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Journals & Backgrounds / The Dark Pit: Nightmares and Visions of Maximus of Amaunator

« on: February 27, 2019, 07:31:57 am »

And he dreamed of Gods dying, and the lights fatal theft. 
Of maggots in his in brain and his comrades end, again and again and again. 






He dreamed of light, and pillars and sun.  Of a great gate to Celestia borne wide open.  He was floating, flying upward and rapture was open his face. Final reward at last, dedication for services rendered.  Glorious light upon his face.  Searing pain.  Sudden searing pain. A weight upon his ankle as a skeletal claw reached down and dragged, the skull-faced visage of Roz'dha rotting upon it. 





The shrieks surrounded him and pain filled his very essence.  Aching and cold.  They moaned and gnashed their teeth in the dark bit, never ceasing their call for him to join them.  And he was with them, a mindless automaton of flesh, trapped in the Pit. 

Until he woke once more.  A man in grey armor, upon a white bunk bed, and there was the creaking of the frames and sound of morning reveille in the dark. 

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Groups & Concepts / Re: The 14th Legion

« on: February 22, 2019, 12:58:23 pm »

This faction is up and running again with a pair of clerics.  As a primarily martial based faction we'd like to see more fighters, rangers and barbarians involved.  Send me a PM if you have interest or just approach a Marshall P.C in game.

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Netherese Library / The Lay of Dacethar, Traitor-Knight

« on: February 15, 2019, 05:55:07 am »

A simple epic poem in free verse arrives as a submission for the library, handed in by a pensive looking golden knight..

The tale of our traitor-knight
of men, taken by undead
Left in torment, without light,
Puppet on Roz'dha's thread

He cries to his Brothers:

"Who are you to disown me so!
who are you to claim I must atone!
What know you of bitterest cold
of broken oaths and cracked bone!"

Once I loved and once I laughed.
But now my heart is old. 
Nothing left, nothing grows,
only darkness and bitter cold

He gnashes his teeth, pained groans
Walks does he, clothed in bone so pale. 
Fear his wrath, his heart of stone. 
Know his sorrow neath traitor's veil

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Groups & Concepts / Re: The 14th Legion

« on: February 09, 2019, 11:15:13 pm »

I am growing interested in this faction and I am considering the idea of asking for a prelude or some sort of nutty grimdark esque intiation.  I'd be looking for 2-3 other players to take part in this since the 14th functions best as a group concept.  Can throw me a PM if you have interest or post below.

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Groups & Concepts / Re: The 14th Legion

« on: February 01, 2019, 05:23:56 am »

This faction is awesome and people should join it.  If I was anything but a good only class, I would have

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General Discussion / Re: Monster PCs as mercenaries

« on: January 17, 2019, 12:27:26 am »

Non-humans and half dragons are not the same as 'vile monsters.'  If you check the ruleslist, you can see that the only monster race that is actually permitted in Hadrian is Half-dragon.  They are monsters, but have certain exceptions made to them. Nevermind that I think the subrace is awful and shouldn't exist in this campaign. 

I'd rather they remove monster P.Cs entirely to avoid the inevitable result of them being murdered or persecuted for being monsters, or worse yet, being accepted by adventurers.

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General Discussion / Re: Monster PCs as mercenaries

« on: January 16, 2019, 08:57:17 am »

I.Cly hiring or supporting monster characters would be covered under 'Reckless Endangerment'. 

If you support a creature that eats a baby the next day, you are responsible for the recklessness of supporting said baby eating. 

That law covers alot of laws that aren't specific, but it would be a rather serious crime.  Most monsters are vile creatures that have committed henious acts against mankind and earned their designation for a reason. 

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General Discussion / Re: Gold Economy

« on: January 10, 2019, 10:42:30 pm »

I agree with removing or heavily reducing vendor selling entirely, and shifting the balance to quest reward payouts, or doing commissions for NPCs. 

Also, add in a salary system for people in high positions in Netheril.  14th Legion, Clergy, and Arcanists should be getting paid for their jobs.  This injects passive gold into the system to be used for plot.  I've done a ton of casework/judging stuff on my paladin, but haven't earned a single coin for it.  My character does this instead of crafting, since dialogue also takes time. 

The Mayoral system is good in principle, but all i've seen are players sitting on the treasury.  Some alternative system is ideal, or an automatized system linked to the Hadrian treasury that can be adjusted by the mayor. 

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Feedback and Bugs / Re: The death penalty destroys fun.

« on: January 09, 2019, 05:04:01 am »

Death penalty is fine. its' actually fairly hard to die.  5 to 10%% xp?  I haven't seen one example of a death without a raise or a resurrection, so 15% is rare.  That's such a small penalty, and means players legitmately flee or run from trouble. 

Nope, Keep the penalty.  Make players fight on their toes.  Level 15 is the softcap.  Being level 16+ is a luxury, not an expectation and most players frankly shouldn't reach it. 

If anything, the penalty could be increased.  Players tend to reach fifteen and never drop below it.  If need be, increase xp gain and penalty to create a treadmill effect.  This is how other servers with variable levels have kept it going. 

As for claiming it encourages powerbuilds?  Of course it does.  Players should built optimized characters.  There is no inherent virtue in making a shitty character in terms of mechanics then somehow expecting to perform equally to someone who acknowledges this is a videogame and chose accordingly.  Yes, that means your spellsword will probably suck.

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Netherese Library / Submission: Primer: Knightly Codes and Honor, First Draft

« on: December 21, 2018, 03:29:23 pm »

Written by Maximus Valerius,
Intiate-Judge of the Court of Amaunator,
Sunlord in service to the Yellow God.

Preface

This is a primer intended to explain to the layman or to an aspiring squire what a knight is, what their purpose is, and the codes and edicts by which a knight lives by.  In every developed empire, there is always a warrior caste.  While the names often change, the purpose has always been the same: A well trained force, defined by the profession of war., and the courtesies and honor of the upper classes. 

On Knights

A knight is an elite warrior caste, usually defined by the use of cavalry, a chivalric code, and heavy weapons and armor training.  Most knights are trained from youth, and all serve a lord, or a monarch of higher station then themselves.  Knights may be sworn to a house, they may be of a religious order, or they may simply be a wandering knight-errant, seeking to prove themselves worthy of their station.  All knights are sworn to honorable conduct, and adhere to a code, sworn to their lord, deity, or order.  It is above all, a position of service. 

On Honor

Honor is an oft debated topic in warrior circles, and many of those not initiated into such practices barely seem to understand what it is.  Honor is, in simple terms, the cultivation of a reputation worthy of respect.  For a knight it is their pride, and their acknowledgement of that pride,and it's acknowledgement by their peers.  It is the means by which their excellence is recognized, the value of a person in their own eyes, and in that of their society. 

Thus, the exact definition of honor can vary from order to order, or culture to culture.  Thus, the codes.  A 'Code of Honor' is a set of standards that must be reached in order to receive respect from a group.  These codes outline how to obtain honor, and how it may be lost.  This is important to note:  Honor that cannot be lost is not honor.


Moreover, honor while often forcing one to rigid and high standards, is always considered the minimum requirement for acknowledgement of one's peers.  To not uphold one's honor is despicable, and cause for shame, and a sign of deficiency. 

It is agreed upon that there are generally two different ways that honor is displayed:

Honor is displayed horizontally, as respect between peers of equal standing.  An example being the courtesy two knights show each other upon meeting.  It is necessary by virtue of honor existing that it must be exclusive.  Not all may be honorable.  Only the best may be.  Equalism and Honor cannot exist.  Most groups displaying this shared form of honor are tight knit, and know each other face-to-face.  Honor is all or nothing. Either you have it, or you do not, and most knights would rather die then lose their honor, for it would result in their casting out by their peers. 

Honor is displayed vertically, such as the relationship between a knight and his lord, or between a knight and a commoner.  In displays of this sort, it is about praise and admiration for the ones above, and patronage towards those below them.  The praise of a lord is a much higher thing to receive then the praise of a commoner. 

The Knight's Code

While codes may vary, every warrior who takes up the mantle of knighthood has one.  Whether they be in the shining ranks of the paladins, the venerable servants of the High Houses, or a vile blackguard sworn to the lower planes.   While it can vary from Enclave to Enclave, or Order to Order, each knight will have a code of service that is rigorously upheld.   An example of a typical knightly code, similar to the one used by the Swords of the Lady, might be as follows:

1.  A knight shall defend the land, and her interests as the heart of his conviction.

2.  A knight shall always challenge those who attempt to defame the integrity of their sworn institution,
in honorable combat or otherwise

3.  A knight shall not refuse a challenge from an equal, and protect the honor of fellow knights,

4.  A knight shall refrain from acts of unnecessary or extreme violence unless defending their charges.

5.  A knight shall maintain a high moral standard, acting as the righteous bar for both noble and peasant

6.  A knight shall enforce all decrees brought by their liege, empire or charge.

7.  A knight shall never break an oath once given.

8.  A knight may yield, but they may not ask for quarter, or demand mercy. 


The Honor Duel is often used as a means of resolving disputes of honor between peers, it is a display of warrior prowess, for above all a knight must be a competent warrior.  Those who are greater in skill and more competent are those with the greater honor.  It is not uncommon for duels to be fought to the death in particular egregious circumstances.  Rules are usually set beforehand, and it is considered exceedingly dishonorable if these terms are fixed to a particular outcome, or to the particular advantage of one duelist over the other.  It is generally acknowledged that the one challenged may set the terms accordingly. 

Examples of the Rules of engagement in A Knight's Duel::

A duelist may not be assisted.
Vestments from the gods are permitted
Arcane enchantments from self or others are permitted
Should a duelist yield, the fight ends
It is proper to grant mercy to a yielding opponent

Duelists must agree to the nature of the duel: To the death, to the pain, etc.

Duelists must be separated by at least ten paces before beginning. 

A winner is declared when terms are met.

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General Discussion / Re: Death penalties

« on: December 14, 2018, 11:58:07 pm »

Death penalty is fine. It's the lack of players at certain level brackets that are frustrating. 

Spiffy had some ideas, I don't know any aside 'get more players online.'  The 1-10 level up is very discouraging if it has to be done alone. 

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Netherese Library / Research: Inquires upon the nature of shadows

« on: December 06, 2018, 11:09:52 pm »

A paladin of Amaunator wanders into the library of the Moonglow Keep, as well as the other sources he may have access to, inquiring upon how to invoke and banish beings of shadow.  He also asks for relevant background to the planar beings, so that he may educate others who will be necessary for future work.