The DM: The DM for this game will be, surprise surprise, me. I've run a few short campaigns face-to-face before, and also one online one that lasted for two adventures. To be fair to you I do feel compelled to admit that this will be my first long-term campaign. Still, we all have to start somewhere, right?

System: In case it wasn't clear or you miss it, or whatever, the system for this game is DnD 3.5.

Setting: At the risk of putting some of you off, this game will take place in my homebrew world of Calcerun. Now, I'm not going to lie and say every detail about Calcerun has been fully fleshed out and documented for you to read - I haven't got that far, yet! However, I'm fairly confident I've written up enough information for you to happily get through this campaign. This material can be found, for your convenience, on my wiki, here. If there's anything you want to know that you can't find on there, please just ask me - odds are I've got it laid out in my head already, but haven't got around to typing it up properly.

In particular, this game will begin in the Taranian (i.e. human) capital city of Meresford.

Type of game: I don't really want to commit myself to a definite ratio of RP:Combat, particularly as the two are interchangeable to a certain degree, and such a ratio doesn't include "skill challenges" (to use the 4e term loosely). That said, this isn't going to be a particularly combat-heavy adventure, at least at the beginning. I'd guess about 50/50 'pure' RP to combat, initially, if that helps. Also, things will not necessarily be laid out nice and straightforwardly for you. You will (shock! horror!) need to use your brain (or perhaps that of your character) from time to time. Bonus experience will be rewarded for things like good roleplaying and good ideas.

Length: This isn't going to be a one-off adventure. I want this game to go on for a good length of time, so with that in mind please don't apply if you're not in for the long haul. By the same token, I'd advise creating a character you feel you could play for the whole game, and not get bored with.

Maps:
When there is combat, I will be using maps so we all know where we actually are. Now, I have seen some DMs produce amazing works of art each time a combat crops up, but unfortunately I'm simply not that good. So I use Excel. And blocky shapes. Fancy? No. Visually stunning? No. But practical, simple and quick to make & update? Definitely. So until I develop an artistic side, Excel it is.

I'm currently looking to accept 5-6 players, possibly more if you all make applications that are simply too good for me to turn down. Players will be accepted based on quality of application and suitability for the game, not first-come first-served. As long as you get it in before the deadline, I couldn't care less when you submit your application.

I also dislike rejecting a perfectly good application for a sorcerer, just because we already have two offensive casters and could really do with a rogue, despite the only rogue application being mediocre at best. I'm taking the player, not the class, to steal a line from Blizzard's World of Warcraft philosophy.

After selections are made you'll have a short time to dream up connections between each other, if you want your characters to have met each other previously. If you don't, that's fine, but there'll be the chance for it. I suggest not linking backstories before you're accepted, in case for whatever reason only one of you makes the cut.

Alignment: "Oh my god, we're criminals, we have to be evil!" Well...no, not really. Being a petty thief does not automatically make you evil. Now, this isn't to say you can't be evil, not even slightly, it's just to point out that you don't have to be.

Race: Core races are automatically allowed, as are Changelings, Darfellans, Shifters and Elans, Maenads and Xephs. Any other race is by request (though generally you can expect me to say yes). Please don't pick something if a) You know it's overpowered for its LA, or b) It clearly couldn't, you know, exist in a mostly-human city. No members of the Savage Races are allowed, as even if you were the sweetest, most loveliest orc ever to have lived who devoted his life to helping the little kiddies...you would still be killed on sight. We're in a war here, people.

Oh, and no half-orcs or half-elves exist in my setting. Especially the half-orcs. I mean, that's just icky.

Class: Core classes are automatically allowed, anything else is by request (though, again, you can normally expect me to say yes). Psionics are allowed as well. I would prefer it if you avoided the Big Five classes (Wizard, Druid, Cleric, Archivist, Artificer & Erudite - yes, I know that's six), but I'm not going to absolutely enforce that if you're absolutely desperate to play one and can agree to play them sensibly and reasonably. Please note the changes to certain classes, found here. Importantly, please note that dwarves may not be arcane casters.

Level/Experience: You'll start at level 5, with 11,000 experience. This will give crafters a bit of experience to play with if they want to use it.

Wealth: 9,000gp. No more than one third (3,000gp) may be spent on a single item.

Stats: Use the following code: "7m4d6v1r1", dropping the worst result and applying the remaining 6 results to whichever stats you wish. You may re-roll the entire set of results once, if you don't like the set you have. You must stick with your new set of stats. And before you ask, no, I don't care that you re-rolled your stats and now they suck and it's unfair and your character won't be teh ub3r l33t pwnz0r or whatever. It's a game of chance, deal with it. Besides, it makes it more realistic if your character isn't perfect at everything, right?

HP: Max hp for your first level, roll for all other levels.

Traits & Flaws: You may take a maximum of one trait and one flaw. Please don't feel obliged to take these if none really suit your character.

Source Material: In general, all official books are open to you, but I reserve the right to refuse anything non-core. I own virtually all the 3.5 books, so there shouldn't be a problem there. I'm not necessarily familiar with everything in all of them, though, so if I suddenly decide something you've chosen doesn't fit/is unbalanced please don't be offended. If you are using something non-core, I'd appreciate if it you could mention somewhere in your application/sheet what book, and perhaps even what page, the rules can be found in.

Please post your application in a new thread in this sub-forum. Please make your character's name the title of the thread, just to help me out.

Please keep your application to this rough format:

Name:
Race:
Class:
Appearance:
Personality:
Background:
Reason for being chosen by the Brotherhood:

Character sheets are not required at this stage, though feel free to put one together if you want.

Once you've posted your application, I advise you not to go wandering off waiting for an acceptance PM. Any comments/thoughts/criticisms/suggestions/whatever I have on your application will be posted in your application thread, so checking back to see these comments is highly recommended.