Vote Up A Campaign Setting 2: Discussion Thread

[Kuzon]

That's not really appropriate for such a young setting, but I'll be happy to steal the concept. Zihaja would totally do something like that.

by all means, take it if it's of use. it's not often that i'm actually helpful around here


let's see, for more ideas for this setting: giant floating mountain/cave island--upside down. gravity is rather unstable here, so outer chunks tend to fall off onto the ground below--or chunks of the earth below can get pulled up and added to the island. normally someone would be able to walk around without getting a headrush-to-end-all-headrushes, but you're likely to fall off if you're not careful.

it is currently infested with very large insects who've honeycombed the place with an expansive series of tunnels--surprisingly this lends some structural stability (unfortunately this has no effect on the wonky gravity inherent in the region) to the island, so using the tunnels can be a safe way to travel, provided you can fight off the hordes of bugs, and keep your bearings despite which way is 'up' being prone to changing sharply.

i realize this could be condensed, but i'm running on no sleep here.

[afroakuma]

I've seen several things I've liked so far. I'm going to take the best of these as well as what the Build Team has and work with them for the moment.

Now, to continue directed discussion, a topic that has stirred great debate among the Build Team (and is certainly of interest to the playerbase as well):

MOOOOONSTEEEEERS!

Ideas on new monsters are... a highly secondary concern at this point. What I'm really looking for discussion on is the SRD List of Monsters; specifically as regards which ones deserve inclusion, which ones could be included with some fluff tailoring, and which ones you feel don't stand well with the setting's flavor.

The Rules:

• Ignore the list of animals for now, I don't feel like getting into that.
• No dinosaurs.
• Monsters from the SRD list only. No Product Identity creatures (beholders, mind flayers etc.), monsters from other published sources, existing homebrew monsters and the like.
• No petitioning for dinosaurs.
• Provide your rationale behind your decisions.
• Like seriously, no dinosaurs.
• Don't go down the whole bloody list. Reading through those is tedious. Someone else will cover something else, and a majority of the SRD list will be used. Try to keep it down to a few at a time so that I can read it.
• First person to suggest a dinosaur gets shot in the face.
• If you think something can fit with mild fluff alterations, make sure they are mild and provide your concept. If it would come to a complete overhaul, then it's not worth it.

Have fun! And no dinosaurs.

[Thinker]

Animated Object

The world is alive with magic. It should not be unexpected to come across animated objects of all sorts. Fallen branches, boulders, clouds, and unattended objects of all sorts make excellent fodder for animated objects to be in the setting.

[Omeganaut]

Archons, and other such angelic or demonic creatures couldn't exist because there isn't an established Good/Evil rivalry, at least as I understand this world. However, they, and others like them, could work if they were refluffed as partially powerful gods. Same for Demons and Devils.

Elementals are a must. I'd even like more, but I understand that's not exactly what's on the floor right now.

No Golems, I don't see someone having discovered them already. Possibly re fluffed as some form of animated matter.

Lichs I could see as powerful gods, but not really as mortals. Rakhasa should likewise be gods.

Tarrasque; Maybe a life experiment gone wrong?

[Ajadea]

Mephits fit well with the Infinite Gods flavor in my mind- Small creatures made of [element] with dominion over [X] bit of the element. This seems like the crunch you could use for 'God of that particular fire in that one hearth' and 'God of that one big puddle over there'.

Phasms fit well with the 'unfinished world' theme. I mean, they basically can transform themselves into anything, kinda like all those 'scapes on the edge where it's still not done.

Inevitables, however, seem like a terrible idea considering the lack of Law as a defined force. They are like extraplanar police...in a city where 'law enforcement' is nonsense.

[Shadow Lord]

Animated Object

The world is alive with magic. It should not be unexpected to come across animated objects of all sorts. Fallen branches, boulders, clouds, and unattended objects of all sorts make excellent fodder for animated objects to be in the setting.

Animated... clouds? That scares me. Alot.

[Darkkwalker]

Assassin Vine Jungle theme. Enough said.

Arrowhawk I can see whole colonies of these living in trees. Or if the floating island biome is included, in there. Descending like a plague of locusts to ravage the earth.

Dire animals These should be everywhere. Big forest, big animals.

Tendriculos Again, living forest theme.

Dryads gods of different trees. Scale power with size and age.

Lillend I can see a village of these living in the trees. If re-fluffed to have more males, a whole empire. even though the world is too young for that yet. They have always struck me as a jungle inhabitant.

/justifications and monsters

[Violet Octopus]

Purple Worms could use some breaking away from sandworm tropes. Since they have a swim speed, they could be an amphibious predator that dwells in the mangroves, or if there's enough really huge trees in the setting, their burrow speed could reflect some need to parasitise from them.

Ravids could be a manifestation of the world's creative force, making itself intelligent so it can force life into places where it normally wouldn't reach. Their serpentine bodies let them find their way into thin underground passages and fissures. Crunch-wise, they would need some ritual-like ability to create permanent life, not just temporary animated objects.

[Kuzon]

i'm cool with anything, so long as there are large reptilian things trying to eat you.

[Fable Wright]

I could see Formians in this setting, surprisingly. A small force that is trying to build and stabilize reality. With workers having the power to repair creatures and objects, taskmasters to 'recruit' monsters with skill sets out of the normal formian reach and warriors to be expendable mooks, they can actually try to bring order to the ragged edges of reality, becoming some of the world's first Law-aligned creatures.

Lycanthropes seem like a decent idea for this setting- they had their essence tainted by another animal, and so they shift between one form at another. Could make for interesting combinations in this still-changing world, with were-tarrasques and were-dung beetles.

[Recherché]

A little off topic but ...

Kelpnets .needs a better name)

To understand what a kelpnet is, one must understand their lifecycle. A kelpnet begins life as a seed, vine, or cutting shed from an existing net. Assuming the seedlings manages to find some shallow water such as a marsh, estuary, or shoreline, the seedling will put down roots in the seabed and grow several long stalks that reach above the water into the air above. At this stage the kelpnet is only a plant without any means of movement or any intelligence.

Once the kelpnet is well established it will start creating a complex network of woven vines just above and below the waterline. This netting traps and consumes any passing. plankton, bacteria, or very small animals, and then excites the remains above the watering. These remains slowly build up into a type of soil. The netting also functions as a rudimentary brain. By the end of this lifestage the kelpnet looks like a small island covered in lush vegetation, while actually surviving off a mix of eating plankton and photosynthesis, and is marginally intelligent.

The kelpnet's metamorphosis into the final and most dramatic stage of its life is the most bizarre. The kelpnet literally.pulls up its roots from the soil in which they were anchored and becomes a mobile organism. The former roots become paddle-like vines, which the kelpnet uses to steer and propel itself as it takes to the open sea.

Adult kelpnets roam the seas following the sun and greatest concentrations of plankton to eat, while trying to avoid any predators that would try to eat them. The adult kelpnet has a well developed neural vine network giving them an intelligence that compares favorably with an average dog, though they are by no means sentient.

Kelpnets tend towards cautious and skittish personalities, so they normally try to avoid ships and people in general. However it is somewhat common for a a ship to come across a resting kelpnet and mistake it for an island. Landing on the "island" invariably wakes them up and spooks them. The suprised plant immediately tries to run away from the intruders taking any sailors that have disembarked on the ride of their life.

Many sentients tame kelpnets to use as transportation. Kelpnets appreciate someone removing parasites such other plants animals living on them and enjoy treats of fertilizer and fresh water fed to their nets. Although kelpnets cannot understand most forms of communication, due to their lack of eyes or ears, they can be taught to understand morse code like rhythms of stamping on them, and can respond by moving their leaves or vibrating their nets (commonly referred to as "purring.") Even without these measures a kelpnet can be easily steered by means of a bright light, or food, and the kelpnets instinct to head towards light and greater concentrations of food in the water.

A few enterprising groups have begun to breed kelpnets for locality, speed, and edible fruit production, however these.new breeds are rare and most kelpnet owners capture and train wild ones. In summary, remember what the kelpnet captains always say "Treat your net well and it will take you to the end of the world in style and comfort."

[Thinker]

A little off topic but ...

Kelpnets .needs a better name)

Please refrain from using non-SRD monsters, as indicated by the rules:

The Rules:

• Ignore the list of animals for now, I don't feel like getting into that.
• No dinosaurs.
• Monsters from the SRD list only. No Product Identity creatures (beholders, mind flayers etc.), monsters from other published sources, existing homebrew monsters and the like.
• No petitioning for dinosaurs.
• Provide your rationale behind your decisions.
• Like seriously, no dinosaurs.
• Don't go down the whole bloody list. Reading through those is tedious. Someone else will cover something else, and a majority of the SRD list will be used. Try to keep it down to a few at a time so that I can read it.
• First person to suggest a dinosaur gets shot in the face.
• If you think something can fit with mild fluff alterations, make sure they are mild and provide your concept. If it would come to a complete overhaul, then it's not worth it.

Have fun! And no dinosaurs.

[afroakuma]

i'm cool with anything, so long as there are large reptilian things trying to eat you.

I call them dragons. *warms up the decapitator*

[Zeta Kai]

i DuNnO gUyS
Help me!
iT sUrE sEeMs LiKe ThIs SeTtInG nEeDs SoMe DiNoSaUrS
Afro is controlling my mind!!
iTs A yOuNg JuNgLy IsLaNd WoRld So It NeEdS tO hAvE dInOsAuRs SeRiOuSlY
He only wants an excuse to kill me in public!!!
aLsO iT nEeDs ElVeS nO jOkE HELP!!!!

[Omeganaut]

Wow, I didn't even see that Afro didn't like dinosaurs. I almost talked about them too... That was close!While we are talking about it, they could work as rare creations.
Thank god for my incredible powers of luck.

[afroakuma]

*murders everything*

[Eldan]

Let's talk about Terror Lizards, instead. I particularly like the Fast Thief Lizard and the Unlawful Ruler Lizard King.

[Kuzon]

I call them dragons. *warms up the decapitator*

and I call them dino--HURRK

[Thinker]

I think that the Chaos Beast makes a lot of sense. It changes forms regularly because it is unstable, just as you might imagine some creatures would be that were too close to unstable magic.

[Zeta Kai]

I think that the Chaos Beast makes a lot of sense. It changes forms regularly because it is unstable, just as you might imagine some creatures would be that were too close to unstable magic.

Phasms would also be fitting, for the same reason.

[paddyfool]

A few which might not fit so well are some of the ancient greek (medusa, minotaur) or babylonian (lammusu) monsters, or most Fae. Many abominations are still fair game, though. Mixed feelings on Giants - without humans, they might need some refluffing in basic form, to be giant versions of something else.

[Othniel Edden]

Humans were the first race in the setting...

[Zeta Kai]

A few which might not fit so well are some of the ancient greek (medusa, minotaur) or babylonian (lammusu) monsters, or most Fae. Many abominations are still fair game, though. Mixed feelings on Giants - without humans, they might need some refluffing in basic form, to be giant versions of something else.

I don't see a problem with any of these, necessarily, especially fey. I think that fey are very fitting for this setting. They are nature spirits in a world still teeming with the first energies of creation, a world still in the chaotic flux of its birth, & one populated with a countless number of tiny gods. Why wouldn't fey spontaneously form from the frothy tumult of the unformed Beyond?

[Omeganaut]

Fae could work, but you would need to take out the whole fluff about their age as well as the different courts. I don't see them having time to set those up yet. You could still alter their powers, it would just be that each group was created slightly differently.

[Othniel Edden]

I could see Grey Renders being impressed and used as natural laborers throughout the world. This type of domestication could develop later on, but I think they could fill the role of being giant humanoid shaped elephants.

Gricks fit the savagry present in this world.

[TravelLog]

Tendriculos, Girallons, and Thoqquas for the jungle.

Krakens and Sahaugin for the ocean.

[DracoDei]

I think that if you go by Core then the Fey are a great fit for this world. Maybe something got added in some splatbook (including effecting the ones in the MM) that changes this, but that is easy enough to undo.

Giants sound good to me too... as in "Why NOT giants?", plus, between Frost Giants and Titans, they figure into a lot of basic mythology from RL, so having them around seems appropriate.

Dragons are good if only colonies of as a bunch of wyrmlings and/or very youngs who are part of the initial populations of their species, and are thus without biological parents. Besides, the inside joke of having NO In-Character idea how powerful a force you influenced when you interact with a dragon suits me just fine.

[Zeta Kai]

Dragons are good if only colonies of as a bunch of wyrmlings and/or very youngs who are part of the initial populations of their species, and are thus without biological parents. Besides, the inside joke of having NO In-Character idea how powerful a force you influenced when you interact with a dragon suits me just fine.

I second this. Sure, they look small & perhaps even a little weak, but they will grow to be a force to be reckoned with. They might even be threatened by various other powers, & in need of saving themselves. Those who help them will be remembered as a friend of the dragons for all time. Those who seek to slay them will be remembered, as well, as the ones who sought to rid the world of their ilk...

[Kuzon]

"Woah scaly! You've really grown these last few centuries, what do you eat to get that big?"

[Lappy9000]

Giving the people what they want.