And thus, in less than 24 hours time, I have reached consensus. There's quite a bit of interest generated and I feel I can properly put forth an ad for the game. Thank you to everyone who responded to me both privately and publicly with the interest level to help me put the game into motion. Let's go over some details:
WELCOME TO PENDULYM!
When it Starts: I will be starting this game on Sunday, August 15 at 7:30pm EST with Session 0. There's a lot to go over for this world and it will take at least a couple of hours to go through it all with you guys, then I will open up the floor with questions and answers for another hour, so Session 0 will be about 3 or so hours long. The following week, Session 1 will begin at 7:30pm EST and end at 11:30pm EST, with a 15-minute break at the 2 hour mark to replenish drinks, bathroom breaks, and so forth.
Players: I will be accepting no more than a table of 6. I have opened up two tables, Sunday from 7:30pm to 11:30pm EST, and Monday from 7:30pm to 11:30pm EST. There will be a 15-minute break at the 2-hour mark for each table.
Free: I don't feel I am worthy enough of a DM to have a Pay-to-Play game, so my games are free. I just don't possess that kind of courage to ask for another's money to play in my game world.
18+: The game is for people 18 and over due to the immense amount
of content in it, and some is not for the faint of heart. There are all
kinds of elements in here, from the good to the bad to the very ugly
such as: Torture, pillaging, kidnapping, murder, language, violence, and
dark themes. It's a game that will make heroes but it could also break
heroes as well. It's a harsh reality on this world, where even some
monsters have intelligence. Man, woman, or child, these monsters will
not care if they see you as food or in the way. And some countries have
heartless people; It can be a cruel world. But it also has floods of
kindness and gentleness, with serenity to it too. After all, what are
you trying to protect if it's all gloom and doom, right? :)
Character Sheets: The character sheets will be made on Roll20, not D&DBeyond. This way I can set up your tokens to respond appropriately to the sheets and make sure everything's working and I don't have to look all over the place.
Character Creation: Character statistics and creation will be done before Session 0, so when I invite you all to the Discord, pick a time you're comfortable where we can build your character. I don't do stat arrays and I don't do point buy in the way the book does it. To make you a cut above the rest, my point buy system will make you feel a cut above the rest. This is how the process would work: All ability scores BEGIN at 8. You will then roll 10d6, re-rolling all 1's. You will take that score and distribute it among your ability scores. No stat can go over 18 (until you apply racial mods and such). It costs 10 points per 18 score (8+10 points=18 score). For HP values, though you cannot take average, you will re-roll all 1's and 2's. Please do not roll pre-emptively; We will be making your characters on Roll20 under my watchful eye. Starting Level will be 1. Don't worry, I'll go easy on you to start things off.
Extra Races and Classes Integrated into the World:
All published books that were released as well as the three races I
have approved for the world and four classes I have approved for the
world (because they are integral). The extra races approved are Kobold,
Nezumi (rat folk), and the Sealed Dragons. For classes, the four added
into my world are the Gunbreakers, Machinists, and Dragoons [Otherwise
known as Dragon Knights] (from the Final Fantasy 14 D&D Handbook)
and Blue Mage (A class of my own design based on the same game). Now, I
know the general thought going into this world is the resemblance based
on these allowed classes but I have my very own reasons for these
classes existing and why the three Races I have allowed added into the
world are part of the world's structure. Of course you do not have to be
these races or classes, they are optional.
Ratios: The
game world will have an RP/Combat Ratio of about 60/40, though the
numbers will fluctuate when you are out of areas that socializing is
heavy, so out on the road the numbers will drastically change. In terms
of Action, Adventure, Mystery, Mysticism, and Innovation, this world
provides all of these amazing things. One country is so heavily strong
in technology, one country is heavily strong in magic, one country
harmonizes the two in a gentle way, and one country has a mix of Dragon
and outlandish Clans in the Highlands. It's a different culture in each
country and some of these countries really don't like one another.
Maps:
The world map is done in 8K resolution and is gigantic. The planet is
the size of Mars and is 4000 miles from pole to pole. There is a lot of
travelling and a lot of places of interest on this world. The maps are
completely designed as "azimuthal equidistant" and are in extreme
detail. Likewise, there will be large dungeon maps, city maps, inn maps,
tavern maps, and dynamic lighting.
Music: Each country
has its own overworld music and each city has its own city music. There
is a different battle theme for each country for both normal
monstrosities and boss battles, as well as themes for places such as
temples and other places (I provide tasteful music for all of the areas
of my world, complete with ambience background and non-voiced melodies).
Weather:
Weather plays a huge role in this world in terms of travel and player
health. If you're dressed for the summer but it's snowing and near
winter time, you will be making Constitution Saving Throws. If you're
out in the rain too long without rain gear, eventually you'll start
making Constitution Saving Throws to get sick.
Food and Water: This will be important as I will be counting the days. You will need to bring enough food and water for your journeys.
Magic Items and Special Equipment:
This world gives you the ability to buy and sell magical items (similar
to 3.5 Edition), and along with that, you will also be able to get
specialized metals as each country has special materials you can put
into your equipment to give them benefits even though they aren't
magical. In this game world, magical equipment goes up to +4, with
Mystic Artifacts being +5.
Statistics: Statistics in my world go up to a maximum of 30 to give you that really epic feeling when you reach those numbers.
Monsters:
There will be use of the monster manual or tome of beasts or creature
codex monsters as well as homebrewed monsters. There will also be
intelligent monsters and even vile intelligent villains as well. You
will be challenged in this world.
Pantheon: The Pantheon
is completely homebrewed but it is not as much my own design as it is a
reward to former players from my previous game realm that has been in my
family since 1981, ELAN. They have long since ascended and became the
Pantheon you see today. But mysteriously in the game, they have been
silent for 1200 years. No one knows why, as even though they do not
communicate, Paladins and Clerics can still access their powers and
domains.
World History: The world has over 30,000 years
of rich history cosmically, mystically, and physically. It has many,
many secrets, and so much to do!
Consequences: This world
is unforgiving. It is not meant for those who have a problem with
certain situations. A monster isn't going to care how good of a person
you are, it could kill you, or bring you to its master and they'll
torture the heck out of you if it is in their dark desires to do so.
There will be heinous villainy in this game, dark cults, and rituals.
WORLD SYNOPSIS IN CURRENT AGE
A
slowly rotting world, and divided Kingdoms each with their own set of
problems. One country has taken the chaos to a whole new level and begun
its war plans. The long-seeded war between the Technological Giant of
Xypharrvarynn and the Titans of Magic, Yorstrand are about to be
unleashed. The harmonized country of Brekkensein who uses their power to
innovate with magic on a balanced level have been occupied by
Xypharrvarynn, and the Sealed Dragons of Ruatia are nearly sequestered
within their own borders to keep the Xypharrvarynnians on their own side
of the mountains. The tension between each of these countries are
extremely high, and anything could set the world ablaze in all-out war.
The Gods have been silent for far too long, and the innovators have
become destructive tyrants, believing the magical races to be rotting
the world with their magical use. To the Magic Users, the Makers of the
Machine pollute this world and tear it asunder for its resources to
advance their technologies. The players find themselves in the middle of
all of this chaos. Will the players make a difference? Will the players
side with the Magic Users? Will the players vie for peaceful
resolution? Will the players assist Xypharrvarynn with world domination?
Or do the players do nothing and let the events unfold while they just
go dungeon delving and adventuring throughout the world? This is a
decision only the players can make.
