Why do Players need such high stats to be a Paladin, or a Ranger?
The religion/religions of Light and Darkness in Bardic Adalyst do not like their champions to die at the first sign of a serious threat, or the first assault of an enemy. Hence, they desire those who are the strongest, the best, and most able among those in the lands below to be their champions. Though many of those champions STILL die in their first battle, as the battles between darkness and light are fierce indeed, these champions at least have a better chance of representing their chosen temple or path than a more "average" individual.
Paladins are also not just the normal average everyday warrior. There are dozens of Fighters and Barbarians for even just one Paladin. Paladins are the elite warriors of their religions. These religions can hire mercenaries, warriors, Fighters, and anything they want as they desire...but a Paladin...
In Bardic Adalyst Paladins are the Leaders of the Warriors, they are the officers compared to the men that they lead. They are the ones that represent the Temple's needs, interests, and desires in battle. They in turn swear loyalty to the Clergy of the Temples and religions...but the Clergy, though able to fight in battle if need, choose to have a much more able and efficient warrior to not only fight their battles, but to lead others into battle. A Paladin in Bardic Adalyst is MORE than a Fighter, and his abilities must be more than the average Player Character Fighter (though exceptional fighters might have a go at the Paladin). Hence why Paladins will either need to be exceptional characters from the beginning, or work in order to acheive paladinhood.
Rangers on the otherhand are also elite. Rangers are not born overnight. Their class isn't just a trade, or just an occupation but a profession of long study and expertise. Rangers must spend decades to hone their art, and Player Characters to tell the truth, typically don't want to spend decades in order to become a Ranger. Rangers are experts not only in the ways of the Wilderness, but also in the ways of battle, and religion for studies. Rangers MUST be hardy, moreso than others even Fighters in order to pursue their profession. Even a quick study naturally talented in the ways of Rangerhood must spend some time in the wilderness in the most vile areas...places where disease and sickness would easily cut down those of low fortitude or constitution. As such, the Ranger must have a minimum constitution so as not to fall prey to such diseases. A Ranger must also know why they are doing such items...and as such most are not accepted to be Rangers UNLESS it is known that they could qualify to cast the simplest of Ranger spells when they are able. One who is determined to not possess that ability, is immediately failed in the judgement of those who would do the training. There are only 3 various Ranger organizations in the World of Bardic Adalyst, and none of them would accept one they deem would either not survive training, OR who would not be able to utilize the abilities of a Ranger.
What are the different Groups of Rangers?
There are three separate groups of Rangers. The first is found between the lands of the Wood Elves and the Wild Elves in the South. This organization seeks to create peace between the two sides and will work for both, or against both as it determines. They feel this extended conflict between the two is more harmful to nature than helpful. These are known as the Rangers of the Vale, and they are steeped in nature lore and ability. If one becomes one of the Rangers, they MUST take the talents of Hide and Move Silent.
The Second group of Rangers is more of a mercenary group known as the Trackers. These train in the lands of Men, and travel between the lands up to the Dragon Mountains to the North. As such their travels are dangerous, and lifespans often short. They are expert trackers however, and are hired many times as trackers or as Bounty Hunters. Trackers are very good at what they do, are very selective at who they allow into their ranks, and as some say, seem to be all about the money more than anything else. Trackers are a tough breed, and drive a hard bargain typically before entering into a contract, but once they do, whoever, or whatever they seek, is bound to be found.
The Final Group are located in the Westend. These Rangers are perhaps the most different from their kin and recieve bonuses if one can qualify to be among them. These are steeped in Magical lore, and have magical abilities. They have the additional requirements that to become one they MUST have 12 Wisdom, and 12 Intellgence. If they are not coming in as a Prestige class they must ALSO have a 16 Constitution. These Rangers are known as the Guardians of the West, or simply the Guardians as some would put it. These are the elite Warriors of Westend. It is said that a great evil resides to the West over the Last River, in lands beyond the knowledge of the known world. It is against this great evil that the Guardian Rangers protect against, patrolling the River's edge like wolves on the prowl. Guardian Rangers gain the following additional bonuses. If they are coming in at first level, at character creation, a Ranger who is a Guardian receives and extra 8 hitpoints on top of the normal hitpoints they get.
Next, instead of being able to cast 4th level Ranger Spells, they cast 1st and 2nd level Wizard Spells. They gain these spells as follows. When they would recieve the ability to cast one 4th level spell, instead they gain the ability to cast a 1st level arcane spell. When they would attain the ability to cast 2 4th level spells, they gain their next 1st level arcane spell. Finally when they would attain their ability to cast 3 spells of 4th level, they instead gain the ability to cast one 2nd level arcane spell. These spells are cast at a spellcaster level EQUAL to their Ranger level. Hence a Magic Missile spell is all the more dangerous, as are enchantment spells. They learn these as a Wizard, and must have a spellbook to cast them, as well as needing to have the Intelligence to cast such spells. They suffer all the penalties of spell failure in armor however. They also have the spell Dispel Magic among their spell lists of Ranger Spells for 3rd level.
The Guardians are powerful, but also are restricted in certain areas. Guardians, unlike the other classes CAN ONLY be of good alignment, and cannot be chaotic. Guardians can never carry more treasure then they are able to carry on their personage. Finally, a Guardian must be devoted to defeating and fighting the enemies of Westend, and must be above corruption. In otherwords, a Guardian will not lie, or steal as it would tarnish them.
The fears of the dangers of the West came true, when the darkness of the Unknown Lands arrived from across the Last River...a darkness known only as the Mordul, which to this day, the Guardians are engaged in a life or death struggle with. Only their special skills and abilities keep Westend from falling to the Mordul. If one IS a Guardian...it is very likely that they will NOT be engaged in adventuring very far from their lands, as it is most likely that Westend will call for their aid. If a Guardian ignores a plea for aid they LOOSE all their abilities in spells, abilities, and other Ranger specialities.
What are some of the Special Paladin organizations?
Every Religion of Light has Paladins, but most notable and most numerous are those that are dedicated to the proposition of Battle and Defense. The Paladins of Defense, or Noble Paladins as some would call them, are dedicated to the defense of those that are helpless, those that fight against evil, and those that are in need. They are also engaged in the battles against the Necromancer who plagues the Edge Mountains to the East. They have been sent as generals, Captains, and Commanders of Vast armies of Warriors on crusades to Westend in it's battles agaisnt the Morduls, though they have met with little success as of yet.
There is only one truly Dark Religion that has Paladins...and it is a dark and twisted religion. It is dedicated to the cause of Stealth and Information. It believes that true power comes from information, that it attains via spy networks, rogues in dark corners, and an extensive group of assassins...however, it also has Paladins. These Paladins believe that not everything can be blatant and in the open, that if one engages and enemy that has spies and utilizes such tools as spycraft, retreat, and even lies, that one may be at a disadvantage...but that one must use all tools at their disposal to suceed. At the same time, a Paladin of Information will NOT steal, or hurt one that they deem is of good alignment...nor will they harm those that they believe are working for a good cause. They DO work to exterminate those that are evil, as termed by the Clergy of Stealth and Information, and do so MORE extensively than others. To this cause, where they gain a foothold, they become leaders for the Clergy in an inquisition, exterminating any who will not accept their cause as the supreme cause...and resorting any means necessary to stamp out those that oppose them or the church. Ironically, their oaths to their cause twists many paladins...as IS THE PLAN. At tenth Level a Paladin of Information is tested upon ideals, which they hold higher the oaths and the church, or their dedication to good. A Paladin that chooses good and light over that of the church fails this test and is killed for failure to pay homage correctly by the Inquisition. Those that pass, have their alignments changed to that of Lawful evil, and become an anti-Paladin, most normally in the form of a Blackguard. Due to the nature of their work, some Paladins fall even prior to this. This is a failing of the great twisted plan of the Clergy of Stealth and Information however, for some of those that must make the choice before becoming the leadership of the Paladins of Information, find that they cannot accept this darker side of their Inquisition, and instead of taking the test at 10th level and being destroyed, instead choose to evade the organization they formerly served, and seek another way. These True Paladins of Information (but at this point not of Stealth) are typically hunted most fervently and top the wanted lists of any inquisition as heretics and wanted criminals. Ironically, the Inquisition seems to work more among Westend and Eard, and Northland than any battle against those elsewhere.
What Are the lands of the Elves and Dwarves like?
To the South the Blood Mountains are home to great Elven (mostly Faer) and Dwarven (mostly Dark) cities alike, and the warfare between them is almost constant.
However, they have lands where Elves and Dwarves work side by side. These are lands where great alliances have been formed, and great trade takes place. In the West, on the corner of Westend, lies MidMountain, a large peak circled round by four mountains half its size. In these mountains lie the five Cities...and are a great location where Elves and Dwarves work producing some of the greatest arrays of handiwork for the realms of Men, Halflings, and Orcs. The Dragons of the North greatly desire these treasures, but as of yet, have not been able to free themselves from their own warfare among each other to do much...except lust for the riches of the five cities. Still, the five cities of Mid Mountain fall under great threats of danger as they sit on the very edge of the known lands, their cliffs, or the cliffs of Riches, overshadow the Last River beneath them. They too have been drawn into the War with the Morduls, joining with the armies of men in the battles to defend the Known lands from the evils that the Morduls bring with them.
To the East lie the Edge Range, or the Edge Mountains. These are much smaller than the other mountains of the Known lands, however the Edge Range is more extensive than any of the others, extending from the Blood Mountains to the Dragon Mountains in the North. Some even speculate that the Dragon and Blood Mountains are but extensions of the Edge Mountains, though both the Blood and Dragon Ranges are more than two times the altitude or height of the Edge Mountains. The Elves and Dwarves have various lands among the Edge Range, where they also work in cooperation, and normally trade to the Eastern lands beyond the range, and ignoring the events that occur in the Known Lands.
At the base of the Blood Mountains lie two other groups of Elves, the Wild Elves and the Wood Elves. It is beleived that when the Elves first came into the world, they were rather primitive and barbaric, as the Wild Elves are today. As they evolved, they discovered the great powers of magic, and used it to create the great Elven races of today. However, the Wild Elves that were left never seemed to elevate out of their primitive state, seeming to prefer the barbaric ways of their beginnings than the comforts of the Elven Races. The Wild Elves pure tribal culture made them a risk to other elves and other races and cultures. Rather than let their ancestoral relatives be a nuisance, the Elves set another group to guard over these Wild elves. From among them they chose those more prone for violence, more prone to be talented in the natural settings of their ancient heritage among the forests, and sent them away from their cities to dwell among the trees with the Wild Elves, and serve as wardens to prevent the Wild Elves from foraging too far, and too violently. These eventually built their own cities, and became their own race, living in the forest as a more civilized culture than that of the Wild Elves, but not quite as cultured as the other elves. These became the Wood Elves, and they formed a single Great empire among the Southern Forests. However, they only cover it's northern half, the southern half still dominated by their wilder cousins...who are called as such...the Wild Elves. Conflict between the two are frequent, but the Wood Elves are hardly ever in real danger of being overrun, for as they are united, the Wild Elves are divided amongst tribes...and so the forests remain split down the middle between less Domesticated...and Wild run rampant.
What of Orclund?
Orcs are not the ignorant beings of the past, and as such have a land set up. Though not to bright either, they are led typically by mixes of Orc and Human...these being the Half-Orcs. In the past they still had many aggressions against the people of Northland, and even against the Halflings...BUT normally they were too caught up defending their northern frontier against the Dragons and Giants of the North. Even a single Wandering Giant or Dragon would lay waste to hundreds of Orc warriors if not thousands before they could deal with it in some manner, either by inflicting enough damage to convince the creature that the land was not worth it's time, or by killing it. However, this is of no concern, for Orcs are bred to battle, and the constant war made them more than ready to continue. They have the artisans and farmers as well, but the true honor lie in those that are Warriors. As of recently, though the Orc armies are kept in Orcland to defend the North, great numbers of Half Orcs who feel the need or perhaps a pull from their human side have flooded to Westend in the wars against the Morduls.
Why is the game called Bardic Adalyst and Claims to be centered on Jack Trade, the central land?
There have been three great wars as of late. These wars were different than the Great Elven/Dwarven wars of the South, or the Dragon Wars to the North, as they were of men, and by men. These wars were much Greater in scope than anything the known lands had ever seen. The Morduls came from the West, from the Unknown lands, to conquer, and to enslave.
In the first War they came bringing creatures none had seen before, Trolls, Gnolls, Lycanthropes, and even more fell creatures such as Death Knights and Liches. In their first offensive over the Last River, they were halted momentarily by the Guardians...but even they could not stop the millions of creatures that came. Though goblinoids were common, as servants among the orclands, and slaves in the Dragonlands, the goblins, hobgoblins, kobolds, and even orcs that came with the Morduls were sinister, as if haunted by something more evil than dreams could fortell. These creatures came as the majority of their hosts, marching to destroy, and Westend was almost overcome before the first month was over.
A crusade was called, and creatures of all kinds came running. However, by this time, the armies had spread even to the Dragon lands, and started an assault on Northland and Jack Trade. It was the Bardic Adalysts that turned them aside...and stopped the campaign.
These special scholors and warriors, along with the general warrior of the Land of Jack Trade, the Jacks, seemed to be able to bolster the Crusaders among them, as well as Half Orcs, Giants, and Dragons alike, to assail the Morduls and halt them in their tracks. Within a year, an uneasy peace came upon them...and the war ended in an uneasy armistice.
However, one stronghold lay unconquered among the lands of West end, and it's halls were overflowing with the refugees of the land. MidMountain stood alone, and it was towards this that the Morduls pushed their aggression. Messengers were sent to the East, begging the Known lands for aid, and though the Dragonlands were finished with this, and had resumed their wars, the rest of the Known lands prepared the second crusade.
At this time strange visitors from the lands to the East arrived, The Angleis as they called themselves. These were special warriors as they told the peoples of the Known lands, who fought the Morduls on many occasions. Beyond the Known Lands the Morduls and Angleis fought a constant war, a war which now had spread to this portion of the world...upon which the battle lines had been drawn. Though hard pressed in the rest of the world a few of their envoys had been sent upon learning of the Morduls invasion, and with their knowledge, aided the Bardic Adalysts in their battle plans in the second Crusade.
The Second Crusade pushed the Morduls back beyond the Last River, freeing Westend within three years, and siezing the Western banks of the West River. There, they created a Great City called New Hope, a holy city dedicated to the unity seen from all the races (except of course the warring Elves and Dwarves to the South, the Dragons to the North in the second crusade, and the seemingly uncaring Elves and Dwarves to the east) in these two wars.
New Hope quickly grew, and there the Bardic Adalysts created new colleges, and were acclaimed the saviors of the world. but New Hope would only live shortly, for soon after, the second wave came. A Hundred years after the first wave, the next wave of Morduls came, and New hope and the Western Bank were quickly lost. Even more Morduls came in this host it seemed, almost as if the first invasion was a mere scouting party, and only the valiance of the Paladins, the Bardic Adalysts, the Guardians, and the few Angleis diplomats held the tide even for a short while a the North River. Within two days it seemed as if all would be lost. However, once again the Angleis came, and with the Bardic Adalysts, the city of New Hope and the Banks around it were retaken and the enemy stalled upon the banks of the West River. That was the third Crusade. The Fourth Crusade has been everything since.
It has come that every hundred years a new host of Mordul arrive, never as great as the first few hosts...but still, numbering in the thousands...and ever the sounds of Crusade is heralded in the lands. The rest of the Western Bank has never been retaken...only New Hope remains. In the past few decades, with the waning interests of men and other races of New Hope, of failing memory of the dangers of the Morduls, and a resumption of old rivalries...if ever a host such as that which came originally to attack the Known Lands came again...perhaps this time they would suceed in overthrowing them and casting all those within the Known Lands into slavery and bondage.
Hence the title, Bardic Adalyst, as the Bardic Adalysts are the center of the conflict and are seen as the heroes of the world thus far...BUT as this is D&D, heroes can come from any class, and any area...and such heroes the world cries out for...to free it from the threat of the Morduls...forever. However, in addition, it should be noted, no one has ever truly defeated the Morduls. The closest they ever came was in the Second Crusade...and even then, it was as if the Morduls simply just decided to let them take the Western Bank...for though the Morduls were being pushed back, their armies still were strong. Some believe that the Morduls respect bravery, and the bravery of those that fought in that war won their respect so that an armistice was signed...but perhaps the truth of that will never be known.
In addition, even with the world not at war...the land of Jack Trade is the Center of the economy, the center of the known lands, and the center of the trade routes. As such it has the largest cities (except maybe for a few of the Dwarven and Elven cities of the Blood Mountains), the richest people, and the most thieves, assassins, and cutthroats a land has ever seen. It is the center for everything from the economy, to adventure...even warplans and generals for New Hope come here to converse upon the situations. Almost every great religion has it's headquarters in Jack Trade, and as such, every dark aggression and vendetta will eventually find itself to it's countryside or streets.
So what do Jacks and Bardic Adalysts do?
The Warriors of Jack Trade are divided into two groups, the common Warrior as in any army, and the Jacks. Jacks compose almost 50% of the army of Jack Trades, and are basically able to fill almost any position. Their versitality makes them able to be flexible in what they do and their tactics in battle. Flexibility is the key of Jack Trades, and this flexibility means that they can adopt new tactics at a whim, whilst the enemy flounders to find a way to counter them. Jacks are also highly desired from groups of adventurers...for Jacks can fill most positions with great efficiency. Jacks almost always live for adventure, and as the land of Jack Trade is made up of a people that are more oriented towards adventure, adventurers of Jack Trade can be found in almost any area of the Known lands. Of course those adventurers are almost always not of the Jack profession, as Jacks are common in their nations military, but not quite as common as wandering adventurers (but there are still a few!) despite how desirable it is to have one in the party.
If the Jacks make up the core of the army's strength (flexibility) the Bardic Adalysts make the heart. Bardic Adalysts are the scholors of Jack Trade, and normally enjoy focusing on music. They are a cultural phenomena and particular to the cultural tastes of Jack Trade. However, during the Crusades their song studies were found to be highly effective, and were utilized in the form of special groups. These parties of adventurers were bolstered by Bardic Adalysts of the different studies in special operations, moving as small groups to perform elite force actions in the heart of the enemy, from destroying particular equipment of the enemy, to taking down enemy leaders. It is supposed that of all their enemies it is the Bardic Adalysts that the Morduls most respect and most fear, and if the war was drawn to an end out of respect, it was due directly to the actions of those from the schools of the Bardic Adalysts.
Bardic Adalysts are not typically adventurers though, preferring to perfect their studies in music and knowledge in their towers in the center of Jack Trades. However, there are a few that take on the adventuring spirit, which will eventually find themselves at New Hope, in the company of adventurers on various quests, or finding an early grave.
The Morduls
Far to the East lies the Valley of Shadow where in lies the Throne of Darkness. It is from this Throne that the King of Darkness dwells, and his three Princes of Darkness make their stronghold. His name is simply the Dark King, and his form is completely Black, empty of light, and void of any glimmer of anything but pure evil.
His statistics are as follows...he cannot be hit, he cannot be hurt, no matter what the roll...however, he does have 2000 Hitpoints. If ever a light could be lit within him...it would harm him, as per the spell level would be equal to the damage he would take per round...so an 8th level light would do 8 hitpoints of damage per round. Getting that light into him is rather difficult however, seeing as he cannot be even hit, much less have anything imbedded in him. In addition, he will hit automatically unless he rolls a 1 every round, and his hit does 1-1000 points of damage. If one survives a strike by him, they must make an instant Saving throw at DC 50 or be turned to evil...or if they are already evil...make another Saving Throw at DC 100 or serve him as a slave to his every whim from there on out. He can move 50 feet per roundOnly two items threaten him.
The first could destroy him, as it is a light called the Light of the Sun. Within it is contained one mote of pure sunlight, gathered by some long dead mage from the very core of the Sun itself. If this were to ever touch the King of Darkness, it would destroy him instantly. However, he made certain long ago that the Angleis ship that bore it upon some far distant sea by a Warrior named Sorvine, was sunk in an unknown location into one of the deepest portions of the ocean where none could find it, and if they could, could not retrieve it.
The other item is actually three items known as vials of light. These special items created by the union of both Dwarf and Elf at the height of their glory, were created as the epitome of their art. If one of these is within 5 squares (25 feet) of him, and a light spell is cast, or some other spell which emits light, it will travel through one of these vials and into his soul, and do damage as 1hp/spell lvl of spell cast/per round for the duration of the spell, OR until the vial is destroyed, or if the vial moves over 100 feet away from him. Other than this, the vials of light have the power to emit light on their own that cannot be dispelled by any means, nor be hidden. They shed this light if unhindered up to 1000 feet, or if hidden up to 10 feet in radius. They will destroy undead upon their being shone upon them, with only high level undead (such as those at 20th level and higher) having to make a roll on a D20 of 10 or greater unmodified each round or also be destroyed automatically with no saving throw. Any one holding it must also make the same saving throw each day or have their alignment changed to Lawful Good.
If he finds out about the location of these items he will take a vested interest in destroying it, and perhaps even sending out a Prince of Darkness to ensure it's destruction.
He has 3 princes of Darkness, three Liches. The chief of these is a 50th level Lich, whose phylactery is hidden among the thousands of stones that are in the Valley of Shadow. It appears as a common stone, and the chances of finding it are almost one in a million if even that good. this is the Chief Prince of Darkness, known as Deror. He has a constant flesh renewal spell which keeps up his appearance of that of an Old man. However, he can change his appearance as he desires and often does so if he wishes to travel beyond the Valley of Shadow.
The other two, Moorstile and Dravine are both 30th level Liches, and typically have their phylacteries locked up somewhere within the security of the Valley of Shadow as well.
The King of Darkness has several servants that can penetrate the Known lands as spies and servants. He prefers to use dopplegangers, and Lycanthropes to do these deeds, but will also accept the aid of any who might be twisted enough to aid him...though he will use them as slaves along with the rest if he ever conquers.
The Mordul themselves, those that are not of the monster variety, but are men, dark elves, duergar, and others, were originally tribal peoples, split into constant warfare amongst themselves. However, when the King of Darkness came, he defeated their leaders by right of combat, and then claimed the tribes as his own, uniting them under him, until they were all one people serving him. They say he came, summoned by a mischanced cast spell, that summoned the epitomy of darkness and evil, formed it into a being, and pulled him into this world. Perhaps one cast by the Dark elves as they tried to call upon Lloth, or by Men as they tried the various rituals...however it is, only he remains to hear their prayers, and he is worshipped as deity, for now, though he may have come from elsewhere, this is now his primary plane. They too have their elites...elites that are only countered by the bravery of those in the Known lands, and the Angleis in the rest of the world.
The Mordul Priest
Alignment is typically neutral, though the Mordul Zealot is typically evil.
Weapons and Armor: As Priest
Hit Dice: 1d6+1
BAB: As the typical Priest
Talents: As the typical Priest
Spells: As the typical Priest with specialization in whatever the Priest chooses
Saves: As a Priest
Special: The Mordul Priest Cannot cast light spells, and cannot cast cure spells or any sort of spell which heals or raises the dead except for neutralizing poisons or disease AND controlling the undead or raisng undead.
However, their spells of cause wound types are ranged attack spells which can extend out to 30 feet. In addition these spells allow for NO save.
The Mordul believe their religion is built upon the seven pillars of Sanctity, that of obedience, prayer (they must pray towards the Valley of Shadow), cleansing, Fasting, abstinence, pilgrammage (to the valley of Shadow), and Jihad. Their adherence to these differ among various priests. The Mordul are not inherently evil, and neither is their religion, however, their powers DO stem from the King of Darkness...but there are both good and evil among the Mordul clergy...
The Mordul Zealot (Prestige Class)
Requirements: Evil alignment, and 5th level of Mordul Priest. They must also have the talent of Knowledge:Religion, and have accomplished the seven pillars by at least fasting for 2 weeks at some point only allowing drinks of water, having made the pilgrammage to the Valley of Shadow, and having served in Jihad by fighting the enemies of the Mordul. They must also have been touched by the King of Shadow and survived.
Are almost exactly the same as above, except they take their cause to an unbelievable level of fanaticism. As such they gain the Rage abilities as a Barbarian of equal level of their Zealot class. However, as a detriment, they also have their BAB advance slowly, at the same rate as a Sorcerer or Wizard, at +1BAB every 2 levels.
The Mordul Warlock
Hit Dice: 1d6
Weapons and Armor: Any simple weapon and Light Armor Feats
BAB: As Sorcerer
Talents: As a Wizard
Saves: As a Sorceror
Spells: The Mordul Warlock ONLY gets 1 spell per spell level. Hence at first level he knows 1 first level spell. At 3rd level he knows 1 second level spell. At 5th level he knows only 1 third level spell. At 8th level he knows only 1 fourth level spell. At 10th level he knows only 1 fifth level spell. At 12th level he knows only 1 sixth level spell. At 15th level he knows only 1 seventh level spell. At 17th level he knowns only 1 eighth level spell. At 19th level he knows only 1 ninth level spell. However, there are no prerequisites in order for him to learn these spells. They are inate, given to him as a servant of the Mordul. The run in his blood.
He can cast each spell level spell that he knows equal to once a day, modified by BOTH his Intelligence and his Charisma Modifiers. Hence a 1st level Mordul Warlock that had a(14) +2 INT modifier and a(12) +1 CHA modifier could cast 5 first level spells per day (His spell casting for extra spells comes from Intelligence as well, so he also gains the extra spell for a 14 INT). He would gain no more castings at 2nd level. At 3rd level he could cast 5 first level spells per day and 5 second level spells per day. In addition, these spells have no limit to the hitdice that they use. So a 12th level Mordul Warlock casting Magic Missile, would actually be able to launch 6 missiles instead of being limited to 5 missiles.
As one can see, a Mordul Warlock with enough Charisma and enough Intelligence with the correct spells chosen could be a very powerful caster indeed. These are the heart of the leadership of the Mordul armies, and with their power and charisma as well as intelligence, they are great tacticians, powerful spellcasters, and powerful foes.
The Mordul Deathmaster (Prestige Class)
Hit Dice: 1d12
Weapons and Armor: All Exotic, Simple, and Martial Weapons, can wear ALL armor
BAB: As a Fighter
Saves: As a Paladin
Requirements:
Must have specialized in the Great Sword, Must have Power Attack. and +10 BAB, Must be of Evil alignment.
These characters are death incarnate. They have the ability to deathstrike...meaning they subtract 10 (-10 BAB) from their chance to hit or Attack bonus for extra damage. When they do this they may add whatever level they are as their damage. Hence a 3rd level Deathmaster would add 3 points of damage if they hit. This is further modified by their strength modifier. Their strength modifier is NOT added to their damage when they do a deathstrike. Instead they use it as a multiplier, mulitplying their extra damage by their strength modifier. So, a Deathmaster with a +5 Strength modifier, who was at 5th level would do an automatic +25 damage if they hit. If a Deathmaster somehow had a +10 Strength Modifier and was a 10th level Deathmaster, upon hitting, he would do +100 points of extra damage in the deathstrike.
These are the elite warriors of the Mordul, and are the primary servants and bodyguards of the Dark King.
As a note, most Mordul Warriors, And ALL Mordul Zealots, Warlocks, and Deathmasters ALWAYS wear black and are cloaked in it.
The Angleis
Some call them angels, some call them blessed, but whatever they are, they are the mortal enemies of the Mordul. Many say that the Angleis were those that were originally Mordul Tribespeople prior to the coming of the Dark King, but when he came, these are they that shunned him, and journeyed to the west to create their own nation...a nation which eventually unified against a common threat, and developed their own methods of battling the Dark King.
As in opposition, as the Mordul wear Black, the Angleis wear white, however that white many times turns red or gets dirty upon the battle field. In truth the Angleis ARE related to the Mordul, but were led away millenia ago in the conflict when the Dark King started his reign. Led by the High Chief Angeloni, they eventually formed their own nation, a union of their tribes, along with the nations which they discovered in the West, forming the Angleis Empire...and creating Emperor Angeloni. As both empires grew great and powerful, one an alliance of states, the other an empire of conquest, they eventually met and battled. None have battled the Dark King as long as the Angleis.
It is rumored that the Angleis possess one of the vials of Light in their capital, Heaven's Gate, where it is kept in a sacred vault only for the eyes of the Emperor and his high priest. They bring it out occasionally to do battle if they must, but seeing as they cannot damage the Dark King as much as to destroy him outright, and rather than risk having their only weapon against him destroyed if ever he came out to do battle against them, they keep it secured.
The Angleis cover most of the East with their various alliances, most of who have joined their nation, but a few that are still independent, whilst the Mordul cover most of the West. It is a war of titans, which the Known lands are little aware. The known lands, or the Bardic Lands as the Angleis call them, are only a small portion of the world that is split between light and darkness, but currently it is that very land where the struggle between them has climaxed. Seers on both sides predict that whoever triumphs in the Wars over the Bardic Lands, and who controls the colleges of the Bardic Adalysts, will not only be the victor in the war between the Morduls and Angleis, but rule the world, and then the planes of the Universe.
The Angleis however, choose to let people decide their fate, rather than forcing it upon them, and so battle the Mordul along thier borders, whilst sending just enough help to tip the battle to the side of those in the Known Lands should they decide to accept such help and unify against the very real threat upon their borders...however, if ever it seemed as if the Bardic Lands would otherwise fall, one can rest assured that a wave of the armies of Angleis would meet the Mordul in the Edge Mountains in a coordinated defense with the Elves and Dwarves there for the final battle to determine the fate of the world.
The Angleis have some special classes they call their own.
The Arch-Angleis
Requirements: Wisdom 18, Charisma 17, Strength 15, alignment must be Lawful Good
Hit Dice: 1d12
BAB: As Paladin
Saves: As Paladin
Spells: As a Cleric
Other Specials: As Paladin
Weapons and Armor: Any and all
These are the epitome of the Angleis Armies. As such they are hard to qualify for, and are suggested only to be used as NPCs in the game of Bardic Adalyst. As one can tell, they have high statistics and also a powerful array of spells they can use. However there ARE disadvantages to such a class. These are the ten rules of Arch-Angleis
First they can NEVER carry more money then they need to either buy or repair equipment needed over the next month, and after that can only keep enough to support them for the next week. If possible they are to rely upon the mercies of others.
Second, they must try to convert others to serving the light, and try to change those of non-good alignment to be good alingment.
Thirdly, They CANNOT multiclass, Powerclass, or Split Class.
Fourthly, if they cease to be lawful good, they lose their Clerical Spells, and special abilities forever as well as taking a permanent -2 HP per level to their Hitpoints.
Fifthly, they cannot travel with someone who is evil.
Sixthly, They can only carry a Single weapon at a time and can only carry 1 magic item per level they possess maximum. Hence a 10th level Arch-Angleis could only carry up to 10 magic items, including scrolls, potions, and ANYTHING magical.
Seventh, They cannot ride horses, nor can they have any animal subservient to them (guard dogs, pets, etc.) nor go hunting or eat meat.
Eighth, they must be abstinent from lustful activities (this also includes drinking alcohol, smoking, dancing, and even singing, though they can watch others do so)
Ninth, they cannot purposely listen to the teachings of another Cleric or Clergy other than the Angleis clergy
Tenth, They cannot use ranged weapons.
They do gain some other special abilities, in addition to having access to both Paladin and Clerical feats and abilities.
They emit a circle of Anti-Magic. This is both a curse and a blessing. It's radius is equal to their level in feet, so a 4th level Arch-angleis would emit anti-magic in a 4 foot radius circle around him. This does NOT affect HIS/Her equipment, but it WOULD affect that of his companions if he has any.
They can turn undead as a Cleric, they can also be invisible to undead and undetectable to them once per day every 5 levels of Arch-Angleis they possess.
At 4th level they ALWAYS know if someone is lying to them or telling the truth
At 8th level they gain the diplomatic skill, which enables them to basically be able to smooth relations over with anyone of good alignment and convince that being to join in a good cause if that is the center of discussion.
At 12th level they gain the ability of True Seeing, in essence they always can see as if having a permanent true seeing spell.
The Blademaster
Hitdice: 1d8
BAB: As Monk
Saves: As Monk
Weapons and Armor: All armors, and any Bladed weapon
Restrictions: Must be of Lawful alignment. They cannot multiclass, Powerclass, or Splitclass.
The Blademaster is the Angleis master warrior. These warriors specialize in the Eastern Arts along with the Monks, Ronin (Ronin are treated as fighters except they gain the feat of Power Attack at level 1 and do not get to specialize), and the Bushi (treat Bushi as Fighters, but with a Ki attack which means once a day they can add +1 to hit and damage per level, so a 2nd level Bushi could add +2 to hit and damage for 1 attack per day, but they lose the ability to specialize) from the FAR east. Normally the Blademaster's preferred sword is the katana, and when one wields it they are sometimes referred to as Saint Sword, BUT, blademasters have adapted to the Western Style of the Angleis so that they can master any blade.
A Blademaster must choose a single blade to be their weapon of specialization...as long as they have this weapon in hand they will gain the following bonuses.
With the Blade of choice, their BAB is treated to progress as a Fighter, ONLY when they have their weaon of specialization in hand.
They gain a +1 to hit and to +2 to damage at 3rd level. They gain a +2 to hit and a +1 to damage at 5th level. At 8th level they gain a +1 to hit and a +1 to damage. Every other level (10, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, etc.) they gain another +1 to hit and +1 to damage. These bonuses are ONLY applicable when they are wielding their weapon of specialization.
They gain a +1 AC at 4th level. They gain another +1 to their AC at 6th level and every other level (8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20) after that. This is stackable with any armor that they wear.
They must choose a combat style in which to center their studies on at 2nd level. Their choices are
Two weapon fighting style (this doubles the number of attacks they may make, so they would start with one extra attack, and then have two extra attacks after they get a +6 BAB when weilding their weapon of specialization).
Two handed fighting Style (this adds their level to their damage, so a 5th level Blademaster with this ability would do +5 damage each successful hit, HOWEVER this cannot be used if the Rapier is chosen as the weapon of specialization)
Single handed Fighting style (this adds their level to their bonus to hit, so a 5th level Blademaster with this ability would have a +5 to hit, HOWEVER this cannot be used with anything but a shortsword, scimitar, or rapier...it will not work with any other weapon, and magical bonuses on a weapon will negate this ability).
Defensive Posture fighting style (this adds their level to their Armor Class, however during the round that they do this they will only deal out half damage. Hence a 5th level Blademaster would add +5 to their armor class, but when using this style they would only do half damage).
Offensive Posture Fighting style (or the tornado...in this style they may hit every creature around them (up to 8 creatures) for maximum damage once per day per level...so a 5th level Blademaster could use this style 5 times a day).
They can choose to use or not to use the style of choice when they are in combat from round to round.
Blademasters MUST meditate for 2 hours per day or lose the ability to use their special abilities the next day.
Blademasters cannot own more than they can carry.
Blademasters must also donate half of what they gain to charity.