Land Of Three Princes Central Thread

[Raistlin1040]

Hi! So, I'm a high school Senior and one of our graduation requirements at my high school is to complete a Senior Project. The basic idea of this project is spend 60+ hours working towards a goal, either learning how to play an instrument or how to cook, or work as a volunteer at a hospital, or make clay masks, etc. I decided that I didn't want my project to be a waste of time and effort like a lot of the projects end up being, so I decided to do Tabletop Gaming as my Project.

I narrowed down that topic and decided that I would create a campaign setting (a la Forgotten Realms, although probably far less detailed) for my project. So far I've spent about 20 hours outling basic historical and story-based detailed. My next task is to start working on the mechanical details that will make the world an interesting place to play in, and different than standard Greyhawk D&D.

This thread is where I'm organizing a lot of that stuff. Hopefully, everything that ends up in my final project will be here in some form or another. My notes and writings on the setting itself are currently hand-written in my notebook, so I don't have anything to show for them YET, but I have started typing up some mechanical things I'd be interested in trying.

How can you help? I'm so glad you asked. My project is classified as a "writing" project under the criteria of my school, and one of the rules about having a writing project is that you have to be part of a writing group to get feedback. I figured that the students writing novels wouldn't really understand a lot of the technical stuff, so I convinced my advisors that I would utilize an online setting to get feedback. I will be printing this thread out at the end of the year as evidence, but if you don't want your username shown, let me know and I'll black it out.

So yeah, that's my introduction. I'll be posting things as I work on them, with objectives for what the changes I'm trying to make should do and hopefully create a pretty cool project with your help. Thanks!

[Raistlin1040]

Skills

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Skills

The World of the Three Princes uses the same skill mechanics as vanilla D&D 3.5. However, in the interest of providing a more fluid, more exciting game, there are some changes to the standard skill system that will be outlined in this section. As with all mechanical changes in this book, the Dungeon Master is encouraged to make his or her own determinations in using individual rules.

The biggest change regarding skills is the conglomeration of skills that function similarly. For example, in vanilla Dungeons and Dragons, Spot and Listen function as effectively the same skill, allowing characters two rolls to perceive something. However, this mechanic encourages characters to “waste” skill points on many skills that function similarly. For stealthy characters that rely on skills such as Hide and Move Silently, the offense is even worse, as both skills must be leveled, because a failing roll with one skill undermines a successful roll of the other. The changes made here are designed to give players more control over their characters’ skill choices, allowing for variation within a class and breaking the standard mold of skill choices.

That said, there is still room for Dungeon Master interpretation of the conglomerations. To use the example of Perception (the Spot/Listen skill), a character wearing a magic item that provides a bonus to Spot checks would only get that bonus in situations where he could see. In the open woods, he may use his magic item bonus, but an item that lets him simply see better does nothing for his Perception check in total darkness, unless he has Darkvision. Similarly, a Dungeon Master might rule that a Halfling’s natural +2 to Climb checks carries over to Athletics, but only in instances where the Halfling is climbing. Being naturally good at climbing does nothing for one’s ability to swim, after all. The skill conglomeration naturally rewards characters that choose them, by allowing them to do more with less skill points, so matters of synergy and bonuses should be monitored by the Dungeon Master.

The second large change to skills is the presence of Variable Ability Modifiers. Some skills only make sense when tied to certain Abilities. Generally, having a skill like Disable Device tied to Constitution, or having Sense Motive tied to Dexterity, would break realism and work against the immersion factor of Dungeons and Dragons. Other skills, however, could work very well off of multiple skills. Intimidate makes sense as a Charisma skill, but a case could also be made for Strength. Athletic skills like Climbing work as Strength skills, but there are plenty of creatures in the animal kingdom who climb with quick reflexes and nimble movements, rather than any sort of upper-body strength. Because of this, some skills in the Land of Three Princes have two Abilities that can be used for skill checks. These modifiers don’t stack; A character gets the highest modifier between the two Abilities and uses that on his skill checks.

The final major change to skills is a change to cross-class skilling. Admittedly, it doesn’t make much sense for a Barbarian to be an expert forger of documents, but if he wants to skill Forgery, he shouldn’t be punished any more than his low Intelligence or lack of ranks would already do so. Although the Land of Three Princes honors the idea that a cross-class skill can only have half as many ranks as a class skill, a rank takes one skill point regardless of class status. In vanilla Dungeons and Dragons, a Human Fighter with 10 Intelligence gets 12 skill points at first level. He may choose to put 4 points in Jump, 4 points in Climb, and use all 4 remaining points to gain 2 ranks in Use Rope. In the Land of Three Princes, he could put 4 points in Jump, 4 in Climb, 2 points in Use Rope, and the remaining 2 in Knowledge (Arcana). Although character classes may inform what a character is good at, a character devoted to learning a certain skill can still be competent at that skill without sacrificing other, vital skills.

Specific Skills
This section will detail if and how each skill is affected in the Land of Three Princes, as well as outlining a handful of new skills, and new usages for old skills. The following list is a list of every skill in the Land of Three Princes. The appropriate Ability is listed in parentheses, and an asterisk denotes skills that suffer an Armor Check Penalty, while a plus sign shows skills that are Trained Only.

Appraise (INT): Appraise is unchanged from its standard Dungeons and Dragons form.

Athletics* (STR/DEX): Climb, Jump, and Swim have all been folded into Athletics. Checks that deal with Swimming apply twice the normal Armor Check Penalty.

Concentration (CON): Concentration is unchanged from its standard Dungeons and Dragon Form.

Craft (INT): The Craft skills are unchanged from their standard Dungeons and Dragons forms.

Deception (INT/CHA): Sense Motive and Bluff have been folded into Deception.

Dueling (CON): Dueling is a new skill that will be expanded upon later in this section.

Disguise (CHA): Disguise is unchanged from its standard Dungeons and Dragons form.

Escape Artist* (DEX): Escape Artist is unchanged from its standard Dungeons and Dragons form.

Espionage+ (INT): Decipher Script and Forgery have been folded into Espionage.

Equilibrium* (DEX): Balance and Tumble have been folded into Equilibrium.

Handle Animal+ (CHA/WIS): With the exception of Wisdom being a corresponding Ability, Handle Animal is unchanged from its standard Dungeons and Dragons form.

Heal (WIS): Heal is unchanged from its standard Dungeons and Dragons form.

Intimidate (CHA/STR): With the exception of Strength being a corresponding Ability, Intimidate is unchanged from its standard Dungeons and Dragons form.

Knowledge (INT): Knowledge is unchanged from its standard Dungeons and Dragons form. However, Knowledge (Tactics and Warfare) has been added as a skill and will be expanded upon later in this section.

Machinery+ (INT/DEX): Disable Device and Open Lock have been folded into Machinery.

Manual*+ (DEX): Sleight of Hand and Use Rope have been folded into Manual. The Armor Check Penalty only applies in instances that would have previously fallen under Sleight of Hand.

Perception (WIS): Spot and Listen have been folded into Perception.

Perform (CHA): The Perform skills are unchanged from their standard Dungeons and Dragons forms.

Profession+ (WIS): The Profession skills are unchanged from their standard Dungeons and Dragons forms. However, Profession (Sailor) is now a new skill called Seafaring.

Ride* (STR/DEX): With the exception of Strength as a corresponding Ability, Ride is unchanged from its standard Dungeons and Dragons form.

Seafaring+ (STR/WIS): Seafaring is a new skill that will be expanded upon later in this section.

Search (INT): Search is unchanged from its standard Dungeons and Dragons form.

Social Grace (CHA): Diplomacy and Gather Information have been folded into Social Grace.

Speak Language: Speak Language is unchanged from its standard Dungeons and Dragons form.

Spellcraft+ (INT): Spellcraft is unchanged from its standard Dungeons and Dragons form.

Stealth* (DEX): Hide and Move Silently have been folded into Stealth.

Use Magic Device+ (CHA/INT/WIS): For Arcane items, Intelligence can be used instead of Charisma, and for Divine items, Wisdom can be used. Aside from that, Use Magic Device is unchanged from its standard Dungeons and Dragons form.

New Skills

Knowledge (Tactics and Warfare) (INT) (Trained Only)
Use this skill to sense when an enemy army has set a trap, or to devise your own strategies and traps.

Check
You can use this skill on a large battlefield to control the flow of battle through strategies and tactics. In battle between equal forces, a Knowledge (Tactics and Warfare) check can turn the tides, and even be used to help a smaller force overcome a larger one. A Knowledge (Tactics and Warfare) check can also be used against single enemies as a move action to identify rough approximations of class levels, armor class, hit dice, and weapon and armor properties. This skill cannot be used untrained, but an Intelligence check can be substituted in reaction to an enemy’s use of a Large Scale check.

Large Scale
A Knowledge (Tactics and Warfare) check can be used to predict the movement and actions of a large enemy force. The check is opposed by the Knowledge (Tactics and Warfare) check of the commanding enemy. If there is no enemy with ranks in Knowledge (Tactics and Warfare) the check is a simple Intelligence check. Success yields information, with greater success yielding more, at the Dungeon Master’s discretion. Failure equals nothing, with a great failure possibly leading to deliberate falsehoods spread by the enemy.

Small Scale
A Knowledge (Tactics and Warfare) check can be used on a single enemy to determine facts about him. The opposing DC is equal to 15+(Enemy HD). Success on this check yields approximate information such as a small range of possible Armor Classes, the class with the most levels, a small range of hit die, and some of the properties of the target’s weapons and armor (such as type and enchantments). Succeeding by a great margin yields a lot of information, while failing by a large margin may deliver false information.

Action
A Large Scale check is a full-round action. A Small Scale check is a standard action.

Try Again?
Regardless of success or failure, a Large Scale check can be made every minute (10 rounds). Failure on a Small Scale check does not allow for another check against the target for 24 hours.

Special
A Ranger gains his favored enemy bonus on Small Scale checks against his favored enemy.

Synergy
If you have at least +10 Base Attack Bonus, you get a +2 bonus on all Knowledge (Tactics and Warfare) checks.

If you have 5 or more ranks in Knowledge (History), you get a +2 bonus on Large Scale Knowledge (Tactics and Warfare) checks.

If you have 5 or more ranks in Knowledge (Tactics and Warfare), you get a +2 bonus on Dueling checks.

Seafaring (STR/WIS) (Trained Only)
Use this skill to work as a sailor or fight on a ship in the middle of a storm.

Check
This skill replaces Profession (Sailor) from standard Dungeons and Dragons. It functions exactly the same as Profession (Sailor), except that Strength is a corresponding ability. In addition, a character with ranks in Seafaring can make a Seafaring check instead of an Equilibrium check to stay upright in situations that resemble a ship at sea. Also, a Seafaring check can be used to determine direction. The DC for this check depends on wind strength.

Wind Strength DC
Windstorm (50+ MPH winds) 15
Severe Winds (30+ MPH winds) 20
Strong Winds (20+ MPH winds) 25
Light Winds (10+ MPH winds) 30
No Wind 35

Dueling (CON) (Trained Only)
This skill represents a character's active training in the art of single combat. Use Dueling to brush off damage, execute a difficult maneuver, and finish off a weakened enemy.

Check
Roll With It: Once per encounter, when struck by a melee attack, make a Combat Training check with a DC equal to the attack roll. If you meet or exceed the attack roll, you roll with the blow somewhat, moving back 5 ft (this movement doesn't provoke) and reducing the damage taken by an amount equal to your ranks in Combat Training. If you fail the check, you take damage from the attack as normal.

Flourish: You can use Dueling in battle to execute a difficult maneuver. Once per encounter, you can make a Dueling check in place of each of the following checks for combat maneuvers: the attack roll for a disarm; the grapple check; the Deception check for a Feint; the melee touch attack for Tripping with a weapon; and the attack roll for a sunder.

Finishing Blow: You can use your Dueling skill to finish enemies in battle. Once per encounter as part of a melee attack, you can strike your foes down. You make a Dueling check instead of an attack roll, and if your check equals or exceeds their current hit point total, they suffer damage equal to their current hit point total+1, dropping to -1 hp.

Action: Roll With It is an immediate action. Flourish is part of another action. Finishing Blow is part of a melee attack.

Try Again: No.

Synergy
If you have at least 10 ranks in Dueling, you gain a +1 competence bonus on Initiative and combat maneuver checks (trip, bull rush, disarm, etc).

If you have at least 5 ranks in Knowledge (Tactics and Warfare), you gain a +2 bonus to Dueling.

Synergy Chart
5 or more ranks in… Gives a +2 bonus on…
Athletics Equilibrium checks
Craft Related Appraise checks
Deception Disguise checks made to act in character
Deception Intimidate checks
Deception Social Grace checks
Escape Artist Manual checks dealing with rope
Espionage Use Magic Device checks dealing with scrolls
Equilibrium Athletics checks involving jumping
Handle Animal Ride checks
Handle Animal Wild Empathy checks
Knowledge (arcana) Spellcraft checks
Knowledge (architecture and engineering) Search checks involving secret doors or compartments
Knowledge (Dungeoneering) Survival checks made underground
Knowledge (Geography) Survival checks made to avoid getting lost
Knowledge (History) Bardic Knowledge checks
Knowledge (History) Knowledge (Tactics and Warfare) checks
Knowledge (Local) Social Grace checks made to find information
Knowledge (nature) Survival checks made aboveground.
Knowledge (nobility and royalty) Social Grace checks
Knowledge (religion) Turn or Rebuke Undead checks
Knowledge (Tactics and Warfare) Dueling checks
Knowledge (The Planes) Survival checks on other planes
Manual Machinery checks
Search Survival checks when following tracks
Spellcraft Use Magic Device checks involving scrolls.
Survival Knowledge (Nature) checks
Use Magic Device Spellcraft checks to decipher scrolls
Manual Escape Artist checks

So the first thing I started with was skills, because I figured it would be the easiest area to start making changes without needing a lot of the other things like new classes/races/feats first. It's currently unfinished, because I need to figure out how to differentiate "Seafaring" from "Profession (Sailor)", because I think they should be different skills and work differently, but I haven't decided how I want that to be. I state a lot of my objectives with the skill rework in the chapter, but I'll tl;dr them here.

First I want to minimize "required" skills. For characters with lots of skill points, it's not the biggest problem in the world (although it is still bad), but for a fighter with 3 skill points, I don't like the idea that if he takes Jump/Climb/Swim, he's out of skills. Folding skills together allows more variety, because "required" skills use less skill points, meaning that not every Barbarian needs the same 3 skills.

Secondly, I want to make some skills a little more realistic and encourage cross-class skilling. I don't want it to become open skilling where anyone takes anything, but by changing some of the ability modifiers to work off of multiple abilities and cutting some of the penalties for cross-class skilling, I hope to make it a more attractive choice.

Lastly, I want to make a few new uses for some skills and introduce a handful of new skills of my own that will sort of represent some of the themes of the world, and have good, interesting uses for characters that want to buy into them.

[arguskos]

Hey Raistlin, just posting to inform you that I am watching this. If you need this post deleted later, let me know and I'll take care of it.

At this second, I see few issues with your skill list (actually, I like the method used to combine skills, some are very clever). I do feel that Knowledge (Tactics and Warfare) is out of line compared to the rest of the Knowledge skills. Unless you bring the others up as well, I think it needs toned down (the whole "ranks can increase your attacks", while flavorful, is better than any other Knowledge skill, which bugs me).

I have a combat-related skill I can provide you, if you're interested. As for Seafaring, you could simply let it function as per Profession (Sailor) in all ways, thus removing Profession (Sailor) from play. It seems like that'd be the easiest method, really.

[Raistlin1040]

The problem I was having with Knowledge (Tactics and Warfare) was that it really has two uses (Large and Small Scale), but there are instances where a campaign would never use the former if the Dungeon Master and Player weren't interested in doing a war-type story. I thought the Small Scale use was a good way to give an incentive for skilling it, but I also wanted useful synergy and a reason for fighter types to consider taking it.

I think I probably will just convert Profession (Sailor) to Seafaring and then build on it a little, make it more specific. I realize that adding an attack bonus is a little out of character for a Knowledge skill, but it is at 10 ranks (so it's harder to cherrypick a few ranks for the bonus). Would it be better if I made it only on melee attacks (so Wizards don't get bonuses on rays and such)?

And yeah, I'd be interested in seeing your combat skill. I probably won't use it wholesale, but I might be interested in incorporating some ideas.

[arguskos]

The problem I was having with Knowledge (Tactics and Warfare) was that it really has two uses (Large and Small Scale), but there are instances where a campaign would never use the former if the Dungeon Master and Player weren't interested in doing a war-type story. I thought the Small Scale use was a good way to give an incentive for skilling it, but I also wanted useful synergy and a reason for fighter types to consider taking it.

I think I probably will just convert Profession (Sailor) to Seafaring and then build on it a little, make it more specific. I realize that adding an attack bonus is a little out of character for a Knowledge skill, but it is at 10 ranks (so it's harder to cherrypick a few ranks for the bonus). Would it be better if I made it only on melee attacks (so Wizards don't get bonuses on rays and such)?

Ok, I should make it clear that I *like* Know (War/Tac) (as it will now be known). I just think you should extend the love to the other knowledge categories -or- remove the attack bonus thing.

Oh, I did think of one thing you'll need to do. You'll need to rework synergies with the combined skills. For example, what gives synergy bonuses to Mechanical, and what synergy bonuses does it give in return? Just saying it has all the ones from its component skills doesn't make much sense, since they may overlap. Cleaner to just write new synergy charts over all, if slightly annoying.

And yeah, I'd be interested in seeing your combat skill. I probably won't use it wholesale, but I might be interested in incorporating some ideas.

Here it be! If you use any of it, please credit me. Otherwise, have at it!

Combat Training (Con, Trained Only)

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This skill represents a character's active training in the arts of combat. Use Combat Training to show off your skills, to defeat your foes, and to endure terrible blows.

Check: Combat Training has a number of uses, and unlike many skills, grants a small passive bonus to certain checks. For every 5 ranks in Combat Training a character possesses, they gain a +1 competence bonus to Initiative checks and to any check involved in a combat maneuver (trip, disarm, bull rush, overrun, etc).

Roll With It: Once per encounter, when struck by a melee attack, make a Combat Training check with a DC equal to the attack roll. If you meet or exceed the attack roll, you roll with the blow somewhat, moving back 5 ft (this movement doesn't provoke) and reducing the damage taken by an amount equal to your ranks in Combat Training. If you fail the check, you take damage from the attack as normal.

Showmanship: You can use Combat Training in battle to show off your abilities. Once per encounter, you can make a Combat Training check in place of each of the following checks for combat maneuvers: the attack roll for a disarm; the grapple check; and the attack roll for a sunder.

Challenge Overcome: You can use your Combat Training to finish enemies in battle. Once per encounter as part of a melee attack, you can strike your foes down. You make a Combat Training check instead of an attack roll, and if your check equals or exceeds their current hit point total, they suffer damage equal to their current hit point total+1, dropping to -1 hp.

Action: Roll With It is an immediate action. Showmanship is part of another action. Challenge Overcome is part of a melee attack.

Try Again: No. Combat Training effects are in combat, and there is no chance to retry.

Hope to see more content soon!

[Saph]

Looks good so far!

The skill changes all look reasonable, and will help with making a more rounded character (the 1:2 ratio for cross-class skills is a major discouragement in vanilla 3.5). Going to be a lot of work if you're planning to change all the areas to the same degree, though!

[Raistlin1040]

Races

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Races
The Land of Three Princes is built around three Human kingdoms. Although players are encouraged to play whatever race they like, humanoid races are all variations on human. Due to unstable magic that permeates the Land of Three Princes, “nonhuman” humanoids developed as an extension of humankind. While this has brought its own problems to the world (many fanatics of the nonhuman races see themselves as “evolutions” of humans and claim supremacy for their race, while many humans consider their cousins mutants), race is not an issue in most societies. Over nearly a thousand years, cultures and languages have sprung up from the other races, but they do not have their own lands and usually consider themselves members of their kingdom’s society. This section will briefly cover how each race fits into the Land of Three Princes, as well as outlining a new race, the Primara.

Primara
The Primara are the one race that does not exist as an off-shoot of humankind. They were “discovered” over thirteen hundred years ago by travelers to the Third Island (now know as Magna Terra). The Primara guard the Great Pool and historically have not interfered in the affairs of others, but factors beyond their control have drawn them into the War of Three Princes
Personality: The personality of a Primarus often depends heavily on which “House” he belongs to. Primara belonging to the House of the White Spirit are often ambitious and possess foresight beyond even their peers. They are the most likely to be adventurers, as they seek to bring glory to their name. Primara belonging to the House of the Red Spirit are often clever and quick-witted. Unusually for a generally stoic race, they are prone to spontaneity. Primara belonging to the House of the Black Spirit are dutiful and wise. They believe in order and have the strongest affinity for other races. Regardless of House, most Primara have an air of secrecy around them and share little with outsiders.
Physical Appearance: Primara generally stand from six to eight feet tall and are relatively slender, weighing between 150 and 200 pounds. There are usually few differences between men and women with regards to height and weight. Skin tone ranges from a snow-white to an ash grey, while their hair colors cover most human colors. Young Primara often alter their appearance by changing their hair to unnatural colors and styles and marking their faces with colored runes in their native language. When traveling in Human lands, the Primara often adopt Human fashions. One of the most striking things about Primara is that one eye is colored normally (generally somewhere between red and blue), but the other is completely black, including the sclera. A Primarus reaches adulthood at around 100 years of age and can live to be more than 1000 years old.
Relations: The Primara have a complicated relationship with Humankind. It is because of the Primara that magic exists for Humans at all, indirectly meaning that the Primara created Elves, Dwarves, etc. The Great Spirits were fond of Humanity and are said to have guided them in the early stages of their existence. Despite this, after magic was released, many Primara turned on Humans, isolating themselves and guarding the Great Pool with feverish devotion. However, recently younger Primara have begun to integrate themselves in Human lands. As the War of Three Princes began, the Great Spirits manifested for the first time in thirteen hundred years, forcing most members of Primara society to involve themselves in the Human conflict.
Alignment: Primara, even the most empathetic of them, do not lend themselves well to an Alignment system. At their core, most Primara probably fall somewhere between Lawful Good and True Neutral, but interpretation is a large portion of their thought process. Most Primara would not do something “Evil”, but it is easy for them to rationalize an act that humans would view as evil in their labyrinthine sense of judgment.
Primara Lands: The Primara are the only race that lives on the island of Magna Terra. Their massive central city surrounds the Great Pool, but smaller communities on the coast are not uncommon. The Primara elders have made finding Magna Terra very difficult, with numerous protection spells and thick fog that surrounds the island. Primara encountered outside of Magna Terra may be outsiders, exiled from the island, but are more commonly young men and women that desire to experience the whole world before being relegated to protecting the Great Pool in their old age.
Religion: Unlike the other humanoid races that revere the Five Elements as guiding forces, the Primara “worship” (if it could be called such) the Three Great Spirits who they claim created the world. The Great Spirits are more ideas and unknowable magical forces than actual beings, but each Great Spirit has been claimed by a Primara House. The Lord of the House acts as both religious and political leader, making political decisions for his House and attempting to interpret the will of his Spirit.
Language: The native tongue of the Primara is Draconic. However, written works are almost always in a rune-like script known as Vires, a language that has no spoken equivalent. Vires is rarely taught to non-Primara. In their dealings with other races, Primara speak Common fluently.
Names: Names are highly varied among Primara. Old Primara often have Draconic names, but younger Primara may have names of any language, including Common, Elven, Dwarven, and any other language they know.

Primara Racial Traits
• +2 Intelligence, -2 Charisma: The Primara are intelligent by nature, but their strange culture and bizarre mannerisms are off-putting for many non-Primara.
• Medium: As Medium creatures, Primara have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size.
• Primara base land speed is 40 feet. This is reduced to 30 feet in Medium armor and 25 feet in Heavy armor.
• Low-Light Vision: A Primarus can see twice as far as a human in starlight, moonlight, torchlight and similar conditions of poor illumination. He retains the ability to distinguish color and detail under these conditions.
• +2 racial bonus on all saving throws again spells and spell-like abilities. Primara are naturally resistant to magic due to their proximity to the Great Pool.
• +2 racial bonus on Spellcraft and Use Magic Device checks. In addition, a Primarus can make Knowledge (Arcana) checks untrained.
• Spell-Like Abilities: 1/day—See Invisibility, Arcane Eye. Unlike the spell, activating a Primara’s Arcane Eye only takes a full-round action. Caster level 1st.
• Favored Class: Sorcerer. A multiclass Primara’s Sorcerer class does not count when determining whether he takes an experience point penalty. In addition, a Primara may substitute Intelligence for Charisma as the casting stat of his Sorcerer levels if his Intelligence is higher.

In addition to the inclusion of the Primara, some of the other races have been reworked either from a mechanical or lore-based standpoint. This section will detail how each standard Player Race has been changed in order to fit into the Land of Three Princes, as well as a few other popular non-player races.

Humans: For most purposes, Humans are unchanged from the Player’s Handbook. They can be of any creed or path, from the aristocratic nobles of the Dusol Republic, to the hearty, Northern warriors of the Black Kingdom, to the seafaring, clever men of the Jiang Empire. As the most numerous and powerful of the races, Humans occupy a position of power in the Land of Three Princes.

Elves: Elves have been reworked most of all the standard player races. The Elves were the first among the non-human races to form a culture and have benefitted from strong leadership. Their longevity has given them stability, but most of the first and second generation Elves have died out by now. Initially, Elves wanted to form their own societies, but each successive generation has grown closer to normal Humans. Without the Framers of their lifestyle, the Elven culture has fallen by the wayside, and many Elves fervently support their Kingdom in an attempt to win back the trust of their Human cousins.
Unlike standard Dungeons and Dragons, Elves in the Land of Three Princes are not stereotyped as arcane wizards or keepers of ancient lore. The nimble Elves contrast their long lives with short-sighted attitudes about goals and aspirations, rarely possessing the patience for magical study. However, they are physically athletic, perceptive, and expert skirmishers individually and in small groups.

Elf Traits (EX)
Elves possess the following racial traits.
• +2 Dexterity, -2 Wisdom
• Medium size
• An elf’s base land speed is 30 feet.
• +1 racial bonus on attack rolls with short and longbows (and their composite variations)
• Low-light vision
• Weapon Proficiency: Elves are automatically proficient with the longsword, rapier, shortbow, composite shortbow, longbow, and composite longbow.
• +2 racial bonus on Perception and Survival checks.
• Favored Class: Ranger

Feral Elves
In the marshlands of the Dusol Republic and the jungles of the Jiang Empire, small communities of Elves live together, shunning the company of Humans and non-humans alike. Depending on their guiding philosophies, they may work as bandits and raiders or live in completely self-sustaining communities. They often believe in Elven supremacy. Many of them have never met a non-Elf, and their communities are usually left alone by other races. However, if they feel their land is threatened, they will muster their forces for a fight to the last man.

Feral Elf Traits (EX)
In addition to standard Elven traits, Feral Elves also possess the following traits
• +2 Strength, -2 Intelligence
• Shortened lifespans. Illness and diseases have cut the lifespan of Feral Elves far shorter than their normal Elven brothers. For Feral Elves, use the lifespan of a Dwarf, except set the Starting Age to 65.

Drow
The Elven people embraced their differences quicker than the other races. The Feral Elves were Elven supremacists who believed that Elves were naturally perfect and split from the main group. However, there was a group of Elves who didn’t believe their current transformation had gone far enough. They were on the path to perfection but hadn’t arrived at their destination yet. A hunger for knowledge and a desire for power caused a second sect of the early Elven communities to break off from the main branch shortly after the Feral Elves did.

This group set off for the southernmost part of the continent, living in the jungles of the modern Zhou-De province. They experimented with magic and built a ship that would transport all of them to Magna Terra, where they planned on attaining a greater understanding of magic to perfect themselves. However, as they neared the great Primara island, the protective magic kicked in, burning their ship and scorching the Elves.

Their bodies covered in burns and their only mode of transportation destroyed, the Elves drowned. A handful of the corpses washed upon the shores of Magna-Terra and were discovered by a Primarus name Si-Opsola. Si-Opsola took pity on the ravaged Elves and discreetly took them to a temple to the Three Great Spirits. He attempted to restore life to the Elves, but his rituals were interrupted by a group of Primara who wanted nothing to do with the other races.

Si-Opsola was removed from the temple and the bodies were dumped back into the ocean. However, the Primarus’ prayers had been answered and each beneath the wave’s surface was restored to life. However, their burn scarring remained and their coloration turned an ashen grey. Many of their natural Elven skills had been dulled, but their brief communion with the Three Great Spirits had given them new abilities to compensate. Forever branded with grey skin and burned skin, the Elves, now calling themselves the Drow, returned to Zhou-De and set up small communities on the coast.

Drow Racial Traits (EX)
These traits replace the standard Elven traits
• +2 Intelligence, +2 Charisma, -2 Wisdom
• Medium Size
• A Drow’s base land speed is 30 feet.
• A Drow’s base swim speed is 30 feet.
• Darkvision out to 30 feet.
• Weapon Proficiencies: Drow are naturally proficient with the scimitar.
• +2 racial bonus on Seafaring and Stealth checks.
• Amphibious: A Drow may breaths normally in both air and water.
• Favored Class: Rogue

Dwarves: Unlike the breakaway Elves, Dwarves largely stayed with Human society over the centuries. However, when their hardy nature was discovered and properly understood, they were harnessed as miners and laborers for dangerous tasks. While some races managed to break into Human nobility, Dwarves were explicitly second-class citizens in most cities, with no way to better their social standing. The most status a Dwarf could hope for was to become a guard or low-ranking soldier. Recent developments have led to increased Dwarven rights, but they are still often low-class laborers with fewer opportunities than their Human cousins.
While standard Dungeons and Dragons Dwarves are masters of craft, Dwarves in the Land of Three Princes rarely are awarded the opportunity to work a serious trade, although some of their familiarity with stonework and gems has survived through their work in mineshafts. Their war with giant-kind has been removed (although their rivalry with Elves remains. Elves see Dwarves as subservient to a culture that doesn’t respect them, while Dwarves see Elves as traitors to their roots)

Dwarven Racial Traits (EX)
Dwarves possess the following racial traits
• +2 Constitution, -2 Dexterity
• Medium Size
• A dwarf’s base land speed is 20 feet. Dwarves can move at this speed even when wearing medium or heavy armor or carrying a medium or heavy load.
• Darkvision out to 60 feet.
• Stonecutting: As per the PHB ability.
• Weapon Familiarity: Dwarves treat the Dwarven Waraxe and Dwarven Urgrosh as martial weapons rather than exotic weapons.
• +2 racial bonus against poison.
• +2 racial bonus on saving throws against spells and spell-like abilities.
• +2 racial bonus on Appraise checks relating to stone or metal items.
• Stoneheart: Once per day, a Dwarf can active Stoneheart. When activated, he gains Damage Reduction/- equal to one half of his character level (up to DR 10/-) for a number of rounds equal to his character level (up to 20 rounds). The duration must be consecutive; the rounds cannot be spread out. The damage reduction stacks with other untyped Damage Reduction sources, such as Barbarian class levels.
• Favored Class: Barbarian

Halflings: Halflings are the race most comfortable with Human society. Due to a naturally affable disposition and wealth among the nobler of their kind, Halflings are quite welcome in most societies. High class Halflings often work as skilled tradesmen in lucrative fields such as jewelry. Poorer Halflings use their size and nimbleness to make a living as thieves and pickpockets.

Halfling Racial Traits (EX)
Halflings have the following racial traits
• +2 Dexterity, -2 Strength
• Small Size, +1 bonus to Armor Class, +1 bonus on attack rolls, +2 bonus on Stealth checks, -4 penalty on grapple checks, lifting and carrying ¾ of Medium creatures.
• A halfling’s base land speed is 20 feet.
• +2 racial bonus on Social Grace and Stealth checks.
• +1 racial bonus on all saving throws.
• +2 morale bonus against fear.
• +1 racial bonus with thrown weapons and slings.
• Favored Class: Rogue

Gnomes: Gnomes live primarily in urban areas, where their natural magical talents can be put to use. Commonly found as alchemists or wizards, Gnomes have carved out a niche in Human society as useful practitioners of the magical arts, saving them from the servant and laborer jobs of Dwarves. Interestingly, the Human families that eventually spawned the Gnomes also begat other Small races like Kobolds and Goblins. Inter-family conflict ensued until the non-Gnomes were driven to the coasts and the harsh mountains of the Black Kingdom.

Gnome Racial Traits (EX)
Gnomes have the following racial traits
• +2 Constitution, -2 Strength.
• Small Size, +1 bonus to Armor Class, +1 bonus on attack rolls, +2 bonus on Stealth checks, -4 penalty on grapple checks, lifting and carrying ¾ of Medium creatures.
• A gnome’s base land speed is 20 feet.
• Low-light vision.
• Weapon Familiarity: Gnomes may treat gnome hooked hammers as martial weapons rather than exotic weapons.
• +2 racial bonus on saving throws against illusions.
• Add +1 to the Difficulty Class for all saving throws against illusion spells cast by gnomes. This adjustment stacks with those from similar effects, such as the Spell Focus feat.
• +1 racial bonus on attack rolls against kobolds and goblinoids (including goblins, hobgoblins, and bugbears).
• +4 dodge bonus to Armor Class against creatures of the giant type (such as ogres, trolls, and hill giants).
• +2 racial bonus on Perception checks.
• +2 racial bonus on Craft (alchemy) checks.
• Spell-Like Abilities: 1/day—speak with animals (burrowing mammal only, duration 1 minute). A gnome with a Charisma score of at least 10 also has the following spell-like abilities: 1/day—dancing lights, ghost sound, prestidigitation. Caster level 1st; save DC 10 + gnome’s Cha modifier + spell level.
• Favored Class: Bard.

Half-Elves: Half-Elves are fairly rare in the Land of Three Princes. A handful live outside urban areas, in rural Elven areas, but the majority (born of Elven warriors and Human mothers) stay in Human areas. Seldom born into Human royalty (or disposed of if they are), Half-Elves have few advantages in daily life over their Human brothers. While not as agile or warlike as their Elven family, Half-Elves make up for their shortcomings with a dedicated work ethic. There are more than a few Half-Elves who have worked their way into high positions in governments or military groups through their dedication.

Half-Elven Racial Traits (EX)
Half-Elves have the following racial traits
• Medium Size
• A Half-Elf’s base land speed is 30 feet.
• Low Light Vision
• +2 racial bonus on Social Grace checks.
• 4 extra skill points at 1st level and 1 extra skill point at each additional level.
• Spell-Like Abilities: 1/day—Suggestion, Calm Emotions. Caster level ¼ Character Level (round up); save DC 10 + Half Elf’s Cha modifier + spell level.
• Favored Class: Any

Half-Orcs: If Half-Elves are rare, Half-Orcs are practically non-existent. Few Half-Orcs are actually born of a human parent and an Orc parent. Rather, due to the unstable nature of the Orcish creation, Half-Orcs are usually born to two Humans or two Orcs, as a throw-back to an earlier generation. Neither society prizes the half-children very highly, and Half-Orc babies are commonly abandoned on the doorsteps of orphanages or churches. Gifted with size and natural strength, Half-Orcs often find themselves as guards or soldiers if they can escape intense manual labor. If they can’t hold down a job, most wander the world, looking for a safe haven.

Half-Orc Racial Traits (EX)
Half-Orcs have the following racial traits
• +2 Strength, -2 Dexterity
• Medium Size
• A Half-Orc’s base land speed is 30 feet.
• Darkvision
• +2 racial bonus on Intimidate checks.
• 1 extra feat at 1st level.
• Spell-Like Abilities: 3/day—Resistance (Self Only) 1/day—Bear’s Endurance (Self Only). Caster level 1st
• Favored Class: Any

Orcs: The Orcs have a curious history. Initially born of a powerful Human family, the first Orcs showed no signs of the mental decline that affects modern Orcs. However, their extreme light sensitivity caused problems for them, and they invested their extreme wealth in building a handful of underground cities over a few hundred years. While their cities were built, they participated in human societies normally, spreading their bloodline, and siring Half-Orcs in many areas of the world.
Once their cities were complete, the Orcs descended below-ground. Unfortunately, the earthquake that fractured the world into two continents demolished their tunnel system, leaving them stranded and forgotten. It wasn’t until a hundred years before the War of Three Princes that they finally resurfaced. Their time underground drove many of their race mad, and mental decline had set in, making them crude and unintelligent. Most still live in their underground cities, mistrustful of the above-ground world, but those who venture to the surface are often hostile to non-Orcs.

Orc Racial Traits (EX)
Orcs have the following racial traits
• +4 Strength, -2 Dexterity, -2 Intelligence, -2 Charisma,
• An orc’s base land speed is 30 feet.
• Darkvision out to 60 feet.
• Light Sensitivity: Orcs are dazzled in bright sunlight or within the radius of a daylight spell.
• +2 racial bonus on Intimidate checks
• Spell-Like Abilities: 1/day—Bear’s Endurance (Self Only) Bull’s Strength (Self Only). Caster level 1st
• Favored Class: Barbarian

I updated Skills as well.

I'm probably only going to have one new Player Race, and there it is. Other things will be added, but that is what I have so far. What I'm trying to do with the Primara is to replace the Elven monopoly on magic, since Elves are off-shoots of Humans. I will probably rework Elves somewhat to make them less magicky and more shoot you with arrowsy. I wanted to create a race based around magic and with a culture and system that would be very foreign to most humanoids of the world. In addition, I liked the flavor of Sorcerer a lot for a race that basically lives in a giant well of Magic, but I thought that +INT/-CHA worked better for the race, so I decided to give them the option of using INT for Sorcerers, to make it a more attractive choice. Not sure about balance, yet, since I gave them a 2nd level and 4th level spell (although not particularly good ones) as spell like abilities.

[Omeganaut]

The Primara are probably too good at being arcane spellcasters, and not good enough at doing anything else. You should take away one of their buffs to spell-casting and replace it with something that a melee character could possibly use. That way you can have some Primara that aren't just spellcasters, otherwise that race gets stereotyped and boring. I do however like what you have done for the skills so far, and I am interested in hearing more of what you have to say.

[Raistlin1040]

Do you have a suggestion? Right now, I'm thinking either removing the skill bonus or the saving throw bonus, but I'm not sure what to replace it with.

In other news, I've been working on the other races while at various activities, so I will likely have an updated races list sometime later today. I ended up making mechanical changes to every non-Human race so far, so we'll see how the balance is once I post it.

Edit: Technical difficulties have lost me about 2 hours of work, which is frustrating. I'm going to attempt to finish up my work on Races tomorrowish, but I will have to see what my schedule looks like.

[Aux-Ash]

Hello Raistlin.
Quite an interesting project you've decided to take up. I'm more than willing to assist a bit if I can. I don't have much of a background in DnD, my interest primarily lying in other games. But hopefully I can help out with ideas you like anyways.

Some thoughts so far:

Skills

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It's an interesting idea, to allow the player to choose which attribute to base their skills on. But I'm not sure how well it meshes with your stated goal of slightly more realism. Rarely does one rely on a single aspect of ones traits for a skill I think. While climbing certainly demands the strength to be able to lift one's own body, it also demands the toughness to hold on and the nimbleness to swiftly shift to a better grip. Is this not all three physical attributes working in conjunction?

Have you considered basing the skill root on an average of two or more attributes instead? Relaying that you often need to incorporate several basic abilities in a skill?

As for the skill list. I have a difficulty in seeing a red thread in it's spread. You condensed some skills, left some out and have some redundancies. Is your aim a few key skills, or a great immersive spread or some sort of mechanical balancing? Because it seems to be a little of all three right now.

You have Manual, Equilibrium and Escape Artist. Three skills that essentially detail fine manipulation of one's body. The first one of the hands and the latter two of the entire body. But one need not look further than to modern illusionists to see that these individuals use all three in conjunction. And Yogi are typically known for not only having a masterful control of their balance but a uncanny ability to escape being bound.
Is there really a reason to have these as three seperate skills? Your idea for situational boons is more than enough to cover the small differences between the three.

Same thing I think applies to Deception and Social Grace (and possibly intimidate) and to Perform and Disguise. In the former example, there's not really any meaningful difference. The only differention is wether the information is true or not. But shouldn't the skill cover how you deliver the information rather than what information you try to deliver? Bluffing is about making your lie seem credible, just like diplomacy is about making your demands seem reasonable. It's virtually the same thing. Moreover, if I am bluffing a threat... am I using deception or intimidate?

Same of course applies to perform and disguise. Isn't a disguise a performance, except not intended to entertain (except when it is). Isn't good actors the best at disguising themselves?

Also, isn't perception just the passive form of search? Is there a reason these two are seperate skills?

However, if you do seek to differentiate the persuasive skills into several for balance purposes. Might I suggest dividing them into skills for reason, threats and the promise of reward? Rather than lies, reason and threats. From a balance perspective, separating the skills according to those lines can make sense. Even if they are all very similar at it's core.

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And then we have the redundancies. Namely Crafts, Heal, Appraise Machineries , Knowledges, Seafaring and Professions. Which of the former isn't covered by the last one? If you have entire Professions as single skills, why do you have any other skills at all? If I want to play a blacksmith, should I boost Craft (Blacksmithing), Craft (Metalurgy) and knowledges related to running a business and metals or just take Profession (Blacksmith).

My suggestions is either you get rid of the Professions, or you get rid of the crafts and the knowledges. Because you probably won't need both.

Similarily, Appraise isn't really needed besides a knowledge regarding the local and/or regional market. If you know how that works you know what is sought after, valuable goods and vice versa. A situational boon is more than enough to cover the specialisation itself.
And Machinery isn't needed besides a Craft/knowledge regarding mechanics. Again, a broader skill with a situational boon is more than enough for the two.
Same principle for heal and Knowledge Medicine and Espionage is in fact covered by at least two knowledge skills (ciphers and law).

Just some thoughts regarding the skill list. It's amusingly a very subtle way of saying quite a lot about the setting itself. I dare say spending quite a bit of thought on it is quite valuable.

Hope some of my thoughts here is valuable and if I have misunderstood something then feel free to explain where I went wrong.

As for the Primarus:

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First of all... is it a race or a culture? That is a question I think warrants a lot of thought when fleshing out a race.
A race is something you are born to be and a culture is something you are raised as. While I know it's tempting to say both or ask why it matters, I think the separation is important. One will change with background, but the other will not.

So what is intrinsic to all Primara? And what is a trait of their culture? And make a clear distinction between the two. Bonus points if you start creating several cultures based on the logic provided by the racial traits .

For instance you wrote that they are between six and eight feet tall, weigh between 150 and 200 pounds. Good. This is a typical racial trait. But since stature is greatly depending on nourishment, the question is then if this is fully healthy or assuming an average based on a slightly malnourished culture. If the former, then a well fed Primarus is likely even bigger. If the latter, then a malnourished one is probably a lot smaller. Same sort of questions really apply to lifespan.

Ones you have an idea of what they are physiologically, a lot more detailed cultures can emerge. . It also provides players with the tools to create a primarus that is part of another race's culture.

Just a few thoughts from me. I intend to stick around and keep an eye on this thing.

[Raistlin1040]

Thank you for your thoughts. I'll try to be brief with my responses, otherwise this could be a solid few hours of typing.

SKILLS TO PAY THE BILLS

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Skills are honestly not my favorite thing about D&D. At all. I don't like them, I don't like how they are vital for the game, but spread out among classes very poorly, but I'm unwilling to remove them completely, because they do serve a vital function. You said you don't play D&D much, so I'll try to explain some ideas. Sorry if this comes across as condescending, but I'm just trying to be clear.

Re: Corresponding abilities in skills: Yes, your idea is more realistic, but it also requires Multi-Ability-Dependence (MAD), which is a staple of weakness in D&D. The Monk Class SHOULD be really strong, because it has pretty good features, but it requires 5 out of 6 skills to be high to be useful, so it's not good. The climbing/athletics example isn't the best, so let me use another example from my list. One of the reasons I added Strength to Intimidate is that sometimes it's not about how well you talk. If you're jacked up with muscles and carry a big stick, you can say whatever you want and someone will be afraid. Conversely, you can be a little stick figure sorcerer, but if you can sound deadly serious when threatening to blow someone up, they will also be afraid. Saying instead "It's an average between both modifiers" hurts both of those characters (The Fighter probably has low CHA, the Sorcerer probably has low STR). The increased realism is not worth the impact is has on the game, and that is basically what I'm trying for. I want more realism in areas where it makes the game better.

Re: Skill condensing. Again, it's a game balance issue. I don't agree with standard D&D 3.5 that a Rogue should use up 5 of his 8+INT MOD skill points on Tumble, Balance, Disable Device, Open Lock, and Escape Artist. That, along with staples of Hide, Move Silently, and Bluff, means that a Rogue has his int modifier in skills left, and that makes every Rogue the same. I think that's boring and I want to make that better However, I DON'T want a character with high INT or lots of base skill points to be able to do everything. If I make Equilibrium, Manual, and Escape Artist the same, I'm taking five original skills (Tumble, balance, Use Rope, Sleight of Hand, Escape Artist) and making them one, and that is unbalanced. That lets a character that can afford to take this new skills (again, high base skills or lots of INT) Just Better than other characters and that isn't fun. There's also a matter of Trained Only skills. I have good fine motor skills IRL. I play guitar, I like doing mechanical puzzles and such. I'm decent at moving my hands around, picking up things inconspicuously from the days I did a lot of stage magic for fun and I'm okay at knot tying. I might have a rank or two in Manual. However, I could not escape from a straitjacket or even handcuffs if you held me at gunpoint. I have never practiced that. I need training in that before I could do it. By meshing some skills, I had to make a few unrealistic decisions in the name of game balance, but putting more skills together would be unbalancing and would make Trained Only distinctions a nightmare to work with.

Re: Redundant skills. I apologize if this sounds condescending, but I think you don't know how some of these skills work in practice. Profession Skills are completely for profit. Profession (Blacksmith) is not a Profession, because Profession skills aren't manufacturing based, which is explicitly stated in the PHB. They're also not running a business. Profession checks are a week of work and you make money from them. Profession (Laborer) is the kind of Profession skill you're likely to see. That's effectively all they are used for. Appraise is determining the gold value of an item. Appraise is used on specific items to determine how much they are worth. This is useful in trade situations ("I'll give you ten gold for it" "Like hell. That gem is worth at least 50 and you know it"), but isn't strictly a "knowledge" factor. Craft checks are used to make something, ranging from a weapon, to armor, to alchemical droughts, etc. Knowledge checks are used to...know stuff. If I say, as the DM, "A giant red monster appears before you. It is husky and tall and looks kind of like a giant toad", that is all the information that you know as a character. However, resident smartypants might say "Can I make a Knowledge check?" I reply "Knowledge (The Plains), yes." He rolls his check and gets a great score. "It's a Red Slaad. They're from such and such Plane and known for such and such. It's rumored that they have such and such a weakness."

There are also a limited amount of Craft and Knowledge skills. You can't just invent more. Knowledge skills are spelled out in the list because they provide different bonuses, while Craft skills are more generic, but the idea is still the same. There is no Knowledge (Healing) or Knowledge (Anatomy). The Heal skill is only redundant if you make it so. For record, Craft skills are Alchemy, Armorsmithing, Weaponsmithing, Bowmaking, and Trapmaking.

RACES: OR BROS BEFORES HOES

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I outlined the Primara as the PHB outlines the standard player races. It's not the best method, but it's okay and it's what players will expect. Suffice to say, there will be later sections on regional areas and a more explicit outling of Primara culture, but the racial description is just a quick overview for players that may not be interested in the deeper aspects of society and culture. However, unlike Elves and Dwarves and other races that feature in this setting, the Primara are an entirely different species than Humans. Their race and culture are far more intertwined than that of the Elves or the Dwarves who are racially unique, but often culturally similar. The isolationist Primara generally stay on their island and keep to themselves. While you could make the case that the difference between Elves and Dwarves is difference between French culture and Swedish culture or something like that, the difference between most other races and the Primara is more like Human Culture and Martian Culture.

[Aux-Ash]

Regarding skills: Ah, so the lack of a red thread is a carryover from the original system then. I really didn't know the DnD skill system was that incoherent and I think I see parts of why you don't like it. Thank you for the clarification.

Regarding primara:
I figured it was outlined the same way the other playable race entries were described. But bear in mind that while I can go into most fantasy settings with a reasonable idea of what an elf, a dwarf and a orc is, these primara is something new. There might be a need to spend more focus on them than the other races since they are new and foreign. Especially if you want them to be even more alien than the dwarves and elves (who, to be honest, should be very alien in the first place).

In my experience, many fantasy setting dwell on and explain very little about the races, how they are and what their presence mean to the world. Mostly just throwing them in for the sake of it and in an unfortunate amount of cases don't even bother about differentiating them at all from the humans.
Hence my suggestions. But I am looking forward to hearing more about the primara and their fellow sentients in this world.

[Raistlin1040]

I updated the Races post with information on the other player races, as well as Orcs. Drow will be forthcoming, as well as other popular races that you guys think I should include. I don't really have time to justify all my choices right now, although I will try to later, but my immediate goals were A) balance out the races (nerf Dwarf, buff Half-Elf/Half-Orcs), B) change up established stereotypes (Elves/Dwarves/Orcs), and C) show that many non-humans are creatures of Magic by giving them Active SLAs (Something I like about 4E is active racial abilities).

There's still some tweaks to be made, and I think some races might be a little overpowered compared to the human now, but I have to rush off for a bit, so I figured I'd put it up for criticism.

[megahobbit]

I think it is very good so far. I dont like skills either (probably because the first edition i played was adnd). One of the thing i tried in a campiagn was eleminate all skills. In substitiution i rolled a die using the modifier of the ability score associated with the skill. Sorry if that seems a bit extreme.
ps i want my username blacked out

[Bling Cat]

Skills

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I like what you've done so far, especially with the dual ability mod option available for skills where it makes sense. This is usually something that gets houseruled into games I play anyway, so I wholeheartedly agree, and increasing the variety characters can achieve is only a good thing. Remember, while it may not make the most sense to have a half-orc forgery master, the ability for the player to become one adds to their fun, which is the end goal of all your efforts. The addition of the new knowledge skill I like, and I like the fact that it gives passive bonuses to something not a direct check. However I agree with arguskos that you should beef up all the knowledge skills in the same way. I've never understood why knowledge skills didn't give better passive bonuses. I know some do, like a small bonus to another skill here and there, but adding new features to a skill and new reasons to take it and increase it make that skill more interesting to players and more fun to have.

Races

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As far as races are concerned, I like the primara although they may be slightly too powerful as arcane casters. A primara in cloth can easily outrun any other race due to the increased land speed, are resistant to spells and get bonuses to most things magic. Unless there is a lore reason that I missed because I'm tired and only skimmed the lore, I would question the land speed, and would agree with what Omeganaut said about spreading there buffs around. Unless you plan to do something interesting lore wise with the Primara's overt tendencies towards magic, other than just them being the 'magic race', then they can become boring as a race. If every time the players see a primara, they know he's a wizard or sorcerer it get predictable, and if two people within the same party want to play primara, it means they have a very small class list from which to choose and may end up very similar. You could do something with their society, where they have specialised in magic so far to the point that it's starting to be a problem, but you could also just tinker with them to make it possible for them to be effective melee fighters as well. Alternatively, when you get to the classes, make some kind of warrior who utilises intelligence or charisma (But for god's sake don't make a 4th Ed warlord, whatever you do!), such as some kind of spellsword that a primara could play and be just as effective in the front lines as a half orc. Flexibility is always your friend when creating races, as they can determine character heavily and allowing your players freedom when creating their characters adds to the fun, which, as mentioned above, is the end goal.

An idea, which I may elaborate upon later when I have more time, is to take the duelling skill and expand it into a class, a flashy swordsman who relies on dexterous, clever and a word indicating charisma based swordplay. He would be able to apply either his INT or CHA mod to attacks, indicating that he is more about using cleverly placed strikes and distraction than brute force. Hmm. The idea would need some refining if you chose to consider it, but I still like the idea of creating the ability for primara to be effective with something other than magic.

Also, good to see orc as a playable race.

[Raistlin1040]

Thank you for your thoughts. The land speed on Primara was because they are generally huge compared to everything else, but they're not bulky or even particularly spacious, so making them Large was out of the question. Mostly the fact that they average at 7 feet tall makes them have longer strides.

As for the magic, I've been thinking about how to fix it but I still don't have any concrete ideas. They sort of ARE "the magic race", because they control (indirectly) all the magic that has ever existed in their guarding of the Great Pool, but I don't want that to get stale. I've considered something like making their society in danger due to a lack of non-spellcasters, but I'm still trying to decide exactly what I want to do with it.

Orcs aren't REALLY a player race, or at least not a standard one. However, I think they're interesting in the way I've changed some stuff (so arrogant omg), so they're an option, along with Drow and maybe another race or two.

[Bling Cat]

Ok, I see where you're coming from now with the land speed, and it is a helpful buff for spell casters to have. When you say that they have a control over all magic, does that mean that mages outside the ranks of the Primara are exceedingly rare?

Also, your justification for the CHA reduction is that they seem strange and alien to other races. Given your focus on situational changes, would that mean the reduction either goes away or switches to a buff when dealing with other Primara?

[Raistlin1040]

Uncommon, but not exactly rare. It's still possible to study magic, as it has been taught to enough humans for it to exist in human knowledge, and the non-human races all have a bit of a natural aptitude for it in one way or another. Especially with divine spellcasting, the Primara don't have much interest in worshipping the Elements like other races do, so they generally steer clear of it.

I would probably do something like that with the Primara, but I think it would be a slippery slope towards making other ability score changes, and that's something that I want to stay fairly hard and fast. Ability scores aren't situational.

[Raistlin1040]

So I realize it has been almost a month since I last posted here, and I've done some work, but not enough. I've made some changes to the 11 base classes that range from absolutely nothing (update skills to work with the new system), to some buffs and nerfs (tried to reduce the MAD of the Monk and also let them wear some armor for protection). However, designing my own base class is giving me a real headache and I'm not sure how I want to go about it.

I strongly suggest using cool martial classes like the Warblade/Swordsage/Crusader in the Land of Three Princes, since those classes are awesome. However, I also want to make my own martial class (and my own spellcasting class as well) specific to this setting. My idea on the martial class is basically as follows. The Fighter(/Barbarian/Paladin) are "good" martial classes, in the sense that they are decent at melee, but they are not exciting to play in combat unless you have lots of feats that let you attack differently. Saying "I full attack" every turn is boring.

Contrastingly, the Swordsage(/Warblade/Crusader) is really cool, because there is a lot of flair and flashiness to the class, and the 9 disciples makes for very interesting ideas. However, it's just a bit too outrageous for me to want to use without a counter. My idea is that, if the Swordsage is a melee Wizard/Sorcerer, I'd like to create a melee Warlock (putting aside the fact that a regular Warlock can kind of go melee).

Basically my idea is that I want this class to be for a melee specialist who doesn't like "I full attack", but also doesn't shoot flames from his sword once an encounter. These kind of characters would be excellent Heroes in a big war, able to take out scores of mooks without much effort. However, they'd also be great in a 1v1 or small group fights, with a handful of "special moves" to turn the tide in their favor.

For the spellcasting class, I am not sure if I want a full progression or something more akin to a Bard. This kind of class should be rare, with only a few affiliated with any given political or military group. I want them to be macro-specialists, the kind of advisors a king might have who would venture out to important battles to cast spells that seriously impact a fight. Probably a lot of focus on Big schools like Conjuration, Illusion, Divination, and maybe Evocation. These guys are the chessmasters of the world. Leaders may decide what happens, but these guys decide how it happens and their relative rarity makes them invaluable. They probably wouldn't normally replace an Arcane spellcaster in a party, instead working as a second spellcaster, but they could probably be built as a primary spellcaster if needed.

So as you may notice, I have a lot of fluff ideas and a handful of mechanical ones, but I don't really know how to put it all together into a coherent base class that is good, useful, and fun to play for 20 levels. Also I don't have names for them.

[Omeganaut]

I wanna say you should call the melee user a Tactician, and the magic user a Stratagist. Stratagist would work well as a buff/debuff caster, and could do summoning as well, making him a valuable ally. Tacticians on the other hand could be focused on damage plus status effects like poisoning, burning, slowing, scaring, and other effects.

[Raistlin1040]

I thought something like that, maybe with "Hero" as the melee class, but it seemed too generic.

[Omeganaut]

There is a class called "Fighter". I don't think you need to worry about being generic.

[arguskos]

Hmm. Concerning the class ideas:

-The melee could look something like the Hexblade/Debaser. Part Sorcerer, part Warlock, part Fighter, all Hoss.
-An alternative possibility is to make melee characters that have abilities like my Monk and Shadow, martial characters with something above and beyond (including some x/encounter style tricks), but still fundamentally mundane in nature.
-The caster class could be something like the Warlock, but bigger and more sweeping effects, lots of AoE stuff. Call everything x/encounter. A progression like 1 AoE/3 levels, 1 defense/3 levels, 1 utility/3 levels? Fill in the blanks with cool stuff that makes them useful when their effects are not active

[Raistlin1040]

Classes

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The standard Dungeons and Dragons classes all exist in one form or another in the Land of Three Princes. Supplemental material from the Tome of Battle is highly encouraged to add content that is consistent with the setting. However, nearly every base class has been changed in some way or another and changes will be detailed in this section, as well as two new base classes, the Commander and the Minister.
Barbarian: As the PHB Barbarian except for updated class skills.
Class Skills: Athletics, Craft, Dueling, Equilibrium, Handle Animal, Intimidate, Knowledge (Tactics and Warfare), Perception, Ride, Search, Survival

Bard: As the PHB Bard except for updated class skills.
Class Skills: Appraise, Athletics, Concentration, Craft, Deception, Disguise, Dueling, Escape Artist, Espionage, Equilibrium, Knowledge, Manual, Perception, Perform, Profession, Social Grace, Speak Language, Search, Spellcraft, Stealth, Use Magic Device

Cleric: As the PHB Cleric except for Fortitude Save Progression changing from Good to Poor and updated class skills.
Class Skills: Concentration, Craft, Heal, Knowledge Perception, Profession, Search, Social Grace, Spellcraft

Druid: As the PHB Druid except for updated class skills.
Class Skills: Concentration, Craft, Handle Animal, Heal, Knowledge, Perception, Ride, Search, Social Grace, Spellcraft, Survival

Fighter: As the PHB Fighter except for updated class skills and (4+INT Modifier)x4 skill points at first level and 4+INT modifier skill points at every level thereafter.
Class Skills: Athletics, Craft, Dueling, Handle Animal, Intimidate, Perception, Profession, Ride, Seafaring, Search, Social Grace

Monk: The following changes have been made to the Monk
Alignment: Any non-Chaotic
(6+INT modifier)x4 skills at first level, 6+INT modifier at every level thereafter.
Class Skills: Athletics, Concentration, Craft, Deception, Dueling, Escape Artist, Equilibrium, Intimidate, Knowledge, Perception, Perform, Profession, Search, Social Grace, Stealth
Proficiencies: Monks gain proficiency with Light Armor. Wearing Light Armor does not stop any of a monk’s bonuses to AC, Fast Movement, or Flurry of Blows
Wise Warrior: A Monk who attacks with an Unarmed Strike or a Special Monk Weapon adds her Wisdom modifier to her attack roll instead of her Strength Modifier, unless her Strength Modifier is higher.

Paladin: As the PHB Paladin except for updated class skills and (4+INT Modifier)x4 skill points at first level and 4+INT modifier skill points at every level thereafter and changes to spellcasting.
Class Skills: Athletics, Concentration, Craft, Deception, Dueling, Handle Animal, Heal, Knowledge, Perception, Profession, Ride, Search, Social Grace
Spells: A Paladin’s spellcasting can be cast through Wisdom or Charisma, whichever is higher. The casting is based on whichever ability is higher at level 1 and cannot be changed.

Ranger: As the PHB Ranger except for updated class skills.
Class Skills: Athletics, Concentration, Craft, Dueling, Handle Animal, Heal, Knowledge, Manual, Perception, Profession, Ride, Seafaring, Search, Stealth

Rogue: As the PHB Rogue except for updated class skills.
Class Skills: Appraise, Athletics, Concentration, Craft, Deception, Disguise, Escape Artist, Espionage, Equilibrium, Intimidate, Knowledge, Machinery, Manual, Perception, Perform, Profession, Search, Social Grace, Stealth, Use Magic Device

Sorcerer: As the PHB Sorcerer except for updated class skills and (4+INT Modifier)x4 skill points at first level and 4+INT modifier skill points at every level thereafter.
Class Skills: Concentration, Craft, Deception, Knowledge, Perception, Profession, Spellcraft

Wizard: As the PHB Wizard except for updated class skills.
Class Skills: Concentration, Craft, Espionage, Knowledge, Perception, Profession, Spellcraft

Here is what I have about base classes so far. I may go back and change some more of it later if I get any ideas or if any of you have suggestions. Today, I think I'm going to work on writing fluff stuff since I won't be able to sit down and work for large chunks of time, and will have to fit in short bursts of writing when I can.

[Raistlin1040]

The World

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Part 1: Fall
Thousands of years before the fall of the Arc-Yuan Empire, the Land of Three Princes belonged to loosely-organized tribes of Humans who fought for territory. With no understanding of a higher power or the ways of the world, they warred for centuries, rarely innovating or creating anything resembling a society. On the island of Magna Terra, the Primara had begun to build their great society, while rejecting the warlike culture of the Humans.

In time, a small group of Primara scholars became interested in Humankind. Led by a priest of the Three Great Spirits named Nao-Ankin, the Primara began to study the Humans and document their species. Over a few centuries, Nao-Ankin and his followers learned Common and integrated themselves into a Human tribe now known as the Irral. The command of magic demonstrated by the Primara fascinated the humans, and the chief of the Irral tribe petitioned Nao-Ankin to teach him the ways of magic.

Initially reluctant, Nao-Ankin eventually caved to the chief’s wishes and sought spiritual commune with the Three Great Spirits. After meditating alone for nine days in a temple constructed by the humans, Nao-Ankin told the chief that the Three Great Spirits had granted his request. Over a few decades, magic began to grow in the human population. Armed with arcane magic, the Irral conquered the Land of Three Princes and the aging chief crowned himself King.

Human civilization advanced rapidly over the next century. New discoveries appeared out of thin air on a daily basis. Racial fractures occurred, giving birth to dozens of new humanoid races, including Elves, Dwarves, and Orcs. An understanding of the natural world was reached, leading to the development of the Five Elements religion that dominates most humanoid societies.

However, a thirst for conquest worked its way into the hearts of men, causing rebellions and wars. Disgusted, most of the Primara returned to Magna Terra. Nao-Ankin alone stayed behind, guiding the descendents of the original Irral chief. Yet the old Primarus could only watch in silent horror as the races threatened to destroy the entire world with their abuse of magic. Word was sent from Magna Terra that the chaos in the Human lands had created instability on the Primara island, leading to a political divide that broke the race into three Houses. All three Houses had begun to regard the other humanoids with suspicion.

Plans were made on Magna Terra to summon a great blaze that would scorch the Land of Three Princes for three days, destroying all civilization and killing many. Then, three days of tornados and windstorms would dismantle humanity bit by bit. Finally, the world would submerge beneath the water for three days, drowning any who survived and “purifying” the land.

Nao-Ankin was distraught when he heard of the Primara plan. He attempted to warn the other races of the incoming disaster, but his warnings were ignored as reactionary. Lightning storms persisted for three days, signifying displeasure on behalf of the Three Great Spirits. Rather than let all non-Primara sentient life perish, Nao-Ankin returned to the ruins of the first temple the Irral had built and again meditated for nine days.

Every Primarus experienced incredible anguish, as if a part of their soul had been ripped out. Nao-Ankin’s own connection with the Three Great Spirits was irreparable severed and he disappeared, never seen or heard from again. The Land of Three Princes, once a mighty continent, was cracked in half. While the Primara attempted to regain their damaged connection with the Three Great Spirits, the humanoids on the two halves of the Land of Three Princes put aside their wars to rebuild their civilizations.

That was the last recorded incident of intervention in the world at the hands of the Three Great Spirits before the War of Three Princes.

Part 2: Benevolence
One thousand years after the Great Fracture that split the Land of Three Princes into two continents, another group managed to completely unite the land. A charismatic warrior-philosopher named Arc-Yuan was handed control of a small kingdom in the modern Valengaard province by a dying king. Arc-Yuan had revolutionized the culture of the world with his philosophy, emphasizing good deeds and adherence to the balance of the Five Elements. He also rewrote many aspects of the Common language, bringing an air of sophistication to the tongue.

As a king, Arc-Yuan ended institutionalized racism against Dwarves and other races and extended a hand of friendship to small Elven groups. Having heard of the Primara and their island of Magna Terra, Arc-Yuan dismissed those who believed the ancient race were rumors and lies. He set out alone to meet the Primara, disappearing for three years. He returned a changed man, one eye black in the way of the Primara. He refused to say where the island was, but confirmed he had met with the Primara. Over the next decade, small clusters of Primara began to voyage to the Land of Three Princes, confirming their existence and aiding Arc-Yuan.

Backed by many people of many different races, Arc-Yuan secured the loyalty of many kingdoms on the main continent. The smaller of the continents proved more difficult, and Arc-Yuan formed a massive army and personally led the fleet that stormed the continent. He was met with strong resistance on the part of the other kingdoms, who banded together to fight his force.

Arc-Yuan’s army marched on modern province of Sun-Ming, where the coalition army had fortified themselves in preparation for a long fight. Arc-Yuan earned himself the gratitude of the common people by refusing to sack villages or harm innocents. He distributed gold to villagers in exchange for food and ordered the execution of any soldier who killed a non-combatant.

In battle, Arc-Yuan’s honor was tested. Spies infiltrated his camp as both armies prepared for the battle. The spies claimed to be defectors and offered their services as assassins, but Arc-Yuan denied them, seeing through their ruse. He sent them back to their camp without a scratch. Later, mass groups of loyal citizens were sent to surrender, posing as displaced commoners without homes. The coalition against Arc-Yuan expected him to either slaughter the villagers after learning their plans, or keep them in his camp, quickly draining his supplies while the coalition army insulated themselves. Arc-Yuan allowed the villagers to stay with him and ordered a temporary suspension of war activity in his camp to allow the soldiers to begin farming in order to feed the hundreds of new bodies in camp.

A couple of months passed with no activity on Arc-Yuan’s side. Eventually convinced that they had tricked him, the coalition descended up Arc-Yuan’s army, expecting to find a camp filled with soldiers farming and undisciplined. However, Arc-Yuan’s army had farmed in the morning and run drills in the evening, when the coalition’s citizens and spies were sleeping. The coalition army was routed and every surrender accepted unconditionally. Accepting they’d been bested, Sun-Ming and the smaller continent were given to Arc-Yuan by the coalition, who formed the Arc-Yuan Empire.

Shortly after founding the Arc-Yuan Empire, Arc-Yuan died and the position of Emperor passed to his oldest son.

Part 3: Strife
Initially, the Arc-Yuan Empire flourished. A palace was constructed in Terredu Roi and local governments were set up in the other eight provinces. The Emperor reigned benevolently and the people were happy. The Primara lived in harmony with the other humanoids, offering their services as advisors and teachers. Even some of the more unruly Elven communities began to work in tandem with the Empire.

As the generations passed, the centralized leadership of the Empire began to wane as the Governors of the Provinces began to assume more direct control of their land. 200 years after Arc-Yuan’s death, the Governors of the provinces of Falskar and Konigaan banded together to stage a coup against the Emperor. The Palace at Terredu Roi was seized the Emperor imprisoned. Without a strong military in the capitol, months passed before the military forces of the other provinces marched to free the Emperor, eventually killing the rebellious Governors and restoring the Emperor to his throne.

With strife brewing among the Empire’s lands, the Primara began to dwindle again, with many returning to Magna Terra. The Emperor attempted to keep his tenuous grasp on the Northern Provinces by installing men from Falskar and Konigaan as important officials in the local governments, rather than farm out ambitious men from Terredu Roi and Solland. The Southern Provinces of Shi-Hua, Sun-Ming, and Zhou-De complained about the North receiving preferential treatment, and the Emperor was forced to allow Southern men to lead their own governments as well.

After the Emperor died, the penultimate Emperor, Emperor Arc-Jin assumed the throne. Arc-Jin was highly concerned about losing the provinces to rebellion and ending up in chains as his father had. He stripped local officials of their power and consolidated the government in Terredu Roi, building up a large army and delegating power to his top officials, the minister Ra-Deng and the general Galen.

With many beloved leaders displaced from their positions of power, the public backlash was swift and powerful. A group calling themselves the Red Bandits sprang up in Falskar and spread to the other provinces. They converted many average civilians to their cause and their numbers swelled. Arc-Jin was slow to react, allowing the Red Bandits to march on the capitol.

Without consulting the Emperor, Ra-Deng and Galen put out requests for leaders and warriors to join the Empire’s army and drive off the Red Bandits. Among those who answered his call were Varkrig of Falskar, Fan-Coeur of Solland, Da-Dao of Sun-Ming, and Nostolt of Konigaan.

With the aid of the day’s heroes, Galen’s army routed the Red Bandits and executed their leaders in a public display at the capitol. The Emperor made a public showing and commended the leaders of the battle, bestowing the title of Prince upon Nostolt, who commanded under Galen, while snubbing the others. His praise of Nostolt came at the expense of Galen and Ra-Deng, who were berated for allowing the Red Bandit Rebellion to happen at all.

Enraged, the two officials assassinated Arc-Jin in his sleep and installed his young son, Arc-Gil, as the Emperor. As the boy was too young to rule effectively, the two ruled in his stead, having effectively usurped the Empire. Their puppet ruler was seen through easily and the coalition that had defeated the Red Bandits turned on Galen, led by Prince Nostolt. Galen and Ra-Deng were betrayed by a hired mercenary named Viglensa.

Part 4: Ascent
Emperor Arc-Gil, now without any strong officials to guide him, faded as a power in the land. The four great leaders who had assisted Galen began to come into prominence as regional forces and Viglensa found himself thrust into the spotlight as the greatest warrior of a generation. Fan-Coeur resisted attempts to gain more power and Da-Dao was killed by an archer working for Viglensa moments before he would have dealt a killing blow to the mercenary in a duel. Varkrig (having taken control of Falskar) and Prince Nostolt (leading Konigaan) each attempted to claim the young Emperor as their ward, warring in the North over the power of the capitol.

Although Prince Nostolt had superior numbers, Varkrig’s shrewd intellect and talented retainers won him the day and Prince Nostolt’s army retreated back into Konigaan. Varkrig pursued and killed Nostolt himself, before conquering the remains of Konigaan for himself. From there, it was only a short distance to the barren Dragon’s Fang, giving Varkrig command over three of the nine Provinces. Shortly after, he claimed Nostolt’s title of Prince for himself.

In the Southern Provinces, on the smaller continent, the Da family had weakened since the death of Da-Dao. His eldest son, Da-Yan began to lead the family, but they were driven from their ancestral home of Sun-Ming to the province of Zhou-De with only a small army and handful of vassals behind them. However, Da-Yan was quick to make new allies and the aging Governor of Zhou-De abdicated his throne to Da-Yan.

Having secured a larger army led by competent warriors and strategists, including a brilliant Half-Elf named Ren-Xinling, Da-Yan rampaged through the Southern Provinces conquering Sun-Ming and Shi-Hua. Unfortunately, illness struck him and the Da family was left without a patriarch once again. Reluctantly, Da-Yan’s younger brother, Da-Jin stepped up and assumed control of the entire smaller continent.

With Prince Nostolt dead, Da-Jin’s power growing, and the Empire at risk of falling into the hands of the now-Prince Varkrig, Fan-Coeur was spurred to action by the people of Solland. With little more than a volunteer army, his blood brothers, and a half-hearted blessing of Governor Caichou of Solland, Fan-Coeur moved to Terredu Roi to protect the Emperor. Prince Varkrig took Fan-Coeur’s actions as an act of war and an excuse to invade Terredu Roi. Viglensa appeared to aid Fan-Coeur, driving off Varkrig’s best warriors and securing the safety of the Emperor for some time.

However, Viglensa’s loyalty could be bought, and he eventually abandoned Fan-Coeur, who was sent fleeing back to Solland by Varkrig’s massive army. Varkrig claimed Terredu Roi for his own, changing its name to Valengaard. Varkrig nearly forced the Emperor to abdicate, but was stopped by his advisors, who claimed that such an action would villainize him among the people. Even the whispers of his possible action were enough to set Solland in rebellion, removing Governor Caichou and installing Fan-Coeur.

Fan-Coeur traveled to Fleuvel to persuade the Governor, his cousin Fan-Cassan to aid him in resisting Varkrig, but his cousin refused to involve himself, as Fleuvel was naturally fortified against invasion by long rivers and mountainous regions. Fan-Coeur’s newest advisor, Cal-Xinzhi, advocated for an invasion of Fleuvel, but Fan-Coeur refused to bring about his cousin’s downfall. Luckily, the people of Fleuvel realized their leader’s folly and Fan-Cassan’s top generals killed him and handed the province over to Fan-Coeur.

Fan-Coeur declared himself Prince to check Varkrig’s power, to which the other delared Fan-Coeur to be in rebellion against the newly founded Black Kingdom. In response, Prince Fan founded the Dusol Republic of Solland and Fleuvel. Rather than let himself be forced into a side, Da-Jin founded the Jiang Empire and pronounced himself Prince as well.

Varkrig attempted to invade the Jiang Empire with superior numbers, but his soldiers weren’t used to the conditions at sea and struggled. The Jiang Empire and the Dusol Republic entered into a temporary alliance and Varkrig’s Black Kingdom was thrashed by Cal-Xinzhi and Ren-Xinling’s brilliance. However, the alliance quickly dissolved, leaving the three great powers of the world in a standoff.

On Magna Terra, the Primara were aghast at the happenings in the new Land of Three Princes and the Houses convened to discuss the events. However, their convention was disrupted by an earthquake that caused them to flee the building. Once outside, bright columns of light appeared, each one segmented into red, white, and black sections. Each column enveloped a capital city of the new powers, symbolizing the desire of the Three Great Spirits for the War of Three Princes to continue, eventually leading to a winner who would unite the land once more. The Primara re-convened, arguing over which new power to support. Although they reached no consensus, many Primara began to take an interest in humanoid affairs and traveled to the Land of Three Princes to partake in a war that would decide the future of the world.

That is a rough version of the history of the Land of Three Princes. I might go back and work on it later depending on feedback, but there you go.

[Raistlin1040]

The Factions

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The Black Kingdom
Prince Varkrig runs his kingdom like a particularly cutthroat merchant runs a business. He suffers no fools and is equally quick to punish and to reward. Unlike many Northerners who find Elves detestable, Dwarves inferior, and Orcs brutish, Varkrig understands the value of diversity and strives to bestow titles and positions based on merit rather than bloodline. Although his ability to find talent among the lower ranks is strong, he is slow to correct his mistakes and is ruthless to those who make him look foolish.

The Black Kingdom’s military is led by Svero and Orvar, Varkrig’s cousins from Falskar. The Half-Orc, Laekko of the Dragon’s Fang, guards the Imperial Palace and is one of the few men able to duel Viglensa to a standstill. On the administrative side of the Kingdom, Myr-Krin, an Elf of Valengaard, works as Varkrig’s chief advisor and strategist. Myr-Krin has studied briefly with the Primara on Magna Terra and is a strong spellcaster.

Valengaard (Formerly Terredu Roi)
The capitol of the Black Kingdom is the former capitol of the Arc-Yuan republic. It has little in common with the other provinces of the Black Kingdom in terms of appearance and demographics. Unlike the wild, untamed North, Valengaard is host to a handful of large cities including the sprawling metropolis of the Imperial City, from which Prince Varkrig casts a shadow over the Throne, using the Emperor as a pawn in his game against Da-Jin and Fan-Coeur.

Aside from the Imperial City, the next most important city in Valengaard is the port of Storfiskur (formerly known as Port Merveilleuse). Storfiskur was strongly developed by Emperor Arc-Jin and has become a large city since his reign. It is the largest port in the Black Kingdom and houses most of the Black Kingdom’s navy. However, it has fallen out of use for average citizens due to its close proximity to both the Dusol Republic and the Jiang Empire.

As an industrial province, many races are represented in large cities, most notably with large concentrations of Dwarves and Gnomes to supplement the Humans and Halflings. There are few Elves or Orcs in Valengaard except the ones employed in the Black Kingdom’s army. Despite the racial diversity, Humans are undoubtedly the dominant race, both in population and positions of power in the civil sphere, owning most businesses and running the province-specific government functions. The exception to this rule is the military, which commonly has Dwarves, Elves, and Orcs working as leaders.

Life in Valengaard is exceptionally busy. In order to sustain the large population of the Black Kingdom, the outlying areas around the Imperial City are all farmland where citizens till the land to feed the soldiers. The abundance of caves towards the northern province border have become literal gold mines, supplying wealth to the capitol. The soldiers constantly run drills to prepare for war, and Varkrig spends most of his days in the Imperial Palace with his advisors, drawing up plans and planning new strategies.

Despite the industrious nature of the province, centuries as the most important province in the Empire wasn’t wasted, and a vibrant culture of philosophy and art emerged over the years. Although many artists and writers fled to the Jiang Empire or the Dusol Republic when Varkrig invaded, many stayed as well. The streets of the Imperial City are crawling with strange fashions and the public squares are often crowded with disheveled scholars arguing over religion and the cosmos. For this fact alone, it has become a mecca for Primara, but they usually hold little loyalty to the area.

Konigaan
The long Northern Province of Konigaan is the former residence of Prince Nostolt. It is the most conventionally civilized of the Northern Provinces, with the twin cities of Neihjarta and Neianda acting as the most metropolitan areas of the North. Aside from those cities however, Konigaan is a frozen tundra with large mountain ranges and thick wintery forests. Outside of Neianda, most sentient life groups towards the ocean where small cities and large villages pepper the coastline. The border with Falskar is a notable exception, possessing many fortresses and small castles used in historic combat with the other Province.

Neihjarta is the birthplace of Prince Nostolt and reflects his privileged status in the court. Having curried favor with Emperor Arc-Jin, Nostolt was able to develop Neihjarta into a large city, modeling it after the Imperial City. Although it’s situated at the base of a group of mountains in the frozen wasteland, Neihjarta has a striking resemblance to the Imperial City, with similar architecture and layout. Neianda was supposed to undergo similar treatment, but Nostolt was killed before the project began. In contrast to its sister city, Neianda is the pride of the North, with strong stone architecture and an emphasis on small businesses. Although it has become a hub for activity like Neihjarta, it reflects the aesthetics and values of the Northern people effectively.

Humans and Dwarves are the most common races of Konigaan, followed by Gnomes. Goblins and Kobolds have small settlements throughout the Province and occasionally trade with Human villages, but are rarely seen within the large cities. The mountains are home to larger communities of those races, but also a handful of dragons who came from the Dragon’s Fang.

Most of the people of Konigaan are concerned with survival over anything else. The winters are exceptionally harsh and deadly and an average day in most of the towns across the province involves fishing, foraging, or tending to the few crops that can grow in such extreme conditions. Spellcasters living in the big cities are able to sustain food for most of the population, leading to manufacturing being the primary profession there. Neihjarta is known as an artisan city, with many fine jewelry, but Neianda focuses on ancestral weapon-making and is renowned for having some of the best smiths in all the Land. The military stationed in the province is generally gathered in the forts and castles along the border, with small contingencies protecting the big cities.

Although somewhat spoiled by Nostolt’s excess, the people of Konigaan are still Northern in heart. They aren’t as refined as their cousins in Valengaard and possess a stronger identity as a Province. Because of this, there have been numerous small rebellions throughout the province since Varkrig took over. Varkrig has little trouble dealing with the nuisances, but doesn’t do much to stop them before they become a problem, as he considers the challenge to his authority the Way of the North.

Dragon’s Fang
The Dragon’s Fang is only a province because no other province wanted to claim it. It’s known for being fiercely independent and Varkrig and the Black Kingdom do not “own” it so much as allow it to exist inside their territory. It is the smallest province in the entire Land of Three Princes and has the smallest population, but remains invaluable to the Black Kingdom.

The Dragon’s Fang is known for siring a disproportionally high amount of great warriors. Though he rarely speaks of his origins, it is rumored that Viglensa was born in the Dragon’s Fang and spends his time there when not working as a mercenary. There aren’t any large cities, or even much of a government outside of tribes, in the Dragon’s Fang, yet the people of the area consider themselves citizens of the Dragon’s Fang first and the Black Kingdom second. Despite this, their natural war instincts lead many to the War of Three Princes, either as mercenaries or as soldiers for the Black Kingdom.

The Dragon’s Fang is dangerously located at the very tip of the larger continent and is mostly mountainous. Dragons constantly fight on the mountain peaks and have been known to devastate the land below in their battles, though they rarely directly intervene in humanoid affairs. Many Goblins and Kobolds live in the mountains, but have learned better than to attack the few human civilizations below.

Rumor also holds that Nao-Ankin, the fabled Primarus who gave magic to the non-Primara, disappeared somewhere into the Dragon’s Fang after the continents were split. However, no evidence has ever surfaced to indicate that is the case other than legends and stories passed down through families.

Falskar
The birthplace of Prince Varkrig keeps strongly to the Northern traditions that distinguish the wild North from the other areas of the Land of Three Princes. Most of the men are hunters and warriors and the only large city, Metnaour, is run by a council of tribal elders in a small village style. Duels are common outside of Metnaour, with strong warriors killing each other over territory and resources. Unlike Konigaan, small villages and towns can be found every few miles, with local tribes running each town.

Varkrig was born in Metnaour. The city is built around a castle and is one of the few places where Northerners meet others as equals. The castle has been converted into a military academy and is used for both soldiers and leaders. Varkrig was educated at the Academy growing up and displayed an aptitude for command, even if his single-combat abilities were merely average. Aside from the Academy, Metnaour is also renowned for having the highest authorities on magic in the North. Many of the Tribal Elders that make up the council are spellcasters of some kind and their disciples run small tutoring services that teach the basics of magic.

Humans are the most populous race of Falskar, although there are more than a few Elves that live in their own communities away from other races. Metnaour has the usual cluster of Dwarves, Gnomes, and Halflings, as well as a handful of Orcs who gravitate to the warrior lifestyle of the Falskar people. The Primara generally avoid Falskar, seeing it as a dangerous and barbaric province.

Metnaour has a warrior culture and holds yearly tournaments where warriors from all three of the Northern Provinces come to compete for money and fame. The bloody gladiatorial battles provide entertainment for the masses. When the tournaments aren’t occurring, the primary sport is horse racing, as the wealthy families of Metnaour often breed horses as a profession. In recent years, the horse business has exploded, with many fine horses coming from Falskar.

Historically, Falskar was nearly as isolationist as the Dragon’s Fang, but Prince Varkrig’s creation of the Black Kingdom has energized his home province into swearing loyalty to him. The abundance of strong, loyal warriors and their swift, hardy horses has proven a large boon to Varkrig’s army and he supports the province by providing important appointments to the most talented of Falskar, sometimes at the expense of Konigaan and Valengaard.

The Dusol Republic
Prince Fan-Coeur holds open court in Fleuvel once a year where citizens can come and air their grievances against his government. Theoretically, if a citizen were able to garner enough support, he could run off against Fan-Coeur in an election, but that hasn’t ever happened. Disharmony in the Dusol Republic comes from within the government far more often than from the citizens. Fan-Coeur values loyalty and rewards those that demonstrate their loyalty to him. He makes a strong effort to bring other races into the fold, especially the Feral Elves, but so far his efforts have only been somewhat successful.

In the Dusol Republic, the line between military advisor and domestic advisor is blurred even more than in the other factions. Fan-Coeur’s own skills in policy and military matters are only decent, but his ability to find capable, kind-hearted retainers is unsurpassable. His blood brothers, Zun-Ciel and Yin-Cul (a Dwarf), are famous fighters, while Arc-Jinzi, a distant cousin of the Emperor, is one of the most capable generals in the world. Lastly, Cal-Xinzhi, an exiled Primarus, is Fan-Coeur’s most trusted advisor.

Solland
Fan-Coeur’s home province has fallen on hard times since the War of Three Princes began. The Black Kingdom invaded and has claimed some of the land for itself, leading to regular skirmishes along the border. Refugees from Valengaard fill the major city of Tianjie, creating slums. Officials from the Dusol Republic keep order and manage the military, but the constant battling with the Black Kingdom leaves them wanting for resources.

The largest city in Solland is Tianjie, by the northern border. The slums are filled with Human and Dwarven refugees, while the more affluent areas of the city are generally populated by Halflings, Gnomes, and Orcs. The second largest city is Kou’an Shui, a bustling port near the south that thrives due to trade with the Jiang Empire and black market trading with Port Marveilleuse in Valengaard.

Solland is the only province other than the Dragon’s Fang that isn’t majority-Human. Tianjie is dominated by Halflings, Gnomes, and Orcs and Kou’an Shui’s trading skill is a direct result of the daring Elves that have partnered with the Humans to sail. Of the standard races, only Dwarves, Drow, and Half-Humans are less prominent than Humans in Solland. Even the Primara are commonly seen in Solland, either on their way to Valengaard or as philanthropists seeking to aid the struggling poor of the province.

Solland is filled with fertile plains that are effective for farmland, and many of the Dusol Republic commoners work the fields to supply food to the big cities. However, the danger of being so close to Valengaard has also given the province a strong military, with at least one or two important Dusol generals stationed in Tianjie at all times. The province is very hot, with much of the contested area desert land unfit for agriculture.

The common people of Solland are dignified and accept their sufferings without much complaint. They are frugal and able to stretch a few gold pieces a long way to provide for their families. They have a strong communal bent. As most are only one bad harvest away from poverty themselves, they have no qualms with helping others.

Fleuvel
The capitol of the Dusol Republic is, in many ways, the opposite of Solland. Unlike the flat plains and soil of Solland, Fleuvel is mountainous and temperate, with many long rivers. After Fan-Coeur’s cousin was displaced, Fleuvel became the hub of activity for the Dusol Republic. Its natural fortifications made it difficult to invade, but the knowledge of the terrain gives the Dusol army a perfect vantage point to launch an invasion into Valengaard if they choose to.

The largest city is Luxeuex-Mer, surrounded by mountains and near a large lake. Fan-Coeur’s palace sits at the city’s peak, surrounded by mist. Luxeuex-Mer has all kinds of people, from artisans and craftsmen, to manufacturers and laborers. Roc-Gardien is nearly its equal in size, and is located near the border with Valengaard. Roc-Gardien is a military city, made up of forts and bases, with few civilians. Its strong defenses make invasion from Valengaard difficult, but would facilitate an invasion over the mountain border fairly easily.

The major cities are mostly Human, although there are a fair amount of Halflings and Elves in Luxeuex-Mer as well. Roc-Gardien is home to many military Dwarves and Orcs in addition to the Humans. Outside of the cities, there are Feral Elven societies in secluded areas. Although the Feral Elves are not hostile to Fan-Coeur or the Dusol Republic, most of them have no desire to be drawn into the War of Three Princes and are suspicious of outsiders.

When he took over from Fan-Cassan, Fan-Coeur inherited the wealth of Fleuvel, which he has put to use improving the lives of the people of the province. He regularly walks the streets of Luxeuex-Mer, speaking with the common people, and has been known to travel the outlying areas for a month or two each year to see how the commoners are doing. His generosity has allowed the province to equal Valengaard and Sun-Ming in culture and wealth, if not quite in population or military strength.

While the poor refugees from Valengaard settled in Solland, the wealthy nobles that worked for the Emperor came to Fleuvel, giving the province an aristocratic feel. Philosophy and debate are common practices, as are art forms such as theater and music. Cartographers theorize that Magna Terra is fairly close to Fleuvel, and many rich, young adventurers sail off to find the fabled island in an attempt to learn the ways of the Primara.

The Jiang Empire
Prince Da-Jin is neither the warrior his father was, nor the conqueror his brother was. However, he commands the loyalty of the Southern Provinces and keeps his Empire staffed with talented, capable men and women. Although he’s a generation younger than Varkrig and Fan-Coeur, he carries himself with dignity and class, having built up his brother’s land into a formidable entity. His presence has united the Southern Provinces, giving the Jiang Empire perhaps the strongest internal ties.

Da-Jin looks for sustainability when delegating matters of war and government. His father’s allies, his brother’s retainers, and his own findings all work together to strengthen the Jiang Empire. Da-Jin is well-known for his ability to find talented young adults and pair them with established figures, to assure that there will always be great leaders to lead the Jiang Empire. The Half-Elf Ren-Xinling works in most aspects of the government. His experience studying with the Primara allows him to deal with them, and he is well-liked by many of the Elven communities in the Southern Province. He’s also a tactical genius and a competent fighter. His protégé, an Elf named Huozai, also deals with command. A Drow named Daoban, who used to work as a pirate, is the greatest fighter and field commander in the Jiang Empire.

Shi-Hua
The province of Shi-Hua is mostly desert. A handful of oases punctuate the long stretches of hot, dry land. The people of Shi-Hua are nomadic hunters that move around the province with the seasons. The northern tip of the Province is somewhat more temperate. The port of Zi is the closest thing to a city in the province, but it’s really more of a fishing village that experienced an influx of trade of the uniting of the Jiang Empire.

Zi is a simple city, populated by nomads who prefer a bit of stability. It grew rapidly to suit the trading needs of the province, but still keeps the small village feel of the original coastal town. It isn’t particularly wealthy, as most of the money it makes goes to the capitol. The people of Zi are taken care of by the Empire, but are intentionally left without too much excess to dissuade the Black Kingdom from attacking from Port Marveilluse.

The Great Fracture broke along the borders of Shi-Hua and (to a lesser extent) Sun-Ming, leading to a mixture of races. The nomadic tribes of Shi-Hua are often a healthy blend of Human, Elf, Orc, Halfling, and various half-humans. A cluster of Feral Elven villages exist far removed from Zi and out of the path of the nomads, but the Feral Elves have been known to break off and join the nomads in adulthood.

Despite the barrenness of the desert and the nomadic lifestyle of most of the people living in Shi-Hua, life in the province is relatively good. The nomads are exceptionally resourceful and able to forage and hunt to keep themselves full. Zi is not a major port, but makes enough in trade to sustain itself.

Shi-Hua has a strong sense of racial harmony, as the nomadic tribes are welcoming to foreigners and racially diverse. Furthermore, the dangers of the desert are a threat to every living being, leading different tribes to work together. Before the uniting of the Jiang Empire, the tribes occasionally fought, but the Empire acts as a stabilizing factor. Magic has also helped some of the tribes survive, leading to less overall conflict in the province.

Sun-Ming
The capitol province of the Jiang Empire and the home province of the Da family serves as the hub of activity in the Southern Provinces. From its time under Da-Dao, to when Da-Yan reclaimed it for the family, the province has thrived and blossomed into the wealthiest, most powerful province in the world with the possible exception of Valengaard. The plains take up most of the province, with some jungle towards the south leading into Zhou-De.

Although there are a surprisingly large amount of cities and large towns in Sun-Ming as a result of its prosperity, the crown jewel of the province lies in Jing-Sun, the largest city. Jing-Sun rivals the Imperial City in size and population. It sits on the coastline and has massive port that is capable of trading with any of the other ports in the Land. The Spring Palace sits in the center of the city, housing Prince Da-Jin, his family, and closest retainers. A large portion of the Jiang army is stationed in the city, and nearly the entire fleet as well.

The racial harmony of the Southern Provinces continues in Sun-Ming. Humans are the most populous race, but Elves, Orcs, and Halflings are all quite numerous in the area. The Drow of Zhou-De make occasional appearances, but rarely stay in one place very long. A relatively large number of Primara make their homes in Jing-Sun due to the high concentration of magic in the city.

If Falskar and Dragon’s Fang are known for hardy warriors, then Sun-Ming is known for magic. Through some cosmic accident, magic washed over the entire province sometime during the Great Fracture, and the magic tradition of the province has been going strong ever since. Holy men of Jing-Sun were among the first to create a divine connection with the Five Elements, and the province as a whole has a relatively friendly relationship with the Primara (at least some of them).

The abundance of wealth in the province has spurred innovation and many tasks done in other provinces by laborers and servants are done by summoned creatures, golems, and magical pets among the upper crust of Jing-Sun’s society. While the powerful magic in the city is almost always beneficial to all, there have been a few isolated incidents involving summoning fiends or other creatures that rampage through the city on a path of destruction. Prince Da-Jin has formally outlawed summoning intelligent life within Jing-Sun, but this law is often bent in secret by the magi of the city.

Zhou-De
That the wild jungles of Zhou-De could be truly tamed is a testament to the power of the Jiang Empire and the leadership ability of Prince Da-Jin. Although it was always a complete Province, Zhou-De was always regarded as split between Humans and Elves. The Drow built an elaborate city, half above water and half below, and used it as a launching port for their raids on traveling ships, while the humans slaughtered Feral Elves and Drow on sight.

The Human port of Nan-Aozi is towards the northern border of the province and works primarily with ship-building for the Jiang navy. The city is surrounded by jungle with large game, including many dangerous Dire animals. Despite the danger, a yearly hunting expedition ventures into the jungles for two weeks. Because of this ritual, many of the archers who come from Nan-Aozi are fearless and skilled.

On the other end of the province is the great city of Kitril-Tenamalo, a Draconic name meaning “Rebirth”. Some of the city sits above ground, but the majority of the denizens and buildings are located underwater, just off the coast of the mainland. The Drow built Kitril-Tenamalo to escape their enemies. Although the Drow have worked out an agreement with the Jiang Empire, they still keep to themselves are rarely allow outsiders into the undersea part of Kitril-Tenamalo.

Until Da-Yan and Ren-Xinling took control of the province, there was a constant three way war between the Humans, Drow, and Feral Elves. Ren-Xinling was able to calm the war and focus on uniting the Southern Provinces, but tensions remain. The Drow were given a free pass to continue their pirating, especially against the Black Kingdom, which has earned the Jiang Empire their favor. However, the Feral Elves generally choose to remain in isolation, with only a handful taking an active part in the Jiang Empire.

I will edit this as I detail the other ones, but there is the first.

[Qwo]

I don't have any constructive criticism to add so this post is probably useless, but I just wanted to say that your world history is surprisingly well-done and interesting. Seems very tightly-wound.

[Raistlin1040]

Thank you! Compliments are always appreciated, especially since this thread is (as many homebrew threads are) fairly quiet most of the time.

[arguskos]

Raist, I felt that I should mention that the Spine of the World is from an existing setting (Faerun), where it is a very northerly mountainous area claimed by no one who matters and filled with fierce warriors and whatnot. Just letting ya know that you might want to differentiate it (or change the name really) so that no one gets tetchy.

[Raistlin1040]

Huh. So it is. Having never played in the Forgotten Realms, I had no idea. I'll be changing that then.