Dungeons & Dragons: Birchstone

Birchstone is a large town of dwarves and men, in the colder regions by the mountains, where it is almost always snowing. Her citizens are famed for their stonemasonry and the town is littered with stunning granite carvings and birch trees weaving every which way.

People

Birchstone's 3,600 citizens roughly consist of two thousand dwarves and fifteen hundred humans, with a hundred or so from other races. Most citizens are at least minor druids, as movement through the city's surface is nearly impossible for those not able to perform a druid's Woodland Stride.

There are four classes of people making up Birchstone's population: the stoneshapers, the academics, the woodsmen, and the freemen.

The stoneshapers are druids who specialize in stone. Most live under the city in their ornately carved white granite structures, though a few live in carved homes above the city.

The academics head the schools. Most of these are wizards who dabble in one or both of the city's druidic arts, and there are also a number of bards specializing in oratory performances. All children are required to be educated in order to become citizens as adults. Each citizen has at least two levels in the Birchstonian class below. Children and most non-citizen residents have one or two levels. Most of the academic sect of citizens have three or more levels in Birchstonian and a handful of levels in bard, druid, or wizard.

Woodsmen are forest-based druids who tend the surface of the city, making sure that the birch trees are healthy and prevalent. They also hunt, providing food and furs for warmth and trade. Additionaly, the woodsmen have scouts all over the region and are responsible for the town's protection. Woodsmen are generally druids, except for the watchmen, who are also geared towards the warrior-type classes.

Freemen are people who live in the city but are denied many rights for not being citizens; most of them are newcomers to the city, though a few have failed to pass the rigid tests upon completion of Birchstone's schooling system. Freemen are often active participants in one of the other classes, though they play lesser roles and are prevented from leadership, voting, and some meetings.

Government

Birchstone is governed by the Granite Council, a group of five leaders each voted to power by their representative bodies. The council consists of the highest two stoneshapers, the school headmaster, the captain of the woodsmen, and is presided over by the chief druid, who is usually from amongst the stoneshapers, giving them the majority control over the council.

Religion

Religion is very important to Birchstone, finding its way into both government and schooling. The town is dominated by druids and often torn between the politics of their two sects of wood and stone. These politics leave no room for patron dieties, and most in the city view the druid religion as more akin to city politics than faith. To this end, there are a few, even amongst the druids, who follow the gods, but there is no organized religion beyond a few shrines by the outskirts of town. Few if any of the city's druids draw power from gods, as most of those who visit the shrines derive power from nature and find faith in the teachings of the gods.

Trade

Commerce is rather limited heading into Birchstone, as travel is nearly impossible for those who are not druids. Birchstone's outskirts are so thick with trees that many travelers fail to find the place at all. For this reason, most trade is done elsewhere, with the city's caravan bringing in as much as it takes out.

The Stonehands, an elite architectual team able to build masterful stone structures in record time, are one of Birchstone's biggest teams. They have incredible artistic talent for designing and crafting buildings, furniture, and almost anything else out of stone, specializing in Birchstone's own white granite, but able to shape any stone. It is said that the Stonehands can completely fortify a hamlet in half a day. While the Stonehands are only one group of the city's stoneshapers, they are by far the best known.

Imports: As the city is very academic, their library is filled to the brim with books and scrolls, making it the largest in the region. Since the city is so cold, there is constant need for cloth, and many foods cannot be grown, so fruits, vegetables, spices, and wine are all desireable.

Exports: Birchstone is famous for its stone, a black-speckled white granite of impressive strength. This stone is mostly exported after being worked into something, and most travelers come to Birchstone with a custom order of this shaped stone. A more recent trade item is that of birch ironwood items, though they are produced in small quantities so as to not deplete the forest. Other exports include furs, leather goods, and magic items.

Geography and Architecture

Birchstone is a mountainside community in the middle of a dense birch forest. There are several small brooks that run through the center of town, providing fresh water and good fishing. The town surface is covered by white birch trees, with a large number of granite structures of the same color. These structures are shaped into homes for those who live on the surface, usually with portions of wood for entryways, windows, and floors.

Movement on the town surface is limited to one third due to the dense trees, though citizens do not have this problem. The edge of town has a denser population of trees, making off-road travel impossible to those not practiced in woodland or nature striding. The sole road heading to Birchstone is a narrow path, barely visible, and itself thick with trees; movement is restricted to one half normal. The forest surrounding the town limits is also quite thick, and movement is restricted to one quarter. Getting further from the city, one notices that this density decreases.

Most of the woodsmen class live in wooden houses build in the trees above the city, which are connected by intricately shaped wooden walkways.

Below the city, there are several large openings which house the undercity. Here, sunlight reflected from quartz crystals shines in and reflects on the white granite, making a bright homely place, though the connecting chambers are quite dark.

The tower, the only building to rise from the lowest depths of the undercity to the canopy above the town, is a massive granite structure, housing the school system, the library, the town hall, and a giant assembly hall which fits nearly the entire town. The tower has passageways to the undercity, the surface, and the houses in the trees. If needed, it can act as a strong fortification, housing all of the town's residents, barring all the entrances, and holding a good defensive position. Its connections to tunnels under the city should allow for escape in any direction.

Important Individuals

Oakenwill

Male Human Bir7/Drd4/Wiz3/Geo3/Myt1: CR 18; Medium-size humanoid (human); HD 10d6+10 plus 4d8+4 plus 4d4+4; hp 78; Init +3; Spd 30 ft; AC 23 (touch 13, flat-footed 20); Atk +12/+8 melee (1d6+3, staff +3), +12/+8 ranged touch (by spell); SA none; SQ no chance of arcane spell failure for spells of 2nd level and below, uses Intelligence for druid spells of second level and below, raspy dog-like voice, white downy polar bear fur (+8 hide in snowy areas); AL CN; SV Fort +12, Ref +9, Will +24; Str 9, Dex 16, Con 13, Int 26, Wis 20, Cha 17. Height 6 ft. 4 in.

Skills and Feats: ...

Possessions: (Ironwood) white birch breastplate armor +5 of cold resistance birch-white with slight blue hue (AC +10, max Dex +3, armor check penalty -3, speed 20, 30 lb, cold damage reduced by 10), headband of intellect +6, staff of earth and stone +3 (39 charges).

Oakenwill is the current chief druid of Birchstone, having recently retired from the headmaster position at the school. No stranger to the city's politics, he often trumped the previous chief druid at the Granite Council, always placing the education of the citizens over all other priorities.

Oakenwill pioneered the effort to trade in strengthened birch items, combining the druidic woodshape and ironwood spells. A new process renders these birchwood armors, weapons, and tools as strong as iron for half a year.

Toriqua Granitechipper

Female Dwarf Bir1/Drd11: CR 12; Medium-size humanoid (dwarf); HD 1d6+3 plus 11d8+33; hp 83; Init +0; Spd 20ft; AC 19 (touch 13, flat-footed 19); ... SA none; SQ wild shape ability; AL LN; SV Fort +6, Ref +3, Will +14; Str 17, Dex 11, Con 17, Int 14, Wis 21, Cha 12. Height 4 ft. 5 in.

Possessions: Masterwork dragonskin banded mail, ring of protection +3.

Toriqua is one of the primary members of the Stonehands. She chiefly deals with administrative work and negotiations, but also is the group's primary artist, helping make each of their works unique and stunning.

Jeroshk Granitechipper

Male Dwarf Bir3/Wiz8: CR 11; Medium-size humanoid (dwarf); HD 3d6+12 plus 8d4+32; hp 69; Init +0; Spd 20ft; AC 16 (touch 10, flat-footed 16); ... SA none; SQ none; AL LG; SV Fort +7, Ref +3, Will +9; Str 16, Dex 10, Con 19, Int 20, Wis 11, Cha 9. Height 4 ft. 5 in.

Possessions: Bracers of armor +6, ring of wizardry IV, ring of elemental command (earth).

Jeroshk is Toriqua's older brother and a fellow Stonehand. Jeroshk focuses on arcitectual points, group morale, and maintenence of the team's equipment. It is said that he also drinks new initiates under the table after their first day as a Stonehand.

Birchstonian Class

Requirements: Birchstonian characters must have either lived in the town of Birchstone for three years or been born and raised there. (While the Birchstonian class is technically a prestige class, it may be taken at first level.)

Hit Die: d6.

Class Skills:
A Birchstonian's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Appraise (Int), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Decipher Script (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Gather Information (Cha), Knowledge (arcana) (Int), Knowledge (architecture and engineering) (Int), Knowledge (history) (Int), Knowledge (local Birchstone) (Int), Knowledge (nature) (Int), Profession (Wis), Spellcraft (Int), Survival (Wis), Use Magic Device (Cha).
Skill points at 1st level: (4 + Int modifier) × 4.
Skill points at each additional level: 4 + Int modifier.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: A Birchstonian is proficient with all simple weapons, with no armor, and with no shields.

Learned Caster: All Birchstonians receive a +2 bonus to Intelligence and Wisdom for the purpose of determining what level spells are available. For example, a Birchstonian with an Intelligence of 8 would normally not be able to cast spells, but instead calculates this as if his score were 10, thus allowing cantrips. A Birchstonian with an Intelligence of 10 would therefore be able to cast first level spells, though the Learned Caster ability does not confer bonus spells.

Nature Sense: A Birchstonian gains a +2 bonus on Knowledge (nature) and Survival checks. This ability does not stack with the same ability of druids.

Nature Stride: With a Survival check (DC 15, modified with the DM's discretion), a second level Birchstonian may move through any sort of undergrowth (such as natural thorns, briars, overgrown areas, and similar terrain) at normal speed without taking damage or suffering any other impairment. However, thorns, briars, and overgrown areas that have been magically manipulated to impede motion cannot be bypassed with this ability. Birchstonians can always take 10 when using this ability in the birchwoods within and surrounding Birchstone.

Spellpath: At second level, a Birchstonian chooses a path of magic to follow: wizardry or druidism. The spell list then follows the chosen path, inheriting from druids or from wizards (0-level spells always inherit from both).

Spellblending (Su): At second level, a Birchstonian can participate in a spellblending, a ritual that allows the casting of a more powerful spell. Given the long time it takes to perform a spellblending, it is mostly used academically or in creating magical devices.

A spellblending requires a number of Birchstonians such that the total class levels exceed three times the target spell's level. (So a first level spell requires 4 total class levels [two Birchstonians] and a second level spell requires 7 total class levels [two to four Birchstonians].) The ritual must be conducted by a Birchstonian who knows the spell being attempted, though the spell need not be in the spellpath of those present. A character with levels in another spellcasting class could conduct a spellblending to cast a spell of third level or lower, so long as it is either a druid spell or a wizard spell.

Each participant must cast one spell for each level (known to the particpant) less than or equal to the target's level. Spells cast in this manner are arcane in nature and take an amount of time equal to the sum of all spells cast into it, plus twice the target spell's casting time, plus one minute per spell level. If any one caster in the blending is disrupted, the spell fails and the energy is lost (as normal for spellcasting).

Greater Spellpath: By fourth level, a Birchstonian may have chosen to take levels in the spellpath selected at second level. Further levels in this class stack with this other class for the purpose of calculating caster level and spell progression.

A character utilizing bonus caster levels through Greater Spellpath can no longer cast Birchstonian spells by any means other than that of spellblending, as there is another class by which the character can now cast. Note that this effectively allows two or three bonus spells per day (at increased casting times).

Spellpath Mastery: Fifth, seventh, and tenth levels of Birchstonian each count as two total levels adding to the chosen spellcasting type so long as the character meets the following requirements: Spells are not derived from a diety and the Birchstonian must teach and participate in Birchstone's schools for two years prior to gaining each second extra caster level.

Spells: Birchstonians cast arcane spells using Intelligence as their key ability, preparing spells before casting them. They do not automatically know all cantrips. Birchstonians have both wizard cantrips and druid orisons on their spell list and choose at second level which spell list to use for first and second level spells (see the Spellpath ability above).