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  1. - Top - End - #31
    Troll in the Playground
     
    HalflingPirate

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    Default Re: Let's build YOUR setting! Idea smorgasbord

    The City Of Ships

    On a broad oceanic current, ships of many nations have clustered, forming a floating city. Many of the ships are hulks, barely afloat and seaworthy, held in place by their neighbors, while others are often detached and sent on missions primarily of trade.

    At the center of this is a mat of logs, harvested every two years or so as the current passes heavily forested northern islands, bound together with ropes made of the fibers of tropical plants harvested from jungle islands on the southern dnd of their eternal migration. The logs are a floating drydock where craftsmen lift hulls for repair, they are spare materials for boatbuilding, and they are ballast which binds the entire network of connected hulls from being scattered in every storm.

    Ships of the world are welcome to dock at The City Of Ships, and traders from the city visit every port which borders the ocean upon which it floats.

    There is rumored to be a Treasure Ship somewhere in the city, a hulk of gilded wood with a hold full of the wealth of centuries of very successful trade.

    Characters from this city gain a +2 bonus to all sailing and swimming checks, and are assumed to be trained in seamanship and aquatic survival.

  2. - Top - End - #32
    Bugbear in the Playground
     
    jqavins's Avatar

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    Default Re: Let's build YOUR setting! Idea smorgasbord

    Wow, 2D, that's a lot of material!

    The used up and later returning magic is obliquely reminiscent of Mercedes Lackey's Velgarth. There, magic comes from the environment, gathers into streams called lay lines, and pools at the lay lines' intersections called nodes. The more advanced one becomes as a mage the more energy one is able to tap and control, so beginners can only use the weak ambient mana, journeymen can tap lay lines, and masters can tap nodes. Then one day, a cataclysmic fight between two ultrapowerful masters disrupted it all; the lay lines and nodes were scattered, but there was more mana available in the ambient field (exactly because it wasn't concentrated anywhere anymore.) So the mages most practiced at doing a lot with the weaker source became the best mages, while those who had long relied on the lay lines and pools were laid low and had to relearn. Then, after centuries, the magic once again flowed, slowly reforming lay lines and nodes. A setting in the period where the lines and nodes are just coming back would have a lot of interesting potential. It's interesting to me that, in a world where Lackey has set dozens of books, I don't believe she's ever addressed this period.

    As for the origin of species, in my world it goes like this:

    Humans, orcs, and goblins are close on the evolutionary family tree, probably more different than modern humans and neanderthal, but closer than humans and the other extant great apes. All are cross fertile, even bearing fertile young. They are all of the "Human" type. I keep going back and forth on including ogres in this group. (I haven't actually launched a campaign here, despite years of thinking about it. )

    Fey are the embodiments of various elementary forces: the classical elements, magic, nature, and perhaps others.

    Certain other creatures are called "fey touched". They are the result of mixing these elemental forces with members of the human type. This is usually accomplished by deities, but the origins are lost in antiquity, so other forces may have been at work. The simple examples are high elves, humans touched by magic; wood elves, humans (or maybe orcs) touched nature; and dwarves, goblins touched by Earth. (But don't ever say that to a dwarf's face!) I don't plan to use gnomes or halflings.
    -- Joe
    “Shared pain is diminished. Shared joy is increased.”
    -- Spider Roninson
    And shared laughter is magical

    Always remember that anything posted on the internet is, in a practical if not a legal sense, in the public domain.
    You are completely welcome to use anything I post here, or I wouldn't post it.

  3. - Top - End - #33
    Firbolg in the Playground
     
    Bohandas's Avatar

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    Default Re: Let's build YOUR setting! Idea smorgasbord

    Pseudo-medieval stagnation as well as many of the limitations of magic are the work of a powerful conspiracy of planar beings of order who have used epic spells and arcane rituals to suppress certain types of magic throughout the multiverse
    "If you want to understand biology don't think about vibrant throbbing gels and oozes, think about information technology" -Richard Dawkins

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  4. - Top - End - #34
    Firbolg in the Playground
     
    Bohandas's Avatar

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    Default Re: Let's build YOUR setting! Idea smorgasbord

    A world where the sun is ruled by a somewhat negligent chaotic neutral deity who sometimes (at no particular interval) lets it go out for days at a time, or occasionally get too hot
    "If you want to understand biology don't think about vibrant throbbing gels and oozes, think about information technology" -Richard Dawkins

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  5. - Top - End - #35
    Barbarian in the Playground
     
    RogueGuy

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    Default Re: Let's build YOUR setting! Idea smorgasbord

    There's quite a bit here about orcs being related to humans, so I figured I'd throw mine in too :p

    Orcs are a species of gorilla, and are typically far far hairier than in other worlds. So much so that Orc "fashion" involves the dying of patches of fur in patterns(like temporary tattoos).

    As an added fun; Orcs were one of the two races to initially domesticate the rust monster. This happened during their evolution, and they used then as a kind of defence against metal-armed already-elvenoid invaders. These days, "rusties" serve a similar purpose in orc society as dogs in human society.

    Additional implication; because rust monsters eat metal, orc society didn't go through a metalworking phase. Instead they manually and magically bred speciality trees (just as ironwood and dark wood) to fulfill the role for them
    Your friendly neighbourhood sniperman.
    My controversial opinions:
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    My Homebrew: Feng Shui; Magic in Zones, Plus others I'm not particularly proud of rn.

  6. - Top - End - #36
    Titan in the Playground
     
    Daemon

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    Default Re: Let's build YOUR setting! Idea smorgasbord

    A little cultural element for orcs--

    They get elaborate tattoos starting with the clan sigil on the back of the hand (left for males, right for females) and spiraling outward from there. These tattoos commemorate events, victories, and defeats. When a clan is exiled, the shaman performs a ritual that strips the tattoo'd skin off, healing as it goes. The skin grows back pale and smooth. From this, the insult "pale-skin" or "smooth-skin" have become mortal insults to orcs.

    As a result of this, most non-armor clothing bares the appropriate arm to the shoulder. When protective clothing is needed on that arm, it's made in a separate piece, like a very long glove.
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  7. - Top - End - #37
    Bugbear in the Playground
     
    ElfRangerGuy

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    Default Re: Let's build YOUR setting! Idea smorgasbord

    Quote Originally Posted by PhoenixPhyre View Post
    A little cultural element for orcs--

    They get elaborate tattoos starting with the clan sigil on the back of the hand (left for males, right for females) and spiraling outward from there. These tattoos commemorate events, victories, and defeats. When a clan is exiled, the shaman performs a ritual that strips the tattoo'd skin off, healing as it goes. The skin grows back pale and smooth. From this, the insult "pale-skin" or "smooth-skin" have become mortal insults to orcs.

    As a result of this, most non-armor clothing bares the appropriate arm to the shoulder. When protective clothing is needed on that arm, it's made in a separate piece, like a very long glove.
    I feel like minor tidbits of trivia are the best format for this thread.

    Makes it into a pick-and-choose buffet of worldbuilding.

    Here's another tidbit of trivia related to Cauldron(a city built in the mouth of a volcano, from Greyhawk lore). Since that is generally such a silly place to put a city I came up with a reasonable explanation for its existence:

    Originally Caur Duran, an old dwarven stronghold that fell during the War of broken hammers, some 500 years ago - at a time when an invasion of devils was threatening to sweep through the continent. The name can roughly be translated to mouth of the great mountain. It proved an invaluable outpost during the war, holding against the diabolical onslaught for 2 years, giving a chance for the neighbouring nations to muster up a defense and even take the fight to the devils themselves.
    It fell when the fiends stirred up the dormant volcano. Rather than allow the impending eruption to destroy their great fortress and the surrounding countryside, the dwarves created a gate to the elemental plane of water via use of an artifact of great power, flooding the erupting volcano, but submerging their already half-destroyed fortress. It lay abandoned for 3 centuries after, until some enterprising creatures began delving for treasure. It grew from a simple trade outpost to a thriving city.
    Last edited by martixy; 2018-05-05 at 05:13 AM.

  8. - Top - End - #38
    Orc in the Playground
     
    SwashbucklerGuy

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    Default Re: Let's build YOUR setting! Idea smorgasbord

    Wyverns, envious of their cousins, bully a clan of magically adept kobolds into sharing their power. The kobolds carve runes into the strongest wyverns to sate their envy. The result: Wyverns with Runescarred barbarian class levels.
    Quote Originally Posted by crayzz
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    For instance, I am also known for my humility.

  9. - Top - End - #39
    Titan in the Playground
     
    Daemon

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    Default Re: Let's build YOUR setting! Idea smorgasbord

    Gwerin (high elves) pride themselves on their magical aptitude--all adults can cast at least one cantrip. For the noble classes, the first cantrip learned is often sartorial splendor.

    Sartorial Splendor
    Illusion cantrip
    Casting time: 1 action.
    Components: V, S
    Duration: 1 hour.

    This short incantation allows the user to change the coloration of the clothing he or she is wearing at will. The colors formed are always pure tones, but can be formed into whatever patterns are desired. The other properties of the clothing are unchanged. The effect is as partial or as complete as the caster wishes, although all affected garments take on the same pattern so multiple castings may be required to achieve more complex looks.
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  10. - Top - End - #40
    Ogre in the Playground
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    Default Re: Let's build YOUR setting! Idea smorgasbord

    Something I've used in my campaign setting: Most people don't worship a single deity for their entire lives. For the vast majority of people, Pelor is the deity people generally pray to for day to day events and for most life rituals, but most people turn to Wee Jas for death and funerary rights.

    A detail I've wanted to have for a while but haven't had a setting where I've gotten to do it: A setting where horse-powered rail is a common mode of transport. (Yes, this really was historically a thing). This might also be combined with using optical telegraphs so there's a lot more high speed transport and communication then one might expect in a relatively low tech setting without needing to make magic ubiquitous.
    My homebrew:

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    The Narrow Bridge
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    Prestige classess:
    Disciple of Karsus -PrC for Karsites.
    The Seekers of Lost Swords and the Preserver of Future Blades Two interelated Tome of Battle Prcs,
    Master of the Hidden Seal - Binder/Divine hybrid
    Knight of the Grave- Necromancy using Gish



    Worthwhile links:

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  11. - Top - End - #41
    Bugbear in the Playground
     
    Lleban's Avatar

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    Default Re: Let's build YOUR setting! Idea smorgasbord

    An idea I built a setting off is that magical items are widely spread but require certain magically enhanced material in order to run for more than a few hours.
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    Hangs out on the World building forums

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    Personal stuff: World of Tieg, Nexus: City of the Multiverse, Forgotten Planet Lost Between 2 stars, World of the 9 gates
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  12. - Top - End - #42
    Troll in the Playground
     
    HalflingPirate

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    Thumbs down Re: Let's build YOUR setting! Idea smorgasbord

    Tattoos are Power!

    A number of tattoos may be endowed with magical properties. Each takes the place of an item slot, so an empowered tattoo on the head takes the place of a magical hood or helmet, a tattoo on the torso takes the armor slot, or one on the hand takes the weapon slot.

    When the tattooed character also has a magic item in the same slot, the character may choose the benefits offered by the tattoo or the item, at the time the item is equipped. (Can't change mind until the item is re-equipped, so no swapping back and forth in combat, for example.) Two powers cannot function from the same slot at any time, and unless otherwise stated, the benefits of the tattoo take precedence.

    While tattoos can be improved, a failed skill check will result in the permanent disruption of the previous tattoo, voiding both tattoos, and requiring them to be "Removed" before the slot can be tattooed again. Any spellcaster with the Create Magical Tattoo feat may create a magically empowered tattoo following the Item Creation rules for cost and time to complete.

    Temporary tattoos may be created containing one-shot or contingency spells, or a tattoo may be a charged item. When used, the discharged tattoos remain and must be Removed before the slot they occupied may be used for another tattoo.

    Remove Lesser Tattoo
    Bard 1, Magic 1, Cleric 2, Wiz/Sorc 2
    Removes a tattoo containing magic up to 2nd level in power. Only functions on a willing subject. DC 15 Spellcraft + Ability bonus, (Wis for clerics, Cha for Bards, etc.)

    Remove Tattoo
    Bard 3, Magic 3, Wiz/Sorc 4, Cleric 5
    As above for 3rd to 5th level tattoos, DC 20 Spellcraft + Ability bonus

    Remove Greater Tattoo
    Bard 6, Magic 6, Wiz/Sorc 7
    As above for 6th and 7th level tattoos, DC 25 Spellcraft +Ability bonus

    Remove Legendary Tattoo
    Bard 8, Magic 8, Wiz/Sorc 9
    As above for 8th and 9th level tattoos, DC 30 Spellcraft + Ability bonus

    Remove Epic Tattoo
    Bard 9, Magic 9
    As above for Epic tattoos, DC 35 Spellcraft + Ability bonus


    Note: I envision this as being common only in barbarian tribes or among humanoids who have limited literacy.The feat should only be available to a caster who spends months among such folk learning the symbolic meanings behind their tattoo language. Among such folk, spellcasters may replace the Scribe Scroll feat with the Create Magical Tattoo feat.

  13. - Top - End - #43
    Bugbear in the Playground
     
    jqavins's Avatar

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    Default Re: Let's build YOUR setting! Idea smorgasbord

    Quote Originally Posted by brian 333 View Post
    Tattoos are Power!

    A number of tattoos may be endowed with magical properties. Each takes the place of an item slot, so an empowered tattoo on the head takes the place of a magical hood or helmet, a tattoo on the torso takes the armor slot, or one on the hand takes the weapon slot.
    A question about slots: have you written this according to 5e rules? In 3.P and earlier, a tattoo on the hand would take the hand slot (in place of a glove or the like) or maybe the ring slot, but thete is no weapon slot as such. Likewise, a tattoo could take up the torso slot, but not armor.

    In general, cool idea. I've had this idea for some time but never thought it out this well, starting with a particular item that I want for one of my characters. (I should write have written that item up in the 1001 Homebrew Magic Items thread.)
    Last edited by jqavins; 2018-05-06 at 03:45 PM.
    -- Joe
    “Shared pain is diminished. Shared joy is increased.”
    -- Spider Roninson
    And shared laughter is magical

    Always remember that anything posted on the internet is, in a practical if not a legal sense, in the public domain.
    You are completely welcome to use anything I post here, or I wouldn't post it.

  14. - Top - End - #44
    Bugbear in the Playground
     
    Zombie

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    Default Re: Let's build YOUR setting! Idea smorgasbord

    Quote Originally Posted by brian 333 View Post
    Note: I envision (magic tattoos) as being common only in barbarian tribes or among humanoids who have limited literacy.
    Why? They aren't any more primitive than equivalent items.

  15. - Top - End - #45
    Bugbear in the Playground
     
    jqavins's Avatar

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    Default Re: Let's build YOUR setting! Idea smorgasbord

    Quote Originally Posted by Xuc Xac View Post
    Why? They aren't any more primitive than equivalent items.
    I have always been of the opinion that the barbarian is a bogus class, and those who like getting d12s as hit dice and a special rage power frequently rationalize its being something distinct from a fighter who distrusts magic and wears a loin cloth. Those rationalizations make it natural to associate magical tattoos with the real world cultures who place spiritual significance on body marking, and those are generally cultures who wear less clothing than Europeans and have darker skin; y'know, primitives.

    I also think the idea of magical tattoos is really cool, no matter who uses them, and is a whole wide open field for some terrific magic items that deserves to be explored.
    -- Joe
    “Shared pain is diminished. Shared joy is increased.”
    -- Spider Roninson
    And shared laughter is magical

    Always remember that anything posted on the internet is, in a practical if not a legal sense, in the public domain.
    You are completely welcome to use anything I post here, or I wouldn't post it.

  16. - Top - End - #46
    Colossus in the Playground
     
    Eldan's Avatar

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    Default Re: Let's build YOUR setting! Idea smorgasbord

    Actually, I must say that every character with magical tattoos I've ever seen at a table has been Nordic or Celtic inspired.
    Resident Vancian Apologist

  17. - Top - End - #47
    Troll in the Playground
     
    HalflingPirate

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    Default Re: Let's build YOUR setting! Idea smorgasbord

    Quote Originally Posted by Xuc Xac View Post
    Why? They aren't any more primitive than equivalent items.
    Actually, my point is about symbolic representation in the absence of a written form of language. Others have made points about the cultural identity of barbarians, (as the class, as opposed to the barbarian societies from which such characters spring.) I'm not debating the validity of those points.

    But ask any three- or four-year-old what the big yellow and red sign means and they know it's MsDonald's, even before they can identify an M as a letter of the alphabet. It is a symbol which is, for better or worse, a recognizeable part of our culture. This ability to recognize symbols appears natural and predates any written language in every culture of which we are aware.

    Cultural symbolism is a deep and complex subject, but what may appear to be meaningless abstract patterns in one culture holds enormous meaning in another. In the absence of writing tattoos may well fill the role not only of symbolically telling the story of one person's life, but the lives and legends of their whole culture.

    In such cultures, tattoos may well be the only way of permanently recording the stories of the culture, and thus, in illiterate societies, tattoos may be the only means of recording magic spells. The wizard in effect becomes his spellbook. Once writing is invented the need for the preservation of knowledge via tattooing is lifted, and tattoos become a fashion statement or art devoid of deeper meanings.

    As was noted by a previous poster, the Celts were big on tattoos, but by the time of Elizabeth they were mostly forgotten by Britons. It wasn't until Europeans entered the South Pacific where tattooing was still common, (and where the word comes from,) that Europeans began to reintroduce tattooing as an art form.

    In our world tattooing was prominent in illiterate societies, and in every society in which writing grew more common tattooing became less so. Our oldest known human remains are more commonly and more casually tattooed than even today when tattooing has become a generational status symbol.

    So, my point about tattoos being a part of barbarian cultures is valid historically. One should remember that most members of barbarian cultures will not become barbarian-class characters. They are also warriors and fighters, hunters and herdsmen, experts, clerics, and mages, and every other class one might encounter in any town or city.

  18. - Top - End - #48
    Firbolg in the Playground
     
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    Default Re: Let's build YOUR setting! Idea smorgasbord

    Lots of good fluff ideas in
    http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showt...lora-and-fauna
    http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showt...-in-the-Tavern
    http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showt...ts-Redeveloped
    http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showt...uot-encounters
    and
    http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showt...ying-Furniture

    (edit: also http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showt...Strange-Places)

    Quote Originally Posted by jqavins View Post
    I also think the idea of magical tattoos is really cool, no matter who uses them, and is a whole wide open field for some terrific magic items that deserves to be explored.
    I prefer to go the opposite direction with magical tattoos; The tattoo itself is normal, the way it's put on is magic (like in the anime Fairy Tail, where tattoos are applied with an enchanted rubber stamp)
    Last edited by Bohandas; 2018-05-08 at 05:39 PM.
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  19. - Top - End - #49
    Firbolg in the Playground
     
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    Default Re: Let's build YOUR setting! Idea smorgasbord

    The oxygen in Dwarven settlements deep underground is replenished by extremophilic plants growing in the furnaces and forges
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  20. - Top - End - #50
    Bugbear in the Playground
     
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    Default Re: Let's build YOUR setting! Idea smorgasbord

    Quote Originally Posted by Bohandas View Post
    The oxygen in Dwarven settlements deep underground is replenished by extremophilic plants growing in the furnaces and forges
    Wouldn't any oxygen produced there be immediately consumed by combustion of (a little more) fuel? (Science and fantasy don't mix well.)
    -- Joe
    “Shared pain is diminished. Shared joy is increased.”
    -- Spider Roninson
    And shared laughter is magical

    Always remember that anything posted on the internet is, in a practical if not a legal sense, in the public domain.
    You are completely welcome to use anything I post here, or I wouldn't post it.

  21. - Top - End - #51
    Firbolg in the Playground
     
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    Default Re: Let's build YOUR setting! Idea smorgasbord

    NPCs of the long lived races tend to be things like experts, adepts, warriors, and magewrights more often than commoners. This solves both the issue of why there aren't more high level elves, dwarves, etc. if they live so long (because they go into things that take longer to learn) as well as the issue of elves, dwarves, gnomes, etc seeming overly mundane, and it does it without making those races overpowered.
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  22. - Top - End - #52
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    HalflingPirate

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    Default Re: Let's build YOUR setting! Idea smorgasbord

    The dwarven clerics summon air elemdntals to force the forge exhaust up through chimnies built into the mountain and to suck fresh air into the lower caverns. They don't need any new-fangled convection currents or any other scientifical mumbo-jumbo!

    Young whipper-snappers with their science and what not.

    The basic building blocks of life are the six elements, not cells and DNA. The characters and monsters are composed of varying amounts of each, and animated by spirits.

  23. - Top - End - #53
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    Default Re: Let's build YOUR setting! Idea smorgasbord

    Quote Originally Posted by brian 333 View Post
    The dwarven clerics summon air elemdntals to force the forge exhaust up through chimnies built into the mountain
    and earth elementals to make the chimneys in the first place.

    The basic building blocks of life are the six elements
    Carbon, Hydrogen, Oxygen, Nitrogen, Calcium, and Phosphorous.

    But which six did you mean?
    -- Joe
    “Shared pain is diminished. Shared joy is increased.”
    -- Spider Roninson
    And shared laughter is magical

    Always remember that anything posted on the internet is, in a practical if not a legal sense, in the public domain.
    You are completely welcome to use anything I post here, or I wouldn't post it.

  24. - Top - End - #54
    Troll in the Playground
     
    HalflingPirate

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    Default Re: Let's build YOUR setting! Idea smorgasbord

    Quote Originally Posted by jqavins View Post
    and earth elementals to make the chimneys in the first place.

    Carbon, Hydrogen, Oxygen, Nitrogen, Calcium, and Phosphorous.

    But which six did you mean?
    I told you that going clubbing with Redcloak was a bad idea. Now he's got you thinking in terms of the Periodic Table. The classical elements have been around for thousands of years longer than this Periodic fad. Who was this Periodic guy anyway to rename all those basic minerals 'elements' anyhow? Next you know they'll be renaming planets as Kuiper Belt Objects and Brown Dwarfs and screwing up scientifically compiled Astrological data and warping everybody's horoscope.

  25. - Top - End - #55
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    Default Re: Let's build YOUR setting! Idea smorgasbord

    Quote Originally Posted by brian 333 View Post
    I told you that going clubbing with Redcloak was a bad idea.
    No, really: earth, air, fire, water, and what?
    -- Joe
    “Shared pain is diminished. Shared joy is increased.”
    -- Spider Roninson
    And shared laughter is magical

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  26. - Top - End - #56
    Bugbear in the Playground
     
    Zombie

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    Default Re: Let's build YOUR setting! Idea smorgasbord

    Quote Originally Posted by jqavins View Post
    No, really: earth, air, fire, water, and what?
    Up, down, charm, strange, top, and bottom.

  27. - Top - End - #57
    Troll in the Playground
     
    HalflingPirate

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    Default Re: Let's build YOUR setting! Idea smorgasbord

    Positive and negative. Positive element generates the powers of life and growth while Negative element causes ageing and decay.

    Hast none of thee studied learned works of the great Alchemystes?

    Joking aside, the idea is to et away from scientific explanations for things that happen in a fantasy game.

    Why do horses, dogs, and men have similar bone structures? Because Prometheus reused the same design when creating them. There is no genetic relationship because each was the result of individual acts of creation.

    Why do people get sick? Because they have been cursed by one who uses the powers of the deity of disease. There is no such thing as a germ.

    When you introduce logical, scientific rationales for things players begin to suspect that such answers can be found everywhere. But this is fantasy. Fantasy needs fantastic explanations not mundane ones.
    Last edited by brian 333; 2018-05-15 at 08:36 AM.

  28. - Top - End - #58
    Titan in the Playground
     
    Daemon

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    Default Re: Let's build YOUR setting! Idea smorgasbord

    Quote Originally Posted by jqavins View Post
    No, really: earth, air, fire, water, and what?
    There are no elements (as in fundamental building blocks of matter). There are no atoms. There are no molecules.

    instead, there is anima. When condensed by the will of a being (divine, mortal, natural, etc), it becomes matter.

    Anima has 4 aspects, one polarity, and an affiliation.

    Aspects are continuously-varying, non-exclusive alignments. These are usually conceptualized as fire (energy), earth (stability), air (motion), and water (change). Usually parameterized (by the sages) as values between 0 and 1.

    Polarity is connection with either creation (life) or destruction (death). These are not good and evil, they're just opposed. Building things up or breaking things down. Usually parameterized as a number between -1 and +1

    Affiliation is more of a tag--anima can be affiliated with a living soul and react to its impulses. On death, the affiliation is removed.

    Note that free (uncompressed) anima is very similar and is the medium of magic--casting a bolt of fire is spending a bit of personal energy to increase the fire aspect of a portion of ambient free anima to make it burn and increase the air aspect to make it move.
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  29. - Top - End - #59
    Bugbear in the Playground
     
    jqavins's Avatar

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    Default Re: Let's build YOUR setting! Idea smorgasbord

    Quote Originally Posted by brian 333 View Post
    Joking aside, the idea is to et away from scientific explanations for things that happen in a fantasy game...

    When you introduce logical, scientific rationales for things players begin to suspect that such answers can be found everywhere. But this is fantasy. Fantasy needs fantastic explanations not mundane ones.
    With this, I agree 95%. Usually I like to keep science out of it; it's never a good idea to try to merge real world science with fantasy, but sometimes it's fun to have science-like explanations for things that are internally consistent and allow for some semblance of scientific method that includes fantasy phenomena. For example:
    • BAD - Adamantine is really titanium.
    • OK - Adamantine is the fusion of a unique metal and manna. This metal is derived from common minerals, but mundane methods of obtaining it have heretofore failed, and magical methods, that are difficult and expensive, invariably produce adamantine. Dispel Magic, if it succeeds at all, causes the metal to revert to a powder of its ore as the manna is separated from it. Alchemists are hopeful of one day refining this metal on its own, and mages of working similar enchantments on steel, but there have been no usable results from either camp. (In the same world, five hundred years later, non-magical titanium smelting will be possible, and mages will understand that the no similar magical effect can be achieved with iron because it depends on titanium's particular electron configuration.)

    Detail like this generally is not worth bothering with, since the effect in game is that adamantine is not the same as titanium and there is no titanium to be had. The behind the curtain stuff is irrelevant, and the part in front of the curtain really doesn't change anything. This is why it's OK, but I didn't label it GOOD. Yet, it can be fun.
    -- Joe
    “Shared pain is diminished. Shared joy is increased.”
    -- Spider Roninson
    And shared laughter is magical

    Always remember that anything posted on the internet is, in a practical if not a legal sense, in the public domain.
    You are completely welcome to use anything I post here, or I wouldn't post it.

  30. - Top - End - #60
    Firbolg in the Playground
     
    Bohandas's Avatar

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    Default Re: Let's build YOUR setting! Idea smorgasbord

    Quote Originally Posted by jqavins View Post
    With this, I agree 95%. Usually I like to keep science out of it; it's never a good idea to try to merge real world science with fantasy, but sometimes it's fun to have science-like explanations for things that are internally consistent and allow for some semblance of scientific method that includes fantasy phenomena. For example:
    • BAD - Adamantine is really titanium.
    • OK - Adamantine is the fusion of a unique metal and manna. This metal is derived from common minerals, but mundane methods of obtaining it have heretofore failed, and magical methods, that are difficult and expensive, invariably produce adamantine. Dispel Magic, if it succeeds at all, causes the metal to revert to a powder of its ore as the manna is separated from it. Alchemists are hopeful of one day refining this metal on its own, and mages of working similar enchantments on steel, but there have been no usable results from either camp. (In the same world, five hundred years later, non-magical titanium smelting will be possible, and mages will understand that the no similar magical effect can be achieved with iron because it depends on titanium's particular electron configuration.)

    Detail like this generally is not worth bothering with, since the effect in game is that adamantine is not the same as titanium and there is no titanium to be had. The behind the curtain stuff is irrelevant, and the part in front of the curtain really doesn't change anything. This is why it's OK, but I didn't label it GOOD. Yet, it can be fun.
    Slight spelling error there. "Mana" with one "n" is magic power. "Manna" with 2 "n"s is magic bread. (or was that intentional and you're going for a Discworld feel?)
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