I am looking to start a new PBP campaign, and have a number of ideas I want to discuss, and either refine or reject enirely. I admit to being something of an impatient type at times, but think that getting people to critique my ideas before I implement them in a campaign will make it better in the long run.
Chief amongst these issues are that I want to use a homebrewed setting, with homebrewed gods, and that I want to make heavy use of prophecy. I would also like to split the campaign into several more manageable chunks, after each of which I would rerecruit if neccessary, etc., I would probably be looking to take a short break in these periods and allow the characters themselves some downtime. I was thinking every three months or so.
Homebrewed setting. I know this makes things a little more difficult, as players are required to utilize the little information you provide as opposed to the oodles of content available for something like Golarion. So what do you as a player want to know about a new setting? What information do I need to provide?
The game will, probably, be titled The Wyrmblood Chronicles, since dragons were accursed for slaying the goddess of fate with blood that grants prophetic visions. The strength of these visions is based upon the power of the beast, and they are granted only to the dragons actual slayer. Consequently dragons have been virtually driven from the material plane and are much prized.
The basic plan is to have several types of prophecy. Well known great prophecies in play at the beginning of the game, which will likely shape the course of the adventures and become more important at later levels. Middling prophecies which will relate to specific events and usually be used to begin, or guide the pcs in their adventuring. Personal prophecies, which are for an individual and important to them alone.
For example..
Greater: When the last of the lost delvers is awakened, the stone doors will open and truth will have a chance to cut chains of promises forged in lies. OOC: Commonly thought to speak of the dissapearance of the dwarven race some five hundred years ago - the only remaining dwarves are the descendants of those who were away from their great cities.
Middling: Admiral Jarik Kalorn heard the sentence, "It is my honor to to behold your radiant Prince." accompanied by a sense of impending danger, after killing a Sea Serpent. When the Harran elven ambassador utterred those words at a banquet three years later he instantly ran him through and revealed the creature to be a Lich with designs upon the Emperor's life.
Personal: When death calls, step to the right. OOC: When your character is hit by a blow that could potentially kill them they are instead reduced to 1hp, by jerking to the side at the last moment to avoid the worst of the effect. Could also be a less extreme version of a middling prophecy, etc.
How would you feel about this if you were a potentialplayer? Does it raise alarm bels, make you fear excessive DM fiat?