My Campaign
Now, the author of this page will describe the world he has created. If you wish, you may model any world you create after his. It would give him great pleasure, and he would be honored to hear that you did. But don't feel obligated. Just enjoy.
Campaign Background
Rule Adjustments/Specifics
New Experience Point System
My AD&D campaign is called "The World of Erenitia." On this world, the age of elves, dwarves, and gnomes is just ending. The human race is spreading across the globe. There is much distrust between humans and other races. But their suspicion is merely what we call a Cold War; there is a much stronger conflict occurring on this world. While the human folk merely wish to grow and prosper, there are beings who maliciously slaughter everything in their paths. They are the scourge of the Western Wild Lands. They are the evil humanoids. The thousands upon thousands of bloodthirsty orcs, goblin hordes, massive ogres and cunning kobolds are things the world could definitely do without.
A Divine Perspective
The gods of the elves, dwarves, gnomes and hobbits are greatly worried. These demihuman powers are losing influence to the human powers in yet another crystal sphere. Just as there is a conflict between the humans and demihumans, their respective pantheons are locked in a struggle over the world of Erenitia.
Geographic Overview
The climate of Erenitia is relatively warm. Although the temperature does not become extremely hot(except near the equator), there is very little taiga/arctic zone, instead, the climate is mostly temperate.
The world of Erenitia is chiefly divided according to the dominant race. The elves inhabit the northern continent, wood-elves living in the forest area, while other types of elves(see the Complete Book of Elves) likewise dominate their respective areas. Separating the two forest regions of this continent are the Weeping Mountains, which make up the largest mountain range in the world, and also contain the most known entrances to the Underdark(watch out for drow).
The eastern continent is populated mostly by dwarves, although there is a fair number of human settlements, especially in the southern reaches. The Dwarven Mountains are actually made up of many medium-sized mountain ranges. In the heart of the dwarven territory, Hyrstal Mountain pokes up above the clouds, making it the tallest mountain in the world. At its base rests the primary home of the mountain dwarves, and a large geothermally-heated lake, from which the Blue river flows.
The large mountains in the southeastern reaches are home to a remarkable society of gnomes. While the lower lands near the outside of the realm are home to the rock and forest gnomes, the highest peaks(whose names cannot be spelled or pronounced by humans) house the tinker gnomes, who are not quite as... tolerable as their relatives. Although not much is known of their society per se, it is known that they have established a mechanical system of sluices in the rivers and canals which flow from the mountains. Debris and wreckage often float down the river to human civilization, and the failed contraptions which have been discarded have proven to be more than enough insight into the technology of the tinker gnomes. (Let's just say the rock gnomes weren't big on "Rube Goldbergs.")
West of the gnomish regions, you will find the land of the hobbits. Travelers will usually be greeted with hospitality(as is customary for hobbits), although humans and other tall folk often find it difficut to fit in(literally) with the rest of the short populace. Since very few adventurous souls feel the urge to travel to the peaceful(if not downright boring) realm of the hobbits, not much is known about that region of the world.
In the western section of the world lies a land shrouded by more mystery than any other. In this realm, the origins of the humanoids are thought to have occured. While countless tales of horror are told about this land, very little truth is known. To the north, Blackwood Forest separates the elven continent from the Wild Lands, and the human realm is protected by a harsh expanse of desert and wasteland. Finally, any ships attempting to venture into the appropriately named "Bay of No Return" have, well... you know.
The humans dominate in two main regions. The land west of the hobbit realm is the origin of the human race(or at least, believed to be so). In this region, the largest towns are located, such as Thorwal(the capital), and Prem(the cultural center for the human race). Located between the gnomish and dwarven realms lies the Terran Expanses. This land has been colonized by humans extensively in the past half century, and large towns have appeared.Back to Top
The following is a list of primary rulings I use in my campaign. This is, in a sense, the "constitution" of our gaming group. It's worked pretty well so far.
1. The DM makes all rolls, with the exception of player attack rolls and saving throws. Under no circumstances does a player determine the success or failure of said roll. If the DM feels it is acceptable, players can be asked to roll certain dice(ex: 2d10) and give the numerical result.
2. Characters do not die upon reaching zero hit points. Death only occurs if wounds(bleeding counts) bring a characters hit points to -10 or lower. (Critical hits and poison are exceptions, as are spells causing automatic death.)
3. The DM shall always receive first choice of seating arrangements. This is a time-honored law which has withstood the tests of time.
4. Unruly players may be silenced by the DM's utterance of the word "Suddenly," wherein failure to acknowledge incurs the immediate death of the offender's character. Please note that this law may be utilized only on the rarest of occasions, and only if the player is annoying everyone in the group, not just the DM.
5. Most importantly, the DM may fudge any or all rolls, IF he feels that doing so will only further the adventure and the campaign at large. Good judgement must be used in all cases.
As this campaign differs somewhat from the base campaign, there are also several rule modifications:
There is no limit to demihuman advancement.
To counteract this bonus, demihuman advancement is slowed. All demihumans gain only a fraction of the normal XP awards they would gain. See the Experience section for more details. Demihuman spellcasters must either receive the standard slow advancement, or use an alternative: the channeling rule system(see the PLAYER'S OPTION: Spells and Magic rulebook). Druids or specialty priests of nature may also use the defiler or preserver rules.
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I use a method of experience awarding similar to that which was described in an issue of Dragon magazine. Essentially, I have each of my players write down on a piece of paper everything they did during the adventure which they think merits an experience award, no matter how small. At the end of the adventure, I compare the sheets, and give each player a "grade," of either A, B, C, D, or F. This grade reflects several factors. They include standard awards described in the PHB(monsters killed, spells cast, thieving abilities used). Also, role-playing and special individual awards are taken into account. An "A" grade is given only when a player's character not only pulls his weight in the adventure, but performs exceptionally well, making a big difference in the balance of the adventure. The player must not only pay attention, but be actively involved and in character. If you feel a player has done these things, an "A" is warranted. On the other hand, a player whose character does poorly but still role-plays it well should never get an "F." An "F" is only given when a player is disruptive to the gaming experience, and whose character accomplishes little because the player is only paying partial attention to the adventure(perhaps because he's playing poker at the same time).Once the grades for each player have been determined, find the base experience award. To do this, take the highest median level in the group. For instance, a group with all 5th and 6th level characters would use 6th level. A group with lots of 3rd and 4th level characters and one 11th level character would use 4th level. Then, take the minimum experience for a fighter to reach that level. This is easy to remember, as a 2nd level fighter needs 2,000, a 3rd level fighter needs 4,000, at 4th, 8,000, at 5th, 16,000, and so on. Take this base experience, and apply the grade the player recieved. An "A" is worth 100%, a "B" gives 90%, a "C" is 80%, a "D" is 70%, and an "F" is worth 50%. After this multiplier is applied, use the following bonuses or penalties:
+10% percent for prime requisites of 16 or higher
+10% if the character has a Wisdom of 15 or higher(not cumulative if character's prime requisite is Wisdom)
+10% if the character is human
+5% if the character is lawful
-5% if the character is chaotic
-5% if the character had help from a henchman, hireling or familiar
-10% if the character is a half-elf, dwarf, gnome, or halfling
-25% if the character is an elf, or other race(for example, an orc or a swanmay)
+ or - up to 10%, at DM's discretion
Apply the grade multiplier first, then apply the additional multipliers. Finally, shear off 25% or even 50% if the adventure was not an epic adventure, or it was a slow day. After all this is done, you should have an XP award for all of your players. It may seem like a lot of work, but it is an effective incentive for players to act in the group's interest, role-play well, and not attempt to kill monsters before the rest of the party can get to them(instead of casting a healing spell or bandaging a wound).
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Well, that's all the time I have for now. Come back later, as I am currently working on a massive description of the key areas of the globe, and I plan to add an archive of adventures I used in the campaign. Just sit tight. If you wish to be notified of upcoming changes to this website, you can E-mail me at jbudris@hotmail.com. I'll try to get back to you as soon as I can.
