Would you like to be recognized as a Child of Destiny and make a contribution to a great cause at the same time?  Send me your character’s story and watch it be realized in the world of Pnumadesi. 

We are accepting Submissions between now and 12am EST 9/10/2010.

In 3,000 words or less, describe your favorite unique fantasy character and tell a story involving that hero and some conflict he or she bested, either alone or with a party.  Send your submission to mnorthwinter at yahoo dot com with the following information:

Subject:  Pnumadesi Call to Arms! - Title of the Story
Body:  Your preferred Name/handle
- email address (because we’ll be reviewing a lot of these and it’ll be easier to just type it in as a reply rather than wading through to find it).
- Submission.

Please, no attachments, as they will get deleted.  If your submission is picked and you then have a picture or something else to include we can talk then.

If your submission is picked as one of the 5,
- your submission will be featured in an upcoming Pnumadesi product.
- you will receive a personalized thank you letter which will explain where your submission will see print
- A free digital copy of the Pnumadesi Player’s Companion and a 50% return voucher you can send in with your receipt for the purchase of the Pnumadesi Player’s Companion.

- There will be a detailed layout included of how Northwinter Press will feature your submission in the world of Pnumadesi.

The #1 story picked will ALSO receive the following.
- A free copy of the Pnumadesi Player’s Companion with a personalized thank you letter detailing the rest of your prize. (this is instead of the 50% voucher above).
- The option of providing us with a charity to which we will donate 50% of the sales of our auction copies of the Pnumadesi Player’s Companion (more on these auctions as we get closer to publication).  You can forgo this if you like, in which case the choice will be passed to the next in line.

For more details on this contest, you can email mnorthwinter at yahoo dot com, or visit us at Northwinter Press on Facebook.

You can also follow us at Northwinter Press on Facebook.  Pnumadesi is a world created by Northwinter Press for the 4th Edition of Dungeons & Dragons.  For more information on the world, check out our ongoing thread at EnWorld or the Wizards of the Coast Forums.

To enter this contest please post your own entry below.  I provided an example in this post to demonstrate how simple and fluffy it need be.  Now I know your entry will be way cooler than the generic village below.  Lets hear about a place that we would truly feel defensive of if our DM threatened its safety.  Let meet some NPCs that do more than talk with bad accents about when they were young enough to adventure.

The closing day for entries will be July 4th when the fireworks pop.  At that very second a thread for voting will be opened.  Remember to leave this one solely for entries.  Please add feedback, commentary, and observations in a seperate thread.  The one that queried the whole idea is a good place to start, or get one going for a specific conversation.

Happy Writing

SPQR

Guidelines

1.  Describe the locale in general.  While being specific about what surrounds the locale or what exact environment it is in please avoid fixed setting locations. For example; the village that sits on a cliffside overlooking a harbor over a network of caves is great while a keep on the road 20 miles south of such and such village on the Moonsea is not so great.

2.  Describe the basic services and unique locations in the home base.  Is there a smithy, or a druids grove nearby?  Something that helps round out the flavour you set up in step 1.

3.  NPC’s.  Is it an attractive barmaid/nurse or a ghost that knows a lot of locale history.  Brevity is ideal.  No need for classes and levels.  Just a name, some personal mannerisims and how they would be useful of hindering to the party.

4.  Hooks.  A well laid homebase has several dangling from the carcass.  Quickly spell them out for us.

The Example - The Village of Herringbone
Homebase General Description

The village of Herringbone lies on the confluence of a smaller river into another larger one. Grand mountains provide a scenic backdrop to the outlying ranches and small farms.  The community is made up of many folks who have never left the safety and comfort of their valley.

Herringbone is made up of several homes in the town-site itself and the cluster of outlying farms that travel to town to send their produce down the river to the city beyond. The smaller tributary brings trappers and loggers down from the mountains to visit town with regularity while the river is not frozen over.

Built on the remains of a goblin clay mine the village is named for the distinctive tile-work that makes up the foundations of many of the current building built upon ancient goblin ruins. The main streets are original clay fired tile patterned in the same fashion and even the modern day add-ons mimic the pattern.

Services

A small hotel at rivers edge named Hovel sits at a high point along the riverbank town overlooking the joining of the rivers and the high bridge that connects one side of town to the other. The docks, opposite Hovel, host a myriad of vessel types; the most common are river barges from downstream towns and cities.

Along side the river lays many homes and just off the river are the businesses that share a few crane docks for exporting their own wares. Among the businesses interesting to adventurers are a tanning and outfitting supply store, a herbalist warehouse, and the import/export house.

NPCs

The folks of the town are general folk that dot the landscape.  The few exceptions are Kowen, the owner of the import/export house.  Kowen is a “retired war wizard”.  He is far too young to be retired and his glib personality is far to cavalier to conform to the battle craft.  Kowen is almost certainly on the run from something but that hasn’t affected his ability to get his hands on all kinds of unique and useful items for a party of adventurers.

Also of note in Herringbone is Frieda, the owner of Hovel.  She grew up in the village and knows all kinds of hiding places and tunnel accesses under the town.  Her youthful exploration of the goblin mine site is unparralled and she is more than eager to share the knowledge with other explorers.

Hooks

Great hooks for this home base lie all around the village.  Here are a few easy ones.
The docksides area is a smugglers haven.  Unregulated shipping areas allow for all kinds of cargo to move through the town.  From illegal pelts that the druids are looking for to shifter children being sent to captivity in traveling zoo/circus outfits.

In the basement of one of the villager homes is a device that has recently been found after opening a cave to make room for an expanded cellar.  Tampering with the machine drives it deep into the earth where it stumbles into a cavern network that is home to degenerate descendents of goblins banished generations ago.

One concept I have for a Psionic Solo monster is that it would be cool if it would engage the characters on two fronts.

The idea is that there are two battlefields (two sets of figures etc). One is the “regular world” and one is just something of a shared dream (yeah, I saw inception and liked it...) that happens when the monster successfully engages a PC mentally.

I am thinking that the physical monster would have an attack that transports or duplicates the PCs that are hit to this alternate dimension - lets call it “dream world”. The monster would take a turn each round in both worlds, which is part of the mechanics that a solo needs to be scary.

However, the PC who is struck by this attack would be extremely vulnerable in the real world, and I don’t want this to be too lethal. I am thinking that he’d effectively be blinded and deafened, but if really necessary, he could take actions (and would not be helpless, so no coup de grace).

Also, the idea is that the monster would take damage from both worlds. The “mental” version of the monster would have more dangerous attacks and perhaps it would even have several “entities” in the dream world (minions) in addition to itself.

Any ideas for mechanics?

Should there be a way to escape the dream world without slaying the enemy? Perhaps there could be a portal or something on that side that could be used to return, but would require some skill checks? Also, I could see there being an action to make yourself more powerful in the dream world (sort of like imagining yourself to be tougher could actually make it so). One way to simulate it would be to have PC’s start out as Weakened (save ends), so that when they save they’d figure out they can also affect their own capabilities in there.

Some events I’m going to add are various activities of the Knights of the Shining hand and when certain significant NPC’s arrived on Tu’Una as its the starting location of my next campaign.

I welcome any suggestions for adjustments of years, moving the timing of certain events around. Or adding in little thing here and there to help fill in some of the bigger gaps.
I’m also happy to answer questions about what is this and that.

Basically, just comment on anything you find interesting, something you think is wrong, or something you’d either recommend adding. I’d like to say thanks in advance for any helpful comments or criticism given, but please no attacks or any unhelpful comments.

=============================================
Before I start detailing my ideas for weapons, defenses, and augmentations, I would like to say first that I am in the process of coming up with a sort of energy reserve (much like a scion’s power pool) for this construct so that it can run spell effects and other abilities straight off it’s own power rather than relying on the spell itself. This would theoretically allow spells to last longer and free up the unit for other tasks than spell casting. Keep this in mind as you read. Also, one other note, the design of this construct will be monstrous humanoid and in a quadruped form.
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I’ll start with prototype weapons:

Flamethrower:
Decanter of endless water (made into decanter of endless oil) inside the head where a flame (created by Prestidigitation) will ignite the stream pouring out of the mouth into a flamethrower that holds onto anything it touches.

Magic Missile Barrage:
Several racks of multiple wands with Magic Missile infused on them pop out of the unit and attack a single or multiple targets for explosive unavoidable damage.

Electric Punch:
Unarmed attacks trigger a surge in the unit’s energy flow resulting in a jolt discharged with the blows (like Shocking Grasp).

Biological Warfare:
The unit’s metallic claws can be hollowed out to hold and administer a poison upon contact.

Scorpion Sting:
At the end of the unit’s tail is a spike that can unsheathe. The tail can have a small compartment hollowed out to hold a more dangerous poison; like an ability drain. When the “stinger” makes contact with the target the poison would take effect.

Rope Trick:
On the back of the unit will be mounted a “nub” containing a bag of endless rope. At the end of this rope will be attached a spike. The “nub” will be able to fire the spike into a wall or other surface. This allows the unit to make trip attacks. There is, however, more than one use for rope. The nub will contain a strong wench in it as well that will enable the unit to pull itself up difficult locations when a grappling hook is attached.

Sticky Shot:
As much a defense system as a weapon, this will allow the unit to shoot vials of sovereign glue with Silence cast upon them at enemies. This will prevent enemies from casting spells at the unit.

Saw Blade:
This will allow the unit to use a powerful cutting blade on its hand. The saw will be stored behind the wrist until activated. The saw will slide over the hand and unfold into a circular blade the will slide evenly into a solid piece that will start rotating at an incredible speed, making a loud whir sound.

Mounted Machine Gun:
This is an experimental design derived from an unworldly gun left by a demon who came through a waygate. The principal is sound, but untested. The gun takes a small object (like a bead from a necklace of fireballs) and fires it out of a tube via air pressure at incredible speed at a target. Repeat this action in rapid succession and you have a rapid-fire weapon of deadly power. This experimental weapon will be mounted on the upper back of the unit and will rise up onto the shoulder when in firing position where it will be able to swivel back and forth and up and down to hit targets. On the top of the gun will be a small rectangular box with a thin red crystal in it that looks down the barrel. The crystal will have light cast upon it to enable the unit to see where the gun will hit on any target.

Assimilation:
This experimental design will allow the unit to gather other constructs unto itself making itself more powerful. The unit assimilates other constructs by sending its repair drones into the other construct and having them disassemble them from the inside out. Every time the unit would assimilate another construct it gains the better parts of the construct; like armor for AC/HP or certain unique parts for abilities (Assimilate).

Shut-Down Signal:
When facing another construct, the unit can send out a “bug” to get inside the other construct and find its “brain” where it will shut-down the construct until it “reboots,” which will fry the bug.

Energy Conversion:
This ability will let the unit store portions of magic energy cast at it to use as regular energy (Energy Conversion). The unit is able to do this by having its repair drones create a shield (like with the Environmental Adaptation Unit) that filters out part of the harmful magic energy back into the unit’s system.

Mind Probe:
This ability will allow the unit to send out a fine-sized construct or “probe” that attaches to the target upon contact and works its way up to the targets ear where it quickly forces its way inside. The probe then starts transmitting to the unit and it now has access to the target’s memories and knowledge (Mind Probe).

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Now I’ll describe my ideas for construct modifications including defense systems, augmentations, enhancers, and added abilities.

Stealth System:
Three objects with Greater Invisibility, Zone of Silence, and Pass Without Trace infused on them that will last for short periods of time before needing to recharge that can be attached anywhere in or on the body.

Disguise Module:
Object with Disguise Self infused on it that can be turned on and off at will and will display whatever the unit wishes.

Scry Protection System:
Object with Nondetection infused on it that will last for short periods of time before needing to recharge that can be attached anywhere in or on the body.

Emergency Escape Unit:
Item infused with Word of Recall that immediately teleports the unit back to the home base (aka the mansion’s entrance) in the event that the unit is close to shut down (aka nearing 0 HP), through damage or whatever else, for repairs.

Teleportation System:
Item infused with Teleportation that can be used only sparingly before needing to recharge that can be attached anywhere in or on the body.

Heat & Cold Sinks:
Item infused with Endure Elements that can be placed inside the unit to protect for overheating and freezing up.

Environmental Adaptation Unit:
In the event that the unit must venture into a hostile environment and the Heat & Cold Sinks can’t cope the unit can ease into whatever danger there is and will slowly adapt by having its “repair drones” create a personal shield protecting against the hazard; lava, acid, fire, electricity, etc. (Adapt Body).

Magnetic Defense System:
Several magnets grouped together in a large bundle that can be attached to the outside of the unit. The magnets will draw all metallic weapons to this point as a type of mass sunder attempt. Once the weapons have been removed from the enemy the magnets will turn off and the weapons fall to the ground.

Communication System:
Built into the unit will be a sending stone that connects with another sending stone (or more) inside the mansion or with the party.

Leg Upgrade:
This improved leg design was based off very fast animals which increases the unit’s normal speed (Expeditious Retreat).

Flight System:
This very experimental design incorporates a tri-propeller system that unsheathes out of the unit’s body. The main propeller will extend out of the lower back and extend 2 propellers one on top of the other while the third propeller will unsheathe out of the extended and stiffened tail. Once this system is engaged the unit will be able to fly around (Fly) and still able to use its arms and legs, just not its tail.

Overdrive:
This temporary boost to the unit’s system enables it to act and move faster than normal, but it can only handle the stress for short periods of time before needing to return to normal operating capacity (Haste).

Flanking Avoidance System:
To avoid enemies getting any bonuses by flanking the unit, when in battle a single eye opens up on the back of its head allowing the unit to see both in front and behind it (Arcane Eye).

Optic Upgrade:
This improved design allows the unit to see through invisibility and to see the auras of different magic (True Seeing & Arcane Sight).

Verbal Upgrade:
This improved design allows the unit to not only speak all spoken languages, but to also speak with animals through two modules inside the unit (Tongues & Speak with Animals).

Lie Detector:
This item will allow the unit to see a person’s voice as an aura and therefore will be able to tell when they are lying (Discern Lies).

Area Surveillance:
The unit now has the ability to create several fine-sized constructs or “eyes” that pop out of the unit and follow orders given to them before returning to the unit to replay all they saw (Prying Eyes).

Tracking Bug:
The unit can now create fine-sized constructs, or “bugs,” that are transferred through touch. They attach themselves to the target’s body; under the skin. From there the constructs transmit information straight to the unit. This tells it everything about the target (Status).

Internal Compass:
The unit can install a simple compass into one of its arms and cover it with a metal plating to protect it. This allows the unit to always keep its direction.

Repair Drones:
When the unit is damaged in battle or by some other means it releases fine-sized constructs “drones” that move to the damaged area of the unit and immediately start fixing any damage (Fast Healing).

Emergency Repair System:
In the event that the unit is heavily damaged, beyond the range of the repair drones, but not to the point of needing to return to base a set of wands inside the unit will automatically activate and the unit will be repaired to the point where the repair drones should be able to handle the damage.

Joint Upgrade:
This upgrade will allow the unit to have faster reflexes (Evasion).

Foot Upgrade:
This upgrade will decrease sliding backwards and help pushing forward. Panels with spikes on them are on the back and sides of all the unit’s feet. When activated they fall down and plant themselves into the ground allowing for greater grip.

Inertial Dampeners:
This upgrade gives the unit internal shocks which would decrease any damage taken from jostling or falling (Inertial Barrier).

HD: 39d8+390 (565 HP); Atk: Bite x3 +47, 2d6+9, x2; Init: +12.
AC: 43 (-2size, +8dex, +9 insight, +18 natural)
Saves: Fort +31; Ref +29; Will +32
Abilities: Str 28, Dex 27, Con 31, Int 31, Wis 29, Cha 30.

Skills: Bluff +49, Concentrate +49, Intimidate +53, Knowledge (history, arcana, planes, nature) +49, Listen +50, Search +49, Spot +50, Survival +52, Hide +39, Move Silent +47, Spellcraft +49, Swim +29, Jump +29.

Feats: alertness, combat reflexes, dark speach, improved initiative, multiattack, power attack, iron will, wpn focus (bite), multiweapon rend.

Special Qualities and Abilities:
Fast Healing 10, SR 42, DR 20/+7, See Invisibility, scent, track, breath weapons.

Spell-like: 20th level sorcerer, DC 20+ spell level
At will - bestow greater curse, blasphemy, deeper darkness, dessecrate, detect good, detect law, detect thoughts, fear, greater dispelling, read magic, shapechange, suggestion, telekinesis, teleport w/out error, tongues, unhallow, unholy aura, unholy blight, wither limb
1/day - symbol (any), were-doom, mind rape, befoul.

Breath Weapons: each of his three heads has a different breath weapon, but he can only use one per round and must wait 1d4 rounds between breath attacks.  Each weapon is a cone up out to 60ft, dealing 10d6 damage of either fire, cold, or acid.

Multiweapon rend - deals an extra 2d6+13 damage for each head that makes a successful attack against a single target.

Summon Tanar’ri: 1d8 vroks, 1d6 hezrous, 1d4 blaberzu, 1d3 nalfeshnees, 1 malrith or 1 balor.

Additionally, in his god aspect, he has all the abilities and qualities of a deity of divine rank 15 and the following sailent divine abilities:
Call creatures (evil lycanthropes, dire animals, aberrations), Control creatures (Dire animals and aberrations), grow creatures (dire animals), divine blast, mass divine blast, avatar, mind of the beast, wave of chaos, divine shield, area divine shield, speak with dire animals.

He can grant the following domains: bestial, moon, chaos, evil.

In combat, Gyrin prefers melee attacks, using his bite and rend to tear his opponents to pieces.  Against multiple foes, he will use whichever breath weapon seems most fitting for the situation.  He is more than a mindless beast, however; he observes his foes well and if they prove more dangerous than he expects, he’ll use his spell-like abilities to great effect.

Below here is the first my ship, which opens to the next card in the same format. Regarding the presentation, I can already say that they will geomorphic, that is to say they can assemble them, and regardless of the direction that we can give them.

EDIT January 30, 2010
I propose a new version of this module. So I changed after creating new textures fully customized. In addition, for use as a game board, I scaled the dungeon aligned with the standard Dungeons & Dragons ©; on the grid, each cell is 2.5 cm and a box of 1.5 m in the game world

See dungeon No 1

MapTool is a Java based mapping program (free to download)that seems really well suited to handle mapping for d&d games. You can have set squares and tokens that are exactly like in d&d (3e and 4e) and most of the default settings kind of assume that the game is d&d (light radius, token sizes and stuff like that.

Example pic. from a player’s point of view here:

From DM point of view:

More to come when I have time…

It can also be quickly changed into a crossbow PrC.
Sniper
Requirements
Base Attack Bonus: +5
Feats: Pointblank Shot, Precise Shot, Rapid Reload[firearms] Weapon focus in pistols or rifles, proficeny in firearms
Craft firearms 8 ranks
Class Skills
Gunslinger’s class skills are Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Hide (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Spot(Wis), and Swim (Str).
Skill Points: 2+Int
Hit Dice: d8
Attack Bonus: Good
FortSave: Good
RefSave: Good
WillSave: poor
Special
1st Boom Headshot!+1d8
2nd: Close Combat Shot
3rd: Boom Headshot!+2d8
4th: Firearms Sniper
5th: Boom Headshot!+3d8
6th: Penetrating Shot
7th: Boom Headshot!+4d8
8th: Long-Distance Shot
9th: Boom Headshot!+5d8
10th: Extended Precision

Class Features
Boom Headshot! (ex): While using a firearm as standard action you may make a single attack against an opponent within 30ft dealing an extra 1d8 damage, This ability improved by 1d8 every other level. This is precision based damage
Close Combat Shot (ex): At 2nd level, a Gunslinger may make ranged attacks with firearms without provoking an attack of opportunity.
Penetrating Shot (ex): A 4th level Gunslinger gains the penetrating shot feat when using pistols or rifles even if he does not meet the perquisites,
Firearms Sniper(ex): At 6th level when using a firearm for which you have the Weapon Focus feat, you gain a bonus on damage rolls equal to 1/2 your Dexterity bonus, the range at which you can use precision based damage including Boom Headshot! or sneak attack damage is increased to 60ft.
Long-Distance Shot(ex): A gunslinger takes only half the usual range increment penalty.
Extended Precision(ex): At 10th The range at which you can make precision based damage extends by 30ft when using firearms, for a total of 90ft if Firearms sniper is also applied.

The 3 features it borrows from the order class are boom headshot[renamed], extended precision, and close combat shot. Its other class abilities simply replicate already existing feats renamed to use firearms.