Learn on your own

Learn on your own, need a rule, want to see how things work?

Check out the video channels below:

Critical Role - Game play
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL7atuZxmT954bCkC062rKwXTvJtcqFB8i

Saving Throw - Game play / rules
https://www.youtube.com/user/SavingThrowShow

DawnForgedCast - Rules
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFN3lenUT-LVL3SMvn-z7Vg

Campaign catchup

Fresh off their mission of having explored another planet the PC's answer an ad from a local tavern owner who needs adventurers to travel to Brinewall to recover a family heirloom for her.

The eastern woman is named Ameiko the owner of The Rusty Dragon, a tavern of smaller stature which seems to be on the verge of going out of business. The PC's are promised a large reward which they figure Ameiko cannot pay, however hearing that a letter has turned up telling Ameiko of this long lost family heirloom, the promise of treasure in the castle and the PC's good nature, they agree to help.

In the confusion they hire a bard (Con-artist) who becomes disgruntled with the party and ends up gathering a party of her own to do the mission and collect the large reward. However realizing that Ameiko cannot possibly pay, the bard and her barbarian goons kidnap her and hide her some old mining caves to the east of the city.

It is here that the PC's discover Ameiko's disappearance and go seeking her. They end up foiling a con put on by the bard to a group of investors and have her arrested. During this adventure they find Ameiko dead at the hands of the bard and bring her back to the city to try to save her life. They ultimately end up saving Ameiko and putting the bard behind bars.

Later . . .  

It's winter in Ashura and the city is going through a harsh one. Snow is piled up, it's bitter cold outside and our Pathfinder Chronicler has left for meetings with her lodge's upper ranks. 

The PC's find themselves ushered out of the Pathfinder lodge as Gen locks it up and heads out on her journey accompanied by a young alchemist girl from another world and an android guardian. The PC's quickly find limited lodging at an Inn named "The Inn of the Blue Dragons Tooth" which allows them one month's lodgings at 5sp / day.

During this time they are teleported north by a mage named Anna who brings them to a much traveled road just east of Brinewall. The PC's navigate through Brinewall finding Ameiko's family heirloom inside of a warding box.

                                                                          ANNA

In a series of visions the PC's have while opening the warding box they also find a seal. This seal represents Ameiko's family's divine right to rule the Jade Empire. Realizing this Ameiko begins planning a journey north to the lands of the Ulfen barbarian warriors, to a city known as Karasguard where she seeks a sword shown in her vision being sold by her ancestors to an Ulfen merchant for gold. This sword is known as Suishen and acts as a adviser and spiritual guide to the royal family.

Back in the city of Ashura Ameiko is showing a girl the day to day operations of running her tavern while planning her journey north with her friend Shalelu Andosanna an elven ranger of great ability.

The PC's while hanging out at Ameiko's tavern were visited by an excrescent scholar who told them of an odd temple to the east of the city at the feet of the Cloud-Tower Mountains which only seemed to appear during storms. The PC's traveled there to find an elven man who's caravan had been attacked by raiders from the temple. These raiders had kidnapped children belonging to families of the caravan and killed his other companions.

The PC's sent this elven man back to Ashura with Anna the mage to heal up and take rest at Ameiko's tavern while they investigate the temple.

Beating Brinewall

Players begin in the winter 570cy as a poor tavern owner name Ameiko asks them  to recover a family heirloom for her from a long abandoned castle north of the city. The PC's accept the quest knowing she hasn't much money, but that they can loot the castle as they go.

After a long adventure of raiding the castle the PC's find the box containing the family heirloom and are granted visions. Here they learn that Ameiko is the rightful heir to a throne in a land far to the east, weather to help her on the long road to reclaiming that title or to venture to new quests or even to return to Gen for work with the Pathfinders is up to them.

Defeated "Brinewall Castle"


Up next: A temple that only appears during intense storms has been spotted near the Cloud Tower Mountains and a small merchant's caravan has a terrible story of loss to tell . . .

Updated Spells for House Rules

TELEPORT

School conjuration (teleportation); Level sorcerer/wizard 5

Casting Time 1 standard action

Components V

Range personal and touch

Target you and touched objects or other touched willing creatures

Duration instantaneous

Saving Throw none and Will negates (object); Spell Resistance no and yes (object)

This spell instantly transports you to a designated destination, which may be as distant as 100 miles per caster level. Interplanar travel is not possible. You can bring along objects as long as their weight doesn't exceed your maximum load. You may also bring one additional willing Medium or smaller creature (carrying gear or objects up to its maximum load) or its equivalent per three caster levels. A Large creature counts as two Medium creatures, a Huge creature counts as four Medium creatures, and so forth. All creatures to be transported must be in contact with one another, and at least one of those creatures must be in contact with you. As with all spells where the range is personal and the target is you, you need not make a saving throw, nor is spell resistance applicable to you. Only objects held or in use (attended) by another person receive saving throws and spell resistance. Areas of strong physical or magical energy may make teleportation more hazardous or even impossible.

*Removed the chances of arriving on or off target and familiarity and replaced them with the following rules: Teleportation only works when you have attuned to a place for 24 hours. Places you have never been to, you may not teleport to. Once you have arrived at a place and spend at least 24 hours uninterrupted there, you may then teleport to and from that location with out error.

TELEPORT, GREATER

School conjuration (teleportation); Level sorcerer/wizard 7

This spell functions like teleport, except that there is no range limit and there is no chance you arrive off target. In addition, you need not have seen the destination, but in that case you must have at least a reliable description of the place to which you are teleporting. If you attempt to teleport with insufficient information (or with misleading information), you disappear and simply reappear in your original location. Interplanar travel is not possible. In edition you need only spend 8 hours to attune to a specific location in order to teleport there.

*This now makes you journey to find unique and far off places to which you want to frequent. The journey is still in tact and the adventure will not suffer. Once a place is reached you now have a quick escape back to town to resurrect friends, gather supplies and then can return immediately and continue your adventure. Furthermore you can end your adventure quickly by going back to your city or home place when you are done.

**The attuning aspect allows you to now not just teleport to a location but to a specific place. You may wish to arrive inside a particular cave near by a place of danger or inside a specific house in a specific district. Warding against teleporting is a magic users main line of defense. A warded house or dungeon will not allow attuning to take and can negate the ability to move in and out of a place quickly.

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ENDURE ELEMENTS

School abjuration; Level cleric 1, druid 1, paladin 1, ranger 1, sorcerer/wizard 1

Casting Time 1 standard action

Components V, S

Range touch

Target creature touched

Duration 24 hours

Saving Throw Will negates (harmless); Spell Resistance yes (harmless)

A creature protected by endure elements suffers no harm from being in a hot or cold environment. It can exist comfortably in conditions between –50 and 140 degrees Fahrenheit without having to make Fortitude saves. The creature's equipment is likewise protected. Gains a +2 to fortitude saves against being in a hot or cold enviroment.

Endure elements doesn't provide any protection from fire or cold damage, nor does it protect against other environmental hazards such as smoke, lack of air, and so forth.

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Death Recovery

*Restoration is back (1000gp diamond to remove negative levels from death)

*Raise Dead is back (5000gp diamond to bring back to life with missing parts and only so many days allowed dead)

*Regenerate is still banned

*Resurrection is back (10,000gp diamond to bring back to life with missing parts)

*True Resurrection is back (25,000gp diamond to bring back to life, fully restored to the point they were when the died.)

*Spell Casting Services: (Caster Level x Spell Level x 10gp) *Anything putting this cost above 3000gp is not available. Exception is to pay this price and provide the NPC with the material diamond or cost needed to cast the spell. 

Q: What if I do not have any of this money and my party member is dead?

A: If this happens and no NPC's or church groups are friendly towards you and would offer this service for free on them, then you must commonly complete a quest or task for the NPC or church to re-pay for the PC they bring back to life. 

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Rules you may have forgotten

Withdraw pg#188 - allowed a double move on this action, however if you pass through a 2nd threatened square you are subject to attacks of opportunity. 

Flat Footed pg#178 - Before you've taken a turn in combat you are considered flat footed and denied your AC bonus even if aware of combat and ready to battle.

Attack of Opportunity pg#180 - Each square you threaten is a separate AOO. One enemy can be hit multiple times by the same PC with Combat Reflexes. The exception is Withdrawing.

Casting on the Defensive pg#185 - Concentration check is a wording there is no Concentration skill, rather the DC is set at (15 + double the spells level)

Climbing and Swimming pg#186 - 1/4 speed for anyone attempting these moves or take a -5 to your check to move at 1/2 speed.

5ft Step pg#189 - You can't take a move action with a 5ft step. Your 5ft step is your move.

Dying pg#189 - When your hp total is negative but not greater than your con score you are unconscious and dying. When your negative hp total is equal to or greater than your con score you are dead.

Massive Damage pg#189 - If you take 1/2 your total hp score in one hit, roll a DC15 fort save or die. *This one is altered from 1/2 or 50 to just 1/2 to compensate for high level*

Disabled pg#189 - At zero hp no standard action can be taken or fall unconscious. To be clear, this means you cannot attack and fall unconscious.

Stabilize pg#190 - DC 10 + total negative hps = DC. EG) 10+(-12) = 22 DC or lose -1 hp until stable. DC 15 heal check can stabilize along with many core spells.

Healing pg#191 - 8 hours rest = 1 hp / character level.

Non-Lethal Damage pg#191 - Begin a running total from hp cap, do not minus from current totals. When non-lethal = total, become staggered (one move or one standard). Any more damage = unconscious, further damage = lethal.

Movement pg#193 - Friendly PC's can move through each others squares. Fine, diminutive or tiny can move through enemies squares but are subject to AOO. Three sizes larger or smaller can move through enemies square but subject to AOO.

Cover pg#195 - +4 to AC

Grapple pg#200 - AOO unless improved disarm feat, but does not negate grapple. Need two hands free or suffer a -4 to your combat maneuver check if attempting a grapple, or taking over a grapple, etc. Cannot have a light weapon in your hand.

Grapple Cast a Spell pg#567 Concentration check DC 10 + grappler's CMB + spell level or lose the spell. 

Thrown Splash Weapon Miss pg#202 - Roll 1d8 for random direction. "1" is back towards the caster. Count squares = to range increment of the throw. EG.) If only throwing 10ft = 2 squares towards the random direction and splash damage. 

Saving Throw DC pg#216 - Saving throw vs. your spell 10 + spell level + ability modifier for your class. 

Spells while falling pg#443 Can't cast while falling, unless past 500ft or immediate spell like Feather Fall. DC 20 + spell level to cast a spell while falling. 

Die Hard Feat pg # 122 - Auto stabilize when you are dropped to negative hp's.

Epic Level pg#407 - 20th level limit per class. Multi class or prestige class (10 levels) to continue. EG.) 20th level Cleric + 10th level Fighter = 30th level PC. 

Favored Class pg#31 - Eveyone must pick a favored class, usually the one you are playing now! Each level gain +1 hp or +1 skill point when picking that class as your next level.

Leadership - XP does not count against party XP. Follower remains at 2 levels below your current level. 

Two Weapon Fighting - *Testing removing minus to hit, to instead damage minus one dice category. When taking improved two weapon fighting instead of still a minus to hit, you would go up one dice damage level to the weapons normal damage. EG.) An average turn would have a fighter swing x2 longswords to hit for 1d6 or 1d8 after improved two weapon fight. To get more enjoyment from the skill instead of punishing you with no hits on something that was meant to be fun. 

At the end of the world . . .

Beyond civilization.

South of the great planes.

Over the most untraveled mountains.

Across the grand desert.

Something stirs.

Restructure in a Fantasy Game

re·struc·ture

rēˈstrək(t)SHər/

verb

1. organize differently.

   "a plan to strengthen and restructure the game"

We have a large group, enough for two games. We have those who like 5th and progressive games and systems that keep with current trends in gaming and those who like old school, change is bad, stick with one system and play it for life.

This gives us room to try things, like splitting up the games and nights. This way we can get some of the things we want, like late night games, RPG Gaming vs. Rule Book Strict Gaming and allows us to choose where we want to go.

Thinking out loud here.

PLAN A:

We have Sunday 6-10, which is lame. 4 hours is not enough time to do anything worth wild. The late start and the early end are not what I am looking for. Pushing the game 6-12 is much better or even 5-11. This gives us a good 6 solid hours of gaming in a night.

We could alternate Sundays. Two weeks of 5th and two weeks of Pathfinder, but we've been here. We've done this many, many times and counting the number of character sheets I have for these games that have come and went, I foresee the same ahead. This also means at the current time only 4 hours of gaming over two sessions a month. 8 hours total in 30 days.

If we pushed the Sunday game to 6-12 with 6 hours, and did the trade off 2 for 2, you pick up an extra 4 hours or one extra play session a month. So your two weekends becomes the equivalent of three having a 6 hour game. Now three games of 5th or three games of Pathfinder can be played in two weekends a month.
PLAN B:

Of course Sunday is taken. So my plan is Saturday nights 7-1. This is perfect time, as it's a later starting game, going late into the night and still a solid 6 hours of gaming. Now for me and maybe many others, Sunday morning is a day which we may have to work. For me it's every second Sunday and I start at 9am. This would allow me to get out of work Saturday night, play late, and either one weekend have Sunday off not having to get up or still give me enough time to sleep before working Sunday.

The later start means more serious and getting into the game right away. All the supper stuff is done, the sun is down and it's time to game. The playing till 1 am means that after game on a Saturday night with a possible day off Sunday we can go out for a beer, get some food, hang out at someones house talking gaming or get in a game of something on a console not worrying about Monday.

PLAN C:

Splitting the group is easy. We have 9 people including DM's. This is perfect for making two groups, one of 4 and one of 3 (Not counting DM's). Saturday's game can be played with a mere group of 3 for Pathfinder, while the more popular Sunday's game having 4. Most have expressed interested in only playing one game and while we don't want to keep starting a second game and end it only months later over and over, this is a way to keep it thriving for time.

Now obstacles for this would have to be places to play. Lately we have had many places to play and with returning players we might have even more. However this hinges on everyone being able to play late at one of these places if the host can't have it loud into the night. I would have to get a bigger table for here, but can make due for 3 players currently. Also car's are an issue at the moment until something comes along, but the concept is what I am aiming for.

Running two games & late night atmosphere

13 years this fall of 2015 we have been playing and the game is entirely different now vs. over the years. Now we play Sunday nights from approx 6 pm to 10 pm.

In the past we would play from 5 pm to about 12 Midnight, then it got shortened to 11 pm. Somewhere over time we pushed back the start time to allow for getting kids supper and settled and move to 6 pm and then with early am jobs we shortened the game from 11 pm to 10 pm.

I am no fan of this new short game, finding that before a good 5 room dungeon with a good 2-3 combat based encounters would take the night, now is changed to 1-2 rooms and allows one fight. I know life changes and job's start early (as do mine 7:30 am Monday's and every 2nd weekend 8 am sat and 9 am Sun), but with Dan's wanting to run a second game we can look at a few new options.

• Our game continues Sunday night like always and Dan's game is a Friday or Saturday night running late enough to compensate for people who work am, but allowing going super late for the alternate weekends (if applies) where we don't have to work am.
• Our game switches with Dan's, allowing him to run the Sunday slot, and move Pale Moon to a new night, running late night games. (Again based a bit on schedule)

I will provide some reasons for this later desired game in a sec below. 

Also ideas on the second game. Is it to be a pathfinder based game or a 5th edition based game? Is the game in his world or set in Pale Moon? Just some points I wasn't to clear on. Do we still run our gaming group under our "Under the Pale Moon Gaming" or do we have maybe some new players for each game, making new game groups?

Today my wife had "The Gamer's" on when I got home so I sat down and watched some of it. The main thing I liked and had forgotten about was the late night game mentality. In the past we ran late, we were always dead tired by the end of the game in that stay up late kinda way and I liked it. 

In the movie they play late, one game ran to 2 am for example and after each game the player go out to celebrate at a local waffle house. This reminds me of me and buddy's going out to a place like "The Husky" which is a 24/7 truck stop diner. You can get breakfast at 3 am if you wanna. I really like this feeling of "Hey I don't work in the am" and going out to talk more about gaming, chill and get some food before taking off for the night. 

Before this I was also looking a lot at small articles in my Dragon magazines which had to do with "3 am Games" and a series of RPG books called "Midnight". I have always like the feel of late night gaming and want to do some. My campaign setting as always has been dark, inspired greatly by Ravenloft, Diablo and Conan, the world is generally not sunny and the PC's don't travel and quest by mid afternoon daylight. In fact most games are based in the late fall with overcast skies and constant storms.

Some exceptions were the great journey south to bright sunlight and brilliant blue skies of the Savage Continent, but that was a rare exception. Most games, were uncovering a secret in a haunted town at night by lantern light, or treading through the snows of the elven lands in cover of darkness to infiltrate a demons tower, going down into the ground to the Underdark or through a portal to the shadow plane at times even traveling to the dread realm it's self Ravenloft to raid a castle or stop a villain.

Many games include vampires and werewolves, late night creatures and taverns with suspicious characters who venture in after dark looking for entertainment. This is no change to what, we play just a more insightful look at our sad, dim world which rot's under the pale moons influence. As in the write up the people of this world are broken and depressed, the common city dweller can be driven mad by the influence of the lingering moon and never travels outside the safety of the walls.

Ok the end was rambling, but what I wanted to take from this was if there were two games up, what do we want to play and what night best works for everyone? There are going to be lot's of scheduling conflicts, but I think two games is good for the group and allows a more diverse party. Thoughts?