Difference between revisions of "The Woldian League of Adventurers"

Revision as of 09:03, 2 January 2008

Though recent the League has rapidly established itself as the largest, most influential and most popular of all the various adventuring guilds, in no small part due to the exceptional support and training facilities it offers.

Membership Requirements:

• Class: Any
• Level: Any, though there are rank restrictions based on level (see Fees below)
• Race: Any, though monster races are rare (but not unheard of)
• Alignment: Any Good
• Deity: Any
• Deed: None
• Oath: Adventurers must take the League oath: “I, Steygt Yor N’aym, do solemnly swear to uphold the ideals of the League, to protect the innocent and combat evil wherever I may find it.”
• Fee: Fees vary depending on rank
  • Level 1-5: Initiate of the League = 2000 gp
  • Level 6-10: Journeyman of the League = 5000 gp
  • Level 11-15: Guardsman of the League = 15000 gp
  • Level 16-20: Officer of the League: Appointment only

For example a 14th level Fighter who decides to join the League is entitled to become a Guardsman, but must pay for each preceding rank in order to so (2000 + 5000 + 15000 = 22,000 GP). He may also, if he wishes, simply become an Initiate for 2000 GP, but this will not entitle him to certain benefits that would be available to a 2nd level character (see Benefits for more details)

Background:

• Sphere of Influence: Since its inception the League's influence has spread across the Wold. It has become a truly global organization, recognized by governments and regions as disparate as the Taur Isles, the Southern Continent and Plateau City. It has outposts in almost every reasonably sized settlement.
• Ethos: The League exists to combat evil, in all its deadly forms, and protect the innocent. Of course there are as many ways to apply that ethos in practice as there are members.

History:

The League is the dream made reality of a single man, the legendary half-elven ranger-cleric Lars Tokasis, Hero of Annun Far, Scourge of the Dark Lord, Liberator of The Last Fortress.

Now in his late sixties Lars is a veteran of scores of adventuring groups and thousands of battles. He is a living legend across most of the peninsula, due to his knack of succeeding in practically any venture he turns his hand to, and with a minimum of unnecessary disruption. This has earned him many friends in high places.

He came out of retirement briefly to participate in the final battle against Marteaus at the end of the Year of Ascension, and in its aftermath decided to bring to fruition a plan he had long contemplated. He would create a support network for the adventuring groups of the Wold, one more all-inclusive than such elitist organisations as The Chancers' Club, and less morally ambiguous than mercenary outfits such as the Mailed Fist.

Using his vast personal fortune and calling in favours from colleaues, contacts and kings, Lars (with the assistance of a select group of his old adventuring comrades) planned and implemented a League of Adventurers that was breathtaking in its scale. The infrastructure covered the entire breadth of the Peninsula. And although Lars was a stupendously wealthy man, this would have bankrupted him utterly had it proved a failure.

But the League, like so much else that Lars did, proved an astonishing success. Membership grew at amazing speeds, as adventurers flocked to this new organisation. Its universal presence, support network and unsurpassed training facilities proved irresistable to many adventurers.

And so, despite Lars' largely altruistic motives, the League has made him richer than ever before. Today he works tirelessly with his League High Commanders, working to better the services provided, maintain the infrasructure and extend their influence to new, unexplored continents.

Organization:

Membership of the League is split into four broad ranks, Initiate, Journeyman, Guardsman and Officer. Fees are payable to rise through the first three ranks. Officer ranks can only be attained by promotion by a superior officer of Commander rank or higher, and are broken down as follows;

• Captain
• Lt. Commander
• Commander
• High Commander
• Lord High Commander

At any time there is only one Lord High Commander and twelve High Commanders.

The League is run by the council of 12 League High Commanders (six regional heads, six discipline heads) and Lars himself, the Lord High Commander of the League. All League decision making is carried out by this body.

League members of Captain rank may (with the agreement of the local outpost) offer missions to members of the Initiate rank. Members of Lt. Commander rank may offer missions to members of Journeyman rank. Members of Commander rank may offer Missions to members of Guardsman rank. Only the Council may offer Officers missions, and only the council can order members (of any rank) to undertake missions. These missions must be carried out, on pain of expulsion from the League. Such missions are invariably of grave import to the League.

League outposts exist in almost all reasonably sized settlements on the Peninsula. A small outpost will typically provide the following:

• Food and secure lodgings at reduced rates to members
• A cleric: Healing, resurrections etc at reduced rates to members
• A Wizard: Wayfaring at reduced rates to members
• A ranger or bard: Local knowledge, history, information source

Members of Guardsman or Officer rank may be called upon at any time by the Council to man an outpost, providing support to lower ranking members.

Larger outposts provide training, access to magical literature and so on (see Benefits)

Headquarters:

The League Hall is the meeting and normal work place of the Council members and their support staff. It is a new and imposing building in the heart of the city of Isumbre in Zarthmoor.

Politics:

The League strives to be as neutral as possible. As a recent creation it has yet to develop any true enemies or rivals, though they are viewed with distrust by a great many other groups, notably the mercenary outfit The Mailed Fist.

Benefits:

• Prestige: Members can be identified by a pin badge (a monogram of WLA), though obviously one might not always wish to be recognized! This badge denotes the wearer as a warrior for good, and a trustworthy character. Anyone who abuses their status in the League, or who pretends membership, is swiftly and harshly dealt with. Non-officer badges are blue, Officer badges are red. The badge has a number of tines equal to the rank of the wearer, for example a Commander would have a red badge with three tines. A Commander in the League is considered equal with minor nobilty.
• Information: One of the League's primary tasks is to gather local knowledge and information, and present it to the central ruling body. In this way a clear picture of events across the Peninsula can be gathered and responded to when needs be. In turn this information (if not deemed of a sensitive nature) is disseminated to members.
• Skills: League training is second to none. Trainers are assisted by dedicated mages who speed the natural learning process significantly. As a result any member who spends at least two full days at a large League outpost is entitled to 2 extra skill points to spend on the following skills (these skill may be taken as Class Skills by all classes): climb, handle animal, jump, ride, and swim. These 2 skill points may be taken when the Leaguer joins and each time the Leaguer levels up.
• Feats: Advanced training is probably the single biggest reason for the League's phenomenal success. At each of the four ranks a specific bonus Feat is awarded.

Initiates get Weapon Proficiency in one of the favored League weapons: shortsword, longspear, or bastard sword.

• Journeymen gain Toughness.
• Guardsmen gain Endurance.
• Officers gain Leadership.

Potentially a character may gain up to four bonus Feats during their time with the League, if they start in the League at Level 5 of earlier. However there are strict rules. A character is only entitled to a Feat within the Level parameters of their rank. For example Huggrig, a 2nd level barbarian who joins as an Initiate, is entitled to the Initiate rank Feat. If he rises to 7th level and decides he can afford to increase his rank to Journeyman, he then gains his second Feat. However if Selina the 6th Level elven rogue joins and pays 2,000 gp to become an Initiate, she is not entitled to a Feat (Rank 1 feats are only for characters of Rank 1 levels, ie 1-5). If she paid a further 5,000 gp to become a Journeyman she would be entitled to the Toughness feat, as she qualifies for this rank (Rank 2 covers levels 6-10). Then, if she paid an additional 15,000 gp at level 11, she would get her next Feat, Endurance.