Doves & Demons

A Short Primer
Overview: Doves & Demons is a high energy, sword & sorcery themed Dungeons
and Dragons campaign. The world has been all but destroyed by an endless hoard
from hell, consisting of demons, devils, dragons, and other evils. The world as we
know it ended when they overflowed from the core of the blasted planet, and
thousands of years of human advancement were lost, along with a countless other
races. Two hundred years later, however, the fight back has begun to turn in
humanitys favor. Doves, as they are called, are members of militant organizations
that hunt demons, using their knowledge of the infernal to take out their captains
and to send the hoards back to the abyss from whence they came. Players will play
reoccurring characters in a rotating cast style whose different actions and missions
will either save or doom our planet.
Themes to Expect:
- Sword & Sorcery
- Exploration & Discovery
- Action
- Adventure
- Mystery
- Monster hunting
- Heavy adult themes
- Understanding of ones self
- Cosmic and epic consequences
- Divinity
- Good vs Evil and the Grey in between
Character Creation Guidelines:
- Races: While the world once teamed with variety, the sentient races are now
few and far between. Only elves (of various kinds), humans, tieflings, and
ishim (found in the Compendium of Angels) remain. All other races are
extinct.
- Classes: Anything official, released in an Unearthed Arcana, I create, or that
can be found in my Homebrew Folder attached to the post that held this
document are allowed, in addition to Matt Mercers Witch/Blood Hunter.
- Stats: Stats will be done on a 33 point buy with a cap of 17 for the point buy.
Additionally, you can roll 5d6 and drop the lowest two going straight down
the line.
- Backgrounds: Characters do NOT have to be Doves themselvesthey can
be associates of the various organizations, or even just people who get
caught up in their crusades.
- Level: There will be two different levels groups will start at. You will either
start out at level 3, or you will start out at level 14. When you post your
character concept, please post the level you would like to have. Keep in mind
that if one side is overbalanced, I will switch you to the underpopulated level.
- Equipment: You have all equipment your class and background affords you.
Additionally, you have a purse of 5,000 gold pieces. You may have 1
uncommon magic item in addition, and you may purchase feats for 2,000
gold pieces a feat if you would like.

Rule Variants
- Instead of traditional XP rules, we will use mile stone leveling. Essentially, you
will level up when I tell you too. Occasionally, due to the stories being told,
you will level up more than once between two sessions.
- On pages 273/274 of the Dungeon Masters Guide you will find rules for
Lingering Wounds and System Shock. You will role on both of those two tables
if one of the following three prerequisites are met: you take half or more of
your CURRENT hit points in damage during a single round; you suffer a
critical hit; you critically fail a saving throw vs damage. If you meet more than
one of these conditions, you will roll the appropriate number of times.
- On page 268 of the Dungeon Masters Guide, you will find rules for firearms.
We will be using renaissance-class fire arms in this game, in addition to
revolvers and shotguns found in the modern firearms section.
- In the Monster Manual, page 54, you will find rules for Demon True Names. If
you ever learn the true name of a demon, devil, or dragon, you gain limited
control over it.
- Rewards given out may also include, but not be limited too, feats, limited
spell casting, certain class features, homebrew features, etc.
- Tieflings can use the variant options for their races found in the Sword Coast
Legends Guide, the recent That Old Black Magic Unearthed Arcana, or the
Absolute Tabletop supplement.
- As plate armor has fallen out of grace in this world, you may pay an
additional 500 gp to turn the plate armor into a fabric variant. This makes it
far lighter (and thus easier to carry), and gives it the benefits of being a
simple outfit rather than a cumbersome suit of armor. This rule is optional.
More In-Depth World Information:
-

The world is essentially limited to one continent roughly the size of Europe. It
has no shared namethe hordes of the abyss call it Tartarus, many elves call
it GreYuqua, while other denizens simply call it the Continent. The cultures
here have been mainly laid to waste; what remains now is a mixture between
modern day American culture and Dark Ages European culture. Elements of
other real world cultures, such as Egyptian, Russian, Japanese, etc, may also
be present in various towns and characters.
Dove is a word attached to any member of any organization or group that
fights against the hordes of the abyss. Many of these organizations are at
odds with one another or have alternative motives. It is rumored that many
doves even work with the hordes of the abyss directly. These organizations,
when discovered, are called bat organizations, with the members
appropriately called bats. Doves are often identified by their scarsfew nondoves have such vicious wounds on their bodies.
Many cities, towns, and villages exist, each with varying levels of safety, etc.
The few cities that exist are city-states, much like Ancient Greece, and most
towns and villages are simply apart of these states. Some are havens on the
Continent. Others border Cracksor areas where the hordes often emerge
from.

A number of large territories are claimed by demon lords, ancient dragons,

vampire royalty, or are simply beds of chaos. It is here that the most power
dove organizations are often sent, and it is here that most doves die.
I will not be creating a list of dove organizations. Instead, any player who
posts their own dove (or bat) organization with their character
concept will gain a secret reward from me in their first game. If you
do not make a dove, if you create a somewhat fleshed out city, town, or other
facet of the world, you will earn the same benefits as if you had created your
own dove organization.
Elves are few in numberthey remember the old world and how beautiful
and vibrant it is. Humans outnumber elves 10,000 to 1.
Tieflingsthe results of the scourge of the abyss effecting mortalsare
viewed upon as victims, monsters, or sometimes even heroes or minor gods,
depending on where they come from. Ishim are viewed much the same way.
The continent is landlocked to the east, though a neverending battle between
doves and demons makes it impossible to go any further. To the north, south,
and west of the Continent there is ocean. Only a few know what lies beyond.
It is thought that the afterlife lies to the west, while the worlds north and
south have been destroyed by demons.