Worldgate (DnD Campaign Setting)/Basics
Basics (Worldgate Campaign Setting)
The Worldgate Campaign Setting uses a heavily modified version of the d20 system from Wizards of the Coast™. Some things remain the same, like rolling a d20, but others like almost all skills, feats, combat mechanics, and magic were reworked and exchanged for rules that better suit the darker atmosphere of the setting.
However, the rules are still only guidelines the Game Moderator can use for his group's game. You are therefore encouraged to modify and enhance the rules presented here as you see fit, and - most importantly - to make your game more fun.
The core mechanic
Whenever your character attempts a task or action with uncertain outcome, you roll a twenty-sided die (d20). To determine the result of your attempted action do the following:
- Roll a d20.
- Add all relevant modifiers.
- Compare the result to the target number (TN).
The exact consequences of your action, and if you succeeded, succeeded partially, or failed, depend on the exact type of action you attempted. The chapters on skills and combat contain additional details on actions and their results.
Dice
In the Worldgate Campaign Setting you only use a single d20 to make all checks. You don't need any other die types to play the game.
Modifiers
A modifier is any bonus or penalty applied to a die roll. A positive modifier is a bonus, a negative modifier is a penalty.
Stacking
Generally, modifiers of the same type or source do not stack with each other. You can combine all modifiers of different origin and type for a cumulative effect. If multiple modifiers of a given type could be applied to a die roll, only the highest bonus or the worst penalty is accounted for.
Modifier types
There are multiple kinds of modifiers that can affect your character's die rolls:
- Ability: The modifier is provided by the appropriate ability score the attempted task corresponds to. This can be either the primary or the secondary modifier, but never both at the same time.
- Alchemy: This modifier is provided by non-magical substances and concoctions. It usually lasts for only a limited time until the substance looses its potency.
- Circumstance: This modifier arises from conditional factors that influence the chances of success for the imminent task.
- Competence: This modifier is granted by inspiration, encouragement or discouragement by others, or by special training that greatly improves your character's capabilities at a certain task.
- Cooperation: This modifier stems from collective efforts to succeed at something, often involving ability or skill checks.
- Deflection: This modifier's source is a magical or supernatural effect that makes attacks directed at your character veer off harmlessly.
- Draconic: This modifier is provided by powers and artifacts created by Dragons, often aiding your character in is actions.
- Enhancement: This modifier originates from a magical source, increasing the effectiveness of armor, weapon, or ability scores.
- Insight: This modifier represents knowledge of almost precognitive level about the current task.
- Karma: This modifier represents your character's fate, and the future destiny has chosen for him.
- Luck: This modifier stems from good or bad fortune that directly influences the chances of success for your character.
- Morale: This modifier represents the effects of hope, courage, despair, or cowardice your character may suffer or benefit from.
- Plague: This modifier is provided by Plague powers and artifacts, often giving great strength and mighty abilities but at a horrible price.
- Resistance: This modifier is the result of magical protection helping your character survive or evade some magical attacks.
- Size: This modifier stems from your character's size and influences his effectiveness in combat and sneaking.
Rounding fractions
If you ever wind up with a fraction, always round down even if the fraction was larger than one-half.
Character creation and advancement
Creating and advancing your character in the Worldgate Campaign Setting is a simple, straight-forward process. You just need to follow the instructions given below to create or advance your character for the game.
Character creation
To create your character for a game, you just need to do the following:
- Concept: Develope a suitable character concept and discuss it with your Game Moderator.
- Race: Choose your character's race.
- Ability scores: Generate the six ability scores for your character and adjust them according to his race.
- Skill rankings: Choose your character's Expert and Master skills. You may select 7 skills for Expert ranking and 5 skills for Master ranking.
- Starting skill points: Spend your character's starting skill points. At 1st level you may spend a total number of skill points equal to 32 plus your character's Intelligence value. Remember to consider the maximum ranks set by each skill's ranking.
- Starting languages: Your character is considered having the Language skill for his native tongue (both spoken and written form) at expert ranking and at maximum ranks for 1st level. If you want your character to be illiterate, simply remove the written form from the skill.
- Starting Karma: Your character starts with 5 Karma points in his pool.
- Starting improvement points: You gain two improvement points at 1st level. You may spend these points on feats (every feat costs one improvement point), or save them for later. Remember that humans receive a bonus improvement point at 1st level, and therefore may already increase an ability value (every ability increase costs three improvement points). You must meet the prerequisites for every feat you take.
- Starting Equipment: Choose your character's starting equipment. You may acquire armor, weapons, and other gear for a total value of 1 gold piece at 1st level.
- Finishing touches: Write down your character on the character record sheet. Write down a short description of your character, and how he looks like. Write down a short background for your character (about his family, his friends, his rivals, ...).
- Play: Now you are ready to experience the first adventures on Aeryl.
Character advancement
When your character goes on adventures and fights monsters and bandits, completes quests for merchants and kings, and grows wiser and stronger, he gains Experience points . When you have accumulated enough Experience points, your character gains one level and increases in strength and ability.
To advance your character to the next level, you just need to do the following:
- Maximum ranks: Increase the maximum ranks for your character's skill. Maximum ranks increase at every even level.
- Skill points: Spend your character's skill points. At each level after 1st you may spend a total number of skill points equal to 8 plus your character's Intelligence value. Remember to consider the maximum ranks set by each skill's ranking.
- Improvement points: You gain one improvement point for each level attained after the 1st. You may spend these points on feats (every feat costs one improvement point), or on ability increases (every ability increase costs three improvement points), or save them for later. You may increase any ability value by at most three points. You must meet the prerequisites for every feat you take.
Tables
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