Game Rules

Welcome to the Isles of Mercia. Our game uses the D&D 3.5 edition. We use rules and character resources only from the books listed below:

• Player's Handbook (PHB)
• Player's Handbook II (PHB II)
• Dungeon Master's Guide (DMG)
• Complete Adventurer (CAd)
• Complete Arcane (CA)
• Complete Champion (CC)
• Complete Divine (CD)
• Complete Mage (CM)
• Complete Scoundrel (CS)
• Complete Warrior (CW)
• Miniature's Handbook (MH)

The Isles of Mercia is one of six continents in the world of Tel'Gia. This world is a unique setting, and so lore content from traditional D&D, which is set in the world of Abeir-Toril, does not apply. This includes:

• Cultures
• Geography
• History
• Languages
• Monsters
• Races
• Religions
• Organizations

Tel'Gia is a completely new landscape where lore content is openly created by the community. If you have an idea for a nation, town, person, monster, religion, etc., you are encouraged to invent it. You can then add it to the world where it will become a living part of the game.



The remainder of the Game Rules is divided into 4 sections: Character Creation, Major Houserules, Minor Houserules, & Rulings. Various houserules are in effect in the game. Some are necessary to adapt the D&D 3.5 system from tabletop to a forum setting, while others are used to enhance the player experience. Of these 4 sections only Character Creation and the Major Houserules are necessary for the player to be familiar with.
This message was last edited by the GM at 14:14, Fri 04 Aug 2017.

Character Creation

This section outlines where our game deviates from character creation in traditional D&D.


Race

The Isles of Mercia features six races: Humans, Elves, Dwarves, Halflings, Orcs, & Goblins. All 6 races can speak the common tongue and are found in populated areas. Half-breed races are also available. For details on each race, see below:


Humans

• Average Lifespan: 57 yrs
• Maximum Lifespan: 122 yrs
• Age of Adulthood: 18 yrs
• Height: 5-6.5 ft.
• Template: Use Human Racial Traits (PHB 13)

Elves

• Average Lifespan: 335 yrs
• Maximum Lifespan: 521 yrs
• Age of Adulthood: 35 yrs
• Height: 6-7.2 ft.
• Template: Use Elf Racial Traits (PHB 16)

Dwarves

• Average Lifespan: 190 yrs
• Maximum Lifespan: 278 yrs
• Age of Adulthood: 25 yrs
• Height: 4-5 ft.
• Template: Use Dwarf Racial Traits (PHB 14-15)

Halfings

• Average Lifespan: 76 yrs
• Maximum Lifespan: 139 yrs
• Age of Adulthood: 20 yrs
• Height: 3.2-4.2 ft.
• Template: Use Halfling Racial Traits (PHB 20)

Orcs

• Average Lifespan: 29 yrs
• Maximum Lifespan: 50 yrs
• Age of Adulthood: 12 yrs
• Height: 6-7.5 ft.
• Template: Use Half-Orc Racial Traits (PHB 19)

Goblins

• Average Lifespan: 23 yrs
• Maximum Lifespan: 44 yrs
• Age of Adulthood: 7 yrs
• Height: 3.5-4.5 ft.
• Template: Use Goblin Racial Traits (MM 134)

Ability Scores

Starting ability scores are determined using the Pointbuy System. You begin with 25 points to distribute. Each ability score starts at 8, and then you must spend a number of points equal to the ability score's current modifier (minimum of 1) to advance one ability score point. Once the six basic ability scores have been created, they may be further modified by racial adjustments. See the table below:


Health

Our game uses maximum health. This means you get the highest possible number of Hit Points from your hit die each level. For example, a Fighter whose hit die is d10 would receive 10 + his Constitution Modifier to determine his Hit Points gained each level.


Skills

The restriction of class skills and non-class skills has been removed. Characters can now add ranks equally to any skill up to '3 + their Level.'

The following skills have been deleted:

• Decipher Script
• Speak Language

The following skills have been added:

• Knowledge (Adventure)
• Language (X)

The skill Knowledge (Adventure) is used to discern information on other adventurers, such as their class, strengths, and weaknesses. The skill Language is used to speak, listen, read, and write the numerous languages found in Tel'Gia. Details on this skill are available in the Major Houserules section.
This message was last edited by the GM at 10:50, Wed 12 July 2017.

Major Houserules

Clay Tokens

Clay Tokens (CT) are a special currency gained by writing lore posts and expanding the game content of Tel'Gia. Clay Tokens can then be used to purchase permanent upgrades for your character. If you have multiple characters, purchases apply to only one selected character. The menu below lists the available character upgrades:


A well-conceived lore post will earn a minimum of 1 Clay Token. Posts will earn an additional Clay Token at 2000 word count and every 2000 words after that. Stories broken into multiple postings are considered a single post for this purpose. Clay Tokens earned from artwork will vary.


XP and Leveling

Experience Points (XP) are gained from combat, roleplaying, puzzle solving, and completing quests. The amount gained is determined using the TG-XP System, which is designed to be both simple and accurate to the pace of traditional D&D. See the table below:


Below is an outline for understanding how enemies in combat typically compare to you for the purpose of determining XP:

• Effortless: 5+ Levels below
• Easy: 3-4 Levels below
• Moderate: 1-2 Levels below
• Challenging: Same Level
• Very Difficult: 1-2 Levels above
• Overpowering: 3-4 Levels above
• Impossible: 5+ Levels above

Spellcasting: Roleplaying Component

Casting a spell requires roleplaying for the spell to be cast successfully. This places a higher burden of roleplaying on players who chose to be spellcasters. To satisfy the Roleplaying Component, you must write 30+ words describing the spellcasting process, saying an incantation, or similar act. Not doing so results in spellfailure. An example is given below:




Combat Turns and Initiative

Players perform their turns at the same time, followed by the Opponents who then perform their respective turns at the same time. The Opponents turn is always executed after the Players turn.

Initiative is determined for the party by the highest roll of that party. If the Players lose the Initiative, then only the Opponents will act in the initial post, usually the same post where Players first enter the encounter. Game Updates after this post will then always proceed with the Players actions performed first, except in the case where an opponent has readied an action.


Skill: Language

Like Craft, Knowledge, Profession, and Perform, Language is actually a number of separate skills. You could have several Languages, each with its own ranks, each purchased as a separate skill. To begin learning a new Language, you must first encounter that Language at least once in the game. Below is a list of Known Languages, sorted by Geography.



Isle of Comoset
Comir (related to Vulnerian)

Check:


Special:
If you spend 2 or more minutes pondering the meaning of something heard or written, you get a +2 bonus to your Language Check.

Try Again:
For Listening and Reading, No. The check represents what you know, and thinking on it a second time doesn’t let you know something that you never learned in the first place. However, a second check can be made if the same thing is heard or written again in a different way.
For Speaking and Writing, Yes. Retries are allowed but they don't negate things previously spoken or written.

Taking a 10 or 20:
No. This skill is not formed in a way to support this option.

Synergy:
If you have 5 or more ranks in a Language, you get a +2 bonus to Languages related to it.
If you are fluent in a Language, you get a +4 bonus to Languages related to it.


Skill: Knowledge Adventure

Knowledge Adventure allows you to identify the build and abilities of NPC-Adventurers and Player-Adventurers you encounter. This skill applies only to adventurers that have actual classes (e.g. fighter, monk, warlock, etc), and not to monsters that resemble adventurers but do not have an actual class or follow character creation rules (e.g. undead knights, automatons, etc.).

Check:


Try Again:
A second attempt may be made on an adventurer 48 hours after the first attempt, as new insights may have developed in that time.

Taking a 10 or 20:
No. This skill is not formed in a way to support this option.

Synergy:
If you share a class, feat, etc, with the subject being identified, the DC to identify that aspect is reduced by 4.
This message was last edited by the GM at 00:56, Thu 08 Feb 2018.

Minor Houserules

This section lists varied and minor additions to the game.

1. Natural 1's and 20's apply to Skill Checks.
   
   
   quote:

   If you roll a Natural 1 for a skill where the amount failed relative to the DC determines the penalty (e.g. "If you fail by 4 or less...") and where your total roll would normally exceed the minimum amount, the check is resolved the same way as a Critical Failure. The player would roll a d20. If it's 10 or higher (55%), you receive the lesser of the penalties; if it's 9 or lower, you receive the greater of the penalties.
   
   
   
2. If a thrown splash weapon directly hits a creature, it deals an additional 1 damage from the impact. No additional modifiers are added to this bonus damage.
   
   
3. Oil, if poured over an adjacent 5ft. square with a smooth surface, causes creatures who enter that square to be balancing. This is a standard action and provokes an attack of opportunity.
   
   
4. You can examine the general health status of a creature as a free action. See the table below to determine the meaning of different statuses:
   
   
   
   
5. Approved feat: Wild Cohort. A prerequisite of 8 ranks in Handle Animal Skill has been added to this feat.
   
   
6. When creating magic items, the XP Cost is determined by finding the proportion between the "character's XP at the beginning of the level" and the "character's XP in the traditional D&D System at the beginning of that same level"; then modify the normal Total XP Cost by that proportion. For example, a Level 7 in Tel'Gia (at the beginning of the level) has 7000 XP, while a Level 7 in the D&D System has 21000 XP, which is 3x more; thus you would calculate the normal XP Cost of the item (1/25*Base Price) and divide that number by 3.
   
   
7. The Barbarian Variant: "Spiritual Totem" from the book Complete Champion is exchanged for the barbarian class ability "Indomitable Will" rather than "Fast Movement".
   
   
8. All Devotion Feats from the book Complete Champion require the ability to cast 1st level divine spells, with the exception of the feat "Travel Devotion" which requires the ability to cast 6th level divine spells.
   
   
9. Sundering Defensively: A creature who readies an action to sunder a melee weapon that attacks him may do so, even if that melee weapon is a reach weapon and the opponent itself is not threatened by the creature. Standard sunder rules still apply.

This message was last edited by the GM at 14:06, Fri 09 Mar 2018.

Rulings and adjudications made in regard to controversial, vague, or faulted points in the D&D 3.5 rules are recorded in this section. Rulings where multiple options are viable are often decided by a player vote. Others are determined by the DM.

1. The Hide Skill can be used at a -20 penalty to incur Sneak Attack (conditions necessary for Hide still apply).
   
   quote:

   This ruling was decided by a 5-to-1 player vote on April 4th 2015. For full details into this subject, an essay titled "An Analysis of Sneak Attack & the Hide Skill" is available in the Facebook Group.
   
   
   
2. The feat "Leap Attack" cannot be used when mounted.
   
   
3. Undead creatures that have been forced to flee due to Turn Undead no longer threaten the squares around them and, consequently, cannot inflict an attack of opportunity.

This message was last edited by the GM at 17:07, Mon 21 Aug 2017.