[Chains of Winter] House Rules and Perks

[pyrephox]

For the most part, would be using 3.5 rules, because I like them and they are shiny. However, I would want to play with several things. First, background skills.

Each country, guild, and Order has its own set of 'background skills' which are available to PCs that are affiliated with that organization. These are skills which count as class skills for the /1st/ level only. Every character recieves 10 points to spend only on ranks in those background skills. After 1st level, the character's skill list goes back to standard, unless there's a specific perk that says otherwise. (Grump. Doing this without a book is annoying.)

Countries:

Albis: Survival (Mountains), Climb, Craft (Mining or related), Profession (Mining), Appraise.
Ochuri: Knowledge (Animals), Profession (Sailor, Herder), Survival (Grasslands), Swim, Ride.
Sovven: Knowledge (Occult), Profession (Forester), Bluff, Apprase, Intimidation
Marsis: Diplomacy, Sense Motive, Bluff, Gather Information, Knowledge (Nobility and Royalty), Profession (Sailor, Merchant).
Searest: Bluff, Swim, Knowledge (Shipmaking, Sailing), Disable Device, Survival (Ocean)

Major Guilds:

Marsis' Merchants' Guild: Appraise, Sense Motive, Bluff, Craft (Any), Diplomacy
Seven Stars Troupes: Tumble, Bluff, Disguise, Gather Information, Perform
Independent Sailors' Guild: Climb, Swim, Knowledge (Shipmaking, Sailing), Survival (Ocean)
The Treeguards: Survival (Forest), Knowledge (Animals), Spot, Search, Listen

Major Orders:
Order of the Silver Stone: Knowledge (Occult), Listen, Language (Elven), Knowledge (Religion)
Order of Justicars: Sense Motive, Diplomacy, Ride, Intimidate, Gather Information
Order of the Sun Triumphant: Heal, Knowledge (Occult), Diplomacy, Animal Empathy.

What's the difference between a guild and an Order?

Guilds are large, diverse organizations united under a common purpose. They are not, typically, restricted to members of a particular class or race (the guild-families of Ochuri are an exception, although even they have adoption rituals for exceptionally talented individuals), and are usually to promote some larger benefit to the whole. The Seven Stars Troupes are a guild of entertainers; bards are the greatest number of the members, but wizards who specialize in entertainment, fighters who do stage-fighting, clerics who travel with entertainers, and rogues who specialize in slight of hand or mentalist tricks might all belong to the Seven Stars as full members. Orders, on the other hand, are usually secret or semi-secret organizations whose membership is restricted to a narrow band of individuals, often united towards a specific purpose. The Order of the Silver Stone, for example, is an Order which takes only wizards of some level of elven descent who pass a rigorous trial. Their purpose is ostensibly for research into the elven civilization before Founding, but observers have wondered why a research Order has grown to hold such political power within Ochuri. The true and full purpose of an Order is often known only to its trusted members, and they do not tend to recruit openly.

It is not unknown for a character to belong to both a guild and an Order, if the two organizations are on good terms (or the Order is a secret one), but it is frowned upon (or outright forbidden) to belong to two or more guilds, or two or more Orders at the same time. Neither guilds nor Orders appreciate members who cannot show dedication and loyalty to the group they have chosen. All organizations have sets of rules for their members to follow, and internal methods of inflicting consequences on those who refuse. Guilds and Orders usually also have internal ranks: a member of a lower rank is expected to defer to and respect a higher ranked member unless the higher ranked member is clearly in violation of the rules. Getting drummed out of a guild is a very public, and telling, humilation. Orders often have more...lasting ways to deal with deviant members, especially if those members are in danger of divulging Order secrets.

The place of various PC classes in the game world.

Fighters: Fighters are ubiquitous, possibly the most common class in the civilized lands. Every guild welcomes fighters, either as guards, bouncers, secure couriers, interrogators, or just visible muscle, and there's plenty of work in the navies of the nations, as well. There's only one major Order for fighters: The Order of the Pilgrim's Shield. Affiliated with Candinu, the sober god of Justice, and based out of Solthis, these fighters are dedicated to the protection of judges, priests, and diplomats, as assigned by the Commander of the Shield in the temple of Candinu. Smaller, minor Orders may include groups of knights attached to a ruler, treasure hunters, and hunters of exotic beasts.

Barbarians: There are few classical Barbarians in the five kingdoms. Small groups of frontiersmen have made places for themselves up in the heights of the mountains, or the depths of the wild forests, but they are rarely seen except on the borderlands and occassionally by far-ranging traders. Barbarians are looked down upon in most of the civilized lands...only Albis, with its rugged outlook and constant need of strong, manual labor, accepts the Barbarian without comment. There are no major Orders for Barbarians, who usually eschew the rigid demands these organizations often entail.

Ranger: Rangers work as foresters in Sovven, herders in Ochuri, scouts in Albis, hearty sailors in Searest...there's always work and status for someone who knows the land. The Ochuri Rangers will often have one of the stocky, powerful horses of the plains as their animal companion...the Brothers of the Wind are an Order of rangers who especially dedicate themselves to breeding the best animals possible. And, it is rumored, use magic to do it. The Treeguards of Sovven, an Order of rangers and druids, protect the loggers from the animals in the depths of the forests...and vice versa.

Druids: Druids can be found along the lonely borders of the interior, at the edge of civilization. Many of these have gone further into the interior than any other citizens, and will provide guide services for a price, as long as the purpose of the trip is not to injure nature. The Druidic Order is set apart from all others; /all/ druids belong to it, even though some may belong to other, allied, Orders as well. The Green Man is the leader of the druids, although few have ever seen him. He sends his subordinates in guise of bird or beast, or asks the very trees to carry his messages. He rules lightly, but the fate of a druid who steps too far from the path is often exceptionally messy.

Paladins: Paladins are rare and highly-valued in the five kingdoms. Selfless and unwavering devotion to the causes of Good and Law make them ideal temple guardians, questers, bodyguards of royalty and high priests, and royal agents. Most come from the higher ranks of society, and are trained in affiliation with a temple, which they may or may not later join in a formal manner. It is not unusual for paladins to earn minor titles of nobility, especially in Marsis, where the Order of the White Dolphin is a powerful political entity.

Wizards/Sorcerers: Wizards are as in demand as fighters, but much less trusted. While magic is seen as useful and helpful, it is also known to be dangerous and corrupting. Most average citizens do not understand the difference between a 'wizard' and a 'sorcerer', and disciplined wizards are often blamed for the more chaotic actions of sorcerers...particularly those who have just discovered their powers. As such, most wizardly Orders put a great deal of effort into finding, training, and indoctrinating young magic-users. A wizard without a Guild, military, or respectable Order affiliation is seen as a wildcard, dangerous and unstable. About the only place where unaffiliated wizards are free to practice their trades unharassed is Searest, where they often sign on with pirate ships, or as protectors for villages.

Rogues: Rogue-class characters are rarely identified as 'rogues', but rather judged on their actions. Scouts and spies are valuable to government and guild officials, but most of the nations have high penalties for criminal thieving activity (including, in Sovven, being remainded into slavery), so rogues who enjoy thieving keep their heads down. There is no unified thieves' guild...thieves tend to organize in small, loose cells, instead. There are taverns or other businesses in most major cities where thieves can drop in and hook up with potential job contracts, and usually at least one local fence. Non-thieving rogues can be con men, diplomats, scouts, spies, assassins, or other covert operatives, and are generally accepted as what they present themselves as.

Bards: Bards are welcome in all of the five kingdoms, although there are few opportunities for permanent jobs. Most bards belong to the Seven Stars Troupes, an guild of entertainers and thespians who band together for mutual protection. In Marsis, bards have 'bardic immunity', meaning that they cannot be arrested or attacked for their artistic endeavors. At least, not officially. In the other countries, bards with noble patrons are accorded higher respect and immunity from the law than independent bards. Bards who use their magical powers too frequently may create hostility or fear among citizens, or come to the attention of mystical Orders. In general, however, the charming bard is likely to be accepted with joy wherever he goes, and famous bards may also serve as 'unofficial' diplomatic envoys.

Comments

[cpip.livejournal.com]

What happens to characters who join orders/guilds in the course of play? Do they get free skill bonuses?

[pyrephox.livejournal.com]

Nope. It's background skills to portray previous learning. They can still spend points as cross-class as usual, though, and will not lack for trainers/justification.