (Drained) by the Poison/Disease, they get the first CON check at full value. Subsequent CON checks are modified by the effects of the Poison/Disease.
  
• Literacy is free only for the character's Native Language. Additional languages must have Literacy purchased separately.
  

[Nolgroth]

Re: Tesunden Isles

 

Reserved for additional content - Hero Designer Campaign Rules File

[Nolgroth]

Re: Tesunden Isles

 

Reserved for additional content- Character writeups

[Nolgroth]

Re: Tesunden Isles

 

[ATTACH=CONFIG]36958[/ATTACH]

 

Overview:

The Tesunden Isles are part of a larger Tesunden Archipelago. The largest island in the chain is called Tesunde and is home to Port Haven, a large port city that sees a vast amount of sea trade pass through.

 

This map scale is 40 miles on a side.

 

A Tour of the Islands:

 

Port Haven

Port Haven is a large city of around 25k souls that sees a large number of ships pass through its harbor each and every day. Trade is brisk and an entire economy has grown around the entertainment of guests passing through. Most of this trade is strictly regulated by the Merchants' Guild. Another guild has taken root within the city. The Thieves Guild, though small, is one of the most successful operations within 100 miles of Port Haven.

 

Port Haven itself is famous for the dwarven stonework that went into fashioning it. Most of the buildings are at least three stories above ground and many reach as high as five stories. Many also have basement and sub-basement levels as well.

 

Port Hume

Located at the very end of the Finger Channel, Port Hume does not see near the traffic of Port Haven. Its location on the western shore combined with treacherous sandbars have made Port Hume a home to black market traders and less than scrupulous merchants. Port Hume does share dwarven engineering with its larger sister city.

 

Stormwatch

The third and last of the dwarven built cities, Stormwatch serves as both a testament of will and the seat of the Blodwache Navy in the Tesunden Archipelago. It is actually a larger city than Port Hume, but is less populated due to the lack of usable farm land along the storm wracked western shore.

Nook

The only lumbering town on the whole island of Tesunde would be unremarkable save for its distinction of being the retirement home of Mabonne Maboni, a wizard of some repute in the south. Master Maboni was credited as telling his colleagues that he was going to find some inconspicious nook to settle down in. Hence the town got its name.

 

Since that time, Nook occasionally gets inundated with would-be apprentices. Maboni is very particular about who he trains, so most have left disappointed.

Dulacere

Named after a family from the south Dulacere is a fishing village. Unlike most other fishermen on the island, they fish for the freshwater variety in the Twin Lakes.

 

Boarshead

Named for the prominent trophy in the Boarspear Tavern, Boarshead is sort of a central farmers' market for all of the Upper Farmlands (the Lower Farmlands take their goods to Port Haven primarily).

 

Gloomwood

A misnomer if there ever was. Aside from a few spots, the Gloomwood is actually a peaceful place where song birds call out and the ferocious storms coming from the west are reduced to soothing breezes and gentle rains. Gloomwood is the home of the elves on Tesunde. Forever the wardens of the woods, the elves have maintained a steady peace with the dwarves for centuries. The coming of the humans about a century past caused them some concern, but the three cultures have somehow blended together in a united front. All of them call the small island home and they all seem to see the benefits of cooperation.

 

Boar Wood

The Boar Wood is almost unanimously considered haunted. Even the elves won't walk under its eaves and the dwarves avoid the mountain in the center of the wood. Wild boar wander the forest paths and western shores to the south of the wood.

 

The Fragments

Mostly unpopulated save by transient bands of pirates, smugglers and whalers.

 

 

Behind the ScenesThis is considered what AK: Tesunden Isles 8- gets your character. Since this is an Everyman skill for the campaign, everybody has this knowledge.

[Nolgroth]

Re: Tesunden Isles

 

Reserved for additional content - additional setting information if needed.

[Nolgroth]

Re: Tesunden Isles

 

Ragnarok, since I woke up so early, I decided to play around a bit with the token concept. Both are posted so you can compare. Let me know what you think.

 

[ATTACH=CONFIG]36960[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]36961[/ATTACH]

[Ragnarok]

Re: Tesunden Isles

 

I think I still like the second one better. They're probably a bit more luminous but I think that it fits the flavor better.

 

Thanks!

[Nolgroth]

Re: Tesunden Isles

 

I think I still like the second one better. They're probably a bit more luminous but I think that it fits the flavor better.

 

Thanks!

Almost makes me wonder if I can get an animated GIF into the token. Have it be the second one default, and then every few seconds have the lamp eyes light up. Probably too much effort.

[Ragnarok]

Re: Tesunden Isles

 

Almost makes me wonder if I can get an animated GIF into the token. Have it be the second one default' date=' and then every few seconds have the lamp eyes light up. Probably too much effort.[/quote']

 

I think it's fine the way it is.

 

On a different note, is there a price guide for equipment floating around?

[Nolgroth]

Re: Tesunden Isles

 

I've been using the one from Fantasy HERO. Do you have a copy of the 5th Edition version. It is the same exact list.

[Ragnarok]

Re: Tesunden Isles

 

I only possess the 5ER core rulebook.

[Nolgroth]

Re: Tesunden Isles

 

Hurm. I'll see what I can do to get you a list then.

[Nolgroth]

Re: Tesunden Isles

 

Here is an Equipment list. It is not 100% in line with Fantasy HERO but it is close enough that it will serve instead.

[Ragnarok]

Re: Tesunden Isles

 

Here is an Equipment list. It is not 100% in line with Fantasy HERO but it is close enough that it will serve instead.

 

I do not see it. I see nothing!

[Nolgroth]

Re: Tesunden Isles

 

I do not see it. I see nothing!

Hover your mouse over the word "Here."

[Ragnarok]

Re: Tesunden Isles

 

Aha, I missed the link coloring.

 

Gracie.

[ghost-angel]

Re: Tesunden Isles

 

I wrote this last night, it's not really edited, but it is spellchecked(ish). I need a topic to write on for the day and this came out...

----

It was a cool evening, the wind was blowing in off the water pushing the days heat quickly out of the way. The thin figure walked calmly through the shadows under the buildings and paused under a window three stories up.

 

A very mellow chirrup sound was made and the tiny dragon poked his head out from the wide hood of the cloak over the figures shoulders. It looked up and down and then left and right, and looked in at the face in the hood.

 

"Up we go." The soft, slightly husky but still feminine voice said. She spun and started to climb up the side of the wall, finding handholds so easily it's like she was using a ladder. About halfway up to the third floor window the small dragon that was clinging to her shoulders dropped down through the bottom of the cloak. It momentarily billowed out as the house-cat sized lizard fell off and then spread wings.

 

Filch silently glided across the bottom of the alley and then spun up with a flutter of wings and flew to the top of the building opposite where Patch was climbing. It silently peered down at the window the thin thief was making her way towards. Filches scales were a green so dark they became a black in the twilight of the day, the lamplighters were still making their rounds through the city. Her timing was nearly perfect to catch this part of the building in near darkness. It was no accident.

 

Pausing under the window Patch listened, Filch would make noise if it weren't safe, they had a excellent partnership. She'd worked with other lookouts before, clumsy, difficult, and they couldn't get to half the places that Filch could fly or crawl too. And he worked cheaply for meat and apples.

 

Patch climbed up to the window and slid quietly inside, it was dark in the room. A flutter behind her told her that Filch had landed on the window sill, she turned and closed the inside shutters behind the small dragon as he dropped to the floor. She slid a shortened torch out of sheath tied to her thigh and held out, Filch could easily see in the dark and with a hushed fwoosh lit the end. Patches one good eye was closed already against the sudden brightness.

 

Filch was already on guard, but the room was empty. Patch opened her eye and turned to scan the whole room. Filch had made his way to the desktop already and was softly purring over a rather irregularly shaped glass bauble as it reflected the torch light. Patch quickly took off her cloak and dropped it at the bottom of the door to the room, just in case someone noticed the sudden light creeping out.

 

She went through the shelves of papers, scrolls and books. Filch had moved on from the glass as soon as the light stopped playing directly on it, and was busying himself by hanging out at the top of a bookcase.

 

Patch was standing at the last bookcase when Patches head came into view, in his mouth a gold chain with a pair of bright red rubies in it. They danced like fire in the torch light. Patch smiled and held out her free hand. Filch backed up towards the top of the case.

 

"Suit yourself." She said, Filch was just as much the thief as she was. They got along extremely well. Normally she could use the little dragons sense of riches to find what she was looking for. But dragons didn't think books were valuable in any way. So she was stuck doing it the hard way - searching every inch of the room.

 

She moved to the desk and and clicked her tongue. A small thump told her Filch had landed on the desk, "Hold." She held up the torch. The dragon had a moment of hesitation on whether to let go of the chain or not. "Hold." She repeated softly, "You get to keep it." She told the creature.

 

Filch put the chain down and grasped the torch, holding it aloft for Patch to check the drawers on the desk. The middle drawer had a small catch, she followed it back to a wire leading to the rear of the desk. The bottom drawer was shorter than the top two, she removed it and peered into the hole. The wire lead to a small contraption, when the wire was tripped it would make a rather loud series of noises, an expensive magical trap.

 

She pulled out a set of picks from a pouch on her belt and carefully unlocked the drawer, watching the tension wire to make sure she didn't accidentally trip it. The drawer contained to thin volumes. She took both out and examined them carefully. Her instructions were very specific on which book was required. The writing in it was in a foreign language, she put the unneeded book back and locked the drawer again. Returned the bottom drawer to its place and stood up, putting the book into a pack at the small of her back, thankful it was a thin little book.

 

Filch made a noise, she took the torch back from him, "Alright," She whispered, he immediately grabbed his chain again.

 

Patch opened up a small belt pouch, it had a few pieces of metal in it, one simple a bent piece off a ship polished to a bright sheen, and a fake diamond. Filch eyed her carefully before putting the gold chain with its rubies in the pouch.

 

"Don't give me that look." She said, "I have not taken from my partner, unlike some in the room." She gave Filch a crooked smile.

 

The dragons tongue shot out in what could only be described as a rude gesture.

 

She went to her cloak and used it to extinguish her torch, she slid it back into the sheath on her thigh, and put the cloak back around her shoulders. Opening the shutters she peered out at the ground below, still empty, but the lamplighters had been through. About half the alley was bathed in a sickly yellow light. Filch jumped out the window and flew to the top of the building opposite, taking his post again. Patch slid out the window and climbed easily down the wall.

 

An hour later she was placing the small book in front of a man that used to be very in shape and now had a growing belly. He simply smiled and handed her a bag. Out of courtesy she didn't count it in front of him, she waited until she was out in the hallway of the building before placing the coins in a pouch attached to her belt, she made sure to both button it shut and tie a string around the two buttons. She didn't want to encourage pickpockets.

 

"You know we'll have to fence it." She said to Filch as she made her way down the street towards her favorite tavern. His response was to growl and bare his tiny, but sharp, teeth.

 

"Don't give me that. You know the rules on uniques." She said tapping him on the end of his snout.

 

Filch made a noise and settled back down on her shoulders, the hood of the cloak was down, letting her short black hair blow in the growing night wind. "Storms are coming in." She said, which is when she noticed the flash in the alleyway.

-----

 

General idea is this takes place immediately before the game started or so. And I'm terrible at tossing in plot hooks for a GM to exploit, I know.

[Nolgroth]

Re: Tesunden Isles

 

I didn't see any potential plot hooks.

 

EDIT: Sheesh. Already I have a whole two or three session ideas based on that little blurb alone. I also found inspiration elsewhere. The second idea may take time to mature. And this is in addition to the five or six outlines that I already had for short one-offs. I can see this being a well-developed campaign.

[Ragnarok]

Re: Tesunden Isles

 

I will post my character history for ideas as well, but in the meantime I have a question.

 

Are the characters "locked down," as it were? I had forgotten to set some limitations on Haakon's sensory powers in the version I sent you.

[Nolgroth]

Re: Tesunden Isles

 

I will post my character history for ideas as well...

Must wait to see it, but don't wanna.

 

Are the characters "locked down," as it were? I had forgotten to set some limitations on Haakon's sensory powers in the version I sent you.

Normally I would say "yes" but for two conditions that are present;

 

1. We sort of rushed the character builds.
   
2. I am still waiting on the final version of the Celedron/(archer) character (hint hint Starwolf).
   

So as a one time deal, I will allow a minor tweak here or there. Let me know what it is first if you will. I don't foresee any abuse, but I like to know what I am saying "yes" to before I do. After this next session, all characters will be locked down. That includes modification to the pregens. (hint hint Starwolf )

[Ragnarok]

Re: Tesunden Isles

 

I had wanted to put Always On on the Ultrasonic and UV, and link Nightvision to Infrared, leaving me with 5 points. With those, I would like to buy up my Stealth and Fast Draw rolls to 14- each (they were at 13- each), and leave the extra point unspent.

 

Alternatively, I can set the limitations but leave the extra points to be spent the next time we spend XP, if you would rather do that.

 

I will post my updated HD file when the verdict has been made.

[Nolgroth]

Re: Tesunden Isles

 

I actually think "Always On" would be an advantage and covered by buying them as Senses. In regards to Linked, I do not think that having both activate at once would be an explicit problem unless one or both senses had a Side Effect: Character is Vulnerable to Flashes while Detect is Active or Costs END plus x2 END or some other Power Limitation that makes it detrimental to use both powers at once. The standard method of "linking" powers is to make them a compound power. Check out 5th Edition, Revised: Elven Sight page 162 Sidebar for an example of that. As much as I hate to say "no" I am going to disallow that.

[Ragnarok]

Re: Tesunden Isles

 

As you wish.

[Nolgroth]

Re: Tesunden Isles

 

As you wish.

Don't worry. I don't think character points are going to be a problem.

[Ragnarok]

Re: Tesunden Isles

 

A cold mountain breeze drifts across a mountain ridge, sweeping through the dense pine forest with a sublimely peaceful sound, in spite of the battle that had just occured. A lone warrior stands near the entrance of a cave, cleaning troll blood off of his sword. Even the most cursory glance indicates that this man is no ordinary warrior. His eyes glow white, his hair shimmers like gold, his armor bears strange patterns, and the dozen troll bodies surrounding him tell the tale of his skill. The mountain breeze soothes the warrior, bringing memories of a distant past. The warrior's gaze shifts to the valley below to reveal a village nestled in next to a fjord. The troll raids had destroyed a significant part of the village, but they would rebuild as they always had. As he had.

 

In a flash of light, a beautiful woman appears beside him. Her shimmering aura, curly hair like shining copper, and spear reveal her identity as a valkyrie. She too stands gazing down at the village, and speaks after a moment.

 

"The Allfather is upset with you."

 

"For defeating his enemies? That is a strange sentiment," the warrior chuckled.

 

"You know why. You are an Einherjar. You are meant to be preparing for Ragnarok."

 

The warrior sighs and faces the valkyrie, gesturing toward the village.

 

"Would it not be best to stop Ragnarok from happening by actively opposing the designs of Odin's enemies? These people are his followers. They have suffered from troll raids, and a sea mist takes their ships that stray too far. Should not their cries for help be answered?"

 

"That is not your place. Besides, why this village? Why not another? Why do you not show yourself to these people?" The valkyrie points at the village with her spear.

 

The einjherjar pauses, looking back at the distant village with the look of a man who lost something he cannot replace. In the village commons, a blond, wavy-haired child laughs and plays with a dog. A woman calls out from her house.

 

The einherjar lowers his head. "You should know why, Kara. You chose me."

 

One of the men in the village looks up from his repairs and smiles at the child, and calls toward the house.

 

The valkyrie, almost in apology, moves closer and gently lays her hand on his neck with a warm tenderness and familiarity.

 

"They are in good hands. They have moved on, as you must. Besides," she smiles warmly, "is Asgard so horrible?"

 

A large raven descends and lands on a nearby branch, animatedly clicking and croaking. Kara, with a sense of burdened obedience, nods and turns to Haakon, holding his face in her hands.

 

"You are not yet ready to be an einherjar. The Allfather has found a solution, however. If you wish to prove yourself and ascend once more, seek out others who possess a special gift. Your path will be revealed to you."

In a flash, the einherjar was gone, and all that remained was a solitary tear on Kara's cheek.

 

Moments later, the warrior stands shivering in an alleyway trying to reacquaint himself with mortality, possessing only a shadow of his former power, a chunk of meteoric iron, and no clothes whatsoever. A shifty yet graceful woman with an eyepatch passes in front of the alley, and does a double-take.