Idea for a new setting... (Insight needed) [Archive] - Wizards Community

Idea for a new setting... (Insight needed) [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Shedeo
08-20-07, 05:08 PM Alright, I had an idea for a new setting while just puttering around the boards.

Anyway, beyond all that, the idea here would be to make more powerful classes available, but only at steep costs. I'm cutting out the entire concept of 20 pre-epic levels, and I'm introducing the original base classes as PrCs, save for some.

What I want to do with it is have everyone start using the d20 Modern hero classes. The campaign will begin with them as younger people, basically just commoners that show up at a reasonably large city with little to nothing along the lines of equipment or money, then work themselves out something there. In this sense, true heroes are the ones that actually have "class" levels, and there's really no difference between a Level 1 Strong Hero that's a farmer and a Level 1 Strong Hero that's a guard with the exception of feat selection and funding.

Something to note about the campaign is that it is a very little-to-no magic setting. Also, certain races are incredibly more powerful, and thusly, unplayable. Elves, Dwarves, and most other longer-lived races are examples of such. Elves I'm likely going to make more Tolkienesque, but evil. Dwarves are likely to be Midgar Dwarves from Frostburn, I think it is?

The biggest point I should make about this setting is that its supposed to be a psuedo-horrific experience to encounter something beyond normal animals or humanoids. Think along the lines of the new King Kong movie- That's how dangerous to normal folks the rest of the world is going to be. Filled to the brim with monsters and covered in fog.

In case anyone's interested, the playable races will be Human, Halfling, Half-Elf, Half-Orc, Orc, Kobold, and maybe one or two others. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. A note on this is that most people have only heard of Elves or Dwarves, never actually even seen them since they A) Live far, far away, and B) Are incredibly rare to begin with.

The following isn't necessarily true. I may not go this way at all.

*Perhaps have a semi-historical setting. Meaning that it somewhat mirrors our own planet's history in some places, and locations/people may share names and roles.

*Maybe the world is ruled over by the evil races, like Orcs, Gnolls, and Trolls, creating a world filled with tyranny and hardships.

What I need help with is picking out things that may not see, or have overlooked.
GoriceXII
08-20-07, 06:02 PM Interesting--you might want to look at queenfange's thread in this same Campaign Workshop forum because she has a take on elves that you might find worth looking at.

I don't exactly run low magic entirely but rather limited magic. If you don't mind me sharing some of my ideas what I do is this:
- only great heroes, strange cults, pc adventurers and monsters have magical items on a regular basis. Most ordinary people have heard of them but have rarely seen one.
- Magical spellcasting is limited to particular priestly orders (not all religions have functional clerics), wizards and so on. A wizard or witch has to have a teacher or a pact of some kind to have learned magic. All living wizards are likely to have been an apprentice. In my setting human wizards are very rare, largely limited to one country, though there are a reasonable number of spellcasters who use rules similar to those in the Conan rpg. (which I recommend checking out--it has some good rules for spellcasters that make the use of magic very costly and difficult)
Shedeo
08-20-07, 07:08 PM Thanks for the reply, and I will definitely be looking at her Elves.

Magic weapons in this setting are going to be handled rather differently. Its basically as you described, but not completely the same. Magic weapons/items/whatever will be available but in a way that resembles 2nd Ed. Very difficult to make, thusly incredibly rare, and found primarily as relics and artifacts.

Other races I was contemplating adding were those from the Races books, and probably Shifters.
taradusis
08-20-07, 07:25 PM Savage Species has 1st level versions of a lot of monsters,kind of what you're doing with the prestige classes?You'd take 8 levels as a minotaur then take a class?Seems like something you'd be interested in.:)
Shedeo
08-20-07, 07:40 PM Well, that was something else that I was considering... Making some higher LA races LA 0. Savage Species might be a good window for that, but I'm still not quite sure about it. I'm kind of inky about the savage progressions.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Shedeo 08-20-07, 05:08 PM	Alright, I had an idea for a new setting while just puttering around the boards. Anyway, beyond all that, the idea here would be to make more powerful classes available, but only at steep costs. I'm cutting out the entire concept of 20 pre-epic levels, and I'm introducing the original base classes as PrCs, save for some. What I want to do with it is have everyone start using the d20 Modern hero classes. The campaign will begin with them as younger people, basically just commoners that show up at a reasonably large city with little to nothing along the lines of equipment or money, then work themselves out something there. In this sense, true heroes are the ones that actually have "class" levels, and there's really no difference between a Level 1 Strong Hero that's a farmer and a Level 1 Strong Hero that's a guard with the exception of feat selection and funding. Something to note about the campaign is that it is a very little-to-no magic setting. Also, certain races are incredibly more powerful, and thusly, unplayable. Elves, Dwarves, and most other longer-lived races are examples of such. Elves I'm likely going to make more Tolkienesque, but evil. Dwarves are likely to be Midgar Dwarves from Frostburn, I think it is? The biggest point I should make about this setting is that its supposed to be a psuedo-horrific experience to encounter something beyond normal animals or humanoids. Think along the lines of the new King Kong movie- That's how dangerous to normal folks the rest of the world is going to be. Filled to the brim with monsters and covered in fog. In case anyone's interested, the playable races will be Human, Halfling, Half-Elf, Half-Orc, Orc, Kobold, and maybe one or two others. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. A note on this is that most people have only heard of Elves or Dwarves, never actually even seen them since they A) Live far, far away, and B) Are incredibly rare to begin with. The following isn't necessarily true. I may not go this way at all. Perhaps have a semi-historical setting. Meaning that it somewhat mirrors our own planet's history in some places, and locations/people may share names and roles. Maybe the world is ruled over by the evil races, like Orcs, Gnolls, and Trolls, creating a world filled with tyranny and hardships. What I need help with is picking out things that may not see, or have overlooked.
GoriceXII 08-20-07, 06:02 PM	Interesting--you might want to look at queenfange's thread in this same Campaign Workshop forum because she has a take on elves that you might find worth looking at. I don't exactly run low magic entirely but rather limited magic. If you don't mind me sharing some of my ideas what I do is this: - only great heroes, strange cults, pc adventurers and monsters have magical items on a regular basis. Most ordinary people have heard of them but have rarely seen one. - Magical spellcasting is limited to particular priestly orders (not all religions have functional clerics), wizards and so on. A wizard or witch has to have a teacher or a pact of some kind to have learned magic. All living wizards are likely to have been an apprentice. In my setting human wizards are very rare, largely limited to one country, though there are a reasonable number of spellcasters who use rules similar to those in the Conan rpg. (which I recommend checking out--it has some good rules for spellcasters that make the use of magic very costly and difficult)
Shedeo 08-20-07, 07:08 PM	Thanks for the reply, and I will definitely be looking at her Elves. Magic weapons in this setting are going to be handled rather differently. Its basically as you described, but not completely the same. Magic weapons/items/whatever will be available but in a way that resembles 2nd Ed. Very difficult to make, thusly incredibly rare, and found primarily as relics and artifacts. Other races I was contemplating adding were those from the Races books, and probably Shifters.
taradusis 08-20-07, 07:25 PM	Savage Species has 1st level versions of a lot of monsters,kind of what you're doing with the prestige classes?You'd take 8 levels as a minotaur then take a class?Seems like something you'd be interested in.:)
Shedeo 08-20-07, 07:40 PM	Well, that was something else that I was considering... Making some higher LA races LA 0. Savage Species might be a good window for that, but I'm still not quite sure about it. I'm kind of inky about the savage progressions.