About Watertown Dungeons & Dragons and Illuminati Card Game Meetup

A few things of note about this 1st Edition AD&D campaign:

1. This world is an alternative Earth that shares many of the histories and geographies of our own Earth, circa 478 BC in and around the Greek world, albeit with magic and diverse races of humanoids (orcs, goblins etc) and demi-humans (elves, dwarves). Most non-humans live in isolation from the dominant (in this area) Greek population.

2. Most races can play most classes. The level limits and racial class restrictions reflected in the Players Handbook, Unearthed Arcana, and other sources represent levels that the player can reach without penalty. All levels above these levels/outside of these classes must be paid for with double experience points but are achievable.

3. There are no level limits to any classes. Thus, you can be a 16th level Assassin/24th level monk etc. Hit dice stop as stated in the rule books.

4. Alignment and class restrictions are much broader.

a. Thieves may be of any alignment other than LG.
b. Assassins must be evil unless working for a church or state. In such cases they may be LN, CN, or N as well.
c. Rangers may be of any alignment but must become champions of law, chaos, neutrality, good or evil and live by that code. Moreover, all rangers must ensure that allies do no undue harm to the natural order of things. If they fall from that code they become fighters with 8 sided hit dice.
d. Barbarians and cavaliers are not played in this world. If you are inclined to play one, I suggest you play a fighter, paladin, or ranger with a similar bent and we can give you additional skill benefits for an experience cost.
e. Paladins exist for many faiths and can be of any alignment. They must adhere to this ethos strictly lest they be held to account by an angry deity.
f. Druids can be any Neutral alignment (NE, NG, N, CN, LN). All druids must ensure that anyone does no undue harm to the natural order of things.
g. Monks must be Lawful. In this world, they tend to come from eastern lands.
h. If you are interested in playing a Bard, let me know and we can work out the details.
i. Magic users may specialize in a particular magic as per the 2nd edition. However, the Illusionist spells are not allowed at the Magic user spell levels.


5. There are two other classes not typically found in a D&D campaign that are permissible, if not common. These classes are (1) Bounty Hunter (2) Bravo. I can provide you details on each of these classes upon request.

6. Races:

a. Halflings seem to be the only race that seems to be able live without much restriction in large populations with the Greek speaking civilized world. They are found throughout the Greek world and in parts of the Barbarian (Egyptian, Median [aka Persian], Scythian, Etruscan, Illyrian, Northern Hosts and others) worlds. They are rarely found in the Carthaginian areas as they would tend to be sacrificed to Baal as imperfect children. Sparta does not permit them to cross their borders, though some of the Spartan helot slaves are halflings. Those that lived in and around Crete fled the wrath of Minos and his minotaur armies centuries ago. Halflings may be of any class except magic user or illusionist. If they choose a class that casts magic user spells (Ranger) all spells have a 20% chance of failure. They are limited to small sized weapons. Halflings use only one proficiency point for a sling. They typically make up around 3 to 5% of any Greek population. If they play a fighter class (fighter, ranger, paladin) they may advance to 5th level without any experience point penalty.

b. Gnomes have removed themselves to the exterior of the Greek populated areas and are only found in the largest cities as prized tradesmen, (particularly jewelers) traders, or diplomats. They are known to have settlements in the foothills and mountains of Illyria and upward onto the Dalmatian Coast. Some small islands have gnomish populations thought these tend to be small and isolated. Moreover, they have large populations in the underworld caverns found under much of the Greek and surrounding worlds. Likewise, they have small cities in the hinterlands of Asia Minor paying tribute to the King of Kings Xerxes of the Median Empire. As such, they contributed to the armies that recently invaded Greece and many are now found in various slave pits or auction blocks in Athens, Corinth, and other cities. If they choose a class that casts magic user spells, all spells have a 20% chance of failure. They may be illusionists without the risk of spell failure . In a large Greek city, the Gnomish population amounts to around 2%. They are limited to small sized weapons. They may be all classes except paladin, magic user or monk. If they play a fighter class (fighter, ranger) they may advance to 6th level without any experience point penalty.

c. Dwarves becoming more and more rare in the Greek world as time goes by. They may have a city in Afghanistan or northern India and a kingdom north of the Danube in the mountains of central Europe. There is a small dwarven kingdom on the north side of the Pillars of Hercules. For a thousand years or more they ? like many humans and a few others -- have been serving as slaves to the Minotaur King of Crete. Refugee populations have emerged in the cities of the Greek islands, Egypt, Cyprus, Southern Italy and Judea. Dwarves are the only race that can produce field plate of full plate armor. They are known to serve the High Priests of Egypt as Temple Guards. They can be of any class other than druid, ranger, bard, magic user or illusionist. In a large Greek city, the Dwarf population amounts to around 3 to 5%. If they play a fighter class (fighter, paladin) they may advance to 9th level without any experience point penalty.

d. Elves have an established network of city states on the north east of the Black Sea and on both coasts of the Adriatic. Greek settlements in Marseilles (southern Gaul) and in Thurii (southern Italy) are in contact with a powerful Elven kingdom in the Transalpine area. Within the Greek city states, most large cities have small Elven communities of traders and diplomats. There is a small population of highly militarized Elves in the hinterlands of Thrace and Macedon. Some elves serve as advisors to Greek oligarchs, tyrants, kings, and ? in Athens ? democratic leaders. They are banned from Sparta for contaminating the Spartan culture. Xerxes makes heavy use of Elven archers recruited from Afghanistan and Ethiopia. Some of these elves were captured by Greek forces in the recent and continuing war. Elves are the only race that uses one proficiency point to use a bow. Elves can be of any class except Monk or Illusionist. They represent around 1% of the population of larger cities and around 10% in lightly farmed or rugged areas of human inhabited areas. If they play a fighter class (fighter, ranger, paladin) they may advance to 7th level without any experience point penalty.

e. Half Elves are found in small numbers throughout the Greek world, excepting Sparta and their vassal states. They are found in similar numbers as elves, though with a higher concentration (2%) in cities. Like elves, they serve as trusted advisors to many humans. Some human islands and city states have half elves as tyrants, parts of the oligarchy or democracy. One of the major factions of Carthage is ruled by a half-elf family. Xerxes makes use of half elves as diplomats, traders, spies, and assassins. Half elves may be of any class except monk or illusionist. If they play a fighter class (fighter, ranger, paladin) they may advance to 8th level without any experience point penalty.

f. Half Orcs are found in most cities and in many trading ports. Most that are tolerated look sufficiently human to pass for human. With the recent war with Persia and the unleashing or orcish hordes, there has been a resultant surge in half-orc populations so that now around 2 to 3% of any Greek or coastal/near coastal Median city. Half orcs may be of any class other than illusionist, magic user, druid or bard. If they play a fighter class they may advance to 10th level without any experience point penalty. Also, that they may be a thief without any experience point penalty at higher levels. If they cast magic user spells, any such spell has a 10% chance of failing.

g. Other races do exist in small numbers. Ask if you are interested in playing one and we can see what possibilities exist.

7. Armor: Full Plate and Field Plate can only be procured from Dwarven smiths, found, or otherwise acquired. Half Plate replaces splint and banded mail and consists of a helmet, greaves, arm guards, a full breast and back plate, and a short skirt of leather and metal plates. Chain Mail is rare in Human populations in the Greek world but can be purchased from Median sources (or from booty supplies) with ease. Scale and its equivalent lamellar armor are common. Large shields provide 2 AC benefits against missiles. Rangers can wear any armor up to half plate without penalty. Heavier armor restricts their use of ranger abilities.
8. Weapons.
a. Bows take 2 proficiency spots except for elves.
b. Slings take 2 proficiency slots except for halflings and the human inhabitants of Rhodes, some smaller nearby islands, and the Balearic Islands near Hispania.
c. Clerics and druids have a different assortment of weapons available depending on their deity.
d. Non Proficient employment of similar weapons to weapons where a player already has a proficiency are employed at a reduced non-weapon proficiency penalty. Example: Dagger and short sword; Long bow and short bow. Also, these ?adjacent? weapons may be earned at ½ the proficiency cost after 1st level.
e. Weapons versus armor types. Some weapons are much better than others versus certain types of armor. Example: a Mace is much better against Plate mail than a staff. See the PH for details. Note that these only apply against worn armor types and not dexterity, magical bonuses, or natural toughness.
9. Encumbrance: I will use this so to a degree don?t load yourself down.
10. Spells.
a. If you play a magic user or illusionist, you may try and create your own spells yourself. Let me know what spell effect you are trying to achieve, I will work out the spell level that such a spell would require, and you can go about your research once you reach a level able to cast such a spell level. You may only research one new spell at a time. This takes time and money and is not certain to succeed. But it is doable if enough resources are consulted or consumed and a little luck bears out.
b. I use a spell point system. Spell casters need not memorize a specific spell. They have a certain number of points that may be spent on spell casting on any spell that they have learned or been granted access to (for clerics/druids) These points are totaled by spell level. For example, a third level magic user has two first level spell points and one second level spell point. He may cast any two (or one twice) first level spells that he has learned. He may also use the second level spell to cast any second level spell he knows or, alternatively, he may use this spell energy to cast any one 1st level spell that he knows. One may always go down one or more levels for a one for one swap. One may never go up. Clerics are assumed to have access to all spells of an attained spell level unless their deity prohibits the use of a particular spell (example: Animate Dead).

11. Lethality of Campaign. This campaign is a violent world where carelessness will sometime result in player character deaths. I will do my best to play foes to their best realistic ability. That said, they all ? or nearly all ? have weaknesses that are ready to exploit. For some it is money, others fear for personal well being, jealousy of others, power craving, laziness, incaution, stupidity, sloth etc. Therefore, they player that seeks to gain an advantage over the enemy rather than waltzing in to a fight every time will be the player likely to advance in power, experience, treasure etc.