Welcome to Greyhawk University of Magical Arts

Welcome to the Greyhawk University of Magical Arts

This campaign is set in the original world created by Gray Gygax and his friends while he was inventing Dungeons and Dragons. It is also the first work I (your DM) every played in - back in AD&D 2nd Edition. Myself and my friends spent many hours adventuring in this world and some of those PCs are now fixtures in our version.

You are a teenager who has discovered an affinity with the mysterious arcane forces that drive existence, also known as 'magic'. Your fate has driven you to an opportunity to study the arcane at the Flanese' most prestigious school for mages - The University of Magical Arts in the City of Greyhawk.

Creating a 'zero-level' character

The following are the rules for creating your pre-1st level character

1. Choose a race. Only medium sized races from the standard 3.5 source material. If the DM decide that your choice will create to large an inconvenience on the game play, he may rule against it.
2. Roll ability scores. As you are a teenager, roll 3D6 and drop lowest die. So this 6 times. Select which score goes with which ability. Note: you must have at minimum a 10 in intelligence.
3. Base Attack Bonus is +0; Save modifiers is +0; No specials; Spells: 2x zero level (cantrips). The cantrips are a little different that normal rules. Your char has 'manifested' these two spells. They operate like the cantrips in dnd 5e.
4. Age. The characters are "freshman in highschool) so you are 14 yrs old (or equivalent if not human)
5. Skill points. (2 + int modifier) x 2; (you will get that same sill set when your character ages a little). Be mindful of 'skill synergies' when recording values
6. Feats. none yet. You should review feats and choose what you would want at 1st level. As we begin play, aquiring that feat will become one of your character's pursuits.
7. Alignment. You cannot be evil. Otherwise choose an alignment.
8. Religion. You don't have to chose a deity to worship, but if you want, it cannot be an evil one. It must be a 'greyhawk' deity. You can also have devotion to a religon something that happens during game play.
9. Determine. Looks, Personality, & Background (this is not 5e, so you selecting a background is more freeform, and does not include any character modifiers. However this still is important to your character and your role play opportunities. Read in any of the many source books to get inspiration. Your background should give reason to why you are a mage, able to attend an expensive university, and live in or around the city of greyhawk, e.g. how do you know about the university?)
10. Occupation & Gold. Your family (or a sponsor) is fronting the cost to attend the university. When interacting with any 'services' provided by the University, we will operate on the 'wealth' system in D20. Select an 'occupation' of your primary sponsor as use that wealth bonus for determining your spending ability. Otherwise you get 1d4 x 2 silver pieces. Any other traditional 'gold' wealth must be attained 'in-game'.
11. 'Standing' bonus: Each character will have a standing bonus of +5 to begin. 'Standing' is your relationship with the university. This bonus indicates how favorable you are viewed by the school and faculty. Interactions with other students, faculty and the public are affective by this bonus (or penalty). If the score drops to -10, you will be expelled and effectively ejected from the campaign. As your score rises, you will be afforded special benefits.
12. Equipment & Weapons: You get cloth clothes, a university student's 'Scholar's Outfit' [ph 131], a travelling bag, no weapons, no armor. 

With limitation comes freedom

Unlike some campaigns, players will be restricted to the following limits when creating your characters. You are likely to find that this relives the pressure of creation and allow you to focus more a your character (the elements that drive him or her, their background, family, etc...).

• Must be a "wizard" class.
• Cannot be evil.
• Must have some indication or inherent motivation to be at a school of magic with the aims to becoming a mage.
• Cannot be extra-planar.
• Cannot have a hidden agenda to destroy the school or kill the king, etc...