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Post by machfront on Oct 27, 2013 0:32:41 GMT -6
This is the text of the handout/intro to my campaign world these past few years (since my now dead 'the gods went insane, so the whole cosmos likewise went insane and that's why there's all this weird stuff/magic/monsters/etc.' version of Trollworld for my T&T games isn't in play) Note that I'm no writer so forgive the eye-rolling I will likely induce : "The shadows in the wood, the blackness in the deep forests, the fog upon the downs, the twisted trees in the shaws, the deep and moaning wind across the grasslands, the still pines and dark rocks in the fells. The soot, the corruption, perversion and decadence in the cities. The suspicions and fear in the villages and towns. This has become the natural state of affairs. Meanwhile, the elves jealously guard their valleys and glens. The dwarves defy intrusion into their deep, stone holds, and grimly engage in trade with but a few. The halflings are less hospitable, joyful and patient, becoming as stout and rough on the outside as they've long been in their hearts. Their mistrust towards outsiders grows. This is not the result of some alien shadow, nor black enemy. This is the way things have tilted. If there is a singular reason, none is wise to the source of its malignant energy haphazardly tossing a pall 'cross the world. The empires, the nations, the known world at large has never known a great common enemy. They've only known the prejudice of the others they share the globe with...and, indeed, the hate of their own. But of late...fouler things have stirred. Children have been replaced by mad, staring 'things', so some mothers say. Whole groups of woodsmen have disappeared. Those sent to search have likewise vanished into the wild. Others found dead, their bodies flayed or torn. Oft, lost search parties are discovered by following vultures laughing over the grim and still wood. Family excursions across once benign grasslands to the western settlements have been later seen as only partial skeletons, the black and wide eyes staring upward, appearing to accuse those who find them. Abandoned colonies, overgrown branches creaking against the wooden walls of empty homes and fearful runes hastily scrawled on common tables. Families found, long dead and rotted, bodies huddled together in the corner of houses in the baleful, hoarfrost-laden foothills of the north. The household's weapons ignored and useless. Entire towns, being too-long silent on trade and messages, are found empty but of blood. Friends and neighbors become enemies and hateful secrets are a matter of course. Creatures once benign, now attack and eat hardy folk. Outposts and garrisons are overrun and those within slaughtered. Others have simply been apparently abandoned. The air singing songs of loss through the crevices of stone. Unimaginable horrors, thought to be myth or hoped to be forgotten, erupt upon reality if not the surface. The partnering of swords and cold outlook has become more valued than laughter...and food. Shining emblems on shields and banners ring hollow. Armor is the fashion of the eccentric and cowardly. Gods don't answer prayers. The rains are lasting longer. The clouds seem rarely to part. Everyone knows and few wish to admit that night is longer, darker...and stronger. Some whisper that one day dawn will no longer appear. Worse, there are those who secretly hope that it's true...."
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Post by codeman123 on Mar 10, 2014 17:52:54 GMT -6
I have fallen out of running games in the past 3 or 4 years but have really gotten the itch again so last night on a spur of the moment i got a couple old buddies together and ran DCC. Everyone had fun and now im in full world building mode again. My campaign is going to be set a gritty pulp setting but more king arthur less conan as i would usually do. DCC is great by the way everything i could ever want in d&d and the players really seemed to like it because it is still d20.
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bat
Level 4 Theurgist
Mostly Chaotic
Posts: 144
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Post by bat on Mar 13, 2014 16:04:31 GMT -6
Somewhat like Machfront I have this for players to get a feel of what the world and the adventures in it are like:
“We made it to the village after struggling through miles of miserable bogs and horrific forests. After being assaulted by trees and screamed at by rocks through a nightmare landscape we just wanted to rest and recuperate before moving on. Zilch was wounded badly and we were all worn out from the arcane battles of the past two weeks. The peasants of this little dive, called Jug, shambled out of our way, not wanting to cross a band of wizards. We came to a ramshackle inn called the Gorgon’s Tear and counted out our coins. We could make a few extra copper drabs here and there, peeling the townsfolk for spell-casting services. We were going to make it. Once we got inside Glum whistled and pointed to a corner of the inn. A toothy grin erupted on the face of a bloated and pox marked mage in filthy dark red robes, as the man rose from a chair that could barely hold him. A light tinkling and clanging sound of arcane paraphernalia could barely be heard. Jargen Brine, an old enemy of ours. It was going to be either a long night or a short life. Spells started flying about the room, fire, ice, lightning and worse. Some of those not directly involved either dove for cover or grabbed a weapon and chose sides on the fly. Then a slavering mass of muscle, something loathsome and inhuman, came roaring up behind me. I turned, tried to scream a warning, but the pommel of a short sword hit my right temple and I dropped to the floor like a sack of potatoes. The last thing I recall is Brine’s diseased laughter.” --- excerpt from the writings of the shadowsorcerer, Smudge
“I remember the incident completely differently.” --- Chalk, another wizard
Bad things happen. Curses, infernal invasions, the madness of strange gods. In the case of the world of Noorlan it was something entirely different. It began when an overly ambitious wizard was perturbed by a sorcerer-king and cast a spell. Something went terribly wrong and the world of Gerani collided with the plane of Shadow. This calamity has altered the planet dramatically as the shadow world was host to many strange creatures and, unfortunately at the time of the planar collision, two rival armies were clashing for territory in the Shadow Lands and a cabal of wizardly demigods were resting in an unnatural torpor. Now all of these roam the world of Noorlan, alongside the world's own terrors and monsters.
Mood: The world is a lot darker than it should be. It seems that it is almost always autumn, spring was rainy, summer was hot, miserable and somewhat short. Nightfall comes early and a chill is in the air. It rains a lot. Dead leaves fall and flutter to the damp ground. People stay indoors at night, telling tales around the hearth, trying to stave off the cold and dread that looms ominously outside. Monsters howl and gibber out there in the darkness and sometimes they want in. Black cats, bats and crows are everywhere, not to mention squirming things and writhing shadows. Bare branches will soon scratch at the window panes as winter forewarns of its inevitable approach.
Places: Everything seems rustic and worn. Lichen, moss and rust seem to grow on everything, and less savory things thrive in the dark and damp places. There are many places to visit, but all are equally deadly. Hunting in the Forest of Whispers often becomes a life or death struggle to escape the gloomy pines. Crossing the Lake of Mourning (which seems impossibly large and more of an inland sea) is unusually terrifying, especially with those aquatic ghouls that try to pull themselves aboard for a free ride and a meal. A cyclopean ravine lies to the east, the Dread Valley , where an alien god, the Screaming Obelisk, awaits all travelers with a strange mutation, and possibly an insanity. Passed the unwelcoming farmlands lies a meadow and a few small hills. Gnomes live down there. And there is a strange monolith that has a set of stairs that descend underground, deep into the Underworld. Where are you? Oh yes. You are in a small town called Bottle, an out of the way part of a blighted kingdom. The best you can hope for is that the Fell King in the arcane city of Nalaj forgets about Bottle. Of course he doesn't and sends bailiffs, bullies and the Knights of Spite (sort of a combination of the two) every so often to stir things up. Want to venture into the scrublands towards those dismal mountains in the distance? What's the worst that can happen?
Things Human, Demi-Human and Not Human: Dwarfs: Proud and noble, the dwarfs stick to themselves and leave most everyone alone, although a dwarf adventurer will usually join in if there is a bit of plunder or glory to be had. Elves: Strange and alien, elves are often seen as somewhat sinister and weird. Most people believe that elves are only loyal to their own and that it is best to leave them alone. Gnomes: Quick and elusive, gnomes have an eerie air about them, no matter how jovial and innocent they try to portray themselves. Trust a gnome too much and you might wake up in an alley about to be eaten by something horrible. Halfers: Short and clever, halfers are thought to be related to gnomes, or maybe elves. They keep to themselves and don't get out much, but they are clever with their hands and can fit into small spaces. And they are easy to outrun when a monster is chasing you. Humans: Just like you and me, humans come in all shapes, sizes and colors. Some have a strong sword arm, others are tricky with magic, others seem to be able to take away the fear with a song and a bit of lute playing and still others can track monsters almost anywhere. Who would want to track monsters though? Monsters as players: I am sticking to the original feel of the game here. Elves, gnomes, dwarfs and halfers all fight the terrors of the night alongside humans, if for their own reasons and interests. Let the monsters be horrifying and vicious.
Notable Terrors: The Eternal Masters: Immortal sorcerers that were locked in a magical slumber on the Plane of Shadow. When the planes collided these insane wizards were awakened and unleashed upon the world. If one is killed, it will reincarnate somewhere else in the world, seeking revenge. The Knights of Spite: The king's bullies. Their armor is shiny and bright, their weapons sharp, and they always take the glory, and anything else they can get their hands on. Above the law and beyond reproach, if you have done something honorable they will probably take the credit for it. They have one weakness, the Vampyre King, Sarga, has his own dread nobility, the Knights of Dispassion. Just rumor of Sarga's lieutenants in the area will cause the Knights of Spite to scramble around in a panic. Wrath of the Night: Wraiths and specters that roam the land, hating the living and causing suffering and loss. Many great sorcerers are among these terrors. An unnatural chill in the air often precedes a visit from these monsters. Their army of ghosts and skeletons are a formidable sight. A mighty earthbound daemon leads these dreadful fiends, acting as their undisputed ruler. Vampyres: Pale, eerie undead who feed off of the living and rule small areas through absolute villainy. Sarga, their dark lord, is a pasty, sad figure who commands an army of vampyres, ghouls and his shock troopers, the Knights of Dispassion. Orku and goblins: These vile humanoids range in scope from being minor annoyances (a band of goblins) to an outright threat (an orku army on the prowl). Evil wizards often employ these shifty, spindly, bandy-legged scoundrels as spies and foot soldiers. Orku often throw in with human thugs and form gangs of bandits that roam the roads and byways, looking for trouble and victims. The Avian Legion: The King of Carrion, the Crow Lord watches the world from high above, sending his minions to harass and harangue the peasants and keep them in line. Strange humanoid birds, the tengu, are his favorite servants. Shadow People: Denizens of the Plane of Shadow that were transposed upon the world. While they enjoy frightening people, many merely observe (and sometimes emulate) the various towns and villages around. Especially dour and unwelcoming, Shadow People dislike the undead and will accept help keeping them at bay. Still, I wouldn't trust one. The Astral Raiders: Thin and gaunt, an army of Astral Raiders were in a ferocious battle against the Servants of Silence when the planes collided. Now, far away from the Astral Plane these creatures often hire themselves out as mercenaries. The creatures will keep their word and are trustworthy, but they are also extremely vicious and prone to overkill. The Servants of Silence: Enigmatic monks once devoted to a strange deity, the Servants of Silence now follow and serve the rule of the Eternal Masters as enforcers, thugs and assassins since the latter were stranded on Noorlan during the planar melding. Their creepy blue skin and dead black eyes are particularly unsettling. The Emperor of the Obscene: An aspect of a creepy god that slipped through the cracks between planes at the time of the two planes colliding, the Emperor of the Obscene has a small temple in Bottle with a very strange cult that promises release from the fear of darkness and dread. Really, you don't want to get involved. A Thousand More Monsters: There are more Things Out There too, hunting and hating in the darkness, waiting to strike. Minions of the Spider God, pets of the Shadow People, magical experiments of mad wizards and ancient creatures abound.
A closer look: Bottle
Dreary muddy streets run amok in this small town. An ancient cemetery just outside of Bottle has bloated to unreal proportions, becoming a necropolis that houses the undead. Anywhere outside of town you might find crossroads, which are always dangerous, with strange (and often infernal) creatures lurking nearby. In town you will find that you can never find the constables, but you do see the Thieve's Guild, and any time you are near the unsettling feeling of being watched causes goosebumps. The acolytes of the Emperor of the Obscene may try to lure you into their baroque, musty shrine, promising endless bliss and forbidden pleasures to take your mind off of the monsters all around.
The group starts in Bottle. The world is sort of Tolkienesque, 'Hobbit-y', set in a time similar to the Second Age with lavish dashes of Lord Dunsany, Clark Ashton Smith and Glen Cook's Black Company books.
System is Swords & Wizardry Core with the Supplemental Lore book by Salvatore Macri. AD&D MM/FF/MM2 monsters used, magic system from D&D tossed out for the Bard Games Arcanum spellcasters/spells/system and elements of the old online game Archmage (now The Reincarnation)
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Post by rastusburne on Apr 24, 2014 6:25:31 GMT -6
I'd like to start a, hopefully, running discussion on peoples campaigns. I'm really interesting in how other people play and why. Which in and of itself is a pretty broad topic. To add some structure, I'd like if you would be so kind as to give a brief overview of your campaign, maybe in a couple of paragraphs. What is the setting? Why does that appeal to you? What sort of unique rules you employ and why do you use them? How do they change the result in play? What are your players like and how does that change or shape of your campaign? Lastly, what inspired or informs you dm'ing decisions during play? Is it adherence to a certain theme? Maybe more succinctly, what elements have shaped your dm'ing philosophy and why are they so important to you? I really enjoy the thought or maybe fantasy of each campaign being uniquely built and would like something a bit deeper than play reports. I have no particular loyalty to any edition. I've played a wide range of D&D games. My current campaigns are B/X (solo with the wife) and Pathfinder (weekly with five players). My next campaign is going to be either AD&D or OD&D or something in between. When I first played D&D as a youngster of 14 I played AD&D (in 2001). It was mysterious, interesting, deadly, challenging and fun. After a few sessions my friends decided we wanted to play the 'current' version of the game which was 3.0. We had a blast with that! We played most weekends. We'd switch DMs every couple of months, sometimes having two or more campaigns running simultaneously. The 'world' was often purchased modules mashed together in some kind of weird semblance. It worked. I began an AD&D campaign about 5 years ago which was a lot of fun. It was a home-brew setting, with an amalgam of modules and original material. My current Pathfinder campaign borrows much of the setting from that AD&D campaign. I've reworked it from the ground up though. It's pretty sandbox - the players can go wherever they want based on rumour and opportunity. I have written ALL the content for the world - the setting, the adventures, everything. My gaming group is pretty resourceful. My game, although using Pathfinder rules, is very AD&D reminiscent. It has a similar feel, and I try to minimise skill rolls as much as possible, as I find them boring. As a DM, I'm all about collaboration. I have designed the bulk of my setting, but players frequently contribute ideas. I have had one player who wrote an entire town for me replete with a map and everything. One of my other players created a secretive cult that works in the shadows seeking arcane knowledge, another player is designing a merchants company. If players have an interest in it, they can add it to the world. I find that way there is a good amount of 'buy in' from the players. My motto as a DM when running a game is: Firm, fair and fun.
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Post by tetramorph on Jul 10, 2014 13:55:27 GMT -6
I've been playing in the campaign world of "Planet Eris." It was created by "austinjimm" who posts a lot over at Knights and Knaves Alehouse. If you search around over there, you should be able to find links to download his free D&D supplement style house rules. They are really pretty fantastic and they get a lot of praise over there.
I have really loved catching up on this thread. Some of the comments are fantastic and helpful. So, bexley, thanks for starting it.
Inkmeister, your comments are always helpful and congenial. I especially like the way you decided to learn the grammar first, before you started house ruling. That was really disciplined of you, and is probably in no small part the source of some of your insightful comments. Thanks.
Finarvyn, I am kind of bowled over by the years of your practice at this. As a returner after many years of absence, I can't imagine it!
Idrahil -- I totally love your campaign world and I want to play in it! Let me know if I can stop by if I am ever in town! (smile)
Machfront -- If I am honest, I must admit that I am afraid of you: but I would totally play in your game, man! (You too, bat.)
And thanks, everybody else, of course.
I have been imagining something kind of like Idrahil, but far later. Tolkien was describing an alternative history. So I imagine that basic "world," but it is now the 6th age, the age of the church. That is how I get clerics, especially in their original legendarium, to fit nicely in my campaign world. I think what I am imagining is a kind of dark ages where C. S. Lewis' Merlin from That Hideous Strength roams around with paladins and archbishops, knocking on grendals' skulls and getting into all sorts of trouble. It is vaguely "Christian," but distant enough not to offend or freak out players (at least that is my hope). I name it "Dun Kells" after the German word for "dark." I wanted it to have a vaguely but not trendily "celtic" sound and I wanted to wave in the direction of the Grimm brothers' "Black Forest." Here is the description I have so far:
I would love to know what you guys think. Thanks!
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Post by scottenkainen on Jul 10, 2014 15:29:47 GMT -6
Tetra, I'm a little confused by why you want to keep the Middle Earth connection, but so far into the future. Will there be anything familiar from Middle Earth here other than the geography and the races?
Do you plan on allowing PCs to be demi-humans? How will that work if all the non-human races are in hiding?
Do you plan on using a small number of monster races, like in Middle Earth? Or have monsters flourished by the Sixth Age?
~Scott "-enkainen" Casper
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Post by tetramorph on Jul 11, 2014 10:00:02 GMT -6
Scott, those are really good questions. I intuitively feel the answers, but that is hard to express, so I will try to be brief.
The middle earth connection is really about accepting the alternative history for the campaign feel. Elves are around. Although they are taller than humans, like JRRT's elves, they behave like OD&D elves because only the dark elves remain. You are only going to encounter fay beings (elves and dwarves) in enchanted places (like "the forests of Dun Kells"). Clerics are around, now, because religion becomes more important in the 5th age, and transformed by the church in the 6th age. I keep the middle earth connection only insofar as both JRRT and CSL shared a similar vision of the Christian "dark ages," and that is the legendaria I am going for.
I don't imagine PC demi-humans, no. The other races are in hiding, but a few of the young and bold will sally forth for one last chance at glory.
Again, the earlier ages have set-up the situation for the current. Who knows how many monsters there were in previous ages but, say, for example, the Fellowship just had some really good luck with the random monster roles? (Wink.)
But certainly, by now, we are in a time where monsters flourish, especially in areas under enchantment: Grendal, his mother and her spawn on the one hand, and now with the rise of the church, undead and demons (as her shadow) on the other. So all the 0e monsters are back on the menu!
Scott, thanks for engaging me on this. It helps me think it out. Peace
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Post by machfront on Jul 12, 2014 3:07:06 GMT -6
Machfront -- If I am honest, I must admit that I am afraid of you: but I would totally play in your game, man! I'd totally play in anyone's campaign detailed here. I'm a teddy bear. I've been accused of having little to no empathy towards people but I exorcise my demons with my like of dark stuff so there's little left for real life. I'm a fan of Middle-earth and Middle-earth-style/inspired worlds as well. Though I love dark films and music and prefer severe thunderstorms and dark skies, I also love a walk in a sunny or snowy wood in midday as well. Heck, I'd happily run a game with the feel of the Dragon's Lair Saturday morning 'toon (indeed based on the video game by Don Bleuth, in case anyone reading was unaware of the TV show) too. I've been wanting to run a campaign that has as it's setting that which is detailed in the Rush song "The Necromancer". Though it's clearly inspired by Tolkien, it's pretty obvious it contains as original setting, characters and events...and by "original" I mean in the Terry Brooks sense. Oooo...burrnn. I try to start with the map, but that's where my waffling is never-ending. But I am terrible with maps after all. Willowdale. Territory? City? Town? Village? They "emerge from the forest shadow" and then ford the "River Dawn" before "they turn south". So, which way does the river, at that point at least, run? Perhaps it's so named by the people of Willowdale and others nearby...so maybe when seen upon exiting the forest it appears to originate from where the sun rises? Or perhaps it simply runs straight north to south and when sun comes up one sees a wide band of bright gold across the land in front of them. Or...? Besides, an actual Necromancer as the big baddie would be fun as that would mean lots and lots of undead adversaries (Woo hoo! Variants, ahoy!).
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idrahil
Level 6 Magician
The Lighter The Rules, The Better The Game!
Posts: 398
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Post by idrahil on Jul 12, 2014 7:59:30 GMT -6
Sounds like a great campaign Tetra. I love reading about ideas for the 4th Age + of Middle Earth.
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Post by tetramorph on Jul 13, 2014 8:34:53 GMT -6
Machfront - rad, I read you. I was just joking about being afraid. A little fun hyperbole! But your campaign description has a haunting brother's Grimm kind of feel ( I mean in the rich anthropological / archetypal sense, not the Disnified sense, of course!).
Idrahil - I appreciate the encouragement. Thanks!
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Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Aug 4, 2014 9:01:26 GMT -6
This is the text of the handout/intro to my campaign world these past few years (since my now dead 'the gods went insane, so the whole cosmos likewise went insane and that's why there's all this weird stuff/magic/monsters/etc.' version of Trollworld for my T&T games isn't in play) Note that I'm no writer so forgive the eye-rolling I will likely induce : "The shadows in the wood, the blackness in the deep forests, the fog upon the downs, the twisted trees in the shaws, the deep and moaning wind across the grasslands, the still pines and dark rocks in the fells. The soot, the corruption, perversion and decadence in the cities. The suspicions and fear in the villages and towns. This has become the natural state of affairs. Meanwhile, the elves jealously guard their valleys and glens. The dwarves defy intrusion into their deep, stone holds, and grimly engage in trade with but a few. The halflings are less hospitable, joyful and patient, becoming as stout and rough on the outside as they've long been in their hearts. Their mistrust towards outsiders grows. This is not the result of some alien shadow, nor black enemy. This is the way things have tilted. If there is a singular reason, none is wise to the source of its malignant energy haphazardly tossing a pall 'cross the world. The empires, the nations, the known world at large has never known a great common enemy. They've only known the prejudice of the others they share the globe with...and, indeed, the hate of their own. But of late...fouler things have stirred. Children have been replaced by mad, staring 'things', so some mothers say. Whole groups of woodsmen have disappeared. Those sent to search have likewise vanished into the wild. Others found dead, their bodies flayed or torn. Oft, lost search parties are discovered by following vultures laughing over the grim and still wood. Family excursions across once benign grasslands to the western settlements have been later seen as only partial skeletons, the black and wide eyes staring upward, appearing to accuse those who find them. Abandoned colonies, overgrown branches creaking against the wooden walls of empty homes and fearful runes hastily scrawled on common tables. Families found, long dead and rotted, bodies huddled together in the corner of houses in the baleful, hoarfrost-laden foothills of the north. The household's weapons ignored and useless. Entire towns, being too-long silent on trade and messages, are found empty but of blood. Friends and neighbors become enemies and hateful secrets are a matter of course. Creatures once benign, now attack and eat hardy folk. Outposts and garrisons are overrun and those within slaughtered. Others have simply been apparently abandoned. The air singing songs of loss through the crevices of stone. Unimaginable horrors, thought to be myth or hoped to be forgotten, erupt upon reality if not the surface. The partnering of swords and cold outlook has become more valued than laughter...and food. Shining emblems on shields and banners ring hollow. Armor is the fashion of the eccentric and cowardly. Gods don't answer prayers. The rains are lasting longer. The clouds seem rarely to part. Everyone knows and few wish to admit that night is longer, darker...and stronger. Some whisper that one day dawn will no longer appear. Worse, there are those who secretly hope that it's true...." Wow, now that is chilling! Imagine playing a marathon game in that world on a dark, cold rainy Halloween night.
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Post by tetramorph on Nov 27, 2014 20:15:01 GMT -6
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phantomtim
Level 3 Conjurer
13th Age Enthusiast
Posts: 85
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Post by phantomtim on Aug 22, 2021 4:43:30 GMT -6
Give a brief overview of your campaign, maybe in a couple of paragraphs. What is the setting? Why does that appeal to you? I'm running a high-fantasy, high-heroics, cinematic romp, where a group of heroes tries to retrieve a MacGuffin from a very inhospitable, malevolent, and magical kelp mat. Having succeeded, they race back with the MacGuffin, only to discover that the antagonist who thought the MacGuffin destroyed has gathered a warband to make sure the job is done right this time. The heroes must save as many townsfolk as they can while under attack by a sly foe. They're desperately trying to get the townsfolk to a fortified spot until help can arrive. Of course, the warchief has other plans.... I run my game using the 13th Age system. My campaign is set in the default setting, called the Dragon Empire. 13th Age's setting is similar to the Greyhawk Folio in that the designers provide a skeleton for an area of the world, peppered with evocative locations and interesting NPCs. There's conflict built into the setting, and plenty of adventure hooks. It's up to each table to make the world their own. In 13th Age circles, it's quite typical to start a statement with "IMDE" (in my Dragon Empire). There's no canon beyond the skeleton for the setting (and even that is fair game, really). In latter supplements, rather than detailing more of the setting, the designers offer details that can become your table's canon or treated as a rumor. To really drive this home, they even offer conflicting details intentionally, so your table selects one (or none!) of the options, rather than being able to default to the "one true way." To make it clear that there isn't one true way, the first sourcebook for the system is titled 13 True Ways. What sort of unique rules you employ and why do you use them? How do they change the result in play? I've been running 13th Age since its playtest in 2012. Over the years, I've introduced several house rules to tailor the game to my group, which has remained consistent that whole time. Rather than list my house rules here, I'll point you to the article I recently wrote for the 13th Age fanzine, Escalation. In issue 9, starting on page 30, I talk about my house rules and why I use them. To summarize how they change the result in play, they really double down on 13th Age's superheroic themes. I introduce injuries, but death is more unlikely (and 13th Age characters are hearty to begin with). I boost the number of things the players can do with the game's icon advantage system—similar to Fate Points or Savage Worlds Bennies. I also updated the initiative system to encourage the players to synergize their attacks better. What are your players like and how does that change or shape of your campaign? My players like to play games where they're big heroes. We've played 4th Edition D&D, Exalted, and 5th Edition D&D quite a bit. We dabble in other games for a change of pace—a Dungeon Crawl Classics funnel is a nice palate cleanser from time to time—but continue to return to tell stories of larger-than-life characters who can help those around them. They prefer fantasy settings over other genres. Their preferences align with mine, and I'm frequently making tweaks to our house rules or to the setting to make the game more enjoyable to them. We've been playing RPGs for over a decade, and I know what they like pretty well at this point. Lastly, what inspired or informs you dm'ing decisions during play? Is it adherence to a certain theme? Maybe more succinctly, what elements have shaped your dm'ing philosophy and why are they so important to you? My GMing decisions are inspired by "the rule of cool" to a large degree. I want to see the PCs pull off awesome stunts and incredible feats. I want the players to feel rewarded for coming up with something clever. I embrace failing forward as an alternative to shutting down the action with a bad roll. That not the say the characters always accomplish what they want, but I try to think about what's the most interesting outcome when they roll a failure, rather than the binary fail state. I spend a lot of my game prep time thinking about the consequences of encounters that PCs are likely to face in the upcoming session (nothing is ever certain, since they often do things I didn't anticipate). Then I consider fun surprises that I can insert. These can play off of the characters' icon relationships—their ties to the factions of the big NPC movers-and-shakers of the setting. 13th Age offers many improvisational tools that help me quickly course-correct when we're off into the unknown. Plus, it offers mechanics that grant a lot more player agency than in most traditional RPGs. This shared worldbuilding and player agency are elements that I adore. Looking back, I'm not sure how I ran games so long without using some of these tools. I'm always happy to talk about my campaign or about 13th Age. Feel free to reach out if you're ever interested in learning more. I'm also a player in three campaigns, but your thread sounds like it's intended for GMs, so I'll pause here.
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Post by tombowings on Aug 22, 2021 5:36:01 GMT -6
Today I did some writing about a Carcosa-inspired setting that's been rolling around my dusty skull.
Men of Harkanis
Harkanis is much older than Earth. The planet's exotic and unforgiving biomes have led to the development of multitudes of bizarre creatures. Men are no exception. The men of Harkanis are very different from those living on Earth. Each of the nine races possesses an appearance that would be considered unnatural on our world. The origin of the nine races of Harkanian men is shrouded in mystery. Some sages infer from archaic texts and religious canon that the nine races were a product of a terrible or capricious experiment. Others say that they evolved naturally as a result of the vicious radiation that haunts this doomed world. Those are but two of many theories.
Black Men Their jet-black skin glimmers like obsidian in moonlight. Their hair is pure white, their eyes gunmetal grey. They are strong and stoic, slow to anger, but also slow to cool. Black men are said to always keep their promises.
Blue Men Their skin is cobalt blue like lapis lazuli. Their hair and eyes are a dusty shade of yellow. Blue men tend to be eccentric and creative. They favor the will of the individual over the needs of the group. They are said to be the most skilled at deciphering and repairing ancient technology.
Brown Men Their skin is rough and sandy, like the deserts and mountains they inhabit. Their hair and eyes are several shades darker. Brown men can endure suffering like no other, making them excellent survivors and travelers. They are blunt, level-headed, and practical.
Green Men Their skin is supple and moist like a frog's. Their hair is bronze, and their eyes a bright shade of amber. Green men are most at home in slime-filled swamps and bogs. Deserts and dry mountains make their skin scaly and itchy. Green men always keep their secrets.
Orange Men Their skin is bright and radiant, though their hair is the color of copper. Their eyes are calm and brown. Orange men are wild, chaotic, and prone to mood swings. In battle, they are quick to fight, but also quick to flee.
Purple Men Their skin is splotched like sodium hydroxide. Their hair and eyes the color of gold and shimmers in sunlight. Purple men are regal and proud, but conduct themselves with grace and honor. They can be offended easily and are slow to forget an insult.
Red Men Their skin is red, flaked with brown like red jasper. Their hair and eyes are the color of stained mahogany wood. The red men are strong and agile. Their eyes are alert, and their tempers hot. Red men have the reputation of producing the greatest warriors.
White Men Their milk-white skin is sensitive to direct sunlight. Their hair is inky black, as are their eyes. White men are most active under the light of the moon. They wear long robes that shield shield bodies from the sun's harsh rays. They are secretive and mysterious, most distrusting of outsiders.
Yellow Men Their skin is bright, almost painful to looked it. Their hair is dark brown, almost black. Their are eyes sandy and curious. Yellow men decorate their skins with wild black tattoos. They are cruel and merciless and have an inclination toward sorcery.
Life on a Broken World
The word privation best characterizes life on the ancient and doomed world of Harkanis. Survival is uncertain and childhood non-existent. Even those who survive to adulthood rarely live to 35. Forty is considered venerable. The food is bland and tasteless at best. The dry mountains and deserts that cover the land forbid agriculture. The poisonous jungles and slime-filled swamps are filled with clouds of insects that shred crops before they can reach maturity. Thus hunting and gathering are the norm, and much of daily life is spent in the pursuit of sustenance. Shelters are crude. In the deserts, villages consist of stone and mud-brick huts. Mountain-dwellers live in shallow caves. In the swamps and jungles simple structures are erected from wood, sometimes built in the treetops or in the middle of lakes to prevent attack. Clothing is rudimentary, little more than roughly spun robes and animal skins. Evening entertainment includes song, storytelling, dance, and athletic pursuits. With the exception of family heirlooms, weapons are limited to clubs and stone axes, daggers, and spears. Where wood is available, some learn to hunt with bow and arrow.
Nomads Nomads roam the empty wastes. Since the beasts of Harkanis are too large and vicious to tame, nomads must carry what they can upon their shoulders. Everything else must be left behind. Nomads never stay in any one place long. Hidden oases make the best resting places, but more often, nomads must be content living in caves and ruins or simply lying down under the stars at night. Nomads tend to be more accepting of outsiders than Harkanins. Some even fashion themselves as traders. Others consider outsiders prey that can can be captured and worked as beasts of burden or enjoyed as concubines.
Savages Savages live by the sword and die by the axe. Conflict is both a way of life and means of survival; for savages prey on other men as if they both were beasts. These vicious marauders are led by their strongest warrior or most cunning tactician. While some savages fight with honor, most favor surprise attacks initiative beneath the stars or else during mealtimes or celebrations. Between battles, savages live in the dwellings of their massacred victims, only moving on to the next village when resources dwindle. Savages possess deadlier weapons than destitute villagers or nomads. Their swords and axes are often crafted from iron and steel, trophies claimed from fallen adversaries.
Scavengers Ruined cities and monuments of bygone ages and fallen civilizations dot the landscape. Time is the unrelenting devouter of all great men. Covered by desert sands, overgrown with vines, or sinking into the slime-filled bogs, much that once was has since been lost to it. Still, small bands of resourceful scavengers are able to live off the relics of the past. They dwell in the corpses of ruined cities and outposts. Whereas savages live standing above a pool of blood, scavengers scamper below the weight of ages. Ancient technology is the scavengers' lifeblood, though their understanding of it is rudimentary. Little, however, can be said of scavengers as a whole, for their bands are small, secretive, and scattered. Many live underground, inside the skeletal superstructure of superhuman construction, only returning to the surface in desperation when their life-giving technology fails.
The Enlightened Few Few have managed to rise above privation. Those with the will, intellect, and opportunity to fully embraced sorcery and the mysteries of the ancients can be considered enlightened, at least for a time. They are the guardians of cyclopean temples and towers that pierce the sky. They are the keepers of lost knowledge and the practitioners of the sorcery that keep the Old Ones at bay. Many consider themselves the watchful protectors of men or even the future saviors of all Harkanis.
Decadents Corruption and faction are the diseases that crumble empires from within. Few stay enlightened forever without falling into decadence, becoming jaded aristocrats, autocratic tyrants, corrupt priests and wicked sorcerers. Demon worship, human sacrifice, wanton sorcery, drug abuse, and wild sexual fancy become all too common. Yet many once-enlightened conclaves manage to stagger on for generations before finally falling into abject ruin.
Degenerates The last survivors of decadent civilizations resort to feuding over dwindling resources or are driven away by beasts and savages. Fleeing into the wilderness or deep underground beneath their ruined cities, they sometimes start to inbreed and devolve into something no longer entirely human.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Aug 22, 2021 6:28:00 GMT -6
Ah, I just noticed this thread due to necromancy. I'll have some thoughts and information later. I've ran a few campaigns since 1994. None are currently ongoing. Most recently I decided the poll game wasn't really working the way I envisioned it, but I count that as a campaign, too. I'll have the most to say about Cumberland, a setting that's existed in some beat up folders and notebooks in some fashion since I was in 4th grade. Some of the Immortals in that game world are players from back then and a few years later. There have been shenanigans at all tiers of play and I intend to resurrect it at some point with a BECMI campaign again. I'll come back and edit this post or make a new one later with a timeline of the major events and layout of the world.
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Post by doublejig2 on Aug 22, 2021 21:10:22 GMT -6
Currently playing DCC (10 dcc modules) and 4 levels deep so far into Darkness Beneath. Spent tonight's entire session (3.5 hrs), trying to get unlost to return to the surface. The mule was killed and they're now fully encumbered. The mapmaker exactly lost the only working copy of the map. Try as they do, to recreate, they're only getting deeper. It's interesting to watch the dungeon take its tole on the adventurers. Panic or exasperation both lead into the Darkness Beneath! Fight on!
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