Author: ELDAR1986

THE JOURNALS OF DARSHAN HAMMERHEART

TOMES 1-3

TOME ONE – AGES 0-10

Darshan Hammerheart was born in Quicksilver in the dwarven year 3456 to parents Bastion Hammerheart father, and Melba Hammerheart, mother. He had an older sister by 6 years, Tyrine. Bastion was a stone cutter, Melba a teacher. Of course, with all dwarven folk, both were members of the Quicksilver militia. Darshan would spend his days playing with friends in rock breaking games, playing garnets and going to school. In Darshan’s 7^th year, an Ice Goblin attack hit the city, having burrowed in through the glacier above the city. The militia responded quickly, but Darshan’s sister, Tyrine, was killed defending him from a a squad of goblins that had broken into the school.

Darshan swore he would get revenge on the Ice Goblins, vowing to kill 1000 Ice Goblins for the life of his sister. Darshan started going to the quarry where his father worked, lifting rocks and pounding big rocks into gravel. Darshan started gaining muscle and endurance.

His mother convinced him to start writing in a journal, hoping it would bring calm to his burning anger. But, to no avail, most of the first journal is grisly descriptions of killing Ice Goblins. Phrases such as “what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger” and “the only good goblin is a dead goblin pounded into paste” runs throughout the pages.

At age 10, when accompanying his parents on a caravan run to the nearby golaith settlement for trade, he fought in his first melee. A raiding party of Ice Goblins attacked the caravan and 10 year old Darshan acquitted himself well killing his first thru 11^th Ice Goblins. Darshan started his collection of goblin ears. He named his stone great hammer “Tyrine”, after his sister.

TOME TWO – AGES 11-20

Most of the second decade of Darshan’s life was spent in training and continuing to improve his strength and endurance. Darshan was headstrong and thought he was smarter and a better warrior that his instructors. Time and again in training scenarios, he failed to follow direction and got his training squad defeated or in harms way. Soon, no one wanted to be in a training squad he was in because the rest of the squad suffered for his ego.

The 10 warrior maidens story is a perfect example of his overconfidence and ego causing his training squad and failure, pain and death.

But, there were young dwarves that agreed with Darshan, the elders were too old, didn’t understand modern combat, were weak. By age 18, Darshan had assembled a squad that thought like him. Lower your head, think about it later. Kick ass and take names. The answer to all questions was the prodigious application of the flat end of a war hammer. Let the elders cower in the back, we were born and bred for action.

Of course, part of the training included field exercises, which often led to combat. Darshan participated in 37 combats during this time of his life, and he and his hammer “Tyrine” racked up 123 more Ice Goblin kills, bringing his total to 134 kills. Darshan was wounded numerous times, but his amazing endurance allowed him to shrug off wounds in combat, only to pass out at the end of combat when his adrenaline rush crashed. Many times, his squad would have to carry him back after a combat.

In his 19^th year, during a patrol, his squad came across an Ice Goblin raiding party encampment. The patrol reported back the information to their superiors. Darshan’s squad, “The Stone Hammers” immediately geared up to assault the Ice Goblin encampment. But his captain ordered him to wait for reinforcements. But Darshan and The Stone Hammers disobeyed and assaulted the Ice Goblin Encampment. The Stone Hammers charged into a trap. Initially, Darshan obliterated the goblins with Tyrine, blasting a path to the command tent, only to find it empty. Ice Goblins and Ice Trolls erupted from small caves and and dugouts, and surrounded The Stone Hammers. His

squad fell one by one, soon Dashan was the only one standing. Surrounded, the Ice Trolls moved in for the final assault. With no fire to aid him, Darshan would crush the chest of an Ice Troll, only to have it get back up later. Darshan took wound after wound, finally going down. Just as a troll was about rip him apart, the reinforcements assaulted. In a bloody battle, the dwarves finally annihilated the Ice Goblins and Trolls. Darshan lived, his now almost legendary endurance keeping him alive. The dwarves suffered horrendous losses, The Stone Hammers were wiped out except for Darshan, and the reinforcements suffered over 50% casulities. Darshan spent 6 months healing numerous broken bones and and internal damage.

Once Darshan healed, he was called before the Militia Command. The 1^st Axe, commander of the militia, banished Darshan from the clan. He was allowed to say goodbye to his parents, given armor, weapons, and his hammer Tyrine, and a mule with 30 days worth of rations. He never returned to Quicksilver, nor saw his parents again.

TOME THREE – AGES 21 – 30

Darshan spent the beginning of his third decade wandering the Galismar Mountains. A week out of Quicksilver he was attacked by an Ice Goblin scout team of 4. While Darshan was able to defeat them, the goblins killed his mule. The sound of the melee had alerted a goblin squad, and he had to flee, leaving his food supplies, extra winter gear and extra weapons. That night, he nearly froze to death,

Darshan struggled to survive winter outside in the mountains. He managed to dig himself a snow cave. But his inability to find food left him slowly dwindling away. He lost nearly 80 pounds, none of his armor fit, and he started to struggle even leaving the cave. After two months, Darshan was at deaths door.

But Tymorma shined her luck upon Darshan. A male golaith ranger named Haster Longvine was out hunting a ram and literally stumbled into the snow cave, finding Darshan near death. Haster, who was also shunned from his herd for defending a helpless elf, took pity on the dwarf and drug him back to his cave and nursed him back to health. Haster, an accomplished hunter, soon had Darshan back to health. Darshan started hunting with Haster, learning the ways of winter survival. When the spring thaws came, Darshan was back to full health. Of course, Darshan owed Haster a life debt, so the two became life long companions. Thus the seed of the family Darshan spent the rest of his life with sprouted.

Haster was the opposite image of Darshan. Darshan shaped like a block of granite, nearly as wide as he was tall, incredibly strong. Darshan, brash, headstrong, impatient, unable to be quiet, feeling the need to fill quiet with words. Haster was tall and lanky, tightly corded muscles, agile and quick. Haster was patient, deliberate, a planner, feeling no need to fill silence with unnecessary words.

Eventually the duo made it to a trading settlement in the valley of the Falspar river. Haster had assembled a enviable sled of pelts from mountain animals, rams, snow leopards, polar bears, arctic foxes and the giant snow hares. Haster was soon swimming in coin. Haster purchased Darshan a crossbow, as his hammer was useless in hunting the wary prey of the mountains. Haster paid for lessons so Darshan would become proficient with the crossbow. Darshan was a huge drinker, consuming vast quantities of ale. Haster did not drink, except on the morning of battle. Darshan was a consumer of the favors of the opposite sex, Haster the opposite. Haster felt there was the “one” out there for him. Even though they were different, they became inseperable. They backed each other in tavern brawls, and always came out on top, if not bloodied and hurting.

Six week into their stay in the trading village, a trading party from Haster’s herd came into town. Spotting Haster, they immediatley began to ridicule Haster, trying to get him to fight. Haste ignored them, but they kept at Haster. Finally, Haster told the party, “tomorrow, sunrise, the river island north of town”. There was never a question if Darshan would face the 7 traders with his friend. Haster then went to the trading post and bought 5 gallons of elderberry mead. The duo went to their campsite south of town, and Haster began brewing his Warrior’s Mead. Haster said this mead would make them stronger, more accurate, more precise in their attacks. His father was the herd shaman, and he would brew this mead for the herd the night before battle.

Elderberry Mead

4 gallons of spring water

8 oz of dried meadow sweet leaf and flower

2 pounds of edderberries

4 oz of yeast

9 pounds of dark wildflower honey

Warriors Mead

5 gallons of Elderberry Mead

6 ounces powdered boneset

6 ounces powdered red clover

1 pound of white willow bark, dried and ground

Bring ingredients to boil, boil for 1 hour. Let cool. Drink in morning of battle. Effects last 24 hours. Warriors Mead only lasts till sunrise, it looses its benefits with the rising sun. Game effects are +1 to hit and +1 to damage in all forms of combat.

The next morning, after consuming the Warriors Mead, Darshan and Haster went on to defeat the seven from Hasters herd. Haster was severely wounded, and it was Darshan’s turn to nurse Haster back to health.

Over the next nine winters, Darshan and Haster traveled the mountains, hunting and surviving. They had many battles with Ice Goblins, always prevailing. Darshan’s total Ice Goblins kills rose by 317, to 451 ears.

It wasn’t until Darshan’s 30^th year that his family would grow again.

• GEM AND PEARL APRAISING A GUIDE
• I HAD AN AXE, THE LIFE STORY OF GIMLI
• ROPES AND KNOTS
• THE SCIMITAR (fiction)
• DROP IT LIKE ITS HOT (romance)
• TRIAGE (medical)
• TIM, TOM AND TONY (fiction)
• KIM AND KANYE, SERIOUSLY? (social commentary)
• THE ZEN MASTER (self help)
• GO AHEAD, MAKE MY SPRAY: THE ADVENTURES OF ANGUS McTAVISH AND HIS PET BLINK SKUNK CLINT STINKWOOD
• GMT – THE GRAND MASTERS OF TASHAN
• THE PURSUIT OF LOGIC
• IN A PIGS EYE (humor)
• WOLVWA: FACT OR FICTION?
• THE COMPLETE ANGLER
• SOURDOUGH BREAD RECIPES
• EDIBLE PLANTS
• THE NIGHT SKY (astronomy)
• THE PROPERITIES OF OIL
• THE BEL JAR (fiction)
• THE WITCHES OF EASTWICK, A HISTORY OF WITCHES
• HALF ORC LIKE ME
• ATROCITY, THE HISTORY OF THE QUEENS OWN 9TH DRAGOON GUARDS
• IT DEPENDS ON WHAT THE DEFINITION OF IS IS
• THE ART OF DECIET, LYING AND HALF TRUTH

• SIGN LANGUAGE – CLASS 40hrs, 20gp; KIT 10gp; NO PRACTICE
• READ BRAILLE – CLASS 24hrs, 24gp; KIT 30gp; PRACTICE 60hrs
• SAIL A SKIFF – CLASS 32hrs, 20gp; KIT 5gp; PRACTICE 32hrs. 1gp per hour practice
• CANOEING – CLASS 32hrs, 20gp; KIT 4gp; PRACTICE 32hrs, 1gp per hour practice
• KAYAKING – CLASS 32hrs, 20gp; KIT 4gp; PRACTICE 32hrs, 1gp per hour practice
• ROWING – CLASS 8hrs, 5gp; KIT none; PRACTICE 16hrs, 1gp per hour practice
• ROPES AND KNOTS – CLASS 12hrs, 4gp; KIT 11gp, PRACTICE none
• ATLATL USE – CLASS 24hrs 10gp; KIT 22gp, PRACTICE 24hrs
• KNITTING AND CROCHETING – CLASS 40hrs, 15gp; KIT 10gp, PRACTICE 24hrs
• HOOFED ANIMAL MAINTENANCE – CLASS 24hrs free; KIT 12gp; PRACTICE in stables, 24 hours
• PHILISOPHY – 80hrs, 40gp; KIT 60gp; NO PRACTICE
• MASTER GARNETS – CLASS 8hrs 1gp; KIT 1gp; PRACTICE win 24 games
• SIGNALING – CLASS 40hrs 40gp; KIT 20gp; PRACTICE 40hrs
• SMALL BOAT MAINTENANCE – CLASS 40hrs 20gp; KIT 20gp; PRACTICE 20hrs

• COMPLETED REPAIR SEXTANT – 50gp
• GUARD AT BAAZAR – 2gp/day
• UNLOAD SHIPS – 5gp/day
• MOVE ROCK TO SEAWALL, REPAIR – 5gp, 5sp/day
• COMPLETED, WEAPONS RESTORED/RECONDITIONED – 1gp/weapon (27 edged weapons and chest)
• COMPLETED REPAIR BROKEN GEAR ON NORTH SALTMARSH LIGHTHOUSE – 100gp
• REPAIR PUMP THAT IS RUSTED SHUT – 20gp
• BLACKSMITH WORK AVAILABLE – 6gp/day
• I NEED TO LEARN TO DANCE FOR MY DAUGHTER’S WEDDING – 50gp/3 dances
• BAND TO PERFORM AT MY WEDDING RECEPTION – 100gp
• SEE THE WORLD, JOIN THE CONFEDERATION NAVY! – 4gp/day, room and board, will train
• HAUL IT SHIPPING COMPANY IS HIRING CARAVAN GUARDS – see the Great Eastern Way, 4gp 5sp/day, room and board
• REPAIR WEDDING DRESS – 25gp

• 1 – Crab Shack – Fresh crabs and cooked crabs
• 2 – Lobster – Fresh lobster and cooked lobster
• 3 – Oyster Bay – Fresh oyster and cooked oyster
• 4 – Produce – Fresh produce, varies by season
• 5 – Sausage Shack – Sausages and hot dogs, cured and cooked
• 6 – Identify It – Detect magic, identify spell, read documents, write documents, notary public Billinglsy Bandin, Male Elf, Owner
• 7 – Light House – All things light – Light rods, 150gp, case 150gp; Light shot discarding sabot 50gp each, pouch 150gp; light on flexible fine wire light, 500gp, pouch 150gp, flash grenade 100gp each, (bright flash light, 10′, stunned 2 rounds) other light items will create to suit Timothy Thomas, male human, Owner
• 8 – Whine Cellar – Various wines and spirits from around the world
• 9 – Matt’s Mats – Reed and wicker mats, 2gp each for 7’x3′, custom work available Matt Jones, male human, Owner
• 10 – Fresh Fish – fresh fish
• 11 – Sushi Go – sushi
• 12 – Pott’s Place – pottery of all kinds Paula Potts, female gnome, owner
• 13 – Tattoo You – Certified Wasken Tattoo Artist, tattoos and magical tattoos Sledge, female half orc, Owner and artist
• 14 – Imports – all types of items from overseas, various candies Onus Brokestone female gnome, Owner Importer
• 15 – tropical Fruits – fresh and dried tropical fruit
• 16 – Donut Hole – donuts, baked goods
• 17 – Foul Weather Gear – rain coats 5gp rain hats 1gp, rain boots 3gp, tarps, winter clothing, gloves, snowshoes, ski’s, sleds Alexia St John, female half elf, Owner
• 18 – Cooper’s – barrels, casks

All items in the Player’s Handbook are available at book price

Owned by Sabaine Female Gnome, aided by daughter Tessa and son Gustav

Pearl of water breathing – 1500gp

6 Healing (2d4+2) potions – 50gp each

11 Cure Disease potions – 150gp each

12 Smoke potions – 25gp each

67 Antidote potions – 75gp each

17 each +1 arrows – 7gp each, 120gp for lot

2 Thunder arrows – 20gp each (+1d12 thunder damage)

1 Fire arrow – 20gp (+1d10 fire damage)

6 ice shot – 20gp each, lot for 110gp (+2d4 ice damage)

4 Holy shot – 10gp each (+2d8 to undead)

3 Gust of wind bolts – 20 each (cast gust of wind spell along flight path)

6 Fire spear gun bolts- 30gp each, 150gp for lot (+1d10 fire damage)

5 each +1 atlatl darts – 30gp each, 120gp for lot

+1 morning star – 12700gp

spear gun, very fine – 500gp

Scroll, blink spell – 650gp

2 Scrolls, pass without trace – 475gp each

Scroll, swift quiver – 1100gp

5 Scrolls, water breathing – 675 each

Scroll, misty step – 450gp

3 sponge pouch – 75gp each (small belt pouch holds sponge that holds 2 gallons water)

12 pouch cinnamon – 1gp (10 servings)

Sextant – 1000gp

2 Vials kelp/krill potion – 250gp each (adds 5 temporary hp, lasts till used or 1 week)

1# of graphite in pouch – 7gp

1# of finely machined ball bearings, in pouch, various sizes – 30gp

Orienteering compass – 100gp

Spyglass – 800gp

7 Seaweed poltices – 15gp each (apply to wound, moisten, heals 3hp, can only use one per short rest)

1 Clear pearl – 5500gp

Dried fish stew – 2gp each

6 Berle Pumpkin Spice Tea – 1gp (10 servings)

2 Berle Horse Feed – 7gp each 50# (heals 2hp damage, cures 1 condition, 25 servings)

4 Berle spiced tobacco – 5sp each (10 servings)

Two thousand years ago humans began settling the continent of Galismar. Humans began carving out pieces of the continent for kingdoms, fiefdoms, barony’s, while pushing the native races off of ancestral homelands. Dwarves, Elves and other races had already been at war against each other for centuries. Adding humans, more numerous, with a higher reproductive rate, added to the hatred.

The followers of Grey took note, and withdrew from the constant battling, moving deep into swamps, deserts, bogs and mountains, and began building. A powerful leader of the forces of Grey arose, the Goblin Priest-King Marzipal. Marzipal was said to be at least three times the size of an average goblin and as intelligent as an elven wizard. Marzipal is believed to be the progenitor of the Hobgoblin race. Marzipal began uniting races through guile, cunning, assassination, and pure brute force. The Kobolds, Goblins, Orcs, Bullywugs, Troglodytes, Gnolls and Giant Kind were combined into a massive army about 800 years ago. It is believed that at its peak, Marzipal’s armies numbered in the hundreds of thousands.

Launching coordinated attacks of armies from the mountains, the desert, the swamps and the bogs, the humans, elves, dwarves and other armies (we shall call them “folks” from here on out), were soon overwhelmed. The folk, who had dominated the continent and the “lesser” races for centuries, were rolled over by the hordes of Marzipal. Tens of thousands killed, tens of thousands more taken prisoner, never to be seen again. Villages and cities were burned to the ground. Crops were razed, water supplies were poisoned.

The “Folk” were in trouble. Several races were on the verge of extinction. A group of Knights came from across the sea, it is believed from the Family of Atlantis island group. These knights, human males and females, were believed to be made up of two families, the Leodawnas family and the Morehead family. The nine, lead by Mason Leodawnas, were believed to be two couples, brothers and sisters, and their children. The nine Knights claimed the title Knights of Delaria, or the Nine.

Delaria was a little known Arch Angel of Light, said to be Eldar’s representative on Elisar. It is not believed that there had been any previous worship of Delaria to this point, not that there was much worshiping going on.

The Knights brought, it is said, their instructors, numbering four, in the martial, mystical and holy arts. The Nine, with their mentors, met with the remaining of the folk’s armies, one at a time, and soon, each army remaining was commanded by a mentor of the Nine. The mentors and the Nine started making coordinated hit and run attacks, and the Armies of the Folk started gaining victories against Marzipal. During the Battle of the Highlands the Kobold Horde fought on the side of the Nine, and to this day are allies of the folk.

In the climatic battle of Crecy, roughly 750 years ago, the two armies squared off for a final time. Over 200,000 troops participated in the battle. The Priest-King army slowly gained the upper hand. The Priest-King offered single combat with a Knight of Delaria. his ego getting the best of him. Anastasia Morehead stepped forward. The Priest-King was unable to damage Anastasia with either weapon or spell, while Anastasia methodically removed pieces of him. In the end, Anastasia, in a classic double feint with riposte, her holy sword, Patience, making the sound “snicker-snack” took the head of Marzipal.

The army of Marzipal, even though they were winning the battle and outnumbered the Armies of Light 2-1, broke, fleeing the field, the army believing the Priest-King was immortal. The Armies of Light gave chase, cutting down thousands of the Grey before they could escape into the mountains, swamps, bogs and desert.

Three of the four generals, all mentors of the Nine, were killed during the battle, the forth general disappearing.

The Nine followed a Human Dragoon Officer and his elite Dragoons, the Priest-King’s second in command, into the desert. It is said the Nine tracked down the Officer and his Dragoons. A battle ensued. Details are unclear but the Nine were victorious, Only one of the Nine returned, Valarian Morehead, with the bodies of her comrades.

It is said the Tomb of the Nine lay somewhere in the Wild Lands, under the ruins of the destroyed village the Leodawnus’s and Moreheads were born and raised in.

The races settled into an uneasy truce, as none had the population to wage war for centuries to come.

ELDAR GOD OF LIGHT, WISDOM, PROTECTION, HEALING, ETHICS, REDEMPTION, HEAVENS

OLIVIA GODDESS OF VOCAL MUSIC, WRITTEN WORD, KNOWLDEGE, ARCHERY, AIR

GLORIA GODDESS OF INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC, ART, FAMILY, CHILD BEARING, COMPASSION, LOVE

ARDEN GODDEN OF NATURE, ANIMALS, FOILAGE, RENEWAL, SEASONS, AGRICULTURE, EARTH KNOWN AS THE “ALL FATHER” OR “THE EARTH MOTHER” TO VARIOUS CLASSES AND RACES

BALAXX GODDEN OF MAGIC, CRAFTSMANSHIP, DETERMINATION, FIRE

SERWAR GODDESS OF JUSTICE, SWORDMANSHIP, MARTIAL SKILLS, DARKNESS, SERENITY, KNOWS AS “KAVAKI” TO SOME RACES (BLIND GODDESS, DEFENDER OF TALON, SWORD NAME IS SERENITY)

FALAIN GOD OF JOY, COMEDY, FITNESS, SLEEP, NUTRITION

NEPTUNE GODDEN OF WEATHER, SEAS, STORMS, LIGHTNING, WINDS , WATER

TYMORA GODDESS OF LUCK, CALCULATED RISK, ADVENTURE, EMBRACING LIFE, AIDING THE LESS FORTUNATE, TAKING CHANCES WHEN THE CHIPS ARE DOWN

DELARIA FEMALE ARCH ANGEL, PRIMARY REPRESENTATIVE OF ELDAR ON ELISAR

COINAGE

Coinage is the standard way to move money from one entity to another. (Barter is a close second)

Coins are all a somewhat standard size, and have a weight of 10 coins per pound.

Copper pieces, cp, the lowest value coin

Silver pieces, sp, 10cp are equal to 1sp

Gold pieces, gp, 10sp are equal to 1gp

Platinum pieces, pp, 10gp are equal 1pp

Mithiral pieces, mp, 10pp are equal to 1mp

Adamantite pieces, ap, 10mp are equal to 1ap

Most daily dealings are made with copper and silver, with the occasional gp. For large purchases, platinum is used. Most taverns and inns can change up to a platinum piece, but frown upon it for small purchases. If you want to aggravate a tavern keeper, pay him with a platinum piece for a 4cp ale. Just like paying for a 25cent pack of gum with a hundred dollar bill aggravates today’s merchants.

Most common folk make between 300gp to 3000gp a year. Stable boys at the low end, a master carpenter at the high end. Of course, there are merchants and artisans that make much more.

GEMS AND PEARLS

Gems and perals are used frequently by travelers and caravans to transport large amounts of money with little weight. Larger merchants, such as Buck’s Carpentry, often deal in gems and pearls. As the central banking system is handled through the ‘Handler” system, taverns usually have larger than expected supplies of coins, gems and pearls on hand. However, do not expect a tavern to be able to break a Bronze pearl or a diamond!

One other note about gems and pearls. The value in gp listed below is the universal value. However, some spells require a “100gp pearl” or a “50gp ruby”. To make things easy, we assume that those pearls or gems are available, even though a ruby is worth 500gp. Most taverns, stores, and magic shops have these material components available for trade. Normally, if you acquire a bag of pearls or gems, and need one of a specific type, you can convert it to what you need at no loss of value.

GEM COLOR VALUE PEARL COLOR VALUE

Diamond Clear 1000gp Bronze 5000gp

Aquamarine Aqua 700gp Gold 1000gp

Ruby Red 500gp Black 750gp

Sapphire Blue 400gp Silver 500gp

Emerald Green 300gp Greens 300gp

Topaz Pink 250gp White/Yellow/Beige 200gp

Garnet Purple 25gp Blue/Purple 100gp

Red/Pink/Orange 50gp

OTHER MEANS OF TRANSFERRING MONEY

Money can also be transferred by means of a Letter of Credit, essentially a cashiers check you can carry with you for a pre specified amount of mony, such as a 5000gp Letter of Credit.

Also available are Lines of Credit, which is an established amount of money you can draw on, like a prepaid card.

Both of these can be negotiated at your local tavern.

Experience points are a way to measure the improvement of your character as it travels thru life. Experience in Elisar can be acquired in numerous ways. The experience level advancement chart in the Player’s Handbook is used for experience points needed to advance to the next level. I will call this the XP threshold in this document.

COMBAT – the most common way to earn experience is in defeating another being in combat. Defeating does not necessarily mean killing said being, you could capture them or drive them off. Doing any of those are worth the same number of experience points.

As an example, you are fighting an Ancient, Huge White Dragon named Old White Death. Your party chips away at her using spells, bows, and anything at you disposal. As Old White Death wears down, she realizes she is in trouble, and dives into a pool in the ice cave, swims under the glacier to the other side, and flies away. Your party is unable to chase her. You drove her off, so she is worth the same number of XP as she was defeated, just as if you had killed her.

Challenge levels are used based on the monster, and split evenly among the party on the adventure. As an example, 5 party members kill a ¼ challenge Kenku, worth 25pts. Each party member would get 5xp, even if some of the party did no damage. Every party member contributes in some way with healing, tracking, and shares in the danger of being a target. I do however, upgrade challenge levels based on higher levels of the threat. You are fighting 10 Kenku, one is a sergeant that is the equivalent of a challenge 3 creature, he is worth challenge 3 experience.

Other ways to earn experience would be to complete a task, mission, quest or goal.

TASK – One example of task would be building a roadside shrine to Eldar in a village with no temple or shrine. Another might be to pick a pocket. Or to consecrate ground for a new druid grove, or to aid a traveler who has a broken wagon wheel or is injured. Tasks are almost unlimited.

MISSION – A mission might be to drive off a band of horrid Bullywugs, to open diplomatic relations with a pack of Kobolds, or to solve the mystery of a haunted cornfield. A mission might also be to thoroughly map an area for a commission for a large peat harvesting company. Missions are usually given or assigned to you by another party, and usually require more than one player character.

QUEST – Quests are usually given by a church or the government, and could be a lifelong journey to find the Holy Grail, or to find the homeland of the Golden Unicorn. These are uncommon.

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GOAL – Goals are usually something your player character chooses themselves to achieve, such as build a dam on Whitewater Creek to aid in irrigation. Another could be to learn the Goblinoid language. Goals, by nature, are not easily done or simple. Lets say you have a weakness for ale, and you usually get drunk whenever in a village, or you have ale available. Not getting drunk in The Great Walled City of Agincourt tonight, while a worthwhile goal, would not be a goal in this sense. To rid your self of your weakness for the demon ale would be a goal, and completing it might be going a year without a drink.

All of the above would be worth experience points, which are assigned by the DM.

As with everything in D&D, these should be discussed with the DM.

Another way to earn experience is to complete a job or complete skill training.

JOB – Many jobs you take during our down time between games are basic jobs that earn you coin and develop an attribute. As an example, you dig irrigation ditches for three days for pay. You would get money, and some small benefit in strength, but no experience. (more on the benefit to strength on the paper, Jobs, Skill Building and Reading in the World of Elisar to be published soon.)

But, lets say you have the tinkering skill and you take a job to repair a turnip press that has broken down, paying you 50gp when the press is repaired. You use your tinkering skill, clean, lubricate and replace broken parts on the press. Completion of this task would give you three benefits: the 50gp for completion of the job, a small increase in the tinkering skill, and a handful of experience points.

SKILL TRAINING – Each town offers some number of skill classes available for cost to enroll in. You take the class, complete the classroom/hands on, complete the practice, and are certified in the skill. The benefits are twofold once earning certification. First, you gain a skill that gives you some benefit, and you gain experience points for completing the certification. More on Skill Training in the upcoming paper, Jobs, Skill Building, and Reading in the World of Elisar.

THE DM’s DISCRETION – things happen from time to time that the DM may feel warrants awarding experience points. You complete a selfless act, possibly in the service of your religion or belief system. You do something so off the wall the DM feels it warrants experience. Something bad happens to you, life lesson learned, thus experience. You do something bad, repent and make restitution, lesson learned and experience awarded.

TRACKING EXPERIENCE – The DM handles all of the tracking of experience. I have sheets for each character, in which I keep track of experience, skills, jobs etc. When you achieve a level, I will tell you, either at the end of the night at Geek Boom, or possibly, if you take advantage of the Jobs/Skills/Reading available on the Wednesday Facebook page, when you complete one of the above jobs, skills, reading, and you obtain XP, reach an XP threshold and go up a level. I would tell you on Facebook, usually by Facebook Messenger. You are free to ask where you are at on experience, at any time. I will tell you where you are relatively to the next level, but not the number. Such as, about half way, almost there etc.

GOING UP A LEVEL – When your character goes up a level, you have 4 options:

Go up a level in your current class

Add a new character class

Advance another level in an additional character class

Add a new subclass

GO UP A LEVEL IN YOUR CURRENT CLASS – When you reach the experience level threshold for the next level, you attain that level and all benefits that go with it. Example, you are a 1^st level fighter, you reach 300 or more XP, you go to 2^nd level fighter.

ADD A NEW CHARACTER CLASS – You reach the experience level threshold for the next level, instead of going up in your current class, . You choose to add a new character class, you add that character class, at 1^st level, if you have a high enough score in the prerequisite ability. Example, you are a 1^st level fighter, earn enough XP to attain 2nd level, instead of going to 2^nd level fighter, you decide to become a Bard in addition to being a fighter, provided you have at least a 13 Charisma attribute, You become a 1^st level Bard, gain all of the abilities of a first level Bard, and still retain all of the abilities of a 1^st level fighter. In this situation, you character would be considered second level for the purposes of hit points and XP. In order to advance one or the other of these classes, you would have to reach the XP threshold of 3^rd level then ONE of the two classes would advance to SECOND level. And yes it is possible to be 12^th level in XP and hit points and be a 1^st level

Barbarian/Bard/Cleric/Druid/Fighter/Monk/Paladin/Ranger/Rogue/Sorcerer/Warlock/Wizard

Never seen it, but it could be done. Three classes is the most I have seen.

ADVANCE ANOTHER LEVEL IN AN ADDITIONAL CHARACTER CLASS – You are a 1^st level Fighter/1^nd level Bard, you reach the threshold for 3^rd level XP, you choose to go up in the Bard class. You become a 1^st Fighter/2^nd Bard, and gain all abilities of a second level Bard while retaining all abilities of a 1^st Fighter. Upon reaching the XP threshold for 4^th level, you could advance in either class, or choose a third class.

ADD A NEW SUBCLASS – Instead of going up a level in a certain class, you choose a 2^nd subclass FROM THAT CLASS. You must be at the combined levels to get the second subclass, and gain the abilities for that 2^nd subclass, and that levels hit die, but no other abilities for that level.

As you advance in levels, you would be 1 level behind for benefits of achieving that level. And you would have to choose which subclass to benefit for the subclass advancement if there is any.

Example. Your dream is to be a horseback fighting, arrow shooting terror, (you always liked the Mongols). You choose to be a fighter, and you want to gain the benefits of cavalier and arcane archer. At 3^rd level, you get to choose a subclass, and you choose Cavalier, and gain all benefits of Cavalier and any other benefits gained for reaching 3^rd level fighter. You reach 6^th level, and want to add the subclass Arcane Archer. Since it takes 3 levels to gain a subclass, you may add an additional subclass at 6^th level. You gain the benefits of arcane archer, and the normal hit die, but forgo the other benefits of reaching 6^th level, which in this case would be Ability Score Improvement. When you reached 7^th level XP threshold, you would gain a hit die, and the Ability Score Improvement from 6^th level, as you are one level behind for benefits. When you reached the 8^th XP threshold, your character would gain the 7^th level benefit, gaining a hit die and gaining a martial archetype (subclass) feature. You would only gain the benefit for ONE of the archetypes (sub classes) not both, your choice. This choice does take more attention to detail in record keeping.

MAXIMUM LEVELS

While we are not anywhere near this, and the campaign may end before we get here, 5e only supports characters up to 20^th level. If you were to attain that level, or combined levels, you stop advancing in the game. However, I allow you to continue attain levels in a second or third class.

In other words, 20^th level is currently the highest you can go in a single class, but once reached, you could continue to attain levels in other classes.

There are NPC’s and opponents out there who are 20^th rogue/13 druid, 20^th fighter arcane archer cavalier/20^th wizard, etc.

We will discuss this more if and when we reach this situation. Or you face an opponent who, unfortunately for you, has attained such lofty levels.