The Lords of Life and Death

Character is like a tree and reputation like its shadow. The shadow is what we think of; the tree is the real thing.
- Abraham Lincoln

You can tell a lot about a fellow's character by the way he eats jelly beans.
- Ronald Reagan

This campaign is centered on low level PCs. Each player begins at level 3. Alternatively, they can use that 3,000 experience to get powers, as outlined on the powers page. PCs from the previous camapign are allowed with DM permission only.

Animator: An animator is a human with the ability to raise the dead and an affinity to the dead. They are immune to many undead powers.
Elemental: Elementals are basically intelligent elements, being Air/Smog, Earth/Dust/Sand, Fire/Lightning, Water/Ice etc. They are not too bright but powerful.
Fairy: The fae are an old magical race, currently stuck on earth after their homeland was destroyed by their own creation.
Ghost: The spirits of the restless dead, ghosts are powerful creatures and seldom interact with the material worl unless asked to or summoned.
Half Celestial: The children of the old gods, half celestials are unnaturally beautiful and generally model for various ad agencies.
Half Fiend: The children of the old gods, half fiends are often very evil and generally find good careers in politics.
Human: The... well, humans. Not much I need to say, I guess. Go look in a mirror for more information on them.
Lycanthrope (Were): Beings able to become animals and assume half-animal forms, weres are powerful and often called the Lords of Life.
Mummy: The dead who have somehow returned themselves to a semblance of life, mummies are not well known and seldom understood by the world at large.
Vampire: Vampires are a special species - often called the Lords of Death - who believe they were created to be a check on the other species growth by evolution.

Barbarian: On modern earth, most barbarians tend to be dishonourably discharged soldiers, gang members and the like.
Bard: Bards tend to be the play on the street corner types. Those who use their gift for song in bands and such end up being corrupted by fame and the schedules of others and lose their baradaic gift, that being the ability to use magic with song.
Cleric: True clerics are extremely rare in the modern world, where faith is hard pressed to hold its own against disbelief, science, logic and the scpepticism of the age. If a clerics faith is shaken, so is their ability to cast spellls. They can be difficult to RP properly.
Druid: While druids don't have the problem clerics do - the world is the source of their magic and most people admit it exists (or at least is a really persistent illusion) the world is hurting and in lots of pain. This makes (sane) druids as rare as clerics.
Fighter: Fighters are typical police officers and military men.
Monk: Monks are not common, and not monks. Most of them tend to be warrior types or martial artists. You're basic monk is a martial artist who knows how to meditate, in essence.
Paladin: See cleric. Also druid. They're mostly insane and very, very rare.
Psionicist: Psychics on earth tend to either think they are nuts or join circuses. Their abilities work regardless of their faith in it or not.
Ranger: Rangers are rather common as private detectives and the like.
Rogue: Thieves are very common. And not just in politics.
Sorcerer: Those with inate magic in them are rare, but not unduly so. Its learning spells that is rare and remaing sane that is hard.
Wizard: Wizards, who can only use magic via circles, staffs, incantations and grimoires, are very rare. Almost as rare as true clerics and their belief in magic is vital for it to work and continue working. Drugs help.

These can be found (for species and classes) on the powers page. The abilities listed here are guidelines, not facts. Not every PCs ability will do the same thing as everyone elses, and some weres are just strange. For example, most Weres auras effect people too, but all effect objects.

Weapon	Cost	Damage	Critical	Range	Weight	Clip	Recoil	Type	Spot Difficulty
Handgun (small bore)*^	$250	1d8	x3	25'	5lbs.	20	0	Piercing	15
Handgun (small bore)*^	$250	1d8	x3	25'	5lbs.	20	0	Piercing	15
Handgun (medium bore)*^	$300	1d10	x3	25'	5 lbs.	15	1	Piercing	15
Handgun (large bore)*	$350	1d12	x3	25'	6 lbs.	10	2	Piercing	15
Sub-Machinegun (m bore)*+	$450	1d10	x3	40'	12 lbs.	30	1	Piercing	5
Sub-Machinegun (l bore)*+	$500	1d12	x3	40'	12 lbs.	20	2	Piercing	5
Assault Rifle+	$500	2d8	x3	50'	18 lbs.	30	2	Piercing	0
Sniper Rifle**	$1000	2d8	18+ x2	200'	26 lbs.	5	3	Piercing	-
Shotgun	$400	5d4++	x2	250' (max)	4 lbs.	8	5	Piercing	0
Stun Gun	$40	3d6	19+ x3	0	1/2 lb.	60	-	Electrical Subdual	20
Taser	$20	3d8	x2	20' (max)	1/2 lb.	-	-	Electrical Subdual	20
Grenade Launcher%	$200	%%	%%	25'	3 lb.	1	3	%%	-5 (penalty)

* can be silenced
** bolt-action, requires a partial action that does not provoke an attack of opportunity to chamber the next round once fired (as this does not qualify as an attack, it negates any recoil penalties that would be suffered. The recoil amount is supplied for reference purposes). Prolly also needs some additional rules for dealing with close range combat, sniping, etc.
+ can fire 3-round bursts, can fire full-auto bursts
++ Damage is 5d4 -2/10' of range (min. 1 damage), a shotgun has no range categories, only a 250' maximum range
Tasers and stun guns do electrical subdual damage, a stun gun's 'clip' is a 9-volt battery ($1 ea.), a taser fires once, cannot be reloaded, and has no range categories, only a 20' maximum range.
%A grenade launcher may be fitted under the barrel of a SMG.
%% varies by ammo type
^ A handgun may be modified to fire in full-auto (can fire 3-round and full-auto bursts). Doing so causes all attacks with that weapon to suffer a -1 penalty to attack rolls. The weapon also jams on an attack roll of 1 or 2 on 3-round and full-auto bursts, and on a 1 on single shots. Recoil for an autopistol is as follows: Single shot: normal; 3-round burst: 3x base +2; 1d6+4 round burst: 4x base +2; 1d10+9 round burst: 5x base +2; full clip: 6x base +2

Firearms max range is 20x range increment.
Masterwork versions of firearms are available for 5x cost (10x for sniper rifles), and provide +1 to attack rolls (sniper rifles have doubled range)

Grenade Type	Damage	Damage Type	Other
Fragmentation	6d6	1/2 fire, 1/2 piercing	20' radius, ref. save (DC 20) for half-damage
Smoke	none	none	25' radius smoke cloud for 2d4+1 minutes, visibility in smoke 2', 90% concealment
Tear Gas	none	none	Stinking Cloud* for 1d4+1 minutes
Flashbang**	one	none	10' radius, ref save (DC 20) or blinded and stunned for 1d4+1 rounds, second save or stunned for 1 round.

Hand-thrown	as type	as type	20' range increment, -1 to attack per range increment, 100' max range (5x)

These grenades come in either a hand-thrown, or launched version. Launcher grenades cannot be thrown (not effectively anywho).
Note: Duration for gas clouds is less under windy conditions, greater under exceptionally still conditions.
*30' radius, 20' high, fort save each round in the cloud or the only action you can take until you leave the cloud (and 1d4+1 rounds after leaving) is a single move or move-equivalent action. Cannot maintain spell concentration, either.
** thrown only

Ammo Type	Damage type	Cost*	Other
Steel-Jacketed	(iron)	$50
White Phosphorus	(fire)	$50	-1 to attack and damage rolls
Silver	(silver)	$50	-1 to attack and damage rolls
Standard	(physical)	$20
Teflon-coated	physical)	$50	target's natural+armor AC at 1/2, damage 1/2

Hollow-point	any	x1.5	target's natural+armor AC x2, damage x1.5, other effects as per material type
Masterwork	any	x5	+1 to attack and damage rolls, other effects as per material type

* cost is for a box of 50
Note: You can buy masterwork hollow-points

Spot Difficulty: For concealed weapons. Modified by various things, at the DMs discretion. Common mods would be +5 for concealing clothing (coat, jacket, etc.), -5 for revealing clothing, stuff like that. Maybe add a feat for better concealment or something. Some weapons may be modified to increase concealability. [Especially assault rifles in trench coats :) - Alcar]
Pistols: Shortened barrel
Assault Rifle: Shortened barrel, folding stock
Shotgun: Shortened barrel*, sawed-off barrel, folding stock
These work as follows.

Sawed-off barrel and shortened barrel are mutually exclusive ;b
If someone tries to take both, you can kill their character with no guilt
- |337C4Bb4g3

Shortened barrel (non-shotgun): Range is halved, attack rolls suffer a -1 penalty. Spot difficulty receives a +5 bonus.
Folding Stock: Base recoil is one greater, attack rolls suffer a -1 penalty. Spot difficulty receives a +5 bonus.
*Shortened barrel (shotgun): Damage is 5d4 -3/10' of range (can do no damage). Spot difficulty receives a +5 bonus.
Sawed-off barrel (shotgun): Damage is 5d4 -4/10' of range (can do no damage). Spot difficulty receives a +10 bonus.
Recoil: Recoil represents a weapon's "kick." When firing a single round with a weapon, the recoil amount is the amount listed for that weapon on the weapons chart. When you fire a 3-round burst, or full-auto burst, the recoil amount is calculated as per the description of that attack. If taking multiple attacks with a firearm within a round, after firing that weapon the next attack receives a penalty to the attack roll equal to the recoil amount for any attacks immediately following another attack. This penalty is modified by a character's strength modifier, but can never be positive.
For example, Bob, a fighter with 16 strength (+3), fires a 3-round burst at a rabid squirrel with his AK-47. He then turns around and fires at a smelly old homeless man who is asking him for money. His recoil penalty would normally be 4 (2x the assault rifle's standard recoil of 2 = 4), but since he is so buff, he only takes a -1 penalty! If he had had a 34602 strength (+17296) instead of a 16, he would take no penalty, but neither would he receive any bonus, because that would just be cheesy. On the other hand, if he had had an 8 strength (-1), his penalty would have been -5.
Reloading: Reloading is a move equivalent action that provokes an attack of opportunity.
Silenced Weapons: -1 to attack and damage rolls, DC10 to hear (with the range, etc. mods as normal from the PHB). Silenced weapons invoke a -5 penalty on spot difficulty.
3-round burst: +1 attack roll, +1 critical range, 2x recoil (+1 additional point of recoil for SMGs); a 3-round burst is a standard attack
Full-auto burst: Fires a long burst. Effects depend on number of rounds fired:
1d6+4: +2 to attack roll, +1 to damage roll, +1 critical range, 3x normal recoil (+1 for SMGs); standard attack
1d10+9: +4 to attack roll, +2 to damage roll, +1 critical range, 4x normal recoil (+1 for SMGs); standard attack
Full Clip (20+): +6 to attack roll, +3 to damage roll, +2 critical range; full attack (this is the only attack you can perform in a round)
Rolling a 1 on an attack roll while firing a 3-round or full-auto burst indicates a weapon jam. Clearing a jam requires a move equivalent action that provokes an attack of opportunity.
Note: All bonuses to firearms critical ranges are applied AFTER all other bonuses.

		Armor	Maximum	Armor	Arcane	Speed
Armor	Cost	Bonus	Dex Bonus	Check Penalty	Spell Failure	(30 ft.)	(20 ft.)	Weight	Spot Difficulty
Sublight armor
Light Kevlar	$200	+2	-	-	-	30	20	5 lbs.	20
Light armor
Light Body Armor	$350	+4	+8	-	5%	30	20	10 lbs.	15
Med. Body Armor	$500	+6	+4	-1	15%	30	20	20 lbs.	10
Medium armor
Heavy Body Armor	$750	+8	+2	-5	30%	20	15	40 lbs.	5
Heavy armor
Breach Gear	$2500	+10	+0	-8	50%	20*	15*	60 lbs.	no

*runs 3x normal, instead of 4x
Light Kevlar could be sewn into jackets, trenchcoats, and other heavy articles of clothing. This would be expensive.

Feats and skills work as usual. Update for modern earth as it seems apropriate. Knowing languages is also a good thing :)

Magic spent to cast spells (in the powers section) is NOT regained via fast healing and such.

While PCs in this game are powerful, this is largely to allow difrentation among the "mosnter" classes that D&D does not allow. It is NOT an excuse for munchkins. Just recall that no matter how powerful you are, there are NPCs with LOTS more power around. Stress the word lots.

Character Creation