You can even work out a couple different reasons to join together into two or three small groups, then leave it to me to throw you together once you're in the city. In that case, at least some of your initial meetings will occur in-game.

Once you've figured all of this out, as individuals and as a group, I'll determine at what point we'll actually begin playing. Preferably, we'll start just as you arrive in Ptolus.

Use your background to help you determine your race, class, religion, and even the equipment with which you start. (Assuming you don't use one of the predetermined equipment packages found in the PH, use your starting money to purchase equipment but keep in mind what you're here to do and where you've come from.)

Once you choose a race, class, and general background, you'll receive another more specific packet of information with information that only your character knows. You'll also receive a basic map of the city of Ptolus, a calendar so you can keep track of time passage, and a few more visual aids.

Here are a few notes regarding how various classes will fit into the campaign.

Barbarians: Human barbarians are likely to be from the recent invasion from the east. There are no elven or dwarven barbarians (unless you've got a really interesting backstory).

Bards: This being an urban campaign, bards fit in very well. Minstrels with talent are well received in the city, where the taverns are outnumbered only by the temples.

Clerics: Clerics are, not surprisingly, among the most respected people in society. Clerics of Lothian have some political clout (but in turn have to cope their church's Byzantine structure and politics). You're going to have to decide what religion you are. Your first decision should be whether you are of "the Church" (the Church of Lothian) or one of the thousand other religions. After that, if you choose to belong to a smaller faith, you'll have to figure out which. Use one found in the Player's Handbook, use one mentioned briefly in the earlier section, come up with your own, or ask me for more choices (there are obviously many more than I've discussed here).

Druids: A long time ago, there were many more druids in the area than there are now, and they belonged to a group called the Circle of Green. There are no major druid organizations anymore. These characters are mostly loners now.

Fighters: There are a number of orders of knighthood in the campaign if you're interested.

Monks: The monk tradition, it is said, comes originally from the far south. Now it is pervasive, and orders of monks are very common -- usually dedicated to a particular cause or belief. Some religions treat monks as religious figures like very different sorts of clerics.

Paladins: There are a number of orders of knighthood in the campaign if you're interested. Also, look to the cleric discussion above regarding religion.

Rangers: Human rangers likely are from the Viridian Lords of Palastan.

Rogues: While there is a major thieves' guild in Ptolus, remember that as a rogue, thief is just one option.

Sorcerers: Sorcerers follow a particularly ancient tradition -- the original means of manipulating the magic of the world, they believe. They form ideas so profound and powerful that these ideas become spells. Because their power is acknowledged and respected, sorcerers often figure into the military, city watches, etc. Dwarves are almost never sorcerers -- they are wizards instead.

Wizards: Wizards, as opposed to sorcerers, are extremely scholarly -- they look upon magic as a science and attempt to learn and utilize its rules and loopholes. Because their power is acknowledged and respected, wizards often figure into the military, city watches, etc. Elves are only very rarely wizards -- they are sorcerers instead.

The scope of this campaign is much like what is suggested in the core books. Most people are commoners, and low level at that. At 4th to 5th level you've started to make a name for yourself. By 9th or 10th, you're "somebody." By 15th, you truly stand among the elite of the elite. Beyond that, and you join the ranks of those they still sing songs about. The realistic top-end is 20th level, but there might be something beyond.

 

Races

The number of intelligent races in the world is seemingly without measure. At first, only a small number are available as PCs, but as the campaign advances, more options will become available.

All of these races are available as PCs. They're also the most common races you'll encounter as NPCs.

According to the elves and dwarves, the humans are the youngest of the common races. Despite this, they are the most prevalent of all intelligent races.

[Game Info: As Human in PH]

Their ancient name refers to the Seven Races of Chaos, for elves once came in many types -- many more than one can find today (although, the dark elves and the harrow elves are technically additions). The Elder Elves are thought to be extinct. Elves have always preferred the deep woods or the open sea over the mountains or the cities, magic over the mundane, the moon and stars over the sun.

Elves, Shoal. When non-elves simply say "elf," they're probably referring to the Shoal. Generally dark haired and dark skinned, these elves are prevalent in the Sea Kingdoms, for they love the sea and ships. Some live along the Whitewind Sea as well, but they care less for the cold, and so they number fewer than those in the south. [Game Info: As Elf in PH except favored class is sorcerer, not wizard. Also have a +2 racial bonus to Profession (sailor)] Elves, Faen, Quickling: Humans have named these elves "halflings," due to their stature -- a fact most faen do not appreciate. They are small, fair, and nimble. Their childish size does not carry with it a childish demeanor. They do not have much contact with the other races of elves -- in fact, they interact more with humans. Nomadic, they often move about in roaming tribal caravans throughout Rhoth and sometimes Palastan. [Game Info: As Halfling in PH] Elves, Faen, Loresong: Slightly larger than quickling faen, loresong faen are more magically inclined than their brethren. However, most non-elves cannot tell the two types of faen apart physically. Also unlike the quicklings, the loresong are more likely to consort with other elves than with humans. They favor song and magic over just about anything else, often combining the two. Loresong faen dwell throughout Cherubar, Rhoth, Palastan and the Sea Kingdoms. [Game Info: As Halfling in PH except instead of +2 bonuses on Climb and Jump, they get +2 racial bonus to Spellcraft and Knowledge (arcana). Favored class: bard]

Although most call them dwarves, their own name for their race is Haurdir, the Stalwart Kings of Order. There are two great clans of dwarves in the known world, the Stonelost and the Grailwardens, but rumor has it that there was once another.

Dwarves, Stonelost: These are the children of the dwarves of Dwarvenhearth, said to be the greatest of all dwarven cities. Although they live in small villages scattered about the north, they no longer have the centralized focus that they once did, since the evil lord Ghul's forces drove them from their glorious city. Hence the name "Stonelost." When Ghul was defeated and Dwarvenhearth liberated, influential dwarven leaders would not allow their people to repopulate the city. No one knows why. Instead, the city was sealed. [Game Info: As Dwarf in PH] Dwarves, Grailwarden: Deep within the mountains of the Prustan Peninsula, the Grailwarden dwarves build large underground cities devoted to industry. Their name comes from their stewardship of the White Grail, one of three powerful magical artifacts of unknown origin (the Black Grail and the Unseen Grail are the other two). While the Stonelost dwarves -- and the Dwarvenhearth dwarves before them -- developed stalwart fighting skills waging wars against evil humanoids and dark elves, the Grailwarden dwarves focused their attention on science, craft, and even magic. [Game Info: As Dwarf in PH except no bonus versus orcs, goblinoids, or giants. +2 racial bonus to Profession (engineer), Craft (machineworks), Knowledge (machines), and Alchemy checks]

Far less numerous than the common races, no more than one of these may be represented in the PC group at any time.

Aram: The elvish name for these folk is "centaur." These half-horse, half-human appearing people are boisterous, arrogant and boorish, yet many find them likeable nonetheless. They live in both Palastan and Rhoth, and many have found their way into human communities -- but usually as individuals rather than groups.

[Game Info: +4 Str, -2 Dex, +2 Con, -2 Int, -2 Wis. +2 Cha. Large: -1 AC, -1 attack. +2 racial bonus on Spot. Favored class: fighter]

Elves, Cherubim: More common to the western mountains, these winged elves are frail but graceful even by elven standards. They live mainly in Cherubar, a land named for them. They are aloof (again, even by elven standards) and rarely travel outside their homeland.

[Game Info: As Elf in PH, except +4 Dex, -4 Con, Fly 60 (good maneuverability). Favored class: sorcerer]

Lizard Folk: More common to the south, these saurians attempt to keep out of the affairs of other races but often fail. Their own myths say that they originated in a vast forest/swamp that once covered most of what is now the Cold Desert, Palastan, and the Whitewind Sea. Sages indicate there are reasons to believe this to be true.

[Game Info: +2 Str, -2 Dex, +2 Wis, -2 Int. +2 racial bonus on Swimming. Favored class: cleric]

Although these races are available as player characters, they must be native to Ptolus. Thus they are not available as choices at the beginning of the campaign.

Tieflings: With fiendish blood in some small but measurable quantity flowing through their veins, these individuals are a rare but significant force in Ptolus.

Aasimon: Graced with celestial blood, these fortunate children of blessed scions have a representative of Heaven as a part of their heritage.

While by no means comprehensive, the following list of races includes some, but not all, of the predominant NPC races involved in the Ptolus campaign. These races are unavailable as PC choices without permission from the DM.

Orcs: Orcish myth contends that they originally were creations of the evil demon-god Gruumsh, although some ancient texts claim that they were actually created by an evil wizard. It is impossible to dispute however, that the orcs who dwell in the area around Ptolus were modified and bred by the evil lord Ghul. The Toruk-Ruk orcs are large, bestial, and ferocious. Their name means "closing fist," and they typify everything that people think of when they say "orc." The Sorn-Ulth ("bleeding breath") orcs are dark skinned and smaller than the Toruk-Ruk orcs, bred for evil magic and stealth. Both of these greater tribes of orcs live along the coast of the Whitewind Sea.

The orcs that call themselves Ornu-nom ("howling axe") were not manipulated by Ghul and dwell in the wilderness throughout Palastan and Rhoth. The Ornu-nom seem to have a sense of savage nobility but remain deadly enemies of humans and most other races.

Urlocs: Powerful, magical humanoids with massive forms, these creatures are of unknown origin, although they bear a physical resemblance to orcs and goblinoids. Urlocs are only rarely encountered outside the area immediately around Ptolus. They utilize twisted sorceries and seem to have contempt for all life.

Elves, Dark Elves: One must delve deep into elvish history to trace the origins of this splinter race of elvenkind. Mostly subterranean, they are rarely seen, although the Stonelost dwarves say their people fought great underground wars with the dark elves before Ghul drove the dwarves from Dwarvenhearth. Sadistic and cruel, they revere evil gods that urge them toward conquest and dominance.

Elves, Harrow: Very rare, these individuals descend from elves tortured and changed by the dark lord Ghul almost a thousand years ago. Once Elder Elves, they now are misshapen and cursed, often displaying perverse magical powers. While not strictly evil, most seem continually besieged by a darker nature within them, tugging at them to do wrong.

Githyanki: Gaunt, dour, and ruthless, the githyanki are hated and feared by most who know of them. The githyanki, in their own brief words, are not from this world, but came here hunting something.

Githzerai: Like their cousins/enemies the githyanki, the githzerai claim to be not of this world. They also seem to be here looking for something. Not as despicable as the githyanki, the githzerai have a harsh nobility about them. They seem to hate the githyanki more than anything else, but that appears to have nothing to do with their overall goals.

Kenku: Secretive, thieving, and untrustworthy, these avian creatures hover about the fringes of civilized society with their own obscure agendas.

Litorians: Once masters of the Plains of Panish, these golden-maned felines were scattered in the Wars of Fire thousands of years ago. Small prides hunt here and there in the wilderness, and occasionally a litorian attempts to fit into a human culture.

Minotaurs: Although most are quite bestial, some minotaurs are intelligent and civilized, albeit bloodthirsty by Ptolus standards. Most of these individuals are outcasts, although some become leaders. They are often powerful sorcerers or clerics as well.

Since the dawning of the Empire, surnames have become popular, since the Prust have long used them. Prustan (Imperial) names sound Germanic or even Prussian. Other human names descend from such diverse cultural backgrounds that they can be almost anything. Dwarvish names are short and harsh, often using diphthongs like "au"and "ou." Elvish names are long and grand, using diphthongs like "ae," "ai,"and "oe."Both dwarves and elves often have surnames that exist only as common tongue translations, like Stonemate or Hammersblood for dwarves and Moonshadow or Wavesong for elves.

Not surprisingly, magic is prevalent in the Ptolus campaign -- about as common as the core books suggest. That is, beyond the reach of the common man, but certainly well within the observable world. The same can be said of monsters -- while not everyone's seen a dragon, no one "disbelieves" in them. And most people have seen some sort of horrible creature (or many more) in their lives. Monsters are just far too common for folks to have failed to run into them.

In a world this old, with magic having been common throughout history, literally thousands of magical traditions, theories, and methods abound. To reflect this fact, all players with spellcasting characters must name their own spells and detail the appearance of the effect. Magic missile to one wizard might be "Inoris' slap of retribution" to another, appearing as a slapping hand made of energy. To a third, it might be "daggers of death" -- white-hot daggers flying through the air.

Many new spells will arise in this campaign as well, with plenty of opportunities for PCs to learn them and come up with their own. However, the following spells are not available in the campaign: planeshift and astral projection. You've never heard of them or their concepts.

Blessed children are the "opposite" of undead. They are the spirits of people not yet born. Just as evil clerics call upon the undead, good clerics can call upon the blessed children for aid. You'll learn more of this later, particularly if you're a cleric.

Next: An overview of the city of Ptolus itself, with a focus on religion and equipment (Guns? You put guns in your game?)

After that: Finally, with the background basically finished, we can start talking about what's actually going on in the campaign itself.

For now: Don't forget to check out the overview of current characters.