Moving on to 4th Edition

Well. So. We are moving on to play to 4th edition of dungeons and dragons. New additions to the world, new rules, same campaign world and concept. Time remains tight and the MMOs grab most of our attention, but we are experimenting with the new system. These are interesting rules that offer a lot more possibilities for non-spellcasters and shaft the spellcasters royally in completely fair ways. Some people complain that DND 4 or D&D 4th edition has lost the flavor of what Dungeons and Dragons "should" be. I do not see that. There is as much opportunity for unique, role-playable characters as there ever was. The disparities in power between classes has been removed, and there are some really neat options available. The game has been slightly simplified, but not so much that tactical combat is gone. Instead, tactical combat using miniatures is assumed, and many powers make great use of tactical mobility. So much so that if you are not using a battle grid and minis, then a bunch of powers from certain classes become irrelevant or useless. It's all interesting stuff. On the to table!

News link

(( Note that the Saltwave Campaign has seen very little play for the past two years, due to the players being mostly involved with the City of Heroes MMORPG. I am active on the Virtue server with global handle @silver-dragon. ))

SilverDragon

Campaign Assumptions (4th Edition, c. LY 2173)

• All player characters with any type of civilized background are literate and at least passably aware of different races, cultures, and nations. They can be considered to have had a decent education. This does not affect the number or type of skills available by class, but does make the Skill Training feat easily explainable. (I may make that feat a 2-for-1 benefit, depending on how it balances out.)
• There is a post-industrial economy. Rennaissance and mideval technology has become a thing of the past, economically, and the crafts are only practiced as hobbies in any type of civilized nation. The blacksmith has become a repairsmith. Goods are purchased from stores--specialty or general--that sell corporate products.
• Technology is omni-present, and tucked into the background so that it does not greatly affect the feel of culture. Every home has indoor plumbing, heating, cooling, power, communication, entertainment, and food preparation and preservation devices. The feel of most places as sources of "Rennaissance" culture is preserved.
• Weapons produced by any corporate source (anything that is available for purchase) is non-lethal in effect. Even the sharpest and pointiest edged weapons manage to transfer their damaging potential into non-lethal form. This works through extremely high technology and is effectively magic. It is possible to actually kill a target by accident or by deliberate intent, and the weapon will record the event for law enforcement use.
• Anyone who can afford to leave home owns a wristcomp. (This needs a better name....) This device is a combination mobile phone, e-mail, camera, calendar, health monitor, personal digital assistant, GPS device, credit card, and identification source. It is almost (but not quite) indestructible. The most advanced and expensive models also incorporate a medical teleport transponder.
• Sorcerer's Gates--permanent freestanding two-way magical portals--connect all major cities and many smaller destinations. Important places will have multiple private and public portals. Most trade travels through these portals from place to place. Bulk transport is unusual; goods are produced by corporate facilities in the scale needed and economically feasible and sent in requisite lots directly to the retailers. Food and grocery production is handled similarly.

General Rules and Info (3.5 Edition, c. LY 2165)

• Saltwave Arms & Armor information , including high tech gear
• Magical Items - a catalog of wonders
• Character Class Quirks differing from the PHB
• Heroic Feats added to the Saltwave campaign
• Swordsman's Schools and different martial styles and philosophies
• Martial artist class and feats (off-site link to Hong's D&D page)
• Exotic metals and their powers, updated for the D&D 3.5 rules. 
• The Principles of Ishan with information for and about Ishan clerics and paladins
• Author's Introduction to the Saltwave Campaign 
• Player's Primer and Introduction to Voyreem 

Classes available to PCs and NPCs (3.5 Edition, c. LY 2165)

• Elven Theosopher cleric class
• Dianic Priestess cleric class
• Catskinner Priest cleric class
• Catskinner Fighter class
• Spiritualist psionic priest class
• White Magician specialist rules and spell list
• White Knight prestige class and spell list
• White Blade prestige class and spell list
• Theosopher Knight prestige class
• Amazon Warrior prestige class
• Amazon Knight prestige class
• Dragon Protector prestige class
• Physical Adept prestige class
• Mageduelist prestige class
• Mental Fist prestige class
• Master of Mind prestige class
• Mindwalker Knight prestige class

Race and Monster Stats (3.5 Edition, c. LY 2165)

• Kraanicher racial details and stats, including D&D 3.5 psionics rules for Kraanichers as a psionic race
• Kzin - Monster and character race stats, plus kzin template NPCs
• Prrex - Background, culture, and character race stats
• Tabaxi - Background, culture, and character race stats

News, History, and Background Information (3.5 Edition, c. LY 2165)

• Various Campaign Maps
• Past News of the Realms
• 20 Years After - events of LY 2143-2163
• Campaign Quotes - some of the more amusing anecdotes and quotes
• The Fall of the Brotherhood of Thought - The BoT finally falls in 2163
• The Brotherhood of Thought - An insider's report, from LY 2143 (with 3rd Edition hovertank stats)
• The Golden Alliance - A different Kraanicher organization
• Voyreem - Travelogue for 2143 
• Old Smeisserand - Travelogue
• Old Kyriabor - Travelogue 
• Old Jaastenland - Travelogue 
• Jaastenland's Calendar, including holidays 
• Here is a map of the Ovaasi Mountain Enclave. 
• A link to Fantasy Flight Games, publisher of the Dragonstar tech+magic d20 rules we use.

• Archmages of Smeisserand - a list of the known grand masters of magic, now some years out of date....
• The Royal Academy of Magic & Science - with new spells 
• Darklite's Canticle - travelling spellbook with rare spells (pdf) 
• Elredar's Compendium - travelling spellbook with rare spells (pdf) 
• Great Summonings - spellbook with rare spells (pdf) 
• The High Council on Ressurrection - discussions about who should get life restoring magic and who should not (pdf) 
• Irridesium Dragon (2Ed) - who might just be behind everything that goes on!
• Tabaxi (2Ed) - mysterious catling thieves and spies 
• Kzinti (2Ed) - tigery foes of humanity on Saltwave (originally created by Larry Niven)
• Mindwalker Knight (2nd Ed) hybrid class