Campaign World Background:

From the tales you heard in your youth, Nogard was once a rich and bountiful land. Men of power
walked the earth. Great mages raised incredible magics and enchanted items of unrivaled potency.
Cities of beauty raised their spires to the heavens. Even the most impoverished of peasants had
enough food to feed his family in the deadest winter. Then came the worldwar. This is not the land you
know.

Diabolical creatures ravaged the lands. The dead crawled forth from dark and musty graves to terrorize
their descendants. Monsters once thought to be mere legend rose up to smite humanity. Otherworldly
giants came forth from their home, breathing fire and laying waste to whole kingdoms with a single
swipe of their mighty blades. Gods set foot on the soil and did battle with each other. Mere mortals
watched as divine beings lost their lives. Fully half of the world’s human population was destroyed.
Gnomes died as a race. The legendary Lionriders and the heroic Eyes of Light won the war, but at such
cost.

That was forty years ago. Elbrey, the City of Eternal Light, lay in ruins. Where once prosperous towns
and villages dotted the east, now there are only ghost towns. Evil stalks the fields and prairies that
were once large farmsteads. Honest people bolt their doors once night falls, and only armies dare cross
unsettled lands. Poverty and disease ravage the pitiful souls that litter the ruins of once great cities.
Rumors of new, terrible gods are prevalent. Confusion, chaos, and lawlessness rule the land, where
once kings and governors held their subjects in check. The world has entered a dark age.
Hark! For the 2nd Edition Advanced Dungeons & Dragons tomes have arrived. Henceforthe, the world
shall be verily changed, with blessings unto some, curses unto others. If ye owne not a 2nd Edition
Player's Handbook, ye had best get about it, or, at the very least, peruse that of another, for, from this
moment forward, it shall rule the life of thine character, with minor references to the olde edition, or a
few rules of the house which must always be observed above and beyond those listed. Now, read on and
learn what thine gods have given...and taken away.

Unless otherwise noted, all pages and chapters refer to the 2nd Edition Player's Handbook.

Chapter 1: Remains Unchanged

Chapter 2: Refer to old rules for racial info, excepting that which deals with class abilities or
restrictions.

Chapter 3: Remains Unchanged. It is widely accepted, that Nogardian Clerics are worshipers of false
gods with little real power. The faithful of Nogard are always priests.

Chapter 4: Remains Unchanged

Chapter 5: Remains Unchanged. Non-weapon proficiencies are used, rather than "Using what you
know" or "Secondary Skills". Bear in mind that the full spectrum of proficiencies is open to all, but that
choosing a skill outside of what's allowed based upon table 38 (p.55) requires double proficiency slots.
Thus, a wizard could learn Blind-fighting, but at a cost of 4 proficiency slots, rather than the 2 it would
cost a fighter.

Chapter 6: Remains relatively unchanged, except that daggers and dirks are two different weapons,
and that they seem to have excluded atlatls, caltrops, garrots, lassos, and saps, all of which are
available in Nogard, to some extent. The Arquebus is not available anywhere – it has yet to be
invented. The stats below should be added to the list:

Dagger, thrown* 2gp ½ S P 2 1d4 1d3

Dirk 5gp 1 S P 2 1d4+1 1d4

*This weapon does 1d3 to S/M and 1d2 to L opponents if used to stab, while a stabbing dagger does
similar damage if thrown.

Note that normal lamp oil may no longer be used as a missile or barrier, but burns only in lamps. Greek
fire must be used for combat purposes, doing the traditional 1d6 hps per round.

Finally, always clear any purchases with me, since quality, cost, and availability are all factors which
must be considered.

Chapter 7: Remains unchanged. Spell components are used, as before.

Chapter 8: Armor modifiers are not being used, at present. This may be implemented later. Your THAc0
has already been calculated, so in battle you need only roll 1d20 and tell me the number, no
modifications. I'll tell you if you hit or not. Table 51 (p.90) applies, and make sure you point this out
when necessary. Do NOT simply add or subtract it to your roll, simply remind me when applicable.
Initiative: will remain 1d10, low number best, each number representing one second in a combat
round (which is 10 seconds). The modifiers on table 56 (p.94) apply, except for Creature Size (which
I've thrown out). Dex reaction/attacking bonuses/penalties apply, as do weapon speed factors. All
wizard spells will be typed out by yours truly, so proper initiative modifiers will be available to mages
(those in the book are often wrong). The rules for multiple attacks and initiative apply. It is no longer
possible to lose an attack/round by rolling poorly for initiative.
The new rules for punching and wrestling are used.

Parrying is used.

Chapter 10: Remains Unchanged

Chapter 11: Remains Unchanged
Chapter 12: Remains Unchanged
Chapter 13: Remains Unchanged
Chapter 14: Time: 1 round equals 10 seconds
1 minute equals 60 seconds
1 turn equals 10 minutes
1 hour equals 6 turns
1 day equals 24 hours
1 ride equals 10 days
1 week equals 6 days
1 month equals 30 days, 5 weeks or 3 rides
1 year equals 12 months or 360 days
Movement: The PH has humans walking a brisk walk at 7 mph (12" = 7 mph).

Appendix 3 and appendix 4: Wizard spells will be typed out and given to you, since they may vary from
those listed.

Bards will no longer cast spells of Wizardry at any level, but will, instead, obtain the power to cast an
equal number of Priest spells, rather than the Mage spells listed. The spheres from which the bard may
choose are Animal, Charm, Divination and Plant. Bards and Druids, both being based on the old Celtic
ways, are often found working together on a given cause.

Druids now have two additional spheres to choose from. The Sun sphere was probably deleted from
the list of available spheres by mistake, so it is being added as a major sphere. The second sphere,
ceremonial, is new, and is available to priests in general, with few exceptions. Those spells in italics are
reserved for druidic priests only.

Ceremonial

Ceremony: Burial (1st)

Ceremony: Coming of Age (1st)
Ceremony: Marriage (1st)
Ceremony: Rest Eternal (1st)
Ceremony: Dedication (2nd)
Ceremony: Consecrate Item (2nd)
Ceremony: Investiture (2nd)
Ceremony: Witness (2nd)
Ceremony: Ordination (3rd)
Ceremony: Special Vows (3rd)
Ceremony: Spring (3rd)
Ceremony: Consecrate Ground (4th)
Ceremony: Initiation (4th)
Ceremony: Summer (4th)
Ceremony: Anathematize (5th)
Ceremony: Autumn (5th)
Ceremony: Hallowed Ground (5th)
Ceremony: Cast Out (6th)
Ceremony: Winter (6th)
Call Hunt (7th)
Ceremony: Anointing (7th)

Druids have Ceremonial as a major sphere.

The Healing and Necromantic spheres of priestly spells are being changed so that they now look thus:

Healing
Cure Light Wounds (1st)
Slow Poison (2nd)
Cure Blindness or Deafness (3rd)
Cure Disease (4th)
Cure Serious Wounds (4th)
Neutralize Poison (4th)
Cure Critical Wounds (5th)
Heal (6th)
Regenerate (7th)
Restoration (7th)
Resurrection (7th)

Necromantic
Cause Light Wounds (1st) [Cure Light Wounds]
Invisibility to Undead (1st)
Aid (2nd)
Animate Dead (3rd)
Cause Blindness or Deafness (3rd) [Cure Blind/Deafness]
Cause Disease (3rd) [Cure Disease]
Feign Death (3rd)
Negative Plane Protection (3rd)
Cause Serious Wounds (4th) [Cure Serious Wounds]
Poison (4th) [Neutralize Poison]
Cause Critical Wounds (5th) [Cure Critical Wounds]
Raise Dead (5th)
Harm (6th) [Heal]
Destruction (7th) [Resurrection]
Energy Drain (7th) [Restoration]
Reincarnate (7th)
Wither (7th) [Regenerate]

These tables supersede anything in the Player's Handbook. Most of the Necromantic spells which may
appear unfamiliar are simply reverses of healing spells, which are listed in brackets afterwards.

From now on, a natural 20 rolled on the "to hit" dice will require a second roll of d%. If this roll is a 01-
50, the attack rolled does the maximum damage possible (i.e. a longsword vs. a s-m opponent does 8
points, plus any bonuses), while a 51-00 doubles the damage roll.

A roll of a natural 1 also requires a roll of d%. A roll of 01-30 means the attacker has slipped, tripped,
bumbled, stumbled, etc. He loses any other attacks possible that round, and suffers a +1 penalty to
initiative for the following round. A roll of 31-50 indicates the attacker has hit someone or something
other than the intended target, with allies being most likely, neutral parties second, enemies 3rd, and
the ground, a wall, etc. being last (this is determined randomly). On a roll of 51-70, the attacker has
managed to injure himself with the weapon, and a normal damage roll must be made, including any
and all applicable bonuses (there is no time between the realization that one has missed one's
opponent and the realization that one is about to strike oneself for the swing to be adjusted, slowed or
otherwise altered). On a roll of 71-00, the attack has simply gone wild, and strikes nothing or strikes
the ground, wall, ceiling, etc. This is a good way to bust a perfectly good weapon.
Nogardian Earth Science
Part I:
The Moon & The Month

Unlike our own world, Nogard has a moon with a slightly larger orbit, which causes the lunar cycle to
be thirty days long instead of twenty-eight. This has the effect of putting the full moon on the 21st of
every month. This corresponds with the four major seasonal festivals, which occur on the same night.
Also, the calendar of Nogard is slightly different (the reason being that I would need a Ph.D in Earth
science to conduct a game on a world like Earth) from ours, consisting of 12 months of 30 days each
(just like the lunar cycle) for a total of 360 days. Doesn't that work out nice and neat? Every 90 days, a
festival occurs, on the 21st of each month. These are largely druidic festivals, but variations are found
nearly everywhere. Generally, each of you will have a different name for a given month, so whenever I
give a date, it will be numerically rendered (ie. 7/30), and you may translate that into the proper name.

The following are items which some of your characters would be inclined to purchase at the first
opportunity, to continue to live in the style to which you've become accustomed:
 Combs and Brushes (for hair, mustaches, beards, tails, feathers, fur, etc.)
 New clothes (Tunics, breeches, boots, caps, capes, robes, dresses, undies, etc.)
 Clippers (for nails, cuticles and hooves)
 Razors (for those inclined to remain clean-shaven. Note that elves are naturally barren of facial
hair.)
 Belts, pouches, packs and sacks
 Tools with which to repair and maintain armor and weapons. Includes: Sharpening stones (for
edged weapons), oilcloths and oil (for metal, particularly ferrous, weapons. Also for armor), steel
brushes (for keeping rust off weapons in wet or moist climates), Leather scraps (for re-wrapping
hilts and handles, repair of scabbards, etc), screwdrivers, screws, pliers (all of which are used to
keep precious weapons from falling apart. Armor, shields and scabbards need maintenance as
well), small hammers (with which to repair dents in armor or burrs in weapons), and a small
wrench (with various uses, among them removal of the tang nut on sword for replacing the hilt, or
simply to care for the sword's innards). Generally, the details of caring for armor and weapons will
not be necessary (ie. role-playing the repair of a minor dent on one's left greave would be boring
and supercilious, so it will not be necessary in most cases), however not possessing a kit such as
this, or forgetting to use it at least 2-3 times per week (more if the weapons are heavily used or
subjected to things such as moist air, submersion, damage (falling, fire, acid, crushing blow), etc)
will lead to weapon malfunction. Wooden weapons may crack, break or lose their pieces (an axe
losing its metal head, for example), while metal weapons may corrode, break, bend, fall apart, or
shatter. Armor may crack and rot (in the case of leather), rust frozen (a plate mail elbow joint that
will not bend or straighten, for example), fall off, bend, rip open or corrode away. Even magical
armor and weapons cannot be completely ignored, and mundane arms must be carefully tended
to. These kits will cost between 150 and 400 gold pieces, depending upon where they are
purchased (150 being an excellent deal and 400 being a major rip-off) and any character that
knows anything about arms and armor will realize the necessity of such a kit. Kits may be shared
by, at most, 2 people, however they will wear out faster this way, and will be in need of
replacement sooner (oil will run out, oilcloths will shred, pliers and wrenches will break,
screwdrivers will bend, leather scraps will be used up, etc).
 Ink for copying spellbooks (100gps per level of spell, 5 spell levels per bottle. Thus, copying 2 1st
level spells and 4 2nd level spells would cost 200gps. At least, this is the price your teacher taught
 you to expect. Whether or not you can find ink at this price will vary from place to place and time
to time). Also, a virgin quill (cost: 15gps (if you're lucky)) will be required for each spell copied,
regardless of its level, in addition to the ink. The quill must be from an avian of a less than
mundane nature (ie. A griffin, a pegasus, Pazuzu, etc.).
 Toothbrushes.
 Horse care kit: Brush, clippers, blanket, feed bag, etc. Not generally expensive, but prices will vary.
Must be used daily when riding or mounts will succumb to disease and/or the elements and die.
Minimum 1 kit per horserider. It is not necessary to use these while in the presence of the tower's
stablehand.
 Light sources - necessary even if you have infravision. Can you find a secret door or read a scroll
with infravision? Will you even notice the wand of fireballs lying upon that table with infravision?
The importance of this goes doubly so for those with no night-vision at all.
 Special - Some of you will think of things which your character would want which would be specific
to the personality you created for that character. For example, if a character liked to read, then
stopping at a book and scroll shop would be a must, the first chance possible. Creating wants of
this sort are encouraged, as they lead to better character development. Eventually, you will arrive
in a city or town which carries what you're looking for (within reason) and the search for it could
easily prove interesting. In addition, I have doubtless left several things off this list which would be
essential to your character. If so, feel free to shop around, get the best price, then come to me and
I'll beat it! But I digress. Don't think of these as hassles, but think of them or suffer the
consequences (people who don't comb their hair, bathe or brush their teeth lose comeliness, for
example). Enjoy!

These phrases and terms should be added to your vocabulary, whenever possible:

Darkwatch - also known as lastwatch, chillwatch, and wolfwatch (in lands inhabited by wolves. Other
variations are goblinwatch, orcwatch, etc. depending on the variant species which inhabit a given
area), this is the watch which generally starts about an hour before moonset (q.v.) and lasts until dawn
(3 am to 6 am if dawn is at 6). It is a difficult watch because it is almost totally dark outside whatever
light source the party has, and it is a popular time for attack by creatures of the night.

Dawnfry - made of some sort of meat, usually a type of pork (sausage, bacon, ham), eggs when
possible, potatoes when available, and lots of spice, all thrown together in a pan and fried over an
open flame. Originally a traveler's meal, it became so popular (because it tastes delicious, fills the
stomach, is quick and easy to make, and relatively cheap) that it is now served in most inns and
taverns. It is still a popular traveler's meal, however, and a slight variance in spice or meat can provide
a different tasting dawnfry for every day of the week. All characters except Gleamwing (who's too
small to carry a frying pan around everywhere, even if dawnfry appealed to him) and Krataa (who isn't
real big on meat) would be familiar with dawnfry, it is very ancient and very popular. Most Priests
contribute its creation to their god, but this has rarely caused any holy jihad's or crusades.

Highsun - this is the word commonly used for noon. Midday and Noshadow (being that one's shadow is
beneath one's feet) are synonymous. These are, of course, rendered in common, but similar words,
albeit pronounced differently, are used in most languages (providing such languages are spoken by
creatures which dwell in sunlight. Drow elves and kobolds probably have no word for Highsun. It is
simply daytime.

Highsunfeast - this term is used for the meal commonly eaten at midday (lunch to you and me).
Moonset - the time, about 1 to 2 hours before dawn, when the moon is lost to the curvature of the
planet, yet the sun is not yet risen in the east. Also known as Starbright (for the stars appear brighter in
the sky when the moon's radiance isn't contending with them) and Darkchill (for this is the darkest part
of the night, since neither the sun nor moon are shining down. It is also the coldest, as the sun's heat
has generally been absent for 6 to 8 hours, and the earth has cooled off considerably, and will remain
so until a couple hours after dawn).

Morningfeast - the meal eaten at the beginning of the day. Also known as Dawnfeast and Dawnfryfeast
(q.v.) which attests to the popularity of this dish.

Notes for the Nogard Campaign:

Alignment languages do not exist.

Players are allowed to roll their own dice whenever possible, but in some instances this will not be so.
This will occasionally happen with saving throws when your character doesn't realize he/she is making
one, or with perception rolls, when you character wouldn't notice anything out of the ordinary if the
roll is failed. Sometimes, I'll tell you to roll a die, but not say why or even what the result was. This is
when I want you to be able to roll your own die, but not give any clues as to what's going on.

Players are asked not to discuss their characters with each other outside the context of the game.
Levels, hit points, armor class, etc. should all be kept a secret. In addition, any time you wish to
communicate with me about information dealing with your character's secrets, use scrap paper. This
also goes for any time you're having a private conversation with another character. All notes, however,
must be passed to me first, then I will pass them on. Use note paper any time your character is
separated from the others, or have learned something they wouldn't know, etc.

Always try to act logically and reasonably. The following are illogical and unreasonable, and should be
avoided:

I run in and search the whole room before anyone else can get there. Do I find anything?

I fall unconscious? Nuts. Psst, take the wand off my belt and zap that thing.*
* Please, never make me say "Shut up, you're <dead/unconscious/not here/asleep/already doing
something else/bound and gagged/etc.>," it's really annoying.

Talking player to player is often the same as talking character to character when the game is in session.
If one character were talking with a powerful, evil NPC and another player says to the owner of that
character "Whatever you do, don't tell him that we've got that spell component he's been looking for
for years.", the NPC is likely to blast both characters and run off with his precious spell component.
When you talk to another player in a manner that will guide his character's actions, I will always
assume that your character is saying it to his character, in whatever volume would be necessary to get
the job done. If your character is incapacitated, separated, or in a delicate situation, you'd best be wary
of what you say.

Time is relative, and if your character is doing something involving split-second thinking to save his life
and/or the lives of others while you sit and flip through the pages of a rule book, you may find your
character running out of time faster than you can flip. The same is true for group arguments. If the
whole party stands and argues for two minutes about the proper strategy to use with the angry red
dragon they just encountered, you may all be toast before you get the issue settled.

The characters of absent players will be NPC's for that session and all sessions until he/she returns.
These npc's rarely take the initiative or volunteer information (since I'm usually too busy doing other
stuff to remember what they know). Please be considerate to all. As soon as you know you won't be
able to make a game, or even if you'll just be a bit late, Call! Otherwise, an hour or more of game time
might be wasted while we wait for someone who has no intention of showing up.

Have fun! If, at any time, you have any problems with the game, let me know. I won't always be willing
or able to do anything about it, but I'll always listen. Good luck.