TEXT: The School of Hard Knocks Version 4.0 
  A social club providing specialized training to its members 
   
  A Gran March Meta-campaign Organization written by the Gran March Triad 
   
  Organization Alignment(s)   
   
  Any 
  PC Organization: 
  Yes 
   
  The most commonly heard phrase in this Hall has got to be “So, there I was . . .”  
  Anonymous member of the Order of World Travelers, circa CY 591. 
   
  The School of Hard Knocks (or more formally, the Order of World Travelers) has gone from being an 
  exclusive social club for people with means to being a excellent educational facility for those who desire 
  skills not found in any classroom or military training ground. It also maintains an excellent library on 
  foreign travel and exploration, with many issues of the Minutes of the Royal Explorers Society contained 
  therein. 
   
  Organization 
   
  The School has relatively little structure. It has a board of seven Trustees who are elected from the 
  membership. Each Trustee serves a seven-year rotating term, so that each year a new Trustee is elected. 
  Former Trustees have to wait a full seven-year cycle before they can be considered again for the post. 
  The Trustee who has served the longest in their current term serves as Headmaster of the School for his 
  last year. The Headmaster oversees the maintenance of the facility as well as the recruitment of new 
  instructors. 
   
  Philosophy and Credo 
   
  The Order values three ideals: education, etiquette, and exploration. Members are expected to use the 
  Hall to sharpen their skills and to help others to sharpen theirs as well. Also, given that members are 
  experienced travelers, the Order expects members to conduct themselves as civilized beings. After all, 
  they are but guests in the regions that they visit. Finally, the Order realizes that the best education comes 
  from exploring new areas and cultures and encourages its members to travel as much as possible. 
   
  Day-to-Day Activities 
   
  The School is activity defined. On any given day, a visitor could find one room containing martial arts 
  instruction and another room containing a forum on a member’s visit to the Sea of Dust. Only during the 
  late hours of night does the School have calm. 
   
  Important Dates, Holidays & Ceremonies 
   
  The election of the new Trustee is the biggest event of the School. Election Day is on the first day of 
  Brewfest every year. There is a feast conducted in the main meeting room of the Hall, after which the 
  members present vote for the new Trustee from a list of candidates chosen by the remaining Trustees. 
  Members who cannot be present leave a proxy vote with the Headmaster. The candidate who receives a 
  majority of the votes wins the seat. If there is no majority on the first ballot, a run-off election occurs 
  between the two top vote-getters. After the election, there is more celebration, with speeches from the 
  outgoing Headmaster, the new Headmaster, and the new Trustee.  
  
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  Headquarters / Major Power Centers 
   
  The main headquarters of the Order is called the Fellowship Hall (or the Hall for short). The Hall is located 
  in Hookhill. While it began as a relatively small meeting hall on a tiny parcel of land, the Hall has 
  expanded so much that there is hardly room for even a blade of grass to grow. It is now a multi-story 
  facility with classrooms, gymnasiums, and a small library. 
   
  With club membership at an all-time high, the membership decided at the end of CY 593 to establish a 
  second Fellowship Hall in Shiboleth. Groundbreaking is expected to be in midyear of CY 594 with 
  completion expected in late CY 595. The club has thus increased its fundraising efforts for the building 
  fund by increasing the fees and dues for use of facilities and for matching teachers with students for many 
  of its training sessions. The fee scale is for members only; club members share their training only with 
  other responsible, cultured (more or less), and wealthy club members. 
   
  History 
   
  The School of Hard Knocks was never intended to be what it has become: a training ground for many of 
  the wealthiest or most gifted of Marchers. It was begun as a social club, founded in 560 CY by a retired 
  and weary man who just wanted to spend his golden years in the company of like-minded people. With 
  his savings, and calling in favors earned through a lifetime of sacrifice and valor, Watcher Urrelin Polirian 
  - Elder Inquisitive Raven, bought a parcel of land in Hookhill. Upon this patch of land he erected a 
  building which was originally known as The Grand Fellowship Hall of the Order of World Travelers, now 
  known simply as The Hall. 
   
  The Order of World Travelers was intended as something of an exclusive organization. Membership was 
  limited to those who could demonstrate that they had traveled extensively abroad, experienced many 
  things, and could share that experience with others. Members were also expected to behave in a civilized 
  manner, and contribute substantially to the Order’s finances. Many of these expectations hold true even 
  today. 
   
  Though Watcher Polirian passed on in 572 CY, the Order continues, in a slightly different form. Over the 
  years, the Order’s tradition of sharing world experiences through lectures and informal discussions led to 
  classes and individual instruction, especially as younger members who would still apply the training in 
  practical situations began to fill the ranks. This trend reached a peak after the Greyhawk Wars, when a 
  large number of soldiers returned from trips abroad, and were welcomed into the club. In the current 
  incarnation the Order, nick-named the School of Hard Knocks, serves both as a social club but more 
  importantly as a training center in which members share their experiences. 
   
  Recently, the Order entered into negotiations with the Royal Explorers Society of Keoland to serve as an 
  extension office for that Society. Until the negotiations are completed, however, the Order has instituted a 
  program where members of the Order can now take examinations and training in preparation to join that 
  Society for a fee.  
   
  Allies 
   
  The Order has no formal alliances with any other group. If there is one trend, however, it is that many 
  veterans find their way through the doors of the club so there are loose ties with the various militia 
  companies. Also, clerics and followers of Fharlanghn tend to also haunt the Hall as well to swap tales of 
  the road with explorers. Finally, many bards from the Bardic Guild are members to increase their 
  knowledge of long-forgotten lore. 
   
  Rivals 
   
  The Order has a friendly rivalry with the Royal Explorers Society of Keoland. The Society sees itself as 
  the parent organization of all other such groups in the Sheldomar Valley. Members of the Order, in turn, 
  
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  take every opportunity to one-up their Keoish counterparts. In fact, many a bet has been placed on the 
  outcomes of two separate expeditions of these competitors to some unknown part of Oerth. 
   
  Foes 
   
  As its doors are open to all, the Order has no visible enemies.  
   
  Heraldry/ Symbol 
   
  The symbol of the School is three chains (one gray, one brown, and one green) joined at the bottom and 
  fanning upward against a black field. The gray chain symbolizes the age-old value of education. The 
  brown symbolizes the comfort found in proper conduct. The green represents the freshness of knowledge 
  found through exploration. 
   
  Requirements  
   
  To join the School, a person must: 
   
  • 
  Be a Gran March citizen, a legal resident, or an active-duty member of the Gran March military. 
   
  • 
  Be experienced in the ways of the world (as demonstrated by possessing a Base Attack Bonus 
  (BAB) +2 or better). 
   
  • 
  Have traveled to at least 1 foreign land (as documented on log sheets, Adventure Certificates, or 
  ARs). 
   
  • 
  Pay an initiation fee of 200 gold pieces. Initiation fee may be waived for one TU of service to the 
  School. Such service cannot come from military TUs, but does not incur lifestyles costs, just like 
  the lifestyle benefit described below. 
   
  • 
  Behave in a civilized manner (as demonstrated by possessing Charisma 10+ or at least 2 ranks 
  in Diplomacy or Knowledge (nobility and royalty) and by maintaining at least an Adventurer’s 
  Standard upkeep). 
   
  • 
  Not be a convicted criminal. 
   
  Benefits 
   
  Those who are members of the School in good standing have the following benefits: 
   
  • 
  Members have access to two prestige classes. First, due to its eclectic membership, members 
  can receive training in the Master of Chains prestige class. They can also receive training in the 
  Royal Explorer prestige class because the School is preparing to be an extension of the Royal 
  Explorers Society. Part of the examination is the submission of a report on a significant 
  exploration as described in Song and Silence for this prestige class. PCs can do research this 
  report after any non-regional scenario by spending an additional 4 TUs in the scenario. 
   
  Note that, as Builder Book prestige classes are replaced or eliminated in the Complete series, 
  access to these prestige classes will go away from this organization. 
   
  • 
  Access to the following feats, with training costs described below: 
   
  o 
  Sword and Fist:  
  Dual Strike, Expert Tactician, Feign Weakness. 
   
  
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  o 
  Defenders of the Faith:  
  Reach Spell. 
   
  o 
  Tome and Blood:  
  Arcane Preparation, Extra Slot, Extra Spell, Sanctum Spell, Spell Specialization, Split 
  Ray. 
   
  o 
  Song and Silence:  
  Jack of All Trades, Multicultural, Trustworthy. 
   
  o 
  Masters of the Wild:  
  Resist Disease. 
   
  Note that, as Builder Book feats are replaced or eliminated in the Complete series, access to 
  these feats will go away from this organization. 
   
  • 
  Members also have access to the following magic items as per The Living Greyhawk Campaign 
  Sourcebook: 
   
  o 
  Dungeon Masters Guide 
  +1 mighty cleaving spiked chain  
  +1 wounding spiked chain 
  +2 spiked chain 
  bag of holding (Type 2)  
  eyes of the eagle 
  helm of comprehending languages and reading magic 
  Heward’s handy haversack 
  rope of climbing 
   
  As an acquisition fee, members buying any of these items or using the spell formula to create 
  such an item are required to train members in the feats that they know for 1 TU per 5,000 gp 
  value of the item purchased / created, rounding all fractions up. This TU assessment cannot 
  come from military TUs, but can be waived for a 200 gp donation. Such service does not incur 
  lifestyles costs, just like the lifestyle benefit described below. 
   
  • 
  Members have access to the following mundane items: 
   
  o 
  Song and Silence 
  grapple-firing crossbow 
  waterproofing 
   
  o 
  Arms and Equipment Guide 
  ascender / slider 
  candle, insectbane 
  ice axe 
  navigator’ kit 
   
  • 
  Members have access to The Hall. Members may stay at The Hall when in Hookhill free of 
  charge. This reduces the cost of Adventurer’s Standard Upkeep by half (down to 6 gp per TU) for 
  modules which begin in Hookhill. PCs maintaining Upkeep at levels higher than Adventurer’s 
  Standard only receive the 6 gp discount per TU. 
   
  • 
  Members staying at the Hall for at least one TU prior to going to another region (including Cores) 
  can do research so as to make maps and cultural guides on the area. This results in a +2 
  competence bonus for two of the following skills: Knowledge (geography), Knowledge (history), 
  Knowledge (local), and Knowledge (nature). These bonuses only apply to that particular region 
  
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  and last until the end of the game year when the PC gained those bonuses. These bonuses do 
  not apply if the PC is untrained in the skills selected. NOTE: This extra TU is taken on the same 
  AR that the out-of-region adventure occurs so that an out-of-region event that normally would 
  cost 2 TUs would cost 3 TUs to get the bonuses. 
   
  Costs 
   
  Members of the Order are expected to provide service and/or money for advanced training. The fee 
  schedule for the School is based on how difficult it is to find a trainer with the appropriate skill. The higher 
  the prerequisites, the higher the cost: 
   
  • 
  Advanced Feat Training: Training in feats costs a base of 50gp, plus the following modifiers: 
   
  1. +100gp for each feat listed as a prerequisite. 
  2. +50gp for each point of BAB listed as a prerequisite. 
  3. +10gp for each skill rank listed as a prerequisite. 
  4. +75gp for each spellcaster level listed as a prerequisite. 
  5. +150gp for each non-unique class ability listed as a prerequisite. (Example: Turn 
  Undead is a non-unique class ability, shared by clerics and paladins. Sneak Attack is a 
  unique class ability to rogues, and falls under category 6, below). 
  6. +250gp if a specific class is required. Consider only PHB classes for determining 
  uniqueness. 
  7. +1000gp if a specific class and at least 7th-level in that class are required (non-
  cumulative with category 6 above). 
   
  Further, training in a feat takes 2 TU, and the trainee must then spend an equal amount of time 
  instructing others, or must pay double the usual fee in gold pieces. 
   
  • 
  Master of Chains Training: Training for the Master of Chains prestige class costs 1000gp for the 
  first level and 100gp for each level thereafter. Training in the first level requires 2 TU. Other 
  levels carry no additional TU requirement. 
   
  • 
  Royal Explorer Training: Training for the Royal Explorer prestige class costs 500 gp for the initial 
  application / exam and 500 for the initial training. Research for the report portion of the 
  examination requires 4 TUs. The initial examination itself has a cost of 1 TU with an additional 
  TU for training. Each level thereafter costs 100 gp and no additional TUs. 
   
  A member also bears certain responsibilities of membership: 
   
  • 
  Members of the Order must pay annual dues of 200 gp each. They must also pay in full any fees 
  that may be charged for instruction. If a member cannot afford to pay the annual dues, said 
  member can work off the dues by spending 2 TUs in service to the School. Such service cannot 
  come from military TUs, but does not incur lifestyles costs, just like the lifestyle benefit described 
  previously. 
   
  • 
  Members of the Order must always maintain at least an Adventurer’s Standard upkeep. Living off 
  of the land is not allowed as it is crude and unsophisticated. 
   
  All fees should be noted in the Items Bought section of the AR in which the PC pays the fee. 
   
  References 
   
  The following are useful references with regard to this meta-campaign organization in Living Greyhawk: 
   
  • 
  Song and Silence: A Guidebook to Bards and Rogues by David Noonan and John D. Rateliff. 
  This Builder Book contains the full descriptions of the Royal Explorer prestige class described 
  
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  above. As per The Living Greyhawk Campaign Sourcebook and Gran March Metacampaign 
  policy, a player who has a character with this prestige class must keep a copy of these pages 
  available for the DM to reference during game play. 
   
  • 
  Sword and Fist: A Guidebook to Fighters and Monks by Jason Carl. This Builder Book contains 
  the full descriptions of the Master of Chains prestige class described above. As per The Living 
  Greyhawk Campaign Sourcebook and Gran March Metacampaign policy, a player who has a 
  character with this prestige class must keep a copy of these pages available for the DM to 
  reference during game play. 
   
  • 
  All of the remaining Builder Books / Complete Books for access to the feats listed above. 
   
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Living Greyhawk/Metaorg Material/Gran March/Old and Retired Versions/Gran_March_School_of_Hard_Knocks_4.0.pdf