Meichitan - a supplement to the Demiplane of dread. [Archive] - Wizards Community

Meichitan - a supplement to the Demiplane of dread. [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
dragoonmac
03-27-07, 08:40 AM Introduction:
Ravenloft as a setting has always intrigued me, the demiplane of dread seems to be a good idea and the execution, while far from perfect, is fairly good. The one drawback it had for me was a lack of American Horror.

You heard me American horror, the book draws tons of of its flavor and ambiance from writers like Edgar Allen Poe and H.P. Lovecraft, but it draws all of its setting from Bram Stoker and Mary Shelly.

That being said I looked at and hated Masque of the Red Death, it didn't draw me in at all and I kept thinking it felt more like it belonged in GURPS or as a supplement for Vamp:tM.

So with MotRD sucking, and Ravenloft not living up to expectations, I've decided I can do better (although I probably can't, this entire article is based off that conceit). With that in mind I proudly present the first of the rules for what I would like to be a "Demiplane of Dread" 3.5

Critique is great and contribution is better!

1st Edit: Not quite finished parsing it all together from various places on my PC and my scattered brain, so I'm putting what I've got right now. If the general response is positive I'll put in some work on this after my dentists appointment today (now that's gothic horror)
dragoonmac
03-27-07, 08:42 AM Chapter 0. - Mechanics
As the thing drew closer Krusk started to tremble, it should not be, it could not be and all his life he had never dreamed that it could be. As Krusk shivered and trembled, unable to rage and unable to even look at the thing in front of him, Mialee sprung into action. "Krusk, snap out of it man. Lydda, attack the left flank, I think that's where its organs are..." she barked as she began to cast Fireball.

Saves:
One thing that irked me about Ravenloft was it put too much emphasis on wisdom for saves. In the interest of balancing the saves, DoD35 will use the following mechanical changes:

Fear save:
The Fear save is based off of Strength. Raw fear is simply a worry about what a thing will do to one in confrontation. Characters with a high strength are less likely to succumb to simple fear.

Horror save:
The Horror save is based off of Intelligence. Horror saves represent seeing something that is so unsettling to your knowledge of the way things should be that it strikes terror in your heart. Characters with a high Intelligence are likely to desire to study such anomalies to better their own knowledge.

Madness save:
The Madness save is based off Charisma. Madness saves represent triggers that erode ones sense of self, ones confidence in reality and ones ability to understand people. Characters with a high Charisma are less likely to be driven mad because their sense of self keeps them anchored.

The Mists:

The mists of the DoD are nigh impenetrable. NPC's simply do not attempt to travel through, there is never a compelling reason to risk life and limb. No one knows for certain (especially not the Darklords) what lies around them. As the mists border every realm, interrealm travel is only exercised by the Visanti. When a character enters the mist they are (unless they have a Visanti guide or Visanti charms) most likely going to be sent to the other end of the domain that they are in. This is especially true of NPCs and always true of Darklords. Player Characters entering the Mists stand a slight chance of being whisked to another domain, seemingly at random although there are certain pathways and conduits that tend to manifest in the mist. Player Characters of a Good Alignment stand a very slight chance of escaping the DoD with their comrades and returning home (AKA DM's caveat to end Week in Hell).

Known Currents and Pathways:
Pathways only apply at the DM's discretion or with help of the Visanti, Interdomain travel is exceedingly difficult in DoD.
Entering the Mists from the water from anywhere will cause travel to be diverted throught the Maelstrom (effectively destroying ships if the characters attempt to travel by sea) and will normally result in the Characters being washed up on a primitive Island (your choice). But Psionic parties more often than not end up washing ashore on Bluetspur, likely drawing the attention of the Illithid God Brain.
Additionally entering the mists from the skies, especially by Airship, will lead to the characters being slammed into the floating Island of Laputa(a work in progress will post when finished)
dragoonmac
03-27-07, 08:44 AM Chapter 1. - On Meichitan

Dearest,
I have arrived in Amherst and even as I write this letter a sense of foreboding broods on my heart. Professor Ballard warned of this place shortly before the accident. the ravings of an insane university professor ought not be a factor in determining agendas, but I see the fear inherent in this place. It is as if something so terrible has happened here the people are to scared to see the light of day, and the noise that comes from the woods at night, no human or animal detailed by science could make those noises.

History:
Meichitan was discovered by Explorers who stumbled through the mists in the early years. It was sparsely populated by a primitive peoples and, though they showed evidence of contact with the Visanti, a small set of wars ensued. As a result of their superior technology the primitive people, dubbed Visantain due to their common mythologies, were driven back, barely a fraction of them remain and those that do harbor intense hatred for the descendents of those explorers. It has been 100 years since then and the First established town, Richemont, in the central East, has grown into a full blown city. 4 other cities are celebrating their 50 and 75 year mark, DosFierros in the Southwestern corner, Firhaven in the North, Douglas in the south, Klahoma in the Northwest, and New Dyvers in the Northeast. There are countless small villages. The current governmental system is a Democracy with whoever can attract the most people to vote for him being elected President. The president then selects a senate of representatives from each of the 5 Major Cities. The Current President is Richard Redblade and he has caused some controversy by appointing a Dwarf to the traditionally Human cabinet.

MetaHistory:
Meichitan is one of the Largest domains, it is large enough infact that it contains several known subdomains and there is the potential for others. The darklord of the domain is Darleth Striker, a second rate explorer who made his living off of killing other adventurers and taking their work and discoveries. Darleth did well for himself until he stumbled onto an exquisite key amidst his ill gotten hordes. Fascinated by it he attempted to research it in the libraries and failed to find any mention of it. He wove himself an intricate mythology over the markings on the key and it wasn't long till he started to see patterns in the books he read, hints by the authors at something else, a secret his key could unlock. As he searched low and high he eventually searched in a place he should have avoided. Drawn now into the massive domain of Meichitan he attempts to find what his key unlocks, endlessly searching, and killing anyone who stands in his way.

Geography:
Bordered on the North by the great Glacier (not a shot at Canada, another domain I'm gonna put up, based on John Carpenter's "the Thing")
Bordered on the East and West by ocean.
Bordered on the South by [Something].
There are two mountain ranges extending along the Great Glacier, effectively barring it due to the surrounding Mist they produce.
The climate is often a parody of itself, local legend coming true. It always rains in the Northwest (Cold and Wet) while the sun always shines on the Southwest (Dry and Hot). The Midwest has the perfect weather cycle, always colder in the north and hotter in the south.
The Northeast is a dark and cold place with frequent snow and persistant cloud cover. The Southeast is a swampy humid environment.

MetaGeography:
Mists are generated in powerful places across the world, and legends are drawn around horrible events happening in those places. The Dark Powers have not gotten the process of dividing the massive Meichitan entirely correct and these events are often failed attempts at creating new domains.
There are several DemiDomains within Meichitan.
The Hotel California in the Western regions (its location is never nailed down). It can be found here (http://www.geocities.com/dfloyd84/dnd/hotel.txt)
Pleasantries is a demidomain in the Midwest ruled by Alynn Pleasant.
Rue Lupe is a demidomain in the south built on a delta, it is ruled by the Murderous Lau'poirre.

Getting Around:
Transportation is generally available for hire within the confines of a large city, but in outlying or rural areas it is nigh impossible, Owning ones own transportation is a Necessity in Meichitan for adventurers, unless of course, they want to hitchhike...
dragoonmac
03-27-07, 08:44 AM Chapter 2. - Notable People
"It's alright ma'am, I have a rule about helping strangers in need." The man smiled a slick smile and Lydda felt slightly at ease. He extended a hand and helped her onto the wagon he was driving. After a while Lydda noticed the town she was meeting Jozan at didn't seem any closer. "Excuse me sir, when are we getting to town?" He smiled his slick smile again. "Well my dear, that all depends on how well you play my games..." Before Lydda could react the thing hidden in the back of the cart was on her. When she woke up she was tied to a chair in the basement of a dungeon, obvious traps everywhere. A magically enhanced voice rang out from nowhere in particular "The rules of the game are simple..."

In addition there are other powerful beings in Meichitan that may be treated as if they were darklords but with no hammered down domain, these include (I'll edit in stat blocks later)
The Rider on the Storm (NE Human Rg 9, CR 9, Hitchhikes along trails and strangles those who stop to help him)
The Manor at the edge of town (a house that often appears in settlements, actually a living dungeon)
Wendigo/ The Wastewalker / Ithaquaa (an aberration that howls in the cold wind)
The Shiv and his assistant (A Half-elf serial killer and his female assistant who will force people to play twisted games for their lives)
dragoonmac
03-27-07, 08:45 AM Chapter 3. - Notable Places
<reserved>
dragoonmac
03-27-07, 08:46 AM Chapter 4. - Notable Things
<reserved>
dragoonmac
03-27-07, 08:46 AM Chapter 5. - Plot Hooks and Miscellany
<reserved>

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
dragoonmac 03-27-07, 08:40 AM	Introduction: Ravenloft as a setting has always intrigued me, the demiplane of dread seems to be a good idea and the execution, while far from perfect, is fairly good. The one drawback it had for me was a lack of American Horror. You heard me American horror, the book draws tons of of its flavor and ambiance from writers like Edgar Allen Poe and H.P. Lovecraft, but it draws all of its setting from Bram Stoker and Mary Shelly. That being said I looked at and hated Masque of the Red Death, it didn't draw me in at all and I kept thinking it felt more like it belonged in GURPS or as a supplement for Vamp:tM. So with MotRD sucking, and Ravenloft not living up to expectations, I've decided I can do better (although I probably can't, this entire article is based off that conceit). With that in mind I proudly present the first of the rules for what I would like to be a "Demiplane of Dread" 3.5 Critique is great and contribution is better! 1st Edit: Not quite finished parsing it all together from various places on my PC and my scattered brain, so I'm putting what I've got right now. If the general response is positive I'll put in some work on this after my dentists appointment today (now that's gothic horror)
dragoonmac 03-27-07, 08:42 AM	Chapter 0. - Mechanics As the thing drew closer Krusk started to tremble, it should not be, it could not be and all his life he had never dreamed that it could be. As Krusk shivered and trembled, unable to rage and unable to even look at the thing in front of him, Mialee sprung into action. "Krusk, snap out of it man. Lydda, attack the left flank, I think that's where its organs are..." she barked as she began to cast Fireball. Saves: One thing that irked me about Ravenloft was it put too much emphasis on wisdom for saves. In the interest of balancing the saves, DoD35 will use the following mechanical changes: Fear save: The Fear save is based off of Strength. Raw fear is simply a worry about what a thing will do to one in confrontation. Characters with a high strength are less likely to succumb to simple fear. Horror save: The Horror save is based off of Intelligence. Horror saves represent seeing something that is so unsettling to your knowledge of the way things should be that it strikes terror in your heart. Characters with a high Intelligence are likely to desire to study such anomalies to better their own knowledge. Madness save: The Madness save is based off Charisma. Madness saves represent triggers that erode ones sense of self, ones confidence in reality and ones ability to understand people. Characters with a high Charisma are less likely to be driven mad because their sense of self keeps them anchored. The Mists: The mists of the DoD are nigh impenetrable. NPC's simply do not attempt to travel through, there is never a compelling reason to risk life and limb. No one knows for certain (especially not the Darklords) what lies around them. As the mists border every realm, interrealm travel is only exercised by the Visanti. When a character enters the mist they are (unless they have a Visanti guide or Visanti charms) most likely going to be sent to the other end of the domain that they are in. This is especially true of NPCs and always true of Darklords. Player Characters entering the Mists stand a slight chance of being whisked to another domain, seemingly at random although there are certain pathways and conduits that tend to manifest in the mist. Player Characters of a Good Alignment stand a very slight chance of escaping the DoD with their comrades and returning home (AKA DM's caveat to end Week in Hell). Known Currents and Pathways: Pathways only apply at the DM's discretion or with help of the Visanti, Interdomain travel is exceedingly difficult in DoD. Entering the Mists from the water from anywhere will cause travel to be diverted throught the Maelstrom (effectively destroying ships if the characters attempt to travel by sea) and will normally result in the Characters being washed up on a primitive Island (your choice). But Psionic parties more often than not end up washing ashore on Bluetspur, likely drawing the attention of the Illithid God Brain. Additionally entering the mists from the skies, especially by Airship, will lead to the characters being slammed into the floating Island of Laputa(a work in progress will post when finished)
dragoonmac 03-27-07, 08:44 AM	Chapter 1. - On Meichitan Dearest, I have arrived in Amherst and even as I write this letter a sense of foreboding broods on my heart. Professor Ballard warned of this place shortly before the accident. the ravings of an insane university professor ought not be a factor in determining agendas, but I see the fear inherent in this place. It is as if something so terrible has happened here the people are to scared to see the light of day, and the noise that comes from the woods at night, no human or animal detailed by science could make those noises. History: Meichitan was discovered by Explorers who stumbled through the mists in the early years. It was sparsely populated by a primitive peoples and, though they showed evidence of contact with the Visanti, a small set of wars ensued. As a result of their superior technology the primitive people, dubbed Visantain due to their common mythologies, were driven back, barely a fraction of them remain and those that do harbor intense hatred for the descendents of those explorers. It has been 100 years since then and the First established town, Richemont, in the central East, has grown into a full blown city. 4 other cities are celebrating their 50 and 75 year mark, DosFierros in the Southwestern corner, Firhaven in the North, Douglas in the south, Klahoma in the Northwest, and New Dyvers in the Northeast. There are countless small villages. The current governmental system is a Democracy with whoever can attract the most people to vote for him being elected President. The president then selects a senate of representatives from each of the 5 Major Cities. The Current President is Richard Redblade and he has caused some controversy by appointing a Dwarf to the traditionally Human cabinet. MetaHistory: Meichitan is one of the Largest domains, it is large enough infact that it contains several known subdomains and there is the potential for others. The darklord of the domain is Darleth Striker, a second rate explorer who made his living off of killing other adventurers and taking their work and discoveries. Darleth did well for himself until he stumbled onto an exquisite key amidst his ill gotten hordes. Fascinated by it he attempted to research it in the libraries and failed to find any mention of it. He wove himself an intricate mythology over the markings on the key and it wasn't long till he started to see patterns in the books he read, hints by the authors at something else, a secret his key could unlock. As he searched low and high he eventually searched in a place he should have avoided. Drawn now into the massive domain of Meichitan he attempts to find what his key unlocks, endlessly searching, and killing anyone who stands in his way. Geography: Bordered on the North by the great Glacier (not a shot at Canada, another domain I'm gonna put up, based on John Carpenter's "the Thing") Bordered on the East and West by ocean. Bordered on the South by [Something]. There are two mountain ranges extending along the Great Glacier, effectively barring it due to the surrounding Mist they produce. The climate is often a parody of itself, local legend coming true. It always rains in the Northwest (Cold and Wet) while the sun always shines on the Southwest (Dry and Hot). The Midwest has the perfect weather cycle, always colder in the north and hotter in the south. The Northeast is a dark and cold place with frequent snow and persistant cloud cover. The Southeast is a swampy humid environment. MetaGeography: Mists are generated in powerful places across the world, and legends are drawn around horrible events happening in those places. The Dark Powers have not gotten the process of dividing the massive Meichitan entirely correct and these events are often failed attempts at creating new domains. There are several DemiDomains within Meichitan. The Hotel California in the Western regions (its location is never nailed down). It can be found here (http://www.geocities.com/dfloyd84/dnd/hotel.txt) Pleasantries is a demidomain in the Midwest ruled by Alynn Pleasant. Rue Lupe is a demidomain in the south built on a delta, it is ruled by the Murderous Lau'poirre. Getting Around: Transportation is generally available for hire within the confines of a large city, but in outlying or rural areas it is nigh impossible, Owning ones own transportation is a Necessity in Meichitan for adventurers, unless of course, they want to hitchhike...
dragoonmac 03-27-07, 08:44 AM	Chapter 2. - Notable People "It's alright ma'am, I have a rule about helping strangers in need." The man smiled a slick smile and Lydda felt slightly at ease. He extended a hand and helped her onto the wagon he was driving. After a while Lydda noticed the town she was meeting Jozan at didn't seem any closer. "Excuse me sir, when are we getting to town?" He smiled his slick smile again. "Well my dear, that all depends on how well you play my games..." Before Lydda could react the thing hidden in the back of the cart was on her. When she woke up she was tied to a chair in the basement of a dungeon, obvious traps everywhere. A magically enhanced voice rang out from nowhere in particular "The rules of the game are simple..." In addition there are other powerful beings in Meichitan that may be treated as if they were darklords but with no hammered down domain, these include (I'll edit in stat blocks later) The Rider on the Storm (NE Human Rg 9, CR 9, Hitchhikes along trails and strangles those who stop to help him) The Manor at the edge of town (a house that often appears in settlements, actually a living dungeon) Wendigo/ The Wastewalker / Ithaquaa (an aberration that howls in the cold wind) The Shiv and his assistant (A Half-elf serial killer and his female assistant who will force people to play twisted games for their lives)
dragoonmac 03-27-07, 08:45 AM	Chapter 3. - Notable Places <reserved>
dragoonmac 03-27-07, 08:46 AM	Chapter 4. - Notable Things <reserved>
dragoonmac 03-27-07, 08:46 AM	Chapter 5. - Plot Hooks and Miscellany <reserved>