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Category Archives: Guildmoor
Guildmoor Gazette #6: Ravenhall Saved! Orc’s Maw Mountain Pass Now 5% Safer!
Guildmoor Gazette #5: Couatl Conspiracy Continues to Confound
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Explore the ISLE OF GUILDMOOR!
This is version 0.1 (beta) of rules for The Isle of Guildmoor!
Tell me if you (with perhaps a friend or two) want to adventure on the ISLE OF GUILDMOOR!
GUILDMOOR is an island dotted with friends, foes, lairs, treasures, and mysteries. Using Pathfinder RPG, you can use any race and monster as a base for your character(s)!
Your “Team” is all the creatures that you can control on the Isle of GUILDMOOR. Your Team will find and discover things that other Teams need NOT know.
Some things you encounter in GUILDMOOR will too be challenging for your group to face alone. You might want to return to them after you grow more powerful.
Every day of the Guild will be 1 turn. Depending on what you do on your turn, you can encounter monsters and earn XP, find powerful magic items, gain new allies, and/or find clues about quests. When your team gains enough XP, you level up and your Team can gain levels!
If you encounter another Team, you have the option of fighting them for more XP and loot. (You cannot combine Teams.)
Content Creators:
You can also tell me ideas of something people can encounter, and I might put it in GUILDMOOR. You can earn XP for createing locations and encounters that other groups will find!
Creating your “Group”:
We are using the Pathfinder RPG because of the huge amount of options and flexibility it gives. The Grandmaster can help you in learning how to play Pathfinder: it really isn’t that different from other systems, especially once you have created your character(s).
The “XP Budget” of your Team when you start is 3,200 XP or (Challenge Rating (CR) 7). This means you can have one CR 7 creature, two CR 5 creatures, three CR 4 creatures, one CR 5 and two CR 3 creatures, eight CR 1 creatures, etc.
An individual creature’s CR is a combination of its race and its class levels. Most standard Pathfinder races (humans, goblins, ifrits, etc.) get no base CR from their race. Each PC class level (fighter, wizard, etc.) adds +1 to the CR. NPC class levels (warrior, commoner, expert, etc.) add one less than PC levels do (minimum ½ a CR). A creature must have an Intelligence of 3 or higher to have class levels.
Examples:
- A Level 3 human wizard is a CR 3 creature, and uses up 800 XP of your XP Budget.
- A Level 3 wizard ogre is a CR 6 creature (CR 3 from being an ogre, and +3 to the CR for 3 PC class levels), and uses up 2400 XP of your XP Budget.
- A giant centipede cannot be a Level 3 wizard (RIP)
Ability scores: Creatures with PC levels who are your avatar can use unrestricted 15 point buy to determine ability scores. If a creature is NOT your avatar and has class levels, then if it has PC levels (e.g. fighter, wizard, etc.) then it starts with the HEROIC ARRAY of 15, 14, 13, 12, 10, and 8 before racial and other modifiers. If it has NPC levels (e.g. warrior, adept, expert, commoner, etc.) then it starts with the BASIC ARRAY of 13, 12, 11, 10, 9, and 8.
Money: Your combination of class levels and base creature CR also confer a gold budget to outfit your group with gear that corresponds to Pathfinder RPG guidelines.
Tell me the following (in writing, or at my email guildgrandmaster@gmail.com):
- Who is on your Team (up to 3 people)
- The “idea” of your group of characters (a short written description of them) Some ideas for inspiration:
Insane hermits in the woods (a druid and a ninja) who absolutely despise each other
A bugbear who bullies and leads a group of goblins (each with different NPC class levels, such as Warriors, Experts, or Adepts) who are actually good-aligned but are misunderstood - Which character(s) are your “avatars” (your representative in the game world – what you know and find out will be limited to what they know)
How Guildmoor will run (this is a work in progress):
- Your Team all starts together, in a single hex on the map.
- Each day in the Guild is 1 day (and 1 turn) on Guildmoor. Each day, you can travel to a new neighboring hex, or explore your current hex. (You can always “fast travel” to a hex neighboring your known map of GUILDMOOR.)
- Other students and I will GM your turn.
- Some hexes will have a fixed encounter when you enter it. If not, there is a chance of a random wilderness encounter. (This will be based off of a table that other students and I will constantly be building.)
- Encounters will be short – think 10 minutes or less. It can be a fight. It can be a couple living in a hut in the woods. It can be a cave entrance with a single encounter, like some monsters, a trap, or a combination of both.
- You may be rewarded with XP, gold, magic items, “quest items,” or information!
- NOTE: one possible way to approach GUILDMOOR is to find ways to attract others to follow your leadership! This can be through your extraordinary charisma, or more nefarious means…
Guildmoor Gazette #3: Fire, Death, Rage!
Week 1, Friday
Price: 3 sp
Lavinia murdered, fire burns down firearms shop and Fluffy Bundts Bakery
As yesterday’s rally marched toward Castle Guildmoor, explosions rang out at Lavinia’s firearms shop, causing a fire that destroyed the shop and half of Fluffy Bundts Bakery. During the fire, Lavinia was murdered in her chair at Teresa’s Tonsorial Parlor.
“It was truly awful,” said Teresa. ” One minute I’m dyeing her hair, the next minute she’s this emaciated corpse! It’s so strange… My door was closed and I didn’t hear a thing.”
Grizzleby, the town sage, arrived soon after, but the perpetrator had already left.
“We already know a ghost was going after Lavinia, and I am afraid it succeeded,” Grizzleby said. “Ghosts are held to this earth by unfinished business, I can only wish that it has somehow found peace and moved on.”
“Lavinia was a wonderful person,” Teresa said. “I can’t imagine why a ghost would want to kill her.”
At the firearms shop, an improvised bucket brigade put out the fire, but not before spreading to the neighboring Fluffy Bundts Bakery. Luscious Lucinda, covered in flour, still passed out bundts to the volunteers.
Captain Staunton, when pressed about whether half-orcs or the thieves’ guild might be behind the troubles, demurred.
“We cannot reveal any of our leads until our investigation is complete,” he said.
Merchants say: “Make Guildmoor great again!”
The Guildmoor Merchants Association and the House of Winston sponsored a rally of about one hundred in the town square that marched to Guildmoor Castle, demanding greater protection against recent robberies and violence on town shops.
“We came to Guildmoor to get away from dragons, undead, and orcs!” said Caleb Mardigan, president of the Association. “Where can an businessman or businesswoman make a living on this cursed earth?”
“We have emptied our city coffers protecting half orcs and providing free healing for all, while honest men and women have to fend for themselves,” said Branford II of House Winston.
The Merchants Association organized a volunteer brigade to supplement the town guard.
Emotions ran high, when news arrived that Devyn Colby, guard of the Ainsworth Weapon Shoppe, died from injuries sustained while defending his shop on Wednesday night.
The rally spontaneously marched toward Guildmoor Castle chanting, “Ronulus! What about us!?”
More land cleared
Regent Ronulus reports that new land has been cleared for farming, and that prospective farmers are to report to Castle Guildmoor for more information.
Miscellany
Luscious Lucinda insists that the Bundt-Eating Contest is on for this Saturday.
“My roof is gone, but my oven still works,” Lucinda said. “I don’t care if we will have to eat among the ashes of my ruined shop, under the pouring rain!”
Your loyal correspondent,
Ayduin Ravanan
Guildmoor Gazette #2: Guildmoor is Haunted!
Week 1, Thursday
Price: 3 sp
Guildmoor Guard greeted by ghost
Lavinia, proprietress of the Tinder Box store, was accosted by some ghost-like creature while opening her store on Wednesday morning. She reported the apparition to local guards, who dispatched it quickly.
“I feel like I’ve aged ten years,” said Lavinia. She has set an urgent hair appointment with Teresa’s Tonsorial Parlor to deal with her new greys.
The town sage, Grizzleby, tended to downplay the problem, I, your faithful reporter, did more investigating. Apparently, incorporeal creatures can only be harmed by magical weapons. Thankfully, the town guard has such items in stock.
Grizzleby’s Forecast
Thursday – partly cloudy skies
Friday – morning fog, clear by noon
Saturday – thunderstorms
Miscellany
The Harbormaster is offering a reward of 100 gold to anyone who has more information on the low number of fish in Lake Guildmoor’s waters.
Your loyal correspondent,
Ayduin Ravanan
Guildmoor Gazette #1: A DRAGON in Guildmoor?
Week 1, Wednesday
Price: 3 sp
A DRAGON in Guildmoor?
A large flying lizard — either a drake or a dragon — was seen by the docks on Sunday! Harbormaster Jenkin states there is no cause for alarm. Calls for his removal increase.
“He — or she, it was quite hard to tell, I only saw its back side because it was not a threat. No, not a threat at all,” Jenkin said. “It simply flew past our town, and so I ordered our guards to stand down.”
“It was a copper, or bronze dragon,” said Grizzleby, local sage of lore. “Such creatures tend to not mean ill will. Now, a red dragon? That would be cause for concern.”
Regent Ronulus will meet with the harbormaster today to discuss increasing security at the docks.
“We are looking into it,” Ronulus said. “Meanwhile, still tell your relatives to move to Guildmoor and this is a safe town! If anything, this makes life here a little more interesting.”
Half-orcs demand full respect
A dozen half-orcs gathered before Castle Guildmoor Monday to stage a protest for greater respect in Guildmoor. They held signs aloft saying “Half-orc coppers are just as good as human coppers.” “Half-orc? Half respect!” and “We are not Goblins.”
Regent Ronulus did not step outside, despite protesters’ demand that he do so. A representative did meet with protesters and promised that the Regent would investigate Saturday’s mysterious death of Snubub.
Miscellany
Luscious Lucinda continues to amaze townspeople with her delightful bundt cakes. Lucinda also seeks to dispel the “groundless prophecy” from Grizzleby that the 2nd Annual Bundt-Eating Contest this Saturday will be beset by heavy rain.
“I don’t care if there is a thunderstorm happening, the show must go on!” Lucinda said. “Besides, who believes that hairy old coot?”
Lastly, the Gazette seeks MORE CORRESPONDENTS to chronicle the events in Guildmoor. There is no compensation but EXPERIENCE and the proud feeling that you will have kept informed the citizens of our fine town.
Your loyal correspondent,
Ayduin Ravanan
Setting and Rules for GUILDMOOR (post 2)
Here’s some more info on the sandbox campaign of GUILDMOOR that we will have in the Guild. Remember that I must hear from teams before Spring Break!
Again, Rule #1 for GUILDMOOR is that you can think up and do anything, BUT it must be something your character(s) would do. The characters in your Team have their own ambitions, hopes, motives, and fears. What those are, YOU can define first.
First of all, if someone can figure out why I am calling it GUILDMOOR, you will win XP! (Hint: the answer is NOT in a dictionary!)
More Guidelines for GUILDMOOR:
- Each person has one avatar in Guildmoor. Your avatar represents YOU within Guildmoor. Your knowledge is limited to what your avatar knows. For example, if you send out some goblins to explore some woods for you and they are killed by some other players, all you will know is that they didn’t come back! Or if you send some animated skeletons to “scout” out a dungeon, they will come back out and stare at you and say NOTHING! =)
- IF your avatar is a creature that has class levels (remember, you can be something from the Bestiary if you want to, or a creature from the Bestiary that has class levels!), you begin with an unrestricted 15 point buy to determine your ability scores!
- If a creature is NOT your avatar and has class levels, then if it has PC levels (e.g. fighter, wizard, etc.) then it starts with the HEROIC ARRAY of 15, 14, 13, 12, 10, and 8 before racial and other modifiers. If it has NPC levels (e.g. warrior, adept, expert, commoner, etc.) then it starts with the BASIC ARRAY of 13, 12, 11, 10, 9, and 8.
- One possible way to approach GUILDMOOR is to find ways to attract others to follow your leadership! This can be through your extraordinary charisma, or more nefarious means…
-Your Ever Imaginative Grandmaster
Setting and Rules for GUILDMOOR (post 1)
Before Spring Break, I need to hear from you if you want to adventure in the ISLE OF GUILDMOOR, a sandbox campaign that I will game master in the Guild.
GUILDMOOR is an island that is largely untamed. There is a walled keep that guards a mostly-human settlement that manages to live off the land.
You and at least one other member of the Guild get to form a group that will stake their own path on this isle. You will start off relatively weak, small, isolated, and with little knowledge of GUILDMOOR. We will call you and your classmate(s) your Team. Your Team will find and discover things that other Teams need NOT know. I will personally game master GUILDMOOR; you and your teammates will communicate to me your actions, and I will tell you what happens. If something needs to be played out in class, like a battle or an interaction with characters of another player, I will tell you.
Rule #1 of GUILDMOOR is that you can think up and do anything, BUT it must be something your character(s) would do. The characters in your Team have their own ambitions, hopes, motives, and fears. What those are, YOU can define first.
There will be things you find, creatures you encounter, and treasure, if your group explores GUILDMOOR. Some things will too be challenging for you your group to face alone; you might have to ally with others to deal with some things. Or you might want to return to them after you grow more powerful.
You can also tell me about ideas of something people can encounter, and I might put it in GUILDMOOR. Or heck, your GROUP can be one of those things!
I need to hear from the members of your Team before Spring Break. This can be via an index card, or an email. I need to know:
- Who is in your Team (at least 2 people)
- The “idea” of your group of characters (I will want a short written description of them) Some ideas for inspiration:
Insane hermits in the woods (a druid and a ninja) who absolutely despise each other
A bugbear leading a group of goblins (each with different NPC class levels, such as Warriors, Experts, or Adepts) who are actually good-aligned but are misunderstood
A thieves’ guild of shape changers - Which characters are your avatars (your representative in the game world – what you know and find out will be limited to what they know)
- GUILDMOOR is a very diverse land. Where will your group begin? The keep and village? In the mountains? The forest? In the water? In some caves? Somewhere else?
Guidelines for GUILDMOOR:
- Your characters are separate from your Guild characters. They are in a separate “universe”: their XP and loot cannot transfer to your Guild characters or vice versa.
- You can design 2,400 XP worth of characters (using Pathfinder XP). If your Group includes creatures from the Bestiary, refer to their XP value. You can also add or replace NPC or PC class levels. NPC or PC class levels also confer a gold budget to outfit your group with gear and/or a building using Ultimate Campaign rules. They must be done by the week after Spring Break.
- Every day of class represents a day in GUILDMOOR. I will approach a member your Team and you will tell me what your Team does on that day. (Examples: explore and map the wilderness, work a job to earn gold). You must eat somehow: If you live in the village, the cost of living is about 3 silver per person per day. Or you can live off the land with Survival checks. If you encounter something that needs to be played out in class (e.g. an encounter with some creatures or even with characters of another Group, or a battle), we will do so.
- As your group accomplishes tasks and/or defeats creatures in Guildmoor, your Team gains more XP for its “budget” which it can use to make your characters more powerful or add more characters. This will be the Pathfinder XP you earn, divided by 15.
Pathfinders' Guild of Berkeley 