General Summary of Asembia: In this new era of the world, it began with a sudden bright light that enveloped the world. Soon followed sounds of crushing earth as the world violently shook and form cracks that would have bursts of magical energy erupt and stream out. With this the movement of continents began as the surge of magical energy pushed and pull together all the major lands together as one. This cataclysmic change to the world would be known as the Planetary Convergence as it altered the once divided lands and forming one massive continent, a pangea, that would later be called Asembia.
The destruction to towns and cities on a global level still had survivors to continue on this newly conjoined mega continent to easily reform civilization. Although many beasts, monsters and powerful forces would make themselves known simply after be awakened from their slumber by the convergence or have been said to waited until a day like this came for them to descend on the newly joined land and confused people. For most of the first century After the Planetary Convergence (or APC) life was difficult as giants were first to reign supreme of most of Asembia and the history Before the Convergence (or BC) has been lost. But it was thanks to a group of legendary heroes that were able to defeat the reign of giants and make a new history as they pave the way for the future for the people on Asembia.
As centuries passed the people of Asembia have found their own way to endure and adjust to this new and dangerous world of theirs as they made their claim on most of the five major regions against many dangerous foes. Eventually by about 1100 APC, there was general peace within the major nations of Asembia. But in the late years of the late 1400s, there have been dramatic changes that may have lasting effects for the future of Asembia.
The Major Regions:
Before the empire, the region was under the claim of a cloud giant named Sky Sovereign, Elgin Torbikssen. He believed his people were chosen by the divine to rule over the devastated lands that became one after the Planetary Quake as his floating kingdom remained nearly untouched. However, he rule was oppressive as he claimed territory and severely punished those who went against his agendas. But as decades passed and he widened his claim of land, he stretched a bit too much as heroes how were became legendary figures, rose up to dismantled his claim on the land, slayed the Sky Sovereign, and taking advantage to defeating the remaining commanding cloud giants who were fighting among each other as they sought to take the empty throne.
With the Sky Sovereign and his influence of power gone, the heroes were praised, and over time with their other close allies, divided and led their people in the creation of small kingdoms. But after a few decades, each would find themselves fighting off various new threats like orchish warbands feeling confident with cloud giants gone, fiends corrupted those that are weak enough to be manipulated, the occasional dragon, each other over various reason, and etcetera. Not wanting a repeat of something similar to the Sky Sovereign and wanting to preserve what they fought so hard on, the rulers decided to unify as one nation to improve movement with a larger military force known as the National Guards fighting and defending where it is needed and allow future generations to easily stay cooperative together as one mind to fend off future threat. Additionally, resources would be distributed where necessary than throughout to assure enough people are given enough of their basic needs. The one that spear headed this unification was the leader of the legendary heroes, Viktor Veteris, thus creating Veteris Empire.
After centuries, the empire would have peace amongst themselves as they endured and subdued many conflicts and tribulations that would threaten them. Eventually, the empire would be the first nation to reach an industrial age as explorers have found ancient ruins to the far north and items and designs that they were able to recreate and advance the empire. The empire made a great advancement to further develop the capital city and towns nearby, carrying a bit of a steampunk theme. But the land itself began slowly became barren like that of the land where the ruins stood and new strange illnesses started appearing. As great as the magitech that they were creating, they would still need basic and exotic resources to maintain the influx people interested in living in and near the advancing city while also solving these illnesses. Thus the need arise to call for the outer settlements to increase in their production and sending resource to the inner section of the empire. But still after a decade, the demand would find itself increasing.
In year 1484 APC, during Emperor Viktor XXVII's reign, would find himself in the empire’s most drastic event, that being succession. These successions began with the Queen Elise who said had grew tired of the empire’s supposes oppressive rule. With her, other outer towns and cities followed her lead of succession and became known as the Novus Alliance. Viktor XXVII wanting to try to reconcile and preserve the empire back to how it was, he tried to arrange a meeting, but news rose of a Novus Alliance town where rioting people were massacred by Veteris’s National Guard who reported the people becoming too violent. With each side accusing each other the Alliance sought to end the Empire’s centuries of protect rule, while the Empire sought to reunify and preserve its people as it once was. The skirmishes lasted only 5 years as a truth was settled and the border line drawn by the river that separates the two nations. But although there is the truth, tensions are still high as the empire people need enough resources to maintain itself. Meanwhile, fearing enemies of the past with take this opportunity of a severed empire with divided resources.
In the beginning centuries, most of the northern part of Asembia was ruled by giants, led by Sky Sovereign, Elgin Torbikssen. But then arrived a group of legendary heroes that ended the reign of giants, with one hero them named Conlan MacDonald. Amongst the hero, he was physically the strongest and toughest of the party that was always jump into action, so much that he found it to be more of a sport than anything else that it his ever-bounding spirit and determination was a great admiration to many.
Once the reign of giants, Conlan still had the energy to continue the battles against powerful foes and providing his people. Eventually he would push his way through giants, dragons, and other powerful forces to provide the Highlands of Dachaigh as their home. Although the region was dangerous than most, Conlan was believed the geography and the general lifestyle that he taught his people would allow them to grow strong and strive amongst the those that tried to oppose their livelihood and traditions that their people use to uphold since ancient times.
As Conlan would eventually pass away, would the Clan MacDonald would rule all of Dachaigh for some centuries. Eventually in year 1091 APC, came the reign of the Laird, Mannix MacDonald, who heard the stories of his great ancestors, especially the famed as the Hero Laird Conlan. Seeing any opportunity of battle to prove his clan’s legacy, he would recklessly jump into battles with his clan and others through what would be many perilous journeys. But due to his lack of foresight, the amount of causalities were high and thus many gave him the name of the Mad Laird Mannix. After observing the amount of loss of people that they would sustain, the other chiefs stepped away from his rule and even MacDonald would split into the smaller clans that can be found across the Highlands today and even a few in the Plains. Thus, all the clans strictly followed their chiefs after the Highlanders of Dachaigh swore never again to allow anyone that title. But the five most prominent of which being Clan MacAlister, Clan MacManus, Clan MacTavish, Clan MacLeod, and Clan MacDonald.
Before and after the reign of Mad Laird, small scale skirmishes and one-on-one duels are commonplace among the clans of Dachaigh, but all-out war is totally nonexistent. Old Greta and her warlock servants in the Dachaigh Plains enforce relative peace across the land of Dachaigh. This is due to an ancient agreement between the Great Old One and the Highlands of Dachaigh, the terms of which being that Old Greta and her servants maintain a level of peace and stability in exchange for the Highlanders' protection and occasional service.
During the first month of Summer every year, the clans of Dachaigh come together to play the Games, a month long tournament featuring contests of every skill a man can learn. The clan that wins the most contests is receive a highly coveted prize that is different every year. These games becoming popular enough that similar games have spread across most of the Asembia, eventually leading to a world event that occurs every 5 years that has a varied of competitions with each major region having representatives compete against each other. Even small adventuring parties and big companies of people compete as their own to represent a bit of the legendary heroes who rose up in beginning of this era.
Initially the Novus Alliance was once part of the Veteris Empire. During this time, they would benefit from helping each other when one needed help. However, in the recent centuries, relation would become more distant with between the empire and the territories that would become the Alliance. Within these times, laws would be enacted that many felt restricted their sense of individual liberties, communication becoming more distance as response from them take longer, and low living standards compared to those in and near the capital. With these issues causing unrest for the people, the empire thought of sending the National Guards down to assist the people there. Although they would help in whatever causes, relations only soured more as the guards further exerted the laws and felt they were being extorted to give their goods to the capital.
Rumor of revolutionary ideas began to spread, but would quickly disappear as soon as they were truly talked about within a town. The nobles distant from the capital have tried reaching out to the capital, but their requests were responded with little to no results to the matter. Eventually, waning to resolve this, the highly esteemed and respected amongst the people, King Conrad traveled to the capital, only to be found dead. His wife, now widow, Queen Elise greatly mourned his death along with their people. Feeling that the empire could have prevented this, she decided to follow these rumors of a revolution, started secretly having meetings with revolutionaries and plotted the succession so her people and other leaders can stand together and be independent from the empire. Especially as they felt confident enough to defend on their own without the need of the empire’s protection.
As relations became worse with the empire and a supposedly friendly negotiation to try and resolve these troubling matters resulted in a massacre, succession began. Now revealing their army of drakes, wyverns, and spellcasters that they were hiding underground, the now Novus Alliance declared their succession, only for the Veteris Empire to demand them to cease and return to the empire. With no side agreeing, the war began as casters and draconic mounts battled against Veteris Empire’s magitech weapons and airships. It would take about 5 years for with the initial efforts to push the Empire’s forces out of the Alliance’s regions and the eventual stalemate at the major river that separated the two nations. This would lead to truth and border formed by the river that separated the two nations. Now in 1489 APC, the Alliance has been enjoy its independence, but tensions are still high at the border as the people of the Novus Alliance feel the threat of the empire seeking to reclaim their missing territory with small groups saying that they should be dealt with.
The origin of the people that call this desert a home and travel the sea of sands all begins with one of the heroes of legends, Madam Merseger. Unlike the other heroes how created their own kingdoms to safe guard their people, Merseger was seen as a divine prophet as her predictions had a very high accuracy of occurring that many worshiped her. One of the major predictions that she proclaimed was that within the Sansea Desert lies a sweet spot within the desert that would be bountiful for her people for many generations. Thus, not doubting her words, hundreds flocked together and made their way into the desert. After surviving the elements, beasts and monsters that roam the burning sands, they found a very hidden cave near the western coast that lead to an underground oasis. The earth within and nearby was extremely fertile that this became the seed and grew to expand to become the major city of free trade and communication known as Maerternus.
Madam Merseger would live much longer than the average human. But as she aged, she would stress to her people of balance and following ones own goal to better those around, which became a focus in her teachings that became tradition amongst her people. For many generations in the centuries later, some of the people of Sansea have held a tradition of being nomads to follow Merseger youth of exploring the world and being selfless as her until the time comes when they must return to Sansea to find balance and learn from their travels to better aid their communities in Sansea.
It is through these travels that they have become a free market as they have exchange various goods and stories that they have precured from their travel before returning to Maerternus to either stop or continue their travels. This openness have led to great strives as this has allowed people to have freedom to innovate and create while also being customer driven to help meet for desired needs and wants. One notable thing being the signature sansei skiffs that would sail both open waters and the sandy surface. However, a few Sansea people who have ended their travel, may or may not intentionally exploit the goodwill of their own people in their private companies as there may be inequality and dangerous profit motive when using the workforce.
The jungles and swamps of Swivern are home to various kinds of denizens that call this home. Unlike most of Asembia where there is a clear leadership to represent the nation, most of Swivern’s inhabitants grow and fight each other in order to expand their tribe’s territory. Within Swivern consists of dangerous wilderness and lawless settlements, where many tribes have border conflicts with each other and the size of each of territories always changing.
The few settlements of Swivern that are a bit more civilized and have some sense of law reside on the edge of the country. Here many traders would visit to conduct exchanges for the variety of exotic goods found within Swivern’s sprawling ecosystem and ancient secrets hidden in ruins that once stood.
Amongst areas with enough law and order, the lizardfolks and bullywugs are seen as the most neutrally autonomous with their work, especially with negotiations and trades. Hobgoblins enforcing some sense of order amongst the wilderness in order to sustain their own dominance within their territory. This began when traders from Sansea traveled down to seek exotic goods and came across some Swivern prevalent and dangerous denizens. After a few decades of parley and general communication when passing through their territory, the natives found an interest in these communications. From the increase amount of people arriving and benefit that their exchanges have produced, they have found it to be more rewarding to secure a deal for continual trade for what they seek than killing on the spot and having to wait longer find goods of interest.
With more people seeking opportunity of exotic trade and civil communications amongst Swivern’s denizens, there have been rumors of a new tribe of people forming and unifying the country under one banner as powerful warlords have started to their own campaigns to take over the various tribes of Swivern.
The Story So Far
Chapter 1:
The present year of the Asembian calendar is 1489 APC ...
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Homebrew Rules:
Thrown Melee Weapons If a melee weapon has the thrown property, you can use STR or DEX mod for the attack and damage roll.
Potion Drinking User can spend a bonus action to drink a potion, but is an action to use it on someone else.
Spell Creation If you are a spellcaster, you are allowed to make your own spell that is not in the allowed sources. But they must be mentioned in the OOC and be approved by me.
Sprint Spend your entire turn moving five times your speed, but must be a straight line and by doing this, you are left open for any attacks of opportunities in melee range and those attacks are at advantage.
Cleaving Through Creatures When a melee attack reduces an undamaged creature to 0 hit points, any excess damage from that attack might carry over to another creature nearby. The attacker targets another creature within reach and, if the original attack roll can hit it, applies any remaining damage to it. If that creature was undamaged and is likewise reduced to 0 hit points, repeat this process, carrying over the remaining damage until there are no valid targets, or until the damage carried over fails to reduce an undamaged creature to 0 hit point
Combat Rules Once a battle occurs, I do plan to do/note the following to help speed up combat.
I will roll everyone’s initiative and average the party and enemies’ separately. Base on the average initiative, will determine who will post first. If the party has the highest average, then anyone can post in what or when ever order they decide. If the amount of enemies are not the same compared to the party, additional or less rolls will be used to help balance the enemies' average initiative with the party.
If a week has passed, then I will start the enemies turn, players that did not post their character’s action by this point I will consider they did not take a action. If for some reason you can’t post for that week, just let us know and me or someone with permission can basically give a simple action to the character for that turn.
If all the party members make a post before the end of that week, then maybe I can find time to make an early post to help quicken the combat.
Future homebrew rules may be added, but will be discussed and decided in OOC before being implemented.
I’m iffy on it myself. I understand it’s one of those realism rulings but as per usual with rules of realism, they’re really more to make things difficult for players since it’s rarely something we can capitalize on our opponents. Not to mention it could potentially put us into a cycle of hurting where we fight, go down, get brought back up, and accumulate exhaustion which I should remind everyone, you only lose one per long rest. Even a single level of exhaustion can be crippling for those of us who want to roleplay more since skills are the first to suffer from exhaustion.
Obviously we should try and avoid losing all of our HP, but sometimes the die just isn’t in your favor when it comes to matters like that. And when it’s just bad rolls that’s just bad luck, but exhaustion on top of that is a good reason as any to abandon a crawl or at least be stuck doing nothing for a day or so.
On one hand, I can see a story reason why this rule is there: Other than Azzen, we don't exactly have a true healer with the medical knowledge to prevent the exhaustion after bringing someone back from the brink of death.
However, I can see this rule becoming problematic in Boss battles, and in situations where running away isn't an option. It's also a good reason for party members to abandon each other when things get tough.
It should also be mentioned that after receiving 6 levels of exhaustion, the result is death. So, if someone was knocked down and healed back six times, they would just die... :/ (Sorry if I'm being Captain Obvious there...>.<)
It also raises this question: If we get to higher levels and have access to Revivify and Resurrection spells, then does that mean that the person who was brought back gets more levels of exhaustion then just the normal healing?
Personally I think gaining exhaustion after being brought back from death makes more sense and is more fair than exhaustion gained fro just going unconscious after a battle. Presumably, magic healing helps accelerate and prevent the usual trauma caused to the body when it goes into an unconscious state. But straight up dying is taxing no matter what magic you’re capable of. And obviously, dying is a much more grievous condition to avoid than just unconsciousness.
@Lucius Cypher No disagreements here! ^_^ I'm just wondering how it would be handled in comparison to the one level of exhaustion after being brought back from unconsciousness by healing. ^^"
The problem with exhaustion is that unlike other status effects which baring very specific circumstances/poisons, usually don’t last too long and don’t get worse than it already is. But exhaustion can’t be healed out without greater restoration, and without that you only lose one level of exhaustion per long rest. And if you have more than one level that’s multiple days you’ll need to be laid up, because you can only take one long rest per 24-hour. So can’t have three long rests in one day.
Exhaustion is debilitating because it’s so hard to remove, which is why the Berserker Barbarian is one of the worse subclasses one 5e, because of how easy it is to accumulate exhaustion.
Well that is why I mentioned the notes of changes and additions, so thanks for looking. As mentioned at the end of the homebrew rule, if we discuss enough and most you the players don't want it, then I don't mind removing. For this exhaustion rule, it is like what Lucius said about realism. I had a game that a character was knocked unconscious 4 times back to back and wondered what the repercussions would be if that did happen. Granted, there being magical healing, it could have the effect to prevent such exhaustion. But it was something I felt like trying if people were interested. But I'm hearing 3 nays, so I'll just remove it. Alternatively I also felt like using an injury table instead as if someone was knocked to 0 hp and fell unconscious, t but felt that could also be too punishing too.
Also it was mentioned in the interest check, but wasn't really discussed, but I would like to ask about what you all think of the Homebrew combat rules that is mentioned?
The main reason that I have it is so the pacing does not take too long and we don't have to feel like we're waiting for the next person in line to post. This way rounds can go faster than having to wait. But as I am still rolling initiative for everyone, soif you want to still use initiative when deciding when to post or want to make the post once I do the enemies turn, then either of those are fine.
I wouldn't be against an injury table as long as it's not simply "You got down to 0 you get an injury". Maybe something more like if you go down to zero because of a critical hit or something. Though I also haven't really found any injury tables that aren't too ridiculous since for some reason everyone has anywhere from a 10-20% chance of dismemberment.
I'm not against collective initiative. In my experience it does feel more fluid to let players go in a group. That being said, it can be especially painful when the enemy or sufficiently large mob acts in a unified group. But that's just the power of teamwork.
I think receiving massive amounts of damage should be what causes an injury rather than being brought to 0. If a creature were to take a combined amount of damage greater than or equal to half its max HP in one turn, that should definitely leave a mark.
@Guardian Angel Haruki That's being reduced to 0 with an amount of damage greater than or equal to your max HP left over. Also, the necessary damage needs to be applied in one attack rather than in one turn to insta-kill.
Massive damage is a variant rule, but I do agree that's probably a good measurement to determine what might cause an injury. After all crits can still roll low, but taking 48 points of damaged when your max HP is 60 is not going to leave you looking pretty. Not to mention things that can cause massive damage is slightly rarer than just a bunch of weak attacks getting lucky with a nat 20.
Also instant death is basically if you take more than double your HP in damage. For example if I only have 20 HP and take 40, that's instant death. And that's also still a variant rule.
@Expolar While we're on the subject of variant rules, would you be willing to allow the implementing of the variant action options and the cleaving through creatures rule detailed in pages 271 and 272 of the DMG?
@Expolar While we're on the subject of variant rules, would you be willing to allow the implementing of the variant action options and the cleaving through creatures rule detailed in pages 271 and 272 of the DMG?
I am okay with this as it can help with pacing and those extra damage won't be wasted if there is another creature in range. Will add this to the homebrew section. Any other thoughts that anyone else has?
The only thing off the top of my head is how open are you to the idea of using different abilities for certain skills? For example, using strength for intimidation checks, dexterity for athletic checks, etc etc. Also do you utilize passive perception/investigation?
