[PF] The Barrier World - a world in progress

[Silus]

I'm going to warn you right now, this first post is gonna be pretty content heavy and will be sectioned up via spoilers. I'll try to cram in all the campaign information that I currently have in here to give people an idea of where I am with regards to world building and what I need to work on (and what I need help on). Expect the first post to be edited as I go.

Well let's get this train wreck underway.

NEW, BETTER THREAD FOUND HERE.

Spoiler: This post discontinued.

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Spoiler: Map (Updated)

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The premise of the world

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The world (current placeholder name is "The Barrier World") is broken up into two time periods, which will be discussed below.

Before the fall

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Before the fall, the Barrier World was a rising star in the interplanetary and interplanar community. Technology was on the rise and its integration with magic was already wide-spread enough that even common folk had at least one "magitech" device. Magic itself, while at an all time low in practitioners at the time, was still prominent enough for things like guilds and unions to be formed and where enrolling at an arcane college was akin to going to a real world college.

However, things were not all sunshine and rainbows. The gods of the world, and there were quite a few, were, well, jerks. Changing their edicts on a whim, starting holy wars because they were bored, that sort of thing. On any other world, the mortals likely would have eventually dropped religion altogether or formed "better" gods and goddesses. But that was not the case, seeing as the gods were active (very active) in the world to the point that most nations had some sort of theocracy built into their government. There were a handful of Gods and Goddesses that, near the end, decided to "opt out" of Godhood and force themselves semi-mortal (these will be discussed later).

Near the end, the Barrier World was in the process of becoming a police state by various interplanetary and interplanar powers (more on these later) that saw the rampant deity shenanigans as potentially dangerous for the universal community. Planar travel was greatly curbed, as was religious worship. This would have resulted in an all out war between the "peace keepers" and the people of the Barrier World had the Barrier not been erected.

After the fall

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1000 years after the Barrier was erected, people have all but forgotten about the age before, save for a handful of ancient elves that have clung onto life. The world is just getting back on its feet in a technological sense, pioneering steam power and clockwork. There is a larger rift between magic and technology now, with very little integration of the two. Countries are little more than vague borders now. This is, of course, a great improvement from a few hundred years after the Barrier went up. Upon losing contact with the non-semi-mortal Gods and Goddesses who for the most part went into seclusion, the mortals sparked off war after war after war, be it civil, religious or straight up militaristic. Cities were leveled, thousands killed and much technology lost. It eventually hit people that the Gods were not coming back and that they'd have to forge their own path. As of now, the concept of actual Gods and Goddesses is little more than myth and legend buried deep in ancient tomes.

Magic is far more prominent now with even basic magical cantrips being taught in schools. Divine magic however (barring druidic) is at an all time low. The reason is that there are no more gods. Well, no more "legitimate" gods. The churches now are few and far between, with the clergy being small, but very experienced. In addition, planar travel has been totally cut off. Nothing gets into the barrier, nothing gets out of the barrier. Like the Gods and Goddesses, creatures like Angels and Devils and Demons have been relegated to little more than stories.

Any obvious ruins that exist of the world before the Barrier have been picked clean, though there are many more that have been buried, sealed or simply forgotten. These range from lost or destroyed cities, ancient air-docks or even sealed research centers. There are precious few of the "typical" ruins and dungeons that exist on other worlds. You are more likely to stumble upon a sealed research lab dedicated to biological tampering of flora than a doorless obsidian spire home to an ageless lichee cleric set to conquer the world. That's not to say that the lab is any less deadly. In truth, the lab is possibly MORE dangerous due to the possibility of whatever that is alive inside getting out and wrecking the ecosystem.

On the Player Races

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This is mostly in regard how the player-races have been altered for natives of the world. Other than those listed here, the main core races are also used. Stats for the races can be found after the FAQ.

Drow: The Drow on the Barrier World are not "true" Drow, those being the corrupt and debased Elves that swore allegiance to Lloth. They've taken the Drow practice of Fleshwarping to artistic and utilitarian levels, providing a service for whoever can pay for it. Want wings, a tail or other altered appendage? Go see a Drow. Almost the entire race is unrestricted by scientific morals and rarely stop to ask "What's the worst that could happen?".

Orcs: For the most part, Orcs fall into the noble savage category. They prefer their tribes and clans be left alone by the majority of the outside world. Unlike many of the other races (barring the Harpies), Orcs tend to forego technology and arcane magics in excess. Far more wise than the "civilized" races give them credit for, the Orcs have a healthy respect for the pre-apocalypse technology, but are aware that their misuse has the potential to lead to another such apocalypse, or at least the highly destructive wars that followed the world being shunted over. Of course, with every race and civilization, there are those that do not share the ideals of the others. Fanatical tribes of Orcs dedicated to the destruction of technology are not unknown and have begun giving the race as a whole a bad name. In recent years, the native Orc tribes in the Queen's Lands and the Principality of the Moon have been forced out, resettling in the southern jungles.

(Lesser) Centaurs: Lesser Centaurs, often simply referred to as City Centaurs or 'Taurs, are a subrace of centaur that have taken to living in more civilized locals. They are noticeably smaller than "proper" centaurs, but are more technologically minded, able to wield firearms with unusual proficiency. While horse, pony and donkey breeds are the most common, deer, elk and non-hoofed varieties are also known, depending on location (No change to stats, differentiation is purely cosmetic on a mechanical standpoint). It is thanks to Centaur gunsmiths that the Gear Wastes was even settled. The Golem-Stopper rifles, modified from pre-apocalypse anti-material rifles with the assistance of magic, helped level the playing field between the settlers and the clockwork monstrosities of the Wastes. As Centaurs don't have a land of their own, most have begun settling the generally neutral territory of the Gear Wastes and tend to be responsible for most of the large-profit kills (Due to their natural affinity for firearms and their ability to haul far larger kills than non-quadruped races).

Spoiler: Stats (WIP)

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Lesser Centaur (City)
Monstrous Humanoid

• Darkvision 60ft

Medium
Normal Speed
Standard Ability Spread

• +2 Strength, +2 Wisdom, -2 Intelligence

Standard Language

• Common, Centaur

Powerful Charge

• Deals x2 the damage dice with natural weapons on a charge + 1 1/2 strength

Fast

• +10ft base speed

Quadruped

• +4 racial CMD vs trip, +10ft base speed

Small Hands

• Treated as Small for purposes of equipment sizes (Wields small sized weapons)

Stable Platform

• Is able to wield medium-sized firearms and crossbows with no penalty.

Weapon Familiarity

• Musket, Bastard Sword

Natural Attack

• Hoof (Counts as Medium)

Kicks like a mule

• +2 Hoof damage and attack when flanked

Lesser Harpies: A tribal species, Lesser Harpies are often found in mountain colonies, though civilized tribes are not unheard of. As a race, they are not evil, though are often mistaken for their evil True Harpy counterparts (A myth on the Barrier World). Lesser Harpies are, as a rule, all female, but posses the ability to interbreed with other humanoid species. Such pairings always result in Lesser Harpies, though these offspring posses traits indicative of their father's heritage. Like the Centaurs, Harpies don't have a proper nation of their own. Instead they are broken into clans and tribes often situated in the various mountain ranges. The governments of the more civilized nations have long ago stopped trying to govern the tribes and simply tolerate the tribes in their borders. Harpies tend to have a combination of oral history and a crude written history, though some near more civilized lands have the opportunity to receive a somewhat formal education.

Spoiler: Stats (Final)

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Lesser Harpy
Monstrous Humanoid

• Darkvision 60ft

Medium
Normal Speed
Standard Ability spread

• +2 Dex, +2 Cha, -2 Con

Light as a Feather

• -2 on CMD checks

Standard Languages

• Common, Harpy

Flight

• Fly Speed 30, clumsy maneuverability

Skill Training

• Fly and Acrobatics

Musically Inclined

• +2 DC on spells with the [Sonic] Descriptor.

Natural Attack

• Talons 1d6

The Queen's Lands

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Individuals of note

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As mentioned above in the first section, several Gods and Goddesses opted out of deity-hood and forced themselves semi-mortal. This occurred for various reasons, all around the time the Barrier was put up. Thus far, there are five known Gods and Goddesses that have survived into the current era.

The Queen: The "weakest" of the surviving five, The Queen holds court in a stretch of forest known as "The Fairywood", one of the few names that has endured from before the Barrier. Though people simple refer to her as "The Queen", she actively controls little land--The Fairywood and the city of Temaria that lies at the southern edge of the forest. However, she unofficially controls a massive expanse of land simply known as "The Queen's Land" (More on this later). Once a Goddess of the home and hearth, she was one of the first to opt out of Goddess-hood to pursue a method for preserving the mortals of the world and cutting off the influence of extraplaner creatures and "cruel" deities. Has taken the form of a young elf and has gone by the name Ju'Leah. (In game, lvl 20 Fey-Blooded Elf Sorcerer, Mythic 10)

The Librarian: A former Goddess of knowledge and literature, The Librarian turned quasi-mortal upon the sacking and burning of several of her temples by a rogue god. She, along with the others presented here, worked closely with The Queen to find a way to cut off the world from the other Gods. A recluse by nature, The Librarian secluded herself away in the last of her temples out in the desert and has not been seen for some time. Her likeness however adorns several murals and statues in and around large libraries and centers of learning in The Queen's Lands. Has taken the form of a female Sphinx and, much to the amusement of the other Gods, prefers to go by Lily now that she is quasi-mortal. (In game, lvl 20 Mythic Sphinx Wizard, Mythic 10)

The Oracle: A God (or some say a conglomeration of Gods) generally associated with fortune telling and divinations. He, or rather It, was the third God to give up Godhood to help The Queen with her Barrier project. It in fact lent Its aid not because It believed it would work (it would) or because It agreed that it was the right course of action (It didn't much care), but rather because It foresaw that it would be needed later down the line when things went inevitably wrong. Has taken up residency in a high hollow in the planet's World Tree and has taken the form of a massive swarm of spiders. (In game, lvl 20 variant Worm-That-Walks Oracle, Mythic 10)

The Warlord: The last of the known five Gods and Goddesses to give up their Godhood. In recent years he's retired to a remote monastery in the northern mountains of The Queen's Land, but just after the Barrier went up, he was leading armies across the battlefield for blood and glory. Now that things have settled down, he's taking a well deserved break. Polite, honorable and unusually generous, he's taken a dual form of a massive skeletal dragon and that of an older, yet handsome looking human male that seems more akin to a butler than a conquerer. (In game, lvl 20 Red Dragon Ravener Fighter, Mythic 10)

The Exiled: The Exiled was once a Goddess of Travel and Protection from before the Barrier. As such, she was worshiped by spacers and interplanar travelers. While siblings, the Queen and the Exiled had a massive falling out over the Barrier Project. While the Queen wanted to remove the world from the influence of the other Gods, the Exiled instead opted for a more violent solution. She proposed the creation of a God Slayer beast as an engine of deicide. Upon discovering her sister's experimentations and the lengths she had already gone to, the Queen exiled her own sister moments before activating the Barrier. The Exiled now waits for her agents to locate her world, destroy the barrier and allow her access once more. Bitter, spiteful and changed by the forces in the dark reaches of space, she wants nothing less than the death of her sister and the subjugation of her world. (In game, lvl 20 Shae Void-Blooded Sorcerer, Mythic 10)

The Altveri Coalition: Simply referred to as "The Coalition", they act as interplanetary watchdogs who's primary goals are peacekeeping and infestation control. The infestation in question is that of Akata, a spaceborn species that reproduce by infecting humanoids with their young via bites. Infestations can grow so large and out of control that the only option is total chemical warfare, often killing civilians in the process. This, while distasteful, is often seen as necessary, as such action is only undertaken in cases of rampant and overwhelming infestation. When not clearing infestations, the Coalition provides services as private military contractors and general peacekeepers of the spaceways. Before the Barrier, they had a large outpost on the planet, now since destroyed.

The Forest Guardian: More a force of nature than an actual individual, the Guardian keeps guard over the mysteries of the deep sections of the Fairywood. Often manifests as a massive wolf (Gargantuan) composed of trees, bushes and other plant-like material. Rarely seen up close, the Guardian can often be spotted as a vague shape in the distance from the more well traveled paths of the Fairywood.

Locations of note in the Queen's Lands

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Contained here are the several key locations within the Queen's Lands.

Temaria and the Fairywood: Temaria (The castle on the river, center right) is the only city under the direct control of the Queen (the other cities listed here pay homage to the Queen, but she has no direct control over them). The city is a melting pot for all races and peoples, promoting both magical and technological innovations, though nowhere near as much as Bastion. The city is ultimately run by a council comprised of the heads of the various guilds in the city--Merchants, Engineer, Mages, etc.. They in turn report to a representative of the Queen, though the Queen herself tends to keep her influence as little as possible, allowing Temaria to mostly govern itself. While having no standing military, Temaria boasts one of the most powerful internal security force, all having gone through rigorous training in both martial and magical fields (City guards are all lvl 1-3 Magus).

The Fairywood (The huge forest north of Temaria) is one of the few locations that retained its name from before the Barrier. While the outskirts and the more traveled roads (particularly the one leading to the Queen's palace) are "safe", the deeper sections of the forest are wholly wild and are home to unnatural creatures and lost ruins.

The Queen's Palace: (The tower just north of Temaria) The Queen's palace, upon initial observation, looks more like a crumbling ruin than the home of royalty. Upon closer inspection however, the ruined look--mossy cobblestones, crawling ivy, trees growing inside the building itself--is intentional. To keep it functional, the whole palace has been fortified with magic to keep out the elements and to ensure that it remains structurally sound. The whole palace has a serene feeling about it and often catches visitors by surprise by just how peaceful it is. The palace also boasts a large library containing some rather rare tomes, the Queen's personal library, quarters for guests and all the amenities often needed in a palace. The current standing guard is at 50 on the premises with ~25 on patrols along the main roads of the Fairywood (Guards are lvl 3-5 Magus).

Bastion: (The tower to the NW of Temaria in the mountains) Bastion stands as a symbol of technological might and advancement. Originally a Dwarven city, Bastion has exploded from its mountain home to encompass the entire valley, capping the "dead end" with a huge set of doors powered by massive steam and clockwork engines. The city is a mecca for anyone seeking technology, from the latest firearms to simple clocks, all the way up to experimental lighter-than-air aircraft. Due to the level of industry in the city, a permanent haze hangs over the city, with it turning into thick, sooty clouds the higher up one goes. A steam-train line connects Bastion to both Markibyr and Harker's Bay.

Markibyr, The City of Shadows: (Underground, a hair NE of Bastion) Markibyr is predominately a Drow city connected to Bastion via a literal underground railroad. Markibyr, like Harker's Bay to the west, is a sort of black market. Unlike Harker's Bay however, Markibyr trades in body modification. If you're looking for expert tattooing, exotic piercing, or even cosmetic fleshwarping, Markibyr has it. The whole city hangs from the ceiling of a massive cavern like a glittering stalactite with the train rail circling the middle section before curving back in on itself. A lift extends from the lowest section of the city deep underground to the vaults and caverns below.

Harker's Bay: (West coast, connected via train track) Harker's Bay is the greasy black mark on the Queen's Lands. A hive of rampant scum and villainy, Harker's Bay just barely manages to stay off the radar of the Queen by policing its own criminals and keeping any illicit activity contained within the city. A port city, Harker's Bay sees trade from across the world, mostly the Broken Islands to the west (Not covered here) and offers transport to both Calastiss to the north and Whiterose and Devil's Beach to the south. A pirate council rules the city and pays homage, sometimes, to the Queen, but only when they need the officials off their backs. Otherwise, it's business as usual.

Whiterose, City of Song (Just south of Harker's Bay) Whiterose is a center of the arts in the Queen's Lands. It boasts several large bardic, artistic and musical colleges in addition to famed concert halls and museums. Like Temaria, it has no standing army, rather relying on mercenary forces on extended contract to maintain peace. The leadership of Whiterose is difficult to pin down, being an "anarcho-syndicalist commune", with a new head of state being elected every few months from the "senior" bards by the bards themselves. Of note is a still standing Pre-Barrier lighthouse atop the cliffs to the south of the city.

Devil's Beach: (Southern end of the south Peninsula) Devil's Beach is a relatively small outpost on the southern end of the Scarabian Peninsula. It functions as a base of operations for various archeological expeditions to the jungles of the Peninsula and as a waystation for ships heading further south. Main concerns are dinosaur attacks and larger-than-normal fauna.

Calastiss, The World Tree: (Faaaaaar to the north west) Calastiss is a massive tree, seemingly some variety of oak whose lower trunk has been carved out with magic to house the center for all druids on the Barrier World. To reach the tree-city, one must take a ship from the small coastal village to the east. The interior of the city is mostly vertical and connected by crisscrossing bridges and platforms. The lowest section is dominated by a large lake, in the center of which is a lone island of seemingly little importance. The upper reaches of the city, a good mile up, houses the cities' administrative staff, which the Archdruid's office smack dab in the center, connected via rope bridges. The upper reaches of the tree proper extend into the lower atmosphere and are home to massive insects, normally small mammals and birds, and, in some hollow high in the boughs of the World Tree, lies the den of the Oracle.

Icegate: (Far north, slightly east) Icegate is lies in the Northern Reaches of the Queen's Lands. In a state of almost constant winter, the city has made a business of what little river trade exists in the north, along with furs, fish and ice. Icegate also is the only other monarchy in the Queen's Lands, though the current monarch Tsar Kristoff pays homage to the Queen like the other cities. Beyond that however, Kristoff lays claim to everything from the frozen north mountains to the foothills of the mountains to the south, and all the way to the west coast, barring an area around the Calastiss port town.

Azargash, the City of Ghosts: (Far underground, just north of Harker's Bay) Azargash is the remnants of a Pre-Barrier city, one that housed a Coalition air-dock. In the ensuing chaos and magical destruction that followed the Barrier, Azargash was sunk, eventually settling on a vast underground sea. Unfortunately, that wasn't the end of the problems for the now-ghost city. Some of the Coalition's anti-Akata weapons were breached and spilled their contents into the ruins, turning it into a deathtrap for any would-be grave robbers. The city, while having many untold riches from an era long past, is also is home to hundreds, if not thousands of incorporeal undead. Great care must be taken when exploring the city, lest you join the ranks of the undead, or simply rot away in the pink mists that suffuse the city.

List of notable dungeons (Under Construction)

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Spoiler: Research Centers

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Research Center #105 (Scarabian Peninsula Center): Barrier Construction

Research Center #23 (Bastion Mountain Center): Fleshcrafting/Monster creation

Research Center #47 (Fairywood Center): Planar bleeds and containing bleeds

Research Center #79 (Northern Reaches Center): Cryogenic sciences

Research Center #94 (<Large Island> Center): Chemical Warfare

Spoiler: Ruins and such

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Ruined Skydock: Deep Fairywood

Castle of the Sisters Deep in the heart of the Fairywood, the Castle of the Sisters is an ancient structure, predating the Barrier by countless years. Despite the age, the castle has only been reached a handful of times. The castle itself possesses the unique quality of being able to be seen from great distance, but cannot be reached easily, be it by the nature of the Fairywood or some magical ability of the castle itself. Those that have been there have spoken of its ruined spires, tattered tapestries, and almost magically supported structures. The style of architecture is greatly unlike that of anything else found on the Barrier World, though not so much as to be impossible for humans to navigate. Vast, sweeping arches hold up the walls of the castle, some shattered in places but, against all known physics, still manages to stand. Two massive statues of mythical creatures flank the great, broken entry gate, both covered in lichen and vines but neither showing signs of weathering or aging. The interior is, while splendid and richly decorated with tapestries, ornate rugs and finely carved furniture, in ruins and disrepair. The tapestries are either moth eaten or torn, the rugs are soiled and threadbare and the furniture full of termite holes or shattered to pieces.

The names of the original owners of the castle have been lost to the ages. However, if one was to find a way to get to the Castle, they may locate preserved documentation or hints of who the mysterious sisters are.

Pre-Barrier Ruins: North of Harker's Bay

Sunken Coalition Fleet: Off the coast of the Scarabian Peninsula (South/Southwest)

The Gear Wastes

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The Gear Wastes is a desolate wasteland to the south of the Queens Lands and the Principality of the Moon. Long ago, before the Barrier, the Wastes were the seat of Dwarven power in the region. Industrial centers , foundries and mines stretched across the plains and dominated the lone mountain chain that cut south, down through the southern jungles.

What exactly happened to the Gear Wastes to turn it from an industrial mecca to a blasted land of clockwork monstrosities and rusting ruins isn't known. Evidence points to the Dwarves binding one of their gods to a mortal form and essentially torturing them for reasons long lost. Other rumors speak of a fallen star that drove the Dwarves mad and gave life to the mechanical creations of the land. The list goes on, but what can be agreed upon is that the Gear Wastes is a dangerous location teeming with strange mechanical beasts. And, while dangerous, the pre-Barrier tech that can be scrounged up from still intact warehouses or Dwarven outposts are almost certainly worth risking being attacked by a clockwork Land Shark or Blenderwyrm (Clockwork Bulette and Purple Worm).

A noticeable "quirk" of the Gear Wastes is that all the native creatures in the wastes are clockwork and metal as opposed to flesh and blood. Several species are comprised of valuable metals such as gold and silver, though most creatures are comprised of more mundane metals like copper, bronze and various degrees of iron. As such, the economy of the Wastes is comprised of hunting and trapping of the native species and taking the "hides" to be melted down into ingots. Whereas gold and silver in the wastes is quite common, proper food is scarce and has to be shipped into the various settlements via the Skyway or through the city of Steamport.

Notable Locations in the Gear Wastes

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The Ferrous Fields: Situated at the northern edge of the Gear Wastes, the Ferrous Fields straddle the wastes and both the Queen's Lands and the Principality of the Moon. The fields serve as hardy farmlands for both the southern settlements of the adjacent nations and most of the Wastes themselves. In ages past, during the time when the Wastes were prosperous and industry boomed, the Fields served as the poorer districts with small machine shops and overflowing warehouses of junk tech. Now the warehouses are little more than rubble and the machine shops have been stripped and the machines melted down for farm equipment. Still, farmers occasionally dig up the odd cog or tool during plowing season. The soil, due to the excess metal buried in the fields, has tinted the earth a rust orange and has given the drinking water a distinct metallic tang. While the more northern parts of the Fields are generally hospitable and "safe", the farther south you go, the more likely you will encounter roving mechanical beasts ranging from Wire Wolves to the occasional Land Shark. Thankfully Blenderwyrms are rare, if nonexistent so far north.

The Bal-Shere Mountains: The Bal-Shere Mountains is a lone mountain range that begins in the central portion of the Gear Wastes and extends south along a narrow land bridge and into the northern half of the southern jungles. The mountain range houses most of the ancient Dwarven holds and several research labs squirreled away in remote mountain passes. These days the mountains are all but abandoned save for mechanical monstrosities like Wire Wolves, Land Sharks and Blenderwyrm nests and Lesser Harpy flocks. Passes still exist leading south into the jungles, but they are treacherous at best and outright dangerous at worst. The further south one gets, the less blatantly rocky and desolate the mountains as the Jungle begins to encroach. Regardless of the expediency of the mountain passes, the coast roads are by far safer for travel between the Wastes and the southern jungles, though the trip generally takes about three times as long.

The Great Forge: An abandoned Dwarven hold in the northern most section of the Bal-Shere Mountains, the Great Forge still has visitors and activity even to this day. Seen as an ancient holy site by the Dwarves, one of the few for the race, is sees yearly pilgrimages by aspiring smiths, hoping to retrieve a sample of coal or iron from the massive forges. The "Great" forge is actually built atop a still active volcano and is suspended above the lava by massive starmetal chains inscribed with ancient dwarves runes. While a popular pilgrimage spot, the Forge is still dangerous and claims tens of lives each year, be it from the slowly crumbling architecture or from the clockwork wildlife that inhabits the Forge and the surrounding areas.

The Broken Skyway: The Broken Skyway is what remains of an ancient elevated highway that stretches from the embarking point just south of the Ferrous Fields and extends, brokenly, south to the Bal-Shere Mountains. Along the way there are exit ramps, most broken and shattered due to the Blenderwyrms and Land Sharks. The main sections have been "repaired" over time with imported wooden supports and metal fixtures, allowing for relatively safe, but still tricky, passage through the Wastes. The Skyway is often used as a landmark in the Wastes, as due to the suspended height.

The Dead Halls: Once the Dead Halls was a Dwarven Hold of great power and influence. It was the seat of research and development of experimental technology and mechanisms. Now the halls stand silent and dark, the machinery dead and rusted. The Dead Halls are generally avoided by what little indigenous population exists in the Wastes, as it is generally considered "haunted". While the architecture is in the standard dwarves style for the time (High ceilings, massive pillars, great forges and the like), there are several unusual features that set the Dead Halls apart, most notably spikes of metal frozen around some corners and along walls. These spikes only are present in certain areas and seem to lead to a central location. What is at this central location however has not been explored, as most that venture that far in are never seen again. Due to the "haunted" status of the location, the Halls still contain treasure for the taking.

Steamport: Situated on the eastern coast of the Gear Wastes, Steamport is the largest, and likely only permanent settlement inside the boarders of the Wastes. Politically neutral, Steamport cares very little for the problems of other nations and is simply concerned with their own safety and survival. The main population of Steamport is mostly Dwarves, Gnomes and Lesser Centaur, though there's a smattering of other races as well. Trade mostly consists of scrap tech, reforged bars of metal and armor and weapons composed of Blenderwyrm, Land Shark and Iron Cow carcasses.

The Ring Path: A mysterious series of large ornate metal rings hanging suspended in the air creates a path from a massive metal door in the southern section of the Gear Wastes, traveling north east, out onto the ocean. Each ring lines up perfectly with the previous one, and each rises several meters higher than the last. Though a thousand years has passed since the rings served any purpose, they remain perfectly intact and untouched save for some nests made by advantage seeking birds. The rings seem to vanish high above the clouds, and nobody thus far has been interested enough to see where they lead to, if they lead anywhere at all. The great metal door in question has never been opened, and ancient spells prevent adventurers from passing through via magic. Most Wasters know of the rings, but dismiss them as pointless.

Creatures of the Wastes

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Construction notes: Halve the Natural AC bonus from templates for all creatures (Clockwork + Metal Clad /2)

Quicksilver Rabbit: (Clockwork Creature + Metal Clad Creature (Mithril/Gold) + Rabbit) NOTORIOUSLY fast, though highly prized, both as a sign of an accomplished hunter, and for raw materials. First time catches are often turned into amulets, rings or some other form of jewelry that denotes one as a great hunter or trapper. (Double speed and Initiative bonus)

Bronze/Copper Fox: (Clockwork Creature + Metal Clad Creature (Bronze/copper) + Fox) Hunted and trapped as both an "intermediary" rite of hunting and as a proper export in the form of copper bars.

Various clockwork creatures: (Clockwork Creature + Metal Clad Creature (Iron/Lead/Brass/Steel) + creature) Everything from groundhogs to buffalo.

Platinum Stag: (Clockwork Creature + Metal Clad Creature (Platinum) + Megaloceros) Little more than a myth of the wastes, the Platinum Stag is rumored to be just that: A full grown stag comprised of pure platinum. Catching it would make the hunter responsible rich beyond their wildest dreams and a legend in the Wastes. (Reward: ~1000 Platinum/10,000 gp)

Drill Voles: (Clockwork Creature + Rat Swarm) Traveling in packs, Drill Voles are nightmarish when angered. They explode out from the ground, their whole heads replaced by drill bits with large metallic ears on the sides and proceed to drill into their target. Like most of the predatory creatures in the wastes, they are both ferrovores and don't seem to differentiate between metal creatures and flesh and blood creatures. (Build changes, replace disease with burrow speed 10/ft and Improved Sunder feat, lower base speed to 10/ft)

Wire Wolves: (Clockwork Creature Template + Wolf/Dire Wolf) Wire Wolves are generally wolf or canine shaped creatures comprised of scrap metal and gears. While Wire Wolves act more or less like their flesh-and-blood counterparts, they do possess the ability to "vomit" a tangle of wires and metal cables to grab and ensnare their prey. Like the other clockwork creatures that plague the Wastes, Wire Wolves will kill organic creatures and attempt to eat them, though this provides no sustenance what so ever.

Land Shark: (Clockwork Creature Template + Bulette)

Blenderwyrm: (Clockwork Creature Template + Purple Worm)

The Principality of the Moon (WIP)

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The Principality lies to the east of the Queen's Lands and north of the Gear Wastes. It is, in a nutshell, a nation of Lycanthropes. Specifically, the upper-middle class to the nobility are lycanthropes, with the majority of the middle and lower class citizens being simply mundane humanoids or "Skinwalkers" (As per the Blood of the Moon book race). The political layout of the nation is a complex blending of sorcerer kings and a national religion revering the ruins and technology of the past ages, along with honoring the now-absent stars and the entity known as The Exile.

The current ruler, known as Lord High Alpha, is Hieronymus Teague (Advanced Human Werewolf Magus) and his wife, High Priestess Alexstraza Varminia (Advanced Human Werebat Cleric).

The Broken Isles (WIP)

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The Broken Isles lie far to the south of the Queen's Lands and directly west of the Gear Wastes. Once a single island, the chaos and cataclysmic warfare that raged after the "barrier" shattered the island into smaller rugged islands peppered with now overgrown ruins. Most of the ruins seem to be of an urban nature and, while totally overgrown, still stand as a testament to pre-barrier engineering. A single "modern" city exists on the Isles that serves as the capital for the micro-nation (Name of the city still being pondered over). Like the Queen's Lands, the Isles is ruled by a queen, but unlike the city-state to the north, the queen of the Isles, Amira Delandia (Middle Aged Human Aristocrat/Witch) rules directly over her subjects. Given the nature of the Isles however, and that each large island has its own tribe or two, that power isn't as supreme as one would think.

The Isles also contain no less than six known research labs within its borders, though the natives know enough to keep the locations a secret and the doors as shut as they can keep them. Good things never come from the old research labs after all.

Of note, the architecture of the Isle city is a combination of Egyptian, Mayan and Indian.

The Geistwood (WIP)

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The Geistwood is actually a large micro-continent to the west of the Queen's Lands, taking up roughly the same amount of space. Pre-barrier, the Geistwood was home to one of the many Elven nations and served as a haven for their people. What transpired there isn't 100% known however, just that the island turned dark and sinister and seemed to take on a malevolent mind of it own. Knowing they would be unable to stop the transformation of their island, the elves packed up and left, leaving the Geistwood to its own devices.

Decades later, explorers from both the Queen's Lands and the Principality of the Moon landed on the Geistwood and set up outposts. It was then that they learned of some of the island's unusual properties. Of note, the trees of the island are strangely magical, creating slight dimensional distortions when turned into containers. A container made of wood from the Geistwood (Mostly pine and evergreen woods) are able to hold ~10% more than a container it size rightly should. This has made the lumber trade on the Geistwood very profitable, but also very dangerous. Things stalk the perpetually misty island, whisking some away, driving others insane. The Queen's outpost, Light's Bastion, is quite possibly the most secure settlement on the island thanks to the excessive protections put in place. The walls are layered with constant Daylight spells, the walls and garrison staffed with one of the few actual Paladin orders remaining in the world, and a one-mile stretch of land from the walls to the forest is kept perpetually clear. Even still, the island gets to people. Recently, contact has been lost with the Principality's settlement, though nobody's bothered to check in on it (Most assume it's lost and write it off).

Other notable locations on the Geistwood are an old prison on the coast, the multitude of elven ruins, and a small chapel overlooking the ocean.

The Poisoned Lands (WIP)

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The Poisoned Lands are part of a larger continent to the far west of the continent that the Queen's Lands, Principality and the Gear Wastes are located. Not much is known of this territory other than it was hit hard during the barrier wars and the effects are still lingering to this day. Unexploded ordinance, magical radiation, insane war-constructs, and unnatural life sucking auras are only a few of the dangers one may face. However, like the Gear Wastes, the Poisoned Lands are a treasure trove of pre-barrier goodies.

One known city exists off the coast of the Poisoned Lands, built into the ruins of half-submerged towers of metal and glass, linked together by bridges of scrap metal and cables.

Arms, armor, environmental hazards and other

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This section is for homebrewed arms, armor, environmental hazards and things that don't really go in the above sections

Golem-Stopper Rifles: A Centaur only weapon, a Golem-Stopper is a magically assisted firearm that is designed to stop not only constructs (notoriously difficult to stop normally) but also vehicles and other animated, normally inanimate objects. While indeed anyone with firearms training can use it, only a trained Centaur is able to utilize the weapon without undue harm to themselves. This is due to the recoil of the rifle which would knock even a braced biped off their feet.

As it stands, the weapon is like this:
Cost: 3,500g-10,000g (Depending on location)
3d8 Damage
19-20/x3 Crit
Range: 80ft
Misfire 1-2
Capacity 5
Weight 30lb
Type B&P
Full-Round reload, Free Action between shots (Affected by Rapid Reload and Musket Master's )

Removes range restriction on Sneak Attack regarding Constructs with scope, only first range increment if no scope.

Non-Quadrupeds (ie: Bipeds) take a -2 to hit and are knocked back 5ft and are prone after shooting. Quadrupeds take no penalties (Due to stability). Firing while Prone for bipeds incurs no penalties.
Counts as Adamantite for purposes of bypassing DR, regardless of ammo type used
Inherently counts as Construct Bane, does not possess an Enhancement Bonus (Counts as +1 for purposes of Bane damage)

Pink Mist/Anti-Akata weapons: The Coalition, when dealing with Akata infestations, employ what has become known as "Pink Mist" to eradicate the beasts. A magical and chemical concoction, the Pink Mist, when deployed, begins dissolving organic material upon contact. Unless a counter-agent is employed, the Pink Mist will begin being absorbed into non-organic material and be released over time. Effects on non-Akata vary from internal bleeding, liquefaction, mutation and melding with inorganic material. Unprotected metals corrode more quickly when exposed to Pink Mist over prolonged periods of time. 1d6 Acid damage/round is dealt after a minute in light exposure, 2d8 Acid damage/round + 1d4 Bleed (instantly) upon heavy exposure. Damage bypasses DR but can be healed normally. Metal objects take 1d4-1 points of Acid damage after 1 hour of exposure, and an additional 1d4-1 points every hour after. Pink Mist is affected by winds, and the Life Bubble spell will provide protection.

Coalition Combat Armor: Huge-sized suits of magically assisted armor, the Coalition Combat Armor is deployed in situations where muscle is needed, be it heavy infestations or conventional peacekeeping. Usage/piloting requires specially keyed implants that synch the user and the armor together. Simply cutting out and transferring the implant isn't enough, as one would need to reprogram the implant, surgically attach it, then synch up the armor and the implant (done via technomagical interface). This provides a measure of security to ensure that some yahoo can't kill a pilot and jump into the armor and go on a spree. Some of the older models however do not have the implant synching and require arcane "keys" that double as fuel. While less effective than the newer models, they have the advantage of ease of use. Stats currently Classified by the Coalition.

FAQ

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How does the Queen maintain control of her land with no army?
The Queen is generally seen as a wise, benevolent ruler and controls the Queen's Lands (after a fashion) through respect as opposed to force of arms. She does wield magical might of her own however and her power alone is enough to keep the likes of Harker's Bay in order. Everyone else generally understands that while she is older than most people can remember (She looks like an Elf, so it's sort of handwaved) and wiser than most living creatures, she never extends her direct influence beyond her own lands and does not participate in the power plays of the other cities. As such, the squabbling political factions, instead of fighting over who should be in charge generally nominated the Queen to be the impartial "ruler" of the lands.

So the Pink Mist is self-replicating?
No. There is a finite amount when deployed. It simply does not dissipate without a counter-agent. No counter-agent means the Pink Mist will stay until a counter-agent is deployed.

How does Divine Magic work if there are no Gods?
Explanation thanks for Ninjaxenomorph:

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How Domains Are Still Feasible

Before the Barrier was erected, there were many gods, for many tasks and meanings. Some descended, the Five. Others scoffed at the idea of this, and ignored the threat and continued to wage war with one another. These gods were caught off-guard by the Barrier's creation, and a piece of their godly power was severed inside the barrier. These depleted gods were quickly preyed upon by outer gods and other beings of great power; but their domains and fonts of divine power (clerics and other divine casters that aren't rangers). While the gods might be dead, a resonance was created when the power could not simply leave the barrier.

These fonts of divine power took on a life of their own, if not to the anthropomorphic extent of the gods themselves. Divine magic by itself was scattered by the barrier, but after hundreds of years of rebuilding, a semblance of it began to reform, first with oracles, then with actual clerics. These clerics did not venerate a god, and tended to look to a specific ideal or philosophy. These ideals were rough groupings of the overlapping domains of the former gods, divided amongst all the alignments. Due to several small expeditions, holy weapon artifacts were uncovered for each alignment, and these were the holy weapons of each alignment (GM's choice). The exception, of course, was one god.

The death god Zirridiak (NE, favored weapon Dagger (subject to change), domains Charm, Death, Evil, Knowledge, and Trickery) foresaw the construction of the Barrier. Hated amongst the other gods, Zirridiak knew he could not descent. In addition, since he was a god of Death, turning himself mortal would kill him. Instead, he implanted his essence into a bloodline. He is transferred every generation to a new host, occasionally granting his power subconsciously to those who seek it. However, he waits for the day his host attains a body strong enough to withstand his power (High enough to survive considerable level drain, then turn into undead creature through different process). However, if revealed, he will be vulnerable to his old enemies.

Why Centaurs, Drow and Orcs but no Goblins or Kobalds?
Well as for Centaurs, I personally like them and the concepts of modern'ish military uniform on non-humanoid frames (And Centaur Gunslingers is too cool to pass up). Drow because, well, why not, and Orcs because you can't have Half-Orcs without proper Orcs. As for why no Goblins and Kobalds, I can't really think of a way to integrate them without it seeming overly forced. That and as a DM I can't people playing them, as it leads to shenanigans that just hurt my head.

So seriously, what are you trying to do with this setting?
Well I wanted to create a world that ran on magitech, but I wanted to keep it in a D20 system for the sake of conversions and 3rd party material. If I had to combine two or more things to give a general feel for what I'm trying to accomplish, I'd say Escaflowne meets H.P. Lovecraft blended with Spelljammer. I think. It's...kinda hard to explain.

Why no Gods?
Honestly? Surprisingly, it's not for any religious or political reasons. It's just that I couldn't and can't think of a decent pantheon of Gods and Goddesses without ripping from other sources.

How does the Barrier work?
Well initially, the Barrier was like a bubble around the world that kept the Gods and planar beings out. Then I simply decided that it instead shunted the world, the moon and a figment of the sun over about a dimension and a half. Now it's simply disconnected from the prime reality.

Are there more lands out there other than the Queen's Land?
Yes, currently there's the Broken Islands to the far west, but I've not nearly fleshed that out like I have the Queen's Lands. Little bit at a time I figure.

[Omeganaut]

Are you still working on this, or has this thread gone defunct? If you want responses, you might consider asking for critique of something specific, or help in some specified area.

[Silus]

Are you still working on this, or has this thread gone defunct? If you want responses, you might consider asking for critique of something specific, or help in some specified area.

Ah, yes, apologies. Been trying to fiddle with whatever my next campaign was going to be and this thread kinda fell by the wayside.

I guess I'm mostly looking for help filling in plot holes and getting everything all sorted out in a makes-sense sorta way.

[Omeganaut]

Alright, lets see... I'm wondering why there aren't more settlements on the river. Rivers are easy transport, sources of freshwater, may be fished, and can attract game animals. Perfect for farms and food for armies. It may have had a turbulent history in the prior conflicts, but with relative peace it would be a great place to produce food.

As for the old gods, it would make sense that there are still cults for those gods, even if they are gone. Perhaps one of those cults worships an enemy of the queen, and is plotting her downfall? There's a nice political/urban plot hook. You should also flesh out major factions. Guilds, rulers, and other organized groups with agendas, just to know who is working against who and for what.

Also, what is over to the east?

[Silus]

I need to make this quick as I'm at work. I'll edit it up later at home.

I'll see about adding more things around the rivers and bodies of fresh water.

At least in the Queens lands, active worship of the old gods is generally banned at worst and ridiculed at te least (like people nowadays seriously worshipping the Norse or Egyptian gods). Outside the Queen's lands, it's more prevelant, though is more often than not simply worshipping icons of the past as opposed to the gods themselves. There's a grain of truth, but much has been warped over time and from retellings.

And to the east is a currently under construction nation I'm calling "The Principality of the Moon". Short version, it's an anti-tech theocratic monarchy/magocracy led by lycanthropes that revere the pre-barrier tech and ruins (mostly ruined and derelict spaceports). Relations are strained with the Queens lands due to "missionaries" coming over looking for "converts" and the state sanctioned worship of The Exile, or what little they really know about her. Currently led by the "Lord Alpha" Hieronymus Teague (Human Werewolf Warpriest) and the as-yet unnamed "Lady Alpha" (Likely a Human Werewolf Oracle or Sorcerer).

And to the south of both is The Gear Wastes. Short version, ruined dwarven desert nation that fell due to greed and excessie use of tech of questionable reliability. Now home to sand choked ruins and quasi-sentient clockwork and steam powered automatons.

Like the previous, I'll expand on this when I get home.

[Silus]

Finally got around to updating with:

• A new map
• Information on the Gear Wastes
• WIP stats for "Lesser Centaur"
• Finalized stats for "Lesser Harpy"

To do:

• Table of contents for the map
• Revising the "premise" of the world
• Revising the history of the world
• Fleshing out the Principality Of The Moon
  
  The Lycanthropic, Theocratic, Magocratic Monarchy
• Fleshing out The Broken Isles
  
  The shattered remnants of a tropical research lab complex, now an archipelago nation.
• Fleshing out the "Southern Jungles"
  
  Death World, the home version. The undisputed Orc homeland.
• Fleshing out the rest of the current continent
  
  Research labs, islands, etc.
• Fleshing out the Geistwood
  
  Evergreen micro-continent island to the west, shrouded in mist and home to elven ruins and nightmarish horrors.
• Fleshing out The Poisoned Lands
  
  A nation still reeling from the apocalyptic wars. Think Fallout meet Fantasy.
• Get suggestions on actual names for these places instead of simply descriptor names

[Jakodee]

It's cool to see a dnd setting actually realize people would use all that lost tech instead of selling it for a x+1 new sword.

[Silus]

It's cool to see a dnd setting actually realize people would use all that lost tech instead of selling it for a x+1 new sword.

More tech and homebrew goodness to come =3 Suggestions, as always, are appreciated. A good chunk of this has yet to be playtested so outside opinions are wonderful.

Also added brief descriptions of the locations to be added and expounded upon.

[Silus]

Added WIP descriptive bits for the Principality of the Moon, the Broken Isles, the Geistwood and The Poisoned Lands. I'll try to get around to adding more stuff to them later on.

[Silus]

Please be aware ladies and gents both from the Playground and visiting from the Paizo boards, that changes are coming in the next few days regarding:

The premise of the world and the creatures therein.

An expansion on what the Barrier is, how it was made and how magic and magic items have been affected.

More tweaking of the Centaur.

Adding more weapons.

General clarifications and tweaks all around.