The Caer Falken Inn

Rules of the Game

Welcome to the Caer Falken Inn and allow me to give you a synopsis of what we are all about. Our goal here is to have fun through Medieval Fantasy, Interactive Role Playing Adventure. In short, an online hybrid game crossing Dungeons and Dragons with an on line chat room interface.

What you will need:

Since we are on the Internet, you will require a computer and Internet connection, and your choice of browser. It is not necessary for the browser to be java enabled.

You will require software which enables you to access our MUSH. Such software is easily available for sale or as shareware on the Internet, uses very little space on your hard drive, and installs quickly and easily. You can get details on using the MUSH here.

Access to Dungeons & Dragons D20 rules. Since we do not use a pure system, tending to use what works best from different sources, either 3.0 or 3.5 rules are acceptable, though the Dungeon Master reserves the right to change any rule at any time in order to conform with the gaming environment at Caer Falken. As a rule of thumb, characters created under one system must abide the rules of that system regarding rules that affect those classes and abilities, and understand when to substitute (eg. Survival vs. Wilderness Lore)

Dice or other random number generating tools.

A method of generating, keeping track of and communicating your character data to the Dungeon Master. There are a variety of computer programs available on line, but a simple Word document or homemade Excel Spreadsheet works just as well. Players using e-Tools can simply send me the stat block each time they are upgraded.

Imagination, love of adventure, quest for excitement, sense of humor, ability to work as a team and willingness to accept the Dungeon Master's rulings as law.

When we play:

In most cases, our games will take place on Friday nights at 8:00 PM, EST. There will be times when the game is cancelled, and usually advance notice is given when possible, using the Caer Falken Yahoo Group or Hostboard. Sometimes emergencies arise, and the game may be cancelled through AIM or via other players in the chat room.

There are times in which a game may take place at an alternate time. On occasion, we have adventured on a holiday or at other times during the weekend, though these have been rare circumstances and in our distant past. That is not to say that it could never happen again.

There are other cases in which private games may be held during the downtime. These circumstances usually include just a few players, or even just one, and may take place for the purpose of training, instruction or role play, or character background development. While those characters involved will gain experience and levels, these games are "unofficial", in that they will not be listed in the historical archives and will not be open to all players. They are typically brief and not very common.

Starting out:

The first thing you must do is create a character concept. This includes race, class, alignment and background information. Where has the character come from and why? Where do you plan to take this character and do you have goals towards Prestige Classes or greater purpose? Will your character be stealthy or in your face? Will he wield mighty blades, or fire missiles from behind? Will she be the character that supports with spells of healing and legerdemain, or the party leader? Will you specialize in mounted combat or tend to use an arsenal of special attacks? Is multi-classing in your plans? Knowing these things in advance allows the player and DM alike to help craft the character and campaign into a winning combination.

All players and characters must be pre-approved by the Dungeon Master in advance. Once your concept has been approved, move on to the complete character generation and submit it for final approval.

It is important to play a character that you will enjoy playing for a very long time. Experimenting is fun, but if you are not enthusiastic about your character, it will show in the playing, and diminish the experience for other players.

While a small amount of tension or animosity among the characters can be fun for some, Caer Falken role playing is a "team sport". Characters who are loners (with no desire to be otherwise), evil, overly eccentric and uncooperative will not enhance the playing experience for most. Far fetched character ideas actually work sometimes, but are more often than not a source of contention and slows the game.

The Dungeon Master will not accept characters of evil or chaotic neutral alignment, as these philosophies are not in line with the cooperative nature of this paradigm. Likewise, certain classes (including some prestige classes) will not be permitted. While the specific reasons may vary, the fact that some character classes just "don't fit" is the prime reason. Assassins and Black Guards are evil and monks do not fit the setting. These are just examples of classes not allowed at Caer Falken.

The use of books other than the core books is welcome, as it is part of the glory of the open gaming environment. The works do not have to be official to be approved, but just because it is official does not mean it will be approved. We have discovered through play that not every concept, feat or prestige class will work well at Caer Falken. Remember that the game was designed for a table top setting and that Caer Falken is not a typical game. Certain character abilities have proven to be over-powered for this setting and unbalancing. Likewise, certain abilities that might work well in other games are fairly useless here. If you wish to spend your feats and skills in areas in which the DM believes are wasted slots, you will be told. And if a combination might make you so powerful as to tip the scales of balance, it will also be denied. Game balance is important to the party structure. Overly tough characters leave little for the rest of the party to do and forces the DM to throw challenges at the party that the weaker characters can't handle. Weaker characters are a detriment to the party in that they use up the party's resources and slow down game flow and advancement. Also understand that weak does not necessarily refer to physical prowess, as not all characters are martial. Therefore, characters that are perceived as potentially too powerful or too weak to survive may be denied from the very beginning.

Once your character has all the details fleshed out with background, physical appearance, skills, feats, attributes, statistics, deity, possessions, spells, etc., it is ready for a final submission to the DM for approval. Once the character has gotten DM approval, an account with the MUSH can be facilitated.

The adventure begins:

Every first level character starts his or her career at the Caer Falken Inn. A little socializing, a good meal and some brew is how it starts out. Then in comes Cattalinia Half-Elven, the gypsy storyteller whose tales are like no other. When she begins the tale, you begin your adventure. Typically, and especially at low levels, you land back in the Inn at the completion of the night's gaming. The next time you meet your companions to quest, you will generally be healed, rested and with a fresh compliment of spells.

However, there comes a time at which your power dictates a life of something greater than one night stands. A quick foray into the woods to kill a single monster and save some strange town from danger is just not enough of a challenge, and grows boring. That is when you find that you have not returned to the haven of the Inn, and that you are on your own, you and your companions.

At this point, risks become greater, as do the rewards. Loss of level, wealth, limb and life are possible, and as Cattalinia will usually ask you at the beginning, "Are you ready to face such risks for power, wealth and glory? If not, the crops need tending." You will now have to fend for yourselves, paying for nights in strange taverns or roughing it in the woods, frozen wastes, hot deserts or even the outer planes of existence. Quick one night adventures may lead to protracted journeys, though every now and then, Cattalinia may call some of you back for some other quest.

Things get interesting:

Once the challenges grow more complicated, so too do your character choices. More intricate spells and feats come hand in hand with multi and prestige classing. Even learning to use your newly acquired treasures becomes tricky as you learn the ins and outs of complex play. Once you reach Epic levels, suddenly all the rules change.

This is the part of the game that separates the heroes from the farmers. You can't just coast along swinging your short sword and casting magic missile at this stage, and you cannot rely on the DM to hold your hand. Once you have a few game sessions under your belt and a few levels to boot, you must be prepared to pay attention to everything that goes on. When it comes time for battle, you must be ready. You are required to know how much damage your weapon is capable of, especially if it has bonus damage or is enhanced when you crit. You need to know how every aspect of your spells, feats and abilities work. You need to keep track of all of the notes you acquire through role play concerning the current plotline, as well as the special quality of the items the DM told you about when you got them.

The consensus among the majority of players and the DM alike is that what makes Caer Falken a drag at times, is the lag between posts and in battles. What causes the game to fail is lack of attention and preparation. Multitasking during the game is the biggest hazard to play, because when players do not pay attention, it is not just they who miss out. The other players and DM must also endure the inconsiderate behavior. The key to making the game fun is a fast pace without dead time. Even if the characters are conversing with each other, that is something happening. Going 5 to 10 minutes between a DM post and player response is simply a drag.

How to be successful:

The easiest way to get the most out of this game is to pay attention to everything and keep communication going. If you posted something several posts ago that no one has responded to, repeat yourself. Maybe they missed it. If you are ignoring something in character, it doesn't hurt to post that either, so we know it is a character reaction and not an oversight by the player. If you are dumbfounded and have no idea what to do, post it as such, so we all know you are paying attention but just don't get it.

And never be afraid to ask the DM questions or for assistance. Sometimes your characters have skills and intelligence or wisdom that you, the player, lacks. Make use of that and ask if a particular skill might help. More quests fail due to improper use of resources than by bad die rolls. You can't help rolling badly, but forgetting what your characters are capable of is a rookie mistake.

Don't be afraid to suggest that a party member try something they are good at, and likewise, don't be offended by having someone ask. There is no implication that you are a bad player if another asks your ranger to track or your rogue to search for traps. This is a game and should be fun, and the teamwork aspects of it all should preclude the ego bruising and thin-skinned attitudes of experiences players who get asked to do their jobs now and then.

This applies to the Dungeon Master as well. If the DM goes out of turn or forgets to account for your feat or bonus, speak up. DMing isn't like being an umpire. Decisions can be reversed.

Play fairly:

It is very easy to cheat in this game, especially since we cannot see each other. The honor system plays a big role in this game because of that. If a player has lucky dice and hits all the time while your dice and stats have you missing, don't assume the other player is cheating. Some people have stats and abilities you may be unaware of, while you may be in your zone of weakness. Not everyone can be good at everything. The DM can usually tell if a person is over the top, and takes measures to prevent that. But there are no crystal balls. You may be asked for verification on die rolls and spells or feats. When you are asked, do not assume the DM thinks you are cheating. Players have often made mistakes and misinterpreted the rules so badly that the encounter was ruined. Game balance is very important to the DM, and in the end, players will end up being equalized. A person who wields a weapon that is out of balance may find it stolen or disenchanted, while a player that consistently rolls badly during combat may find a nice magical weapon coming his or her way. It cannot be stressed enough how much this is a team sport, and when one fails, all fail. When one succeeds, you all do. When the ranger ends up with the magic bow or the mage gets the ring of protection, don't be jealous, because the party is made stronger, even if you missed the good loot. Selflessness is rewarded in this game, and avarice penalized. This is part of why the evil alignments and classes and races are forbidden.

Have fun:

That's what this game is all about. If you have fun, others will also enjoy themselves. If the players enjoy themselves, the DM feels rewarded for his efforts and presents a better game. It's a perfect symbiosis. However, if you are not having fun, it shows in the playing, and that is contagious. The other players respond to that vibe and it makes the DM cranky. When the DM gets cranky, the characters suffer and the players get cranky; the trickle down theory or butterfly affect at their worst.

The details:

A sign on the desk of a former boss said it all: "The Rules have Changed". They are always changing, and at Caer Falken, this is no exception, and it may even be the biggest rule. The game changes, the characters change, the players change, and so the experience changes as well. The best way to keep things fresh and fun is to change along. This page has been revised several times since Caer Falken Inn's inception, and this is not likely to be the last. Just go with the flow and enjoy the ride!

All Things Must End:

It is my fervent hope that Caer Falken survives to a ripe old age, and as a campaign, has already outlasted the experiences of some players. But it will end some day. So too do the lives of characters. But unlike real life (yes, this is a fantasy game), death is not the end. Nor should anyone think that characters live forever. From time to time, characters die. Sometimes they come back to life, sometimes they don't. Roughly 20% of characters are lost to us forever, while half or more of the deaths are reversed. That pretty much means that everyone will have a character die at some point, and it is this knowledge that death may come that prevents characters from being reckless and helps keep their thinking keen.

Because the specter of death is forever looming, all players should keep a character concept in the wings to replace existing characters. Additionally, some characters are vital to the success of certain missions, and so alternate characters are needed to play when others are absent. At any given time, there may be three sets of characters, or more, for each player. Some are likely to be entrenched in higher level campaigns, some may be survivors from an otherwise dead party, and some may simply be alternates to alleviate the tedium of always playing the same character. If players wish to limit themselves to only one character, they may be also limiting their game play, since not all gaming sessions are open to all characters.