An assortment of short bits of worldbuilding, sort of 'filling in the gaps'.
Dragons. My last two D20 campaigns were chock-full of the things, and it's hard to imagine the game without them -- It's Dungeons & DRAGONS, after all! However, I wanted to get away from them for a bit, without writing them out entirely. Thus, this backdrop, which lets me bring them in if I need them, allows for interesting dragon-based classes and races, but which keeps the great beasties themselves out of the way. For now.
Elves -- I like to define at least a bit of culture for each of the main races. I don't veer too far from the established norms, as I dislike change for the sake of change. ("My dwarves are nine feet tall, beardless, and hate mountains -- but they're still dwarves!") So elves are still artsy-fartsy tree hugging wizard-warriors, but they're also a little alien and withdrawn, reinventing themselves every few decades when the ennui of existence grows too much. I think this also adds some great plot hooks for both PCs and NPCs. The PC might have to deal with friends, or descendants of friends, who knew him in a "former life", while the party might seek out a great Elf general, the finest warrior of his generation, only to find he's now a first level rogue who has only dim memories of that former life and no desire to return to it.
Gods -- I like gods, at least in works of fantasy and imagination, where they belong. D&Dish gods, very mechanistic and defined, appeal to my marginally Asbergers sensibilities. I always loved the racial gods from old issues of Dragon, gods made from the whole cloth to fit the worlds of gaming, not reality. Since I needed to provide background for Warforged in my world, I wanted at least one deity for them. (I think I need at least one more, come to think of it, but here's the first.) Also, having established "Name, The Verb Of Name" for one Warforged god, I can make sure the others follow that pattern. Always good.
Dragons
Dragons are not fairy-tales in Arith -- they are creature of undisputed historical fact, and their actions shaped the world to the point of the Crush and beyond. However, the actual sighting of a dragon is something no living Arithian -- at least, those of the Free Peoples -- can honestly claim to have done. The dragons were unquestioned lords of the world in the dimmest recesses of history, long before the Magewars, the fall of Skallidane, or the founding of the Alliance Of Free Kingdoms. Even after they fell from total lordship, they were still mighty powers in the world, both in their natural forms and as disguised wanderers passing among many races. It was a long, slow, process by which the true dragons bred less and less with their own kind, and fewer and fewer of their young grew to maturity. The eldest dragons, weary of their petty games and wary of their powerful foes, retreated more and more from the world, finding the darkest and most foreboding of places in which to dwell and dream. No one knows how many of the elder wyrms live still, or where they sleep, but many fear the great tragedy of the Crush has awakened them, and they have begun to once more move upon the world. Others claim this is nonsense, fear mongering in a world which has no shortage of real fears.
Certainly, the dragontainted are well known -- from half-dragons born from seemingly normal human parents, to sorcerors, to dragonfire adepts, to stranger hybrids and odd creatures -- but the great beasts themselves? They belong, thankfully to an earlier time.
Elves
The elves of Arith are among the oldest of the Free Peoples, though certainly not the oldest sapient species. They are long-lived beings who dwell in environments which carefully blend natural beauty and civilized comfort. They once ruled over vast empires, long before the first Magewar, but now are a somewhat diminished race, gathered into a few large woodland cities and countless small settlements and villages. The elves produce many skilled individuals, but few great heroes -- but those who do exist are great indeed.
The Long Sleep
Elves live for centuries, but very few spend all, or even most, of that time in asingle pursuit. After a few decades of life, an Elf will grow weary, and develop a deep sense of ennui and indifference. All joy flees from existence; food is bland, lovemaking tiring, even life-and-death struggles begin to pall. At this time, the elf enters what is known as the Long Sleep, where they enter into a coma-like state, needing nothing but air to survive. (Obviously, they do this in safe surroundings -- usually a sacred hall in a larger Elvish community). The Long Sleep lasts for 6-10 years. When the elf awakes, he is reborn in spirit. While he retains, in part, all of his old memories, he has lost much of his learning. In essence, he emerges with no class levels, and begins life anew, studying different arts than he did before. The dreams of the Long Sleep serve to show him new paths in life, and he might emerge with a different alignment. While still technically the same person, he thinks of himself as one reborn, and often ignores old friendships and commitments, as if they belonged to another. (Elf law dictates this is so -- marriages end when one spouse enters the Long Sleep, and debts are forgiven as if the debtor had died. Laws of other cultures are not so understanding.)
Govar, The Forger Of Souls
Part of what helped the Warforged escape their bondage and become free-willed beings was the slow evolution of a religious consciousness. Since they were formed with souls -- or at least, fragments of souls -- they had the capacity to understand the concepts of higher planes and higher beings. As with all such issues, it is uncertain if their desire for a deity created one from raw god-stuff, or if they attracted some being from elsewhere in the multiverse who took on the form they wished him to have. Either way, the first god of the Warforged was Govar the Forger Of Souls.
Divine Rank: 15
Symbol: A blue smith's hammer
Home Plane: Mechanus
Alignment: Lawful Neutral
Portfolio: Law, Creation, War, Warforged
Worshippers: Warforged
Cleric Alignment: Any
Domains: Law, Creation, War, Warforged
Favored Weapon: Warhammer
Description
Govar appears as a massive mithral and adamantine Warforged, thirty feet high, swinging a warhammer composed of solidified incarnum. He wears a simple tunic woven of prismatic fiber, and his eyes are deep pools of golden light.
Dogma
Govar preaches obedience to rightful authority, honor in duty, service to the race, and liberation. Unlike many Lawful gods, Govar believes that it can never be right to own another sapient being, no matter the cause. His clerics oppose any form of slavery and will use any means at their disposal (preferably lawful ones) to end it. Buying slaves and freeing them, attacking slave vessels, or ambushing slave caravans and liberating their 'cargo' are all noble acts according to Govar.
Clergy And Temples
Only Warforged are clerics of Govar. Because they are few in number, there are very few freestanding temples to him. Rather, a group of Warforged will dedicate a portion of their workplace, home, or barracks to a shrine to Govar.
Friday, November 23, 2007
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
Forging War
So. One of my players wants to play a Warforged. I don't own Eberron; no offense to the creators, but I don't use pregen settings, and only buy them if I think I can suck the Crunchy Bits out of them, and, by the time Eberron came out, D&D 3.x had so many books of Pure Crunch that it didn't seem worth the effort. This isn't "Eberron suxx0rz!!!!", just, I don't use it. OTOH, I do like to meet player requests -- nothing kills a game faster than a player who isn't playing the character they most want to play. Warforged were described generically in MM3, which I had, so I went from there. The following is pretty cliche, but it sets up things nicely, and also fills in some background on Arith. Arith began as a vague "generic fantasy" world, and, frankly, it still is and always will be, but at least now it's getting some requisite history. It's all still pretty basic, but that's part of the point -- the "interesting" part of Shattered World is post-Crush. If I made Arith a baroque creation not readily identifiable as a typical D&D world, a)I would have to do a lot of worldbuilding, and, b)It would overshadow the world the campaign is set in.
So, I wrote up the warforged backstory. In so doing, I tossed out the term "Ironsouled Legion", because, you know, it sounded cool. Then I started thinking that it could fit into Shattered World, and that gave me the chance to crack open PH2 and build me an Affiliation. I love "systems for defining things", and I wanted to use a lot of the cool options which 3.x has produced over the years, so there you go. Thus, we present Warforged (as they exist in the Shattered World), and the first Affiliation for same.
(And, frankly, the idea of some Warforged painting himself red and blue and calling himself Optimus Prime is just damn appealing...)
Of course, having conceived of Warforged paladins, I now need some gods. They might be coming next. (Racial deities are another thing I like to create). And so worlds are built cascade style -- from one idea comes the next, and the next, and the next. The hard part is knowing where to stop, to actually focus on play, and not on making a stage no one will ever act upon.
Warforged
The warforged of Arith began millennia ago, shortly after the last Magewar. On the flying island of Skallidane, the scholars of the Pearl Conclave sought to supplement their small numbers (and their many dead soldiers) by finding ways to make smaller, cheaper, golems. To simplify the process, they used a small portion of incarnum -- the raw material of souls -- to power their creations. The miniscule spark used was enough to provide mobility and obedience, but not consciousness. At least, not at first.
After centuries (and this was still at least a thousand years pre-Crush), the populace of Skallidane was at least a fourth warforged. They served more than the Conclave -- the worked in every part of the flying island city, from the fields to the mills to the foundries. Then things began to go wrong. Some of the most ancient of the warforged began to grow rebellious; then it spread. A year after the first incidents, the island was consumed in a virulent war. The magitech for which Skallidane was known and feared was turned against itself, as the Conclave sought to destroy their own creations, unaware of how powerful they had become, and how free willed. The warforged, made with incarnum, had grown true souls, true freedom of thought -- and they were not content to be slaves.
By the time the war was over, Skallidane was no more -- the smoking ruins of the wondrous city had crashed into the sea -- but tens of thousands of warforged survived. They scattered across the world. There, their reception was uneven at best. Masterless golems -- which is how they were seen -- were known as rampaging killers only. While Skallidane was not loved by most of the world, a force which could destroy it was even more terrifying. The warforged were generally driven away. Some gave them shelter -- conquerors who saw them as perfect soldiers and who did not understand their true nature. Some took to banditry, some tried to disguise themselves as humans in thick robes and heavy makeup. A few, though, were determined to prove to the world they were as worthy of respect as any elf, man, or dwarf. They formed the Ironsouled Legion, a band of heroes who took on the greatest and deadliest of foes, asking nothing in payment but to be treated as equals. In time, their deeds became legend, and if folk didn't exactly love warforged after that, they began to accept they could be anything they chose to be.
Most warforged were destroyed in the first century after Skallidane's Fall, and many more died since then, as their natures take them towards dangerous careers. However, while the old rituals of warforged creation have been lost, it was found that a warforged could give up a small portion of their incarnum to animate another. The creation of the body takes 10000 gp and the soul-sacrifice takes 1000 XP, making this a rare process, but common enough that the race can continue -- and that many warforged take up adventuring to pay for the process of having 'children'.
Post-Crush, the warforged find themselves in a world where humanoid machines are sometimes feared, but often admired. The worlds of anime and tales of mecha appealed to them, and some have begun to paint themselves as Gundams or Transformers in the hopes of appearing to the Earthborn as heroes.
Ironsouled Legion
Ironsouled Legion
In the past of Arith, the Ironsouled Legion emerged from the ruins of Skallidane, to prove to the people of the world that beings of steel could be beings of soul. The Legion became legend, and the tales of its deeds have been told and retold by bards for centuries. The legion is not dead, though -- it existed right up to the Crush -- and beyond. Now, in a strange new world built from the mangled corpses of two older worlds, its members -- scattered, isolated, hunted, and feared -- still uphold the ideals of its founders.
The Ironsouled Legion
Symbol: The symbol of the Ironsouled Legion is a bright blue anvil, upon which is superimposed a white heart.
Background, Goals, and Dreams: The Ironsouled Legion exists to provide examples of heroism, honor, and nobility among the Warforged. While not every Warforged is a member of the legion -- or aspires to such nobility -- the Legion believes that if they can proved Warforged can be heroes, the rest of the world will at least give an unproven member of the race the benefit of the doubt.
Missions on behalf of the Legion often involve great risk, impossible odds, and worthy causes. Depending on the skills of the members of the Legion, they may be sent as front-line fighters, scouts, or bodyguards. Hunting down evil Warforged is one of the Legion's primary missions.
Type:Fighting Company
Scale:7
Affiliation Score Criteria:Only Warforged can join the Legion. Further, all must be of Good alignment (and will be tested) and maintain the highest standards of heroism. Cowardice is the worst flaw imaginable; second to that is acting in a way which shames all Warforged. The Legion encourages Warforged to go beyond the stereotypes, and so, Bards, Wizards, and even Druids can be found among their number.
Criterion
Character Level +1/2 PC's Level
BAB 5 or higher +1
BAB 10 or higher +2
Leadership Feat +2
Paladin +2
Completes a mission for the Legion +1
Dies on a mission +2
Acts to increase the reputation of the Warforged +2
Kills an evil Warforged +1
Acts in a cowardly fashion -10
Brings shame to all Warforged -10
Friendly association with evil Warforged -8
Friendly assocation with evil non-Warforged -5
Creates a new Warforged +1
Titles, Benefits & Duties: The Ironsouled Legion are warriors, first and foremost; even those without fighter type levels are expected to enter combat on a regular basis. There are no idle scholars or philosophers among the Ironsouled! As they progress through the ranks, members are expected to take on greater duties and assume the mantle of leadership, often volunteering their services to command armies of other races, if they are willing be so led.
3 or lower Not a member, or a member who has not proved himself.
4-10 Coppersouled: +2 on all Charisma-based skill checks with other Warforged; +1 on attack rolls against evil Warforged
11-15 Bronzesouled +4 on all Charisma-based skill checks with other Warforged; +2 on all Charisma based skill checks with non-evil being; +2 on attack rolls against evil Warforged
16-20 Ironsouled: Gain one Fighter bonus feat; +4 on all saving throws against fear; +3 on all attack rolls against evil Warforged
21-30 Adamantinesouled: +6 on all attempts to influence Good beings and +3 on all attempts to influence non-evil beings; +4 on all attack rolls against evil Warforged; +2 to natural AC bonus
31+ Mithralsouled: Gain two fighter bonus feats.
So, I wrote up the warforged backstory. In so doing, I tossed out the term "Ironsouled Legion", because, you know, it sounded cool. Then I started thinking that it could fit into Shattered World, and that gave me the chance to crack open PH2 and build me an Affiliation. I love "systems for defining things", and I wanted to use a lot of the cool options which 3.x has produced over the years, so there you go. Thus, we present Warforged (as they exist in the Shattered World), and the first Affiliation for same.
(And, frankly, the idea of some Warforged painting himself red and blue and calling himself Optimus Prime is just damn appealing...)
Of course, having conceived of Warforged paladins, I now need some gods. They might be coming next. (Racial deities are another thing I like to create). And so worlds are built cascade style -- from one idea comes the next, and the next, and the next. The hard part is knowing where to stop, to actually focus on play, and not on making a stage no one will ever act upon.
Warforged
The warforged of Arith began millennia ago, shortly after the last Magewar. On the flying island of Skallidane, the scholars of the Pearl Conclave sought to supplement their small numbers (and their many dead soldiers) by finding ways to make smaller, cheaper, golems. To simplify the process, they used a small portion of incarnum -- the raw material of souls -- to power their creations. The miniscule spark used was enough to provide mobility and obedience, but not consciousness. At least, not at first.
After centuries (and this was still at least a thousand years pre-Crush), the populace of Skallidane was at least a fourth warforged. They served more than the Conclave -- the worked in every part of the flying island city, from the fields to the mills to the foundries. Then things began to go wrong. Some of the most ancient of the warforged began to grow rebellious; then it spread. A year after the first incidents, the island was consumed in a virulent war. The magitech for which Skallidane was known and feared was turned against itself, as the Conclave sought to destroy their own creations, unaware of how powerful they had become, and how free willed. The warforged, made with incarnum, had grown true souls, true freedom of thought -- and they were not content to be slaves.
By the time the war was over, Skallidane was no more -- the smoking ruins of the wondrous city had crashed into the sea -- but tens of thousands of warforged survived. They scattered across the world. There, their reception was uneven at best. Masterless golems -- which is how they were seen -- were known as rampaging killers only. While Skallidane was not loved by most of the world, a force which could destroy it was even more terrifying. The warforged were generally driven away. Some gave them shelter -- conquerors who saw them as perfect soldiers and who did not understand their true nature. Some took to banditry, some tried to disguise themselves as humans in thick robes and heavy makeup. A few, though, were determined to prove to the world they were as worthy of respect as any elf, man, or dwarf. They formed the Ironsouled Legion, a band of heroes who took on the greatest and deadliest of foes, asking nothing in payment but to be treated as equals. In time, their deeds became legend, and if folk didn't exactly love warforged after that, they began to accept they could be anything they chose to be.
Most warforged were destroyed in the first century after Skallidane's Fall, and many more died since then, as their natures take them towards dangerous careers. However, while the old rituals of warforged creation have been lost, it was found that a warforged could give up a small portion of their incarnum to animate another. The creation of the body takes 10000 gp and the soul-sacrifice takes 1000 XP, making this a rare process, but common enough that the race can continue -- and that many warforged take up adventuring to pay for the process of having 'children'.
Post-Crush, the warforged find themselves in a world where humanoid machines are sometimes feared, but often admired. The worlds of anime and tales of mecha appealed to them, and some have begun to paint themselves as Gundams or Transformers in the hopes of appearing to the Earthborn as heroes.
Ironsouled Legion
Ironsouled Legion
In the past of Arith, the Ironsouled Legion emerged from the ruins of Skallidane, to prove to the people of the world that beings of steel could be beings of soul. The Legion became legend, and the tales of its deeds have been told and retold by bards for centuries. The legion is not dead, though -- it existed right up to the Crush -- and beyond. Now, in a strange new world built from the mangled corpses of two older worlds, its members -- scattered, isolated, hunted, and feared -- still uphold the ideals of its founders.
The Ironsouled Legion
Symbol: The symbol of the Ironsouled Legion is a bright blue anvil, upon which is superimposed a white heart.
Background, Goals, and Dreams: The Ironsouled Legion exists to provide examples of heroism, honor, and nobility among the Warforged. While not every Warforged is a member of the legion -- or aspires to such nobility -- the Legion believes that if they can proved Warforged can be heroes, the rest of the world will at least give an unproven member of the race the benefit of the doubt.
Missions on behalf of the Legion often involve great risk, impossible odds, and worthy causes. Depending on the skills of the members of the Legion, they may be sent as front-line fighters, scouts, or bodyguards. Hunting down evil Warforged is one of the Legion's primary missions.
Type:Fighting Company
Scale:7
Affiliation Score Criteria:Only Warforged can join the Legion. Further, all must be of Good alignment (and will be tested) and maintain the highest standards of heroism. Cowardice is the worst flaw imaginable; second to that is acting in a way which shames all Warforged. The Legion encourages Warforged to go beyond the stereotypes, and so, Bards, Wizards, and even Druids can be found among their number.
Criterion
Character Level +1/2 PC's Level
BAB 5 or higher +1
BAB 10 or higher +2
Leadership Feat +2
Paladin +2
Completes a mission for the Legion +1
Dies on a mission +2
Acts to increase the reputation of the Warforged +2
Kills an evil Warforged +1
Acts in a cowardly fashion -10
Brings shame to all Warforged -10
Friendly association with evil Warforged -8
Friendly assocation with evil non-Warforged -5
Creates a new Warforged +1
Titles, Benefits & Duties: The Ironsouled Legion are warriors, first and foremost; even those without fighter type levels are expected to enter combat on a regular basis. There are no idle scholars or philosophers among the Ironsouled! As they progress through the ranks, members are expected to take on greater duties and assume the mantle of leadership, often volunteering their services to command armies of other races, if they are willing be so led.
3 or lower Not a member, or a member who has not proved himself.
4-10 Coppersouled: +2 on all Charisma-based skill checks with other Warforged; +1 on attack rolls against evil Warforged
11-15 Bronzesouled +4 on all Charisma-based skill checks with other Warforged; +2 on all Charisma based skill checks with non-evil being; +2 on attack rolls against evil Warforged
16-20 Ironsouled: Gain one Fighter bonus feat; +4 on all saving throws against fear; +3 on all attack rolls against evil Warforged
21-30 Adamantinesouled: +6 on all attempts to influence Good beings and +3 on all attempts to influence non-evil beings; +4 on all attack rolls against evil Warforged; +2 to natural AC bonus
31+ Mithralsouled: Gain two fighter bonus feats.
Thursday, November 15, 2007
Of Humanoid Bondage
Sorry, no porn.
The D&D world is (in)famous for its proliferation of sentient races. There are dozens in the 'official' books, and ghu knows how many in the third party supplements. Lesser, saner, Dungeon Masters ignore all but a handful of such races. I, having grown up old-school, like to use 'em all -- but I also like some idea how they fit in. The following is an overview of the humanoid races included thus far -- but I've only gone through Monster Manual I and the Tome of Horrors (Best. Monster Book. Evar.) More will be coming...
========================================
Humanoids In The Shattered World
On Arith, most of the so-called 'humanoid' races – a somewhat derogatory term for basically man-shaped beings whose civilizations and cultures were antithetical to those of the Free People's – dwelled in the rough wilderness, kept in check by organized patrols, powerful magics, and their own internal conflicts. Many bred rapidly and then, unable to expand, turned on each other until their numbers were reduced to what the wastelands in which they dwelled could sustain, then the cycle began anew. The days of great native leaders, or evil overlords, raising vast armies and laying siege to the civilized lands were long past, and only the oldest elves remembered the last true humanoid wars.
This all changed after the crush.
Without much civilization to destroy, the humanoids weathered the change fairly well. Where the Free People's saw the Crush as a great punishment from the gods, the humanoids saw it as a blessing. In their myths, their gods had finally overthrown, or at least stymied, the human and demi human gods, giving them the opening they needed.
To the humans of Earth, there was little difference between orcs and goblins – or between goblins and gnomes, for that matter. All were strange, alien, invaders who had arrived in a civilization-destroying cataclysm. Only after years of harsh experience did the distinctions begin to matter, and the knowledge that hobgoblins could be bargained with while orcs could not, for example, began to sink in.
Two decades post-crush, the various humanoid races have yet to organize into armies or be recruited en masse as crossbow fodder, but they have expanded greatly. Many have learned to use scavenged technology, capturing Earthborn slaves to maintain it. They are no longer constrained by patrols or magic; now, only their own flaws and hatreds hold them back.
Goblinoid Races
Three major races (and one minor race) are known as Goblinoids.
Bugbears
The bugbears, largest and strongest of the goblin races, have always been the least technologically adept. They dwelled in the twisted woods and blighted forests, driven there by the elves in one ancient war after another. Their small tribal villages managed to live by hunting, raiding, and occasional farming, and they mostly fought among themselves, lacking anyone else to battle. Now, they claim all the woodlands for their own, though they are strongest in the region which was once the Pacific Northwest. They hate and despise the technology and artifacts of Earth, considering them blasphemous abominations, and actively destroy any they encounter, often burning any semi-intact suburban sprawl they come across. Those using such artifacts against them will be killed as slowly as possible.
Hobgoblins
Of all the humanoids, the hobgoblins were always the most dangerous, maintaining true nation-states and capable of forming complex social structures which were stable for generations. Their military might was immense, and they could wield it as finely as a dagger or as viciously as a battleaxe, as necessary. This actually hurt them – when the crush came, their various small kingdoms, isolated but strong, were battered and weakened. Though they relied less on magical communication than the Free People's did, they were still cut off and isolated, and the hobgoblins are known to leap on any sign of weakness – even among their own kind. Local rulers saw the chance to be top dog, not mere underlings to a now-distant superior, and took it. Provinces and baronies sought to take advantage of the chaos for their own benefit. As a result, the window for a true hobgoblin empire spanning a large part of a continent was closed rapidly. Today, there are a handful of fortress-holdfasts, and quite a number of freelance hobgoblin regiments. Life in a hobgoblin holdfast is brutal and difficult, but for those who learn to obey and work, it can be a safe life – and for many, that's sufficient.
Goblins
Small and fecund, goblins are generally considered nuiscances, except when they are able to breed in sufficient numbers to overrun a community. They dwell in darkness, underground, nomads of the Earth-girdling cave systems. They will bubble up from the depths in a surge, overwhelming defenders with sheer numbers, and then retreat to the safety of the dark. Their rapid breeding and maturation, combined with their basically cowardly and servile nature, makes them ideal fodder for more powerful beings. They are also one of the most religious of the humanoid races, with a pantheon of several dozen gods, most of whom are relatively weak. Unlike many of the other humanoid races, intratribal violence is rare, and even different tribes usually manage to get along well enough to get by if they aren't competing for a specific resource. Goblins are known to produce more naturally psionic individuals than any of the other races, and these 'blue goblins' are cherished and protected by their fellows.
Mites
The mites, or 'deepest goblins', remain in their dark underground holdfasts. Indeed, as other races head upwards to claim the surface world, the Mites occupy their former cities, looting everything left behind as valueless by richer races. They are of minimal danger to those on the surface, but they can prove a persistent threat to explorers in the Underdark.
Orcs And Orc-Kin
Orcs
Orcs represent pure violence, with very little culture beyond survival and conquest. They are the mad spawn of their one-eyed god, and they see the world as having cheated them out of their rightful place as rulers of all. The Crush merely allowed them to spread. Orcs traditionally establish a secure base, and then loot and rampage through the area surrounding it, covering as much territory as they can while still being able to retreat to safety. Caves are preferred, though some tribes will seize a castle or fort if they can capture it with its security still mostly intact. Legends of the orcs declare that a true leader will one day arise, one who will unite all the warring tribes and lead them to absolute victory. Orcs have learned to love guns, though they can barely maintain them, and they will seize weapon stores in preference to all other treasures. A few of the smarter or more self controlled orcs have left their tribes to become bandits, mercenaries, or hunters, but most cannot get along with other races well enough to function as such. The current strongholds of the largest orc tribes in the former North America are located in the Appalachians, with many old coal mines having been converted to vast warrens.
Ogrillon
The Ogrillon are not a race unto themselves, but orc/ogre crossbreeds are common enough that Ogrillon can be found in many orc bands. The smarter become leaders and warriors; the dumber are exploited as basically mobile weapons platforms, aimed at the largest foe on the battlefield and left to fend for themselves.
Orog
Orogs are rarely seen among the orcs, as they were targeted for destruction in every war against the orcs, to deprive the orcs of their best leaders. These elite orcs can be found, when they exist, leading orc raiding bands against rich foes, or abandoning their more savage cousins to find work among more disciplined forces. Not a small number have joined up with mercenary bands.
Gnolls
In many ways, gnolls are even more bestial than orcs – stronger, faster, and disease ridden, they are primarily nomadic, The packs wander across the face of the Shattered World, with a few areas of higher concentration in the former Upper Midwest. Unlike orcs, almost no gnolls leave their packs to join other races in banditry or to find semi-legitimate work; they are too vicious and uncontrolled, prone to sudden attacks of violent temper and bloodlust which are not constrained by fear or greed. Gnoll prisoners are used as brute labor and mobile food; it has never occurred to them to preserve 'useful' prisoners or gain instruction in how to use scavenged technology – indeed, they're often scared of guns and will break or destroy any them come across.
Kobolds
Similar to goblins in stature, but very different in tactics, kobolds build great maze-cities in the underdark, riddling them with traps and tricks. Kobolds breed much more slowly than the other humanoid races, and so, have learned to make each member count, focusing on surprise, deceit, and their racial gift of sorcery to take down far more powerful intruders. A single kobold is often hasted, then dispatched to be a visible target; when a dupe follows him, he suddenly takes off at magically enhanced speed while his hidden comrades bring down the victim. Kobolds have the same cunning and love of machines – including modern Earth machines – that gnomes do, and kobold lairs are often lit with electric lights (powered by stolen generators) and have an assortment of odd machines placed randomly about them. Kobolds and gnomes have a long history of antipathy, as both races compete for much the same space. Kobolds are found everywhere, but their current strongholds are located in the former American northeast and parts of Eastern Canada.
Derro
Twisted, evil, and inhumanly sadistic cousins of the Dwarves, the Derro were hunted almost to extinction on Arith, surviving only in a small number of deeply hidden cavern fortresses. As such, it took some time before they became aware things had changed. They found their way back to the surface, or as near as they could tolerate. They are too few to establish any notable communities, but small clans have spread in the former mining areas of West Virginia and Pennsylvania, where they make quick snatch-and-go raids on wandering travelers. The malicious ingenuity of the Derro has been inspired by the new technology they've discovered on Earth, and they have become adept at using scavenged technology as implements of torture.
Grimlock
Grimlocks long ago ceased to be a free race. For centuries, all of the race has been the slaves of the Illithid, knowing nothing but service to their dread masters. When word of the Crush reached their bleak and forgotten cities, they saw new opportunities in the world above, but refused to act without further information. Thus, their slaves were sent upwards, to probe the new world and find out all that they could. Grimlocks mostly haunt the ruined cities of Earth, dwelling in the empty subways, underground structures, and the like, raiding upwards for food and prisoners to question. A few have decided they like the freedom of this new world, and have fled by night into the ruined suburbs and the reborn wilds, always seeking the comforting darkness below when they can. Grimlocks still loyal to their masters live in organized units; escape grimlocks form loose-knit gangs.
Kuo-Toa
The Shattered Coast is infested with the Kuo-Toa, amphibious humanoids of malign purpose. The new caves and ruined cities provide them with endless places to call home, and they have bred rapidly in the years since the Crush. Many simply attack any ships they see, but a few of the more cunning have established what can only be called protection rackets, where some sea traffic is allowed in their regions and others is not. In the southern parts of the Shattered Coast, they face serious competition from the Sahuagin.
Crabmen
Crabmen are rare creatures, not generally welcomed by the Free Peoples, but also not violent and hateful enough to survive among other races. They lived in isolated villages and small cave systems on Arith, and on the Shattered World, they dwell in much the same place. The sunken cities which line the coasts provide them with many hiding places, and they are happy to keep their shelled heads down and stay out of the way of the more violent races.
Dark Creeper
Dark Creepers are practically things of legend, with only one city known to exist on Arith. Since word of the Crush reached the Underdark, they have sent out scouts, but the bulk of their population remains in the Spiral Pit. The scouts of the Bottomlord can be found primarily in the remnants of Denver and its surrounding regions.
Dire Corby
The cave birds, as they were known, dwelled in the upper parts of the underdark, preying on things even weaker than themselves and lusting for the woods beneath a moonless night sky. After the Crush, they swarmed outwards, settling in the blighted and twisted forests of the far north. Small bands roam across the so-called 'Empty Quarter', and they have become fearsome legends of the night.
Flind
Thankfully rare, the Flind are growing more common as the gnoll packs breed. A small number of packs are Flind-led, and when such packs meet, the Flind are sure to enjoy an orgy of mating so as to increase their numbers. Perhaps the most infamous are the Scabfangs, a pack which has settled in the north Georgia area and which regularly attacks convoys in the area.
Grippli
A rare species which lived in peace in the swamps of the Alliance Of Free Kingdoms, the Grippli have found themselves even more pressed as the other swamp dwellers, notably the lizardfolk, have invaded their swamps. Some have fled to human-controlled holdfasts for safety; others have moved deeper into the swamps. The largest known settlement is in the Florida Morass, in the area once known as Disneyworld.
The D&D world is (in)famous for its proliferation of sentient races. There are dozens in the 'official' books, and ghu knows how many in the third party supplements. Lesser, saner, Dungeon Masters ignore all but a handful of such races. I, having grown up old-school, like to use 'em all -- but I also like some idea how they fit in. The following is an overview of the humanoid races included thus far -- but I've only gone through Monster Manual I and the Tome of Horrors (Best. Monster Book. Evar.) More will be coming...
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Humanoids In The Shattered World
On Arith, most of the so-called 'humanoid' races – a somewhat derogatory term for basically man-shaped beings whose civilizations and cultures were antithetical to those of the Free People's – dwelled in the rough wilderness, kept in check by organized patrols, powerful magics, and their own internal conflicts. Many bred rapidly and then, unable to expand, turned on each other until their numbers were reduced to what the wastelands in which they dwelled could sustain, then the cycle began anew. The days of great native leaders, or evil overlords, raising vast armies and laying siege to the civilized lands were long past, and only the oldest elves remembered the last true humanoid wars.
This all changed after the crush.
Without much civilization to destroy, the humanoids weathered the change fairly well. Where the Free People's saw the Crush as a great punishment from the gods, the humanoids saw it as a blessing. In their myths, their gods had finally overthrown, or at least stymied, the human and demi human gods, giving them the opening they needed.
To the humans of Earth, there was little difference between orcs and goblins – or between goblins and gnomes, for that matter. All were strange, alien, invaders who had arrived in a civilization-destroying cataclysm. Only after years of harsh experience did the distinctions begin to matter, and the knowledge that hobgoblins could be bargained with while orcs could not, for example, began to sink in.
Two decades post-crush, the various humanoid races have yet to organize into armies or be recruited en masse as crossbow fodder, but they have expanded greatly. Many have learned to use scavenged technology, capturing Earthborn slaves to maintain it. They are no longer constrained by patrols or magic; now, only their own flaws and hatreds hold them back.
Goblinoid Races
Three major races (and one minor race) are known as Goblinoids.
Bugbears
The bugbears, largest and strongest of the goblin races, have always been the least technologically adept. They dwelled in the twisted woods and blighted forests, driven there by the elves in one ancient war after another. Their small tribal villages managed to live by hunting, raiding, and occasional farming, and they mostly fought among themselves, lacking anyone else to battle. Now, they claim all the woodlands for their own, though they are strongest in the region which was once the Pacific Northwest. They hate and despise the technology and artifacts of Earth, considering them blasphemous abominations, and actively destroy any they encounter, often burning any semi-intact suburban sprawl they come across. Those using such artifacts against them will be killed as slowly as possible.
Hobgoblins
Of all the humanoids, the hobgoblins were always the most dangerous, maintaining true nation-states and capable of forming complex social structures which were stable for generations. Their military might was immense, and they could wield it as finely as a dagger or as viciously as a battleaxe, as necessary. This actually hurt them – when the crush came, their various small kingdoms, isolated but strong, were battered and weakened. Though they relied less on magical communication than the Free People's did, they were still cut off and isolated, and the hobgoblins are known to leap on any sign of weakness – even among their own kind. Local rulers saw the chance to be top dog, not mere underlings to a now-distant superior, and took it. Provinces and baronies sought to take advantage of the chaos for their own benefit. As a result, the window for a true hobgoblin empire spanning a large part of a continent was closed rapidly. Today, there are a handful of fortress-holdfasts, and quite a number of freelance hobgoblin regiments. Life in a hobgoblin holdfast is brutal and difficult, but for those who learn to obey and work, it can be a safe life – and for many, that's sufficient.
Goblins
Small and fecund, goblins are generally considered nuiscances, except when they are able to breed in sufficient numbers to overrun a community. They dwell in darkness, underground, nomads of the Earth-girdling cave systems. They will bubble up from the depths in a surge, overwhelming defenders with sheer numbers, and then retreat to the safety of the dark. Their rapid breeding and maturation, combined with their basically cowardly and servile nature, makes them ideal fodder for more powerful beings. They are also one of the most religious of the humanoid races, with a pantheon of several dozen gods, most of whom are relatively weak. Unlike many of the other humanoid races, intratribal violence is rare, and even different tribes usually manage to get along well enough to get by if they aren't competing for a specific resource. Goblins are known to produce more naturally psionic individuals than any of the other races, and these 'blue goblins' are cherished and protected by their fellows.
Mites
The mites, or 'deepest goblins', remain in their dark underground holdfasts. Indeed, as other races head upwards to claim the surface world, the Mites occupy their former cities, looting everything left behind as valueless by richer races. They are of minimal danger to those on the surface, but they can prove a persistent threat to explorers in the Underdark.
Orcs And Orc-Kin
Orcs
Orcs represent pure violence, with very little culture beyond survival and conquest. They are the mad spawn of their one-eyed god, and they see the world as having cheated them out of their rightful place as rulers of all. The Crush merely allowed them to spread. Orcs traditionally establish a secure base, and then loot and rampage through the area surrounding it, covering as much territory as they can while still being able to retreat to safety. Caves are preferred, though some tribes will seize a castle or fort if they can capture it with its security still mostly intact. Legends of the orcs declare that a true leader will one day arise, one who will unite all the warring tribes and lead them to absolute victory. Orcs have learned to love guns, though they can barely maintain them, and they will seize weapon stores in preference to all other treasures. A few of the smarter or more self controlled orcs have left their tribes to become bandits, mercenaries, or hunters, but most cannot get along with other races well enough to function as such. The current strongholds of the largest orc tribes in the former North America are located in the Appalachians, with many old coal mines having been converted to vast warrens.
Ogrillon
The Ogrillon are not a race unto themselves, but orc/ogre crossbreeds are common enough that Ogrillon can be found in many orc bands. The smarter become leaders and warriors; the dumber are exploited as basically mobile weapons platforms, aimed at the largest foe on the battlefield and left to fend for themselves.
Orog
Orogs are rarely seen among the orcs, as they were targeted for destruction in every war against the orcs, to deprive the orcs of their best leaders. These elite orcs can be found, when they exist, leading orc raiding bands against rich foes, or abandoning their more savage cousins to find work among more disciplined forces. Not a small number have joined up with mercenary bands.
Gnolls
In many ways, gnolls are even more bestial than orcs – stronger, faster, and disease ridden, they are primarily nomadic, The packs wander across the face of the Shattered World, with a few areas of higher concentration in the former Upper Midwest. Unlike orcs, almost no gnolls leave their packs to join other races in banditry or to find semi-legitimate work; they are too vicious and uncontrolled, prone to sudden attacks of violent temper and bloodlust which are not constrained by fear or greed. Gnoll prisoners are used as brute labor and mobile food; it has never occurred to them to preserve 'useful' prisoners or gain instruction in how to use scavenged technology – indeed, they're often scared of guns and will break or destroy any them come across.
Kobolds
Similar to goblins in stature, but very different in tactics, kobolds build great maze-cities in the underdark, riddling them with traps and tricks. Kobolds breed much more slowly than the other humanoid races, and so, have learned to make each member count, focusing on surprise, deceit, and their racial gift of sorcery to take down far more powerful intruders. A single kobold is often hasted, then dispatched to be a visible target; when a dupe follows him, he suddenly takes off at magically enhanced speed while his hidden comrades bring down the victim. Kobolds have the same cunning and love of machines – including modern Earth machines – that gnomes do, and kobold lairs are often lit with electric lights (powered by stolen generators) and have an assortment of odd machines placed randomly about them. Kobolds and gnomes have a long history of antipathy, as both races compete for much the same space. Kobolds are found everywhere, but their current strongholds are located in the former American northeast and parts of Eastern Canada.
Derro
Twisted, evil, and inhumanly sadistic cousins of the Dwarves, the Derro were hunted almost to extinction on Arith, surviving only in a small number of deeply hidden cavern fortresses. As such, it took some time before they became aware things had changed. They found their way back to the surface, or as near as they could tolerate. They are too few to establish any notable communities, but small clans have spread in the former mining areas of West Virginia and Pennsylvania, where they make quick snatch-and-go raids on wandering travelers. The malicious ingenuity of the Derro has been inspired by the new technology they've discovered on Earth, and they have become adept at using scavenged technology as implements of torture.
Grimlock
Grimlocks long ago ceased to be a free race. For centuries, all of the race has been the slaves of the Illithid, knowing nothing but service to their dread masters. When word of the Crush reached their bleak and forgotten cities, they saw new opportunities in the world above, but refused to act without further information. Thus, their slaves were sent upwards, to probe the new world and find out all that they could. Grimlocks mostly haunt the ruined cities of Earth, dwelling in the empty subways, underground structures, and the like, raiding upwards for food and prisoners to question. A few have decided they like the freedom of this new world, and have fled by night into the ruined suburbs and the reborn wilds, always seeking the comforting darkness below when they can. Grimlocks still loyal to their masters live in organized units; escape grimlocks form loose-knit gangs.
Kuo-Toa
The Shattered Coast is infested with the Kuo-Toa, amphibious humanoids of malign purpose. The new caves and ruined cities provide them with endless places to call home, and they have bred rapidly in the years since the Crush. Many simply attack any ships they see, but a few of the more cunning have established what can only be called protection rackets, where some sea traffic is allowed in their regions and others is not. In the southern parts of the Shattered Coast, they face serious competition from the Sahuagin.
Crabmen
Crabmen are rare creatures, not generally welcomed by the Free Peoples, but also not violent and hateful enough to survive among other races. They lived in isolated villages and small cave systems on Arith, and on the Shattered World, they dwell in much the same place. The sunken cities which line the coasts provide them with many hiding places, and they are happy to keep their shelled heads down and stay out of the way of the more violent races.
Dark Creeper
Dark Creepers are practically things of legend, with only one city known to exist on Arith. Since word of the Crush reached the Underdark, they have sent out scouts, but the bulk of their population remains in the Spiral Pit. The scouts of the Bottomlord can be found primarily in the remnants of Denver and its surrounding regions.
Dire Corby
The cave birds, as they were known, dwelled in the upper parts of the underdark, preying on things even weaker than themselves and lusting for the woods beneath a moonless night sky. After the Crush, they swarmed outwards, settling in the blighted and twisted forests of the far north. Small bands roam across the so-called 'Empty Quarter', and they have become fearsome legends of the night.
Flind
Thankfully rare, the Flind are growing more common as the gnoll packs breed. A small number of packs are Flind-led, and when such packs meet, the Flind are sure to enjoy an orgy of mating so as to increase their numbers. Perhaps the most infamous are the Scabfangs, a pack which has settled in the north Georgia area and which regularly attacks convoys in the area.
Grippli
A rare species which lived in peace in the swamps of the Alliance Of Free Kingdoms, the Grippli have found themselves even more pressed as the other swamp dwellers, notably the lizardfolk, have invaded their swamps. Some have fled to human-controlled holdfasts for safety; others have moved deeper into the swamps. The largest known settlement is in the Florida Morass, in the area once known as Disneyworld.
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
Gimme That New Time Religion...
Ah, religion in D&D, where the wielder of the power to literally bring the dead to life with a word (and a 5000 gp diamond) is viewed as a mobile first aid kit. For the Shattered World, I of course needed to honor this fine tradition, but I was also thinking about what effect real, tangible, provable, on-demand, your pays your money and you gets your healing, including for amputees, miracles would do. Further, I didn't want to pretend Earth faiths didn't exist. By the same token, I didn't want to stat out Yahweh and decide if Jesus could take Odin best two falls out of three.
I have still not decided on the precise, real, nature of the gods -- but from a game mechanics perspective, any god who is sincerely believed in by enough people is real in terms of casting spells, sending avatars or servants to do their bidding, and so on. Thus, Earth religions produce clerics, favored souls, paladins, and so on, just as Arithian faiths do. The exact domains for various Terran faiths is something I need to work on next, but the following is my initial essay on religion:
====================
The power of the divine is undoubted. Those who serve the will of the gods can heal wounds, summon divine aid, smite their foes with fire or lightning, walk on water, and perform many other miracles -- including calling the souls of those departed back to their bodies. After the Crush, Earthborn religious leaders of great devotion and true faith found that they, too, could work miracles -- but their powers were no greater than those of worshipers of alien gods. In future times, it will be that a great deal of theology and debate will be had around this topic, and great books will be written, and great philosopher will espouse, but here and now, in the time just after the Decade of Fire, all that matters is that those who befriend a priest will live longer.
The inhabitants of Arith brought with them their gods, and the peoples of Earth found that the ancient rites, preserved by neo-pagans and cultural revivalists, worked as well. Still, most of the Earthborn in the former United States followed a monotheistic faith, and most still do -- especially after seeing a Rabbi form a golem from the mud of a ruined field, or a Minister lay hands on a dying man and seal his wounds.
Over the two decades since the Crush, the various sects and denominations of Earth faith have changed. Many of the more mainstream Christian churches have merged into what some are calling the United Church of Christ. Older denominations still exist; they're just smaller. There are estimates that at least four Popes currently exist, as the fragmented remains of the Catholic Church argue over just who are the true heirs of Rome. The Jews, concentrated into cities and never many in number, are now nearly extinct, and Rabbis have become wanderers, traveling from holdfast to holdfast, in order to provide religious services to what survivors may exist. (Oddly, the Jewish faith has begun to attract converts from among the Free Peoples, especially the Dwarves.) Islam remains strong in the Mideast, but less so in the United States -- again because so many Muslims dwelled in the now-dead cities. Christianity, the faith of the farmland and the suburbs, survived well.
Odinists in America, many of whom lived in the upper Midwest and the Northwest, have revived their ancient gods. Neo-pagans and wiccans have cobbled together a form of Druidism which allows them to tap into the power of nature itself. Converts to the ways of the 'invaders' also abound, and there are many who have turned from the gods of Earth to the gods of Arith.
I have still not decided on the precise, real, nature of the gods -- but from a game mechanics perspective, any god who is sincerely believed in by enough people is real in terms of casting spells, sending avatars or servants to do their bidding, and so on. Thus, Earth religions produce clerics, favored souls, paladins, and so on, just as Arithian faiths do. The exact domains for various Terran faiths is something I need to work on next, but the following is my initial essay on religion:
====================
The power of the divine is undoubted. Those who serve the will of the gods can heal wounds, summon divine aid, smite their foes with fire or lightning, walk on water, and perform many other miracles -- including calling the souls of those departed back to their bodies. After the Crush, Earthborn religious leaders of great devotion and true faith found that they, too, could work miracles -- but their powers were no greater than those of worshipers of alien gods. In future times, it will be that a great deal of theology and debate will be had around this topic, and great books will be written, and great philosopher will espouse, but here and now, in the time just after the Decade of Fire, all that matters is that those who befriend a priest will live longer.
The inhabitants of Arith brought with them their gods, and the peoples of Earth found that the ancient rites, preserved by neo-pagans and cultural revivalists, worked as well. Still, most of the Earthborn in the former United States followed a monotheistic faith, and most still do -- especially after seeing a Rabbi form a golem from the mud of a ruined field, or a Minister lay hands on a dying man and seal his wounds.
Over the two decades since the Crush, the various sects and denominations of Earth faith have changed. Many of the more mainstream Christian churches have merged into what some are calling the United Church of Christ. Older denominations still exist; they're just smaller. There are estimates that at least four Popes currently exist, as the fragmented remains of the Catholic Church argue over just who are the true heirs of Rome. The Jews, concentrated into cities and never many in number, are now nearly extinct, and Rabbis have become wanderers, traveling from holdfast to holdfast, in order to provide religious services to what survivors may exist. (Oddly, the Jewish faith has begun to attract converts from among the Free Peoples, especially the Dwarves.) Islam remains strong in the Mideast, but less so in the United States -- again because so many Muslims dwelled in the now-dead cities. Christianity, the faith of the farmland and the suburbs, survived well.
Odinists in America, many of whom lived in the upper Midwest and the Northwest, have revived their ancient gods. Neo-pagans and wiccans have cobbled together a form of Druidism which allows them to tap into the power of nature itself. Converts to the ways of the 'invaders' also abound, and there are many who have turned from the gods of Earth to the gods of Arith.
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
Magic, Or, How I Learned To Stop Worrying And Love Maximized Fireballs
One of the first things I needed to work on was magic. Specifically, I needed to make sure a lot of the tropes of a post-holocaust game could not be undone by casters. Thus, communication and travel were nerfed, and death needed to gain a considerable sting -- no more revolving door afterlife. The 'Soulstorm' mentioned here currently exists in my head as a vague concept with a cool name; it will be quantified soonish.
These changes don't unbalance general play much, but do change the nature of the world. Arithian society, dependent on scrying and teleportation networks, was just as damaged as Earth society when its communication and transport systems failed.
Oh...and to someone who mentioned satellites...yes. They're up there. And there is no 'anti tech' field, if you can get the hardware powered, most of the old systems still function. It's been 20 years, of course, and I'm sure some satellites are showing their age...but if there's anyone out there with generators and technicians, they can maintain a global communication network. For example, people in secure bunkers designed to outlast the effects of a global nuclear war. Of course, such places are things of legend and rumor...no one has found a functioning redoubt of that nature.
Anyway, magic:
It is undebatable that magic works in the Shattered World; doubters and skeptics were silenced within days of the Crush. With only a few important exceptions, the power of magic is as great as it ever was, but what has changed, dramatically and terribly, is the state of magical knowledge. In the span of days, millennia of learning were wiped out, along with the knowledge and experience stored in thousands of living minds.
On Arith, magic had long been more science than art. Vast libraries stored the details of thousands of spells. The precise means by which reality could be warped to a man's will were documented, defined, and enumerated. Fairly complete theoretical models of magic were well known, and only a few niggling details – such as the exact nature of the thaum – remained to be resolved. Magical societies and associations spanned the globe, linked by networks of scrying devices and teleportation sigils.
Then it all went away. Libraries burned along with the cities, and spellcasters were slain in the ensuing chaos. The common folk of Arith, terrified and confused, blamed wizards and sorcerers (not altogether incorrectly in general, but tragically wrong in specifics) for their blight, and weapons designed to keep enemy spellcasters from wreaking havoc were turned on allies. Storehouses of materia were destroyed. The networks of communication which kept the Orders together shut down instantly. Apprentices were separated from their masters. Clerics of various pantheons decreed that the tragedy could be blamed on those who worshiped the wrong gods, and holy wars exploded across the land. When the first of the upwellings began about a month after the Crush, those few casters who remained alive and protected were pressed into service against the newly emboldened hordes of the Underdark, and most perished in that fight.
Today, twenty years later, magic remains a powerful force, but no longer a well known one. Only a small number of the Free Peoples were spellcasters, and, as with most of the folk of both worlds, only some 5% of them survived the first year post-Crush. Many have retreated into hiding; others have found some small measure of safety in the few stable outposts and villages, where they might take on one apprentice every few years. The Earthborn have begun the study of magic, but many are viewed with hostility by both the Arith and their fellows.
The altered magical field of the Shattered World has changed how some magic works. Powerful storms in the Ethereal Plane limit the range of all spells to Long at best; no spell has 'unlimited' or 'same plane' range. The Soulstorm makes easy returns from the higher planes impossible; no magic of less power than True Resurrection or Wish will bring the dead back from the land of the Gods. The revolving door has been bolted shut.
Stockpiles of wands, scrolls, and potions were consumed during the Decade of Fire, and the materials needed to make more are in short supply. Costs for the manufacture of magic items have increased tenfold, and the small wealth of most settlements means that few are made. No more does every soldier keep a Potion of Cure Light Wounds and some Oil of True Strike on his belt for emergencies; no more is there a store selling common scrolls in every large city. Items of magic are horded, used only in the direst of emergencies, and given how common dire emergencies are, the hordes are getting pretty thin...
Of course, it's not all dire. The desperation of the survivors for any seeming of safety has led some to seek the shelter of the friendly neighborhood spellcaster, no matter how insane, depraved, or violent he may be. No small number of the holdfasts are under the rule of a magical overlord...did I say overlord? I meant protector. Of course, when one considers that during a time of great crisis, when the forces of light tried to array themselves against the onrushing darkness, the ones most likely to survive would be the ones whose entire system of ethics could be summed up as "Me first!", one gets an idea as to the sort of casters most likely to have lived long enough to become petty lordlings...and about how well they take to the idea of any competitors.
These changes don't unbalance general play much, but do change the nature of the world. Arithian society, dependent on scrying and teleportation networks, was just as damaged as Earth society when its communication and transport systems failed.
Oh...and to someone who mentioned satellites...yes. They're up there. And there is no 'anti tech' field, if you can get the hardware powered, most of the old systems still function. It's been 20 years, of course, and I'm sure some satellites are showing their age...but if there's anyone out there with generators and technicians, they can maintain a global communication network. For example, people in secure bunkers designed to outlast the effects of a global nuclear war. Of course, such places are things of legend and rumor...no one has found a functioning redoubt of that nature.
Anyway, magic:
It is undebatable that magic works in the Shattered World; doubters and skeptics were silenced within days of the Crush. With only a few important exceptions, the power of magic is as great as it ever was, but what has changed, dramatically and terribly, is the state of magical knowledge. In the span of days, millennia of learning were wiped out, along with the knowledge and experience stored in thousands of living minds.
On Arith, magic had long been more science than art. Vast libraries stored the details of thousands of spells. The precise means by which reality could be warped to a man's will were documented, defined, and enumerated. Fairly complete theoretical models of magic were well known, and only a few niggling details – such as the exact nature of the thaum – remained to be resolved. Magical societies and associations spanned the globe, linked by networks of scrying devices and teleportation sigils.
Then it all went away. Libraries burned along with the cities, and spellcasters were slain in the ensuing chaos. The common folk of Arith, terrified and confused, blamed wizards and sorcerers (not altogether incorrectly in general, but tragically wrong in specifics) for their blight, and weapons designed to keep enemy spellcasters from wreaking havoc were turned on allies. Storehouses of materia were destroyed. The networks of communication which kept the Orders together shut down instantly. Apprentices were separated from their masters. Clerics of various pantheons decreed that the tragedy could be blamed on those who worshiped the wrong gods, and holy wars exploded across the land. When the first of the upwellings began about a month after the Crush, those few casters who remained alive and protected were pressed into service against the newly emboldened hordes of the Underdark, and most perished in that fight.
Today, twenty years later, magic remains a powerful force, but no longer a well known one. Only a small number of the Free Peoples were spellcasters, and, as with most of the folk of both worlds, only some 5% of them survived the first year post-Crush. Many have retreated into hiding; others have found some small measure of safety in the few stable outposts and villages, where they might take on one apprentice every few years. The Earthborn have begun the study of magic, but many are viewed with hostility by both the Arith and their fellows.
The altered magical field of the Shattered World has changed how some magic works. Powerful storms in the Ethereal Plane limit the range of all spells to Long at best; no spell has 'unlimited' or 'same plane' range. The Soulstorm makes easy returns from the higher planes impossible; no magic of less power than True Resurrection or Wish will bring the dead back from the land of the Gods. The revolving door has been bolted shut.
Stockpiles of wands, scrolls, and potions were consumed during the Decade of Fire, and the materials needed to make more are in short supply. Costs for the manufacture of magic items have increased tenfold, and the small wealth of most settlements means that few are made. No more does every soldier keep a Potion of Cure Light Wounds and some Oil of True Strike on his belt for emergencies; no more is there a store selling common scrolls in every large city. Items of magic are horded, used only in the direst of emergencies, and given how common dire emergencies are, the hordes are getting pretty thin...
Of course, it's not all dire. The desperation of the survivors for any seeming of safety has led some to seek the shelter of the friendly neighborhood spellcaster, no matter how insane, depraved, or violent he may be. No small number of the holdfasts are under the rule of a magical overlord...did I say overlord? I meant protector. Of course, when one considers that during a time of great crisis, when the forces of light tried to array themselves against the onrushing darkness, the ones most likely to survive would be the ones whose entire system of ethics could be summed up as "Me first!", one gets an idea as to the sort of casters most likely to have lived long enough to become petty lordlings...and about how well they take to the idea of any competitors.
Druids...the Joy of Sects
Long before I had much more done than the initial world concept, players started telling me what they wanted to play. The first concept to be presented was a druid...which meant, I needed to define druids in my world. In the manner of all good creators, I stole, and in the manner of egotistical creators, I stole from myself. :) I'd often thought the four 'neutral' alignments of Druids (lawful, chaotic, good, evil) made nice 'sects' of druidism. Add a nature theme, and, presto!
Why no True Neutral? No good hook for them off the top of my head, plus, let's face it -- there's a Book of Exalted Deeds and and Tome Of Vile Darkness, but there's no Manual Of Pretty Much Standing Around Doing Nothing. Evil without concern for law or chaos, or law without concern for good or evil, etc, all provide good dramatic and mechanical hooks, but absolute true neutrality is a bear. It's not impossible, and I might even take a whack at some sort of True Neutral supplement one day, but for now, I like my four sects.
Druids
Druids do not derive their powers directly from a deity, though they often do worship one. Rather, Druids gain spells by their connection to the divine spark which exists in all natural things and by tapping into the power of the elemental planes. While all druidsshare in common a special connection to the natural world and the primal forces of the universe, there are four distinct sects of Druidism, each with a differing worldview which affects how their powers function.
Summer
Summer Druids are Lawful Neutral in alignment. They see the natural world as a clockwork mechanism. Season follows season; the stars and moon move according to fixed laws; each animal and plant lives in a complex pattern of birth, life, and death, playing its part in the great machine of life itself. Summer druids are often found in the more advanced civilizations, where they are part priest, part natural scientist. They are the most inclined to study and categorize nature, and they have produced some of the most sophisticated biological tomes of Arith. A few view civilization as a wrench in the machinery of the world, and actively seek to return sentients to their 'proper' place in nature, but most are comfortable with cities and complex culture, studying the relationship of social strata in a city just as they'd study the castes of an ant colony. They are known for being aloof and indifferent, roused to action only when something threatens the order of the world. Following the Crush, they have become very few in number -- most died in the cities, and others went mad as the order of the world vanished into utter chaos. A few have managed to ally with Earthborn humans to preserve the remains of biological science, and have become incorporating modern theories into their own understanding of the world. The panoply of new and changed species which emerge in the vicinity of Worldholes draws some to investigate these most dangerous places, seeking to understand the rules they believe must underlie the seeming chaos or just document the altered world and try to understand how the balance will reassert itself.
Mechanics
The scholarship of Summer Druids is unparalleled, as is their discipline. Summer Druids can 'take 10' on Knowledge (Nature) checks even under times of stress, and have access to spells of the Knowledge and Law domain in addition to their normal druidic spells. (They do not gain any additional spell slots, however). Their unconcerned and diffident nature, though, causes them to suffer a -2 on all Cha based skill checks.
Autumn
Autumn Druids, sometimes called Bleak Druids, are the avatars of death in nature. They see nature 'red in tooth and claw', and worship the fact that all things must die for anything to live. Of all the druid sects, they are the most isolated and feared. They wander the world, rarely settling in one place, seeking to balance nature by bringing death and destruction where it is most needed. The blazing forest fire, the hungry wolf pack tearing through an isolated village, the blight which dooms crops -- this is the nature worshiped by the druids of Autumn. Most humanoid druids are Autumn druids, especially those of the Bugbears.
Following the Crush, the Autumn sect has grown. Seeing the world of Earth, a world wholly out of balance with nature, a world where even the greatest normal disasters kill a few dozen instead of thousands, they are convinced as never before of the absolute rightness of their cause. They actively work towards pain, terror, and destruction.
Mechanics
Of all the druids, only Autumn druids can tolerate undead, seeing them as the ultimate survivors. As such, they can rebuke undead as a Cleric four levels below their own, and may use their Knowledge(Nature) checks to make checks about Undead, as well. They have trouble channeling the power of nature to bring life, though, and all of their healing spells cure 1 less point of damage per die (minimum 1).
Winter
Winter druids worship nature as impulse and abandon. Where the summer druids see rules and boundaries, the winter druids see exception and variation. Mutation, change, and chaos are their watchwords. A summer druid sees an endless cycle of order in the caterpillar and the butterfly; a winter druid sees that nothing, not even shape, is permanent and stable. Earth science such as chaos theory and continental drift appeal to them, but they prefer an intuitive understanding of the natural world to the stuffy scholarship of the summer druids.
As such, they have been the most comfortable with the Crush. The madness into which the world has been plunged appeals to them; the lies of order have been undone. Unlike the Autmun druids, they do not seek destruction for its own sake, but neither do they aid in building order. Many Winter druids are a touch mad. They have been known to offer services to communities, such as helping crops or driving off predators, in exchange for anything from a song to a virgin to a sack of gold. They have no fixed routes and schedules, but wander as they see fit, heeding a song only they can hear.
Mechanics
Autumn druids revel in chaos. They can rebuke Chaotic creatures as a Cleric four levels below their own, and gain a +2 on saves against any spell with the Chaos descriptor. They are, however, unfocused and easily distracted, suffering a -2 on all Wis based skill checks.
Spring
Spring druids worship life, hope, rebirth, and renewal in nature. They are the kindest and most compassionate of the druidic sects, though they can be moved to rage by callous destruction or the turning of nature to evil. On Arith, they were patrons of the outer villages and small towns, wandering in a long circle around their territory, blessing crops, curing animals, and offering help and advice. While they never sought to destroy cities, they did not value them, and sometimes appeared outside of city walls to implore those within to cast off their chains of stone and come return to the land. Spring druids were also notoriously free with their sexuality, and wandering druids would often father children or take a local man to woo for a night, returning a year later with a child for the village to raise. Such children were considered blessed or sacred, and many would take on the mantle of the Druid in years to come.
After the Crush, the Spring Druids have found themselves strained almost to their limits. While many survived the initial disaster, the sheer press of desperate need which followed overwhelmed them. The world had twisted to extremes of chaos and evil, and their healing, compassionate, natures were tested in the face of suffering such as they had never experienced. They also saw the horrors of cities and crafting gone mad, artificial mountains of stone, glass, and steel scarring the land. While they were among the largest druid sects on Arith, their numbers have dwindled greatly since the Crush, with only the Summer druids being rarer. Many have been forced to cease their wandering, and have instead settled near a conflux of holdfasts, providing what services they can to the locals and struggling to keep the encroaching wilderness in balance. They tend to be suspicious, if not outright hateful, of technology, and often make its abandonment a precondition of their settling in a region.
Mechanics
Spring druids can swap a prepared spell for a rejuvenating effect, losing the ability to swap for a Summon Animal Companion, as per PHB II.
Why no True Neutral? No good hook for them off the top of my head, plus, let's face it -- there's a Book of Exalted Deeds and and Tome Of Vile Darkness, but there's no Manual Of Pretty Much Standing Around Doing Nothing. Evil without concern for law or chaos, or law without concern for good or evil, etc, all provide good dramatic and mechanical hooks, but absolute true neutrality is a bear. It's not impossible, and I might even take a whack at some sort of True Neutral supplement one day, but for now, I like my four sects.
Druids
Druids do not derive their powers directly from a deity, though they often do worship one. Rather, Druids gain spells by their connection to the divine spark which exists in all natural things and by tapping into the power of the elemental planes. While all druidsshare in common a special connection to the natural world and the primal forces of the universe, there are four distinct sects of Druidism, each with a differing worldview which affects how their powers function.
Summer
Summer Druids are Lawful Neutral in alignment. They see the natural world as a clockwork mechanism. Season follows season; the stars and moon move according to fixed laws; each animal and plant lives in a complex pattern of birth, life, and death, playing its part in the great machine of life itself. Summer druids are often found in the more advanced civilizations, where they are part priest, part natural scientist. They are the most inclined to study and categorize nature, and they have produced some of the most sophisticated biological tomes of Arith. A few view civilization as a wrench in the machinery of the world, and actively seek to return sentients to their 'proper' place in nature, but most are comfortable with cities and complex culture, studying the relationship of social strata in a city just as they'd study the castes of an ant colony. They are known for being aloof and indifferent, roused to action only when something threatens the order of the world. Following the Crush, they have become very few in number -- most died in the cities, and others went mad as the order of the world vanished into utter chaos. A few have managed to ally with Earthborn humans to preserve the remains of biological science, and have become incorporating modern theories into their own understanding of the world. The panoply of new and changed species which emerge in the vicinity of Worldholes draws some to investigate these most dangerous places, seeking to understand the rules they believe must underlie the seeming chaos or just document the altered world and try to understand how the balance will reassert itself.
Mechanics
The scholarship of Summer Druids is unparalleled, as is their discipline. Summer Druids can 'take 10' on Knowledge (Nature) checks even under times of stress, and have access to spells of the Knowledge and Law domain in addition to their normal druidic spells. (They do not gain any additional spell slots, however). Their unconcerned and diffident nature, though, causes them to suffer a -2 on all Cha based skill checks.
Autumn
Autumn Druids, sometimes called Bleak Druids, are the avatars of death in nature. They see nature 'red in tooth and claw', and worship the fact that all things must die for anything to live. Of all the druid sects, they are the most isolated and feared. They wander the world, rarely settling in one place, seeking to balance nature by bringing death and destruction where it is most needed. The blazing forest fire, the hungry wolf pack tearing through an isolated village, the blight which dooms crops -- this is the nature worshiped by the druids of Autumn. Most humanoid druids are Autumn druids, especially those of the Bugbears.
Following the Crush, the Autumn sect has grown. Seeing the world of Earth, a world wholly out of balance with nature, a world where even the greatest normal disasters kill a few dozen instead of thousands, they are convinced as never before of the absolute rightness of their cause. They actively work towards pain, terror, and destruction.
Mechanics
Of all the druids, only Autumn druids can tolerate undead, seeing them as the ultimate survivors. As such, they can rebuke undead as a Cleric four levels below their own, and may use their Knowledge(Nature) checks to make checks about Undead, as well. They have trouble channeling the power of nature to bring life, though, and all of their healing spells cure 1 less point of damage per die (minimum 1).
Winter
Winter druids worship nature as impulse and abandon. Where the summer druids see rules and boundaries, the winter druids see exception and variation. Mutation, change, and chaos are their watchwords. A summer druid sees an endless cycle of order in the caterpillar and the butterfly; a winter druid sees that nothing, not even shape, is permanent and stable. Earth science such as chaos theory and continental drift appeal to them, but they prefer an intuitive understanding of the natural world to the stuffy scholarship of the summer druids.
As such, they have been the most comfortable with the Crush. The madness into which the world has been plunged appeals to them; the lies of order have been undone. Unlike the Autmun druids, they do not seek destruction for its own sake, but neither do they aid in building order. Many Winter druids are a touch mad. They have been known to offer services to communities, such as helping crops or driving off predators, in exchange for anything from a song to a virgin to a sack of gold. They have no fixed routes and schedules, but wander as they see fit, heeding a song only they can hear.
Mechanics
Autumn druids revel in chaos. They can rebuke Chaotic creatures as a Cleric four levels below their own, and gain a +2 on saves against any spell with the Chaos descriptor. They are, however, unfocused and easily distracted, suffering a -2 on all Wis based skill checks.
Spring
Spring druids worship life, hope, rebirth, and renewal in nature. They are the kindest and most compassionate of the druidic sects, though they can be moved to rage by callous destruction or the turning of nature to evil. On Arith, they were patrons of the outer villages and small towns, wandering in a long circle around their territory, blessing crops, curing animals, and offering help and advice. While they never sought to destroy cities, they did not value them, and sometimes appeared outside of city walls to implore those within to cast off their chains of stone and come return to the land. Spring druids were also notoriously free with their sexuality, and wandering druids would often father children or take a local man to woo for a night, returning a year later with a child for the village to raise. Such children were considered blessed or sacred, and many would take on the mantle of the Druid in years to come.
After the Crush, the Spring Druids have found themselves strained almost to their limits. While many survived the initial disaster, the sheer press of desperate need which followed overwhelmed them. The world had twisted to extremes of chaos and evil, and their healing, compassionate, natures were tested in the face of suffering such as they had never experienced. They also saw the horrors of cities and crafting gone mad, artificial mountains of stone, glass, and steel scarring the land. While they were among the largest druid sects on Arith, their numbers have dwindled greatly since the Crush, with only the Summer druids being rarer. Many have been forced to cease their wandering, and have instead settled near a conflux of holdfasts, providing what services they can to the locals and struggling to keep the encroaching wilderness in balance. They tend to be suspicious, if not outright hateful, of technology, and often make its abandonment a precondition of their settling in a region.
Mechanics
Spring druids can swap a prepared spell for a rejuvenating effect, losing the ability to swap for a Summon Animal Companion, as per PHB II.
Monday, November 12, 2007
The Outline Of History
Here's the first infodump I sent out. A few comments:
The History Of The Shattered World
In 2020, the Austin Gigacollider came on-line. The largest atomic collider ever constructed, it was designed to unlock the final secrets of creation, to produce strangelets for study. A few fringe scientists and luddites feared this would lead to disaster, but they were ignored. As it turns out, they were right, but for no reason they could imagine.
Right next door -- and a world away -- academicians at the Diamond Tower were working towards isolating the thaum, the hypothetical basis of all magic, divine and arcane. It would allow the creation of spells of unprecedented power, as well as refining the control of magic to a previously unheard of degree.
Two experiments, in two worlds. Each one ground breaking, but harmless -- in itself. Had the worlds not been so close (dimensionally speaking) or the experiments not so close in time and space, nothing would have happened. The kind of disaster which created the Crush was a one in a million chance.
As we all know, one in a million chances happen nine times out of ten.
The two experiments caused a void to appear between the worlds, and both worlds rushed into it, their dimensional natures suddenly coinciding. Cities appeared on top of other cities; flesh merged with flesh. Because both worlds had similar geographies, the largest cities were located in roughly the same spots; thus, the most concentrated centers of population were struck the worst. Billions died instantly, and the more industrial (and thus urban) the nation, the worse the effect. Power plants exploded as mountains appeared inside them. Coastal towns were swamped, or left miles from the shore. Rivers fought to find new beds.
As the initial shock faded, whatever governments remained struggled to make sense of things. Each saw the inhabitants of other worlds as invaders. Earth forces scored early victories, but soon fell back, as supply lines were non-existent. Tanks ran out of fuel; artillery batteries fell silent. Earth soldiers had no concept of magic, and could not deal with scrying, teleportation, or summoning. Despite superior numbers and deadly weapons, the armies of Earth soon fell.
In various isolated bunkers, failsafes tripped. The external chaos meant no signals could come through. Some of those stationed there, seeing the world collapse, decided to launch final strikes. While only a fraction of Earth's nuclear armament was launched, it was enough. Radiation and magic mingled, increasing the destruction.
The collapse of the infrastructure doomed billions more. What civilization survived the crush and the nukes was burned or torn apart in riots. Strange, alien, races had appeared, some creatures of beauty out of legend, others horror from nightmare. A war of all against all began, a decade of chaos, confusion, and destruction.
Worse, because the deep underground and barren wilds were mostly uninhabited on Earth, the creatures which dwelled there -- orcs and trolls, ogres and giants, drow and beholders -- suffered the least. As the armies of light fell, they emerged to a world where they could ravage unopposed. Earth's armies made no distinction between elf and orc, between troll and kobold. All were enemies, so the alliances which could have saved them were not made in time.
It was after ten years of near-constant war that the first tentative allegiances began to be made. In a few spots around the world, tiny handfuls of survivors started to see common foes and work to secure a small number of tiny freeholds, places where a pathetic semblance of normal life could begin to occur. At a rough guess, 95% of Earth's population was dead at this point, and about 50% of Arith's. All of the great cities were destroyed; the old nations erased. The folk who dwelled in the tiny pockets of semi-sanity looked out on a world ravaged by war and peopled by monstrosities.
- 'Arith' was intended to be a temporary name, as it's a pretty obvious cliche, but nothing dramatically better suggested itself, and I didn't feel like doing an S&R an what was becoming a massive collection of documents. Maybe if this thing goes commercial (hah!) I'll put some mental effort into a better name.
- I have no idea what a 'gigacollider' might be. It sounds cool.
- I chose 2020 to give me about 13 years of 'future history' to play with, to set up anything I might need to do, but keep it close enough to 'our time' that the world will be mostly recognizable. If I need super-efficient electric generators, man portable lasers, robotic battlesuits, or AI computers, I can justifiably add them; if I don't need them, they don't need to exist.
The History Of The Shattered World
In 2020, the Austin Gigacollider came on-line. The largest atomic collider ever constructed, it was designed to unlock the final secrets of creation, to produce strangelets for study. A few fringe scientists and luddites feared this would lead to disaster, but they were ignored. As it turns out, they were right, but for no reason they could imagine.
Right next door -- and a world away -- academicians at the Diamond Tower were working towards isolating the thaum, the hypothetical basis of all magic, divine and arcane. It would allow the creation of spells of unprecedented power, as well as refining the control of magic to a previously unheard of degree.
Two experiments, in two worlds. Each one ground breaking, but harmless -- in itself. Had the worlds not been so close (dimensionally speaking) or the experiments not so close in time and space, nothing would have happened. The kind of disaster which created the Crush was a one in a million chance.
As we all know, one in a million chances happen nine times out of ten.
The two experiments caused a void to appear between the worlds, and both worlds rushed into it, their dimensional natures suddenly coinciding. Cities appeared on top of other cities; flesh merged with flesh. Because both worlds had similar geographies, the largest cities were located in roughly the same spots; thus, the most concentrated centers of population were struck the worst. Billions died instantly, and the more industrial (and thus urban) the nation, the worse the effect. Power plants exploded as mountains appeared inside them. Coastal towns were swamped, or left miles from the shore. Rivers fought to find new beds.
As the initial shock faded, whatever governments remained struggled to make sense of things. Each saw the inhabitants of other worlds as invaders. Earth forces scored early victories, but soon fell back, as supply lines were non-existent. Tanks ran out of fuel; artillery batteries fell silent. Earth soldiers had no concept of magic, and could not deal with scrying, teleportation, or summoning. Despite superior numbers and deadly weapons, the armies of Earth soon fell.
In various isolated bunkers, failsafes tripped. The external chaos meant no signals could come through. Some of those stationed there, seeing the world collapse, decided to launch final strikes. While only a fraction of Earth's nuclear armament was launched, it was enough. Radiation and magic mingled, increasing the destruction.
The collapse of the infrastructure doomed billions more. What civilization survived the crush and the nukes was burned or torn apart in riots. Strange, alien, races had appeared, some creatures of beauty out of legend, others horror from nightmare. A war of all against all began, a decade of chaos, confusion, and destruction.
Worse, because the deep underground and barren wilds were mostly uninhabited on Earth, the creatures which dwelled there -- orcs and trolls, ogres and giants, drow and beholders -- suffered the least. As the armies of light fell, they emerged to a world where they could ravage unopposed. Earth's armies made no distinction between elf and orc, between troll and kobold. All were enemies, so the alliances which could have saved them were not made in time.
It was after ten years of near-constant war that the first tentative allegiances began to be made. In a few spots around the world, tiny handfuls of survivors started to see common foes and work to secure a small number of tiny freeholds, places where a pathetic semblance of normal life could begin to occur. At a rough guess, 95% of Earth's population was dead at this point, and about 50% of Arith's. All of the great cities were destroyed; the old nations erased. The folk who dwelled in the tiny pockets of semi-sanity looked out on a world ravaged by war and peopled by monstrosities.
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