Low Power D&D3-5

Kingdom of Adventure!

Welcome to the Kingdom of Adventure! wiki. This wiki site is a resource for a play-by-post tabletop fantasy role-playing game based on a modified version of the D&D3.5 SRD rules.

House Rules and Commentary

Rule Changes and Options

Since this game is limited to to level 5 at most, there are a few adjustments to help enhance the versatility of low-level characters, and to make a better fit of certain rule concepts to the game setting.

• There are no prestige classes.
• There are no psionics. General feats from the psionics rules are allowed.
• The domains and general and metamagic feats from the divine rules are allowed.
• Experience points required to level will be 10x normal and the maximum level is 5th.
• Characters start with 2 feats at first level instead of 1. They gain an extra feat at level 3 and 5.
• Skill points due to class or race are doubled. Bonus (or penalty) skill points for INT are not.
• The allowed races are: Human, Elf, Dwarf, and Orc.
• The only alignments are Good, Evil, and Neutral. Neutral is best understood as "self-interested" rather than a preoccupation with an abstract idea of "balance". Any class restrictions or magic keyed to Law or Chaos are ignored.
• Characteristics are bought using the standard point buy system with 25 points. As usual, one characteristic can be increased by a point at level 4.
• Standard starting gold is used.
• Characters have maximum HP at first level. Thereafter, if they roll below the low average (i.e. 3 or 1d6, 5 on 1d10, etc.) they get the low average.
• Specific Classs Changes
  • Barbarians are literate.
  • Bardic music can be used an unlimited number of times per day. All bardic music persists for the round used +1 round per level + the bard's CHR modifier. Bardic music requires a full round action to use.
  • Druids may be of any alignment.

Commentary

Not surprisingly, limiting the maximum level to 5 changes many of the default assumptions about the world. The first main change is the nature of the adversaries. Without powerful heroes to stop them, there can't be any really powereful monsters. Any monster above CR10 is pretty much unheard of or it's a legendary catastrophe when one appears. All monsters from around CR 8-10 are solitary by nature, since if they appeared in groups there'd be little chance of stopping them. The gap between player characters and non-player characters is also less. In particular the lack of BABs among characters means that multiple attacks are rare. Monsters may have multiple attacks, but since they're usually fending off rabid packs of adventures, it's only fair.

Magic items are also a bit different. Scrolls are commonplace, as any 1st level caster can make them. Potions are also fairly common as they can be made at 3rd level. Minor wonderous items are also fairly common, since they can also be made at 3rd level. However some things that players might take for granted, such as stat boosters or bags of holding require a CL above 5, so are artifacts or legendary items if they can be found at all. Magic weapons, armor, and wands are very rare, as they can only be made by 5th level casters. Only +1 weapons and armor are available, so there are no flaming swords or similar items. Staves, rods, and rings are all artifacts or legendary items. As a result, masterwork and special material armor and weapons are much more useful. This also means that wands, magic weapons, and magic armor are more valuable than their listed costs, usually by a factor of 5-10, assuming you can find one, or find a buyer who can afford one.

Magical ailments are also a bit more limited, since higher level spells are not available. Any effect that requires a spell higher than 3rd level to remove doesn't exist, or can be removed in a different manner. For example, petrification normally requires a 6th level spell to cure, so in this game, it can be removed by Remove Curse or Dispel Magic instead. Similarly, all ability damage can be healed by Lesser Restoration.

In regards to experience points, the idea is that advancing to level 5 should feel like advancing to level 20 in a normal D&D game. However, I will be awarding EXP for completing goals as well as the normal killing monsters and taking their stuff. I'll also be keep an eye on player mood, and may arbitrarily throw in a level up from time to time. I'm working on a system of abilities, like bonus feats or skill points, that can be bought with EXP after hitting level 5.

Bardic music was tweaked a little to make it slightly more useful given the low level of the game, and to not make bards have to waste precious feats on the Extra Music feat.

Campaign Setting and Background

Threats to the Peace

Internal Threats

DESCRIPTION TO BE INSERTED

Dramatis Personae

• Players
  • Ugruk: Orc, Fighter (player: ChalkLine)
  • Piper: Human, Bard (player: Wolfwood2)
  • Tiakul: Human, Wizard (Abjurer) (player: Belchion)
  • Barakus: Dwarf, Druid (player: Womblehunter)
  • Brother Atrius: Elf, Fighter (player: damion4242)
  • Anardil: Elf, Ranger (player: Drifter)
  • Osk: Orc Barbarian (player: Xaos)
  • Anarelia: Elf, Sorcerer (player: Heart in Narnia)
  • Brother Estoovius: Human, Cleric (player: DJ_Chair)
• People of Note
  • King Jorizzon

Threads

[To be Inserted Recruitment]
[To be Inserted In-Character]
[To be Inserted Out Of Character]

Setup

To Be INserted