ThehHE SHEILD

The Shield uses D&D Essentials rules: Dungeon Masters Kit, Monster
Vault, Rules Compendium, Heroes of the Fallen Lands, and (supplemental)
Heroes of the Forgotten Kingdoms. Other supplements may be used at
the DMs discretion.
The Shield is an evil campaign.
the city of Westgate.

The PCs play corrupt city guards in

Available Races: (Common) Human, Dwarf, Eladrin, Elf, Halfling (a.k.a.

Hin); (Uncommon) Drow, Half-Elf, Half-Orc, Hobgoblin
Unavailable Races:

Dragonborn, Tiefling

Core Classes:
Warpriest (Cleric), Knight, Slayer (Fighter), Thief
(Rogue), Mage (Wizard)
Expanded Classes (supplemental):
Executioner (Assassin),
(Paladin) (Unaligned only), Hunter, Scout (Ranger)

Sentinel

(Druid),

Cavalier

Players Handbook Classes (supplemental):

Templar (Cleric), Weaponmaster (Fighter),
Divinate (Paladin) (Unaligned only), Pathfinder (Ranger), Scoundrel (Rogue), Marshal
(Warlord) (unavailable), Covenanter (Warlock) (unavailable), Arcanist (Wizard)
Unavailable Classes:

Hexblade (Warlock)

The Shield is a tip o the hat to old school D&D.

out of place in this setting.

Dragonborn, Tieflings and Warlocks are

Generating Ability Scores: For an old-school experience, use Method III: Rolling Scores
(described on page 78 of the DDE Rules Compendium).
Roll four 6-sided dice (4d6) and add up the highest three numbers. Do that six times,
and then assign the numbers to the characters six ability scores. Then apply racial
ability bonuses.
These Optional Rules create a grittier play experience:
Daily Powers: Regardless of how many daily powers a character knows, he or she can use
only one per day at the heroic tier, two per day at the paragon tier, and three per day
at the epic tier. Whenever the group reaches a milestone, each character can use one
additional daily power that day.
Action Points: Your character starts with 1 action point. No more than once per encounter,
you can spend an action point to take an extra action (see page 286), use certain feats,
or use paragon path powers.
When you spend an action point, its gone, but you can gain more in two ways: after
reaching two milestones or by taking an extended rest. After you take an extended rest,
you lose any action points you havent spent, but you start fresh with 1 action point.
Cursed Items:
Cursed magic items were a mainstay of old-school D&D, much to Dungeon
Masters' delight and players' occasional frustration. Use the rules for cursed items
from Mordenkainens Magnificent Emporium.
Currency: In addition to copper, silver and gold coins, there are other unusual metals
used in exchange. Most of these come from failed currencies. As such, they are viewed
with skepticism by many honest folk. Principal among these coins are the electrum and
platinum pieces. These coins are rarely circulated, and most are hidden away in ancient
treasure hoards.

TIPS FOR PCs

Playing Evil
Dungeons & Dragons recommends you avoid choosing the evil alignment for good reason. Evil
characters cause problems. Not only must the players contend with their enemies on the
battlefield but also they must keep an eye on their evil-minded companions. Furthermore,
evil adventurers tend to become alienated as a result of their actions. In time, they
are no longer welcome in any community that knows them or knows of them. An evil
adventurer's career is often brutish and short, ending with quests left unfulfilled and
the campaign a failure.
Given all this, why bother playing an evil character? In truth, many reasons exist: You
might be looking for a change of pace or a roleplaying challenge, your DM might be running
a one-shot adventure suitable for evil characters, or you might be hankering for an
object lesson in behavior and consequences. If that's your wont, don't let the rules
dissuade you from trying something new.

Proceed with Caution

Playing an evil adventurer is usually not a good idea. Some players take the evil
alignment as a license to behave badly and an excuse to cause mischief and suffering
whenever and wherever the opportunity arises. Evil characters seem to have a hard time
honoring agreements and are quick to turn against their allies. They aren't about to risk
their necks for a town on the edge of civilization without a considerable reward. Even
if they take that job, there's no guarantee that they won't double-cross the town by
taking the money and running.
Despite the problems evil characters can cause, such a play style can work. If you embrace
the following suggestions, you can mitigate the challenges and enjoy a successful, if
sinister, adventuring experience.

Cooperative Game
Dungeons & Dragons is a cooperative game. Player characters work best when they work
together, and most D&D encounters are built around this assumption. That one or more of
the heroes are evil doesn't change this fact or alter your responsibility to your
teammates. You might not like the people you work with, but if you expect them to watch
your back, you had better watch theirs. Nothing dictates that evil characters are unable
work within an adventuring group. They can contribute to the group dynamic as their role
demands.
To ensure the group remains together, it's critical that you shield your companions from
whatever wickedness you intend. In sum, you must avoid stealing from, maiming, exploiting,
and murdering the other members of your party. One way to keep everyone in check is to
make sure you have a strong reason for being together in the first place. You might serve
a more powerful master, follow the same god, be from the same homeland, or pursue a
common goal, such as wiping out all orcs, elves, or dragons. If everyone can agree to a
party-binding element from the outset and can create a plausible explanation for
maintaining this truce, your group should find success.

Be Considerate
Playing an evil adventurer gives you a chance to explore the dark side: to be the ruthless
killer, to steal without regard for the victim, to dabble in dark magic, and to bargain
with terrible powers. Although such options and other, more dreadful actions are possible,
always consider the feelings of other players at the table. Avoid offending other players
by exploring taboo subjects. Many people play D&D as an escape from real world problems
and ugly truths. Games that focus too much on the sinister have limited appeal for many
garners.
Before play begins, talk with the Dungeon Master and the other players to determine what
events they want to avoid and what subjects they'd rather not explore. Respect these
limits and don't test them. Doing so ensures the game remains fun for everyone involved.

Understand the Implications

Good adventurers earn fame and notoriety from their achievements, gaining advocates among
the people they help and accolades for the monsters they defeat. Evil adventurers gain
few of these rewards. Their actions lead to infamy, enemies, and scorn. In place of open
gates and celebrations, evil characters find closed doors and suspicious stares. The more
evil these characters do, the harder it becomes for them to find haven and move safely
through the world.
A reckless, insane killer might not care about the implications, but an adventurer
probably should. Needlessly and wantonly closing off havens and cutting off access to
supplies makes it harder to survive and complete any given mission. Always keep in mind
the repercussions of your actions, thinking about how your choices impact your character's
chances for survival in the long term.

Evil Adventuring Groups

You cannot do enough to ensure that the evil adventuring group stays together. No matter
how much you prepare, no matter how many connections you make to other characters, no
matter how much you discuss limits and player comfort levels, odds are significant
conflict will arise. If handled poorly, the group's destruction is almost certain to
follow. The trick is to prevent that level of discord from happening in the first place.
The best way to do that is to focus on strengthening the connections between the
characters.
Before you get down to the business of creating your character, it's a good idea to work
with your fellow players to construct a strong group identity. One of the best ways to
accomplish this goal is to adopt a group concept. Simply put, the group concept describes
the reasons why you work together.

TIPS FOR DMs

Evil Adventuring
Although evil characters require special considerations to encourage teamwork and
cooperation, they are still adventurers and thus undertake many of the same exploits
heroes do. Characters still chase after treasure, explore ancient ruins, and fight
monsters. Alignment doesn't alter much about what they do; it only influences how and
why they do it.

Motivation
One key difference between evil adventurers and their good or unaligned counterparts is
their motivations for adventuring. Evil characters aren't likely to risk their lives to
help the innocent and are not going to help those in need without compensation. Traditional
adventure hooks might not work, so you will have to find other ways to draw players into
the story.
Greed: The reward for performing a service must outweigh its risks. Even then, evil
adventurers are likely to take more than they were offered. For example, they might rob
their employers or claim their reward without completing their task. Adventurers are also
apt to dicker over their fees, so you should set the payment low and allow players to
haggle for a higher price. Do not, however, give characters the full reward up front.
They should claim their prize when they complete the mission and can prove it.
Also, be ready for adventurers to double-cross their employers. Don't be surprised when
characters return from a mission and then sack the town they just saved. You should never
quash players when they are roleplaying. If you leave a situation open for their
exploitation, let them do it to the best of their ability-even if doing so upsets your
plans. Instead, think about the consequences of the characters' actions, and adapt the
story to accommodate them.
Revenge: Even though the promise of reward can drive an evil party, revenge is a far
stronger motivator. Evil characters are less likely to forgive slights or let a defeat
go unpunished, as is evidenced when they plot against each other. Don't be afraid to
harass characters during their adventures to draw them deeper into the plot. Be aggressive
with your villains. Have them send goons and monsters after the adventurers. It won't
take long for players to turn their attention to the source of their troubles and devote
every resource toward destroying their foes.
Power: Evil adventurers crave power. Adventuring gives them a chance to gain levels and
find magic items and other booty. The promise of personal power can draw a party into an
adventure, but it can also turn its members against each other when they squabble about
who gets what.
Hinting at great rewards and vast power should be sufficient to lure adventurers into
accepting a mission. When it's time for characters to acquire magic items, give prizes
out in groups to avoid conflict about ownership. Alternatively, you can offer specialized
rewards, such as divine boons, legendary boons, and grandmaster training, to particular
characters.

Methods and Consequences

Good and unaligned adventurers typically walk lightly through the world. They might wreak
havoc in a dungeon environment and wipe out infestations of nasty creatures, but between
adventures, they are usually well behaved. Evil characters offer no such assurances.
Their motivations and methods for achieving their objectives are what make them evil.
They murder, steal, betray, and perform all kinds of nasty actions. Each time characters
indulge their darker impulses, you must decide what consequences, if any, they face.
Resist the temptation to drop the hammer of justice on them. Evil characters are hardly
evil if they don't do bad things. You wouldn't deny a paladin the chance to risk his or
her life to save an innocent, so you shouldn't deny a thief the opportunity to pick
pockets in a crowded inn or an assassin the chance to knife a victim in a dark alley.
Let players play, within reason. Sacking a town, murdering an innkeeper, poisoning a
merchant, or some other action is fine as long as it aligns with a character's personality.
However, if adventurers satisfy their evil tendencies too often, they should suffer
consequences. Ambushing too many caravans eventually attracts the attention of a local
government or an adventuring band. Killing townspeople results in demands for justice
and an official search for the culprit. Civilization cannot tolerate unchecked evil and
moves to contain dangerous elements to safeguard its future.
Keep track of what characters do and where they do it. Think about how the world would
react to the characters actions, and come up with suitable consequences for those
actions. A few close calls with righteous knights and witch hunters should be enough to
curb players' enthusiasm for carnage and mayhem.
Of course, wicked characters don't have to be destructive and uncontrolled. They might
be subtle or cunning, revealing their evil tendencies only in special situations. Evil
characters are still people and, thus, their moral failings manifest in a variety of
ways. Urge players to look beyond obvious caricatures and to regard their characters as
complex individuals who are willing to act in ways others find objectionable.

[The Book of Vile Darkness (a supplement for 4e) has more advice along this same line.]

Making Evil Fun

The great gift of roleplaying is that it allows people to temporarily experience what its
like to be someone else, and sometimes it can be fun play someone very different from
yourselfa person who may transgress your own morals and taboos. Playing an evil character
can be a safe and entertaining way to explore humanitys darker urges, as well as a way to
help us better understand the motives and basic personhood of those people we might otherwise
write off as simply bad.
Yet while playing an evil character can be rewarding, its also challenging. As a member of
an adventuring party, an evil character may see other characters as adversaries, victims,
or expendable resources. That same selfish, potentially abusive mentality between players
can ruin games, or even friendships.
The key to playing evil well is making sure everyone in your group is on the same page.
While not every party member needs to be evil, every player does need to be comfortable
with both where the story may go and the potential interpersonal dynamics. Just as theres
nothing wrong with wanting to play an evil character, theres nothing wrong with not wanting
to play that way, either. Above all, be honest and opena conversation where people feel
judged or pressured will only set your group up for failure.
First, your group should create guidelines for player interaction. For some groups, PC
versus PC scheming, in character insult battles, and even PCs literally backstabbing other
PCs can be as much fun as working together against a challenge. Other groups feel the team
bond is central to play, or just dont like interpersonal conflict in their leisure time;
the line between attacking a PC and antagonizing the player can be hard to find, so talk
about it up front.
Regardless of your play style, things will run smoother if you determine from the outset
why the group works together. If youre the only evil character in a party, decide why your
particular brand of evil makes you a good fit. Your partys paladin might take pity on a
dangerous addict or tolerate a power-hungry noble if shes working toward the same goal as
you are, but she probably cant work with someone who kills innocents for fun.
Perhaps most importantly, both your group and your GM need to agree on basic boundaries.
Many people may have triggers, or situations that they absolutely dont want to come up in
a gameexamples might include rape or cruelty to children or animals. If someone voices
such a concern, there should be no discussionjust leave those situations out of the game.
Other things might be okay if they take place off-camera: a player could be fine with the
story of torturing an enemy for information, but might not want to roleplay every grisly
detail.
Its best to discuss these boundaries at the beginning, but bear in mind that comfort levels
vary from person to person, and may change over time. If you or someone else stops enjoying
the game, pause the action and adjust accordingly. And whatever guidelines your group agrees
to, respect themand each other.
[PATHFINDER Champions of Corruption]

Three (or Four) Important Things to Know about the Shield Campaign
1. Low Level. The Shield campaign focuses on providing challenges the adventurers can face
and overcome during the heroic tier. Think of it as a street level campaign.
2. Intrigue. Everyone wants something: the characters, normal folk, secret cults, rebels,
mercenaries, invaders, assassins, conquerors, looters, would-be kings. The Shield campaign
presents many organizations and non-player characters with a multitude of plans. The PCs
can interact with all these groups, discovering secret ploys, allying with some, making
enemies of others, and playing them against one another or taking them all on. Allies can
become enemies and enemies can become friends; it's up to the players to decide. Again,
with a street level focus.
3. Old-School. At least in which races and classes are available. The races and classes
seen in AD&D are most appropriate, while those seen in 3e and 4e are less so.
So, no
dragonborn, tieflings, or warlocks.
Other old-school bits include rolling 4d6 for ability scores, cursed items, and even
electrum and platinum pieces.
4. Prime Directive. In our home games, we all agreed upon this house rule: Alignment is
how you treat people outside your party. Regardless of your alignment, you will get along
with fellow party members and will not allow that portion of your character sheet to
interfere with the continuance of the story.
= = =
Sentries/Guards/Militia: The most common form of defense a community will have is men and
women trained to defend the public. From a hamlet, where a few residents act as sentries
and volunteer defenders, to a large city with several guard forces, these people will be
the first to combat whatever problems arise. There should be a base of 1 guard per 150
residents, with a minimum of 3 guards. If the community is on peaceful terms with its
neighbors and has no known enemies, there will be 1 guard per 200 residents, with a minimum
of 3 guards. If, however, the community is on uneasy terms with its neighbors, or has unrest
within its own boundaries, there will be 1 guard per 100 residents, with a minimum of 5
guards.
Communities with less than 5,000 residents are not likely to have an army (militia), unless
the community has known enemies or feels threatened. In an army, there should be a base of
25 soldiers per 1,000 residents. This number will double, triple, or quadruple, depending
on the severity of the threat posed against the community. A standing army is responsible
for patrolling a communitys boundaries and the surrounding lands.

The Lords of Dust,

an evil cabal of rakshasas and other fiends, have been playing

games with the races for thousands of years. They hide in the shadows, scheming for greater
power, or spreading pain and suffering among the common races. The cabal uses a stylized
silhouette of a broken tower to identify its members.
The Lords of Dust have little interest in complex hierarchies. The most powerful fiends
occasionally gather in the ancient capital of the rakshasas to discuss their current schemes
and goals, but they have no leader.
Membership is earned and kept through cunning and
personal power. The organization also includes a host of weaker fiends, lesser rakshasas
and other demons content to serve the scheming lords.
The Lords of Dust are immortal, and their motivations are difficult for creatures of flesh
and blood to understand. Sometimes their actions serve a clear purpose; other times they
seek to cause chaos for its own sake, toying with the common races like pawns on a chessboard.
These games can continue for centuries.
The most cunning and clever fiends always search for ways to increase their own power. Some
seek to release the rajahs they once served. Others explore ways to drain power from their
former masters to exploit as their own. The Lords of Dust are masters of deception, and
they rarely deal openly with mortals. Rakshasas can read the thoughts of others and shift
their shape to mimic any humanoid form, and they have infiltrated many governments, guilds,
and other organizations.
But the plans of the fiends can take decades or centuries to
unfold, and a rakshasa infiltrator may spend an entire human lifetime waiting for the right
moment to make its move. So, almost any organization can be tricked into serving the Lords
of Dust, at least temporarily.
The Lords of Dust are the purest manifestation of evil to be found in the world. There is
no place within the cabal for mortals, except as tools, playthings, and servants. Most
often, adventurers fight against the Lords of Dust, either directly or by exposing their
schemes. It is possible for heroes to be tricked into serving the Lords of Dust; a rakshasa
in the form of a trusted ally could send them on a quest that causes more harm than good.

Religion
No Single Deity:
Most people revere more than one deity, praying to different gods at
different times. Commoners in a small town might visit a temple that has three altars, where
they pray to Bahamut for protection, Pelor for fertile crops, and Moradin to aid their skill
at crafting. Clerics and paladins more often serve a single deity, championing that gods
particular cause in the world. Other adventurers range across the spectrum, from paying lip
service to the whole pantheon, to fervently serving a single god, to ignoring the gods
entirely as they pursue their own divine ascension.
Thats not to say that everyone worships every god. A truly good person has little use for
Lolth; a law-abiding town-dweller might never have heard of Gruumsh. Rather, every community
and individual has a collection of deities to whom they devote their reverence. They
occasionally offer a prayer to another god, if circumstances warrantonly a fool goes to
sea without invoking Melora, and a village that doesnt normally venerate Bane might offer
him prayers over a makeshift altar if suddenly forced to warbut their personal pantheon
receives the overwhelming bulk of their attention.
A communitys collection of deities shapes how they see each individual god. A community
beset by the dangers of the surrounding wilderness, and includes Bane and Erathis among
their deities, likely views Bane as more of a stabilizing influence, and less actively evil,
than a tyrannical city-state whose power-hungry leaders worship Asmodeus alongside the Black
Hand.
No Universal Churches:
Just as most points of light settings presumes individual
communities are rarely linked into large kingdoms, so too are the worlds religions made up
of autonomous sects, without monolithic governing entities. There are no churches, in the
sense of Union-wide theological authorities that oversee all practitioners of a given faith.

Thus, a temple or sect of the Raven Queen in one community is differentat least in the
details, and frequently in major practicesfrom any other. It also means that followers of
the Raven Queen arent necessarily in agreement on religious matters. Its possible for two
or more Raven Queen worshipers to prove competitors, or even downright enemies.
The deities are described in the Players Handbook (pages 20-22) and in the Dungeon Masters
Guide (pages 162-163).

The

Roll of Years is a system by which each year has its own personal name.

People

refer to births, deaths, weddings, and other events by the name of the year. Children learn
the order of the years from bards songs, artistic designs in the great temples, and the
teachings of their elders.
The naming of a year is not random, nor does it necessarily commemorate any great event or
occurrence. Many centuries ago the Lost Sage wrote out thousands of years and named them
in the Great Library. Its a rare year that doesnt see some event that seems clearly
connected with its name (at least in retrospect), and most folks view the Lost Sages name
as mysterious portents of the years ahead.

Each month is named after one of the eleven deities in the Players Handbook and also
Asmodeus from the Dungeon Masters Guide.
Asmodeus is the only deity whose name is used in the calendar
that is not good or unaligned. A silver-tongued devil, Asmodeus
is revered by many ambitious and powerful people (a few of whom
were involved in the creation of the calendar). As a result,
the deitys name is as widely recognized and accepted as any
others.
The influence Asmodeus exerts is deceptive; many
people see a god of rulership rather than a dominating tyrant.
The real world Gregorian calendar is an equivalent. October
has 31 days for instance, so the equivalent month also has 31
days.
The months can be named as desired (it makes no
difference). For instance, October (commonly associated with
Halloween) might be known as Asmodeus; July (commonly the
warmest month) might be known as Pelor. Its entirely up the
DM and players which month gets named what.
Day and Night: A day is 24 hours long. Seven days comprise a week: Godsday, Moonday,
Waterday, Earthday, Starday, Sunday, Freeday. Godsday is commonly associated with worship,
and Freeday with rest. The remaining days are considered "work days."