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I've seen someone try it at least once, so I will to.
Anyone interested in collabrative world building online?
I have some thoughts on a world, and would like to see where we run with it.
The short version:
{Unnamed world}
Good and Evil
Law and Chaos
Gods and Mortals
In the millenia since the Schism split the One God into the many, and the One World into the Shard-Planes there has been one constant...
War
But that war is over... The Darkness has won...
In the mortal realm the servants of the light are enslaved by their newly installed dark overlords, or they hide in the shadows of the forest and mountain. Evil stalks the land, snuffing out the light. Bereft of their followers the minor deities are snuffed out, their personal shard realms collapsing with them.
The old war is over, a new one has begun
A War for Freedom
A War for Light
A war for the very souls of the combatants
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The basic premise is, evil forces got together under a charismatic (Lawful Evil) leader, and with the intervention of some evil gods, whooped ass. However, now, years later, that charismatic leader has been assassinated by his own son, who is far less competent, and the whole affair has fallen apart.
The players get to be the good guys, but instead of facing the weak and pathetic kobolds in yonder cave, they are now facing the organized kobold enforcement team in the labor camp.
Anyone interested?
Have you looked at The World Project?
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Some general stuff on the base concept.
In the begining there was one god, and one plane. At some point the Schism occured, a metaphysical cataclysm that tore the one god apart. Instead of destroying the god, it was rendered into a nigh infinite number of smaller parts.
Each of the new gods got their own shard plane, a construct bound completely to their will, and formed by their personality. So a lawful neutral god of necessary battle would have a plane where every structure was fortified, and prepared for siege, large standing armies, and defensive works, etc.
Since the Schism, the individual gods found out they can consume
eachother, and grow in power. This isn't necessarily consuming them by shoving a straw in the side of their head and having a good long drink, but by actively conveting the other gods followers they can redirect that engergy into themselves. So began the Schism War
The "prime material" plane is the place where all the shards come into contact, and a little bit of everything oozes in, but it has no singular god controling it. As a consequence, all of the gods can meddle in the prime, and that is where all of creation came in. Somegod created the first living things, and the others discovered it was a source of ne followers.
The result was an endless string of religious warfare on the prime, which has recently come to an end with the evil forces dominant. The evil warleader was the semi divine offspring of two of the more powerful LE gods. His son however made a deal with a CE god, assassinated his own father, and discovered the reins of power were very slippery.
By this point in the Schism War, there are only a dozen or so major deities left, and maybe a few dozen more minor ones.
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Mechanical notes:
Neutral characters do not exist. LN CN NG NE are all fine, but no true neutral. The universe is too polarized for that.
Characters are initially going to be either going to start out as slaves or as freedom fighters. Perhaps as both, representing a recently captured freedom fighter.
Obviously, some classes will be more powerful then other classes based on the concept. For example, a monk doesn't need much more than his bare hands to be effective at any level, much more so then a fighter. Similarly the druid, ranger, and sorceror are better off then other classes as well. So how do we mechanically enhance other classes to maintain balance? This is really a level 1 style issue, and we cannot go to far, otherwise after a few levels the balance will shift the other way.
I was thinking little things like wizards get spell mastery in addition to scribe scroll as a bonus feat at 1, and all classes with full BAB get improved unarmed strike or improvised weapon proficiency for free. That type of stuff.
Themeatically instead of constantly being ahead on the power curve, characters should be behind. Not saying every goblin patrol should have +1 armor and weapons on every member, but the goblins should be organized, intelligent, have some class levels, and maybe squad leaders have decent stuff.
Too keep things from getting out of hand, I propose minor magic effects, such as:
Attuned Weapon
This weapons magical enhancement only benefit one particular individual, when wielded by anyone else, the weapon functions purely as a masterwork weapon.
Changing the weapons attunement requires a minor magical ritual (counts a a 0th level spell available to anyone with the Craft Weapons and Armor feat) that takes 8 hours to perform.
Lets stick to the SRD, or newly generated content. Don't get too wild on new content either. Lets lay down a ground work first, and see what holes need patched.
Final thoughts, inspirationally we are thinking of things like the Matrix movies, the V mini-series, the american revolutionary war, just about any movie ever made with special forces in it, etc, etc, etc.
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The Norseman type Men are basically a bartering people, few crops mostly hunting, and kind of Nomadish, they have to move sometimes to get there food, but the past years have been hard with the rise of the Dark Goblin prince, who is elimnating all resistance and eating there food, and killing there kin, there seems to be no choice but to resist this evil, The hearts of the Norseman or week after being Defeated in the Great Battle of Cold Steel, The battle cry of the Northmen Let them eat Cold steel, has not been heard in quit sometime, The men of the North need champions do you have enough courage and might to Defeat the Prince of Manegrith.
A nice theme, although I suggest kicking some of the cliches out. Why not the battle cry of the Suddemain (south men) instead of the norse. Otherwise, very much fits the motif
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Two questions:
1. Are you planning on sticking to the core races?
2. Will the player races (human, elf, dwarf, etc.) be represented among the ruling evil armies?
Primarily the core races, although if anyone comes up with something rockin' cool, we can add new. But like I said, SRD material only... Although, given the liberties that opressors have always taken on victims, some more half-races might be cool...
And I think their would be sympathizers on both sides of the line, but primarily the standard race/alignment relationship.
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It seems likely that outsiders would have played a large part in the war for moral/ethical dominance. It is probably safe to assume that there is a fair amount of fiendish and half-fiend characters, as well as tielfings among the evil empire.
That brings up a question:
Are we dealing with one evil empire or a collection of evil kingdoms/tribes/powers/whatever?
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It seems likely that outsiders would have played a large part in the war for moral/ethical dominance. It is probably safe to assume that there is a fair amount of fiendish and half-fiend characters, as well as tielfings among the evil empire.
That brings up a question:
Are we dealing with one evil empire or a collection of evil kingdoms/tribes/powers/whatever?
Oh yes, plane touched deffinetly abound.
My original vision was one grand unified evil empire that is in a stte of rapidly falling apart after the assassination. In effect, chaos overcoming law on the evil side. At the same time, the resistance is organizing, and building up networks from nothing law overtaking chaos.
The real tragedy of it is if either side really won, then all of reality would collapse back into a monodominant plane, prime would cease to exist along with everyone on it. Really tragic that the best that can be hoped for is perpetual moral war.
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The real tragedy of it is if either side really won, then all of reality would collapse back into a monodominant plane, prime would cease to exist along with everyone on it. Really tragic that the best that can be hoped for is perpetual moral war.
So, ironically, even though TN doesn't exist, it is ultimately the best answer.
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The real tragedy of it is if either side really won, then all of reality would collapse back into a monodominant plane, prime would cease to exist along with everyone on it. Really tragic that the best that can be hoped for is perpetual moral war.So, ironically, even though TN doesn't exist, it is ultimately the best answer.
I have always seen True Neutral as a two sided thing...
On the one tentacle, you have the opinion of not promoting good over evil, or order over chaos. Pretty much apathy.
On the other tentacle, you have a harmonious balance of everything. Effectivly unmitigated empathy.
Hard to describe the thought, but balance created by having an infinite number of things equally spaced is good, balance by having nothing is bad, at least by this cosmology. In the latter case everything would collapse into a limbo-esque nothingness
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Let's have the players start in/near a village that is contested between two different factions in the rapidly crumbling empire. They can take advantage of the turmoil to pit the two sides against each other and eventually remove both from the village.
Cool idea!!! My personal "first adventure" writing has the first line of the adventure as "You are all in a cage..." too bad I have nothing after that.
It would be especially cool to see the two factions as traditional enemies, and the overseer (i would say Illithid if they were SRD, but something else equally vile) has been called away so now, the {FactionA} and {FactionB} are fighting.
If the party hasn't escaped before the overseer returns, they are in deep guano. {FactionA} could be signifigantly weaker, but more numerous than {FactionB}, and dumb enough to try and enlist the slaves to fight, giving them weapons.
I like this idea, lets run with it!
We need to start with low CR monsters, but I think the goblins and kobolds are too overdone.
Any thoughts on the two initial factions?
Jermlaine vs Halfings
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Hmm... need low CR (1 or less), intelligent creatures from the SRD...
giving me a list of:
kobold
goblin
deep dwarf
lizard folk
svirfneblin
troglodytes
grimlocks
tieflings
I would vote for a lot of something weak in one faction and a few of something powerful in the other.
I would vote for kobolds and lizard folk personally, something about reptiles just evokes vile evil images subconciously, something we are building on. The Overseer could be a tiefling with some class levels, who returns just before the characters make good their escape.
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Kobolds and Lizardfolk sounds great. That suggests a jungle/swamp type area.
Perhaps a village situated near a swamp at the edge of a forest? The slaves would be logging the forest for the empire.
The lizardfolk are from a large tribe that inhabits the swamp and the kobolds originated in a mountainous region hundreds of miles away.
The kobolds were sent to assist with the logging project due to their well-noted industriousness (is that a word?). But the Lizardfolk treat them little better than the slaves.
When the empire appointed overseer (tiefling) dies (is assassinated?), the kobolds see it as an opportunity to get out of the village and get back to their homes, and the lizardmen see it as an opportunity to sieze the town and the wood the loggers produce for their king in the swamp.
The PCs (some slaves, some freedom fighters?) see it as a chance to free the village and start a revolution.
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Kobolds and Lizardfolk sounds great. That suggests a jungle/swamp type area.
Perhaps a village situated near a swamp at the edge of a forest? The slaves would be logging the forest for the empire.
The lizardfolk are from a large tribe that inhabits the swamp and the kobolds originated in a mountainous region hundreds of miles away.
The kobolds were sent to assist with the logging project due to their well-noted industriousness (is that a word?). But the Lizardfolk treat them little better than the slaves.
When the empire appointed overseer (tiefling) dies (is assassinated?), the kobolds see it as an opportunity to get out of the village and get back to their homes, and the lizardmen see it as an opportunity to sieze the town and the wood the loggers produce for their king in the swamp.
The PCs (some slaves, some freedom fighters?) see it as a chance to free the village and start a revolution.
I prefer the idea of the Overseer being called away, and returning at the climax of the adventure. The party can find info in his personal effects that link to the next adventure...
and what do you think of an artificuial swampland. A smalll dam, an overflowed river... something of value in the mire and muck... could be as simple as rice paddys
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How do i send you a sample character of The Goblin Dark Prince. I have it on file but dont know who to send it, over messageboard for people to see.
Go ahead and post it here. If you want to do it as a character sheet, set it up as an alias and post it with all the details in the profile and the background in the post.
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I have a another Dark princess, in Mind who is a half fiend, named Asmadilia, the only liveing daughter of Asmodieus, the Great Leader of The Nine Hells, Asmadilia is a Fighter/Mage specialist Conjurier, LE,
I would prefer not to touch any of the classical religions or planes, not even by inference.
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I prefer the idea of the Overseer being called away, and returning at the climax of the adventure. The party can find info in his personal effects that link to the next adventure...
and what do you think of an artificuial swampland. A smalll dam, an overflowed river... something of value in the mire and muck... could be as simple as rice paddys
My thought with the dead overseer was that, when the wood from the logging operation stopped arriving at its intended destination, the empire would send someone to investigate. Now the PCs are hunted outlaws.
But, if the overseer is away and returns, that allows for him to actually try and keep his failure a secret. That's probably even better, a rebellion that is only known to certain factions could add another element to the crumbling of the empire.
However, as this is a wolrd-building exercise, perhaps we should expand focus to large scale things.
Is there one dominant race that controls the evil empire, or are things fairly evenly distibuted?
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However, as this is a wolrd-building exercise, perhaps we should expand focus to large scale things.
Is there one dominant race that controls the evil empire, or are things fairly evenly distibuted?
Oh yes, most certainly large sacale things would be good. I was simply watching where peoples own interests carried them; tends to make sure all the nooks and crannies and shadows get looked in...
As for race, the "Dark Lord" for want of a better term was the mortal child of two evil gods. His own son betrayed him by swearing allegiance to a chaotic god, and followed through by assassinating his own father... If that family line has a traditional race, in would probably be somewhat asscendant.
Otherwise, I would imagine that primarily the Empire was made up of the Lawful Evil races, who would have used the chaotic races as a sort of willing fodder.
Logically, in a lawful and militaristic society, each member race would be used for its strengths, and compensated for its weaknesses. So I would think there would have been a good balanced mix, but now with a chaotic overlord, and one not completely up to the task of running the show, that mix creates situations of artificial hostility.
Think yugoslavia or iraq, when the powerful politico that was holding the reins was in power, everyone had to work together, but when they were removed, everything came apart at the seems.
On the plus side, we have already determined the existence of at least 3 evil gods, one of whom is chaotic and malicious enough to concoct the plot above...
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More Thoughts:
Gods:
Menholle: LE God of battle, destruction, etc, father of evil lord 'the destroyer'
Hanyar: LE Goddess of Death, doom, gloom, and punisher of souls, mother of evil lord 'Death Queen'
the Unweaver: CE god of entropy and disease, patron of the usurper
Geaddorn: LG God of creation and industry, (dwarf lord)
Mannellar: LG God of righteous battle, the defender
Orrdar: LN god of knowledge and law
Maggdar: CN god of magic and mystery, sister of orrdar (gnome lord)
Penda: NG sun god, lighter of ways
Genda: NE moon god, light stealer, patron of thieves
Goresh: CG god of the wild, preserver of the forests and fauna (elf lord)
Miisha: CN godess of chance and mischief, the gambler, 'Lady Luck' (halfling lord)
Firro Elemar: Elemental god of Fire, CN
Terro Elemar: Elemental god of earth, LN
Aerrie Elemar: Elemental Goddess of Air, NG
Aqat Elemar: Elemental Goddess of Water, NE
The Elemars come from the "basic planes" and are outside of the great war