Everything you need to know about the Isles....

Within this section of the site you will find answers to questions about the game and the world it is set in.The categorises in the columns should be pretty self explanatory but just in case I've given a quick guide below.

As I mentioned in my introductory page, the game is based on TSR's 2nd edition game of Dungeons and Dragons. The reason it is 2nd edition is because that is the version that was out when the campaign world first started in it's table top version many years ago. I had bought a copy of the Core Rules disks and found them very useful. When the game started on the internet I continued using the CR disks - their abilty to create html character sheets and the ability to customise everything was better than anything else out there at the time.

I did think about converting to 3rd ed when it came out, but to be frank, I didn't like some of the changes and the promised eTools never happened. Instead I soldiered on with 2nd ed and can't say I've ever regretted the decision. I know there are plenty of electronic aids for 3.x and above but to be blunt, I do not like those versions and so will never change those.

The game is defined as a Roleplaying game ie you as a player decide to play a defined role within the games parameters. This game is a "fantasy game" - it has no basis in the Real World and therefore you are able to assume the roles of many different types of characters that do not exist in the real world. As explained in the intro page, this game is loosely based on Dark Age Britain with a fantasy twist. The types of characters you can play have two main criteria - Class and Race.

Classes

The basis of what your character does or is in the game. To the left you will find the basic character classes available in the Isles. Classes depict what sort of trade your character has been training for before they entered the game (assuming they are starting at first level).
Priests tend to the spiritual needs of the populace and are usually dedicated to one of the many Gods present in the campaign world. There are many types of Priests, some are healers, some are merchants others are more battle orientated.
Fighters are warriors who earn their keep using their prowess in battle skills. They are the soldiers, guards and mercenaries of the Isles.
Thief is the catch all term for anyone who earns a living by being sneaky or using their wits to survive. The class covers not just burgulars and con men, but scouts in war bands too.
Mages tap into the magical powers prevelant in this world using this power to cast many types of spells. Some mages specialise in particular types of magic whilst others prefer to be more general, able to cast a wider range of spells.
Bards are a mix of warrior, thief and mage, a more medieval view of what a bard became than I would like and something I would address if I ever started the game again (the Gods Forbid I should ever do that!

There are a few more classes but I leave it to you to explore what they entail.

Multiclassing is also possible. Depending on race (possibly) many of the classes to come up with an even more interesting character. Remember though Class is just one part of the character. Good use of Weapon Proficiencies and Non Weapon Proficiencies can really help make a character more three dimensional. For more in depth details on those, see the relevant sections of the site.

As mentioned elsewhere, the Isles is a place where humans mix with other more fantastical races. And I do mean mix. Where most typical fantasy worlds have elves and dwarves living in different area, I chose to make the Isles more of a melting pot. Afterall they have been supposedly ruled by an Empire for over two thousand years. Much like the Roman Empire lead to a mix of different ideas and cultures in their rule, I figure that would happen here. Imperial rule led to a steady economy with centralised administration and a general growth of urban living. So you get an increase of towns and cities with a mix of races - some elves will be as useless in rural enviroments as humans are supposed to be. In rural areas, small communities of single races may exist and these communities may be more traditional in outlook of how other races are viewed. Of course, not all cities are made from bricks and mortar and racial dwellings can of course differ. In more rural, remote areas, it may be that all strangers are viewed with distrust and often out right hostility. But then the the ways of the country folk are often derided as old fashioned and strange by those from the cities. Not that people travel much. One can live a lifetime in their city or valley and never see anything of the world. One reason why adventuring may seem such a lure to the young and foolhardy.

With the demise of the Empire and the catrastrope that was the last High King, rule has stated to devolve into a more localised form and there has been a steady move away from urban to rural living even for humans!

Skills

Each person in this land has skills. What exactly is a skill. Well it is something which allows a person to be good at something or have some knowledge in. Does a person have to be skilled in something to attempt it? Well, no of course not. However they are more likely to succeed at something if they are already skilled in it. People can be skilled in a variety of of things, depending upon background. They can become skilled at something by learning about the skill they are interested in or by practise, practise, practise.Riding may be a general skill in rural areas but an urbanite may not have been near a horse. Reading and writing may be common in towns, especailly if it has had a school built in it (only true of large towns) but a villager will be illiterate unless there is a specail reason for schooling in words.

In this game skills are divived into two. Weapon based and non-weapon based.

Characters also have other factors to take into consideration. Both are assigned randomy during character creation. The first one is usually an advantage and is known as a "Trait" - this can be anything from keen eyesight to extra money or contacts.
The second is usually some minor defect - physical or psychological like a brand or coming from a dirt poor background.

Religion

As mentioned in other parts of the site, the people in the Isles of Prydein are a pretty broad minded, easy going lot. They believe you should be free to worship which ever gods you wish or none at all. They often do not stick to just one god but several at the same time. The gods themselves are fine with this so long as they do recieve prayers then they are not too bothered with how they recieve them. It could be argued that the Isles Deities are a complacent lot and therefore ripe for trouble especially from priests from other parts of the world who may have a different outlook. Priests are also pretty scholorly and it is likely they are literate (unless their creed is nore oral like Druids) and can be a source of training in scholorly arts.

History

The Isles has a rich and varied history and whilst I like starting characters to start off naive (unless their characters are historians) the game has been running for so long now, it is time for me to write some of this up.

Geography

The game started in the South West of the Isles. It is time for me to write up some descriptions of the other areas now being explored and perhaps get around to the maps.

Miscellaneous

Alignment
• Combat
• Equipment
• Experience
• Magic
• Money
• Treasure