Words of Replicant Jesus

Just posting some of my general notes I have for my forthcoming summer campaign:

Origin Hooks Notes

• Noble Blood: Last born in a noble family you had little chance of gaining anything other then a small inheritance and perhaps a title.  You could choose a life living in the shadow of your elders or take the path of the Rusty Legion and forge your own path.  The Legion grants you the opportunity to see the world, adventure, and most importantly find your own place in the world.  Despite your “newfound” freedom you still have ties of blood that could entangle you in the politics of court.
• Outcast (Primal Classes): You were responsible for some terrible act by your people.  You were spared from execution by the Rusty Legion, instead you were exiled, a fate worse than death for most but you are made of stronger stuff than most.  Before you left your tribe the shaman of the clan/tribe read your future and saw that you would be responsible for great change to your people, but the signs were mixed on the outcome being harmful or beneficial.  Now you have dreams that plague you of your terrible destiny.
• Blank Slate: Your first memories are waking up in a small village not far from the main settlement.  You did not remember who you were or where you came from.  The village was attacked and you sprang into action using you skills you had no idea you possessed.  Luckily a local Rusty Legionnaire was in the area and heard of your prowess and condition; you were recruited and given a name and a place in society.  But your lack of memories gnaws at you.  Your only clue is a tattoo of a two coiled serpents over a black disk on your left shoulder.
• Strange Bloodline (Psionic Classes): You were born different, always touched and always aware of the psychic energies that course through the world.  From a young age you knew things that children should never know, some say you got it from your missing parent, raised as an only child by the surviving parent you were always told that the other died before you were born.  It was not until a terrible plague took the life of your surviving parent that you found out the truth, that the parent you thought was dead could still be alive and had at one time been a Rusty Legionnaire.  Emboldened by this you sought membership to track down this parent who abandoned you and find out more about your bloodline.
• Plague Born: You were born during a terrible plague and were the only child to survive the terrible sickness.  Orphaned and alone you grew up fast and did what you had to do to survive.  It was not until you were much older that you heard of the prophecy of the Plague Child, one who would be born into an age of strife surviving when others would not and destined for a future that could usher in a reign of darkness.  Some religious orders seek your death, to avert this tragedy making your life needlessly difficult.  You joined the Legion for protection and a chance to do some good with whatever power may or may not be inside you.
• Sins of the Father (Martial Classes): The hero’s father or mother was once a Rusty Legionnaire, an individual of worth who was both skilled and well respected.  But the name was tarnished when they betrayed the order, becoming an outcast and criminal… eventually becoming one of the monsters that the Legion is sword to destroy.  Now the parent is an unliving monster an object lesson in the fall from grace.  The hero joined the legion to clear the stain from the family name.  The character has an uphill battle to earn the respect of his peers as the parent casts a long and bitter shadow.

More notes after the jump:

These are some of the origin hooks I want to use inspired by the DMG2 and this post on hooks.  Not a new idea but one I wanted to do for my last game but never really got around to.

The following is a brief write up of the Rusty Legion organization:

“One Rusty Legionnaire is worth ten fighting men, ten of those bastards are worth an army…”

- Old Proverb

The Rusty Legion

Goal: The Rusty Legion is an organization dedicated to destroying the evils that plague the free peoples of the known world.  It is an elite group of heroes and specialists that dedicate their lives to protecting those that cannot or are unable to defend themselves.

Size: Small and Widespread, most regions have less than twenty or so members at any given time and death is common among the Rusty Legion.  They recruiting process is difficult and few make it to the end or have what it takes to take their place amongst their brothers and sisters.

Alignment: Unaligned with leanings to Good.

Philosophy: “To serve as a shield to those that cannot defend themselves is the highest honor any free person can achieve.  To slay the evils that threaten us is our charge and victory must be achieved, even at the cost of our lives.”

History: The history of the Rusty Legion is a long and storied one that dates back to the close of the Age of Sorrows.  Though the actual founding is lost to time, most scholars believe that the Legion was founded just before the death of the first Sorcerer-Lords of old.  The order has faded into and out of history over the last thousand years, but always rising when needed giving their lives so that the known world can stay free from the evils that plague it.  They are an apolitical organization and have the respect of the common man in the known world.  Most ruling authorities have long standing treaties with the Rusty Legion that grant them the right to hunt down monsters and evil creatures within those respective lands.

Leadership: First General Vanifae Moonblade is the highest authority in the Rusty Legion, an elf paladin she is dedicated to keeping the Rusty Legion in the field always alert for dangers.  Beneath her are a council of Generals drawn from the most experienced legionnaires.  Beneath the Generals are High Captains who have direct authority over a given region centered on either a remote defensible outpost or more often attached to the most prominent settlement in the region.  High Captains are responsible for the recruitment of new members in their respective regions.

Headquarters: Each region has it’s own headquarters for the local branch of the Rusty Legion, these tend to be either remote military outposts, usually becoming small townships as local residents gravitate to the safety had being near the Rusty Legion.  These are less common in the modern era.  More often the Legion establishes a base in or near a local prominent settlement for the region.  The High General and her council make their home in the Avernus Fortress overlooking the ruins of the city that also bore its name in ancient antiquity.

Membership Requirements: The Rusty Legion has strict recruiting processes and despite their small numbers they rarely recruit members en masse unless under dire circumstances.  On average a given region may recruit five to eight new members every few years to replenish their numbers.  The main requirement is a willingness to defend the free people of the known world versus the evils that plague it.  But although the tent seems simple the recruitment process is very demanding.

Activities: The Legion is a proactive organization at its best.  They tend to give members wide berth in how they go about their individual investigations and promote a culture of alertness.  They fund much of their operation through adventuring, supporting the local populace, and often land ownership rights.  They receive donations as well, though this practice has diminished in the modern era.  Many people don’t see much of a purpose for the Legion and think that the old tales are greatly exaggerated.  With their small numbers and ancient pacts the organization can stay well equipped.