So I have some setting scenarios I'm trying to work out and could use some suggestions. I was also thinking of creating one of those setting builders that is sometimes popular, but I'm unsure it will work.
Going with the last first, my idea was to link to a number of landscapes (probably 100) and have it where folks would roll d100 five times and base a setting off the images. The issue I foresee is that sometimes pictures are removed, so it wouldn't work out (since I couldn't edit and update the initial post).
As for the other scenarios:
My friend really likes elemental races, so I thought that for a Points of Light-type setting a world that has small areas of civilization surrounded by wilderness that has connections to one or more of the other planes could be interesting. In part of the idea, the area that is 'tamed' could be a result of various negotiations between elementals and the humanoid inhabitants, divine protection or even arcane wards. Notably he likes things like Ysgard or Atmos from Stormhawks. Beyond that, though, I'm not sure where to go.
The basic premise is a post apocalyptic world where there is hope for the future. I've got some ideas for what caused it and can't choose:
A) A fey invasion: Running on a version of the typical alien invasion scenario, the fey invade a world that doesn't have a lot of magic users (it has magic but either no one's figured out how to use it/people that could use it were persecuted/killed so there's no skilled practitioners/folks are just discovering magic/etc.). The fey start transforming humans and their world with their magic. Eventually the descendants rebel and force the fey off the world. The setting would be sometime after this point.
B) Magical creature war: In the distant past there was some sort of fight (right now in my mind fey vs dragons) which caused major chaos. The remaining fey and dragons are much diminished versions of their former selves and the native races ended up on the receiving end of all sorts of weird magic.
C) Planar rifts: Somewhat related to the first scenario, a number of planar rifts or similar anomalies open up on an ordinary Prime and end up terraforming it in a number of ways. The native race(s) aren't able to stop whatever is causing the rifts, but are able to adapt.
I'm also not sure what direction to go for any of these.
Bear with me on this one. I was thinking of having Minotaurs, Raptorans, and Catfolk (lion variant) plus something for the ocean and maybe humans. For those of you that may miss the symbolism, it is in reference to the cherubim (with heads of a bull, lion, eagle, and man), the Four Evangelists (Matthew [symbolized by a winged human], Mark [symbolized by a winged lion], Luke [symbolized by a winged ox or bull], and John [symbolized by an eagle, which sometimes has four wings], and/or the Western zodiac signs of Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, and Aquarius (look up Scorpio eagle and you'll get a lot of interesting information).
Anyway, I wasn't sure how far I really wanted to delve into Christian symbolism with this setting, but (being Catholic) it has a certain appeal to me, and it easily falls within the usual framework of Good vs Evil that folks like. On the other hand, other symbolism is certainly possible. I just have no clue where to go.
Thoughts and suggestions would be appreciated.
If you go with the Elemental core, make the races with elemental ties more common, even to crafting variations of them.
Oreads that have stony skin, are good at digging or have 'elemental attacks'.
Ignans that have to live where there is great heat, are pyromaniacs like Glorian's goblins or smiths.
Sylph variants with out w/out wings and a race that 'blows with the wind'!
Undine separated by what water they can stand, sailors and fishermen.
If you go with the Elemental core, make the races with elemental ties more common, even to crafting variations of them.
Oreads that have stony skin, are good at digging or have 'elemental attacks'.
Ignans that have to live where there is great heat, are pyromaniacs like Glorian's goblins or smiths.
Sylph variants with out w/out wings and a race that 'blows with the wind'!
Undine separated by what water they can stand, sailors and fishermen.
I had some ideas along these lines for races if I went elemental. If I had different base races, I'd not want an aquatic Elf to be identical to an aquatic Human - though how far up the creep will be I'm not sure. Then again, for an elemental setting, the creatures and baddies will be elemental too, so it's probably going to balance out more or less.
I'm really looking for some guidance and maybe encouragement. It's not hard for me to come up with ideas, but I'm terrible at follow-through. I catch myself horning in over and over when someone else comes up with a cool idea, but I don't know why I can't be as passionate about my own.
Here's a thought for your apocalypse scenario, instead of Fey, use Archons. Say that at some point the Archons decided the world was to 'unlawful' - even if it was still 'good' - and descended en-mass to destroy it.