World, check. Gods, check.... What now? [Archive] - Wizards Community

World, check. Gods, check.... What now? [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Prator_the_Legendary
04-05-07, 06:41 PM I'm designing my first-ever campaign world, and I'm trying to figure out what to do next... So far I have:

1. The World. "The Flying Island Of Mutnevda" is a floating mass of land and sea about 120 miles wide. I've charted out every major natural feature of the place, and every town and city there is. Mutnevda floats over Oerth, but few people know that.

2. The Gods. Basically there are four elemental deities and an adjudicating deity between them. Secretly, however, the island wass made and is ruled by the godlike being, Pun-Pun (maybe I'll make some epic-level wizard of my own in order to be less deriviative, I haven't decided). However, the PCs should not discover that until the end of the campaign, when the island falls. Which brings me to...

3. The overall plot. Basically, there's this necrocarnate witch who slaughters all sorts of things in order to feed her necrocarnum addiction. However, on Mutnevda, it's not possible for characters to rise above level 20, by the will of Pun-Pun/The Gods. So she plans to break the thing that "the Gods" use to exert their will on Mutnevda, a silver pillar in the middle of the desert called the Pillar of the Gods.

Following a prophecy she read, she plans to gather the energy of 1000 (perhaps more) HD worth of souls. She wants to get as many powerful souls among that number as possible, and so she hires people or sends her own minions to cause trouble of all sorts all accross Mutnevda. Basically, she's arranging traps for adventurers and any people who think themselves powerful enough to solve the problems she causes. When these would-be heroes die, she drains their souls into magical crystals, which will be eventually combined into the Black Orb, and artifact that holds all the souls she'll need to destroy the Pillar. The PCs will be some of those hero wanna-be's, only they'll both survive her traps and destroy them, much to her chagrin.

Although hindered by the PCs' interference, the witch will gather her souls and destroy the pillar. The PCs may have an epic battle with her at the pillar, which will most likely end in her retreat, and then she'll head to another location on the map, called the Wing Tower. Pun-Pun or his equivalent used to live there, but right now the tower houses the magic mechanisms that keep the island flying. Out a desire to cause death, lots of death, death that she can get totally high on, she'll destroy this mechanism, hoping to destroy the island and everyone on it. The PCs will have to kill her and then figure out how to work the machine's backup systems in time to save their world.

4. The main villain, described above. I have her level 20 character sheet composed already. I also have various lower-level minions of hers in my mind.

5. The Cosmology. Since this island flies over Oerth, the core cosmology will be used. Yes, I expect the PCs to be confused if they purposefully travel to Celestia, seeking the guidance of Thundaga, God of Winds, only to run into the likes of Heironeous.

Now, I wouldn't mind a bit of critique on what I've got, but mainly I'm looking to know what I do next. I'm kind of loathe to do a lot of fleshing out of campaign locations without knowing for sure if the PCs will want to go there, but...
KeshFerrar
04-05-07, 07:40 PM If you're not looking to get published, then that's ok. You don't need to flesh out every point. But that means you should flesh out the places you know the PCs will have to go.

the PC's hometown/ base of operations
the lair of the BBEW

Also how do the gods feel about the BBEW trying to obtain that much power? I mean they are gods, they should know something is going on.
Prator_the_Legendary
04-06-07, 10:51 AM Okay, I'll set up a hometown... And the lair... and probably the Wing Tower and the Pillar area as well... And after that?

Did I not make the god-thing clear? The Gods that Mutnevda worships do not actually exist. They are an invention of the Pun-Pun-ey fellow, who is a caster that has attained such power as to become godlike. That person died (Cause TBD) long ago, but his island remains. The normal gods of Oerth have no foothold there because no one worships them.

That said, spells like Commune do not work on Mutnevda, because there is no god to respond. However, clerics still get all their spells and other powers because in following these false gods, they are effecively worshipping a cause.
Yakman
04-06-07, 11:01 AM Okay, I'll set up a hometown... And the lair... and probably the Wing Tower and the Pillar area as well... And after that?

Did I not make the god-thing clear? The Gods that Mutnevda worships do not actually exist. They are an invention of the Pun-Pun-ey fellow, who is a caster that has attained such power as to become godlike. That person died (Cause TBD) long ago, but his island remains. The normal gods of Oerth have no foothold there because no one worships them.

That said, spells like Commune do not work on Mutnevda, because there is no god to respond. However, clerics still get all their spells and other powers because in following these false gods, they are effecively worshipping a cause.

think about it like this: what would my characters know? generally, most people aren't clear about how things REALLY work, so you just have to come up with the simplest imaginable story.

second: what do I, the DM, need to know in order to move my plot forward? you only need barebones stuff for this, really.

third: you need adventures tying things together. get to work on those--it's often the most ignored bit of DMing--everyone freaks out on world creation and then leaves no time for the real meat and bones of the campaign.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Prator_the_Legendary 04-05-07, 06:41 PM	I'm designing my first-ever campaign world, and I'm trying to figure out what to do next... So far I have: 1. The World. "The Flying Island Of Mutnevda" is a floating mass of land and sea about 120 miles wide. I've charted out every major natural feature of the place, and every town and city there is. Mutnevda floats over Oerth, but few people know that. 2. The Gods. Basically there are four elemental deities and an adjudicating deity between them. Secretly, however, the island wass made and is ruled by the godlike being, Pun-Pun (maybe I'll make some epic-level wizard of my own in order to be less deriviative, I haven't decided). However, the PCs should not discover that until the end of the campaign, when the island falls. Which brings me to... 3. The overall plot. Basically, there's this necrocarnate witch who slaughters all sorts of things in order to feed her necrocarnum addiction. However, on Mutnevda, it's not possible for characters to rise above level 20, by the will of Pun-Pun/The Gods. So she plans to break the thing that "the Gods" use to exert their will on Mutnevda, a silver pillar in the middle of the desert called the Pillar of the Gods. Following a prophecy she read, she plans to gather the energy of 1000 (perhaps more) HD worth of souls. She wants to get as many powerful souls among that number as possible, and so she hires people or sends her own minions to cause trouble of all sorts all accross Mutnevda. Basically, she's arranging traps for adventurers and any people who think themselves powerful enough to solve the problems she causes. When these would-be heroes die, she drains their souls into magical crystals, which will be eventually combined into the Black Orb, and artifact that holds all the souls she'll need to destroy the Pillar. The PCs will be some of those hero wanna-be's, only they'll both survive her traps and destroy them, much to her chagrin. Although hindered by the PCs' interference, the witch will gather her souls and destroy the pillar. The PCs may have an epic battle with her at the pillar, which will most likely end in her retreat, and then she'll head to another location on the map, called the Wing Tower. Pun-Pun or his equivalent used to live there, but right now the tower houses the magic mechanisms that keep the island flying. Out a desire to cause death, lots of death, death that she can get totally high on, she'll destroy this mechanism, hoping to destroy the island and everyone on it. The PCs will have to kill her and then figure out how to work the machine's backup systems in time to save their world. 4. The main villain, described above. I have her level 20 character sheet composed already. I also have various lower-level minions of hers in my mind. 5. The Cosmology. Since this island flies over Oerth, the core cosmology will be used. Yes, I expect the PCs to be confused if they purposefully travel to Celestia, seeking the guidance of Thundaga, God of Winds, only to run into the likes of Heironeous. Now, I wouldn't mind a bit of critique on what I've got, but mainly I'm looking to know what I do next. I'm kind of loathe to do a lot of fleshing out of campaign locations without knowing for sure if the PCs will want to go there, but...
KeshFerrar 04-05-07, 07:40 PM	If you're not looking to get published, then that's ok. You don't need to flesh out every point. But that means you should flesh out the places you know the PCs will have to go. the PC's hometown/ base of operations the lair of the BBEW Also how do the gods feel about the BBEW trying to obtain that much power? I mean they are gods, they should know something is going on.
Prator_the_Legendary 04-06-07, 10:51 AM	Okay, I'll set up a hometown... And the lair... and probably the Wing Tower and the Pillar area as well... And after that? Did I not make the god-thing clear? The Gods that Mutnevda worships do not actually exist. They are an invention of the Pun-Pun-ey fellow, who is a caster that has attained such power as to become godlike. That person died (Cause TBD) long ago, but his island remains. The normal gods of Oerth have no foothold there because no one worships them. That said, spells like Commune do not work on Mutnevda, because there is no god to respond. However, clerics still get all their spells and other powers because in following these false gods, they are effecively worshipping a cause.
Yakman 04-06-07, 11:01 AM	Okay, I'll set up a hometown... And the lair... and probably the Wing Tower and the Pillar area as well... And after that? Did I not make the god-thing clear? The Gods that Mutnevda worships do not actually exist. They are an invention of the Pun-Pun-ey fellow, who is a caster that has attained such power as to become godlike. That person died (Cause TBD) long ago, but his island remains. The normal gods of Oerth have no foothold there because no one worships them. That said, spells like Commune do not work on Mutnevda, because there is no god to respond. However, clerics still get all their spells and other powers because in following these false gods, they are effecively worshipping a cause. think about it like this: what would my characters know? generally, most people aren't clear about how things REALLY work, so you just have to come up with the simplest imaginable story. second: what do I, the DM, need to know in order to move my plot forward? you only need barebones stuff for this, really. third: you need adventures tying things together. get to work on those--it's often the most ignored bit of DMing--everyone freaks out on world creation and then leaves no time for the real meat and bones of the campaign.