Overview: The nation of Cormyr is a vast, old, civilized kingdom where independent adventurers are frowned upon. Cormyreans see adventurers as eccentrics, and to them the notion of adventuring for profit or fame is a throwback to more barbarous days. However, a hero who fights to right wrongs and bring a civilizing influence to others is accepted. Thus, most adventurers of Cormyr tend to be fighters of unquestionable principles with grace and skill enough to silence his critics.

Most often, adventurers of such caliber in Cormyr who believe in a cause beyond themselves wear the tunics of Purple Dragons. The Purple Dragons are King Azoun’s army, a well-trained force known for its staunch defense of the king’s laws and will. Many of Cormyr’s young boys dream of one day marching under the Purple Dragons’ standard.

Description: In many ways, adventurers of Cormyr are the embodiment of the “classic” warrior. They tend to favor the best types of armor money can buy, usually splint or plate. If the individual Cormyrean is one to eschew heavy armor, the adventurer wears well-made but functional cloaks and other finery. Coats of arms are a popular adornment, worn either on a tabard over armor, or emblazoned on a shield.

The latest fashion among the high-born ladies of Cormyr is to wear gowns and blouses cut so as to leave one breast (usually the left) fully exposed, as a sign of both privilege and courage. This trend was first established by the royal heir apparent, Tanalasta Obarskyr at her Silversday Ball, three years prior and was quickly adopted by the younger and more fashion-forward ladies of the kingdom, as well as neighboring lands.

Purple Dragons wear field plate armor and steel helms when they are adventuring abroad. A tabard decorated with a rampant purple dragon proclaims their allegiance to the King’s personal army.

Role-playing: A typical Cormyrean comes from a powerful, civilized nation, and he or she knows it. Even if they are not all paragons of virtue, Cormyreans conduct themselves with honor, pride, and style.

Cormyrean adventurers pride themselves on their civilized behavior, which includes knowledge of social etiquette to serve them in any social or political situation. Unfortunately, Cormyreans also tend to be arrogant, talking down to those who they consider “less refined” or “less civilized.” They also decry those whose motives may be less noble than their own. Ofttimes, this arrogance is unintentional, and not meant as an insult.

Purple Dragons, whether adventuring on Cormyr’s frontiers or beyond, are disciplined warriors whose military bearing is always obvious. They know that their ultimate allegiance is to King Azoun and the nation of Cormyr as a whole. Like the independent civilian adventurers, national pride runs strong and deep, coloring most of their actions.

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Civilian Adventurers
Purple Dragons

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Freelance/Civilian Adventurers

Base Requirements

• Races: Human, Elf, Half-Elf
• Classes: Any
• Ability Requirements: none
• Alignments: Non-evil
• Starting Cash: 6d4 x10gp
• Bonus Languages: Cormanthan
• Recommended Languages: Easting, Thorasta, Turmic, Telpi, Tharian

Proficiencies

• Weapon Slots: By class
• Non-weapon Slots: By class
• Available Categories: By class, plus Social
• Bonus Proficiencies: Appraise, Etiquette, Gem Cutting, Navigation, Rope Use, Seamanship
• Required Proficiencies: none
• Recommended Proficiencies: none
• Forbidden Proficiencies: none

Overview: Cormyr is a wealthy, civilized nation and a great crossroads for trade of all sorts, especially shipping. The average Cormyrean adventurer tends to be a skilled sailor and merchant. However the crown tends to recruit all able swordsmen, leaving the remaining adventurers from Cormyr less talented in combat than their peers.

Special Abilities:

• Cormyrean adventurers tend to be egotistical. Because of the study skills developed by these characters and the ample research materials they have available to them while within the borders of Cormyr, any such character who makes his home and spends at least half the year in Cormyr gains a +10% bonus to earned experience points. This is in addition to any bonus the character receives for exceptional ability scores.
• Cormyrean adventurers have learned much about shipboard combat. Where the rolling and pitching of a deck might cause another character to miss his mark when making an attack, Cormyrean sailors have managed to turn such things to their advantage. Because of their skilled sea legs, all such characters gain a +1 bonus to their attack rolls when at sea and gain a +2 bonus to their Armor Class to boot.
• Because of their eye for detail and natural aplomb, Cormyreans are allowed to make a second attempt at disarming traps or picking locks when their initial roll fails. If this second roll also fails, the character must wait until he has advanced another experience level before he tries again.

Special Disadvantages:

• The arrogance of Cormyreans is a sore point to other folk, especially those not from an urban environment. When mingling with non-Cormyreans, all reaction rolls are penalized at -2.
• The almost pampered life most Cormyreans treat themselves to takes its toll on their stamina. To reflect this, all such characters must reduce their starting Stamina scores by 1.
• Independent Cormyreans tend to be less skilled in combat than members of the military. Cormyrean warriors use the Priest table for attack bonus advancement and Cormyrean rogues and priests use the Wizard table.
• More than one adventurer has voiced concern and irritation over the fact that Cormyreans are often too methodical for their own good. The same patience that makes them better able to pick locks or disarm traps than others causes them to take more time in the actual attempt. As a result, Cormyreans require 2d10 rounds of effort (twice the normal time) to attempt to disarm a trap or pick a lock.
• Freelance adventurers in Cormyr have learned to live by their wits and cunning over the years. Freelance Comyreans may never have hirelings or henchman (though they still gain any followers granted by their class at higher levels).
• The nation of Cormyr has made many enemies during its long history, and King Azoun continues his opposition to these enemies to the present. Opponents from Zhentil Keep, Hillsfar, Mulmaster, Thay, and the Cult of the Dragon will focus on killing a Cormyrean over any other opponent in battle except for characters from Shadowdale.

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Purple Dragons

Base Requirements

• Races: Human, Elf, Half-Elf
• Classes: No Rogues
• Ability Requirements: none
• Alignments: Good
• Starting Cash: 6d4 x10gp
• Bonus Languages: Cormanthan
• Recommended Languages: Easting, Thorasta, Turmic, Telpi, Tharian

Proficiencies

• Weapon Slots: By class
• Non-weapon Slots: By class
• Available Categories: By class
• Bonus Proficiencies: Etiquette
• Required Proficiencies: Land-based Riding, Literacy
• Recommended Proficiencies: Heraldry, Spellcraft
• Forbidden Proficiencies: none

Overview: Purple Dragons are, above all else, part of Cormyr’s army. As such, their desires and goals are subordinate to the Crown. Adventuring Purple Dragon warriors are on “detached duty,” which often ends as quickly as it begins.

If a Purple Dragon’s superiors command him not to go somewhere, he does not go. Period. This likelihood increases if the superiors somehow hear that the knight is doing something which could potentially hurt King Azoun or Cormyr as a whole.

Any Cormyrean citizen can ask a Purple Dragon warrior for aid if attacked. Since Purple Dragons are also responsible for maintaining domestic tranquility, this means that they are immediately responsible (after any local militia or constabulary) for fighting off brigands, rescuing citizenry from bandits, and dealing with monsters and border incursions.

There is no such thing as an “Ex-Purple Dragon”. Purple Dragons who are drummed out of the army or retire from it lose their equipment and any benefits. Purple Dragons who leave their commissions in the army automatically replace this kit with that of the independent civilian Cormyrean.

Special Abilities:

• Cormyrean adventurers tend to be egotistical. Because of the study skills developed by these characters and the ample research materials they have available to them while within the borders of Cormyr, any such character who makes his home and spends at least half the year in Cormyr gains a +10% bonus to earned experience points. This is in addition to any bonus the character receives for exceptional ability scores.
• Purple Dragons are given a light warhorse, field plate armor, and the choice of a melee weapon for free.
• A Purple Dragon of 5th level or higher can request overnight shelter and food from Cormyrean lords or nobles. Depending on a character’s fame, he could get lodgings in either the manor or the stables.
• When a Purple Dragon warrior reaches 9th level, he or she can place their personal or family coat of arms somewhere on their garb, armor, or shield. Most often, the design is placed in a shield on the breast of the rampant dragon seal all Purple Dragons wear. Knights who do this get a +2 reaction bonus when dealing with Cormyrean’s at home or abroad. They also increase their chances of instant recognition.
• When fighting within Cormyr’s borders, all Purple Dragons gain a +2 bonus for their morale checks, as they fight directly for king and country. Optionally, this bonus can extend to situations where either the King himself or a high-ranking noble is part of the attacking force anywhere in the Realms.
• Purple Dragon spellcasters train extensively in the use of combat magic. For that reason any damage-inflicting spell they cast, inflicts an additional point of damage per die.
• To reflect the adoration the common man feels for these heroes, all Purple Dragons gain a +2 bonus to their starting Leadership scores. They also tend to attract bands of followers who are eager to serve the nation. This is reflected in a doubling of the maximum number of henchmen that such characters are permitted to retain (based on their Leadership score).

Special Disadvantages:

• The arrogance of Cormyreans is a sore point to other folk, especially those not from an urban environment. When mingling with non-Cormyreans, all reaction rolls are penalized at -2.
• Thieves and rogues are something a Purple Dragon cannot tolerate, and it shows on their faces and how they talk to them. When interacting with rogues of all stripes, all reaction rolls are penalized at -4. This stacks with the penalty Cormyrians suffer with all foreigners.
• The almost pampered life most Cormyreans treat themselves to takes its toll on their stamina. To reflect this, all such characters must reduce their starting Stamina scores by 1.
• The nation of Cormyr has made many enemies during its long history, and King Azoun continues his opposition to these enemies to the present. Opponents from Zhentil Keep, Hillsfar, Mulmaster, Thay, and the Cult of the Dragon will focus on killing a Cormyrean over any other opponent in battle except for characters from Shadowdale.
• Because of their focus on combat spells, Purple Dragon casters suffer from a slight disadvantage when employing all other spells. Whenever a character of this type invokes a spell that does not directly cause damage to an enemy (such as a detect magic or web), his effective caster level is halved (round up).
• Because of their emphasis on combat training, Purple Dragons, regardless of class, cannot use magical scrolls.

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