Here we go with the classic questions, the ones everybody needs an answer to! The setting is beginning to clarify after a bit of thought. I had prioritized character creation and the first level of a dungeon so I could start playing right away - now I'm starting to make sense of this mishmash dark ages Britain I'm coming up with. I need a good name for the setting and campaign though: probably I'll just call it "The Spoils of Annwn" after the poem, although I feel it's a waste not to use Albion. What a great name that is, Albion.
What is the deal with my cleric's religion? - Christianity, Celtic, Norse, or Ancient Ones. Monotheism has not taken over Britain, everybody’s god has about the same social status. I like this so we can have talks like “Crom laughs at your four winds,” etc.
Where can we go to buy standard equipment? - Here in Yarmouth they have a decent selection. Basic adventuring gear, booze, and a few spare horses if you’re lucky.
Where can we go to get platemail custom fitted for this monster I just befriended? - The nearest large town would be Southampton, across the strait and up the river inland. It's big enough to support a blacksmith good enough to do custom work, and it’ll be expensive - 2 to 10 times standard plate prices.
Who is the mightiest wizard in the land? - Merlin!
Who is the greatest warrior in the land? - Uther Pendragon is well-known for his victories against the Saxons in the North, although he cannot hold back the tide by himself.
Who is the richest person in the land? - Uther Pendragon. Other rich and powerful kings and lords include Lot of Lothian, Vortigern the Betrayer, Anguish of Ireland and more. Arthur is of course a broke, struggling young warlord right now.
Where can we go to get some magical healing? - The church of the Christ has missions in most towns. In Saxon territory there are churches of Odin and Freya. Out in the wilderness are the Celtic pagan temples, but if you aren’t a member they are really hard to find. Thee Church ov Starry Wisdom in the dungeon.
Where can we go to get cures for the following conditions: poison, disease, curse, level drain, lycanthropy, polymorph, alignment change, death, undeath? The Church of Christ can restore alignment change, level drain, curse, poison. Pagan churches can do poison, disease, lycanthropy, polymorph, alignment change. Thee Church ov Starry Wisdom can fix poison, disease, curse, polymorph, level drain. If you’re dead or undead? Sorry pal.
Is there a magic guild my MU belongs to or that I can join in order to get more spells? - No, wizards are still lone weirdos who don’t band together. There aren’t enough of them to get together and organize, plus they don’t trust each other. It’s a simple master-apprentice slave labour sort of equation.
Where can I find an alchemist, sage or other expert NPC? - Southampton, on the mainland is the first place to start, but you might have to go all the way to Londinium. Although there is that lighthouse on the west point of the island...
Where can I hire mercenaries? - Either of Yarmouth’s taverns has an assortment of roughs-for-hire.
Is there any place on the map where swords are illegal, magic is outlawed or any other notable hassles from Johnny Law? - Wizards are weird and scary, so don’t be too obvious about it, but you won’t get arrested for walking around in a robe and pointy hat. Also, things are still very tough with the Saxons, in the north it's still open warfare, so Dwarves take heed.
Which way to the nearest tavern? - The King’s Head and The Blue Crab are right here in the middle of town.
What monsters are terrorizing the countryside sufficiently that if I kill them I will become famous? - Sir Meliagaunce is one of the many knights in the up and coming maiden-kidnapping business. Wyverns fly down from the hills and devour livestock sometimes. Ogres prowl the forests and highways, catching and eating travellers - the most famous is Sawney Bean who makes life north of Hadrian’s Wall quite dangerous.
Are there any wars brewing I could go fight? - Yes, Arthur is always fighting against new Saxon and Anglish warbands in the north, although some have settled on the isles peacefully. Uther Pendragon is jockeying with the other kings and lords for larger chunks of territory. Nobody controls the whole of Britain yet!
How about gladiatorial arenas complete with hard-won glory and fabulous cash prizes? - Deep in the dungeon, the decadent underworld inhabitants have all kinds of bizarre sports. Gladiatorial contests are just the beginning.
Are there any secret societies with sinister agendas I could join and/or fight? - Oh sure. The Cthulhu cult, the Esoteric Order of Dagon, Iok-Sotot’s worshippers, The Temple of Satan, followers of Arawn, the Morrigan. Lots more.
What is there to eat around here? - Boiled potatoes. Boiled parsnips. Boiled mutton. Boiled beef. Boiled rats.
Any legendary lost treasures I could be looking for? - Many kings of Atlantis were buried in Britain with the hoards they kept from the waves. The locations of these tombs are unknown at present, but it’s rumored there is one beneath the ruins on the Isle of Wight...
Where is the nearest dragon or other monster with Type H treasure? - The giants that used to command Britain are nearly extinct, but some still survive in the high mountains. They are the richest monsters since dragons have not been seen in hundreds of years.
Ability scores generation method? - 3D6 down the line. Don't worry, there are no class ability requirements. Play a dumb wizard or weak fighter, it'll be fun. I am honestly considering allowing players to pick 4d6 drop the lowest and arrange to taste, but mandating that their character's title must be "the pansy" or "the milquetoast" or something similar.
How are death and dying handled? - Dead at HP=negative level, but shields shall be splintered! gives you a chance to save and take that fatal strike. Bleed out 1hp/round, so this doesn't help 1st level characters much, but gives the veterans a chance.
What about raising the dead? - Once you’re gone baby, you’re gone. Unless maybe there is some epic quest to the underworld to retrieve your soul.
How are replacement PCs handled? - If you have a hireling, you can promote him on the spot, roll stats and he is your new character! Or roll up a new one back in town, who can be your character’s heir (only once per character though) and obtain their money and one magic item, less a 10% tax.
Initiative: individual, group, or something else? - I think we will try both. I’ve never rolled group initiative before and I'd like to see how it works.
Are there critical hits and fumbles? How do they work? - Yes, critical hits automatically gives you double damage dice. Roll to confirm and to see if I can roll on a table for more cool stuff. Fumbles you just get the fumble table right away for things like drop weapon, hit self, weapon breaks, basic things.
Do I get any benefits for wearing a helmet? - Some of the critical hits apply to your head, so yeah a helmet will save your ass sometimes.
Can I hurt my friends if I fire into melee or do something similarly silly? - Ah there's nothing about it in the LL book, so for now, no. However there will be stiff to-hit penalties if you're right behind your friends trying to fire past them.
Will we need to run from some encounters, or will we be able to kill everything? - Oh yeah baby you’ll have to run away sometimes. I don’t set out to execute the PCs, but I will stat shit up and put it where I like, doesn’t mean you’re tough enough for it.
Level-draining monsters: yes or no? - They’re quite rare but they exist (hint: stay away from those barrows at night).
Are there going to be cases where a failed save results in PC death? - Fuck yes.
How strictly are encumbrance & resources tracked? - In a general way. I will be tracking light especially, because you can’t stay in the dungeon forever. Weight will be a factor because you can’t carry everything you find, and you might want to run away at some point.
What’s required when my PC gains a level? Training? Do I get new spells automatically? - No training. The only place to learn new wizard spells is from books you beg, borrow or steal. Clerics get their spells automatically as usual. You have to rest outside the dungeon to level up, but it can happen in the middle of the session.
What do I get experience for? - Some from monsters, mostly from treasure. SPENDING your treasure on partying, babes, castles, tithes to the church, cool clothes, funerals for your buddies, etc.
How are traps located? Description, dice rolling, or some combination? - Description. Traps will be easy to locate, there are lots of clues. Disarming the traps is another story.
Are retainers encouraged and how does morale work? - Yes, go ahead and get retainers, I have those speed hireling rules. I will be using morale for enemies and NPC party members.
How do I identify magic items? - Cast read magic or pay a wizard, sage or temple to identify it for you.
Can I buy magic items? Oh, come on: how about just potions? - Potions and some minor magic items can be found from odd merchants in the dungeon, but they probably don't accept your surface world coins...
Can I create magic items? When and how? - As a higher-level wizard, sure. Costly quests and rare components are essential. I’m more concerned with having item creation kick off further adventuring and be sufficiently difficult that magic items don’t proliferate.
What about splitting the party? - Go ahead, but it’s dangerous and I don’t recommend it.
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