C&C Against the Giants

[Lordy55]

Hi Guys,

I'm looking into setting up a Tuesday evening RP group (7-11pm UTC) to play through the old TSR classic "Against the Giants". I'm guessing most hardened RPers have at least heard of Gary Gygax's epic dungeon crawl but for those who haven't' its a massive adventure originally written for AD&D and spread over seven published modules for level 8+ Characters. The story starts like a pretty standard dungeon crawl routing out some Hill giants from their forest liar but ends up descending into the lightless underworld and travelling leagues underground to the great city of the Drow before finally leaving the prime plane altogether to do battle with Demons in their own hellish domains.

For this game I'll be using the Castles and Crusades Rules set as it looks like the closest match to classic AD&D. I'm looking to run it for a small party (about 5) that have to think their way around the stories challenges rather than a nine man cavalry charge like the last time I ran it many years ago! Characters can be created as level 1 under the C&C rules and will then be bumped to lvl9 and be handed out some useful magic items to help them on their quest.

I have a one or two friends interested in playing but would like to add two or three more to make up a small party. I imagine it will take me a couple of weeks to write up the first module and familiarise myself with the FG system so I would probably be looking to start mid July.

So if interested let me know by posting here.

[thehorrors]

would love to get in on this my only problem i wouldnt be available until 2:45-3:00 est(7:45-8:00 utc) maybe next time

[Lordy55]

thehorrors- Doesn't sound too far out to me. If your keen on playing I'm sure we could start an hour later and play on an extra half hour or so instead.

[thehorrors]

If that is ok with the group then I would defiantly would like to join in. Thanks!!

[Blackfoot]

I can probably swing this.. it sounds like fun.

[Lordy55]

thehorrors- Fantastic :)

Blackfoot- Hopefully will be a lot of fun. I have an idea for giving the story a bit of a twist this time by setting it in a world where magic is waning and heroes by and large are a thing of the past. A world where mankind has all but forgotten about those long lost horrors in the night and the magical creatures that once roamed freely in the wilds. I'm hoping for a vibe where the players characters are the last and only hope for mankind. :)

Any preference for character races/classes?

[thehorrors]

I was thinking of playing a human fighter who was once a paladin but had lost his faith. Dealing with his inner daemons kind of a inner conflict of what he was and where he is today. Is this in the greyhawk setting?

[Lordy55]

thehorrors - That sounds perfect. I was hoping the starting theme to be one of what happens to adventureres when they are no longer needed and I think your idea fits in well with that concept. When all the dungeons are clear and the tyrants deposed, when peace and tranquillity is the norm, what becomes of the heroes? Simply being no longer needed is perhaps the greatest test of your characters faith for what point is there to a holy crusader when all the Demons are gone?

As for setting I have placed the story in a setting loosely modelled on the Barsaive province (From the FASA Earthdawn game) because I have a lot of maps and locations in my RP collection that can be easily modified to suit. It gives me the opportunity to then expand the game later into longer running campaign or stage new stories in other locations.

[Blackfoot]

I'm not really familiar with the C&C rules.. my understanding is that they are essentially the AD&D rules revisited and updated much like Pathfinder is D&D 3.5+?

[Trenloe]

I'm not really familiar with the C&C rules.. my understanding is that they are essentially the AD&D rules revisited and updated much like Pathfinder is D&D 3.5+?
Quickstart rules available for free here: https://www.trolllord.com/cnc/ccqs.html

The main difference between AD&D and C&C is that C&C uses AC counting in a positive direction (like more recent d20 rulesets) - there is no more THAC0, C&C uses a straight attack roll vs AC. There is also the Siege check for skill resolution. Those are the main 2 differences...

[Lordy55]

Quickstart rules available for free here: https://www.trolllord.com/cnc/ccqs.html

The main difference between AD&D and C&C is that C&C uses AC counting in a positive direction (like more recent d20 rulesets) - there is no more THAC0, C&C uses a straight attack roll vs AC. There is also the Siege check for skill resolution. Those are the main 2 differences...

Blackfoot- Yes that's right most of the monsters treasure and spells are identical to those found in AD&D and the other rules are very similar though with a few changes like AC and THAC0 Trenloe has mentioned.

Trenloe - Thanks for the link. Its nice to find something so useful free :)

[Blackfoot]

Hmm. So not really having the full class list I think I'll go for something simple.

Thuurn - A Half-Orc Cleric of a mostly forgotten war god... perhaps the same faith as the ex-Paladin.. perhaps not depending on how that would work in the world. He appears to be 'mostly' human but still has many Orcish characteristics that make him 'look a bit *****'. Ostracized by his 'kin' for the oddity of his appearance, he has clung to the only thing that gives him solace, his faith.
Primary stats: Strength and Wisdom
(I don't have the stats for half-orcs.. if they are really screwed like they were in AD&D.. I may not go for this option... do they get a penalty to WIS?)

[Lordy55]

Blackfoot- No penalties to Wis. They receive +1 strength / +1 stamina / -2 charisma. They also get a couple of other benefits such as dark vision, enhanced sense of smell, bonus to saves vs disease and enhanced AC when wearing no other armour. Feel free to choose an obscure god of war :) A few possibilities might be Thor = Norse, Ares = Greek, Mars = Roman, Wepwawet = Egyptian or even Gruumsh One Eye Orcish god of strength.

[Blackfoot]

Is Stamina the same as Constitution or is it something else?
I have a copy of 'Deities and Demigods' which has AD&D rules for those deities... should I assume those are more or less correct? I'm looking in particular at the 'Favored Weapon' and other religious aspects... perhaps alignment... accessibility to Paladins... stuff like that.

[inexorable]

Used to play AD&D a while ago. If you're still looking for a player, I'd be interested. Tuesdays, during the day for me, should work most times. PST time zone for me so I'm thinking that is 11am or Noon start for me? I'd be interested in playing a human or half-human character... Class doesn't really matter, I'll play what the party needs... if there is no specific need then I'd like to play a wizard/sorcerer. Thanks.

[Lordy55]

Blackfoot - Constitution is the toughness/stamina stat in C&C. Where are you seeing the Stamina trait? Could be its just something I have missed.

Inexorable - Half human or human wizard would be perfect at the moment. Welcome on board :)

[Blackfoot]

Your post? :)

Blackfoot- No penalties to Wis. They receive +1 strength / +1 stamina / -2 charisma...

[thehorrors]

Any idea when you would want a meet up to roll characters?

[Lordy55]

Blackfoot - :( Oops, Mixing my game systems there I think. Just ignore me.

All - I have just remembered TSR produced some pre rolled characters for this adventure so we can use the base stats provided to construct your characters rather than randomly rolling attributes. These characters all have very impressive base stats so clearly the writers thought you guys needed an edge. I think you will be pleased :)

[Lordy55]

thehorrors - The first Pregen Fighter on the list has the following base stats

Strength 17, Dexterity 14, Constitution 17, Intelligence 11, Wisdom 10, Charisma 13,

Level: 14
HP: 104

Would that work for you?

[Lordy55]

thehorrors - The first Pregen Fighter on the list has the following base stats

Strength 17, Dexterity 14, Constitution 17, Intelligence 11, Wisdom 10, Charisma 13,

Level: 14
HP: 104

Would that work for you?

[thehorrors]

Ok thanks all start on a backstory and work up a character sheet

[thehorrors]

Oh which pantheon of gods are we using?

[Lordy55]

thehorrors - I'm tempted to say Norse given the number of Giants in this story. Would that work for you?

[thehorrors]

Sounds good I'll get to work

[Lordy55]

thehorrors - Excellent, I'll issue your character some starting magic items later today then so you can finish your sheet.

[Lordy55]

thehorrors - Excellent, I'll issue your character some starting magic items later today then so you can finish your sheet.

As promised thehorrors here are some magic items for your character

Plate Armour +2,
Shield +5,
Spear +3,
Battle Axe +1,
4 x Potions of Invisibility
1 x Potion Of Cure Critical Wounds (Restores 5D8 hp's)
2 x Potions of Heal (Restores all hp's and cures other injuries such as broken bones)

[Lordy55]

Blackfoot - Speaking of stats I have some basic ones for your character too

Level 12 Cleric
HP 80
Strength 17, Dexterity 12, Constitution 17, Intelligence 10, Wisdom 18, Charisma 15, (Stats include Racial bonuses/penalties)

Plate Armour +2,
Shield +2,
Heavy Mace +2,
2 x Potions of Invisibility,
1 x Potion of Gaseous Form
2 x Potions of Heal,
7 x Vials of Holy Water

[Lordy55]

inexorable - And finally some mage stats. These would need racial modifies applied if you fancied a half demi human.

level 12 Mage
HP 55

Strength 10, Dexterity 15, Constitution 16, Intelligence 16, Wisdom 12, Charisma 13,

Robe Of Blending,
Bracers of Armour (+5),
Ring of Protection +1,
Staff Of Fire (20 Charges)
2 x Scrolls (Confusion and Summon Monster),
1 x Potion cure critical wounds,
2 x Potions Of Heal,

[inexorable]

Looks fine by me. Just brainstorming some but I'm thinking I'll go with a half-elf mage that is a bit of a recluse. He practices his magic away from the masses perhaps in a solitary tower or some other secluded home to avoid interruption and bringing concern to any locals. Considering magic is on the wane it is probably feared by the common person. Also, with fantasy type creatures not being around as often, including elves I'm assuming, it would make sense. Add to that the Norse Mythos as the local pantheon, and if memory serves, most Norse/Vikings weren't overly fond of elves so, again, it seems to make sense that a half-elven mage of such power would likely be on the fringes of such a civilization instead of having an abode in the middle of a city.

If there are any sites or downloads available for C & C rules and the like beyond the one linked in this thread please let me know. Thanks.

[Lordy55]

I like your background concept. A party of outcasts and loners :)

Sorry I don't have any links other than the one you have but have taken note of the half elf special rules for you.

Half Elves have standard attributes but get the following benefits

+2 Bonus to all Charisma checks
Can move silently whist moving at up to one half speed in wilderness areas.
Can spot hidden doors on a wisdom check just by walking within five feet or gain a +1 bonus when actively searching for them
+2 Bonus on any checks relating to hearing
+4 Bonus to resist sleep or charm and gain a saving throw even where none is normally allowed.

[Shaun]

I'd be really interested, I'm a total newcomer to FantasyGrounds, and quite new to C & C, but I used to know AD&D pretty thoroughly and was drawn to C & C because it's the closest thing to the old AD&D system (with the bad parts taken out). It would be cool to play this campaign again, my only possible snag is that I'm not certain at the moment if I can guarentee being available every Tuesday night, is that likely to be a problem?


Hi Guys,

I'm looking into setting up a Tuesday evening RP group (7-11pm UTC) to play through the old TSR classic "Against the Giants"......

So if interested let me know by posting here.

[Lordy55]

I'd be really interested, I'm a total newcomer to FantasyGrounds, and quite new to C & C, but I used to know AD&D pretty thoroughly and was drawn to C & C because it's the closest thing to the old AD&D system (with the bad parts taken out). It would be cool to play this campaign again, my only possible snag is that I'm not certain at the moment if I can guarentee being available every Tuesday night, is that likely to be a problem?

Hi Shaun,

As long as you can make "most" Tuesdays then it should be fine so if your keen to play then why not give it a go. =)

You can always drop out later if its not working out with your schedule and since there seems to be quite a bit of interest in this story we should have plenty of players for each evening even if we miss the occasional player here or there.

Did you have a favoured character idea in mind?

[Shaun]

Cool, I was thinking of either an Elven Wizard or a Half-Orc Fighter, I could go with either depending on what suits the balance of the party....


Hi Shaun,

As long as you can make "most" Tuesdays then it should be fine so if your keen to play then why not give it a go. =)

Did you have a favoured character idea in mind?

[Lordy55]

Cool, I was thinking of either an Elven Wizard or a Half-Orc Fighter, I could go with either depending on what suits the balance of the party....

I think whichever one you prefer will be fine since we already have at least one Mage/Cleric and Fighter. I have some base stats and some starter equipment ready for both those options which I'll post up here once you have chosen.

[Lordy55]

All - Update.

I should be ready to begin Tuesday 17th July if that works for you guys.

It takes a while to write up the dungeon, create tables and save all the encounters but its going fairly well and I'm beginning to get to grips with the software now. In the mean time we can finish all your characters so any info you need to help do that just let me know.

[thehorrors]

Sounds good, looking forward to this!

[inexorable]

Couple things... I'm not set on playing a wizard.. If Shaun wants to play a wizard go for it. I'm fine playing whatever. I'd like to play a wizard but I've been thinking that maybe a ranger or even a rogue would be fun as well. Also, the 17th is a Thursday... I'm guessing you meant the 15th?

Finally, is there anything else you need from us, Lordy55 prior to the start? Let us know. Thanks. Looking forward to starting.

[Lordy55]

Couple things... I'm not set on playing a wizard.. If Shaun wants to play a wizard go for it. I'm fine playing whatever. I'd like to play a wizard but I've been thinking that maybe a ranger or even a rogue would be fun as well. Also, the 17th is a Thursday... I'm guessing you meant the 15th?

Finally, is there anything else you need from us, Lordy55 prior to the start? Let us know. Thanks. Looking forward to starting.

Well if you had a Rogue inexorable and Shaun played a mage then that would be perfect =) One of each of the 4 basic character classes. But is up to you guys. Play what you will have most fun with.

[Shaun]

Well if you had a Rogue inexorable and Shaun played a mage then that would be perfect =) One of each of the 4 basic character classes. But is up to you guys. Play what you will have most fun with.

I'm happy with the elven mage if that fits ok with everybody else, but I'm open to other possibilities if we need to juggle a bit to get the balance right.....

[inexorable]

Play the mage Shaun... I'll happily play a rogue to round out the party. I'll start thinking up some ideas for him but I can definitively say he will be a human rogue. Thanks.

[dr_venture]

FWIW htere is a free supplement from Troll Lords that has tons of spells, classes, monsters, alternate rules, etc. for C&C, called the Crusader's Companion. The link to the PDF and the FG modules for the content can be found here:

https://www.fantasygrounds.com/forums/showthread.php?20562-Crusaders-Companion-free-supplement

The giant series - too fun!! I wish I had the time to join in :P

[Shaun]

Thanks inexorable, you've helped to end my procrastination ;) Ok then, elven mage it is....I'll come up with a background and post something soon.

Thanks to Dr Venture for the heads up on the Crusaders Companion too, looks interesting, although I'm still getting my head around the basics at the moment....which reminds me to ask Lordy - are we using the standard rules from the latest Players Handbook or are there any suppelmental rules/house rules, etc that we'd need to aware of while sorting or characters out? Is there a specific pantheon of gods to pick from or can we use anything (or make something up?). I think the Norse panthoen was mentioned?


Play the mage Shaun... I'll happily play a rogue to round out the party. I'll start thinking up some ideas for him but I can definitively say he will be a human rogue. Thanks.

[Lordy55]

FWIW htere is a free supplement from Troll Lords that has tons of spells, classes, monsters, alternate rules, etc. for C&C, called the Crusader's Companion. The link to the PDF and the FG modules for the content can be found here:

https://www.fantasygrounds.com/forums/showthread.php?20562-Crusaders-Companion-free-supplement

The giant series - too fun!! I wish I had the time to join in :P

Thanks dr-venture that is an amazing resource book :).

Am I right in saying you have even created a couple of modules for this book too that can be loaded directly into the FG database? Sorry if that's a bit of a silly question as I can see from the thread that you have spent a lot of time writing something but wasn't sure if it was finished or how you would go about installing it if it was.

As for the Giants feel free to fire me an email if you do ever find the time to play. Always happy to have another C&C fan drop in for a game whenever.

[Lordy55]

Thanks inexorable, you've helped to end my procrastination ;) Ok then, elven mage it is....I'll come up with a background and post something soon.

Thanks to Dr Venture for the heads up on the Crusaders Companion too, looks interesting, although I'm still getting my head around the basics at the moment....which reminds me to ask Lordy - are we using the standard rules from the latest Players Handbook or are there any suppelmental rules/house rules, etc that we'd need to aware of while sorting or characters out? Is there a specific pantheon of gods to pick from or can we use anything (or make something up?). I think the Norse panthoen was mentioned?

All standard Rules (At least to start with) as per the players handbook. The Norse Pantheon seems to be in by popular choice but I am flexible on that if you would rather choose a specific elven divinity instead.

To assist in character creation here are the basic stats for your mage adjusted for race and his starting Magic equipment. Everything else is yours to add as desired.

level 12 Mage
HP 55

Strength 10, Dexterity 16, Constitution 15, Intelligence 16, Wisdom 12, Charisma 13,

Robe Of Blending,
Bracers of Armour (+5),
Ring of Protection +1,
Staff Of Fire (20 Charges)
2 x Scrolls (Confusion and Summon Monster),
1 x Potion cure critical wounds,
2 x Potions Of Heal,

[Shaun]

Cheers Lordy, looks good, do we have a specific amount of money to buy equipment or can we assume that by level 12 we're all fairly affluent? (or those sending us on the mission are outfitting us with whatever we need?). I like the idea of the Norse theme, it fits well with both the giants and with elves...

[QUOTE=Lordy55;179902]To assist in character creation here are the basic stats for your mage adjusted for race and his starting Magic equipment. Everything else is yours to add as desired.
/QUOTE]

[Lordy55]

Cheers Lordy, looks good, do we have a specific amount of money to buy equipment or can we assume that by level 12 we're all fairly affluent? (or those sending us on the mission are outfitting us with whatever we need?). I like the idea of the Norse theme, it fits well with both the giants and with elves...

[QUOTE=Lordy55;179902]To assist in character creation here are the basic stats for your mage adjusted for race and his starting Magic equipment. Everything else is yours to add as desired.
/QUOTE]

Your character can be as rich or poor as you like and although would probably not have great holdings in the realms of mankind could well have significant power and/or assets within the sylvan forests of his/her homeland. With magic waning and elvenkind largely retreating from the city states of man he is most likely somewhat isolated these days. Others would be prone towards mistrust and suspicion for his kind however how he reacts to this and how it affects him is down to you. He can shut himself away in some tower or some other hidden location or he can retain his ties at least locally to the extent that he is well liked in his community against the wider trend. Whatever you think fits with the theme you have in mind.

[Shaun]

I went to town a bit on the background, so there's a short synopsis version which should be enough, plus a long rambling version for anybody with the patience to read it ;)

Synopsis:
Idaran the Elven Mage – a 6’11” tall, thin, gaunt figure with long silver hair, dressed in a white kaftan and a hooded cloak, carrying an ornate bronze-shod staff. 632 years old, from a reclusive Elven community which distrusts and avoids mankind, his only interests are in conducting arcane and historical research. He doesn’t get on well with other races (except Gnomes, who fascinate him), and comes across as arrogant and elitist about Elven culture, but he holds the power of cosmic/spiritual Good in high regard. Uninterested in the pursuit of wealth or worldy power, but likely to be motivated by research interests or the rise of major threats to the forces of Good. He has particular problems getting along with Orcs and Humans, who he thinks are primitive and aggressive species, and has little interest in human affairs. A devotee of the Vanir deity Freyr-Ingvar, lord of Alfheim, god of peace, pleasure and fertility. Neutral Good alignment. He smokes shisha-like tobacco in a small pipe of coloured glass and plays a portable harp, both of which annoy the hell out of everybody.

6910

The Epic Version:

At the age of 632, the Elven Mage Idaran is considered middle-aged by his own kind, and physically resembles a human of middle-aged years, perhaps in his early forties by human standards. A tall, thin figure with long silver hair, a high forehead and somewhat gaunt, angular features, usually dressed in grey or white robes and a full-length hooded cloak. He carries a bronze-shod staff with intricate designs inlaid into the brass, which he uses as a walking staff, a normal quarterstaff for self-defence and as a magical focus. Discerning eyes may notice that it probably has some magical properties of its own. At 5’11” he is quite tall for an elf, a feature he shares in common with his community, and which helps him pass for a human when it suits his purposes.
He incessantly smokes a small pipe of coloured glass of strange design from which comes a sweet fruit-like aroma of something resembling shisha tobacco, which he insists is harmless. Most people find the aroma pleasant at first but after spending a lot of time in his company they usually start to find its constant scent a little annoying. Nothing, however, will persuade him to stop smoking it. He also likes to play an elven instrument which resembles a small harp. Although he is able to play it pleasantly enough, his repertoire is rather limited and as with his smoking, people tend to find it starts to get on their nerves after a while.

He is extremely obstinate and argumentative and never backs down from an argument, being convinced that after more than 600 years of life he knows better than everybody else about almost everything. As a keen student of philosophy as well as the arcane he is also a skilled debater and can talk the hind legs off a donkey. He is a moderately charismatic speaker, but this is no doubt marred by his arrogant and elitist attitude which people (especially dwarves and humans) find patronising. Although he is pleasant and polite to other races, they cannot help noticing an overwhelming attitude of Elven elitism in him. He will always speak to people in the ancient Elven tongue initially, only switching to Common if it becomes clear that they don’t understand his native language. If in a particularly obstinate mood, he has been known to refuse to communicate in anything other than Elven.

He is quite stealthy, and the combination of natural Elven abilities, his mastery of invisibility, illusion and teleportation, plus a magical robe that helps him blend into the background make him very difficult to spot or find unless he wants to be found. He has a disconcerting habit of seeming to appear out of nowhere quite unexpectedly.

He is a devotee of the Vanir deity Freyr-Ingvar, the lord of Alfheim, and sees himself as quite a spiritual person in an unassuming way, frequently indulging in meditations and small devotional rituals associated with his deity, and always carries a supply of candles, incense and a silver holy symbol (a miniature silver sword) for these purposes.
He was born and has lived most of his life in a small reclusive elven community which has little contact with the human world, although he travelled quite extensively in the wider world in his youth, sometimes disguising his elven heritage. He currently lives on the outskirts of his community in a small woodland farmstead with a high tower containing a vast library and several laboratories for alchemical and arcane experiments, and a small observatory on the roof. He also has an extensive wine-cellar and a taste for fine wines, especially those of extremely ancient vintage.

In common with many of his community, he yearns for a supposed (perhaps imagined) bygone golden age when elves, men, and many of the so-called monstrous races lived in a more harmonious way with one another. He regards his lifes work as uncovering the hidden secrets of the universe and researching the ancient past, and has a passion for both subjects which is probably the only thing capable of motivating him to leave his home these days.

He has sufficient wealth to sustain his modest needs, and much of his expenditure is on his research interests. He has no interest in pursuing wealth or worldly power, and little interest in humanity. His community tend to regard humans as being the main cause of everything that has gone wrong with the world, and like to avoid them as much as possible. This is reciprocated by most of the humans in neighbouring lands, who tend to be suspicious and distrustful of Elves. He does however, like Gnomes, whom he gets on well with and finds fascinating. His traditional Elven antipathy towards Dwarves is mitigated a little by their positive associations with the god Freyr. He regards most Humans and Orcs as too violent and stupid for his refined sensibilities.
Despite his indifference to the affairs of humanity, he regards the power of Good as of supreme importance, although he sees this in a rather abstract philosophical way rather than actually doing anything helpful to anybody in practical everyday matters. Serious threats to the cosmic forces of Good or the rise of great spiritual evil may therefore be capable of motivating him to venture out into the world if his research interests do not.

[dr_venture]

Thanks dr-venture that is an amazing resource book :).

Am I right in saying you have even created a couple of modules for this book too that can be loaded directly into the FG database? Sorry if that's a bit of a silly question as I can see from the thread that you have spent a lot of time writing something but wasn't sure if it was finished or how you would go about installing it if it was.

No problem - the amount of free stuff in the Crusader's Companion is pretty amazing -- the fact that you can get the FG C&C ruleset which includes the PHB, Monsters & Treasure, and all the free stuff in teh CC... that's an incredible deal for $10!

I have basically completed the CC modules at that link I shared above, in that I've entered everything that isn't just text information... I figure it's as easy to ready a PDF as it is to read in FG (well, easier, actually). But all the stuff that is so handy to have in FG format is included, so all of the character classes & dragable abilities, all the spells, monsters, etc... that's all in the two modules (one for players & gm, and one that is gm only). There's only one bug that I know of so far, but I'm sure thaere are many others. When there are enough bugs to warrant a revision, I'll fix it all, but for now I think they're pretty usable.

Also on the way at some point is the Classic Monsters module from Troll Lords -- I completed that for Smiteworks some time ago, but I think the whole steam launch has had them pretty swamped. I only mention it in that it has a bunch of classic monsters in it from the days of yore, which might be helpful in your conversion. Hopefully that'll be out sooner rather than later.

[Lordy55]

I went to town a bit on the background, so there's a short synopsis version which should be enough, plus a long rambling version for anybody with the patience to read it ;)

Synopsis:
Idaran the Elven Mage – a 6’11” tall, thin, gaunt figure with long silver hair, dressed in a white kaftan and a hooded cloak, carrying an ornate bronze-shod staff. 632 years old, from a reclusive Elven community which distrusts and avoids mankind, his only interests are in conducting arcane and historical research. He doesn’t get on well with other races (except Gnomes, who fascinate him), and comes across as arrogant and elitist about Elven culture, but he holds the power of cosmic/spiritual Good in high regard. Uninterested in the pursuit of wealth or worldy power, but likely to be motivated by research interests or the rise of major threats to the forces of Good. He has particular problems getting along with Orcs and Humans, who he thinks are primitive and aggressive species, and has little interest in human affairs. A devotee of the Vanir deity Freyr-Ingvar, lord of Alfheim, god of peace, pleasure and fertility. Neutral Good alignment. He smokes shisha-like tobacco in a small pipe of coloured glass and plays a portable harp, both of which annoy the hell out of everybody.

6910

The Epic Version:

At the age of 632, the Elven Mage Idaran is considered middle-aged by his own kind, and physically resembles a human of middle-aged years, perhaps in his early forties by human standards. A tall, thin figure with long silver hair, a high forehead and somewhat gaunt, angular features, usually dressed in grey or white robes and a full-length hooded cloak. He carries a bronze-shod staff with intricate designs inlaid into the brass, which he uses as a walking staff, a normal quarterstaff for self-defence and as a magical focus. Discerning eyes may notice that it probably has some magical properties of its own. At 5’11” he is quite tall for an elf, a feature he shares in common with his community, and which helps him pass for a human when it suits his purposes.
He incessantly smokes a small pipe of coloured glass of strange design from which comes a sweet fruit-like aroma of something resembling shisha tobacco, which he insists is harmless. Most people find the aroma pleasant at first but after spending a lot of time in his company they usually start to find its constant scent a little annoying. Nothing, however, will persuade him to stop smoking it. He also likes to play an elven instrument which resembles a small harp. Although he is able to play it pleasantly enough, his repertoire is rather limited and as with his smoking, people tend to find it starts to get on their nerves after a while.

He is extremely obstinate and argumentative and never backs down from an argument, being convinced that after more than 600 years of life he knows better than everybody else about almost everything. As a keen student of philosophy as well as the arcane he is also a skilled debater and can talk the hind legs off a donkey. He is a moderately charismatic speaker, but this is no doubt marred by his arrogant and elitist attitude which people (especially dwarves and humans) find patronising. Although he is pleasant and polite to other races, they cannot help noticing an overwhelming attitude of Elven elitism in him. He will always speak to people in the ancient Elven tongue initially, only switching to Common if it becomes clear that they don’t understand his native language. If in a particularly obstinate mood, he has been known to refuse to communicate in anything other than Elven.

He is quite stealthy, and the combination of natural Elven abilities, his mastery of invisibility, illusion and teleportation, plus a magical robe that helps him blend into the background make him very difficult to spot or find unless he wants to be found. He has a disconcerting habit of seeming to appear out of nowhere quite unexpectedly.

He is a devotee of the Vanir deity Freyr-Ingvar, the lord of Alfheim, and sees himself as quite a spiritual person in an unassuming way, frequently indulging in meditations and small devotional rituals associated with his deity, and always carries a supply of candles, incense and a silver holy symbol (a miniature silver sword) for these purposes.
He was born and has lived most of his life in a small reclusive elven community which has little contact with the human world, although he travelled quite extensively in the wider world in his youth, sometimes disguising his elven heritage. He currently lives on the outskirts of his community in a small woodland farmstead with a high tower containing a vast library and several laboratories for alchemical and arcane experiments, and a small observatory on the roof. He also has an extensive wine-cellar and a taste for fine wines, especially those of extremely ancient vintage.

In common with many of his community, he yearns for a supposed (perhaps imagined) bygone golden age when elves, men, and many of the so-called monstrous races lived in a more harmonious way with one another. He regards his lifes work as uncovering the hidden secrets of the universe and researching the ancient past, and has a passion for both subjects which is probably the only thing capable of motivating him to leave his home these days.

He has sufficient wealth to sustain his modest needs, and much of his expenditure is on his research interests. He has no interest in pursuing wealth or worldly power, and little interest in humanity. His community tend to regard humans as being the main cause of everything that has gone wrong with the world, and like to avoid them as much as possible. This is reciprocated by most of the humans in neighbouring lands, who tend to be suspicious and distrustful of Elves. He does however, like Gnomes, whom he gets on well with and finds fascinating. His traditional Elven antipathy towards Dwarves is mitigated a little by their positive associations with the god Freyr. He regards most Humans and Orcs as too violent and stupid for his refined sensibilities.
Despite his indifference to the affairs of humanity, he regards the power of Good as of supreme importance, although he sees this in a rather abstract philosophical way rather than actually doing anything helpful to anybody in practical everyday matters. Serious threats to the cosmic forces of Good or the rise of great spiritual evil may therefore be capable of motivating him to venture out into the world if his research interests do not.

Excellent backstory there Shaun =) Plenty there for the DM to work with.

Sorry it took me a while to reply. Just back from a short holiday and the internet was non existent.

[Lordy55]

No problem - the amount of free stuff in the Crusader's Companion is pretty amazing -- the fact that you can get the FG C&C ruleset which includes the PHB, Monsters & Treasure, and all the free stuff in teh CC... that's an incredible deal for $10!

I have basically completed the CC modules at that link I shared above, in that I've entered everything that isn't just text information... I figure it's as easy to ready a PDF as it is to read in FG (well, easier, actually). But all the stuff that is so handy to have in FG format is included, so all of the character classes & dragable abilities, all the spells, monsters, etc... that's all in the two modules (one for players & gm, and one that is gm only). There's only one bug that I know of so far, but I'm sure thaere are many others. When there are enough bugs to warrant a revision, I'll fix it all, but for now I think they're pretty usable.

Also on the way at some point is the Classic Monsters module from Troll Lords -- I completed that for Smiteworks some time ago, but I think the whole steam launch has had them pretty swamped. I only mention it in that it has a bunch of classic monsters in it from the days of yore, which might be helpful in your conversion. Hopefully that'll be out sooner rather than later.

Fantastic Dr venture you are a legend! I'll have to see if I can load that up once I've got to grips with the basic pack.

[dr_venture]

I am a legend at typos! :D The Classic Monsters module has been released now - let me know if there are any monsters you're looking for, and I can tell you if they're in the module or not. Have fun!

[Shaun]

Excellent backstory there Shaun =) Plenty there for the DM to work with.

Sorry it took me a while to reply. Just back from a short holiday and the internet was non existent.

No problem, I'm away myself at the moment so probably wouldn't be available till the 28th now, is the start date def the 17th?

[Blackfoot]

All - Update.

I should be ready to begin Tuesday 17th July if that works for you guys.

It takes a while to write up the dungeon, create tables and save all the encounters but its going fairly well and I'm beginning to get to grips with the software now. In the mean time we can finish all your characters so any info you need to help do that just let me know.
Obviously this is not exactly right...
I can't play on Thursdays (the 17th) but tomorrow (Tuesday the 15th) is also problem as well, depending on the timing... at this point I have a PFS game scheduled to run in the afternoon (2-7pm Eastern Time.. 6-11pm UTC (I think))... do you want to start a Game Calendar entry for scheduling purposes?
Are you ready to start?

[Lordy55]

Ah sorry guys got a bit snowed under at work this week after my holiday so I'm not quite as ready as I hoped.

Fingers crossed I can get everything written up over this week and the weekend and then we can find a date/time that works for everyone.

[Blackfoot]

Ah sorry guys got a bit snowed under at work this week after my holiday so I'm not quite as ready as I hoped.

Fingers crossed I can get everything written up over this week and the weekend and then we can find a date/time that works for everyone.No worries... it didn't look like this week was going to work out for anyone anyway.

[Shaun]

Any news on the start date? As luck would have it I might be able to squeeze in an hour or two tomorrow night after all if we're still looking at Thursdays.....

[Blackfoot]

Any news on the start date? As luck would have it I might be able to squeeze in an hour or two tomorrow night after all if we're still looking at Thursdays.....

I don't think we were ever looking at Thursdays.. he was talking Tuesdays from the get go... he just had a bogus date in there at one point (Thursday calendar number listed for Tuesday)

[Shaun]

I don't think we were ever looking at Thursdays.. he was talking Tuesdays from the get go... he just had a bogus date in there at one point (Thursday calendar number listed for Tuesday)

Not sure where I got the idea of Thurs stuck in my head, must have been that bogus calender entry.....