Phaemorea: A Classic Setting for Dungeons & Dragons

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1 Published on RPG Review Cooperative, Inc. ( Home > Blogs > rpgrev's blog > Phaemorea: A Classic Setting for Dungeons & Dragons Phaemorea: A Classic Setting for Dungeons & Dragons Wed, 05/18/ :38? rpgrev Adapted from Kieran Brannan and Ryllandra Rose's Phaemorea Phaemorea is a classic High Fantasy genre game world designed for the classic BEMCI Dungeons & Dragons rules, however it can easily be ported into any version of Dungeons & Dragons, or with a little more tinkering, any system that supports high fantasy. It is designed as a new entry level world for beginning players, as well as an alternative world for older players who want to experience D&D in a new way, without losing any of the charm of the old way. References will be made to 1991 edition of the D&D Rules Cyclopedia. Why BECMI Dungeons & Dragons? There is a misconception that Advanced Dungeons & Dragons is the advanced version of Dungeons & Dragons. However, D&D does have an easy-going loose system that is very easy for a new player to pick up. There are less numbers to worry about, less jargon and less confusing options. Basically, you can take a new player though level 1 character development in five minutes and have them ready to play. Once playing, the rules are amazingly easy to pick up. BECMI D&D still has all the depth of AD&D and D&D3.0+, it's just that that depth is introduced more gradually. This allows a new player time to learn each new option as they advance their character. In short, AD&D and D&D3.0+ gives an information dump at level 1, while D&D is designed to level up the complexity as the character levels up. Weapon Mastery os one of the best ways of representing weapon skills in a D&D style of game. Weapon Mastery doesn't just give a modest bonus to hit and damage; Weapon Mastery gives every weapon a unique identity. In AD&D and D&D3.0+, a thief will usually use a sword for that little extra damage. In BECMI D&D, weapon mastery grants a dagger an increased chance of causing double damage and the ability to throw it further. AD&D and D&D3.0+ has tried to give weapons more interest through the use of Feats and special moves, but they are all fairly generic. Some weapons like staff, spear and warhammer have remained comparatively useless weapons in AD&D no matter what the edition. AD&D and D&D3.0+ has only recently given fighters any love. They were always just the boring characters you gave to new players because they were easy to play. Even when 3rd edition came out and gave them Feats, they still never really found a way to shine over a decently leveled mage. In D&D, not only can fighters harness the weapon mastery system better than any other class, they also have some amazing options that can turn them into powerhouses. In BECMI Fighters are interesting characters - they have more class options than other classes when they reach 9th level. They can be a politically motivated land owner, or they can choose one of three detailed traveling fighter types, including the Paladin, Avenger or Knight. BECMI D&D has a certain lightness about it. It's made to have some fun, as is clearly evident by book releases like 'The Book of Wonderous Inventions' or even the module 'Earthshaker'. These works take the high fantasy world to a strange new place, where Black Puddings are put into dishwashers, or Fire Elementals are bound into steam boilers. Many games try for a High Magic genre, but D&D completely embraces magic as a fully integral part of the world. It doesn?t take itself seriously unless you want to play it that way. The default setting is 'fun', while most other systems

2 have a default setting of 'real'. In this regard I believe classic D&D is all about the classic RPG experience, where people are playing to unwind and just have a good laugh with friends. Having a system that doesn?t keep forcing you to look up things in the rulebook allows for a more immersive play experience. It is very much story focused, and every piece of source material supports the concept of being creative and making your own world. Most purchased adventures introduce entirely new monsters created just for that adventure, which you can then use elsewhere of course. The Gazetteers introduce aspiring GMs to the idea of creating their own player races and character classes. Forgotten Realms has been out for so long now, and has had so much source material produced, that I now find the world constrained, not expanded. What better way to retire a character than to have them basically win the game? In D&D players are invited to strive to reach immortality and become a god. Let?s face it, the amount of heroic stuff you would have done to reach level 36 should have gained you some notice among the gods, right? The quest for immortality allows for truly epic story telling on a grand scale, as the only way to reach immortality is to do the impossible. But let?s say you make it, you become one of the gods. What then? Well, D&D has rules for that. Now, as an Immortal, you start over as a lesser deity striving for power. What makes this concept really exciting is that if your group has played for long enough, your characters can truly become a part of the world. BECMI D&D does not have multi-classing. Also, any race other than human is represented as a class of its own. So there are no dwarven wizards and not every halfling is a rogue. In BECMI D&D, there are over 40 skills to choose from, and while you might only start with 4 or so, you will get more as you level. Like the new 5th edition, these skills are simply areas of competence, and are not burdened by complex point allocation or indepth record keeping like they were in 3rd edition. Understanding Good and Evil BECMI D&D only has three alignments; Lawful, Neutral and Chaotic. While the rules indicate that lawful characters tended to be good, it is not automatic. AD&D and D&D3.0+ on the other hand breaks alignment into two parts, their disposition towards law and chaos, and their morality in regard to good and evil. On the surface, the AD&D and D&D3.0+ system appears to be the more detailed and superior system. We like to think that morality is a constant, that what we believe to be morally right and wrong is patently obvious. The concept of good or evil is generally defined by morality. A person of good morals is a good person, while those who act in a manner counter to decency is evil. Yet, this perception is heavily coloured by the concept of Law and Chaos. Laws are usually based on what a society considers morally sound. Prior to 5th edition, AD&D and D&D3.0+ required Paladins to be Lawful Good. This made the Paladin a righteous knight in shining armour who always held to the letter of the law while doing nothing but good and noble deeds for the people. Paladins are holy warriors of the church, so it?s important that they be Lawful in order to adhere to the strict tenants of their religion. However, by attaching Good to the alignment requirement, it made the holy church knights completely inappropriate for a great many of the religions. BECMI D&D only requires that a Paladin be Lawful. While most Paladins are also Good, what is more important is that they obey the church. Chaotic Paladins are instead called Avengers and, while similar to the Lawful Paladin, they are a different type of character. This distinction allows for holy warriors from entirely chaotic religions to still be represented. The key thing to understand about good and evil, is that good is mostly a matter of perspective, and that perspective is generally based on culture. Most people who act within the law of the land tend to consider themselves good people. Only truly aberrant people would identify as being evil, and they would consider themselves evil because of their complete disregard of cultural law. So what if the law of a culture demands acts such as murder, sacrifice, slavery and other base acts? Does it make the culture evil? The answer is both complex and simple. Good and evil are a matter of

3 perspective, and its definition changes depending on the company you keep. In Phaemorea the Empire of Getica is a classic evil empire based on undeath, fear and dark sorcery. Yet Getica is a Lawful empire, perfectly entitled to field Paladins. Failure to follow the Law can get you killed, or worse. Therefore, in order to be a lawful person, and by cultural definition a good person, then you would commit harm against others if you are required to. Even the cold blooded murder of an entire family might be considered a good act in Getica, even though most other cultures would claim it was entirely evil. So how would you record your Alignment as a good citizen of Getica? In AD&D and D&D3.0+ you might say you are Lawful Evil, but does that accurately account for people who genuinely love and support their community when that love and support might mean killing a child in its sleep? Lawful Evil fails to encapsulate the scope and breadth of morality, and how each culture contains a myriad of complex moral nuances. However, the Classic D&D system would simply label any good citizen as Lawful, fully understanding the complexities of morality and its relation to the interpretation of good and evil. In fact, any good citizen in any land is simply Lawful, while those who care nothing for the laws of the land, or those who think everything in life is happen-stance, are Chaotic. Take the humble Protection from Evil spell. In BECMI D&D the spell description clearly indicates that evil is not a function of Alignment, but of moral stance. Someone of opposing moral views would be considered evil. Therefore, a Protection from Evil spell cast by a cleric of Getica should work fine to ward off a noble Paladin of Solmani, and vice versa. When the water becomes muddied by similar but differing moral values, the measure of good or evil is based more on intent. A more simplified approach would be to look at things defined as evil by the system as things of an entropic nature, while things which preserve life are good. So, level draining undead are always evil, while those devoted to healing and caring for others are good. This however often Many games try for a High Magi someone so they can withstand more torture is actually evil, while using a Cause Wounds spells for a merciful death is actually a good act most of the time. In the end it comes down to the GM making a judgement call. Often it?s very clear cut, but when in doubt compare the intent of both individuals and decide if someone is good or evil based not on a spell description or your personal moral code, but on the difference in moral codes between the characters involved. It's entirely possible that two people can effect each other with the same version of Protection from Evil, simply because from their individual perspective, their opponent is evil. BECMI D&D grants all peoples of the land an alignment language. It further goes on to describe that if for any reason you change your alignment, you forget the previous alignment language and acquire the new one. Other than saying "it's all magic", one cannot find any way to justify how alignment languages are meant to work sensibly. Therefore, in Phaemorea alignment languages have been replaced with regional languages. Guide to Phaemorea Phaemorea is a fairly typical high fantasy world. The world is designed principally for use with the Dungeons & Dragons Rules Cyclopedia, however Phaemorea and adventures set within can easily be adapted for use with any edition of Dungeons & Dragons or any high fantasy setting. Likewise, modules designed for classic D&D, especially those for the Mystara or Blackmoor world settings, could easily be slotted into the Phaemorea setting with little to no alteration. Magic is in regular use, though not so common as to not be special. Technology is roughly equal to that in the later middle ages, with steel armaments and complex stonework. Mechanisation is gaining in popularity with cogs, winches and pulleys coming into regular use among industry. Alchemy is generally used in conjunction with magic, but the use of alcohol, acids and toxins are all well understood by practitioners. Gunpowder and other forms of explosives might exist, but such things are exceedingly rare and not in use, and with magic being common there is little drive to develop the technology.

4 Magic is often used in conjunction with technology, as a simpler and cheaper method to achieve things. So rather than develop devices like the steam engines of the industrial age, wizards might use magical horses to draw a carriage. Monsters and their unique effects are often employed, such as using a Black Pudding in the sewers of Manakata, or Salamanders being used for home heating. Such extravagances are purely the domain of the wealthy and powerful. Thanks to the establishment of organised guilds,?adventurer? is an accepted full time occupation, with adventurers seen by many to be heroes. Not everyone welcomes adventurers though, with some people seeing them as a necessary evil while despising the arrogance and concentration of wealth and power that adventurers represent. So while the common folk generally admire the adventurers because they provide living examples of the common person rising to positions of power, those with power sometimes see adventurers as political tools and threats to their power base. Humans are the most common race, with four distinct human races known in this part of the world. In most cases there is peace between the humans, elves and dwarves, though that peace is often strained to breaking point. Other sentient races such as orcs, goblins and gnolls are generally seen as beasts and outlaws, rarely accepted within towns. Humans There are four main human variants native to the local area. The first and by far the most plentiful are so widespread they are not known by any cultural identifiers. They are pale skinned Caucasian, of smallish build, averaging a height of around cm tall. The Bungara, known more commonly as the Painted People, seem to be a distant variant of the common human. Their skin is darker, most likely because they live in a harsh region where a more ruddy complexion increases the chance of survival. They also have a slightly different eye shape not entirely dissimilar to the elven eye. The similarities indicate a shared racial heritage with the common human, but with strong indications their genetics are moulded by some other shared ancestor as well. Deep in the south are the Salurians. They are a much larger, heavy set people. Caucasian, but with a more tanned natural skin tone. Their faces, with strong jaw lines and broader features, have a more masculine look than the waiflike thin faces of the common men. They average cm tall and have a wide variation in hair and eye colour. In the south west of the main continent are the people of Manakata. They are a tall people, similar in height to the Salurians, but they have dark skin, hair and eyes. They have pronounced features, such as high cheek bones and an aquiline nose. They have long limbs and dextrous hands. Muscular development tends to be lean but healthy. Demi-humans The Elves, Dwarves and Jhan (Halflings) are all as described in the core rules for appearance and basic physiology. Their cultures do vary from the classic rules as described later in this document. All Demi-humans have an inherit distrust of humans, a distrust learnt from past events, but they are of a mind to work with humanity rather than against it, preferring the path of peace over a war they cannot hope to win. The breeding rate of humans is simply too great, which has forced the Demi-humans to cut out a niche for themselves to hold. What they do have, they guard most vehemently. The Beast Races Among themselves they call themselves the First Races, claiming they were among the first people of the world. The title applies to a wide range of races who choose to defy most forms of civilisation in preference to their natural savage roots. The races include orcs, goblins, ogres, gnolls, kobolds, lizardmen and many more sentient peoples who now hide away in lairs or live day to day raiding each other or the human nations. Only in the Garter States do these misfit people find any welcome, and even then only in places. Some took part in the

5 Age of Jackals as invited bandits. Brief History of the World In times now largely forgotten, the world was ruled by an ancient race of beings known as the Phaemoreans. Little is known about these people today, other than that left in shattered ruins which indicate a once thriving civilisation. Scholars believe the original Phaemoreans tore the world apart in some form of cataclysm, reshaping it into the world known today. In the wake of that great cataclysm, the current races began to repopulate the world. While the humans of the south remained fractured, those who went to the north had fewer opponents. A great warlord rose among them, a man called Getica. Getica unified the fractured states and established the Getica Empire. Driven by a lust to rule over everything, Getica called upon unknown powers to raise the dead, adding to his troops both with his own dead, and the dead of his enemies. Getica was mostly interested in the lands already claimed by human folk, but it didn?t take him long to recognise the potential threat posed by other races, as well as the rich resources they held. The Dwarves suffered most of all; Getica lusted after the metal of the dwarven mines, wanting it for arms and armour for his massive war engine. Directing tireless zombies and incorporeal undead, Getica tunnelled down to the lower halls of the dwarves. Getica displayed the true depth of his evil, and disease proliferated in the stale dead air. As people died of disease, they would rise again as undead to fight their own kin. The dwarves turned to their gods and asked for help but they did not answer. In disgust, the dwarves turned from the gods forever and did the only thing they could do; they fought a breakout action and fled at a massive cost of life. The spread of the Getica Empire had reached the borders of the Kingdom of Solmani, already beset by refugees. However, many armies had fought a retreating action. Those warriors left were all fierce fighters, veterans of many battles and filled with a rage and desperate need for revenge. The two armies met, one each side of a fortified river. Under a veil of magic, Getica concealed an army of undead beneath the water. Getica himself rode across the bridge, leading an elite force of his most devout warriors. The Solmani retreated to the walls of the Solmani capital. Yet the armies of Getica never came. Rumours later say the battle was the crowning achievement that opened the way for his rise as a true immortal. Years passed and the river remained the border between Getica and the rest of the world. The River was renamed World?s Edge, because to most of the world, there was nothing of worth on the other side of that river. Thundercliff remained the heart of the southern half of the Getica Empire, an unassailable fortress perched atop a rise at the edge of the sea. Seventeen captains took ships to those walls, plus one more ship filled with freed slaves calling themselves Freemen. Each captain had the same mission; enter the city and open the gates. Thundercliff fell in a single night and whilst the number of captains still left alive had been reduced to nine, and they divided the city up among themselves, each taking a section as their own, renaming Thundercliff to Forecastle. Slavery was abolished, partly because it was anathema to the free thinking brigands and partly because ex-slaves freed from Getica were willing to fight to keep the freedom they had regained. Eventually the last few holdings of southern Getica fell. The Garter States were born, and a new age of peace returned. With the Getica Empire in an apparent state of decline, new rulers want to ensure they can maintain their power by not letting another empire rise. This makes issues of borders of utmost importance, and any actual war is always watched with keen interest by the other nations. There have been attempts at birthing new empires. Zangov himself attempted to rule Forecastle only to be overthrown by Liliana Thriceborn. Getica nobles have tried to raise armies to strike back, only to be crushed by combined resistance. Other leaders have arisen, but while they might combine a nation or two under their banner, they find nervous neighbours are swift to bolster their forces and guard their borders. House Rules for Phaemorea As with all House Rules, these are entirely optional, and the inclusion or exclusion of these rules will have little impact

6 on the usability of Phaemorea or any adventures set within it. It is the role of any GM to work out for themselves how they want their game to run. General Skills The system for General Skills was a simplistic set of rules tacked onto the system to add a little spice and background to characters. However, skill systems are now a much larger stable of RPGs, and the system presented in the Rule Cyclodedia is highly dependent on having high attributes, rather than allowing characters to develop in a more organic manner. Also, becoming more competent in a skill was fairly pointless, as each skill slot only allowed +1 to the roll. Method The GM sets a target number based on the difficulty of the task. For an average skill test, the target would be 10. This difficulty can be set anywhere from 5 for a simple task, through to 20+ for a highly complex task. A player looking to make a skill roll rolls 1d20. Halve this number if the character does not have the proficiency. Add the applicable attribute bonus for the skill being used. If the total is equal to or greater than the target, the action succeeds. For every five points the target number is beaten by, the skill might be allowed to produce additional results. This wouldn?t apply to things like Wrestling or Quickdraw, but it could be an excellent way to reward players for focusing on knowledge and craft skills. Any additional information is entirely subject to the whim of the GM. Improving Skills General Skills are now calculated using the same bonuses as Weapon Mastery, and are recorded in the same manner. Use the following table to calculate the bonuses based on the number of slots used: Slots Proficiency Bonus 0 Unskilled Halve Roll 1 Basic 0 2 Skilled +2 3 Expert +4 4 Master +6 5 Grand Master +8 Example 1 Kendra tracks some orcs Kendra is Skilled in Tracking and has an Intelligence of 14 (+1). She has come upon the scene of a recent attack on a wagon and she uses her tracking skill to determine what has taken place. The ground is soft enough and the tracks are fresh so the GM applies a difficulty of 10. Kendra rolls the die getting a 13. She adds +2 to the roll for being Skilled, and +1 for her Intelligence, for a total result of 16. The GM tells her that it looks like the wagon was attacked by a band of a half dozen humanoids within the last few hours, and that they headed east after the attack. Because Kendra made the target by five or more the GM also gives her some additional information to reflect her skill at reading the tracks. He adds that judging by the types of boots, the stride and the weight of the attackers, there is a very good chance they were orcs. One of the orcs also seems like he was carrying a heavier burden than the rest of them. Example 2 The orcs get clever (or not) Kendra is hot on the trail of the orcs now. However, before the orcs turned onto the trail that leads to their lair, one of the orcs also proficient in tracking attempts to hide the trail. The GM rolls for the orc who has a -1 Intelligence penalty and only basic knowledge of tracking. The GM rolls an 8 for the orc, minus one for his stupidity for a net result of 7. When Kendra reaches that point she rolls again to find which way the orcs have gone. Her target number has been set by the orc at 7. Kendra easily beats the difficulty and can plainly see the orc?s rough attempts to brush the trail clear only on a side path, clearly indicating which direction they travelled.

7 Critical Success and Failure On a natural roll of 1 a skill test is considered a critical failure. A natural roll of 20 is a critical Success. The degree of success or failure is ultimately up to the GM to adjudicate, but it should reflect the level of mastery the character has in the skill. A critical success for someone unskilled might indicate a simple success against the odds, such as dumb luck or a sudden insight. However, a critical success rolled by a Grand Master should represent a feat of legendary standards. Likewise, a critical failure for a Grand Master might indicate a simple failure due to unforeseen circumstances, such as a broken tool. For an unskilled person, a critical failure would result in an action of unfathomable stupidity. Thief Skills There is some crossover between thief skills and General Skills. For example, Stealth (Urban) could be used in many situations Move Silent and Hide in Shadows can also be used. In all such cases Thief skills are considered special knowledge beyond the ability of General Skills. A thief doesn?t just know how to pick a lock as a locksmith might, he also knows how to bypass locks using specialised cracking methods such as the use of acids and knowledge of weaknesses in certain designs. These special tools are available in a set of Thieves Tools. A successful roll for a Thief skill automatically produces results superior to a General Skill. On a failed roll, the thief may make an additional roll on a General Skill in order to try to gain a level of success typical to a normal skill result. She is only entitled to this secondary roll if she has the applicable General Skill. For example, a thief is moving in for a backstab. She makes a Move Silent roll and fails, however she also has Stealth (urban). The GM gives her a second chance with the Stealth (urban) roll setting the DC at 20. She makes the roll and is still allowed to gain the benefit of the Backstab attack. This change should give low level thieves a greater chance of performing the key skills of the class, as well as preventing other characters from outshining them by using common General Skills. Thieves already suffer from terrible HP, so this change should give a low level thief some additional value in a low level party, where traditionally, they need to be carried more than a Magic User. Like a Magic User, at higher levels the combination of thief-like General skills with their Class skills should make them more than just a trap detector and lock picker. Healing?Your character?s hit point score represents his ability to survive injury.? (pg 7 Rules Cyclopedia). The concept of HP is foundational, not just to D&D, but to many games. The logic behind why a Magic User gets less HP than a Fighter isn?t just a question of game balance, there is also a certain logic to it. A Fighter learns to roll with the hits and to deflect the worse of the damage. It will take more than a good stab with a dagger to end the life of a Fighter because he?s experienced enough in the art of combat that you?ll never land a clean blow. All good logical sense and it provides a simple system to track character damage. However, why is a Fighter is harder to heal than a Cleric? Certainly the cleric should have faith enough in the healing powers of his god? Yet if the fighter is on 1 HP, and the cleric is on 1 HP, it will take more healing spells to get the Fighter to full health then it will take for the Cleric. Why? There is no logic to it, and it leads to a lot of downtime in games as the Fighter generally takes a lot of damage, yet healing spells are technically less effective against him than they are for a Magic User. It?s silly. Therefore, I use a simple system of Healing that is based on the Hit Die type of the creature receiving the healing. Instead of a Cure Light Wounds healing 1d6+1, it heals 1 Hit Die +1. So for a Magic User it heals 1d4+1, while for a Fighter it will heal 1d10+1. While this is less favourable for Magic Users and Thieves, it?s equal too or better for all other classes. Better still, it means everyone recovers roughly the same amount percentage wise. This method reduces down time and creates greater balance. It also means that a party with enough Potions of Healing does not require a

8 Cleric to learn only healing magic. This leaves the Cleric to perform in a role other than just healer, giving them the ability to use their other superb support spells. Here?s a breakdown of the effected healing effects: Cure Light Wounds? 1HD+1 Cure Serious Wound? 2HD+2 Cure Critical Wound? 3HD+3 Cureall? As per normal rules Potions, Staves and Rods of healing take their healing rates from the equivalent spells. Reversed Spells The reverse versions of the spells also work the same way, by being connected to the HD type of the target. For monster types this usually means a D8. Optional Constitution Mod If you want to further reduce downtime and give a bonus for characters with a high Constitution then you may allow positive constitution modifiers to be added to the amount healed. Treat any negative modifiers as zero, as a reduction for a low constitution can be devastating to a character who already has a low HD type. The Healing General Skill The General skill called Healing normally heals 1D3. Under these house rules the Healing skill can be used in one of two optional ways: Option 1? A difficulty 10 check will heal a 1/2HD using the same guidelines as listed in the book i.e. usable once per set of wounds. The amount healed cannot exceed the damage taken prior to the last healing test. Option 2? The skill can be used on each person only once per day and the amount of healing gained is dependent on the result of the skill check. At a difficulty 10 a full HD is healed. An additional HD is healed for each additional 5 points made on the skill roll. That?s 1HD for 10, 2HD for 15, 3HD for 20 etc. Option 1 creates a more smoothed out result but more book keeping, as the wounds taken between each heal check must be tracked. Option 2 makes for easy book keeping, but as with curing spells it also requires resource management to choose the right time to have your injuries tended. Whichever option is chosen, once a set of wounds is tended by someone they cannot be redone, unless the base DC of 10 is failed. On a failed roll it is obvious that the wounds have not been treated correctly, and another character can attempt a Healing test instead. Energy Drain Few abilities are as fearsome as energy drain, and that?s exactly as it should be. However, energy drain can be more devastating to a party than effects that Save vs Death. At least when you simply die, a Raise Dead or similar spell can restore you. However, there is no way to recover from extensive energy drain other than re-earning the XP. This can lead to serious level division in a party, effectively retiring a character because they are no longer able to journey with their companions and hope to survive. I want Energy Drain to be a devastating effect, but I want there to be an expensive yet viable way to recover. This alteration looks to the 7th level Restore spell for guidance on the issue. First of all, I recommend removing the limit of only one level being able to be restored, changing it to one level per use of the Restore spell. Therefore, multiple castings of Restore can repair multiple level losses. However, Restore can only return you to your highest level prior to the level loss. XP earned after the level loss up to the Restore point is effectively lost. Second change to

9 the Restore spell is that the Cleric no longer suffers the temporary level loss. The other change to energy drain is that the loss can recover on its own. Again, borrowing from the Restore spell, untreated Energy Drain will recover naturally at a rate of one level every 2-20 days. Unless of course you were reduced to zero levels, where you still end up dead and usually as a minion to the creature who slew you. These changes still make Energy Drain devastating, as recovery is a very long process and a party might be forced to withdraw from a dungeon for months to recover from an encounter with a Wraith. However, it doesn?t mean a character must be retired. It also means those with the financial means can have their levels restored faster with magic, but multiple level 7 spells are a heavy resource load. It also doesn?t take away from the fact that level drain does not allow a save and can kill a character outright. I also like the idea of a vampire stalking some poor wretch, trying to complete their conversion into a vampire before they can recover. In addition, it?s worth clarifying that Protection From Evil will protect characters from most creatures that cause Energy Drain. For example, even though Wraiths and Wights can be hurt by both silvered and magic weapons, they should still qualify as Enchanted creatures and thus be warded away by a Protection from Evil spell. Just remember that if the person under the protection spells attacks the undead, then the undead can attack back using their energy drain attacks. If you want to get soft on players then allow Protection from Evil to prevent all energy drain, but I personally think that?s going too easy. However, I like the imagery of a party using a Protection from Evil 10? radius to avoid an encounter to a pack of wraiths. It makes for good story telling and rewards players for spell choices that are not just Healing and Combat related. The Metric System I?m a traditionalist and I have no problem personally with playing D&D using the old imperial measures. However, the metric system is now the international standard of measure, with very little exception. Metric is no longer the sole providence of the scientific community, it is taught as the only system of measure in the vast majority of the modern world. The old D&D rules are in imperial measure, which might make it difficult for the younger generation to visualise. Therefore, Phaemorea is written using the Metric System. For ease of calculation the following are used for general conversion: 3 feet = 1 meter 2 lbs = 1 kg 1 mile = 1.5km These measures are rounded simply for ease of calculation. So a spell range of 60? is easily converted to 20m, and a 160lb statue can be easily calculated as 80kg. It is recommended that if for some reason a measure must be more precise, that the GM use an actual conversion table, however most play can easily be resolved with these approximate values. When using any of the normal D&D maps each Hex is usually 8 or 24 miles. Daily movement rates for long distance travel are calculated to work easily with these hexes. For ease of calculation while maintaining reasonable accuracy, interpret the base travel rate of 24 miles a day as 40km. This value is easy to halve and quarter without requiring a calculator, so it should be easy to calculate the travel time for large overland journeys. Cultures of Phaemorea Dwarves Dwarves are a serious, hard working people with a long memory and respect for tradition. Dwarves maintain a use name and a clan name. The clan name is usually a traditional one that reflects some deed or trade. There is always a history to a clan name and it most often reflects a past glory. Near extinction or prolonged war can be such times

10 where, in dwarven terms, "Names are made". First names tend to be early Germanic in nature, with harsh consonant sounds prevailing. Names like Okter, Gerald, Drogo and Grimald for men. Female names follow the same tradition, such as Gisela and Hildegarde. Contrary to some rumour, dwarven women do not have beards. The rumour stems from the fact that most dwarves seen outside the halls are male, and those women who do venture out tend to wear a Berkin and full helm. The Berkin is a fake beard, used to hide the gender. Dwarves live in communities called 'Halls'. Each Hall is a self-sustaining community consisting of multiple clans who live by hunting, underground agriculture and trade. Dwarves are frugal people that prefer to buy quality. The one other indulgence dwarves allow for is revelry. This involves a lot of good food and drink, as well as song, tales and on rare occasion, dance. While they have a reputation as drunks, they don?t tend to drink to excess a great deal. Since the dwarves abandoned the gods the birth rate of females has dropped to only one in five. As a result, women are less likely to leave the Halls than males. They often form a well-trained Homeguard and are usually the last line of defence if the Halls are invaded. Dwarves are short on trust but high on honour. Trust within the Halls is paramount, and violating your word to another dwarf is a serious offence. This carries into the work lives of dwarves, who maintain that everyone within the community must work hard towards any common goals; laziness is considered vile. Every dwarf is expected to study the martial arts in order to aid in the defence of the Halls. Other trades are learnt through the family or under apprenticeships. The eldest child is usually expected to carry on the family business. Women have always been the equal to men in the society, however, they are encouraged to stay within the Halls. Dwarves operate under an elective monarchy. Each Hall is led by a King or Queen who is elected by a council of elders. Once elected, the monarch maintains power until killed or overthrown. Most often, the elders will elect a predecessor from the family of the previous monarch, thus allowing the eldest to maintain the tradition of upholding the family business, in this case the business of rulership. In massive communities consisting of multiple Halls, a High King or Queen will be elected out of the individual Hall Kings. Dwarves do maintain a system of law which is focused primarily on the safety and maintenance of the Hall. Theft and murder within the Halls are very rare, but are usually punishable by heavy debt. No family, no matter how wealthy, can bear many transgressions before becoming bankrupt. Once bankrupt the dwarf either becomes an indentured servant of those they owe, or they are cast out of the community. Dwarves do not maintain a police force, however family elders and the crown periodically deputise people to maintain the law as required. Most cases are sorted out by individual elders, however especially serious crimes that effect many families might be brought before the entire council and/or the monarch. As well as theft and murder, lies and matters of honour are also matters of law. Execution is extremely rare, and only ever carried out to end something that might pose a continued threat to the Halls. As devout miners, dwarves are skilled with all forms of working stone and metal. Their practical dedication to craftsmanship means dwarven arms are often favoured by warriors across the world. They also export raw minerals, though these practical people tend to prefer to work the materials into finished products in order to maximise profits. Dwarves are also known as key suppliers of oil, tar and alcohol. Dwarven distilleries produce some of the purest alcohol in the known world. Dwarves import fruit, sugar and wood. Dwarves maintain a continual roster of martial training and military service. As such, the entire population is ready to mobilise for war if needed. Dwarves once provided some of the most fearsome mercenaries in the world, however lower numbers of births has forced that trade to drop off. Only a few centuries ago the dwarves were devout worshippers of the Immortals. However, as a part of the advance of the Empire of Getica, powerful undead forces erupted from beneath the great Halls. Dwarves felt that the trust they put in their gods was violated; a serious crime to the dwarves. As a result the dwarves decided that the only people worthy

11 of trust were themselves. They abandoned their gods and dismantled all shrines. While they do not oppose the Immortals or their servants, they remain respectfully detached from them. Into this void left by the abolishment of religion the dwarves poured more thought into other philosophies, with two principle divisions referred to as the Rock and the Cog. Followers of the Rock believe that firm traditions help maintain a stable and structured society. Followers of the Cog believe that mechanisation allows the work output of each dwarf to be multiplied through the development of technical machinery. Followers of the Rock suggest that such advancements lead to the loss of quality work and the proliferation of laziness, while the Followers of the Cog counter, that with fading populations, it?s vital that each person is equipped for maximum efficiency. Elves Elves are deeply mysterious people who hide their communities in the most remote environs in the world. While primarily tree dwellers, they can be found anywhere the natural surroundings provides them with a way to keep their society isolated and protected. Elves strive to meld their life and their society as seamlessly as possible into the natural surroundings. When in forests their houses are built high in tree branches, where each tree is gently coaxed to grow in a way that supports the house, while the elves in turn care for the tree. So it is that wherever the elves are, be it in the depths of a swamp or upon the icy peak of a high mountain, the housing is as unique as the environment. Elves have little concept of ownership among each other, so if an elf admires the work of another, the item is often gifted as the work itself is purely done for the art of it. This isn?t to say the work isn?t also practical, as good craftsmanship is an art all of its own. This lax sense of ownership does not extend to other people, or when outside the community. Enjoyment is central to elven society, with any pursuit being done not for the welfare of others, but for the simple pleasure of it. Fortunately, supporting the community at large falls under the general heading of enjoyable pursuits. This lack of focus means elves are wonderful creators, but not great empire builders. Settlements generally consist of many small villages spread over a large area, with each household trying to find the most picturesque place they can to live. The family structure is never really held much past adulthood, with younger elves usually leaving home early to find their own place to express themselves. So while family connections are valued, they are not binding in the same way most other races interpret such connections. Likewise marriages do not last long and the marriage ceremony is simply a declaration of companionship which can be dissolved at will. Marriages might be between multiple partners, and any such arrangement is usually open, allowing sexual relationships to be held outside the marriage without any hurt feelings; though tales of deeper passions fuel many elven songs and tales. Within their own community an elf will freely trade knowledge with their own kind. Their natural curiosity will mean that even without structured schooling, the elf child will soon pick up many languages and skills just by following their desires. Having such a long natural lifespan helps this process as it gives time to flit from trade to trade and learn all they want. Fighting and magic skills are a staple among the elven arts. Their combat styles tend to be fluid and graceful, while their spells often have little flourishes that display personal tweaks and styles. Each larger community is led by a king and queen. Despite the title, it is in fact a Meritocracy, with the role of King and Queen taken by whoever seems to be best qualified for it at the time. There may be little to no relationship between the king and queen, they are simply political positions which allow for important decisions to be arbitrated. The Elven community itself is largely ungoverned. No taxes are charged and there are no demands for special services. Elven Courts are really nothing more than open discussion forums, where people work out any issues that arise. They also serve as pomp and ceremony for outsiders. Courts are held on the new and the full moon, and are usually attended by the monarchs and anyone else from the community who wants to attend. Elven law is as loose and unstructured as their society, with few established taboos. Law is enforced by individuals,

12 who band together as needed if an offender might pose special danger. It is very much a 'natural' law, with the penalty usually matching the crime. Elves are skilled in many things, and with little attachment to anything they will often trade away their possessions for a new interest. Most common among their products are artistic creations, such as carvings, music and clothing. Elven silk is highly prized, and made from spider silk. They also produce a wide range of dyes and scents. They also produce clothing, leather goods, armour, weapons, almost anything. Elves most often demand raw resources in trade, such as ore and exotic foods, while precious and semi-precious stones and metal are often in demand for a variety of purposes. The elven nations do not have a consistent military force, however they do maintain many individual orders of knights. These orders are usually created from some history or need, such as the defence of the valley or for a charismatic leader. The Orders train warriors and serve as a repository of martial and magical knowledge. As with all other aspects of life, religion is a fairly laid back affair with the elves. Many elves follow one immortal or another for a time, often inviting their influence at key life events, but any such practices are rarely maintained. As such, there are no lasting priesthoods. Elves do tend to believe in the Immortals, and they do believe they are beings worthy of respect. Yet the long life of the elven people means they are not as concerned about matters of life after death in the same way other races are. Human, Bungara aka The Painted People Among the striated plateaus of Bungara, live tribes of noble horsemen. The land is harsh, but these people have made survival an art. Despite initial appearances though, they are far from being savages. With weather tanned skin and slightly almond shaped eyes, they tend towards darker shades of hair with a full variety of normal human eye colours. Many races know them as the Painted People, due to the tendency for the warriors to paint their skin with coloured clays. The painting serves not only as a form of artistic expression and as a way of identification, but also as sunscreen against the harsh plains sunlight. Horses are also decorated in like manner. Clothing tends to be light and simple, made with softened hides and reinforced with bone. They decorate clothing, with feathers, fangs, furs and claws serving to display the prowess or wealth of the person. Living in self-sustaining tribal societies, the Bungara shelter from the harsh climate by digging into the softer layers of sedimentary rock to create low flat caves. In the shadow of the cliff faces, canopies are constructed and the people gather and work on the valley floors. The Bungara live the simple life of hunters, living on the herds that graze the tough saltbushes and wiry grasses of the plains. They share this life with their tough little plains ponies, which they treat as members of their own family. Each member of the tribe contributes to the education of the young, imparting what wisdoms they have gained over time. The young learn discernment when listening to the wisdom of those older, but they are also taught to be respectful and value any wisdom. There is a strong oral tradition among the Bungara, with fact and fiction becoming blurred for the sake of education. This adds a mythic element to the tales, where heroes are granted powers beyond the norm to meet equally inflated threats. Each tribe is led by a Chieftain. The Chieftain can be of either gender, receiving the role usually through election by the elders. The actual balance of power is shared fairly equally among the tribe, with fireside discussions being the way the direction of the tribe is usually determined. As such, the Chieftain?s role is most often that of arbitrator or chairman. In times of war the chieftain?s role changes; he takes direct command of the tribe and is expected to make snap decisions, often with little to no consultation with others. Law and government are one and the same. Acts which threaten the stability of the tribe are judged and punished by the tribe. Acts of physical ordeal are usually carried out in addition to the payment of restitution, the willingness to perform the ordeal indicating that the accused is truly sorry for their misdeed. Trade is uncommon, usually only taking place between tribes during set times in the year, where one tribe will meet

13 another on neutral ground in order to share news, trade goods and tell stories. It is also a time when potential mates outside the tribe are sought. Those outside the Bungara who trade with the Painted People usually trade for clay pigments and simple handcrafts. Bungara make high quality leather and bone goods and their beading is highly sought by some, particularly the elves who like to include elements of Bungara beading into their masks. The Bungara prefer weapons of wood, stone and bone. While they see the value of metal weaponry, lacking forges of their own they find the maintenance difficult and impractical. All members of a tribe are expected to contribute what they can to defence, though only hunters and warriors tend to engage in actual battle. With no standing army, and the desperate need for hunters to return to the hunt, any battles are usually resolved as swiftly as possible. Bungara are taught to shoot from horseback and are counted among the best archers in the world. They also use long spears as lances, and an array of axes, spears, stone maces and flint or obsidian knives. They can always count on the magical support of their shaman who tend to be clerics, though arcane magic is practiced by some. The Bungara respect all life and all Immortals. Even Immortals considered to be evil or anti-life are respected as valid aspects of the cycle of life and thus worthy of respect. However, the Bungara are most strongly drawn to nature gods, such as the Lady of Seasons and Sharm, the Master of Flowers. They view all of life as aspects of a great whole, so their religious practices also involve giving thanks to the spirits of their prey and the many animals they share their lands with. Human, Garter States The Garter States are a loose band of minor political divisions. They are confederated by a mutual protection pact against the Empire of Getica. This thin pact is actually where the Garter States gain the name, because like a garter, it?s a small thing upon which are pinned the hopes of many. They were established first in Forecastle when it was overthrown as the first act of the Age of Jackals. Since that initial foothold, pieces of the old empire have been carved out and individual states have sprung up in the wake. As the Garter States are a random collection of people there is no set appearance. In fact, the Garter States are perhaps the most diverse peoples of the known world. Even orcs and goblins have found cracks within the Garter States to call home. Every state has its own laws and rules which means that the lifestyle and living conditions also varies by state. However, as a country founded by rogues, there is a strong drive to maintain personal freedom and expression. Given the ease of hopping borders, most realms offer incentives to stay, rather than binding laws to hold people. Different realms have different levels of education, however in the desire to create infrastructure, many realms offer a variety of organised schools. Whatever formal education is on offer, almost every member of the Garter States will pick up a certain degree of streetwise as an essential survival skill. The Garter States are bound only by the mutual defence pact, helping each other defend the realm from any incursion from the old Empire of Getica. Other than that one binding principal, it?s every realm for themselves. Machiavellian politics abound, but prolonged political issues that threaten to undermine the confederacy are discouraged. Rumour has it that there are political roots still buried in Forecastle which were established and maintained by the initial captains and heroes of the Pirate War. Laws are highly varied with each realm entitled to maintain their own laws and law enforcement. Due to the expense of such a structure, many realms elect to use the Adventurer Guilds to troubleshoot problematic issues. In fact, this tendency for open mindedness and frontier attitude has led to a proliferation of Adventurer Guilds among the Garter States. Many realms have different demands and supplies, dependant on natural resources and trades. The most common exports are adventurers and mercenaries, both of which are in ready supply having honed their skills along the frontier