Mechanical
Initiate Action: Buzz
- Location
- Somewhere Strange
IC here
Three hundred years ago, the Kingdom of Alfos build a tower, tall enough to reach the top of the sky, to conquer the very heavens. In response, the gods smote the Tower and Kingdom, collapsing it into a great chasm. It became a maze of shattered masonry and fallen rooms hidden under the earth. Such was the magic unleashed it continues to shift and rearrange, a bewildering web of sunken chambers and forgotten secrets.
Two hundred years ago, the Traitor Knightess, Jianari of Yurnoth, hurled the sacred sword Godlustre into the great river of Alfol, which flows into the chasm. A great reward was promised for anyone who could retrieve the sword; a noble title, land, and wealth beyond avarice. Adventurers ventured to the chasm in search of the sword or the treasures of the destroyed Kingdom, once unmatched in might and magic. Some returned bearing great artefacts - and many did not return at all. In time, it became known as the Lustrarium Labyrinth. For a decade, no one has dared enter the darkness below.
Now, four more souls dare the Labyrinth, seeking Godlustre, perhaps, or simply the fame and fortune that comes with delving deep. Now, as they descend on a elevator of battered wood, the sounds of the crowd of well-wishers fading into the creaking of the lift's ropes. The rough rock of the chasm walls give way to strange stone tiles and things skittering in shadowed cracks.
Will they find what they seek... or simply their own doom?
So yeah. A 5e game to get me back into DMing things. It will start at level 3 and ideally end at around level 10. You will gain levels on a milestone system.
Primarily a dungeon crawl, but many encounters can be solved (and some only solvable) with RP, so complete murderhobos may well do poorly.
Everyone will start at level 3. Furthermore, everyone is a human - you can choose whether to be standard or variant (though I'm guessing most people will choose variant). It is 27 point buy. For your convenience, find a calculator here.
Starting equipment is standard for your class or purchased, taking average for your wealth rolls.
For fun everyone can start with a common magic item. If it's a common magic armour you choose, it's leather, a chain shirt, or chainmail.
For classes and spells, the +1 rule is in effect: You can use the PHB and one other splatbook to build your character. Please state which splatbook you're using. That means if you use a subclass from Xanathar's guide, you can't also pick cantrips from SCAG. Keep this in mind as you build your character.
For flavour purposes, no warlocks. There are many paths to power, but none come gifted so easily.
Healing: When recovering health during a rest, a use of a healer's kit per person wanting to recover HP is required.
Otherwise:
Short rests: the minimum of health for each hit die is recovered
Long rests: only half of HP lost is recovered
The game will be on this forum, and recruitment close in a week or so.
Starting equipment is standard for your class or purchased, taking average for your wealth rolls.
For fun everyone can start with a common magic item. If it's a common magic armour you choose, it's leather, a chain shirt, or chainmail.
For classes and spells, the +1 rule is in effect: You can use the PHB and one other splatbook to build your character. Please state which splatbook you're using. That means if you use a subclass from Xanathar's guide, you can't also pick cantrips from SCAG. Keep this in mind as you build your character.
For flavour purposes, no warlocks. There are many paths to power, but none come gifted so easily.
Healing: When recovering health during a rest, a use of a healer's kit per person wanting to recover HP is required.
Otherwise:
Short rests: the minimum of health for each hit die is recovered
Long rests: only half of HP lost is recovered
The game will be on this forum, and recruitment close in a week or so.
There are three kingdoms that surround the Lustrarium Labyrinth: to the North, Yurnoth. To the East, Sartha. To the West, Alrem. To the South is the unexplored distances of the Wild Unknown, home to strange tribes and half-wild peoples.
While the people of each kingdom have common traits, there are standout examples in all of them: Yurnothi sorcerers exist, as do Alremi who channel their rage and become barbarians, for example.
However, there are some limitations: the gods do not answer the Alremi, and thus clericdom for them is impossible; similiarly, there are no centres of learning or civilised structure in the Wild Unknown that could attract or create wizards.
The Kingdom of Yurnoth is a mountainous land, the people tall and pale of skin. Their hair is often dark brown, red or black. They tend towards stern demeanours and martially-inclined classes, being hardy mountaineers and warriors. The rich ores of their mountain homes has led to a proliferation of skilled blacksmiths. It is from Yurnoth the Traitor Knightess emerged and Godlustre was stolen, and so loyalty is considered paramount. The vow of a Yurnothi is considered so strong as to be almost unbreakable.
Yurnoth is a feudal kingdom, ruled by KIng Balthe, who presides over several noble families.
Those from Yurnoth are likely to be fighters or paladins.
Sartha is a holy land, where the gods first descended to make humans from clay. Sarthians are dark of hair and skin, and tend to be of cheerful and excitable character. Pyramids rise from the desert next to temples to the gods. Countless monastries dedicated to spiritual awakening dot the land. They have a lively culture with many festivals, and bards throng in their silk-shaded markets.
Sartha is ruled by a Holy Council of the High Priests of each god - each of whom is chosen by their diety via ritual when their predecessor dies.
Those from Sartha are likely to be clerics, bards or monks.
Alrem is a mageocracy, made of the few Alfoli that escaped the wrath of the gods. Alremians tend to be bronze-skinned, short and stout, with pale hair colours like blonde. They are clever and cunning, with unbroken pride. As a mageocracy, all knowledge is valued, but magical knowledge most of all. The ambient magic has produced sorcerers in large quantities compared to elsewhere.
The Alremi also maintain a sizeable amount of secret colleges of assassins and other black operatives, to use against each other in an constant shadow war.
The Alremi have no united government, being a disparate collection of archmages ruling over populations of serfs. Their silver towers rise tall, pale shadows of the Great Tower that was.
Those from Alrem are likely to be wizards, sorcerers or rogues. However, the gods spurn them, and thus none are clerics.
The Wild Unknown is untamed land, thick with overgrown forests, hidden lakes and cave-ridden hills. It is unknown how many different tribes live in the Wilds, with countless styles of dress and culture. Skin ranges from light to dark, but hair ranges from mundane browns to even dark greens.
There is no organised government in the Wild Unknown.
Those from the Wild Unknown are likely to be druids, rangers or barbarians. However, they lack enough development to produce wizards.
While the people of each kingdom have common traits, there are standout examples in all of them: Yurnothi sorcerers exist, as do Alremi who channel their rage and become barbarians, for example.
However, there are some limitations: the gods do not answer the Alremi, and thus clericdom for them is impossible; similiarly, there are no centres of learning or civilised structure in the Wild Unknown that could attract or create wizards.
The Kingdom of Yurnoth is a mountainous land, the people tall and pale of skin. Their hair is often dark brown, red or black. They tend towards stern demeanours and martially-inclined classes, being hardy mountaineers and warriors. The rich ores of their mountain homes has led to a proliferation of skilled blacksmiths. It is from Yurnoth the Traitor Knightess emerged and Godlustre was stolen, and so loyalty is considered paramount. The vow of a Yurnothi is considered so strong as to be almost unbreakable.
Yurnoth is a feudal kingdom, ruled by KIng Balthe, who presides over several noble families.
Those from Yurnoth are likely to be fighters or paladins.
Sartha is a holy land, where the gods first descended to make humans from clay. Sarthians are dark of hair and skin, and tend to be of cheerful and excitable character. Pyramids rise from the desert next to temples to the gods. Countless monastries dedicated to spiritual awakening dot the land. They have a lively culture with many festivals, and bards throng in their silk-shaded markets.
Sartha is ruled by a Holy Council of the High Priests of each god - each of whom is chosen by their diety via ritual when their predecessor dies.
Those from Sartha are likely to be clerics, bards or monks.
Alrem is a mageocracy, made of the few Alfoli that escaped the wrath of the gods. Alremians tend to be bronze-skinned, short and stout, with pale hair colours like blonde. They are clever and cunning, with unbroken pride. As a mageocracy, all knowledge is valued, but magical knowledge most of all. The ambient magic has produced sorcerers in large quantities compared to elsewhere.
The Alremi also maintain a sizeable amount of secret colleges of assassins and other black operatives, to use against each other in an constant shadow war.
The Alremi have no united government, being a disparate collection of archmages ruling over populations of serfs. Their silver towers rise tall, pale shadows of the Great Tower that was.
Those from Alrem are likely to be wizards, sorcerers or rogues. However, the gods spurn them, and thus none are clerics.
The Wild Unknown is untamed land, thick with overgrown forests, hidden lakes and cave-ridden hills. It is unknown how many different tribes live in the Wilds, with countless styles of dress and culture. Skin ranges from light to dark, but hair ranges from mundane browns to even dark greens.
There is no organised government in the Wild Unknown.
Those from the Wild Unknown are likely to be druids, rangers or barbarians. However, they lack enough development to produce wizards.
Each race of man has its own language - Alforus, Yurn, and Sarthian. The Wilders speak in a dizzying array of dialects for a language often called Wild-tongue.
Every character gains their home country's language.
Everyone who intends to travel beyond their home village learns Common, a language that was initially a trade language spoken by a good deal of people.
Every character gains their home country's language.
Everyone who intends to travel beyond their home village learns Common, a language that was initially a trade language spoken by a good deal of people.
A wise man prays to the gods, but only a fool relies on them completely.
There are currently five (well, technically six) active gods worshipped.
Chassal, god of disaster and deliverance
A wrathful diety, father of storms and bringer of rains. His symbol is a bolt of lightning.
When the storm comes, you pray to Chassal, and hope he wasn't the one who sent it.
Falla and Nalla, goddesses of truth and trickery
Once mortal, the trickster twins successfully schemed to trick the once-god Ulfra out of his divinity. Their symbols change constantly, or perhaps they do not truly have one.
Even as gods, Falla and Nalla delight in deceiving the unwary and revealing the schemes of the wicked.
Zallnan, god of life and loss
Zallnan is the life-bringer, the one who formed humans out of clay - and the one claims you when your time is up. His symbol is an hourglass.
Zallnan will keep you safe and healthy, until the day he doesn't.
Knossi, goddess of building and breaking
Knossi is a goddess clad in rusting metal, a shaper and shatterer. Her symbol is a hammer.
Every tool broken is offered to Knossi, so the next one may last.
Xos, god of beast and butchery
Xos is a bloody god, red of tooth and claw. All beasts are his domain, from the cattle to the carnivore. His symbol is a set of fangs.
If you hunt the wolf or the wolf hunts you - that all depends on Xos' whim.
A being worth mention is Once-god Ulfra, who lost his godhood to the Twins and perished. He is remembered by the temples, but no longer worshipped. His symbol was an eye.
There are currently five (well, technically six) active gods worshipped.
Chassal, god of disaster and deliverance
A wrathful diety, father of storms and bringer of rains. His symbol is a bolt of lightning.
When the storm comes, you pray to Chassal, and hope he wasn't the one who sent it.
Falla and Nalla, goddesses of truth and trickery
Once mortal, the trickster twins successfully schemed to trick the once-god Ulfra out of his divinity. Their symbols change constantly, or perhaps they do not truly have one.
Even as gods, Falla and Nalla delight in deceiving the unwary and revealing the schemes of the wicked.
Zallnan, god of life and loss
Zallnan is the life-bringer, the one who formed humans out of clay - and the one claims you when your time is up. His symbol is an hourglass.
Zallnan will keep you safe and healthy, until the day he doesn't.
Knossi, goddess of building and breaking
Knossi is a goddess clad in rusting metal, a shaper and shatterer. Her symbol is a hammer.
Every tool broken is offered to Knossi, so the next one may last.
Xos, god of beast and butchery
Xos is a bloody god, red of tooth and claw. All beasts are his domain, from the cattle to the carnivore. His symbol is a set of fangs.
If you hunt the wolf or the wolf hunts you - that all depends on Xos' whim.
A being worth mention is Once-god Ulfra, who lost his godhood to the Twins and perished. He is remembered by the temples, but no longer worshipped. His symbol was an eye.
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