Running Age of Worms - Downloaded from the Wizards Community, all coding removed by Solauren

Running Age of Worms

Post/Author/DateTime Post
#1
zombiegleemax
Jun 18, 2005 13:38:55 I'm about to start up this Age of Worms campaign path and I thought it might be useful to start up a thread to discuss the running of the campaign as it pertains to Greyhawk.

First of all, I've noticed that Diamond Lake is as old as the City of Greyhawk boxed set. This means Diamond Lake is not simply a "generic" town developed only for this campaign. However, it may be that Diamond Lake simply has not been heavily developed before. Anyone recall reading about it before now?

Second of all, the module gives a lot of campaign hooks, but it essentially supposes the PCs have lived their lives in Diamond Lake and are seeking to escape the rigors of small town life (cue in Beall's song from Beauty and the Beast about how "there must be more than this provincial life"). That seems fine and dandy enough, but what about other possible character hooks. Suppose you have a character who wants to be associated with the Scarlet Brotherhood, or the Greyhawk Thieves Guild, or say you have someone who wants to take regional feats from Dungeon 315 or 319. Does anyone think it will be really necessary to presume the same basic background for every PC or doi you think it be a bit more flexible? Erik? Developers?
#2
james_jacobs
Jun 21, 2005 15:25:13 Diamond Lake's been around for years, but apart from a brief mention in Doomgrinder it's never really been detailed. Age of Worms is its big breakout role.

As for character backgrounds... the Age of Worms works best if the party is all from the surrounding region. Characters from distant lands need reasons to have come to Diamond Lake, and also reasons why they didn't gain several levels during this journey so they can start at level 1 with the rest of the locals. But otherwise... there's no real reason why you can't have players from the far corners of the world in this campaign. In the Age of Worms campaign we're runnin here at Paizo, one of the characters hails from the Valley of the Mage, and that seems to be working out.

The point is, basically, that the PCs are starting out in Diamond Lake and want to escape the town, but can't because they're broke.
#3
Steel_Rabbit
Jun 21, 2005 16:21:22 I cannot tell you how excited I am at this. I was telling my boss (we both work at a games shop in Vancouver, BC, and are avid D&D players) that D&D has never really had a published campaign for it in the way that WFRP has (for instance). Age of Worms (and shackled City) adventure path is a brilliant idea and I can't wait to get it running.

Also I'd like to thank the Dragon and Dungeon staff for not forgetting about Greyhawk and making the extra effort to make it take place within specific Greyhawk locals. You could have just as easily done them in FR or Eberron (ugh!) but you decided to keep them within the bounds of the best D&D setting. Thanks! :D
#4
grodog
Jun 21, 2005 19:05:33 Diamond Lake entries from Jason's index:

Diamond Lake [RVR]
COG:GOTF - 22
FTAC - 15,24
PGTG - 33
TAB - 59
TAB:AM - 3,9
TD - IBC,7,17,19,20

Diamond Lake, Village of [TWN]
COG:GOTF - 22,23
FTAC - 27
TAB:AM - 9
TD - 15,21,22

Diamond Lake Mines [MNE]
TAB:AM - 3,9

I agree with James' assessments: while the PCs don't have to be local, I get the impression that they shouldn't be very worldly. James, does that figure into things when the PCs get to the Free City later---they're presumed to be first-time visitors/country bumpkins, etc.?
#5
zombiegleemax
Jun 23, 2005 2:04:57 So far I've told my players that they have to either be from Diamond Lake or trapped there somehow, but that seems to be putting a limit on their creativity. At the same time, I don't want to encourage them in the opposite direction and have extremely bizarre character concepts that don't mesh or make any logical sense. (e.g. an aasimar necromancer from Ahlissa, Furyondian illumian barbarian, Cruski suloise cleric of Rao, and Keoish dwarf spellthief suddenly find themselves trapped in Diamond Lake, not that this is what my players want to play, but it is an example of an extreme I'd like to avoid.) How did you rope in the valley elf? (I'm presuming that's what the Vale character's race is.) Any other generic character hooks people have thought of would be awesome.

Incidentally, I love the references to the Red Death. The other home campaign I run is a 3.5 conversion of Fate of Istus and it's a blast. Things like that make me feel like I'm playing in a world with a life of its own.
#6
james_jacobs
Jun 23, 2005 12:05:42 I'm not sure of the exact details on how Sean's valley elf character came to be in Diamond Lake in our game (he's pretty close-lipped about his character's past), but I believe he went on "walkabout" and ended up in Diamond Lake.

One of the themes of the Age of Worms campaign is that the PCs start out as nobodies who aren't very worldly, but by the end of the campaign they'll be world travelers. Their first few encounters in the Free City do indeed have that "country bumpkin in the big city" feel. If you want to have more worldly characters, the campaign itself still works fine. You'll just miss out on this one (fairly minor) aspect if the players are from all over the world.

I actually ran a Diamond Lake-based campaign way back in college that had the PCs trapped in the town in a similar way, but they all came from the far corners of the world. My method for getting them into the region was that they all had dreams of a looming, creepy windmill that filled them with an overwhelming urge to seek it out (in a plot hook stolen shamelessly from Close Encounters of the Third Kind, only substituting the Doomgrinder in for Devil's Tower). I ran each player through a short solo adventure that covered their journey from their home to the Cairn Hills, and gave them a bit of XP for their trouble, and when they all arrived at the Doomgrinder they had pre-generated reasons to work together. Seemed to work pretty good; you can probably do a similar thing with Diamond Lake but use the Whispering Cairn as the "dream-lure."
#7
bdunn91
Jun 23, 2005 16:32:02
So far I've told my players that they have to either be from Diamond Lake or trapped there somehow, but that seems to be putting a limit on their creativity. At the same time, I don't want to encourage them in the opposite direction and have extremely bizarre character concepts that don't mesh or make any logical sense. (e.g. an aasimar necromancer from Ahlissa, Furyondian illumian barbarian, Cruski suloise cleric of Rao, and Keoish dwarf spellthief suddenly find themselves trapped in Diamond Lake, not that this is what my players want to play, but it is an example of an extreme I'd like to avoid.) How did you rope in the valley elf? (I'm presuming that's what the Vale character's race is.) Any other generic character hooks people have thought of would be awesome.

Incidentally, I love the references to the Red Death. The other home campaign I run is a 3.5 conversion of Fate of Istus and it's a blast. Things like that make me feel like I'm playing in a world with a life of its own.

I think you should re-read the source material on Diamond Lake again. There are a few references to get characters from outside the region into the campaign. They just involve being currently stuck in a relatively dead-end job in Diamond Lake. But the can be from further afield. There are already suggestions sprinkled about that you can use.

I don't look at telling the PCs to make a particular choice, being stuck in Diamond Lake, as being all that constraining of their creativity. There are plenty of ways they can be creative given that campaign-starting directive. If any player thinks it is too restrictive, then they aren't being very creative at all. Don't confuse character eccentricities as evidence of greater creativity. A good test of creativity can be coming up with something interesting and different out of a more limited scope of options.
#8
zombiegleemax
Jun 23, 2005 19:03:16 The only really good character hook I saw was that PCs not from Diamond Lake are staying at that tavern that caters to out-of-town folk and travelling merchants. I've read the entire adventure and the entire backdrop thoroughly.

I'm not trying to say there are no hooks for those kinds of characters, just that the focus is heavily on PCs from DL and support for other kinds of PCs is lacking. I simply wish to compare notes with other DMs. I hope that doesn't rub anyone the wrong way...
#9
zombiegleemax
Jun 27, 2005 21:10:11 I'm quite new to the DM scene, so if my hook seems tenuous thats why. Basically, since my character is a gnome I deal with Tidwoad. Between me and the person playing this character, we concocted a story of Tidwoad being a family friend. I took some creative liscense with Tidwoad, I hope it doesn't backfire with later publications. It basically goes like so:

10 or 15 years ago, Tidwoad was visiting this gnome town (I am not familiar with Greyhawk yet, so I am not sure where it would be good to place it. I was hoping somewhere north east, east or south east.) because the PC's father was a friend from a long time ago. The two hatch up a plan to start a gem and other related goods store in the capital of Greyhawk. The PC's father takes most of the family's money supply and promises to pay for the rest of his families move as soon as he can afford it.

After shop is set up, the PC's father sends home letters every several months. This countinues well, with the father becoming more optimistic in his letters and the PC expects to be living in Greyhawk in around a years time. Then, the letters stop. The PC doesn't worry at first, since the last letter said that her father would be increasingly busy. Eventually, after the good part of a year has gone by, the PC decides something has gone wrong and pleas with her mother to let her go to the Free City, but because of her age, her mother refuses.

After five or so more long years, her mother passes away, and she takes the rest of the family's money, having no siblings (is this abnormal for a gnome?) and treks to the CoG. On her way to the CoG, she stops in Diamond lake, where she runs into her father's business partner and learns the truth.

Five years ago, her father and Tidwoad were doing well, the shop had nestled into a niche in the large city and a decent stream of money was flowing into the business. Enough money that a local group of thugs noticed the small store and planned to sack it. Their first attempt was thwarted by the clever gnome Tidwoad. On the second day, he had left the shop for a small time, leaving the PC's father in charge. The group attacked then, and her father was unprepared for the thugs despite his fathers short sword+1 he had brought to work after being warned by Tidwoad about the thugs. The thugs had slayed the PC's father in the process of looting and almost made it out before Tidwoad returned. He managed to kill one of the intruders but the rest escaped.

After the theft, he tried to recover, but constant harrassment by the group forced him to leave. Taking with him all his possessions and a silent vow never to be stolen from again, Tidwoad fled the thugs and the CoG to the nearby town of Diamond lake. He had heard rumors from clients about the cairns and had decided to check them out. After learning that they were just rumors, he gave up on that idea and again opened a shop. To keep his vow, he hired Festus the shield gaurdian and then settled down in the gem trade.

Learning of this truth, the PC appeals to Tidwoad as a family friend and is allowed to stay in one of the rooms above his workshop.

The PC has been in DL for around a year or so when the adventure begins, and is ready for a change. She doesn't like leeching off Tidwoad, who has been allowing her to stay while she does minor tasks around his shop, and his shop has been suffering lately, as has the town. Her motivation is to gain enough wealth to travel to the CoG and open up a shop of her own, since she has no close family left to return to. Of course, this small idea will soon be replaced by the epic quests fate has prepared for her in the Age of Worms...

Since I'm new at Greyhawk, and D&D entirely, any suggestions relating to either this backstory or really any first timer hints or suggestions are eagerly welcomed.
#10
grodog
Jun 28, 2005 1:44:25 James---

I noticed that neither the Whispering Cairn nor the Diamond Lake backdrop included Scaling the Adventure details---is the AP really geared to brand-new campaigns only, or can you start out with PCs at levels higher than 1?
#11
Elendur
Jun 28, 2005 2:20:04 The scaling the adventure sidebar, along with the usual excellent artwork, maps, and player handouts, is in the online suppliment which you can download from paizo.com.
#12
zombiegleemax
Jun 28, 2005 9:19:50 That's a really nice development of Tidwoad, Mysthack. Maybe he's become cantankerous and a bit more cruel (hence the evil alignment) because of those events in his life. Maybe he is simply so consumed by thoughts of revenge that he has difficulty being as benevolent as he used to be. That sounds like a great exposition!

Gnomes come from several places in GH. The Kron Hills in the west and the Flinty Hills in the east are two major centers of gnomish culture. There are a number of gnome burrows and townships in these areas. The states of Ulek are another place where gnomes are fairly well established. Ulek is a haven for demihumans of all kinds and several of the noble families are gnome families. Then, of course, there are the forest gnomes who are indigent in the Gnarley, Vesve, Fellreev, Adri, and Rieuwood. A fair number of forest gnomes also live among the elven and human peoples of Sunndi. The svirfneblin all live underground and most are loathe to spend time on the surface. They are heavily concentrated in caverns beneath the Crystalmist Mountains and the Hellfurnaces.
#13
grodog
Jun 29, 2005 21:35:48 Thanks for the pointer Elendur---I'd already downloaded the web enhancement, just hadn't gotten around to opening it to see what's inside :D
#14
Elendur
Jun 30, 2005 9:31:47 I really wish I could run this adventure. What with the poster map of diamond lake and all the goodies in the web enhancement, it looks really fun. The backdrop article gives player hooks for each race and class, so you don't have to start with the old "four adventurers meet in a tavern" deal (not that there's anything wrong with that.
#15
samwise
Jun 30, 2005 10:00:45 And don't forget to check out the piece in Dragon on refurbishing a house for use as a base. It is very useful both in that campaign, and as a base for doing the same in other campaigns where characters get a chance to annex some property.
Of course the default skill modifiers don't match the ones in the DMG II, but I think those are a bit excessive anyway. (Presuming both an elite stat array for all such NPCs, as well as a secondary "two-skill bonus" feat, and the ability to get masterwork tools for everything. A masterwork plow or hoe for a farmer?)
Anyway, I think it is a nice little article.

(See, I don't hate EVERYTHING.)

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 zombiegleemax Jun 18, 2005 13:38:55	I'm about to start up this Age of Worms campaign path and I thought it might be useful to start up a thread to discuss the running of the campaign as it pertains to Greyhawk. First of all, I've noticed that Diamond Lake is as old as the City of Greyhawk boxed set. This means Diamond Lake is not simply a "generic" town developed only for this campaign. However, it may be that Diamond Lake simply has not been heavily developed before. Anyone recall reading about it before now? Second of all, the module gives a lot of campaign hooks, but it essentially supposes the PCs have lived their lives in Diamond Lake and are seeking to escape the rigors of small town life (cue in Beall's song from Beauty and the Beast about how "there must be more than this provincial life"). That seems fine and dandy enough, but what about other possible character hooks. Suppose you have a character who wants to be associated with the Scarlet Brotherhood, or the Greyhawk Thieves Guild, or say you have someone who wants to take regional feats from Dungeon 315 or 319. Does anyone think it will be really necessary to presume the same basic background for every PC or doi you think it be a bit more flexible? Erik? Developers?
#2 james_jacobs Jun 21, 2005 15:25:13	Diamond Lake's been around for years, but apart from a brief mention in Doomgrinder it's never really been detailed. Age of Worms is its big breakout role. As for character backgrounds... the Age of Worms works best if the party is all from the surrounding region. Characters from distant lands need reasons to have come to Diamond Lake, and also reasons why they didn't gain several levels during this journey so they can start at level 1 with the rest of the locals. But otherwise... there's no real reason why you can't have players from the far corners of the world in this campaign. In the Age of Worms campaign we're runnin here at Paizo, one of the characters hails from the Valley of the Mage, and that seems to be working out. The point is, basically, that the PCs are starting out in Diamond Lake and want to escape the town, but can't because they're broke.
#3 Steel_Rabbit Jun 21, 2005 16:21:22	I cannot tell you how excited I am at this. I was telling my boss (we both work at a games shop in Vancouver, BC, and are avid D&D players) that D&D has never really had a published campaign for it in the way that WFRP has (for instance). Age of Worms (and shackled City) adventure path is a brilliant idea and I can't wait to get it running. Also I'd like to thank the Dragon and Dungeon staff for not forgetting about Greyhawk and making the extra effort to make it take place within specific Greyhawk locals. You could have just as easily done them in FR or Eberron (ugh!) but you decided to keep them within the bounds of the best D&D setting. Thanks! :D
#4 grodog Jun 21, 2005 19:05:33	Diamond Lake entries from Jason's index: Diamond Lake [RVR] COG:GOTF - 22 FTAC - 15,24 PGTG - 33 TAB - 59 TAB:AM - 3,9 TD - IBC,7,17,19,20 Diamond Lake, Village of [TWN] COG:GOTF - 22,23 FTAC - 27 TAB:AM - 9 TD - 15,21,22 Diamond Lake Mines [MNE] TAB:AM - 3,9 I agree with James' assessments: while the PCs don't have to be local, I get the impression that they shouldn't be very worldly. James, does that figure into things when the PCs get to the Free City later---they're presumed to be first-time visitors/country bumpkins, etc.?
#5 zombiegleemax Jun 23, 2005 2:04:57	So far I've told my players that they have to either be from Diamond Lake or trapped there somehow, but that seems to be putting a limit on their creativity. At the same time, I don't want to encourage them in the opposite direction and have extremely bizarre character concepts that don't mesh or make any logical sense. (e.g. an aasimar necromancer from Ahlissa, Furyondian illumian barbarian, Cruski suloise cleric of Rao, and Keoish dwarf spellthief suddenly find themselves trapped in Diamond Lake, not that this is what my players want to play, but it is an example of an extreme I'd like to avoid.) How did you rope in the valley elf? (I'm presuming that's what the Vale character's race is.) Any other generic character hooks people have thought of would be awesome. Incidentally, I love the references to the Red Death. The other home campaign I run is a 3.5 conversion of Fate of Istus and it's a blast. Things like that make me feel like I'm playing in a world with a life of its own.
#6 james_jacobs Jun 23, 2005 12:05:42	I'm not sure of the exact details on how Sean's valley elf character came to be in Diamond Lake in our game (he's pretty close-lipped about his character's past), but I believe he went on "walkabout" and ended up in Diamond Lake. One of the themes of the Age of Worms campaign is that the PCs start out as nobodies who aren't very worldly, but by the end of the campaign they'll be world travelers. Their first few encounters in the Free City do indeed have that "country bumpkin in the big city" feel. If you want to have more worldly characters, the campaign itself still works fine. You'll just miss out on this one (fairly minor) aspect if the players are from all over the world. I actually ran a Diamond Lake-based campaign way back in college that had the PCs trapped in the town in a similar way, but they all came from the far corners of the world. My method for getting them into the region was that they all had dreams of a looming, creepy windmill that filled them with an overwhelming urge to seek it out (in a plot hook stolen shamelessly from Close Encounters of the Third Kind, only substituting the Doomgrinder in for Devil's Tower). I ran each player through a short solo adventure that covered their journey from their home to the Cairn Hills, and gave them a bit of XP for their trouble, and when they all arrived at the Doomgrinder they had pre-generated reasons to work together. Seemed to work pretty good; you can probably do a similar thing with Diamond Lake but use the Whispering Cairn as the "dream-lure."
#7 bdunn91 Jun 23, 2005 16:32:02	So far I've told my players that they have to either be from Diamond Lake or trapped there somehow, but that seems to be putting a limit on their creativity. At the same time, I don't want to encourage them in the opposite direction and have extremely bizarre character concepts that don't mesh or make any logical sense. (e.g. an aasimar necromancer from Ahlissa, Furyondian illumian barbarian, Cruski suloise cleric of Rao, and Keoish dwarf spellthief suddenly find themselves trapped in Diamond Lake, not that this is what my players want to play, but it is an example of an extreme I'd like to avoid.) How did you rope in the valley elf? (I'm presuming that's what the Vale character's race is.) Any other generic character hooks people have thought of would be awesome. Incidentally, I love the references to the Red Death. The other home campaign I run is a 3.5 conversion of Fate of Istus and it's a blast. Things like that make me feel like I'm playing in a world with a life of its own. I think you should re-read the source material on Diamond Lake again. There are a few references to get characters from outside the region into the campaign. They just involve being currently stuck in a relatively dead-end job in Diamond Lake. But the can be from further afield. There are already suggestions sprinkled about that you can use. I don't look at telling the PCs to make a particular choice, being stuck in Diamond Lake, as being all that constraining of their creativity. There are plenty of ways they can be creative given that campaign-starting directive. If any player thinks it is too restrictive, then they aren't being very creative at all. Don't confuse character eccentricities as evidence of greater creativity. A good test of creativity can be coming up with something interesting and different out of a more limited scope of options.
#8 zombiegleemax Jun 23, 2005 19:03:16	The only really good character hook I saw was that PCs not from Diamond Lake are staying at that tavern that caters to out-of-town folk and travelling merchants. I've read the entire adventure and the entire backdrop thoroughly. I'm not trying to say there are no hooks for those kinds of characters, just that the focus is heavily on PCs from DL and support for other kinds of PCs is lacking. I simply wish to compare notes with other DMs. I hope that doesn't rub anyone the wrong way...
#9 zombiegleemax Jun 27, 2005 21:10:11	I'm quite new to the DM scene, so if my hook seems tenuous thats why. Basically, since my character is a gnome I deal with Tidwoad. Between me and the person playing this character, we concocted a story of Tidwoad being a family friend. I took some creative liscense with Tidwoad, I hope it doesn't backfire with later publications. It basically goes like so: 10 or 15 years ago, Tidwoad was visiting this gnome town (I am not familiar with Greyhawk yet, so I am not sure where it would be good to place it. I was hoping somewhere north east, east or south east.) because the PC's father was a friend from a long time ago. The two hatch up a plan to start a gem and other related goods store in the capital of Greyhawk. The PC's father takes most of the family's money supply and promises to pay for the rest of his families move as soon as he can afford it. After shop is set up, the PC's father sends home letters every several months. This countinues well, with the father becoming more optimistic in his letters and the PC expects to be living in Greyhawk in around a years time. Then, the letters stop. The PC doesn't worry at first, since the last letter said that her father would be increasingly busy. Eventually, after the good part of a year has gone by, the PC decides something has gone wrong and pleas with her mother to let her go to the Free City, but because of her age, her mother refuses. After five or so more long years, her mother passes away, and she takes the rest of the family's money, having no siblings (is this abnormal for a gnome?) and treks to the CoG. On her way to the CoG, she stops in Diamond lake, where she runs into her father's business partner and learns the truth. Five years ago, her father and Tidwoad were doing well, the shop had nestled into a niche in the large city and a decent stream of money was flowing into the business. Enough money that a local group of thugs noticed the small store and planned to sack it. Their first attempt was thwarted by the clever gnome Tidwoad. On the second day, he had left the shop for a small time, leaving the PC's father in charge. The group attacked then, and her father was unprepared for the thugs despite his fathers short sword+1 he had brought to work after being warned by Tidwoad about the thugs. The thugs had slayed the PC's father in the process of looting and almost made it out before Tidwoad returned. He managed to kill one of the intruders but the rest escaped. After the theft, he tried to recover, but constant harrassment by the group forced him to leave. Taking with him all his possessions and a silent vow never to be stolen from again, Tidwoad fled the thugs and the CoG to the nearby town of Diamond lake. He had heard rumors from clients about the cairns and had decided to check them out. After learning that they were just rumors, he gave up on that idea and again opened a shop. To keep his vow, he hired Festus the shield gaurdian and then settled down in the gem trade. Learning of this truth, the PC appeals to Tidwoad as a family friend and is allowed to stay in one of the rooms above his workshop. The PC has been in DL for around a year or so when the adventure begins, and is ready for a change. She doesn't like leeching off Tidwoad, who has been allowing her to stay while she does minor tasks around his shop, and his shop has been suffering lately, as has the town. Her motivation is to gain enough wealth to travel to the CoG and open up a shop of her own, since she has no close family left to return to. Of course, this small idea will soon be replaced by the epic quests fate has prepared for her in the Age of Worms... Since I'm new at Greyhawk, and D&D entirely, any suggestions relating to either this backstory or really any first timer hints or suggestions are eagerly welcomed.
#10 grodog Jun 28, 2005 1:44:25	James--- I noticed that neither the Whispering Cairn nor the Diamond Lake backdrop included Scaling the Adventure details---is the AP really geared to brand-new campaigns only, or can you start out with PCs at levels higher than 1?
#11 Elendur Jun 28, 2005 2:20:04	The scaling the adventure sidebar, along with the usual excellent artwork, maps, and player handouts, is in the online suppliment which you can download from paizo.com.
#12 zombiegleemax Jun 28, 2005 9:19:50	That's a really nice development of Tidwoad, Mysthack. Maybe he's become cantankerous and a bit more cruel (hence the evil alignment) because of those events in his life. Maybe he is simply so consumed by thoughts of revenge that he has difficulty being as benevolent as he used to be. That sounds like a great exposition! Gnomes come from several places in GH. The Kron Hills in the west and the Flinty Hills in the east are two major centers of gnomish culture. There are a number of gnome burrows and townships in these areas. The states of Ulek are another place where gnomes are fairly well established. Ulek is a haven for demihumans of all kinds and several of the noble families are gnome families. Then, of course, there are the forest gnomes who are indigent in the Gnarley, Vesve, Fellreev, Adri, and Rieuwood. A fair number of forest gnomes also live among the elven and human peoples of Sunndi. The svirfneblin all live underground and most are loathe to spend time on the surface. They are heavily concentrated in caverns beneath the Crystalmist Mountains and the Hellfurnaces.
#13 grodog Jun 29, 2005 21:35:48	Thanks for the pointer Elendur---I'd already downloaded the web enhancement, just hadn't gotten around to opening it to see what's inside :D
#14 Elendur Jun 30, 2005 9:31:47	I really wish I could run this adventure. What with the poster map of diamond lake and all the goodies in the web enhancement, it looks really fun. The backdrop article gives player hooks for each race and class, so you don't have to start with the old "four adventurers meet in a tavern" deal (not that there's anything wrong with that.
#15 samwise Jun 30, 2005 10:00:45	And don't forget to check out the piece in Dragon on refurbishing a house for use as a base. It is very useful both in that campaign, and as a base for doing the same in other campaigns where characters get a chance to annex some property. Of course the default skill modifiers don't match the ones in the DMG II, but I think those are a bit excessive anyway. (Presuming both an elite stat array for all such NPCs, as well as a secondary "two-skill bonus" feat, and the ability to get masterwork tools for everything. A masterwork plow or hoe for a farmer?) Anyway, I think it is a nice little article. (See, I don't hate EVERYTHING.)