SECTION 1:  RTJ
        1.1 Play Style
        1.2 About Yourself
        1.3 Writing Sample
        1.4 Campaign and You
        1.5 Adult Policy


SECTION 2:  GENERAL
        2.1 Nature of the Game
        2.2 Expectations
        2.3 Me as a GM

SECTION 3:  HOMEBREWED POINTERS
        3.1 Alignment and Energy
        3.2 World is Unfamiliar
        3.3 Varying Demographics
        3.4 Unfamiliar Deities
        3.5 Changes in Lore

SECTION 4:  POSTING ETIQUETTE
        4.1 Text Colorization
        4.2 Languages
        4.3 Secret Skill Checks
        4.4 Length

SECTION 5:  COMBAT POSTING
        5.1 General
        5.2 Combat Template
        5.3 Hombrewed Rules

SECTION 6:  CAMPAIGN CHARACTER
        6.1 Campaign and You
        6.2 Building the Character
        6.3 Races
        6.4 Classes
        6.5 Backgrounds

SECTION 7:  HOMEBREW RULES
        7.1 Combat
This message was last edited by the GM at 04:37, Sat 08 Aug 2020.

1.1 Play Style
To begin, I am looking for what you expect out of games from both players and GMs. PbPs benefit most from an unspoken social contract amongst gamers. My goal is to find players whom have similar playing styles. What type of player are you? What do you expect from your fellow gamers and your GM? 5e is a great system, so tell me what you don't like about it. How much experience do you have with 5e or role playing in general? Answer as your see fit.


1.2 About Yourself
A bit about yourself would be appreciated. Nothing too personal if you do not feel comfortable. One thing that can be important here is time zone, specifically so I can get an idea of when your posts should come.


1.3 Writing Sample
Some feel a writing sample is a pain -I am not expecting anyone to actually write something. Simply grab a few of your favorite posts from other games that best describe your play style. What I can expect out of you and your characters over the course of the game.

As a note, I am looking for in-depth posts during play. More on that below.


1.4 Campaign and You
This game will begin with a prelude that takes place within the feywild, a corrupted, gnarled mirror of the material plane. You will play as some of the strongest elven and fey allied creatures who freely venture into the feywild to confront dangers that may threaten your collective home. With this prelude, my goal is to help fabricated the beginnings of a campaign story -an interactive vignette so to speak.

At the prelude’s conclusion, I may very well continue the game into the main campaign. This would require new characters and a new commitment as this main campaign is completely different than the prelude. More to come but there is at least three years worth of material to be played (real time).


1.5 Adult Policy
This game will feature adult themes and scenes of gore. In order to join, you must be 18+ in your jurisdiction. Rated as a Mature game.
This message was last edited by the GM at 02:13, Sat 24 Sept 2016.

2.1 Nature of the Game
Play-by-posts here on RpoL are difficult to keep alive over an extended period of time. It takes uniformed effort. Since I am not restricting alignment on characters, a conscious effort should be taken to develop a party mentality, no matter the in-character motives your PC may harbor. As a GM, I am also responsible for encouraging such positive growth and hopefully will do so throughout the campaign. Despite my best efforts, I have seen countless players take offense to a slight dealt in-character leading to resentment and an eventual player drop. Truth be told, some players simply do not mesh well.

Unfortunately, I have not found a solution. I am not going to discourage thought-sniping nor recommend the best way to handle your characters. Just be aware that your actions may very well lead to the death of the game.

We all do not want this. If you do, you will be removed.


2.2 Expectations
A reasonable goal is a post-a-day from everyone. A steady pace is encouraged. Weekends are not a requirement but not discouraged. Any long period of absences, planned or spontaneous, are to be reported. A week of inactivity will merit some NPCing. A case by case basis of course, but replacements will be found if necessary.

Player burn-out is expected and not discouraged.. Everything dies. Such feelings should be reported so I can take proper action to NPC/find a replacement. I would greatly appreciate such a heads up. In the event of GM burn-out, I will give everyone a heads up as well. Although I am not privy to such actions, an occasional hiatus may be needed, sometimes welcomed. I will also admit this prelude and concurrent campaign are a product of a failed ‘campaign’ here on RPoL that I scrapped to modify the design. Some current players may be players from this previous campaign.

Cheating is discouraged. Much is done on an honor system. No god-moding always gets an honorable mention but I haven't really seen anyone come close to doing such things. Don't be the first.

Last but not least, read up on RpoL's adult policy.


2.3 Me as a GM
As you can imagine, I am a very structured GM and it is reflected in my PbP. In a way, this is also my flaw. Everything I do will need to reach some.... personal point within my design for me to be comfortable presenting it to my players. This translates to me requiring a certain amount of time to complete my adventures which, thankfully for the slow nature of PbPs, allow me to meet these expectations.

I personally believe play-by-posts are a different breed of role playing game. In no way is it similar to sitting around a table and chucking die. It is it's own beast, allowing for greater RP, greater attention to detail, and an even more rewarding experience if it comes to fruition. Don't get me wrong, table top is very enjoyable but I tend to love the role playing and storytelling PbPs are known for.

Anyway, my campaign world is of my own creation. One day, I hope to maybe market these ideas as some form of cheap, plug-and-play campaign world to help GMs of the future. Just be knowledgeable of that if you steal some material. Actually, I really don't mind, but my cartography is something I hold dear. Don't steal my maps! If you do, just credit me and try and score me some employment.

I am 29, live on the east coast of the US, have two boys & a girl and enjoy gaming, reading, graphic work, sports and other things I can’t think of.
This message was last edited by the GM at 01:49, Wed 19 Oct 2016.

Note: I am willing to explain any of these changes in detail upon request in an effort to help fully capture the feel of my campaign world.

3.1 Note on Alignment and Energy
Good and evil is not black and white. There are gray areas in life and things can get very convoluted when dealing with customs, ideals, and ambitions of different societies. It is all relative. An ‘alignment’ is still required but the axis on which it is judged is different depending on the culture. Also, most concepts of Good and Evil are now associated with various deity umbrellas (see #4).

All energy types remain unchanged except with the addition of ‘Fel.’ Fel magic is restricted to entities associated with the feywild and when casting spell or attaining abilities that allow an energy descriptor, for them, the Fel is a viable option. Wizards agree that the fel is a twisted mix between fire and necrotic.


3.2 World is Unfamiliar
I have always had an inherent problem with a close linked world like one would find on Golarion, Greyhawk, etc. I personally feel the ever present dangers of dragons, orc, giants, leviathans, krakens and other hostile creatures makes traveling by mundane methods almost impossible. With demographics being different depending on place (see #3), high level magic users are few and far between. Although I am a fan of granting a player a wide variety of options, just know these options will most likely be limited around a certain society and locale.


3.3 Varying Demographics
Levels 1-6 can be a reasonable expectation within society. Levels 7-14 are reserved for a select few.. after level 6 players will begin to emerge in the upper echelon of society. Anything more than 15+ will be of an unheard epic nature. This is an example of the demographics to expect within my world. Depending on the locale these percentages may even fluctuate. Massive kingdoms waging ever constant war on their neighbors may very well have higher percentages than a different locale.


3.4 Unfamiliar Deities
I am not a fan of the Greek pantheon that seems to dominate most D&D worlds. Depending on locale, be prepared for a wide range of religious options. Animism, ancestor worship, monotheism, polytheism and even societies worshiping a philosophy are a few examples of what to expect. This affects any divine characters but does not limit them. I am a fan of player options but within the religious framework common for the locale. Be sure to look for a write-up explaining these changes in detail.


3.5 Changes in Lore
I have stolen borrowed many ideas from other campaign worlds. Although the campaign and adventures within are of my own creation(mostly), I have found it easier to take bits and pieces from other locations and make changes where appropriate. To make everything come together I have changed some fundamentals regarding the lore of many creatures. One of the most important additions to my game is the Feywild.
Things may be different! Assume at your own risk!
This message was last edited by the GM at 02:13, Sat 24 Sept 2016.

4.1 Text Colorization
Please select a single text color to highlight all dialogue (overlap is acceptable). Use this color consistently save for the color orange. Thoughts or internal monologue should be in italics (not necessarily colored). Orange will be used for OoC speak, dice rolls and anything else done out of character but within the main thread.


4.2 Languages
RpoL has a very efficient way of handling languages by ways of language groups. Those of you who share a language will be able to read the text while those of you without the language will see nothing but a jumbled mess.
Posting with languages is most effectively done with the 'Insert a private line to:-' drop down menu at the lower right corner of the composing window. At the very bottom of the list of recipients is the Language groups. These are the languages on your character sheet. If you select the Private group with the name of your language, rather than the Language group, those who don't have access to the selected language will see nothing just like an ordinary private line.

Using the Language group (not private), will display a line of garbled words for everyone who does not know the language chosen: [Language unknown: Tialio ek hiseraent eauic to.]
The text in your text entry field should look like this: [Language unknown: <adhaee>pre siit ast</latpreter>]

Note: language name is CASE-SENSITIVE and selecting a letter from the wrong case will render it incomprehensible, even to those who speak Orc, when you've typed "orc".
I would prefer that all conversation be done open and not using the private lines except for pinnacle moments in the story. You will rarely know who speaks what language.


4.3 Length
Despite what you have been told, bigger is indeed better. No one liners. Be as descriptive as you can without writing a novela. Doesn’t have to be all the time but the more bulk the more appreciative I am.

5.1 General
Having the players roll for initiative comes at a case by case basis. If all parties are aware then initiative can be rolled by everyone plus the addition of one standard action. Those caught off guard will be rolled by the GM. Usually I will roll everyone's initiative and start the combat order to save time.

Initiative order is structured by groups. Depending on how you are grouped with your allies, you may post in any order within this grouping but DO NOT post until it is your groups turn.  I like to avoid retconning actions. It does happen, so I tend to copy/paste your post to fix the initiative order.

Once the GM ticks back in the initiative order, I will update the map, act for the enemy and update any information you requested during your turn (template is important). Sometimes ill interrupt order and post an update between player turns. Furthermore, if your actions cause the death of an enemy, I will try my best to update the last player post with this information but ill just apply your post to the nearest enemy if applicable. Very rarely will I not use a map so you can expect some graphic to aid with combat.


5.2 Combat Template
At the conclusion of your in character post, you will be required to copy/paste a formatted template:
Dice rolls will be included at the top of the template, between the meat of your post and between the template itself. All of your miscellaneous actions will be listed here as well. HP, AC, etc, information is equally important, allows me to not have to keep referencing character sheets while in combat.

Note: I've had players in the past paste this template into the scratchpad with the ruby code intact and simply copy and paste during combat. I suggest doing this so you don't have to memorize the template.




5.3 Interiors and Exteriors a theory of squares and hexes
For interior maps, it is easier to depict a map using five foot squares. The hard angles of interior design make squares easier to use over hexes. I find the opposite to be true for exteriors where hexes provide an easier flow for moving and counting distance.


For large maps, the sheer number of hexes and squares gets convoluted. Most minor 5-ft squares and hexes are replaced by larger sizes that require further explanation below.


Interiors: To read any large interior map, begin by finding the letter and number of the larger square that governs the square you aim to move to. Next, find the letter and number sequence of the smaller squares.
All inner squares follow a similar letter number system -they will always be A or B, 1 or 2.
Brown dot is in B1A1. Blue dot is A2B2. Green dot is B2B1



Exteriors: To read any large exterior map, begin by finding the letter and number of the larger hex that governs the hex you aim to move to. The center sub-hex will always be the letter number combination of the parent hex. The center sub-hex of larger hex A1 will be labeled A1.
For all off-setting sub-hexes, number the top most hex at 1 and rotate clockwise to number 6.
Corner hexes are slightly more difficult. First, find the two letter parent hexes that the corner hex falls upon. Then, find the number that corresponds with the horizontal location. They will often appear as AB1, or AB2. CD3, etc.


5.4 Homebrewed Rules
Needs an update. Homebrewed rules forth coming.
This message was last edited by the GM at 02:26, Fri 02 Dec 2016.

6.1  Campaign and You
The prelude highlighted a small contingent of elven commandos from the elven city of Fendorn’tal, dipping into the Feywild and stumbling upon a plot of war. Balor is moving an army of mites & fomorians through an open boundary between planes, marching on not only Fendorn’tal, but parts unknown. Why? Well it wasn’t entirely clear- something to do with a dwarf stealing a girl by the help of a unicorn intermixed with the plots and dealings of witches and hags and virtually everything else in that crazy plane of existence. Hopefully some of it was clear but more importantly, hopefully you have more questions to want to play the overall campaign for as long as we can.

The main campaign takes a sharp turn from the exotic forces of the elves within the Everwood to something a bit more traditional -the dwarves and humans of the Greater Baronage. Your characters will be born and raised within the Naar River Valley (or have come to live there in the past), a small province located on the northwestern shores of the isle of Winlet (big main island -check Setting thread for map). Your backstory should reflect your humble beginnings. Furthermore, most* of your characters  will have chosen to join the Ehrenguard, the once prestigious dwarven nationalized army now defunct and a mockery of its former self. Your character’s intentions will hopefully be pure but backstory baggage is welcomed. Although dwarves are encouraged, they are not required. A healthy mix of races, backgrounds, and classes will be optimal -just easier for race relations if we have some dwarves in the group.

*I say most of your characters because I want everyone to try and fit themselves into the Ehrenguard. For example if someone wants to play an elf from Fendorn’tal, having this elf travel many hundreds of miles to simple live in Kalsgrad to join the city guard wouldn’t really make much sense. He could be some kind of diplomatic envoy instead but I would have to think about how to plug you into the first adventure. Same thing with members of the church, nobility, etc- As long as you are aware that your characters will be forced into the Ehrenguard in some capacity, we should be okay.

Ehrenguard Chain of Command
One of you will be promoted to Bandsmen -leader of the entire Band (your 7 dwarf/wodwarf Ehrenguard group). The second in command is known as a Lancer. The Bandsmen position is one of an officer type while the Lancer is not. Now, we’ve been playing together for a year and a couple months so I don’t think anyone will have a problem if someone is elevated into this ‘leader’ position. They of course dont speak for the entire group but in character they do. Especially when war breaks out. I encourage anyone who wants the position to make it known so we can all work it out in game. If multiple people want to be bandsmen, that could be interesting as hell…

Keep in mind, the clear progression of this campaign means the person who becomes Bandsmen will most likely continue to elevate themselves within the Ehrenguard until he/she is possible elected Battlemen/Battlemaiden themselves! This means mass combat and everything else. Strategic minds are welcomed- It should be fun.

There will be an Ehrenguard thread explaining all the intricate details to help with this decision.

What to Expect
Act I features a healthy mix of roleplaying and combat. You will be a police force to the city of Kalsgrad and much of Act I takes the flavor of investigation and piecing together clues. There are what I call ‘spot dungeons’ within the city but most of the combat you encounter will be miniature encounters within the city itself. All of this culminates at the end of Act I.

The prelude was very much railroady- this will be the opposite. You will be free to investigate and act as you see fit. Splitting the party is welcomed. This is a very difficult Act for me to conceptualize (I am still hung up on many of the issues) but hopefully everything irons itself out over the course of the game.  Act II turns more into a military campaign and all subsequent Acts get more lethal and wild as the game continues.



6.2  Building of the Character
Starting level: 1 halfway to level 2
Material: Most (if not ALL) of the published material is available. As long as you’re okay with tweaking lore to fit the setting, we should be okay. I think most of the UA stuff was added into Volo’s and Xanathar’s Guide so be sure to read over some of those classes for ideas.
ALSO, there is a TON of homebrewed content that I would love to try. Ill try and come up with a list here but please visit various 3rd party sites and find something that you think would fit. I will work with everyone on an individual basis to come up with things- just start with a concept and we can find something.
Race (no tiefling, orcs, dragonborn - yes aasimars, half-ogre,)
Tiefling, orc blood, and dragonborns exist in my world but are from parts unknown. Aasimars are the Volos version-. Half-ogres are inspired and borrow heavily from orcs and giants but have a different flavor about them. Other options are available on request but might need to be modified for the setting. Fey for example. A hagling maybe. Nothing too exotic -think fey, giant, and traditional. Note: It will be damn near impossible to explain why some of these races are in the dwarven Ehrenguard, so come with your creative juices flowing.
Classes: When reviewing homebrewed content make sure it thematically fits. I think most importantly, your background does not define your class (or vice versa). For example, there can be barbarian knights or warlock Celestians. I will usually have homebrewed recommendations to fit your theme. Keep in mind the Ehrenguard will force you into certain cliches but that is in now way what your class may be.
Ability Scores: standard array
Hit Dice: same old- can take the average or roll upon leveling
Starting Lootz: You may want to hold off on weapons and armor until I can decide how I want to do the Ehrenguard stuff. You will be awarded a couple proficiencies and free starter equipment gifted from the guard itself. Everything you purchase will be available to you as you get a personal UNLOCKED trunk in Steinholm. Also, if some of you elect to have relatives within the city, you may also have equipment there.
Backgrounds: Any of the core backgrounds will fit as well as other from other supplements. These backgrounds will reflect what your character did prior to joining the Ehrenguard. I may tweak what you get boon wise on a case by case basis. Also, I added a City Watch background for anyone who is interested in being a career guardsmen -this is modified from the City Watch available in the Sword Coast book.



6.3  Races
Dwarves -All of the lore remains the same (for the most part). Your dwarf (no matter the bloodline) are a Hill dwarf and less ‘in the mountain’ dwarf (well they were once in the mountain but it’s been many generations). The subraces are modified. Your NAAR DWARF have your stereotypical coloring. ABEL DWARVES have a variety of hairs but Blonde is more prevalent. And the eyes, an Abel Dwarf has blue eyes. It’s a rare bloodline and they like to keep it that way. They are pompous and insular on top of already being insular dwarves. Subraces are as followed-
NAAR DWARF
Ability Score Increase. Your Wisdom & Strength score increases by 1.
Dwarven Toughness. Your hit point maximum increases by 1, and it increases by 1 every time you gain a level
ABEL DWARF
Ability Score Increase. Your Charisma score increases by 1.
Enlightened Talker: You gain proficiency in any CHA based skill
ArtisanGain proficiency with one set of tools
Elf  -No high elves, only wood. All elves will have originated from Fendorn’tal and their bloodline is NOT seperated enough to justify two subraces. There is very little non Fendorn elves in the kingdoms. High elves of my world exist elsewhere.
GNOME -tinkerer is a bit odd to me since my gnomes are more fey than anything else but I guess I could allow it if someone is good at convincing me. My gnomes tend to be whimsical (like Layla). They also have a propensity to WANT to be close to the Feywild and sense where the boundaries are thin. They are the most FEY of the races and that can be important in this AP.
HALFLINGS -I will use the word hobbits interchangeably. The halflings dwell in borrow homes (ala LotR) and keep within their various family units. Dwarves like them well enough, (more than humans) and they are quite respectable in society.
HUMANS -the humans are your typical English stereotype, red to brown hairs, pale skin. Foreigners CAN be available but it would be a really odd, circumstance that we would need to work  on together.
Half-elves -More or less as canon. They are rarer due to how reclusive Fendorn’tal is and are a bit of an anomaly.
Celestian Touched / Aasimar -I like Volo’s aasimar more-so than the DMG aasimar. Here on the islands, ALL aasimars are touched in some way by the Celestian faith. What the means is they don’t necessarily have to be a part of the clergy but somehow Ibera left her stamp on your soul. ALSO you can pick your parents. You can be a halfling aasimar and we will just go ahead and change your size to match the halfling. Maybe even consider a racial trait from your parent. Small change to the cantrip you are awarded-
Guidance. You know the guidance cantrip. Charisma is your spellcasting ability for it.
[7]Half-Ogre -with the removal of orcs, I wanted that dangerous, martial race to be filled by something equally fearsome. Thus, the half-ogre fills the niche. It is actually a bit more powerful than the half-orc but is by far less accepted within society Half-ogres stem from the unfortunate copulation between humans and ogres. Play this race within this campaign will be difficult due to the amount of hatred you will have to contend with. I look forward to anyone up for the task.
[4]Ability Score Con 2, STR 2
Age 23-90     Size -medium     [-1]Speed 20   Languages -common,
[.5]Darkvision -60
[1.5]Brutal Assault = 1 You may use this trait to turn any one attack that hits into a critical hit. You may use this trait normally once per long rest, but additional uses after that immediately incur one level of exhaustion.
[1]Brute force. Your hands are extraordinarily large and can be used as a weapon. Your base Unarmed Strike does 1d4+STR. Any feats or class abilities that grant you a dice roll (monk, tavern brawler) the dice roll increases by one step.
[1]Powerful Build. You count as one size larger when determining your carrying capacity and the weight you can push, drag, or lift.



6.4  Classes
Work in Progress. I want to include a bunch of homebrewed stuff here but don't really have much to offer. Nothing to see! Move along!



6.5  Backgrounds
EHRENGUARDSMEN (ripped from the Sword Coast book)
You are a career Ehrenguardsmen. You have served the community where you grew up, standing as its first line of defense against crime. You aren't a soldier, directing your gaze outward at possible enemies. Instead, your service to your hometown was to help police its populace, protecting the citizenry from lawbreakers and malefactors of every stripe.
Skill Proficiencies: Athletics, Insight
Languages: Two of your choice
Equipment: A uniform in the style of your unit and indicative of your rank, a horn with which to summon help, a set of manacles, and a pouch containing 10 gp
FEATURE: WATCHER'S EYE
Your experience in enforcing the law, and dealing with lawbreakers, gives you a feel for local laws and criminals. You can easily find the local outpost of the watch or a similar organization, and just as easily pick out the dens of criminal activity in a community, although you're more likely to be welcome in the former locations rather than the latter.
VARIANT: INVESTIGATOR
Rarer than watch or patrol members are a community's investigators, who are responsible for solving crimes after the fact. Though such folk are seldom found in rural areas, nearly every settlement of decent size has at least one or two watch members who have the skill to investigate crime scenes and track down criminals. If your prior experience is as an investigator, you have proficiency in Investigation rather than Athletics.
SUGGESTED CHARACTERISTICS
Your bond is likely associated with your fellow watch members or the watch organization itself and almost certainly concerns your community. Your ideal probably involves the fostering of peace and safety. An investigator is likely to have an ideal connected to achieving justice by successfully solving crimes.

Galdrmann

Skill Proficiencies: History, Investigation
Tool Proficiencies: One type of artisan's tools from: calligrapher's tools, mason's tools, smith's tools
Languages: Giant or one of your choice if you already speak Giant
Equipment: A set of artisan’s tools with which you are proficient, a runic device
indicating membership in the Galdrmann, a set of traveler’s clothes, and a pouch containing
5 gp and a gem worth 10 gp

Suggested Characteristics: choose as appropriate from either the Clan Crafter/Guild Artisan or Cloistered Scholar lists of traits, ideals, bonds, & flaws.

Feature: Galdrmann’s Shelter
As a member of the Galdrmann, you can count on your guildmates to provide shelter and aid. You and your companions can find a place to hide or rest in any Galdrmann enclave, unless you have proven to be a danger to them. The members of the enclave will shield you from the law or anyone else searching for you, especially the Celestian church, though they will not risk their lives in this effort.
This message was last edited by the GM at 14:24, Fri 13 Dec 2019.

7.1  Combat

 Crit for Players: MAX + ROLL
 Crit for Enemies: ROLL + ROLL
 Crit for Enemiesv2: MAX + ROLL
This message was last edited by the GM at 23:49, Sun 09 Aug 2020.