Welcome to the Game News board for Shakandara: The Renaissance. This will be the primary forum for campaign announcements of all kinds. Campaign members are encouraged to check this board weekly before session for the latest news from the GM.

"Campaign Rules Addendum: The following ability is now available as part of the Improving a Familiar rules from Fantasy Flight Games' Legends & Lairs series book "Spells and Spellcraft", effective immediately.

Power	Original XP Cost	New XP Cost	Shared XP Cost	Prerequisite
Spell Ability, 3x/day	-	[spell levelxcaster level]x200 (minimum 1000)	-	-

"

The GM
Wednesday, October 19th 2005 - 05:27:21 PM

"Campaign News: Tonight's session will be held at All the Fun Stuff. Until further notice, the session for the 3rd Wednesday of each month (the week immediately prior to our skip week) will now be held at ATFS."

The GM
Wednesday, October 19th 2005 - 05:24:53 PM

"Campaign Ruling: Effective immediately, all Staff items that produce spell effects will use the wielder's DC and level, or the default for the Staff (whichever is higher), to determine effects. Wands will use the wielder's DC (but not level), or the default for the Wand (whichever is higher), to determine effects. Scrolls will continue to use the level they are scribed at and the default DC for a spell of that level, unless it is a scroll that you personally scribed, in which case it uses your DC at the time of scribing as long as you are the one casting it (i.e. if the scroll is handed to another caster in the party, then the DC reverts to the default for a spell of that level). All existing items may be updated to reflect these changes."

The GM
Tuesday, September 13th 2005 - 11:24:22 AM

"Addendum: If you do not contact me with a definite choice by the end of the day (4/15/05), you are considered to be staying with your original character."

The GM
Friday, April 15th 2005 - 10:55:13 AM

"In light of the events of the 4/13/05 session, players have the following choice to make:

#1: Create a new character @ 8th level with an assigned selection of magic items equal in value to the table found in the DMG.

#2: Keep your existing character, assuming any possible repercussions that may arise from the storyline.

Obviously, for story continuity, I prefer that players select the latter, but if you are dead-set on creating a new character, now is a good time to do it. All players must inform me of their choice by 4/15/05. If choosing the former option, new character concepts must be submitted no later than 4/17/05 for approval, and finished characters must be turned in by 4/19/05. Session is on for next week as normal."

The GM
Thursday, April 14th 2005 - 10:01:18 AM

"The session for 3/30/05 is cancelled. We'll resume on 4/6/05 as normal."

The GM
Tuesday, March 29th 2005 - 10:39:49 AM

"Campaign Announcement: While I believe that the camapign Diary is an invaluable tool as part of the game, I am finding that I am often pressed for time to write it. Frequently I end up a week behind with the summary. Between writing the campaign materials and providing a session summary for another game, it has just become too much. So, I'm making the following offer:

If you write a session summary for a game, you will receive a 10-20% XP bonus for that session. This award will be granted after the summary is submitted to me and before the next game. The amount of the award will vary depending on 1) how early I receive it, and 2) how complete it is (as a reflection of the session), and 3) how little I need to edit it before posting.

I believe that XP-intensive characters (those with Craft feats, Guild associations, or multi-classing penalties) will find these bonuses a boon to keeping pace with the group. The bonus also represents a chance for players whose characters are already on the back end of the XP spectrum in the party to help bring their characters up a little.

To qualify for the award, you must notify me at the beginning of session that you will be keeping track of that game. The summary must be turned in to me in e-mail no later than the Monday before the next session; submissions that come in sooner will qualify for a greater bonus than those submitted on the day of the deadline."

The GM
Tuesday, March 15th 2005 - 04:21:21 PM

"Session Update: XP for the 11/3/04 session is 500; this includes the RP award for everyone."

The GM
Monday, November 8th 2004 - 05:19:09 PM

"Campaign update: All information regarding the League of Free Mercenaries organization can now be found under the new section of the website entitled 'Guilds' on the table of contents. Note that some of the information contained within the write-up is specific to the branch of the League within Bluffside; the general advancement information found at the bottom of the listing is common to all League branches."

The GM
Tuesday, September 28th 2004 - 02:34:25 PM

"Campaign Ruling: XP awards will now include a 'story-based' component for completion of mission objectives or advancement of the campaign plot. These awards will be intermittent in nature, only those present the night the award is given will receive it, even though the award may represent actions that have occurred in other sessions. The award value will vary from a CR value of 2 or 3 below the APL (for minor story awards) to 1 or 2 above the APL (for major accomplishments)."

The GM
Wednesday, September 1st 2004 - 03:27:09 PM

"Campaign Ruling: Replacing your character with a new one now results in the following effects.

• The new character comes back at one level lower than your current character, mid-way between levels, as if suffering from level loss.
  
• The character may take as much or as little of their previous gear with them as they desire, subject to the circumstances of the departure and/or rest of the group's approval.
  
• The new character gets the basic starting package from the Primer, minus the magic items.
  
• The new character gets 1/2 the value of the gear the old character departed with to purchase gear (including magic items).
  
• All item purchases made in this manner are subject to a capped value based on the new character's level. Please contact the GM for details.
  

I realized there was a slight loop-hole in the way I was handling character exchanges up to this point, one that would allow a player to completely retool their character with customized gear without penalty. These changes are not intended to prevent people from changing out for a new character if they really want to, but simply to prevent any abuse of the rules. This could especially be exploited at later levels when characters may have large sums of treasure - a completely customized set of magic items for a high level character is a significant advantage over what other characters would have gained through normal play."

The GM
Saturday, August 28th 2004 - 12:58:26 PM

"Campaign Clarification: If you currently have no GM's Grace cards, you may select one from each list. If you have one card, you may select one from whichever list you do not already have a card already."

The GM
Wednesday, July 14th 2004 - 02:34:11 PM

"Campaign Ruling: All players will now be brought up to 2 GM's Grace cards if they do not already possess them. No player may possess more than 3 GM's Grace cards at the beginning of the July 14th session. Further, no player may have more than one permanent effect card at the beginning of that session. Those with supplemental cards may either trade them to players without cards or turn them in to the GM to get card(s) of an appropriate type.

From now forward, GM's Grace cards will be awarded when characters reach a new level. At each new level, the player may choose one of the following cards for their character:

• Turn one failed Saving Throw into a successful Saving Throw.
  
• Turn one failed Ability Check into a successful Ability Check.
  
• Turn one failed Skill Check into a successful Skill Check.
  
• Gain a +2 on all combat rolls (attack and damage) for one combat. The card must be turned in before the combat to take effect.
  
• Gain a +2 on all Saving Throws for one combat. The card must be turned in before the combat to take effect.
  
• Gain a 5/- DR for the bearer for one combat. This card must be turned in before the combat to take effect.
  
• Gain a SR of 17 for one gaming session. The card must be turned in before the session to take effect.
  
• Gain a +1 to all combat rolls (attack and damage) for one session. This card must be turned in before the session to take effect.
  
• Gain a +4 Initiative bonus for one combat. It must be turned in before initiative is rolled.
  
• Gain a +4 bonus to attack and damage for a single roll. It must be turned in before the attack is made.
  

All of the above cards may only be used once. A player may, at their option, forego the selection of an above card and surrender one such card already in their possession to gain one of the following effects, each of which may be used once per session:

• Gain a +1 to a single Saving Throw. The card must be presented before the roll to take effect.
  
• Gain a +1 to a single Ability Check. The card must be presented before the roll to take effect.
  
• Gain a +1 to a single Skill Check. The card must be presented before the roll to take effect.
  
• Gain a +1 to attack and damage for a single roll. The card must be presented before the roll to take effect.
  
• Gain a +1 to a single Caster Level Check. The card must be presented before the roll to take effect.
  
• Gain a 10/+5 DR for one round. This card must be turned in before the combat to take effect.
  
• Gain a SR of (12 + character level) for one round. The card must be turned in at the beginning of the round to take effect.
  
• Gain a +1 to a single spell DC. The card must be presented before the spell is cast to take effect.
  
• Gain a +1 Initiative bonus for one combat. The card must be presented before initiative is rolled.
  
• Re-roll damage for a single attack and choose which roll to use.
  

After the 14th, each player may possess as many cards as their character earns or they can trade for, without limit. However, only when leveling may they surrender an existing single use card for a permanent card."

The GM
Monday, July 12th 2004 - 09:39:42 PM

"Campaign Ruling: All equipment (including the "first" set of clothing worn by a character) must be accounted for in encumbrance. This supercedes the info found on p. 111 of the PHB."

The GM
Wednesday, May 5th 2004 - 09:52:21 AM

"Campaign Announcement: Reaper's Reptus series of minis are the official representation of the Dragori in Shakandara."

The GM
Thursday, March 25th 2004 - 10:34:25 AM

"In case anyone missed it, Eric (Fletch) will not be attending sessions for approximately the next several weeks or so; he should be rejoining us in early April."

The GM
Monday, March 15th 2004 - 08:47:38 PM

"Campaign Ruling: The following materials from Ambient Inc's "Crimson Contracts" are now approved for use:

• Chapter 2: all skills, excluding Craft (Origami)
  
• Chapter 2: the feats Deadly Hands, Invisible Spell, Run By Attack, Venom Resistance
  
• Chapter 3: the PClasses of Iceheart and Silent One
  
• Chapter 4: all information on poisons, anti-toxins, and magical diseases
  
• Chapter 4: all gear, excluding bladed cloaks, any "razored" items, and spring sheaths
  
• Chapter 4: all weapons, excluding the Arm of Kali, heartseeker needles, kimono sashes, and spring blades
  
• Chapter 4: all magic items are under review; all psionic-related material is banned
  

All other sections have either no game mechanic impacts or are still under review."

The GM
Tuesday, February 10th 2004 - 10:13:26 PM

"Campaign Ruling: The following feats from Fantasy Flight Games' Legends & Lairs series book "Path of Magic" (the material is also available in the "Mastercraft Anthology") are now available:

• Adept Mastery
  
• Counterspell Riposte (see the revised version below)
  
• Deceptive Casting
  
• Enhanced Familiar
  
• Rapid Scribing
  
• Reduced Spell Failure
  
• Spellbook Mastery
  
• Superior Familiar
  
• Thrifty Wizard
  

The following description superceeds that which appears for the feat Counterspell Riposte.

Counterspell Riposte [General]
You can attack instantly following a successful counterspell.
Prerequisites: Improved Counterspell, Reactive Counterspell, ability to cast spells of 3rd level or higher.
Benefit: When you successfully perform a counterspell action, you can instantly cast another spell in response at the target you counterspelled. The spell selected for a riposte must not have a casting time of greater than one action. The level of the riposte spell must be three or more levels lower than the highest level spell the caster can use."

The GM
Tuesday, February 10th 2004 - 09:27:45 PM

"Campaign Rules Addendum: Here are the revised numbers for the Improved Familiar materials above. There are a few significant changes. First, all of the powers that could be "shared" with the caster now have two costs - one for the ability to be non-shared for just the familiar, and the second for the ability to be shared with the caster. In many cases, the difference between the two is not insignificant. Second, the Energy Resistance ability has been replaced with 3 new abilities - Minor (which protects against 5pts/round), Moderate (which protects against 15pts/round, and Major (which protects against 30pts/round). These abilities otherwsie conform to the Energy Resistance description. Finally, a few abilities now have prerequisites - these can be met either through the selection of Improved Familiar powers or the natural abilities of the familiar.

Power	Original XP Cost	New XP Cost	Shared XP Cost	Prerequisite
Alter Form	300	250	-	-
Blindsight	500	1500	-	Scent or Darkvision
Blink	720	1000	-	-
Breath Weapon	750	1000	-	-
Breathe Air	720	750	-	-
Breathe Water	100	750	-	-
Burrow	100	1000	-	-
Constrict	250	750	-	-
Corporeal	250	1000	-	-
Cute	250	250	-	-
Damage Reduction	300	1000	-	-
Darkvision	400	750	1000	-
Disease	200	500	-	-
Displace	1200	1500	-	-
Energy Drain	500	2500	-	-
Energy Resistance	750	replaced	-	-
Minor Energy Resistance (5)	-	250	500	-
Moderate Energy Resistance (15)	-	750	1500	-
Major Energy Resistance (30)	-	1500	3000	-
Etherealness	750	1000	-	-
Fast Healing	1000	1000	2000	-
Flying (Winged)	250	750	-	-
Flying (Wingless)	750	1000	-	-
Gaseous Form	600	1000	-	-
Glow	125	250	-	-
Immunity	1500	2500	5000	(Any) Energy Resistance
Improved Grab	250	750	-	-
Incorporeal	500	1500	-	-
Invisible	300	750	-	-
Low-light Vision	250	500	750	-
Poison	500	500	-	-
Rage	750	500	-	-
Regeneration	2000	2000	-	-
Scary	250	250	-	-
Scent	250	750	1500	-
See Invisible	400	750	1500	-
Size Increase	1000	1000	-	-
Smite	300	250	-	-
Speak Language	100	250	-	-
Spell Ability	[spell levelxspell level]x100	[spell levelxcaster level]x100 (minimum 500)	-	-
Trip	100	750	-	-
Turn Resistance	250	500	1000	-

"

The GM
Tuesday, February 10th 2004 - 05:45:51 PM

"Campaign Ruling Addendum: The Familiar Improvement rules are temporarily on hold. They will be receiving a major rewrite in the cost for individual powers, as well as some changes to how some of the powers function (limited primarily to striking the "share with master" ability of some powers). These updates will be posted here when they are finished. If, for some reason, your character gains a level before I finish these alterations, you will be able to grandfather *two* levels worth of abilities for your familiar instead of the one level mentioned previously. My apologies for the delay in the roll-out of this addition."

The GM
Monday, February 9th 2004 - 04:50:13 PM

"Campaign Ruling: Blight Magic (from the Blight Magic sourcebook from Mystic Eye Games) is banned for PC use.

It is, however, under review for NPC use... *efg*"

The GM
Monday, February 9th 2004 - 04:38:06 PM

"Campaign Ruling: The Ward aspect of the EoM Abjure spells has an area of effect with the same dimensions as the Evoke Area Black [Element] spells. The Bind aspect of the EoM Abjure spells has an area of effect with the same dimensions as the Evoke Area White [Element] spells."

The GM
Monday, February 9th 2004 - 04:26:54 PM

"Campaign Ruling: I will now be allowing the Improving a Familiar rules from Fantasy Flight Games' Legends & Lairs series book "Spells and Spellcraft" (the material is also available in the "Mastercraft Anthology"), with the following provisions:

• The familiar may gain only one power per caster level of the master; it may not gain an ability at the level at which the master obtains the familiar.
  
• The power must be selected and the XP paid for before the master gains another level in any class, or the ability to gain the power is forever lost for that level.
  
• Certain powers will have prerequisite powers that must be selected first; contact the GM for details when selecting a power.
  
• Any power that costs 500XP or greater cannot be selected before the master has reached at least 5th level as a caster.
  
• Any power that costs 1000XP or greater cannot be selected before the master has reached at least 9th level as a caster.
  
• Any power that costs 1500XP or greater cannot be selected before the master has reached at least 13th level as a caster.
  
• Certain powers will have adjusted XP costs versus what appears in the documentation; contact the GM for details.
  

For those that already have familiars, you may grandfather *one* caster level you have already attained (provided you meet all the above requirements and have the XP to spend) for a familiar ability."

The GM
Wednesday, January 21st 2004 - 11:22:20 AM

"Phil will no longer be joining us (at least, not in the near future)."

The GM
Wednesday, January 7th 2004 - 09:40:57 AM

"Brian will now be joining the group. He has a new character concept, so no looking for the Druid "Chalmers"... :p"

The GM
Tuesday, December 2nd 2003 - 11:37:33 PM

"We will play this Wednesday (Nov 19th) and be off the following week (Nov. 26th). The 4th Wednesday of the month will now be our standard week to skip session. Plan accordingly."

The GM
Monday, November 17th 2003 - 05:23:08 PM

"Terry will no longer be joining us on Wednesday nights."

The GM
Monday, November 17th 2003 - 05:22:01 PM

"Ok, I've definitely decided, no gaming session this week (the 15th); enjoy the week off, and I'll see you all on the 22nd."

The GM
Monday, October 13th 2003 - 10:07:12 PM

"Campaign Ruling: I am going to be using the 3.5 costs for Raise Dead, Ressurrection, etc. Moral of the story? Don't die

Campaign Ruling: While it will now cost more to get raised, I think the 3e concept of a full level loss is a bit harsh. Therefore, I'm going to be using an alternate system presented on Andy Collins' site (see the link to the website in The Portal section). It is titled "The High Cost of Dying" and can be found in the "Theories" section of his site."

The GM
Monday, October 6th 2003 - 11:06:24 PM

"Campaign Ruling: In light of the fact that EoM casters use different spell lists than core class casters, they are unable to create many core book magic items. Therefore, the following option is now available for EoM casters:

• EoM casters may learn core class spells. The EoM caster must first obtain a blank spellbook to write the spells into.
  
• To learn a core class spell, an EoM caster must have a scroll or spellbook with the desired spell.
  
• They must spend 2 days per level of the desired spell in study to learn the spell. At the end of this time, they make a Knowledge (Arcana) check (DC20+ spell level). If the check succeeds, they understand the spell and may proceed to copying it. If this check fails, they may not attempt to learn the spell again until they have gained at least one rank in Knowledge (Arcana). The attempt to learn a spell like this costs 100XP/level of the desired spell if successful, 50XP/level if the attempt fails.
  
• Use the core rules for "Writing a New Spell into a Spellbook" for the time and cost to add the spell to the EoM caster's spellbook.
  
• EoM casters may not learn core class spells of a higher level than they can currently cast.
  
• To use this new spell, the EoM caster *must* memorize the spell; it cannot be used "on the fly" as they do with the rest of their spells.
  
• Core class spells use MP equivalent to their EoM spell level counterparts, +1 additional MP.
  
• EoM casters may not use metamagic feats on core class spells
  
• EoM casters that have added a core spell to their spell list may use Spell Completion and Spell Trigger items for that specific spell.
  
• EoM casters may not "Master a Foreign Spellbook" (MoF, pg.173).
  

"

The GM
Saturday, October 4th 2003 - 11:42:51 AM

"Website News: The Pantheon section is now active. It lists all the current deities for the campaign, as well as their general rank in the pantheon, their alignment, and the portfolios they represent."

The GM
Saturday, October 4th 2003 - 11:14:39 AM

"I can now announce an official Shakandara discount for all players in the campaign! I am extending a 20% discount on all roleplaying products I carry, such as books, dice, and miniatures.

Further, I can also special order items with a 1 week turn around (assuming they are in stock at the distributor). Preorders are welcome too! Just tell me what you want at one gaming session, and I'll bring it with me to the next session. I can take cash, checks, and even credit cards (thought you'll get your credit card receipt the next week)!

Miniature-wise, I can order Games Workshop, Reaper and some Wizards of the Coast miniatures currently, and may be able to order Confrontation starting in November.

As for dice, anything that Chessex still makes is available.

So, if and when Vince decides to upgrade to v3.5, you'll be able to get your Core Rulebooks at 20% off ($23.96), or a special offer of $70 for all three at once!
"

William James Cuffe
Wednesday, September 24th 2003 - 02:21:41 PM

"Camapign News: I'm going to delay the campaign by one more week; we have some campaign members that are still finishing up characters, one that is ill, etc.

So, our official start will be Wednesday, Oct. 1st at 7:00pm. Please do not be late; 7pm is the start time for the session. Sessions will run 3-4 hours long, with no session running later than 11:30pm. The session will be held at the offices of Rapid Delivery Service, located at 1414 W. Sam Houston Pkwy, Suite #160. The office is located at the corner of Hazelhurst and the northbound feeder for the beltway between I-10 and Hammerly. If you are using I-10 west to reach the Belt, exit just after Gessner and turn right onto the feeder for the Belt at the light. Follow it north about 1 mile. If you get to Hammerly, you went too far. If you are travelling north on the Belt from below I-10, exit Memorial and stay on the feeder; once you pass underneath I-10, continue north on the feeder for about 1 mile. My cell number is 281-932-0662 if you have difficulty finding the office.

Please remember to send final electronic copies of your characters to me before game time next week. Also, remember to bring a painted mini for your character, as we will be using a battle matte for combats."

The GM
Tuesday, September 23rd 2003 - 03:00:42 PM

"Primer Addition: Section 3 of the primer was written before the adoption of the EoM book as the default spellcasting system. Therefore, the Group 1 choices do not present the options I wished to be available. As such, the following bullet point is added to the Group 1 list:

• 1 extra spell list (for EoM casters) -OR-
  

"

The GM
Tuesday, September 16th 2003 - 11:09:08 PM

"Primer Ruling: No Evil alignment PCs will be permitted in The Renaissance campaign."

The GM
Monday, September 8th 2003 - 11:12:57 PM

"Campaign News: The start date for the campaign has been pushed back by two weeks to September 24th. All deadlines have been extended two weeks accordingly. This was due to various factors, and may happen again, though I hope not."

The GM
Friday, September 5th 2003 - 07:55:50 PM

"Campaign News: Contrary to what I'd planned, the campaign group has reached 8 players. We'll deal with it."

The GM
Saturday, August 23rd 2003 - 09:41:44 PM

"Campaign Announcement: A rough draft of your character must be finished and submitted to me in an electronic format prior to September 1st. In the 9 days before the start of the game, I would like to meet with all of you to discuss your characters. I'd prefer to do this one or two of you at a time, with similar classes grouped together. I'd prefer to do this in the evenings or on the weekends over a meal (my treat). Please contact me to arrange a day and time to go over your character. At this time, we will fill in any gaps (places, names, etc.) in your history and personality notes, as well as number-crunch your stats and equipment for accuracy. A final, completed electronic copy of your character must be submitted by September 10th, prior to the start of the game."

The GM
Sunday, August 17th 2003 - 09:03:05 AM

"Campaign Announcement: The campaign will begin on Wednesday, September 10th, at 7:00pm sharp. Please do not be late; 7pm is the *start* time. Sessions will last 3-4 hrs, and will run no later than 11:30pm. Location is still TBA. My apologies to those who are unable to play on Wednesday night."

The GM
Sunday, August 17th 2003 - 08:55:28 AM

"Primer Ruling: All +X CR races get a number of starting hit die equal to their special race's HD or their CR modifier, whichever is less.

Primer Ruling: For calculating HP, use racial HD first for calculating which level(s) you get max HP for (i.e. a 2HD creature would get max HP for their 2 racial hit die, not class levels). "

The GM
Tuesday, August 12th 2003 - 10:28:55 PM

"Announcement: All players must have painted miniatures for the campaign. If you need to get a miniature painted, I can recommend several very good painters who do nice work for a reasonable price. I can easily add a miniature or two to the next batch that I send off for painting if you'd like to take advantage of their services."

The GM
Tuesday, August 12th 2003 - 03:38:38 PM

"Primer Correction: Added to Section 4: Magic in Shakandara a new bullet point regarding Keen Edge:

• Keen Edge: This spell no longer doubles a weapon's critical range. Instead, it increases the range by a flat value of 2. All other aspects of the spell remain the same.

"

The GM
Monday, August 11th 2003 - 04:41:14 PM

"Primer Ruling: Satyrs are banned as a PC race."

The GM
Monday, August 11th 2003 - 04:36:15 PM

"Primer Clarification: your 500gp to spend on equipment may only be used to purchase gear from the following sources: Players Handbook, Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting, Magic of Faerun. Further, you may not purchase Thunderstones or Poison of any kind as starting equipment."

The GM
Monday, August 11th 2003 - 04:24:42 PM

"There have been some recent questions regarding the Primer, so I'm going to make a few clarifications here.

First, the +1 weapon and armor under Section 3 of the Primer does not have to be magical. You may select an item of *up to* +1 in magical enhancement value, meaning you may instead choose to take a non-magical special material item instead, so long as it is less than the cap value. Further, all special material items are masterwork in nature, so the cost of the item already includes the masterwork component of the price (i.e. a Mithral Chain Shirt is 1100gp, not 1250gp).

Also, Shakandaran deities are not on the site yet; if you need assistance with selecting a deity, pick a Realms deity that is close to what you want, and I will help you find the Shakandaran equivalent.

Any other start-up related questions, go ahead and post them here, and I'll answer them."

The GM
Wednesday, August 6th 2003 - 11:15:19 PM


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