Post by raventhefree on Apr 20, 2018 14:53:05 GMT
The chalk dust on your fingers stains the pages of your grimoire as you read the incantation again. You’ve read the words a hundred times, but you read them again, just to be sure. On the ground is a pair of circles, one encompassing the other, written with a stick of pink chalk that rolled into a crack between the cobblestones of your room. Between them is a set of runes, carefully traced. There’s something beautiful about it.
The paper on which your summoning circle was drawn flutters in a draft from the shuttered window. With a solemn, determined nod, you read the incantation. A rosy glow is emitted from the circles, bright enough that it drowns the candlelight that you were using to read your grimoire. Teasing the boundary between planes is dangerous, but rewarding…
Hello, everyone! This is a joint campaign to be run by me, raventhefree, and my good friend Trixander. This game has heavy influences from a number of fantasy settings, including Witcher and the Legends of Zelda series, as well as Pokemon of course! We have set up a recruitment Discord server that you can find here. Note that it’s not required that you participate there, but it is encouraged! Recruitment for this game will go from now until May 4th. We are looking to take at least one group of three to four, but we may potentially decide to take two groups instead if there’s enough interest.
Story Hook
The players begin at the Academy of Thaleen in Varien. The world rests in uneasy peace, but Summoners are responsible for keeping track of unusual beast activity. Your party begins the game with an assignment for one of your classes: there have been reports of problems with some beasts in Hemme.
It seems that unrest has become the norm lately. More courageous groups Summoners have begun rumors of forgotten treasures hidden away across the continent. The leaders of the three northern countries are at each others throats. It seems like the Academy is somehow stuck in the center of it all.
The Continent of Evaria
Map of Evaria
The World of Grimoires
Rules Changes and Banned Content
DPDoM is not allowed in this campaign due to its medieval setting.
BatD is initially banned, but it may be permitted later depending on what happens.
Juggler is removed due to the fact that there are no Pokeballs.
Playing God (from the Chemistry research field) is removed because synthetic monsters do not exist. Should a player want to play with the Chemistry research field, a replacement will be created after players have been selected.
Capture Specialist has been reworked for the setting and is now called Grimoire Scribe. You can read the updated class here.
Multiple instances of Elemental Connection may be taken to account for ‘wizards’ in the setting. At character creation, though, only two may be taken.
All playtest rules are in effect. Game of Throhs is also, obviously, available.
Capturing Rules:
Excepting the Grimoire Scribe, Beasts may not be captured directly during combat as they might be when using Pokeballs. Instead, a beast one desires to capture must be restrained and studied. There are a few ways to this. Grappling is an excellent way to hold a beast to be ‘captured’ in the pages of a grimoire. Status conditions--namely Sleep and Paralysis--can provide enough time for Summoners to scribe enough about a Beast to summon it again later. There are also a few additional Features to assist in capturing beasts.
Additional Features
Once a Pokemon has been sufficiently restrained, you may then make a capture check under the following rules. You will always be allowed to make a Pokemon Education or an Occult Education check, but other skills may be used as a replacement in certain cases (for example, a Technology Education check might be a good choice for a Luxray or Magnemite, or a Charm check could be used for a Beast you’ve befriended). The DC will be set by GM discretion, but imagine it to be very similar to normal capture rules (higher level Pokemon will have a higher DC, etc). Also, other party members may scribe Grimoires for your use if they specialize in it--so don’t feel obligated to take the former two skills!
Application Details
Your character will start at Trainer Level 7. They are somewhere between the ages of 16 and 26, to reflect that they have been attending a university-like setting. All characters begin at the Academy of Thaleen in eastern Varien, though they can originally come from anywhere on the continent. Why they are at the academy and their opinions of the world are up to you.
You start with two Grimoires, one that is for a highly-loyal beast at level 15 (which will have one egg move it may gain at level 20 or level 30, player’s choice, abiding by playtest rules), and one is for a slightly newer beast at level 10. Let us know how you acquired these two grimoires--perhaps you got one from your time at the academy, or maybe you stumbled on one in your hometown's library and stole it? Both Pokemon must have at least two stages. Otherwise, there are no restrictions on the Pokemon you select. That being said, the likelihood of having an extremely rare Beast (such as a pseudo-legendary) might require a significant backstory reason--and thus might be a cause for scrutiny by the DMs. Likewise, having an extremely large starter Beast such as Onyx or Wailmer could become inconvenient in some portions of the campaign, so select them at your own risk. Also, please provide a skill background for your companion Pokemon. Each individual Beast has differences in their personalities, so please give yours one, too!
You begin play with 8000 Marks. Simple Weapons cost 4000, Fine Weapons cost 8000.
Additionally, because of the cost of Fine Weapons, you may pick one of the following options:
You may submit up to TWO characters for consideration. What we are looking for is interesting character concepts with diverse backstories. I come from a writing background, and while I don’t expect everyone to be Tolkien, having a character that feels like they are a part of the world is important to me. I won’t put a minimum or maximum on a ‘fluff’ page count, but I do like seeing people’s ideas getting fleshed out. Feel free to make some things up or ask questions about the world.
Finally, we have a couple of questions:
1. Is there anybody else here that you would like to play with?
2. How interested in world-lore are you? Would you prefer a game where you are moving from place to place and combat to combat without much fanfare, or do you want to play a game where you get involved in the politics of the continent? Neither answer is wrong--but if we do end up setting up two parties, we will try to roughly divide based on this answer because in our experience, having different goals from a gameplay standpoint can lead to friction in parties.
3. Do you want more of a sandbox or more structured gameplay?
4. Do you prefer Roll20 for battles, or would you rather write out most combat? If you prefer Roll20, can you be available to play out battles in a sitting or two to prevent it from becoming an extended affair?
Thanks for checking out our game! Hope to see you on the Discord.
The paper on which your summoning circle was drawn flutters in a draft from the shuttered window. With a solemn, determined nod, you read the incantation. A rosy glow is emitted from the circles, bright enough that it drowns the candlelight that you were using to read your grimoire. Teasing the boundary between planes is dangerous, but rewarding…
Hello, everyone! This is a joint campaign to be run by me, raventhefree, and my good friend Trixander. This game has heavy influences from a number of fantasy settings, including Witcher and the Legends of Zelda series, as well as Pokemon of course! We have set up a recruitment Discord server that you can find here. Note that it’s not required that you participate there, but it is encouraged! Recruitment for this game will go from now until May 4th. We are looking to take at least one group of three to four, but we may potentially decide to take two groups instead if there’s enough interest.
Story Hook
The players begin at the Academy of Thaleen in Varien. The world rests in uneasy peace, but Summoners are responsible for keeping track of unusual beast activity. Your party begins the game with an assignment for one of your classes: there have been reports of problems with some beasts in Hemme.
It seems that unrest has become the norm lately. More courageous groups Summoners have begun rumors of forgotten treasures hidden away across the continent. The leaders of the three northern countries are at each others throats. It seems like the Academy is somehow stuck in the center of it all.
The Continent of Evaria
Kingdom of Varien
Eastmost country on the continent, the Kingdom of Varien is the home of the premier academy for Summoners in Evaria. Ridiculously wealthy, they are the main source of trade with the surrounding continents, known for their naval superiority and willingness to bully other countries to get what they want. This has caused significant tension with the two other nations on the northern half of the continent, who consider Varien’s naval action acts of war. This, of course, has left many students of the Academy of Thaleen torn between affiliation to their home country and affiliation to their school, which has attempted to stay neutral in the current conflict. Varien itself is a heavily wooded nation, with some areas boasting trees that extend hundreds of feet into the sky. Its easternmost shores are often rocked by earthquakes and tsunamis, making it an area that many geologists find fascinating.
Oligarchy of Hemme
The middle country between Varien and Merai, Hemme is forced into an awkward position. Smaller than its neighbors and crammed against a northern ocean, its inability to sustain a navy because of Varien’s aggressive actions has crushed its economy. Formerly a mercantile state, its lack of ability to sail has driven many of its people into more academic pursuits, striving to find a way to surpass Varien in naval technology as to defeat them if and when the time comes. As such, they have a number of universities dedicated to mundane things. One even has been seeking to understand the connections between planes of existence. With fears of war growing, many scholars from the Academy of Thaleen that were originally from Hemme or Merai have abandoned the school to study in Hemme instead.
Feudalism of Merai
The third of the three northern states, Merai has a very stringent power structure. While Varien has its royal family and a handful of lords that consolidated power, Merai has a strict power structure. At the bottom are the vassals holding fiefs for their lords, whose work is overseen by knights, who are controlled by the baron of the land, who are governed by the duke of the governance, who reports to the viceroys of the region, who are only beholden to the king of Merai. There is little to no room for movement up this class structure, causing significant unrest from the vassals. Whispers of war with Varien, however, are very popular, giving some unfortunate vassals the impression that service in the war might ascend them to the status of knight and pull their families out of poverty. As perhaps can be expected, Merai is an agricultural state which much of the continent depends on for food; a war might be disastrous for Varien, who relies on Merai’s food shipments to survive.
Ozari Desert
The Ozari Desert is known as the Great Desert to most people that do not inhabit it. Enormous, it spans the entire bottom half of the continent and is notoriously difficult to traverse. The southern coast is composed of a set of mercantile city-states that form a loose group called the Confederation of Amaeran (the name of the southern ocean). More notably, a tribal group of people known as The Nameless travel the wastes, having been rejected from society once upon a time and turning to the communal nature of the other Nameless. Some, especially those born Nameless, have tried to re-integrate into society, finding some success among the Confederation in the south.
Eastmost country on the continent, the Kingdom of Varien is the home of the premier academy for Summoners in Evaria. Ridiculously wealthy, they are the main source of trade with the surrounding continents, known for their naval superiority and willingness to bully other countries to get what they want. This has caused significant tension with the two other nations on the northern half of the continent, who consider Varien’s naval action acts of war. This, of course, has left many students of the Academy of Thaleen torn between affiliation to their home country and affiliation to their school, which has attempted to stay neutral in the current conflict. Varien itself is a heavily wooded nation, with some areas boasting trees that extend hundreds of feet into the sky. Its easternmost shores are often rocked by earthquakes and tsunamis, making it an area that many geologists find fascinating.
Oligarchy of Hemme
The middle country between Varien and Merai, Hemme is forced into an awkward position. Smaller than its neighbors and crammed against a northern ocean, its inability to sustain a navy because of Varien’s aggressive actions has crushed its economy. Formerly a mercantile state, its lack of ability to sail has driven many of its people into more academic pursuits, striving to find a way to surpass Varien in naval technology as to defeat them if and when the time comes. As such, they have a number of universities dedicated to mundane things. One even has been seeking to understand the connections between planes of existence. With fears of war growing, many scholars from the Academy of Thaleen that were originally from Hemme or Merai have abandoned the school to study in Hemme instead.
Feudalism of Merai
The third of the three northern states, Merai has a very stringent power structure. While Varien has its royal family and a handful of lords that consolidated power, Merai has a strict power structure. At the bottom are the vassals holding fiefs for their lords, whose work is overseen by knights, who are controlled by the baron of the land, who are governed by the duke of the governance, who reports to the viceroys of the region, who are only beholden to the king of Merai. There is little to no room for movement up this class structure, causing significant unrest from the vassals. Whispers of war with Varien, however, are very popular, giving some unfortunate vassals the impression that service in the war might ascend them to the status of knight and pull their families out of poverty. As perhaps can be expected, Merai is an agricultural state which much of the continent depends on for food; a war might be disastrous for Varien, who relies on Merai’s food shipments to survive.
Ozari Desert
The Ozari Desert is known as the Great Desert to most people that do not inhabit it. Enormous, it spans the entire bottom half of the continent and is notoriously difficult to traverse. The southern coast is composed of a set of mercantile city-states that form a loose group called the Confederation of Amaeran (the name of the southern ocean). More notably, a tribal group of people known as The Nameless travel the wastes, having been rejected from society once upon a time and turning to the communal nature of the other Nameless. Some, especially those born Nameless, have tried to re-integrate into society, finding some success among the Confederation in the south.
Map of Evaria
The World of Grimoires
Evaria is a continent filled with horses and rabbits. They have squirrels and raccoons, and they enjoy the crow of seagulls circling around the ocean. Many from the Ozari desert have been bitten by a surprised rattlesnake.
It was a long time ago that the current Pantheon of Gods began to be worshipped, and with that, the advent of summoning. Creatures from the Beastrealm could be brought under a caster’s control, and with careful study, those at the Academy of Thaleen perfected the technique. They perform their summoning through the use of grimoires, books of all shapes and sizes that contain information about one specific creature from across the barrier between planes. The spells contained in Grimoires help bridge the gap for the Beasts (known to us Earthlings as Pokemon). Even more importantly, many of these summoners befriended the Beasts, who would then be more willing to listen to their commands.
Nowadays, Beasts are formidable foes and powerful allies. Some must be trained like dogs; others will act with independent intelligence and volition. To those incapable of summoning, these beasts can bring terrible things. Some think that someday--someday soon, perhaps--they will be used as weapons of war.
Some stronger beasts can pass from the Beastrealm into Evaria, causing havoc. Many times, Summoners from the Academy are employed to Banish such creatures, who might otherwise be easily able to defeat groups of otherwise capable knights.
It was a long time ago that the current Pantheon of Gods began to be worshipped, and with that, the advent of summoning. Creatures from the Beastrealm could be brought under a caster’s control, and with careful study, those at the Academy of Thaleen perfected the technique. They perform their summoning through the use of grimoires, books of all shapes and sizes that contain information about one specific creature from across the barrier between planes. The spells contained in Grimoires help bridge the gap for the Beasts (known to us Earthlings as Pokemon). Even more importantly, many of these summoners befriended the Beasts, who would then be more willing to listen to their commands.
Nowadays, Beasts are formidable foes and powerful allies. Some must be trained like dogs; others will act with independent intelligence and volition. To those incapable of summoning, these beasts can bring terrible things. Some think that someday--someday soon, perhaps--they will be used as weapons of war.
Some stronger beasts can pass from the Beastrealm into Evaria, causing havoc. Many times, Summoners from the Academy are employed to Banish such creatures, who might otherwise be easily able to defeat groups of otherwise capable knights.
Rules Changes and Banned Content
DPDoM is not allowed in this campaign due to its medieval setting.
BatD is initially banned, but it may be permitted later depending on what happens.
Juggler is removed due to the fact that there are no Pokeballs.
Playing God (from the Chemistry research field) is removed because synthetic monsters do not exist. Should a player want to play with the Chemistry research field, a replacement will be created after players have been selected.
Capture Specialist has been reworked for the setting and is now called Grimoire Scribe. You can read the updated class here.
Multiple instances of Elemental Connection may be taken to account for ‘wizards’ in the setting. At character creation, though, only two may be taken.
All playtest rules are in effect. Game of Throhs is also, obviously, available.
Capturing Rules:
Excepting the Grimoire Scribe, Beasts may not be captured directly during combat as they might be when using Pokeballs. Instead, a beast one desires to capture must be restrained and studied. There are a few ways to this. Grappling is an excellent way to hold a beast to be ‘captured’ in the pages of a grimoire. Status conditions--namely Sleep and Paralysis--can provide enough time for Summoners to scribe enough about a Beast to summon it again later. There are also a few additional Features to assist in capturing beasts.
Additional Features
Anchor
[+SpA]
Prerequisites: Expert Occult Education or Expert General Education
2 AP - Standard Action
Target: A wild Beast.
Effect: You may use the Shadow Tag ability to restrain a beast with the intention of catching it. You may use Anchor once a day.
Trapper
[+Speed]
Prerequisites: Adept Survival, Acrobatics, or Athletics
Static
Weighted Nets have an AC of 4 instead of 8 when used.
Honeyed Words
[+Speed]
Prerequisites: Adept Charm or Guile
At-Will -- Standard Action
With the help of bait, make a Charm or Guile check to persuade a Beast to stay nearby after a battle has been concluded.
[+SpA]
Prerequisites: Expert Occult Education or Expert General Education
2 AP - Standard Action
Target: A wild Beast.
Effect: You may use the Shadow Tag ability to restrain a beast with the intention of catching it. You may use Anchor once a day.
Trapper
[+Speed]
Prerequisites: Adept Survival, Acrobatics, or Athletics
Static
Weighted Nets have an AC of 4 instead of 8 when used.
Honeyed Words
[+Speed]
Prerequisites: Adept Charm or Guile
At-Will -- Standard Action
With the help of bait, make a Charm or Guile check to persuade a Beast to stay nearby after a battle has been concluded.
Once a Pokemon has been sufficiently restrained, you may then make a capture check under the following rules. You will always be allowed to make a Pokemon Education or an Occult Education check, but other skills may be used as a replacement in certain cases (for example, a Technology Education check might be a good choice for a Luxray or Magnemite, or a Charm check could be used for a Beast you’ve befriended). The DC will be set by GM discretion, but imagine it to be very similar to normal capture rules (higher level Pokemon will have a higher DC, etc). Also, other party members may scribe Grimoires for your use if they specialize in it--so don’t feel obligated to take the former two skills!
Application Details
Your character will start at Trainer Level 7. They are somewhere between the ages of 16 and 26, to reflect that they have been attending a university-like setting. All characters begin at the Academy of Thaleen in eastern Varien, though they can originally come from anywhere on the continent. Why they are at the academy and their opinions of the world are up to you.
You start with two Grimoires, one that is for a highly-loyal beast at level 15 (which will have one egg move it may gain at level 20 or level 30, player’s choice, abiding by playtest rules), and one is for a slightly newer beast at level 10. Let us know how you acquired these two grimoires--perhaps you got one from your time at the academy, or maybe you stumbled on one in your hometown's library and stole it? Both Pokemon must have at least two stages. Otherwise, there are no restrictions on the Pokemon you select. That being said, the likelihood of having an extremely rare Beast (such as a pseudo-legendary) might require a significant backstory reason--and thus might be a cause for scrutiny by the DMs. Likewise, having an extremely large starter Beast such as Onyx or Wailmer could become inconvenient in some portions of the campaign, so select them at your own risk. Also, please provide a skill background for your companion Pokemon. Each individual Beast has differences in their personalities, so please give yours one, too!
You begin play with 8000 Marks. Simple Weapons cost 4000, Fine Weapons cost 8000.
Additionally, because of the cost of Fine Weapons, you may pick one of the following options:
- You may take a Fine Weapon at character creation.
- You may take two extra edges.
- You may take one general feature.
- You may take four extra levels between your two starter Pokemon. Each must gain at least one level.
You may submit up to TWO characters for consideration. What we are looking for is interesting character concepts with diverse backstories. I come from a writing background, and while I don’t expect everyone to be Tolkien, having a character that feels like they are a part of the world is important to me. I won’t put a minimum or maximum on a ‘fluff’ page count, but I do like seeing people’s ideas getting fleshed out. Feel free to make some things up or ask questions about the world.
Finally, we have a couple of questions:
1. Is there anybody else here that you would like to play with?
2. How interested in world-lore are you? Would you prefer a game where you are moving from place to place and combat to combat without much fanfare, or do you want to play a game where you get involved in the politics of the continent? Neither answer is wrong--but if we do end up setting up two parties, we will try to roughly divide based on this answer because in our experience, having different goals from a gameplay standpoint can lead to friction in parties.
3. Do you want more of a sandbox or more structured gameplay?
4. Do you prefer Roll20 for battles, or would you rather write out most combat? If you prefer Roll20, can you be available to play out battles in a sitting or two to prevent it from becoming an extended affair?
Thanks for checking out our game! Hope to see you on the Discord.
Player Name | Character Name | Classes | Level 15 | Level 10 |
lavrence | Vallian | Grimoire Scribe, Shade Caller, Appiration, Researcher (Artificer/Chemistry) | Golett | Pancham |
spikehed | Octavius Isaac Palmer | Researcher (Artificer/General), Mentor, Fashionista | Eevee | Type: Null |
Veinexes | Venes Fies | Miasmic, Dancer | Ekans | Snivy |
gameofchampions | Irelia Wynter Noba Kya | Frost Touched, Ice Ace, Backpacker Trickster, Provacateur, Grass Ace | Sneasel Cacnea | Swinub Shroomish |
OneThatIsShy | Nieth Lupei | Marksman, Hunter, Chronicler | Poochyena | Shinx |
Thunder | Hassian Marduk Isidorus Dexion | Wind Runner, Aura Guardian Spark Master, Wind Runner | Lucario Ralts | Ralts Remoraid |
botduo | Asami Tempest | Dancer, Skirmisher, Spark Master | Bibarel | Espeon |
sathzur | Enlil Rostam | Wind Runner, Aura Guardian | Trapinch | Riolu |
flarnith | Asfibe the Giving | Researcher (Botany/Climatology), Prism | Castform | Oddish |
Zenaga | Evander Underlow | Researcher (Apothecary/Occult), Sage, Channeler | Bayleef | Growlithe |
mikhail | Mikhail | Researcher (Pokemon Caretaking/Occult), Grimoire Scribe, Wind Runner | Swablu | Bagon |
Raven | Svetlana Dracul | Ace Trainer, Special Attack Ace, Apparition | Braixen | Duskull |
Amillaiara | Charles Louis Amsterdam Cheimón Atsáli | Martial Artist, Athlete, Steelheart Frost Touched, Apparation | Mincinno Snorunt | Aron Onix |
getsuga | Cygnash Timeo | Athlete, Martial Artist | Machop | Gligar |
headlesskoko | Paige Ayame Yurinaka | Channeler, Grimoire Scribe, Warper Arcanist, Grimoire Scribe | Shinx Eevee | Gastly Bronzor |
Ventix (Kagami) | Shirayuri Yurinaka | Researcher (Artificer/Chemistry), Researcher (Gadgeteer, Pokemon Caretaking) | Jolteon | Eevee |
carnackiArdent | Giacomina "Mina" Belladonna | Miasmic, Trickster, Druid | Budew | Nidoran-F |
Pharis | Tadano Hitonari | Steelheart, Steel Ace, Fortress | Pawniard | Aron |
sleepytenor | Chris(tal) Rose | Fairy Ace, Glamour Weaver | Togetic | Flabebe |
Goliathus | Olvan van Gaveren | Musician, Arcanist | Kricketune | Machop |
technoRomancer | Saro ir-Shikari | Bug Ace, Swarmlord, Survivalist | Surskit | Trapinch |
haybalebarn | Cai Renxiang Veles Cardona | Druid, Berserker Commander, Dark Ace, Mentor | Cherrim Houndour | Fomantis Purrloin |
Vazad | Chester Hexapod | Miasmic, Glamour Weaver | Duosion | Beldum |
eltrou | Alduin Gunnersen | Channeler, Glamour Weaver | Luxio | Rowlet |