Homebrew Character Backgrounds
Posted: September 27, 2009 Filed under: Campaigns, D&D 4e, Fluff/Inspiration, Homebrew, Houserules, RPG, Spirits Of Eden 7 Comments »I just added this to the Eden Player’s Guide, it’s the character backgrounds I’ve been promising for a while. They’re NOT like normal 4e backgrounds. They aren’t just an additional skill in your list or a small bonus. They’re (mostly) out-of-combat benefits usually pertaining to skills, items or rituals. From here on, all new edits will happen on the Eden PG page linked above.
A better explanation is in the Player’s Guide version of this post, but suffice it to say, the Class field is not a restriction, it is a suggestion. The star means that the ability is unorthodox and DMs can use the alternative or ignore the whole background. I would advise that PCs don’t all decide to take the same background, both on conceptual and balance basis. I’m a strong believer in that no two PCs should be the same in areas like these.
If I come up with more backgrounds, I’ll add them to the list. So if you have any ideas on any that I’ve missed that might be important or ubiquitous archetypes, do let me know!
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Campaign Styles In Eden
Posted: September 19, 2009 Filed under: Adventures, Campaigns, D&D 4e, Fluff/Inspiration, RPG, Spirits Of Eden 3 Comments »The world of the Spirits of Eden offers a number of possible campaign experiences, and the ones provided here are by no means all that can be done within the setting. These are some of the styles I think of when I think about the Spirits of Eden. Elements from all of them can be used or rejected to suit your tastes and those of your players.
Creative Skill Use In 4e
Posted: September 14, 2009 Filed under: Adventures, Campaigns, D&D 4e, Fluff/Inspiration, Houserules, RPG, Spirits Of Eden 9 Comments »I’ve recently been running a game, as I have told. In this game I have tried very hard to encourage players to be creative with their skills and I think I am succeeding. But I think one obstacle I have found is setting knowledge. Of course, it is a homebrew setting (Eden) and so far players have found themselves doing well in it.
But there is a tendency that a DM’s suggestions are the word of God, even more so in a homebrew setting. I have a tumultuous relationship with this status. I like to be surprised and to see creativity, but running a homebrew sometimes requires me to make suggestions in order to ease play. These suggestions will be done. There is no question about it. If I suggest a skill, it will be used.
So with that thought in mind, I decided to go through every skill in D&D 4th Edition, and write about ways I can see them being improvised in skill challenges and the like. These skill uses of course have a very Eden slant and are very abstract. They will not fit all campaigns like a glove, but I feel they can fit many campaigns nonetheless and that given this blog’s general biases and themes, it fits extremely well with the Spirits of Eden.
Monsters of Eden: Those Earthbound
Posted: September 14, 2009 Filed under: D&D 4e, Homebrew, NPCs, RPG, Spirits Of Eden 9 Comments »The rural wilds of Eden hold many spirits, some of which are almost exclusive to this habitat. Adel is mostly a rural continent, with some large urban centers and some more modest cities, but those are far from the norm. The following are Spirits of the forests, villages, fields and farms, of the mountains and plateaus and deserts, all of which tread, mostly, upon the earth. Most Spirits are humanoid and very alike to normal people. Spirits after all are made by people’s beliefs, and people are anthrocentric.
Monsters of Eden: Introduction
Posted: September 13, 2009 Filed under: Campaigns, D&D, D&D 4e, Homebrew, RPG, Spirits Of Eden 3 Comments »The Spirits of Eden functions under different Setting assumptions than the core of D&D 4th Edition you know. To make for the dramatic and stylish combat preferred by Spirits of Eden, some liberties are taken with the creation of creatures that set them apart from normal D&D 4th Edition monsters. These changes are mostly small, but can be seen as you read the monsters and should be kept in mind.
•Eden Monsters tend to have less HP than normal monsters.
•Eden Monsters tend to deal more damage than normal monsters.
•Some Eden Monsters have an action point despite not being Elite or Solo.
•Eden Monsters can take a Second Wind like a player can. This is not listed in their statistics blocks as a power.
•All Eden Monsters deal +1 damage with Combat Advantage. This is not listed in their statistics blocks as a power.
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