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Re: A complete N00bz first try at world-building...
I'd be wary of adding any really powerful NPC who plays an active role in things, since any actual appearance in a game would likely result in the PCs feeling being overshadowed. I think of that as one of FR's greatest mistakes, and I'd hate to see it echoed here.
Re: A complete N00bz first try at world-building...
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Originally Posted by Othesemo
I'd be wary of adding any really powerful NPC who plays an active role in things, since any actual appearance in a game would likely result in the PCs feeling being overshadowed. I think of that as one of FR's greatest mistakes, and I'd hate to see it echoed here.
Good for novels, but not so much for RPGs.
Yeah, that's why I'd be going more of the Tom Bombadil route for those guys rather than the Gandalf. Passive, interesting and there to help some cool folks out of a tight spot and point them in the right direction if needed, but not going around and shifting borders and killing balrogs.
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A Campaign Setting more than a year in the making, Patria!
Re: A complete N00bz first try at world-building...
Alternatively, their rank/status as exemplar of whatever could be an inheritable trait. Like, the one that represents fire, inspiration and courage could pass on their torch () to a PC when they've grown old. Or, the autarch of air and freedom could dissolve into the mists upon death and become an Avatar-style guiding spirit for someone chosen to be the next one.
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Guess who's good at avatars? Thormag. That's who.
A Campaign Setting more than a year in the making, Patria!
Re: A complete N00bz first try at world-building...
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Originally Posted by Wyntonian
I think I just had an idea.
Y'know, the more I think about this, the more I like it.
With good reason. I'm all in favor of stuff that has its root in Tolkien.
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Originally Posted by Othesemo
Good for novels, but not so much for RPGs.
...but I totally agree.
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Originally Posted by Wyntonian
Passive, interesting and there to help some cool folks out of a tight spot and point them in the right direction if needed, but not going around and shifting borders and killing balrogs.
Which is the best solution! Characters that stretch the boundaries of belief can be very cool in the right moments (and having a few of them in mind can help even more!), but they are better left in the realm of quaternary characters. They are so different from "essential" that there is no proper word for them. They are beyond "expendable."
At the end of the day, the PCs are the most important part of any setting.
Re: A complete N00bz first try at world-building...
If I do include any Istari-analogues, they'll be like the Blue Wizards or Radagast. They'd be of the "Yeah, we have a job to do/are immensely powerful superbeings with the power to reshape the world, but we'd really rather just live" persuasion.
If I do get around to doing any fiction set here (it's a pipe dream, I'm not an excellent writer, but it's relaxing), I might change that, but not during this incarnation as a campaign setting.
Moving on, fey. Yeah, I remember, I'll keep working on that.
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Guess who's good at avatars? Thormag. That's who.
A Campaign Setting more than a year in the making, Patria!
Re: A complete N00bz first try at world-building...
I'm sure there are people better at climatology than myself around here, but do you think that there may be a rain-shadow desert in southwest Sunshan, on the northwest side of the Stormwall mountains? Near where that southern river forks?
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Guess who's good at avatars? Thormag. That's who.
A Campaign Setting more than a year in the making, Patria!
Re: A complete N00bz first try at world-building...
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Originally Posted by Wyntonian
I'm sure there are people better at climatology than myself around here, but do you think that there may be a rain-shadow desert in southwest Sunshan, on the northwest side of the Stormwall mountains? Near where that southern river forks?
Second, whether there is a rain shadow there will depend on a few things: how big the world is, how flat the world is, and how magical the world is.
Let's talk about flat vs. round first. If the world is round, you can just use Earth (e.g. those links above) to work out how things will behave. If the world is flat, there's not really a model for that, so you can do pretty much whatever you want.
But let's say you want a round world. Because the world is pretty stinking huge (each square on the grid is 200x200 miles, right?), I picture the whole of that treeless area being pretty similar to the Great Plains. The region you're talking about is going to be pretty arid (which makes me reconsider the size of that river), but I don't think it's going to be so arid that it will create a desert. If there is a desert, it will be pretty small.
Assuming earthlike weather patterns, clouds will gather and break on the Stormwall Mountains, creating a lot of weather activity there. From there, the area immediately East will be pretty dry, and will gradually become more and more lush until you've got natural forest starting about 200-300 miles from the eastern coast.
Then again, the introduction of all that fog changes things. You've hinted that there's literally nothing inside/on the other side of the fog. Where will the winds come from? Are storms just some sort of magical accretion that breaks off from the fog and make their way East? With these two thoughts in mind (and considering the highly magical nature of the fog) you could get away with doing just about anything you'd like. Maybe there is a desert there, because for whatever reason the fog doesn't send storms that way. It sounds like great fodder for a moment in history, or even just a legend.
Does this help? For the record, I don't have a terribly firm grasp of climatology either.
Re: A complete N00bz first try at world-building...
Here's another Fey Lord.
Anwyr, the Wild Hunter
Spoiler
Some Fey are pretty darn nice. Lord Portico advocates for unifying the Fey and helping humans in need. Lady Libriana's gifts of beauty (for a certain description thereof) are generally well-intended.
Others... aren't.
Anwyr is one of them.
Once per year, on a night of a full moon, Anwyr leads the Wild Hunt, in the deep woods and dark places of the world. The greatest quarries, regardless of species or race are marked for the hunt, and are pursued mercilessly by Anwyr and his pack of hounds. He, like most fey, bends the rules of space and time, traveling through the Hedge to emerge where he is least expected.
If he is not impressed by the tenacity of his prey, he does not bother to kill them himself, leaving them instead to his Feyhounds. Those who earn some respect can earn the dubious privilege of becoming one of his Feyhounds. Those who Anwyr would honor as a fellow of the Hunt can become a Wild Hunter, be granted a modest estate in the Hedge, and have the right to join Anwyr on his rides across Patria.
Those lucky mortals out at night when Anwyr rides can see a host of riders and wild hounds racing across the sky or through the forests of the world, lead by a man wearing pelts and furs, with a crown of antlers on his head and a spear of bronze in his hand.
Anwyr also has a duty to perform, while on his hunts. Those lost souls who cannot find their way to the Fogbound River to pass on to the Spirit Realm can be drawn by the sound of his horns, following him in his hunt and leading them to their final destination.
Good?
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Guess who's good at avatars? Thormag. That's who.
A Campaign Setting more than a year in the making, Patria!
If you are a whiny little bitch, you get et. If Anwyr does this:
Spoiler
Then you're a hound. If he's seriously impressed at your badassery, you get to be one of his riders. So, yeah, there are humanoid riders. They're pretty cool.
I love that picture, as well. This guy was a Cernunnos expy from the start, honestly.
I'll probably have to dedicate a whole post in the Land of Patria thread to the Fey, and I'm actually ok with that.
If anyone has any ideas, even little one-line concepts for a Fey Lord or Lady or Non-Gender-Normative-Thing-With-Obscure-Honorific, please let me know. The hardest part with these guys is just coming up with ideas.
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Guess who's good at avatars? Thormag. That's who.
A Campaign Setting more than a year in the making, Patria!
Re: A complete N00bz first try at world-building...
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Originally Posted by TheWombatOfDoom
Ah! Going traditional lore in that regard then! Me likes.
Yeah, the PC's who play one are kinda shoehorned into being either escapees, agents of a court or survivors of its destruction, but whatever.
If I was being really traditional, the babies would go to the court, and the Fey'd leave a changeling in their place, but this works a little better, at least with the D&D changeling.
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Guess who's good at avatars? Thormag. That's who.
A Campaign Setting more than a year in the making, Patria!
Re: A complete N00bz first try at world-building...
Quote:
Originally Posted by Wyntonian
Yeah, the PC's who play one are kinda shoehorned into being either escapees, agents of a court or survivors of its destruction, but whatever.
If I was being really traditional, the babies would go to the court, and the Fey'd leave a changeling in their place, but this works a little better, at least with the D&D changeling.
True, I sit corrected. Are you doing seelie and unseelie courts? Or just one court that's fallen?
Re: A complete N00bz first try at world-building...
Quote:
Originally Posted by TheWombatOfDoom
True, I sit corrected. Are you doing seelie and unseelie courts? Or just one court that's fallen?
Nah, they're all in shades of grey. Some are more clearly nice than others, but there's no clear distinction. And because the Fey are so alien, something that they consider to be a gift may be considered a terrible curse by humans, and vice-versa.
Examples:
Lady Libriana loves beauty in all its forms. Green is a nice color, no? Every mother deserves a beautiful baby, yes? There we go. You're welcome!
Somebody pisses off the Lady of the Library Who Wyntonian Still Needs To Name, so she curses them with the most terrible of curses: They will never be able to learn the Fey Tongue, but will forever have every other language known to mankind running through their heads. Aww, man, I'm a near-perfect polyglot? Why, magic librarian? Why?
On a black-white moral compass, the Fey are generally somewhere between Bacon and Neckties.
__________________
Guess who's good at avatars? Thormag. That's who.
A Campaign Setting more than a year in the making, Patria!
Re: A complete N00bz first try at world-building...
Ahem...
Years after the Elder Folk retreated and conceded Patria to the newcomers (not sure if I should start saying "to the humans"), one of the Fallen watched the rise of empires from afar. He saw the power and titles and wealth and the corruption that goes with them, the greed that made men betray their dearest principles for gold and power. Driven by his hate, he decided to accelerate this process. He took twenty pieces of silver, and wrought a magic that bound his very soul to them, divided into twenty parts, each with a different name and personality. His body was destroyed in the process, but before long an intrepid treasure-seeker came across the coins and took them for himself. Within a day of returning to civilization, his throat was cut by a thief who took the coins for himself.
Before long, the coins were scattered across all of Patria. Anyone who held one felt the joy of power, as they had their way in all things of business, politics and leadership. Before long, unless the coin was taken, usually from the owner's dead body as few would part with them willingly, changes would begin to take place. The owner would become short-tempered, overconfident in their authority. They quickly became dependent on the sensation of indomitability that can from touching the coin, and their consciousness faded away, so that any underhanded method, any cruel trick would seem a just and reasonable method of attaining their goals.
If left unchecked, the carrier would eventually come to identify as the fragment of the Fallen that created the coins. Some would take on physical traits to accentuate their new-found power becoming grander and physically beautiful. The strongest-willed of the owners could bend the fragment of the Fallen's soul to their will, using its powers to break minds, use powerful magics and change their shape. Eventually, though, the carrier of the coin would grow weak and sicken, unable to withstand the fell energies that were being channeled through them. At this point, the coin would abandon them to die, and go find a new host.
Over time, as people became aware of these coins and the curse they bore, some people of incorruptible will stood against the wielders of the coins, and destroyed many of them. Since the time of their creation, four have been utterly destroyed, and six have been lost and not yet recovered. Ten remain loose in the world, however, and live in private collections, treasure vaults and the pockets of ruthless leaders all over Patria.
Feedback?
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Guess who's good at avatars? Thormag. That's who.
A Campaign Setting more than a year in the making, Patria!
Re: A complete N00bz first try at world-building...
What happens if the rest were all brought back together? This would be a great plotline! Is the Fallen one still around, just soulless? The coins sound basically like the rings of power from LotR with a twist.
Re: A complete N00bz first try at world-building...
Eh, more like the Denarius coins from the Dresdan Files. But I like that idea, that if they come together something happens. Heck, it might be that if two bearers of the coin that are influenced see each other, they will hate each other and try to take the coin of the other.
Re: A complete N00bz first try at world-building...
I'm not familiar with the Dresden Files at all, unfortunately. I've heard nothing but praise for the series, but I haven't had any opportunities to read and/or watch them. However, that's an interesting thought, thought I'm not sure if I like the connotations of it: That means that the coins are drawn to each other, influencing the owners to want the others. Although, I guess it could perhaps be the human aspect of it, the coins just amplify it. I wonder if each coin has a different aspect to it since they are different pieces of one soul, or if they are all pretty much uniform.
Re: A complete N00bz first try at world-building...
Quote:
Originally Posted by TheWombatOfDoom
I'm not familiar with the Dresden Files at all, unfortunately. I've heard nothing but praise for the series, but I haven't had any opportunities to read and/or watch them.
That was, in part, the inspiration, though a single episode of Grimm, some social psych research and the One Ring did play a role as well. They're pretty decent, and actually get better as the series goes on. I'm only on Blood Rites, so please don't spoil anything!
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However, that's an interesting thought, thought I'm not sure if I like the connotations of it: That means that the coins are drawn to each other, influencing the owners to want the others.
I imagine some coins are in fact drawn to the others, while others are content to spread corruption and jerkery in their own little ways.
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Although, I guess it could perhaps be the human aspect of it, the coins just amplify it.
That's the idea, yeah. Having one of these things makes you excellent at being a bad person.
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I wonder if each coin has a different aspect to it since they are different pieces of one soul, or if they are all pretty much uniform.
Yeah, they have different attitudes. Some want the current occupants to destroy themselves through corruption and crime, others just want everyone dead. Some are subtle and patient, others are usually found in the pockets of a serial killer after his inexplicable and violent spree ends.
Quote:
What happens if the rest were all brought back together? This would be a great plotline! Is the Fallen one still around, just soulless? The coins sound basically like the rings of power from LotR with a twist
Hm.... If a single person could have all of them, bend them to their will and not be immediately corrupted, that would be interesting.... The Fallen in question is shattered, yes. His body is destroyed, and his soul is divided into twenty parts, each with a fragment of his power.
Quote:
But I like that idea, that if they come together something happens. Heck, it might be that if two bearers of the coin that are influenced see each other, they will hate each other and try to take the coin of the other.
This, or they may recognize the other as a threat, a competitor to the power they desire. Or, depending on which fragmented spirit is guiding them, they may try to cooperate, recognizing the other as a brother/sister who "sees the world as it really is" and "isn't afraid to do what they need to do", etc.
__________________
Guess who's good at avatars? Thormag. That's who.
A Campaign Setting more than a year in the making, Patria!
Re: A complete N00bz first try at world-building...
Idea regarding the coins:
There is a branch of the Tuhani church in Soleh that seeks to bring the coins together and master them, so that the Fallen that created them can be summoned and killed permanently. Believe it or not, it's kinda hard to get 16 coins that corrupt the hearts of those that touch them together in one place without someone flaking out and running off with them. In other words....
Spoiler
Next up: Phoenixes. Phoenii. Phoenixii. More than one individual Phoenix.
__________________
Guess who's good at avatars? Thormag. That's who.
A Campaign Setting more than a year in the making, Patria!
Re: A complete N00bz first try at world-building...
dun Dun DUUN.
Phoenii! Huzzzzzaaaah.
I can't wait. One of my favorite creatures, and I have a lot of personal homebrew (not online, I should start transfering some into the forums) on these guys. I look forward to seeing your take.
Re: A complete N00bz first try at world-building...
In Patria, there are a couple cool birds. They're phoenixes. Eeeeyup.
I'm lacking my preferred prose today, so after a couple false starts, I'll just go ahead and lay it out.
There are six known phoenixes in Patria. Each one is drawn to a person who exemplifies goodness and courage, and takes them as their master. They follow their chosen hero for the rest of the person's life, or until they become unworthy in the eyes of the phoenix. This last bit is easier than it sounds, as phoenixes are, by their nature, unable to understand the value of losing a battle when appropriate, making sacrifices, letting minor evils pass unchallenged and bowing to the processes of the law instead of solving problems immediately. This, of course, makes them perfect matches for the PC's .
They are able to transport themselves through the universal flame, disappearing and reappearing in a flash (one of very few teleportation magics in Patria) wherever a flame is present. Their song inspires all those of a true heart who hear it (inspire courage, like a bard). Lastly, when slain, they erupt into flames and leave behind a tiny jewel of an egg, which will hatch into a new phoenix.
So, close to the MM version, but a little more interesting. Meh.
Some known locations:
One is currently living with a Goliath war leader, another with a Piloti Chieftain, one with a vigilante hero in the Vallheim, one with a monk of the Unending Road, and two more wherever the DM wants.
__________________
Guess who's good at avatars? Thormag. That's who.
A Campaign Setting more than a year in the making, Patria!
Re: A complete N00bz first try at world-building...
I feel like there's something that I'm missing in this project, something I haven't done yet, something that I need to complete before I can look at it and not feel like it's half-done and unpolished.
In the meantime, what do we want to see more of?
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Guess who's good at avatars? Thormag. That's who.
A Campaign Setting more than a year in the making, Patria!
Re: A complete N00bz first try at world-building...
...
You have detailed Vailhiem, the city-state place (it's late, I'm tired, forgot the name) and the place directly below Vailhiem. Out of four nations.
That help?
Also, try compiling it all? I might be willing to help with that.
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Re: A complete N00bz first try at world-building...
) to a PC when they've grown old. Or, the autarch of air and freedom could dissolve into the mists upon death and become an Avatar-style guiding spirit for someone chosen to be the next one.
