The Skies of Caligos

Rules

1. See General Rules

2. See Variant/House Rules (5e DnD)

3. See Character Creation Rules (5e DnD)

4. Caligos Homebrew. Items with the J:General, J:Caligos or J:Wheelchair label in my 5eTools homebrew are allowed, other things may be allowed but consult me first.

5. Caligos Pantheons. Only the gods from the Caligos pantheons are allowed. Depending on where you are, you may be required to at least pretend to follow certain gods.

6. Homebrew Firearms. I am making my own selection of firearms, please ignore the existing firearms in the DMG and only use the ones in my homebrew. Any features relating to firearms, like Artificer proficiency or the Gunner feat can still be applied to these firearms.

7. Firearms as Starting Equipment. Depending on starting level and character backstory, I may be hesitant to allow firearms in starting equipment, even in the context of "any martial weapon". Please check with me before assuming either way.

8. Airship Rules (WIP). These rules are extremely WIP and subject to major change. For now, assume it works like Ghosts of Saltmarch but in the air.

Character Creation Guide

I recommend following these guidelines if you want your character to fit into the world in terms of race, deities, backgrounds, alliances and backstory. There are also a few things to note that will alter how useful certain features, items and proficiencies are.

Homebrew Content

Check the homebrew link above for PC options. This will include races, backgrounds, feats, items, spells and some subclass options. It will also include deities though more detailed information on deities and religion is included below.

When importing the 5eTools module, Ignore/Delete anything not J:General or J:Caligos. Instructions for importing and deleting are included through the link.

Races

PCs are generally considered exceptional so you do not need to conform to these stereotypes but may wish to be aware of them. You can also use the Lineage System from Tasha's Cauldron of Everything to design a custom race if you wish or work with me on homebrew.

Despite it's small population, Caligos has a wide diversity of races. Below are some typical distributions and perceptions of the races.

Humans, Elves and Dwarves are by far the most common races. They usually make up the majority of the population, especially the upper classes.

Humans are often noted for their versatility and determination but sometimes mocked for their comparatively short lives and weak abilities.

Dwarves are often noted for their mechanical and industrial prowess but sometimes mocked for their stubbornness, crudeness and short tempers.

Elves are often noted for their academic and creative prowess but sometimes mocked for being snobbish and gaudy. Their association with the Fey doesn't help their image in parts of the world where order is valued above chaos, such as the Caligos Imperium. Wood elves are especially vulnerable to negative associations with chaos and fey.

Dragonborn are less common but usually very well respected in the both the Caligos Imperium and Einsem, particularly Gold Dragonborn. Their draconic ancestry is seen as a gift from Rexus, the dragon god of the Iuris Legion. They tend to have much more neutral receptions in other parts of the world. This idolization can also occur for Draconic Sorcerers.

Halflings and Gnomes are also uncommon but still relatively well known all across Caligos.

Goliaths are very common in the easternmost reaches of the Caligos Imperium, in Talonhelm and Slaghill. They are less frequent elsewhere.

Orcs, Firbolgs, Kobolds, Tabaxi and Goblins are normally only seen in Sudenberg or the underdark but occasionally some do venture out. They are not seen very fondly by those who devoutly follow the Iuris Legion as they are seen as beings of chaos.

Warforged are very expensive and difficult to make. They also cannot reproduce naturally. This makes them rare. They are nearly always built for a specific person or purpose and thus usually expected to lead subservient lives as soldiers, bodyguards or labourers. Independent warforged can exist however.

Fenri (Homebrew) are also rare and generally only found in small groups in the larger cities. They can sometimes be mistaken for actual dogs and treated as more primitive beings. Though people who have met Fenri usually understand the difference and respect them. They are often good at making friends.

Aasimars are extremely rare and sometimes worshipped, particularly by those who follow the Iuris Legion. They can be seen as demigod like figures. Some of the Iuris Legion are believed to have been Aasimars.

Tieflings and Genasi are also extremely rare. Most see them with curiosity or mild suspicion. Followers of the Iuris Legion sometimes claim they are abominations sired by the Anarchium.

Other races are far less common and likely unheard of by most but do exist.

Tempted to just get rid of this and just have a free-for-all.

Languages

Common is, as the name may suggest, is the most common language of across the world. It is similar to real world german.

Draconic is regarded as a holy language by followers of the Iuris Legion, especially those in the Caligos Imperium, due to its association with Rexus, the dragon king god. It is similar to real world latin.

Elvish, Goblin, Orcish and Sylvan are more common in Sudenberg.

Religion

Only Caligos pantheons are allowed for PCs, though custom patrons and fake gods are also possible.

It's not just clerics that follow gods. The Iuris Legion represent order, civilization and technology while the Anarchium represent chaos, nature and individuality. Talitus represents mortality and entropy. Check Pantheons for the individual deities and more on each pantheon.

Where you are from may impact which gods you follow, or were allowed to follow. For example, residents of the Caligos Imperium are usually forced to follow the Iuris Legion while worshipping the Anarchium or Talitus is outlawed. Check Nations and Pantheons for more information on how each nation views the gods.

Hometown and Nationality

It is extremely unlikely you were born in the wilds or somewhere uncharted as the wilderness is far too harsh for people to survive outside the cities. You could have been born on an airship or during an underground expedition, you would not have been raised there however. Even if you are a traveller or have amnesia, you'll still have somewhere you are most recently from.

Please choose at least one city or town from where you originate. Check the Nations and Settlements page for information.

Factions and Guilds

You may be part of, have been part of, or wish to be part of a faction. You may also know people from these factions even if you aren't a member yourself. These factions include the nations, mercenary units, artisan guilds and holy orders.

Check the Nations and Factions pages for more information.

Terrains

The only accessible terrain types in the material plane of substantial scale are arctic, forest, mountain, urban and underdark. Very small regions of coast and swamp can exist around lakes and rivers. You can choose other types for rangers, land druids etc. but is not recommended.

Depending on what you intend to do, I may allow using proficiency in Vehicles(Water) to perform certain actions with airships, but otherwise you'll be very unlikely to gain any benefits from this. There are small bodies of water though so things like water breathing, swim speeds and water spells may still be at least somewhat useful.