The Coming of the Zioth Rules Supplement

Introduction

This is release 7 of the Rules Supplement for the Zioth campaigns, based on the Dungeons and Dragons 3.5E role-playing game. This document is copyright 1997-. It may not be distributed or modified in any way without the written consent of the author, but anyone is welcome to link to it from the Internet. D&D and all Dungeons and Dragons rules cited in this document are copyright Wizards of the Coast.

Please don't hesitate to email the DM if you have any questions, or if you disagree with the implementation of any rules in this document. More information regarding the Zioth games, including the text of a current game, can be found at http://www.zioth.com/zioth.

Communication

Many players are shy about telling me things. There's no reason to be. Whether you have suggestions, criticism, comments on game-play or whatever, I'm always listening. You're not going to insult me by saying something bad about my game. At worst, I'll disagree with you, and at best the game will change for the better. The goal here is for everyone to have fun.

If I ever intrude on your character in a way you don't want me to, tell me. I may not be able to undo the damage done, but I'll know to avoid it in the future. If you want your character to progress in a certain direction and events aren't working out the way you want them to, let me know. I can help.

Feel free to ask me about anything your character knows. If I can't answer, you might be able to make up a bit of the history of my world yourself in order to answer the question.

PBeM Game-play

Turns: The game is pretty arbitrarily broken down into what are called "game turns." The game progresses as a series of emails, and at some point, usually at a good cliffhanger or an obvious resting point, I'll compile the emails into a prose-style story, and assign experience point awards. When I compile the turn, I rewrite most of the emails to conform to a common style. However, I never modify dialogue, except to correct spelling, punctuation and obvious typos, and I do not modify a character's actions -- only the language they're written in.

Speed: As a play-by-email game, there is the potential for things to move very slowly. This has happened many times in the past, so I've added this set of rules to prevent it from happening again:

I may post for any player who doesn't respond within two days. Afterwards, the player may alter posts that I've written to more accurately reflect his or her character. The posts may be changed in content, but not in effect, and they may not be changed after the full turn has been posted.
The two-day limit can be extended to a week if the player notifies me in advance. I will also occasionally allow longer delays, but again, only if I'm notified. Requests for delays will not be honored if they happen too often.
This does not apply if there is only one active player in a side-game, unless that player falls very far behind the other groups.
Although these rules obviously can't apply to me, I'll try to keep you all informed when I can't post for some reason, and you're welcome and encouraged to send me frequent emails asking why I haven't posted yet when I'm slow.

Joining the game: See the game-joining document.

Experience

Experience is given for participation, role-playing and puzzle-solving, with bonus experience for the rare combat, rather than the traditional method, which is the other way around. Things are set up so that the average character will gain a level about every ten turns, so the basic formula is: Experience per turn = 100 * Average character level +/- 40%. So if the average level is 5, you can expect to gain about 300-700 experience per turn.

Player Character Races

Non-humans: Your character's race will almost certainly be human. Other races are quite different from those in the Player's Handbook. If you want to play one of the non-human races from the World Supplement or a race of your own, specific descriptions, history, rules and guidelines will be supplied to you or worked out with you.

The Middle Ages: In medieval times, average height, weight, and age were much lower than in the Player's Handbook. However, to make it easier for players to imagine their game world, there are no physical adjustments for medieval conditions. The same goes for hygiene, health, and other such details. Other aspects of that time period, however, should be expected to remain the same. See the World Supplement for more details.

Multiclassing: Non-humans have the same lenient multiclassing restrictions as humans. This probably won't matter much in a human-oriented game, but there it is. To make up for this, humans get a bonus class skill (see the Skills section).

Allowed Classes

Available classes are not limited to those in the PHB. You are welcome to submit a class of your own design, or to work out the details of a new class with the DM. Since this game focuses primarily on role-playing, you will not be at a severe disadvantage if you choose to play a non-combative class, such as an Expert. The monk and psionic classes don't fit into the Zioth world, though you may be allowed to use them in modified form after discussing it with the DM.

Prestige Classes: You must receive permission from the DM to use a prestige class. In general, prestige classes will be granted as a result of in-game occurrences, although you may reject them as they come along. You're also welcome to suggest a style of advancement at any time. I want your character to be your own, so I'll try to accommodate the way you see your character developing.

Normal People: The Normal Person rules are used to create some NPCs, and can be used for PCs with permission. They're focused on creating non-combat-oriented characters that can still be masters of their fields.

Magic

This is a very low-magic world, so a few modifications have been made to the rules to accommodate that. They are:

Clerics and druids do not have access to every spell of a particular level at once. Instead, they gain access to specific spells as time progresses. Players may choose to play a non-magic-using cleric, which is by far the most common type in this world.
Wizards do gain the standard two spells per level, but spells beyond that will be rare.
No one has wanted to play a sorcerer yet, but when it happens, some modifications will be necessary to bring it in line with the power-level of the wizard.
Players who play rangers, bards or paladins are encouraged to play non-magic-using versions of those classes. What that means is up for discussion, and will be decided between the player and the DM. This may be as simple as taking some of the more subtle spells and making them spell-like abilities.
Unless there are unusual circumstances, new characters have probably never witnessed the use of magic in any form. This makes it highly unlikely that new characters would start with magic items.

Spell Promotion/Demotion: Spell slots can be downgraded at a 1:1 ratio, or upgraded at a 2:1 ratio. When dropped three levels, a slot can be exchanged at a 1:2 ratio. So, for example, two first level spells may be exchanged for a second level spell, and a fourth level spell may be exchanged for two first level spells. Bonus specialist or domain slots may not be upgraded or downgraded.

Modified Spells:

True Seeing: Spells that you try to penetrate with True Seeing get a saving throw, rolled secretly by the DM. The modifier is equal to the spell DC minus fifteen. For example, if the save DC of True Seeing is 20, and you're trying to see through a Minor Image with a DC of 15, the DM rolls d20+15-15, and must hit the DC of 20. If the save succeeds, True Seeing fails to see through the spell, and won't be able to see through it until it is cast again.
Protection from Evil: Spells that would be blocked by Protection from Evil instead get a saving throw, rolled secretly by the DM. This is equivalent to the save rolled against True Seeing.
Polymorph and similar spells: These work as described in the Player's Handbook, as opposed to in the errata. However, you can only mimic a creature's trait if you have personally witnessed that trait being used. Alternatively, if you have spent more than five rounds with the creature, you can spend two hours in a good library and make a DC20 Knowledge check to learn about traits you did not witness.
Identify and Analyze Dwoemer: See "Identifying items without a spell," below.

Identifying items without a spell: Due to the limited amount of magic in this campaign, identifying items can be difficult. For this reason, anyone with the proper skills can identify items, given enough time and expertise. This also modifies the identify family of spells such that their effect isn't guarenteed. Learn More...

Feats

Multishot: I think this feat is silly, so you can't take it. If you disagree, I'll be happy to discuss it.

Leadership: Having this feat gives your character the ability to attract followers. That does not mean you immediately attract them. An in-game event must occur to make this happen. You need the DM's permission to take this feat.

Skill Focus: In addition to its normal effect, this feat makes the selected skill a class skill.

Skill Bonus Feats: Whenever a feat gives +2 to two skills, you can make one of those skills a class skill.

Custom Feats:

Educated [GENERAL]
This feat gives your character +2 to any two knowledge skills. You may add one of them to your list of class skills. This feat can be taken multiple times. Each time, different knowledge skills must be chosen.
Skilled [GENERAL]
This feat lets you select any two skills as class skills.
Impenetrable Illusion [METAMAGIC]
Your spells have a +4 bonus to their saves against True Seeing.
Pierce Illusion [METAMAGIC]
You have a +4 bonus to penetrate spells with True Seeing.
Improved Identify [METAMAGIC]
You have a +4 bonus to identify items using the alternate Identify rules.

Skills

Automatic Failure: If a skill's description specifically mentions automatic failure on a natural 1, that rule stands. All other skills use the "Critical Miss" rules in the Combat section of this document.

Human Bonus Skill: Human characters may select one skill, based on their character history, which will always be a class skill for them, regardless of the skill list for their current class. This adds flexibility to the race, allowing for a wider variety of skill sets.

Concentration: The concentration DC to cast defensively is 10, plus 3 for each threatened area you are in. Subtract 6 if there are no somatic components.

Profession: With five ranks in a Profession skill, you can add one related skill to your class skills list, subject to DM approval. With ten ranks, you can add a second class skill.

Custom Skills:

Knowledge (Trade and Commerce): This covers knowledge of taxation, commodities, trade routes, demands, et cetera. With 5 or more ranks, it grants a +2 synergy bonus to Appraise.
Knowledge (Natural Philosophy): This covers the rudiments of physics, anatomy, mathematics, and the other natural sciences (such as they exist in this world). With 5 or more ranks, it grants a +2 bonus to Heal checks, and it further allows non-spellcasters to use the Alchemy skill, with the ranks in Knowledge (Natural Philosophy) forming a limiter on how many ranks of Craft (Alchemy) can be assigned.
Knowledge (Moral Philosophy): This covers the study of logic, metaphysics, political philosophy, and the like, and grants a +2 synergy bonus to Sense Motive with 5 or more ranks.
Knowledge (Astronomy): This skill can be used to predict astronomical events, such as conjunctions of new moons, eclipses and meteor showers. It can also be used for navigation. Five or more ranks in Knowledge (astronomy) gives a +2 synergy bonus to Survival checks used to determine direction at night, and location at sea.
Knowledge (Anatomy): This skill reflects a character's detailed knowledge of the structure and arrangement of the human body, including the location and function of bones, muscles, organs, and other soft tissues. This skill can be used to strengthen or preserve corpses. With a successful DC20 check (no retry), a necromancer can strengthen a corpse before raising it, giving it an additional 1HP per hit die (max 1 per point by which the check exceeded 19). With a successful DC30 check, the undead can also be given a +2 bonus to strength, but only one of the two checks can be made for any corpse. Five or more ranks in this skill grants a +2 synergy bonus to Heal checks.

Languages

There is no "Common" language. Rouch is the primary language of Rang, and Sarnam is the language of Andrithan religious texts, but other kingdoms and religions may have their own languages.

Speak Language: Unlike in the traditional rules, Speak Language is an ordinary skill, based on Intelligence. It can be used to learn new languages, understand bits of unknown languages, communicate with people who don't speak your language, pronounce difficult words correctly, or correctly interpret idioms. Five ranks in this skill grants a +2 synergy bonus to Decipher Script.

Example skill checks include:

DC15: Understand a few words of a language closely related to one you know.
DC20: Understand the gist of a novel written in a language similar to one you know.
DC25: Make yourself roughly understood in a language similar to one you know. This check is charisma-based.
DC20: Make yourself roughly understood using gestures and signs. This check is charisma-based.
DC30: Understand a few words of an unknown language.
DC30: Correctly imitate an accent to sound like a native speaker. This is an opposed check, made against another person's Listen or Speak Language skill, whichever is higher. This is charisma-based. The DM may apply penalties if the language is not one ordinarily spoken by your race.

Learning New Languages: A character begins knowing his native language, plus a number of languages up to his intelligence modifier. Learning a new language requires a month of study, and a DC20 Speak Language check. Retries are permitted. Very skilled characters can reduce the study time by increasing the DC. By raising it to DC30, you can make your check once a week. By raising it to DC40, you can make your check every three days. At DC50, you can make your check once a day.

Literacy: You may choose at character creation whether your character is literate. Since literacy is far from normal in this campaign, you'll need to have a reasonable explanation in your character's history.

Combat

Initiative: Initiative is rolled every round. Except in very large combats, all combatants, including individual enemies, roll their own initiative.

Combat Speed: A combat round is not exactly six seconds long. If a lot seems to happen during combat, the battle is said to have taken a long time. Outside of combat, a round is always six seconds.

Critical Hits: A 20 is not an automatic hit. Instead, roll the d20 again and add the result to the initial roll. Repeat if another 20 is rolled. Threat range only applies to the initial die roll, so a natural 20 is always a threat. This applies to attack rolls and saving throws.

Critical Misses: A 1 is not an automatic miss. Instead, treat the roll as a zero and subtract d20. If you roll a 20, subtract another d20. This applies to attack rolls, saving throws and skill checks.

Constitution Drain: Constitution drain can never lower your hit points below the minimum you could have rolled, i.e. one point per level. You still die when your constitution score reaches zero.

Additional Rules

Non-core material: I use the Player's Handbook, Dungeon Master's Guide and Monster Manual. Spells, feats, skills and whatever else you may find in other books that you want to use must be quoted to me in full, so I can review them and decide whether they're appropriate for the campaign.

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