Adventurer Guild Statutes

1. The Guild of Adventurers is to be composed of a number of Adventuring Companies. When a group of adventurers from a Company wish to undertake an expedition they will form an Adventuring Band.
2. An Adventuring Company will be composed of Novice Adventurers, those of levels 1 through 3, Expert Adventurers, those higher than level 3, Companion Adventurers, those having achieved name level in a single class, and Master Adventurers, those which were founding members of a company or have put some stake into the company.
3. The Masters of each Company will elect from among their own number a Company Captain. Th Captain may direct the affairs of all Companion, Expert, and Novice Adventurers of the Company and establish general policies of the Company. The captain also sits on the Guild Council as a representative of the Company.
4. All affairs of the Dragon City and of the Guild as a whole is to be governed by the Guild Council. Each Company of Adventurers is given one seat on the Council. For any resolution of the Council to be enacted it must be agreed upon by all parties.
5. The Guild shall provide a location to purchase standard arms and armor, magical scrolls and potions, and equipment necessary for expeditions for sale at a standard price set by the Guild.
6. The Guild of Adventurers will maintain an  Arcane Library and Laboratory which are to be used in common by all guild members. Private use of the Laboratory for research purposes may be rented for a fee of 1,000 denarius a week.
7. Class training is provided free of charge by the Guild to all Novices; however, all expert adventurers must pay a fee equal to one quarter of the experience required to reach the next level of the class being trained.
8. Each Company shall maintain a Company House in the Dragon City and a Stronghold without the Dragon City. Within each stronghold shall be a Door of Transit which connects the stronghold to the Company House. These doors are only to be used by members of the Appropriate Adventuring Company. Each Master in a Company is to be assigned a key to these doors.
9. The Stronghold of a company will offer free room and board to members of the Company and a discount price of 50% to any other guild members.
10. Any treasure; including coins, gems, and jewelry, looted by a Band of Adventurers on an expedition will be deposited with the guild to be appraised whereupon each adventurer will be awarded a commensurate value of denarius from the Guild Bank.
11. Each adventurer present on an expedition will receive a number of shares of any treasure looted equal to their level in the adventuring guild; in addition the Adventuring company to which the members of the expedition belong shall receive 1 share of any treasure looted.
12. When hiring outsiders a Band of Adventurers will pay 3 denarius per month to every Torchbearer, those hired to carry loot, equipment and perform general labor on an expedition, and 20 denarius per month to every Retainer, those hired to fight alongside trained Adventurers on an expedition.
13. Upon preparing for an expedition each Band of Adventurers is to appoint a Leader to make essential command decisions and represent the Band to others.
14. No Band of adventurers is to haggle over the price of their services with those requesting aid, neither shall one band or company attempt to usurp another by offering services at lower charge than what has been agreed upon by the first Band or Company.
15. Upon the death of an Adventurer, any surviving members are expected to retrieve the body if possible whereupon the deceased will be buried by the Church in hallowed ground.
16. Upon joining an Adventuring Company, each Novice Adventurer will be given an Adventurer's Guidebook which will contain information about common monsters, traps, situational advice and tips, and basic information on the region and dungeons and lairs which are familiar to the Company. Each Novice will also receive a Company Badge which is to be sewn on an outer garment worn by the adventurer; in addition a license to adventure within the Holy Empire will be issued to the Novice and these papers are to remain on their person at all times.
17. An Adventurer may designate a family member or friend as heir to all their possessions and shares in the company in the event of their death; if no heir has been designated all such possessions and shares will default to the Adventuring Company.
18. Each Master Adventurer must spend at least three months out of every year training Novices.
19. If any individual is found participating the activities reserved to the Guild of Adventurers and the aforesaid individual cannot produce a license from the Guild of Adventurers, any and all treasures may be seized the agents of the Guild without fear of retribution from the Church, the Emperor, the Noble subjects of the Emperor or from the Guild itself, even if such seizure results in violence and or death.
20. All Adventurers in the guild will pay obeisance to the Holy Church of the Creator and observe all the proper behaviors and practices required of someone in good standing with the Church.
21. If an Adventurer is accused of breaking the statutes of the guild they will be judged by the Captain of the Company if a Novice or Expert, any such which are Companions or Masters shall be tried before the Guild Council. Those judged to be guilty shall pay a fine to the guild equal to 1,000 denarius per their adventuring level for the first offense, 3,000 denarius per adventuring level upon the second offense, 10,000 denarius and suspension of all adventuring activities for one month upon the third offense, and if a fourth offense shall occur the individual will be expelled from the Adventuring Guild. 

Adventurers Guild Charter

The Charter of the Dragon City and the Adventurer's Guild:

Corwyn Mauntea, the Most Holy Emperor and Emperor of Thyatis, to his Dukes, Counts, Barons, Lords, Patriarchs, Justices, Officers, and all loyal subjects, greetings. Know that I have granted, and by this charter confirm, to my citizens of the Dragon City for themselves and their heirs that they hold the Dragon City of me and my heirs for a farm of 8,000 denarius per annum and military service in times of war.

The governance of the Dragon City is hereby granted to the Guild of Adventurers, and all members of the guild shall be citizens of the Dragon City, and afforded all the concordant rights, privileges, and duties of such status. The guild may appoint as sheriff whomever they want from among themselves and as judge whomever they want from among themselves to take charge pleas of the crown and supervise their conduct; no one else shall be judge over the citizens of the Dragon City. The citizens of the Dragons City are afforded rights to any lost, hidden, or ancient treasures recovered from their exploits, are exempt from murder-fine, tax on real estate, war tax, and none of them need undertake trial by battle. If a plea to the crown is accused upon a citizen, the citizen may defend himself by adjudication within the city. Within the walls of the Dragon City no one need be billeted, neither my household nor anyone elses, nor is any billet to be undertake by force. 

All tolls and taxes within the Dragon City are confirmed to the Dragon City and alienated from me and my heirs for above mentioned farm of 8,000 denarius. All royal merchants and members of my household are exempt from any and all taxes and tolls of the Dragon City. All merchants and citizens of the Dragon City are half exempt from tolls and taxes throughout my realm.

Concerning lands for which citizens bring complaint before me, I shall uphold their rights according to the law of the city. If anyone exacts toll or customs from a citizen of the Dragon City, the citizens may in the city recover from members of the borough of town where the toll or customs were taken half the amount given by a citizen or merchant of the Dragon City for toll and any and all applicable damages. All debtors who own debts to citizens must repay them, or in the court of the Dragon City offer defense that they are not indebted.

By my hand and seal, Corwyn Mauntea, the Most Holy Emperor and Emperor of Thyatis, on this the 5th day of Kaldmont One Thousand years after the Conquest of the Ancient Empire. Given at the Great Temple of the Imperial City of Darokin.

Complete List of Armours for OSE

Go to the Delvers and Denizens Index

A list of different types of armor that can be purchased from the Adventurers Guild, their AC and their price in silver denarius(d).

Armour	AC	Price	notes
Padded Barding	8	200d
Padded Coat	7	100d
Scale Coat	6	-	not found within known world, only in ruins
Chain Shirt	6	150d
Chain Barding	6	750d
Chain Coat	5	200d
Lamellar Coat	5	160d	only available in Emirate of Ylaruam
Coat of Plates	5	175d
Chain Suit	4	400d
Scaled Chain Coat	4	-	not found within known world, only in ruins
Plate Barding	4	2500	Only available from legendary craftsman in the largest cities
Plate and Chain Suit	3	800d
Suit of Plates	2	1000d	Only available from legendary craftsman in the largest cities
Jousting Suit	0	1000d	Only available from legendary craftsman in the largest cities
Helm	-	50d	When dealt death wound may save vs death and wound is only critical
Great Helm	-1	70d	When dealt death wound may save vs death and wound is only critical, surprised on 1/6
Wooden Buckler	-	10d	if trained in use of shields may block wounds, break when block serious wound
Reinforced Buckler	-	15d	if trained in use of shields may block wounds, break when block critical wound
Metal Buckler	-	20d	if trained in use of shields may block wounds, break when block death wound
Wooden Small Shield	-1	10d	if trained in use of shields may block wounds, break when block serious wound
Reinforced Small Shield	-1	20d	if trained in use of shields may block wounds, break when block critical wound
Metal Small Shield	-1	50d	if trained in use of shields may block wounds, break when block death wound
Wooden Large Shield	-4	35d	if trained in use of shields may block wounds, break when block serious wound
Reinforced Large Shield	-4	100d	if trained in use of shields may block wounds, break when block critical wound
Metal Large Shield	-4	200d	if trained in use of shields may block wounds, break when block death wound

Fae Spell Lists

Go to the Delvers and Denizens Index

So after making new set of houserules for OSE I decided I wanted to make the elf spell list different from the magic user and more nature oriented. I took some druid spells and some of the spells in gaz 5. I also decided to update the gnome(from the advanced fantasy genre rules, this would be the forest gnome in my campaign) spell list on similar principles.

Elf Spells

Level 1

1. Detect Magic
2. Detect Danger
3. Enchant Missile(as magic missile but on missiles already in hand)
4. Faerie Lights
5. Fellowship
6. Light
7. Longstride
8. Precipitation
9. Shield
10. Sleep
11. Ventriloquism
12. Faerie Fire
13. Locate plant or animal
14. Predict Weather
15. Watcher

Level 2

1. Continual Light
2. Detect Invisible
3. Entangle
4. ESP
5. Heat Metal
6. Invisibility
7. Levitate
8. Locate Object
9. Mirror Image
10. Obscure
11. Phantasmal Force
12. Produce Fire
13. Silence(single target)
14. Warp Wood
15. Web

Level 3

1. Call Lightning
2. Clairvoyance
3. Cure Disease
4. Cure Light Wounds
5. Dispel Magic
6. Fireball
7. Fly
8. Haste
9. Hold(Person or Animal)
10. Infravision
11. Invisibility 10' radius
12. Protection from normal missiles
13. Protection from Poison
14. Speak with Animals
15. Water Breathing

Level 4

1. Charm Monster
2. Confusion
3. Control Temp 10' radius
4. Enchant Weapon
5. Fear
6. Growth of Nature
7. Hallucinatory Terrain
8. Ice Storm/Wall
9. Plant Door
10. Protection from Lightning
11. Remove Curse
12. Speak with Plants
13. Summon Animals
14. Transform(may massmorph, polymorph self, or polymorph others)
15. Wall of Fire

Level 5

1. Anti-Plant Shell
2. Cloudkill
3. Commune with Nature
4. Conjure Elemental
5. Control Winds
6. Dissolve(Transmute Rock to Mud)
7. Feeblemind
8. Hold Monster
9. Insect Plague
10. Neutralize Poison
11. Pass Plant
12. Telekinesis
13. Teleport
14. Wall of Stone
15. Wall of Thorns

Forest Gnome Spells

Level 1

1. Animal Friendship
2. Auditory Illusion
3. Chromatic Orb
4. Color Spray
5. Detect Danger
6. Detect Illusion
7. Entangle
8. Faerie Fire
9. Faerie Lights
10. Glamour
11. Hypnotism
12. Light
13. Phantasmal Force
14. Spook
15. Wall of Fog

Level 2

1. Barkskin
2. Blindness/Deafness
3. Blur
4. Detect Magic
5. False Aura
6. Fascinate
7. Hypnotic Pattern
8. Improved Phantasmal Force
9. Invisibility
10. Magic Mouth
11. Mirror Image
12. Produce Fire
13. Quasimorph
14. Warp Wood
15. Whispering Wind

Level 3

1. Blacklight
2. Dispel Illusion
3. Fear
4. Growth of Nature
5. Hallucinatory Terrain
6. Hold Animal
7. Invisibility 10' radius
8. Nondetection
9. Paralysation
10. Phantom Steed
11. Rope Trick
12. Spectral Force
13. Suggestion
14. Treeshape
15. Wraithfrom

Level 4

1. Charm(Monster, person , or animal)
2. Confusion
3. Dispel Magic
4. Emotion
5. Illusory Stamina
6. Improved Invisibility
7. Massmorph
8. Minor Creation
9. Phantasmal Killer
10. Polymorph(other or self)
11. Rainbow Pattern
12. Shadow Monsters
13. Solid Fog
14. Summon Animals
15. Veil of Abandonment

Adventurer Guild Contract

This is the contract a PC agrees to before joining the Adventurer's guild:

I (Name) swear before the Dragon Council to serve the Guild of Adventurers and no other master for the period of time necessary to achieve the ninth level within the aforementioned guild. While in the service of the Guild of of Adventurers I will show friendship, benevolence and fidelity to all Dragons and make no unprovoked attack against such. In all cases where a dragon may appear hostile I will first attempt to persuade them to be obeisant to the Dragon Council before resorting to violence. As a Licensed Adventurer I will seek after remnants of ancient civilizations and lost treasures, protect the weak and defenseless from those who would usurp their rights and labors, treat all other Adventurers with trust and respect, remain faithful to the Church, and obey the laws and ordinances of the rulers of any country, principality, or city I may be in.

The Little People

Go to the Delvers and Denizens Index

TLDR: In my campaigns from now on, Hobbits/Halflings and Dwarves will no longer be called as such anymore, and are simply varieties of Gnomes

The reasons for this change are really for semantical(is that a word?) purposes and out of respect of Tolkien and his imagined world and languages. Essentially Hobbits are an intrinsic part of Tolkien's world and legendarium, and as I feel they aren't represented very well in D&D and using a bastardized version of them as so called 'halflings' is kid of disrespectful to Tolkien and then not renaming the D&D version just shows the lack of effort; probably the only version that really stands on its own are the Kender from Dragonlance. Hobbits are specific to Middle-Earth and are present to portray specific thematic elements, so while I'm not changing the D&D rules or description I think it is a disservice to the actual Hobbits of Middle-Earth to continue calling them Halflings. Basically D&D Halflings are not Hobbits and deserve their own treatment divorced from the Halfling/Hobbit connotations.

Dwarves are a whole other can of worms. Naming a species or race(in the sense of an actual subspecies) dwarves is extremely problematic. Dwarfism is a real world disease/disorder/syndrome(its status in the medical community has changed over the years and is in fact now a disused term) and implying that people with Dwarfism are not Human should be seen as the bigotry it really is. Then if you say, no they aren't a different species, just a race of humans, you run into the problems of comparison with the actual medical condition; if dwarves have separate communities, then what about the dwarves who are born to 'normal' human parents, and what about the different varieties of dwarfism, etc, etc. It's better to not relegate human beings with a medical condition as a separate species or race or people from the rest of humanity. So this people will simply be another variety of Gnome in my campaigns.

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On to how this works in game. Gnomes are a Species of the Homo Genus, and each variety described below is a Subspecies, or race, of that Species.

All Gnomes are short of stature, though their physical features may vary by type, some with long noses, long beards, large heads, etc. Gnomes typically live in a burrow of some sort made for that purpose. These burrows are generally clean and well-kept, and vary on location and specific adornments and disguises again based on the type of Gnome inhabiting the burrow. These burrows are generally well hidden and go unnoticed by most humans. The term Gnome is used by outsiders to describe the 'little people', each variety has their own term that they refer to themselves with.

Mountain Gnomes(Dwarves) refer to themselves as Denwarf's Folk and are native to the Altan Tepe Mountains and the Nation of Dengar or Rockhome. Mountain Gnomes live underground and they have a close connection with the Earth, minerals and metals. They are primarily miners, their focus is on extracting the metals and gems and other precious stone from the earth, and not necessarily the crafting or smithing of these items. They are enamored by the natural beauty and essence of the earth not the objects made from it. Mountain dwarves are barrel chested, with disproportionately short arms and legs, and both the males and females grow long and bushy beards, and generally are no more than four and a half feet tall.

Garden Gnomes(Halflings) refer to themselves as the Hin and call the Five Shires home. These people are much more numerous than appearances would lead an outsider to believe. The Five Shires may in fact appear uninhabited to an uninformed human. Their lands appear as one large garden, untouched by plow or traditional agriculture, yet every part of their lands is carefully maintained and produces bountiful harvests. These people live in shallow burrows in hillsides near the land they cultivate. Garden Gnomes have an affinity to living things and a natural talent in the cultivation of plants of all types. They have an average height of three feet, are beardless, have short legs and long torsos and arms, and large hairy feet. They dress in bright colorful clothes and are always wearing a brightly colored pointed cap and almost neve wear shoes.

Forest Gnomes(the traditional D&D gnomes) live in burrows in woodland areas, often entire clans occupying a single complex of burrows. These gnomes have a connection to the wild plants and animals and it is rumored can even speak with the animals of the wood. These gnomes also average about three feet in height, have large noses and ears and long beard often reaching past their knees.

Tinker Gnomes, commonly referred to as House Elves, are the only gnomes that are comfortable with living in houses of a fashion similar to humans. Some even live in Human houses or adjacent to human workshops and are considered good luck and will often discreetly mend broken objects or help the business of a human craftsman. These gnomes are smaller than most of their cousins, ranging between 2 and 3 feet in height usually. They tend to be thin and waiflike with long fingers, making them adept at manipulating objects, and bulging eyes and wrinkled skin, with sharp pointed facial features. Tinker Gnomes call the flying city of Serraine home. They have a fascination with mechanical things and are expert craftsmen of all sorts; they make great smith and jewelers, and tailors, and cobblers, and inventors, just to name a few of the crafts they are most known for. It is rumored they have unlocked a new sort of magical machine through the use of steam and have secret weapons that make use of a magical exploding powder.

Other types of gnomes, such as the deep gnomes or gray gnomes, are rumored to exist, but encounters with the world of man are sparse.

Religion and Community

This is mostly a rant about the operation of the Church of Jesus Christ of latter-day saints.  

In general  our church focuses on doctrinal teachings and how we're different from protestants or catholics,  etc etc. In practice, based on my own observations of people I know who join the church and nonmembers I know who have had some degree of exposure to the church,  the community and general loving atmosphere created by members within the church  is just as important as any actual doctrine.

This is completely contrary to what the church teaches even though meeting friends and common believers gets mentioned but not focused on when we teach about the sabbath. The whole idea of a church being a community is mentioned in the scriptures in a few places, yet its not something that we really focus on teaching.  The church teaches doctrine and belief and faith, and that is always what has kept me in the church; I could care less about community and making friends in the church, blah, blah, blah. Then again I am strange and actually enjoy being alone.

It does makes sense that community is such a big part of the church; all religions throughout history ultimately  have been a set of communal practices to one degree or another. The essential nature of community within the church is the only way to explain YSA(young single adult) wards. Spanish and other foreign language wards make sense to some degree because the service is actually in a different language,  but YSA wards only make sense if the church cares more about young people being part of a community of their peers than the actual doctrines of the church.

This juxtaposition simply really annoys me because I care about the theology of the church and don't think the presence of a community should be any part of why someone joins the church or even participates in the church. It irks me so!!!