Vote Up A Campaign Setting: Discussion Thread

[afroakuma]

Alright folks, this will be the new discussion thread for VUACS, since the other thread has reached 50 pages.

To summarize what went down:

1. Genre: Arabian Nights/Desert Fantasy
   
2. Thematic Priorities: Mystique/Travel/Tradition/Multiculturalism/Classic Threats/Fate & Destiny
   
3. Magic Level: Moderate
   
4. PC Races: Half-Djinn, Lizardfolk, Genasi, Half-Ghul, Kobold & Gnoll
   
5. Human Percentage: 50%
   
6. Primary Antagonists: Use of Magic
   
7. Geography: Few Large Continents
   
8. Primary Religion: One Single God
   
9. Cosmology: Yin/Yang Planes
   
10. Politics: City-States
    
11. Advanced Classes: Alchemist, Dervish, Geomancer, Djinn Lord, Master of the Wastes, & Pharaoh
    
12. Setting Title: Hourglass of Zihaja

Progress continues on all aspects of the setting. A new spoiler may be in the offering. Let the discussion commence!

[Mercenary Pen]

Will any 4e specific monsters be redone for the 3.5 element of the setting (possibly Kruthiks)?
with another spoiler in the offing, I want to get as much information as I can.
Will any monsters that exist in both editions be reskinned to better suit the setting (desert variant shambling mound perhaps)?

[afroakuma]

No to all.

[Pronounceable]

Will you be ditching the stupid alignments of 4e? White writing for the win!

Will the largest city be nicknamed Jewel/Gem of Desert/Sands?No, seriously. I like this.

Will we be getting any more teasers? Wooo! I'm invisible!! You can't read meee!!!

[afroakuma]

Shadow hates them, but this is a campaign setting, not a game redesign. The overall design aesthetic is definetely biased towards 3.X, however.

Probably not.

Not a teaser. More of a spoiler.

[Zeta Kai]

I've asked the mods to close the old thread. We should have a link to the old thread in the OP, though, for clarity's sake.

[afroakuma]

Consider it done.

[Zeta Kai]

The powers that be have locked the old thread, which has the side benefit of preventing people from quoting the decapitation discussions that ultimately derailed the thread.

May the on-topic conversation commence.

[afroakuma]

That reminds me, Zeta. Have you had a chance to look over the item I sent you?

[Zeta Kai]

Here, this will get the talk going. Here is a map of the campaign setting's primary focus:

Spoiler

Show

[Zeta Kai]

That reminds me, Zeta. Have you had a chance to look over the item I sent you?

Look: Yes.

Have time to comment/critique: No.

I will tonight. It looks good so far. More detailed analysis to follow.

[Magnor Criol]

Hm, I really like that map. Lots of land to scatter hooks in, a nice bite-sized bit of green down in the bottom for more environs, and plenty of water to ply through in search of those long-lost islands everyone talks about. And a massive lake to boot. I like it.

Have y'all decided what the economic basis for this setting is going to be, perchance? For instance, being a desert, I can see water being an important commodity, so powers that have access to water, and can control that access, could be significantly more affluent than others.

[Juhn]

I see a sea in the south. And a body of water that appears to be Great Lake-sized in the northwest as well.

Either of those freshwater?

[TheCheshireHat]

Hard to get a sense of scale on the map, but I´m guessing that the large body of water in the middle there is more of an inland sea than a lake?

I like the broken, scattered coastline. Much needed for secret islands, hidden coves and shipwrecks. The mountain range seems large and imposing, and tall enough to have permanently snowed peaks. Good, good.

The isthmus in the southwest looks like a prime spot for major political conflicts, and I´m extremely curious about the little piece of what looks like snow/ice to the southeast.

Also, I think the two eastern-most rivers actually joined halfway down is a nice touch .

Can we have more stuffs please?

[afroakuma]

Have y'all decided what the economic basis for this setting is going to be, perchance? For instance, being a desert, I can see water being an important commodity, so powers that have access to water, and can control that access, could be significantly more affluent than others.

Still in committee.

Either of those freshwater?

Oh, probably.

Hard to get a sense of scale on the map

That bum. He removed the map scale!

but I´m guessing that the large body of water in the middle there is more of an inland sea than a lake?

That would be correct. What you're looking at is a continent.

The isthmus in the southwest looks like a prime spot for major political conflicts, and I´m extremely curious about the little piece of what looks like snow/ice to the southeast.

Oh, the isthmus has been talked about. It's one of my pet projects. As for what's below... mountains? A whole 'nother Arctic continent? Hmm...

Can we have more stuffs please?

Wha... you got this less than half an hour ago.

My god, how did you survive waiting until now?

[Athaniar]

This is looking more and more interesting (and it was very interesting already at the start). Eagerly looking forward to new material.

[Juhn]

The bottom-right corner confuses me. It would seem to be frozen, which means it's probably near one of the poles. The bottom-left corner, on the other hannd, is quite green, while one would assume it's at the same latitude.

[afroakuma]

I wonder if the white spots could be something other than snow and ice...?

[Glenstorm]

I believe my keen eye has spotted a region that looks quite important, due to the local geography/presence of water

Spoiler

Show

Don't hurt me I voted for saberdusk

[Juhn]

And it even has a small bay, as well. At least, I think that's a bay. And it leads more-or-less directly to that mysterious white area.

[Zeta Kai]

The bottom-right corner confuses me. It would seem to be frozen, which means it's probably near one of the poles. The bottom-left corner, on the other hannd, is quite green, while one would assume it's at the same latitude.

England is on the same latitude as Siberia & central Canada. The British Isles are kept warm by ocean currents coming from equatorial regions. Tundral conditions are not universal by latitude, as mitigating factors can come into play. A view of the rest of the world of Siraaj will make this more clear.

[Juhn]

That's true.

I suppose I should refrain from asking such questions until we see a world map.

Though, if that is supposed to be tundra after all, then is this continent in the southern hemisphere?

[Zeta Kai]

Though, if that is supposed to be tundra after all, then is this continent in the southern hemisphere?

I don't have my stamp on me, but YES. The mountains are equatorial.

[afroakuma]

I do. No guarantees on a tundra, but

Yes.

The mountain range is approximately at the equator. This continent is in the southern hemisphere.

[insecure]

England is on the same latitude as Siberia & central Canada. The British Isles are kept warm by ocean currents coming from equatorial regions. Tundral conditions are not universal by latitude, as mitigating factors can come into play. A view of the rest of the world of Siraaj will make this more clear.

I saw what you did!

[afroakuma]

Lies. Siraaj, eh?

[TheCheshireHat]

Still in committee.
Wha... you got this less than half an hour ago.

My god, how did you survive waiting until now?

Coffee and sheer willpower

And anyway, I got more stuffs already! I like the name

Lets see if I can pull this off again...

Can we have more stuffs please?



Pretty please?

[afroakuma]

No. Wait until the main spoiler is posted.

That includes certain other persons.

[Mercenary Pen]

Question about the map: Any reason there are no large rivers radiating to the north and east of the main continent?

[afroakuma]

*shrug* It's a desert. Somewhere had to have less water.

Read:

because.