Squeejee
2011-08-30, 06:04 PM
"An ambush! The enemy is upon the rear guard, we need to back them up!"
Sir Irax Redscale, last of his family, simply stared forward. He was a civilized kobold, his orange and red scales glittering in the sweltering desert sun underneath his prim Imperial Army uniform. The dunes in this area averaged a hundred feet high, and the army was marching in between them at Irax's direction. Just as he had been warned, the revolutionaries came down from all sides at once, hitting the supply train first.
Hundreds of savage kobold and centaur warriors, each with a curved sword and most with a bow and arrows, swarmed behind him. He looked back to see the flames of revolution engulf the supply wagons, and heard ringing in his ears the shouts of a surprise war. His halfling and orc soldiers, exhausted from days of forced marching in the unfamiliar heat, were no match for the arrows and steel of their foe. The legions tried to form into battle ranks, and were cut down.
Not like Irax. He was born in this desert - further south, to be precise, in the rough hills called Mythrilfield. When he had joined the Analian Empire, it was to better serve his home by fighting the marauding bandits and rebels in those mountains - by embracing the halfling's way of life, he had hoped to improve the lot of his family and friends. But then he saw what the halfling life really was.
They sent him to the other side of the world to participate in the War with the Orcs, the fifth such war in as many decades. They forced him to do menial clerical work because of his scales, and when the thrust of battle was upon him they promoted him to the useless position of quartermaster in a far-off village somewhere in the Frontier. A worthless place with a half dozen soldiers as its only residents, all of them war heroes like him.
Then he discovered the secret: to make it in this world, you must seize your destiny by the throat with your own teeth. He used his rank to secure a stipend, used his stipend to hire an army, and marched his army and all of its supplies into kobold territory, to participate in the ongoing rebellion. Of course, his Imperial soldiers had been given the idea that they were there to help the Empire.
The kobolds took the supplies he brought them, and Irax the Redeemed (known as Irax the Betrayer to the halflings) became one of the legendary "Temper'Ati," the twelve kobolds who finally ended the Empire's control in the east, and united all the world's kobolds into their first state, Anaur.
Preamble
So, why make a campaign world? Well, Analia dates back to my very first GMing session in fall 2009. I had just started college and joined a D&D group - but the very first meeting I showed up to, drama regarding the regular GM and a couple of the players had left five D&D players with character sheets and no adventure. Therefore, I stepped up to campaign it, creating on-the-fly the elements of the hastily-named "Analia" campaign setting to facilitate a randomly generated dungeon (which was also greatly altered on-the-fly).
Several elements of the original Analia persist in my vision today, which I will be presenting here, though many other things have changed greatly as my GMing philosophy did with experience. My main goal with this campaign setting is to create a sense of exploration and unfamiliarity even in experienced D&D/Pathfinder players, but be familiar enough that characters from any campaign and concept can be quickly converted in.
From a GM's perspective, I want Analia to be a place that can easily be developed through play. I want it to have enough history so that it feels lived in, but I want each era's outcomes to be malleable by player intervention - even the titular Analian Empire, if your players conspire against it, should be considered fair game for a massive re-write, should your campaign require it.
This setting is still being built - partially from scratch, and partly from the results of the campaign that spawned it - and as a result is mostly incomplete. I welcome feedback on all of its elements, and you can be assured that if you post here I will read it and consider it carefully.
Naming Conventions: As it happens, while I have tasked myself with fleshing out the history of this place, I am terrible at coming up with names for it. As a result of this, I consider most region names to be placeholders for now - places like Lizard Coast (a coast where a lot of Lizardfolk live) are particularly obvious, or the three mountains in Melden (Bullmount, Sundermount, and Overmount) which are named after the Power Attack feat tree. So, if you have a suggestion for re-naming anything - anything at all - feel free to post it below for consideration!
Notation: Black text is used to describe the campaign setting itself. If I were printing this in a book, the black text would be the paragraphs in the body of each page.
Blue text is used to describe variant rules and other non-standard options. If this were a book, blue text would be contained in sidebars.
Red text is used to mark sections that are beyond incomplete - sections I have either not started yet or have so little information in them as to be nonfunctional.
Orange text is used to mark sections that are partially functional, but have major sections yet to be added.
Quote boxes are the places where I will be putting "director's commentary," so to speak. Information as to why I've made certain decisions, reasons for changes, and other content of a very meta-game application will be in these boxes.
World of Analia
World Map
http://i1095.photobucket.com/albums/i479/Squeejee/GeographicMap.png
World Regions
(every major region on the world map will be listed here, in alphabetical order, and given a writeup of the area's history and notable places)
People of Analia
Races - Fluff
Anthropological Map
http://i1095.photobucket.com/albums/i479/Squeejee/AnthropologicalMap.png
Catfolk
(agile catlike fey)
Centaurs
(tough horselike fey)
Dwarves
(tough mountain dwellers)
Elves, Lana
(agile elves)
Elves, Lena
(wise elves)
Elves, Luna
(strong elves)
Elves, Sol
(charismatic elves)
Elves, Wild
(tough elves)
Frost Giants
(tough mountain giants)
Gith
(green-skinned caste society)
Gnolls
(strong, doglike survivalists)
Gnomes
(smart, magical fey)
Goblins
(strong imperialist fey)
Halflings
(agile imperialist fey)
Hill Giants
(strong mountain giants)
Hobgoblins
(tough imperialist fey)
Kobolds
(charismatic lizardlike desert-dwellers)
Lizardfolk
(strong lizardlike mountain-dwellers)
Merefolk
(wise fishlike ocean-dwellers)
Ogres
(strong plains giants)
Orcs
(small organized ogres)
Slaad
(wise froglike fey)
Trolls
(tough plains giants)
Yuan-ti
(smart snakelike fey)
Xeldans
(agile birdlike fey)
Races - Crunch
Catfolk
Ability Modifiers: +2 Dex, +2 Con, -2 Str
Size / Reach: Medium, 5ft
Speed: 40 ft land speed – catfolk are very quick-footed.
Senses: Low-light vision, +2 to Perception checks – catfolk are renowned for their keen eyes and ears.
Culture: +2 to Survival and Stealth checks – catfolk culture demands these skills of every member, as they are usually a nomadic people.
Reactive: +4 to Initiative checks – catfolk are capable of appraising and reacting to a dangerous situation very quickly.
Weapon Proficiencies: Catfolk are automatically proficient with all southern continent martial weapons, and treat southern continent exotic weapons as marital for the purpose of proficiency in them.
Centaurs
Ability Modifiers: +2 Str, +2 Wis, -2 Int
Size / Reach: Large (long), 5ft.
Speed: 50 ft land speed – centaurs are part horse, what did you expect?
Culture: +2 to Survival and Knowledge (choose one) – centaurs are typically nomadic, but they prize knowledge and seek it out whenever they can.
Rough: Centaurs gain a +2 bonus on the following checks and saves: Swim checks made to resist nonlethal damage from exhaustion; Constitution checks made to continue running; Constitution checks made to avoid nonlethal damage from a forced march; Constitution checks made to hold your breath; Constitution checks made to avoid nonlethal damage from starvation or thirst; Fortitude saves made to avoid nonlethal damage from hot or cold environments; and Fortitude saves made to resist damage from suffocation.
Weapon Proficiencies: Catfolk are automatically proficient with all eastern continent martial weapons, and treat eastern continent exotic weapons as marital for the purpose of proficiency in them.
Dwarves
Ability Modifiers: +2 Con, +2 Wis, -2 Cha
Size / Reach: Medium, 5ft.
Speed: 20 ft land speed, but never modified by encumbrance – dwarves are slow and steady.
Senses: Low-light and Darkvision 60 – dwarves live underground, and have adapted well to it.
Culture: +2 to Craft (choose one) and Knowledge (choose one), and +2 to perception and appraise checks directly relating to stone or metal – dwarves have an excellent education system, and learn to ply a trade at an early age, but every dwarf knows the basics of the rock and metal that built their society.
Stone Stomach: Dwarves can digest anything, and gain a +2 racial bonus to all saving throws and skill checks related to something they ingest. If need be, they can avoid starvation by eating rocks, dirt, trees – you name it.
Traplord: Though not famous for it as kobolds are, dwarves are masters of traps and receive a +2 bonus to all attack rolls, checks, saves, and their AC versus traps, and may notice them simply by passing within 10 feet of one. Dwarves may find traps with a DC above 20 as a rogue can.
Weapon Proficiencies: Dwarves are automatically proficient with all eastern continent martial weapons, and treat eastern continent exotic weapons as marital for the purpose of proficiency in them.
Elves, Lana
Ability Modifiers: +2 Dex, +2 Int, -2 Wis
Size / Reach: Medium, 5ft.
Speed: 30 ft land speed
Senses: Low-light vison, +2 to perception checks – all elves have fey senses.
Culture: +2 to and Survival checks – the Lanawood is located along the coast, and lana elves learn to survive both in the forest and on the water.
Elven Magic: Elves gain a +2 bonus to saves versus spells and spell-like effects.
Semi-aquatic: A lana elf can hold their breath twenty times longer than a normal air breather. In addition, a lana elf gains a +4 bonus to swim checks and may always take 10 on a swim check.
Weapon Proficiencies: Elves are automatically proficient with all western continent martial weapons, and treat western continent exotic weapons as marital for the purpose of proficiency in them.
Elves, Lena
Ability Modifiers: +2 Wis, +2 Int, -2 Str
Size / Reach: Medium, 5ft.
Speed: 30 ft land speed
Senses: Low-light vison, +2 to perception checks – all elves have fey senses.
Culture: +2 to and Survival checks – the Lanawood is located along the coast, and lana elves learn to survive both in the forest and on the water.
Elven Magic: Elves gain a +2 bonus to saves versus spells and spell-like effects.
Semi-aquatic: A lana elf can hold their breath twenty times longer than a normal air breather. In addition, a lana elf gains a +4 bonus to swim checks and may always take 10 on a swim check.
Weapon Proficiencies: Elves are automatically proficient with all western continent martial weapons, and treat western continent exotic weapons as marital for the purpose of proficiency in them.
Elves, Luna
(strong elves)
Elves, Sol
(charismatic elves)
Elves, Wild
(tough elves)
Frost Giants
(tough mountain giants)
Gith
(green-skinned caste society)
Gnolls
(strong, doglike survivalists)
Gnomes
(smart, magical fey)
Goblins
(strong imperialist fey)
Halflings
(agile imperialist fey)
Hill Giants
(strong mountain giants)
Hobgoblins
(tough imperialist fey)
Kobolds
(charismatic lizardlike desert-dwellers)
Lizardfolk
(strong lizardlike mountain-dwellers)
Merefolk
(wise fishlike ocean-dwellers)
Ogres
(strong plains giants)
Orcs
(small organized ogres)
Slaad
(wise froglike fey)
Trolls
(tough plains giants)
Yuan-ti
(smart snakelike fey)
Xeldans
(agile birdlike fey)
Magic in Analia
Fluff
(here is what makes magic in Analia different from magic in other campaign settings)
Spellcasters
(here are the official house rules regarding spellcasters in the Analia)
Magic Items
(here are the official house rules regarding magic items and their creation)
Aura Interaction
("Aura Interaction" in the blanket name for a magic subsystem that I'm designing to make magic dangerous and unpredictable again in the D&D/Pathfinder rules)
History of Analia
Note: This is the canon history of Analia - however, since each of the eras is intended for play, another campaign's history has the potential to vary widely from Analia Prime.
Era I - The Age of the Elf
Map
http://i1095.photobucket.com/albums/i479/Squeejee/PoliticalMapE1.png
In this era, there is one defining force: the Elf. Civilization has only just begun to take root for the oldest of Analia's races – but while the rest of the world exists in a state of anarchy, the Elven state has extended its claws from the Five Forests to Anaur, lead by the first great elven king, Sol, for whom the sun was named.
The Sol Empire also notably includes the kobolds and centaurs to the west, who throughout this era will be in a state of insurrection. The elves have particularly racist policies in place to keep down what they see as the “barbaric humanoids,” and every non-elf that exists in their lands chafes under the establishment. In the end, this tension will lend greatly to the fall of the First Empire.
Also of note is that the Sol Empire, despite lasting over a thousand years, only has two long-lived emperors oversee its reign. The Saint-King Sol himself, who it is said died in the night so that he could conquer the sun itself in the god's realm, and his son, Avaxa. Avaxa's policies of decentralization would eventually cause the empire to quietly die under its own weight, fracturing into many separate kingdoms before the start of the next era.
In response to the Sol empire's rise, the goblin cities to the south – ever the enemies of the “frail” race – have banded together to fight the elves' expansion. The resulting Cobalt Empire has also absorbed fair numbers of lizard- and cat-folk into their ranks, creating the strongest military force in the ancient world.
Like the elves, the goblins are of the opinion that they are the most noble of the humanoid races, and as such, should be afforded greater rights within the borders of their empire than the other races. It does not cause great strife within the empire, however, because the goblins rarely have anything to do with the other races, preferring to tax and rule over only their own, and their properly conquered foes.
In fact, the declared size of the “Cobalt Empire” is greatly inflated from its actual zone of control, extending to minor civilizations with whom the goblins have long-running military alliances. It is this lack of central organization that prevents the greatest military force of the era from conquering, but allows it to mount an unmatched defense of its own lands.
Meanwhile, the halflings and gnomes of the west have formed an inter-protection agreement for the lands of “Shyren,” none of them aware of the great legacy their simple alliance will eventually create. They live a largely rural lifestyle, eschewing even the modest cities of the elves for an even simpler one. They come together only when threatened, but in this era lack the strength to stop a dedicated conqueror.
The halflings and gnomes of this period are very isolationist, usually giving medium-sized creatures only one chance to leave their land before shooting. Being the small races in a land surrounded to the north by warlike orcs and to the west by expansionist elves has made their culture a very paranoid and superstitious place.
Players in Era I
Play in this era is wild and unpredictable. Magic is a barely understood force that dominates every aspect of the world with little to no control, making prepared spellcasters of all types unavailable in this time. When venturing beyond the borders of one of the established Empires, survival should be at the forefront of the PCs minds.
Other civilizations beyond those covered in the history section exist in the wilds, but they are few and far between. Of particular note are the Orc tribes, Dwarven cities, Hobgoblin dynasties, and Yuan-Ti kingdoms on the extremes of the world – but these are all many months of travel away from one of the “civilized” nations, and have little to do with the other races.
Of particular note in this era is the encounter density. Magical beasts of all types roam the countryside virtually unchallenged, and it is not unheard of for several dragons to live in the same mountain during this period.
For adventurers, there are very few tombs to rob in this era – because there are very few great men who have been buried! Most adventures will revolve around one of the empires making a power grab, or an isolated town's defense against the darkness on the frontier.
Technology in Era I
(note: I would love for a learned person on historical weapons to help me determine what was available in the time period I'm aiming for – I'm a hobbyist, not an expert)
The technology in Era I is very limited – the obvious items to cut from the equipment lists are gunpowder weapons, swords larger than shortswords, polearms (not including longspears), and alchemical substances. Alchemist fire does exist in this era, but it is expensive and rare, generally only used by the gnomes at sea to destroy other vessels without initiating a boarding action.
In addition, weapons and items requiring a high level of craftsmanship cannot be acquired – this means rapiers, “dueling swords,” double weapons, flails, and the like. This does not mean there are no mastercraft weapons, just that forging technology has not advanced – in any part of the world – enough for complex items such as these to be made.
The popular weapons of this period are axes, longspears, curved swords, and skirmisher gear. Slings, bows, and even light crossbows (of all varieties) exist at this time, and given the weakness of armor technology are often preferable to melee weapons.
Armor in this time period is typically fashioned of bronze, though rich men with steel armor is not unheard of. Most soldiers go into battle with nothing, and the elite among them to into battle with leather or hides – usually accompanied by a wooden large or tower shield. Adventurers can usually afford the best in protection available at this time: scale mail (simply referred to as “mail”). Chain shirts don't exist, but hide shirts are common among the upper class of warriors.
Boats in this era usually only have one square sail and a single row of oars. Most boats are made square – they are slow, but make for a fine platform if the men onboard can manage to ram the enemy. The orcs and gnomes have mastered construction of longer, thinner boats that can row circles around the rest of the world's technology, but triangle masts have not been invented yet.
Other equipment is largely unchanged from this era as it is in other eras – tents are still canvas and wood, nailed into place and collapsible. Donkeys still pull carts, food is still available in a dried trail mix, and there are many, many different wines and beers brewed by the Sol empire.
Transitional Period
Going from Era I to Era II, the Kobold rebellion sees the end of elven power in the west, and emperor Avaxa's armies are withdrawn from the east. For some, this is a time of economic downturn – but for most the fall of the Empire only changes the name of the thugs collecting taxes from them. In the west, the centaurs and kobolds manage to run a democracy briefly during this time, but it turns into a republic, and then a dictatorship, very quickly. By the end of the transitional era, the kobolds and the centaurs will be self-governing again, with little hope of conquering an empire.
During the transitional era, in the Sol capital, an elf named Magnathus rises to power suddenly and unexpectedly, greeting the end of the elven age with the beginning of the clockwork age. His army and rise to power is fully explored in the Era II section.
Era II - The Age of the Machine
Map
http://i1095.photobucket.com/albums/i479/Squeejee/PoliticalMapE2.png
(in this era, the elf Magnathus raises a Clockwork Empire in an attempt to recapture the glory of the elves of the Sol Empire)
Era III - The Age of Unity
Map
http://i1095.photobucket.com/albums/i479/Squeejee/PoliticalMapE3.png
(in this era, the Titular Analian Empire begins their initial rise to power, and their efforts bring about a brief peace to the people of the world)
Sir Irax Redscale, last of his family, simply stared forward. He was a civilized kobold, his orange and red scales glittering in the sweltering desert sun underneath his prim Imperial Army uniform. The dunes in this area averaged a hundred feet high, and the army was marching in between them at Irax's direction. Just as he had been warned, the revolutionaries came down from all sides at once, hitting the supply train first.
Hundreds of savage kobold and centaur warriors, each with a curved sword and most with a bow and arrows, swarmed behind him. He looked back to see the flames of revolution engulf the supply wagons, and heard ringing in his ears the shouts of a surprise war. His halfling and orc soldiers, exhausted from days of forced marching in the unfamiliar heat, were no match for the arrows and steel of their foe. The legions tried to form into battle ranks, and were cut down.
Not like Irax. He was born in this desert - further south, to be precise, in the rough hills called Mythrilfield. When he had joined the Analian Empire, it was to better serve his home by fighting the marauding bandits and rebels in those mountains - by embracing the halfling's way of life, he had hoped to improve the lot of his family and friends. But then he saw what the halfling life really was.
They sent him to the other side of the world to participate in the War with the Orcs, the fifth such war in as many decades. They forced him to do menial clerical work because of his scales, and when the thrust of battle was upon him they promoted him to the useless position of quartermaster in a far-off village somewhere in the Frontier. A worthless place with a half dozen soldiers as its only residents, all of them war heroes like him.
Then he discovered the secret: to make it in this world, you must seize your destiny by the throat with your own teeth. He used his rank to secure a stipend, used his stipend to hire an army, and marched his army and all of its supplies into kobold territory, to participate in the ongoing rebellion. Of course, his Imperial soldiers had been given the idea that they were there to help the Empire.
The kobolds took the supplies he brought them, and Irax the Redeemed (known as Irax the Betrayer to the halflings) became one of the legendary "Temper'Ati," the twelve kobolds who finally ended the Empire's control in the east, and united all the world's kobolds into their first state, Anaur.
Preamble
So, why make a campaign world? Well, Analia dates back to my very first GMing session in fall 2009. I had just started college and joined a D&D group - but the very first meeting I showed up to, drama regarding the regular GM and a couple of the players had left five D&D players with character sheets and no adventure. Therefore, I stepped up to campaign it, creating on-the-fly the elements of the hastily-named "Analia" campaign setting to facilitate a randomly generated dungeon (which was also greatly altered on-the-fly).
Several elements of the original Analia persist in my vision today, which I will be presenting here, though many other things have changed greatly as my GMing philosophy did with experience. My main goal with this campaign setting is to create a sense of exploration and unfamiliarity even in experienced D&D/Pathfinder players, but be familiar enough that characters from any campaign and concept can be quickly converted in.
From a GM's perspective, I want Analia to be a place that can easily be developed through play. I want it to have enough history so that it feels lived in, but I want each era's outcomes to be malleable by player intervention - even the titular Analian Empire, if your players conspire against it, should be considered fair game for a massive re-write, should your campaign require it.
This setting is still being built - partially from scratch, and partly from the results of the campaign that spawned it - and as a result is mostly incomplete. I welcome feedback on all of its elements, and you can be assured that if you post here I will read it and consider it carefully.
Naming Conventions: As it happens, while I have tasked myself with fleshing out the history of this place, I am terrible at coming up with names for it. As a result of this, I consider most region names to be placeholders for now - places like Lizard Coast (a coast where a lot of Lizardfolk live) are particularly obvious, or the three mountains in Melden (Bullmount, Sundermount, and Overmount) which are named after the Power Attack feat tree. So, if you have a suggestion for re-naming anything - anything at all - feel free to post it below for consideration!
Notation: Black text is used to describe the campaign setting itself. If I were printing this in a book, the black text would be the paragraphs in the body of each page.
Blue text is used to describe variant rules and other non-standard options. If this were a book, blue text would be contained in sidebars.
Red text is used to mark sections that are beyond incomplete - sections I have either not started yet or have so little information in them as to be nonfunctional.
Orange text is used to mark sections that are partially functional, but have major sections yet to be added.
Quote boxes are the places where I will be putting "director's commentary," so to speak. Information as to why I've made certain decisions, reasons for changes, and other content of a very meta-game application will be in these boxes.
World of Analia
World Map
http://i1095.photobucket.com/albums/i479/Squeejee/GeographicMap.png
World Regions
(every major region on the world map will be listed here, in alphabetical order, and given a writeup of the area's history and notable places)
People of Analia
Races - Fluff
Anthropological Map
http://i1095.photobucket.com/albums/i479/Squeejee/AnthropologicalMap.png
Catfolk
(agile catlike fey)
Centaurs
(tough horselike fey)
Dwarves
(tough mountain dwellers)
Elves, Lana
(agile elves)
Elves, Lena
(wise elves)
Elves, Luna
(strong elves)
Elves, Sol
(charismatic elves)
Elves, Wild
(tough elves)
Frost Giants
(tough mountain giants)
Gith
(green-skinned caste society)
Gnolls
(strong, doglike survivalists)
Gnomes
(smart, magical fey)
Goblins
(strong imperialist fey)
Halflings
(agile imperialist fey)
Hill Giants
(strong mountain giants)
Hobgoblins
(tough imperialist fey)
Kobolds
(charismatic lizardlike desert-dwellers)
Lizardfolk
(strong lizardlike mountain-dwellers)
Merefolk
(wise fishlike ocean-dwellers)
Ogres
(strong plains giants)
Orcs
(small organized ogres)
Slaad
(wise froglike fey)
Trolls
(tough plains giants)
Yuan-ti
(smart snakelike fey)
Xeldans
(agile birdlike fey)
Races - Crunch
Catfolk
Ability Modifiers: +2 Dex, +2 Con, -2 Str
Size / Reach: Medium, 5ft
Speed: 40 ft land speed – catfolk are very quick-footed.
Senses: Low-light vision, +2 to Perception checks – catfolk are renowned for their keen eyes and ears.
Culture: +2 to Survival and Stealth checks – catfolk culture demands these skills of every member, as they are usually a nomadic people.
Reactive: +4 to Initiative checks – catfolk are capable of appraising and reacting to a dangerous situation very quickly.
Weapon Proficiencies: Catfolk are automatically proficient with all southern continent martial weapons, and treat southern continent exotic weapons as marital for the purpose of proficiency in them.
Centaurs
Ability Modifiers: +2 Str, +2 Wis, -2 Int
Size / Reach: Large (long), 5ft.
Speed: 50 ft land speed – centaurs are part horse, what did you expect?
Culture: +2 to Survival and Knowledge (choose one) – centaurs are typically nomadic, but they prize knowledge and seek it out whenever they can.
Rough: Centaurs gain a +2 bonus on the following checks and saves: Swim checks made to resist nonlethal damage from exhaustion; Constitution checks made to continue running; Constitution checks made to avoid nonlethal damage from a forced march; Constitution checks made to hold your breath; Constitution checks made to avoid nonlethal damage from starvation or thirst; Fortitude saves made to avoid nonlethal damage from hot or cold environments; and Fortitude saves made to resist damage from suffocation.
Weapon Proficiencies: Catfolk are automatically proficient with all eastern continent martial weapons, and treat eastern continent exotic weapons as marital for the purpose of proficiency in them.
Dwarves
Ability Modifiers: +2 Con, +2 Wis, -2 Cha
Size / Reach: Medium, 5ft.
Speed: 20 ft land speed, but never modified by encumbrance – dwarves are slow and steady.
Senses: Low-light and Darkvision 60 – dwarves live underground, and have adapted well to it.
Culture: +2 to Craft (choose one) and Knowledge (choose one), and +2 to perception and appraise checks directly relating to stone or metal – dwarves have an excellent education system, and learn to ply a trade at an early age, but every dwarf knows the basics of the rock and metal that built their society.
Stone Stomach: Dwarves can digest anything, and gain a +2 racial bonus to all saving throws and skill checks related to something they ingest. If need be, they can avoid starvation by eating rocks, dirt, trees – you name it.
Traplord: Though not famous for it as kobolds are, dwarves are masters of traps and receive a +2 bonus to all attack rolls, checks, saves, and their AC versus traps, and may notice them simply by passing within 10 feet of one. Dwarves may find traps with a DC above 20 as a rogue can.
Weapon Proficiencies: Dwarves are automatically proficient with all eastern continent martial weapons, and treat eastern continent exotic weapons as marital for the purpose of proficiency in them.
Elves, Lana
Ability Modifiers: +2 Dex, +2 Int, -2 Wis
Size / Reach: Medium, 5ft.
Speed: 30 ft land speed
Senses: Low-light vison, +2 to perception checks – all elves have fey senses.
Culture: +2 to and Survival checks – the Lanawood is located along the coast, and lana elves learn to survive both in the forest and on the water.
Elven Magic: Elves gain a +2 bonus to saves versus spells and spell-like effects.
Semi-aquatic: A lana elf can hold their breath twenty times longer than a normal air breather. In addition, a lana elf gains a +4 bonus to swim checks and may always take 10 on a swim check.
Weapon Proficiencies: Elves are automatically proficient with all western continent martial weapons, and treat western continent exotic weapons as marital for the purpose of proficiency in them.
Elves, Lena
Ability Modifiers: +2 Wis, +2 Int, -2 Str
Size / Reach: Medium, 5ft.
Speed: 30 ft land speed
Senses: Low-light vison, +2 to perception checks – all elves have fey senses.
Culture: +2 to and Survival checks – the Lanawood is located along the coast, and lana elves learn to survive both in the forest and on the water.
Elven Magic: Elves gain a +2 bonus to saves versus spells and spell-like effects.
Semi-aquatic: A lana elf can hold their breath twenty times longer than a normal air breather. In addition, a lana elf gains a +4 bonus to swim checks and may always take 10 on a swim check.
Weapon Proficiencies: Elves are automatically proficient with all western continent martial weapons, and treat western continent exotic weapons as marital for the purpose of proficiency in them.
Elves, Luna
(strong elves)
Elves, Sol
(charismatic elves)
Elves, Wild
(tough elves)
Frost Giants
(tough mountain giants)
Gith
(green-skinned caste society)
Gnolls
(strong, doglike survivalists)
Gnomes
(smart, magical fey)
Goblins
(strong imperialist fey)
Halflings
(agile imperialist fey)
Hill Giants
(strong mountain giants)
Hobgoblins
(tough imperialist fey)
Kobolds
(charismatic lizardlike desert-dwellers)
Lizardfolk
(strong lizardlike mountain-dwellers)
Merefolk
(wise fishlike ocean-dwellers)
Ogres
(strong plains giants)
Orcs
(small organized ogres)
Slaad
(wise froglike fey)
Trolls
(tough plains giants)
Yuan-ti
(smart snakelike fey)
Xeldans
(agile birdlike fey)
Magic in Analia
Fluff
(here is what makes magic in Analia different from magic in other campaign settings)
Spellcasters
(here are the official house rules regarding spellcasters in the Analia)
Magic Items
(here are the official house rules regarding magic items and their creation)
Aura Interaction
("Aura Interaction" in the blanket name for a magic subsystem that I'm designing to make magic dangerous and unpredictable again in the D&D/Pathfinder rules)
History of Analia
Note: This is the canon history of Analia - however, since each of the eras is intended for play, another campaign's history has the potential to vary widely from Analia Prime.
Era I - The Age of the Elf
Map
http://i1095.photobucket.com/albums/i479/Squeejee/PoliticalMapE1.png
In this era, there is one defining force: the Elf. Civilization has only just begun to take root for the oldest of Analia's races – but while the rest of the world exists in a state of anarchy, the Elven state has extended its claws from the Five Forests to Anaur, lead by the first great elven king, Sol, for whom the sun was named.
The Sol Empire also notably includes the kobolds and centaurs to the west, who throughout this era will be in a state of insurrection. The elves have particularly racist policies in place to keep down what they see as the “barbaric humanoids,” and every non-elf that exists in their lands chafes under the establishment. In the end, this tension will lend greatly to the fall of the First Empire.
Also of note is that the Sol Empire, despite lasting over a thousand years, only has two long-lived emperors oversee its reign. The Saint-King Sol himself, who it is said died in the night so that he could conquer the sun itself in the god's realm, and his son, Avaxa. Avaxa's policies of decentralization would eventually cause the empire to quietly die under its own weight, fracturing into many separate kingdoms before the start of the next era.
In response to the Sol empire's rise, the goblin cities to the south – ever the enemies of the “frail” race – have banded together to fight the elves' expansion. The resulting Cobalt Empire has also absorbed fair numbers of lizard- and cat-folk into their ranks, creating the strongest military force in the ancient world.
Like the elves, the goblins are of the opinion that they are the most noble of the humanoid races, and as such, should be afforded greater rights within the borders of their empire than the other races. It does not cause great strife within the empire, however, because the goblins rarely have anything to do with the other races, preferring to tax and rule over only their own, and their properly conquered foes.
In fact, the declared size of the “Cobalt Empire” is greatly inflated from its actual zone of control, extending to minor civilizations with whom the goblins have long-running military alliances. It is this lack of central organization that prevents the greatest military force of the era from conquering, but allows it to mount an unmatched defense of its own lands.
Meanwhile, the halflings and gnomes of the west have formed an inter-protection agreement for the lands of “Shyren,” none of them aware of the great legacy their simple alliance will eventually create. They live a largely rural lifestyle, eschewing even the modest cities of the elves for an even simpler one. They come together only when threatened, but in this era lack the strength to stop a dedicated conqueror.
The halflings and gnomes of this period are very isolationist, usually giving medium-sized creatures only one chance to leave their land before shooting. Being the small races in a land surrounded to the north by warlike orcs and to the west by expansionist elves has made their culture a very paranoid and superstitious place.
Players in Era I
Play in this era is wild and unpredictable. Magic is a barely understood force that dominates every aspect of the world with little to no control, making prepared spellcasters of all types unavailable in this time. When venturing beyond the borders of one of the established Empires, survival should be at the forefront of the PCs minds.
Other civilizations beyond those covered in the history section exist in the wilds, but they are few and far between. Of particular note are the Orc tribes, Dwarven cities, Hobgoblin dynasties, and Yuan-Ti kingdoms on the extremes of the world – but these are all many months of travel away from one of the “civilized” nations, and have little to do with the other races.
Of particular note in this era is the encounter density. Magical beasts of all types roam the countryside virtually unchallenged, and it is not unheard of for several dragons to live in the same mountain during this period.
For adventurers, there are very few tombs to rob in this era – because there are very few great men who have been buried! Most adventures will revolve around one of the empires making a power grab, or an isolated town's defense against the darkness on the frontier.
Technology in Era I
(note: I would love for a learned person on historical weapons to help me determine what was available in the time period I'm aiming for – I'm a hobbyist, not an expert)
The technology in Era I is very limited – the obvious items to cut from the equipment lists are gunpowder weapons, swords larger than shortswords, polearms (not including longspears), and alchemical substances. Alchemist fire does exist in this era, but it is expensive and rare, generally only used by the gnomes at sea to destroy other vessels without initiating a boarding action.
In addition, weapons and items requiring a high level of craftsmanship cannot be acquired – this means rapiers, “dueling swords,” double weapons, flails, and the like. This does not mean there are no mastercraft weapons, just that forging technology has not advanced – in any part of the world – enough for complex items such as these to be made.
The popular weapons of this period are axes, longspears, curved swords, and skirmisher gear. Slings, bows, and even light crossbows (of all varieties) exist at this time, and given the weakness of armor technology are often preferable to melee weapons.
Armor in this time period is typically fashioned of bronze, though rich men with steel armor is not unheard of. Most soldiers go into battle with nothing, and the elite among them to into battle with leather or hides – usually accompanied by a wooden large or tower shield. Adventurers can usually afford the best in protection available at this time: scale mail (simply referred to as “mail”). Chain shirts don't exist, but hide shirts are common among the upper class of warriors.
Boats in this era usually only have one square sail and a single row of oars. Most boats are made square – they are slow, but make for a fine platform if the men onboard can manage to ram the enemy. The orcs and gnomes have mastered construction of longer, thinner boats that can row circles around the rest of the world's technology, but triangle masts have not been invented yet.
Other equipment is largely unchanged from this era as it is in other eras – tents are still canvas and wood, nailed into place and collapsible. Donkeys still pull carts, food is still available in a dried trail mix, and there are many, many different wines and beers brewed by the Sol empire.
Transitional Period
Going from Era I to Era II, the Kobold rebellion sees the end of elven power in the west, and emperor Avaxa's armies are withdrawn from the east. For some, this is a time of economic downturn – but for most the fall of the Empire only changes the name of the thugs collecting taxes from them. In the west, the centaurs and kobolds manage to run a democracy briefly during this time, but it turns into a republic, and then a dictatorship, very quickly. By the end of the transitional era, the kobolds and the centaurs will be self-governing again, with little hope of conquering an empire.
During the transitional era, in the Sol capital, an elf named Magnathus rises to power suddenly and unexpectedly, greeting the end of the elven age with the beginning of the clockwork age. His army and rise to power is fully explored in the Era II section.
Era II - The Age of the Machine
Map
http://i1095.photobucket.com/albums/i479/Squeejee/PoliticalMapE2.png
(in this era, the elf Magnathus raises a Clockwork Empire in an attempt to recapture the glory of the elves of the Sol Empire)
Era III - The Age of Unity
Map
http://i1095.photobucket.com/albums/i479/Squeejee/PoliticalMapE3.png
(in this era, the Titular Analian Empire begins their initial rise to power, and their efforts bring about a brief peace to the people of the world)