Campaign Overview
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We try to make the Tusk Mountain gaming group the best tabletop game you will ever play in.

  • I'm a GM with 17 years of experience behind the screen. I have a detailed command of the rules, a degree in English Lit, an interest in player centered plots, and a steady hand at the tiller.
  • We have 1000+ models available for games. Half the group members paint and sculpt miniatures, some quite well. My wife for instance won mod's Choice on Elfwood for the group's scratch built Tarrasque miniature.
  • We have a digital projector rig built into the ceiling of the game room for maps, not only do you play with models right on the map but as a published cartographer I make sure the map looks darned good also, partially as I try to pawn them off to publishers afterwards.
  • Lastly and most importantly I think that we have some of the best players around, people who aren't just friends of the beer and pretzels set but a team of dedicated story tellers ready to collaborate to live out an epic together.

System
Our gaming system of choice is the Pathfinder RPG by Paizo Publishing. (If you enjoy D&D 4th edition we're happy for you, but you will probably be asked to enjoy it somewhere else.) Many of our players also have a strong background in AD&D, D&D 3.X, and Live Action Roleplay systems. While detailed knowledge of the Pathfinder rules is not required players are expected to maintain a mature and focused mindset as well as active involvement in the game.

Commitment
It is the goal of my scratch built campaigns, is to take the player characters from very low levels (1-2) to early epic level play (20-22). To date we have run three such campaigns over the course of ten years and our present installment (now in our late teens is no exeption). Approximately speaking, this is a monthly commitment over the course of three years. With a possibility of epic level adventure's thereafter.

We are exploring the option of expanding our group by running published adventures such as Pathfinder adventure paths adapted for the campaign world concurrent with scratch built campaigns. A typical adventure path wold entail running from 1st through 14th or 15th level. Approximately speaking, this is a monthly commitment over the course of two years. With the possibility of high level adventure special events thereafter.

Subject Matter, Language, and Conduct
This campaign is designed as an adult role-playing experience and may include graphic descriptions and mature content. Violence is a staple of the genre and other mature themes including racism, criminality, child peril, slavery, sexuality, rape, incest, and religious violence may be explored as plotlines dictate. If there are certain elements which you would prefer not to be included in the campaign please let your GM know. Certain events of a controversial, unpleasant, or sensitive nature may be dealt with off-camera or privately for the comfort of those involved.

Our community is an inclusive one. We have many valued players from both the LGBT and many church communities. Players are asked to remain respectful and to ensure that their language around the table won't cause offense. I would advise players to aim for a 14A movie rating for language at worst and to refrain from expressions that carry connotations of homophobia or religious profanity, weather intended or not. Note also that the "offensive" language used in the campaign world will differ widely from what our culture considers offensive. If you want to offend someone in Athalish (Common) try calling them "Son of an orc whore", or telling them to "go ride a [howler http://www.wizards.com/dnd/images/MM35_gallery/MM35_PG155.jpg]". World appropriate idioms, particularly creative ones will carry more clout.

GM conduct
Guiding principals in all my recent campaigns include:

  • The GM reserves the right to fudge die rolls, or forgo dice, at his discretion, particularly in the preservation of the plotline.
  • The GM is forbidden from giving experience penalties or from any divine retribution type activities (lightning bolts, inexplicable tarrasque attacks, etc.).
  • This campaign will be a medium magic campaign, with medium rate of advancement.
  • This campaign will take a middle-of-the-road approach to role-playing vs. hack-and-slash. Ample opportunities will be provided for each. It is the plan that this campaign will have more of a role-playing focus than its predecessors.
  • The GM is a collaborator and an aide rather than an opponent. His NPCs can, however, be immensely antagonistic to the player characters.

Online play
Internet gaming will be in effect through this Wiki. Players are encouraged to produce relevant and insightful materials which illuminate the PCs’ characters and their interactions with the world. Sometimes posts will be required by the GM for plot purposes. It is assumed that all players have a home internet connection and access to this Wiki, an e-mail program, and a mutually acceptable messenger service. Players wish to share a post with others may do so at the begining of a meet as often players don't get around to reading all posts, particularly those submitted close to game day.

Responsibilities
Commitment is a foundational concept for campaign members, and a moderate amount of work is to be expected of all players. See Campaign Descriptions for these responsibilities
Dargos
Aegis
Pirates

Income and Finances
There are, at present, no membership fees associated with the group. Group members may be asked to help subsidize food costs for meals served during game, particularly if meals involve ordering delivery or take out.

If you wish to make a donation to the group, consider that an average meet costs about $30-50 in materials alone and dozens of hours of labour. Donations of models you aren't using anymore are particularly well received, to my knowledge every single one of my players in the present group has at this time or another given me models which is very cool.

Etiquette at the Table
Players in attendance at meets are asked to keep their attention focused on the game at hand. Video games, non-game related internet browsing, phone conversations, etc all distract from the game and lead to a vicious cycle where the player pays less attention, so gets less out of the game so pays again less attention. If your character is not involved in the present encounter or you need to attend something it's best to step out for a moment.

Rules Availability
It is strongly suggested that all players have personal access to the Paizo Pathfinder Core Ruleboook for reference at home. Players or characters who summon, accompany, or polymorph into other types of creatures on a regular basis are also suggested to procure a copy of the appropriate Pathfinder Bestiary. Beyond this, players are invited to purchase their own gaming supplements. If you use a rule from any supplement you must clear it with me first. Players are also welcome to draft their own rules, also subject to DM approval, frankly I trust my players to come up with fun balanced material more than half the third party publishers out there most of the time.

Anything on a character's sheet should be fully playable by looking at these two websites and only these two websites:
A) The pathfinder PRD or D20pfsrd.com
B) This Wiki
If it is not on the Paizo PRD post the rule to the wiki (Along with appropriate additions to the sites list of open game sources here open game license 1.0a. If the language expressing the rule is not open game content you may be asked to must frame it in your own language (and possibly adapt it) and add it to the wiki prior to using a rule. It is preferable to note on your character sheet where a given item comes from eg. UC, UM, APG, or TM/Wiki.

The content of this page is licensed under: Creative Commons Attribution-NC-SA 3.0; Most game rules licensed under OGL 1.0a; All images copyrighted by their creators all rights reserved; See legal page for more details