Post/Author/DateTime	Post
I Am Famine 10-09-05, 11:54 AM	Hi, thanks for checking out my post. This idea may seem a little strange at first but I have an idea for an interesting campaign world. I was thinking that it would be interesting to switch everything round. What I mean is the theme/alignment/purposes of the monsters, races, classes, etc are the opposites. For example creatures of good alignment are evil, classe's have different alignment requirements, etc. Most of my ideas are mostly alignment based at the moment so any suggestions you have would be appreciated. Heres a few things to think about… NOTE: Though I’m currently using the same names for things, I’ll probably change to make them more fitting to these radically different alternatives. Any suggestions for names would be greatly appreciated as well!. 1) Outsiders have different alignments. Their societies are similar to their previous ones, but with the obvious alignment adjustments. Devils CG; Devils are vigilantes and liberal-minded intelligent anarchists. Quite organized and diplomatic despite their moral and political disposition. Each layer of hell is dedicated to different set of nihilistic beliefs and outlooks. Yugoloths NG; Yugoloths are friendly traders and clerics. Open and honest towards all those who deal and ally themselves to them. Despite their good-natures they have a strong military, but for defensive purposes of course.. Demons LG; Lawful, honourable, but still very liberal and varied beings. Like the infinite layers of the Abyss the demons come in all kinds of majestic, beautiful and amazing forms. Formians; CN; Barbaric tribal creatures who worship bizarre concepts and theories instead of gods. Many wars break out between these warring tribes, as well as internal wars within the hives themselves. Slaad LN; Organized, calculating and highly disciplined. A Slaads colour reflects his rank and standing, the Slaads leaders breed units of mutant Slaads designed for certain labour or militaristic uses. Eladrin LE; The Eladrin are dominating and lusty, beings of debauched tyranny and power. Despite their horribly zealous outlook they have an endless streak or cruelty and sadism. Guardinals NE; The Guardinals are essentially intelligent and unnaturally evil humanoid animals, designed to survive the truly harsh and savage plane of Elysium. Archons CE; Archons are violent, hateful and uncontrollable. They are as likely to turn on each other and war inside the huge crater that is Celestia. 2) As the Outsiders are different so are their planes of origin... Celestia; CE Celestia is horrific blood-stained death-filled crater of terror and hatred, home of the horrifying and vile Archons. Bytopia; NE Bytopia is an uncaring expansionist plane which has two landscapes pointing at one another. Dothian is a dirty, urbanized infinite cityscape whilst Shurrock is open wasteland and dense shadowy forest. The two wholly different places are literally connected, causing much conflict and struggle on each side. Elysium; NE Elysium is an dark and savage wilderness of twisted forests, misty bogs and craggy black mountains. Those visiting it quickly gain feelings of paranoia, hatred and misery. It is inhabited by the animalistic and feral Guardinals. The Beastlands; The NE Beastlands resembles an infinite rotting city inhabited by filthy, rabid insane animals and monsters. The only wild regions left are lifeless grey deserts and burnt, chopped-down woodland. Arborea; LE Arboria seems dusky and beautiful, but this is a lie. Its lack of change and predictable weather point to plane of stagnation. Only places under the hand of the cruel and debauched Eladrin remain artificially appealing, the rest of it is shadowy rotting woodland and frozen dead glades. Ysgard; LN Ysgard is the pitfall and doom of adventurers, a land of dark ruined wilderness and huge ruins dungeons. Indifferent to any kind of morality it is home to violent undead adventurers and paragons of monsterkin. Limbo; LN Limbo is a gentle infinite atmosphere full of elemental planetoids all slowly spinning around one another in complicated patterns. Home of the disciplined and organized Slaad. Pandemonium; LN Pandemonium is a place of peace, sanity and mostly silence. It is a place of open yawning chasms lit by dull purple skies, and endless caves that descend into the darkness. The Abyss; The LG Abyssal layers represent an amazing array of peaceful and life-filled vistas inhabited by manner unusual but friendly creatures. Home of the honourable and heroic Demons. Carceri; NG Carceri is a place of hospitality and welcomes any who seek refuge on its infinite cubes. It is a place of cool and misty jungles, pale clouds and varied rocky landscapes. It is home of the gregarious and kindly Demodands who see it as their planar duty to aid the downtrodden and lost. Hades; NG Hades is a brightly-lit alien plainslands that imbues its inhabitants and visitors with a feeling of renewed vigour and confidence. Many ancient gothic structures fill this plane. Gehenna; NG Gehenna is a land of sunset skies and silvery mountains floating in a fiery ocean. It is home of the friendly and diplomatic Yugoloths. The Nine Hells; The CG layers of Hell are home to anarchy and revolution, liberal-minds and freedom. The nine hells are varied and home the Devils, all whom have different social and political outlooks. Each layer represents a bizarre and arty version of material-plane wildernesses. Less alien than the Abyss but more psychedelic. Acheron; CN Acheron is place of love, freedom and carefree thinking. Its grassy continent-sized cubes are carefully interlocked as they float peacefully around one another in any direction. Mechanus; CN Mechanus is a world of violent light and unpredictable energy. Giant shattered cogs and island-sized malfunctioning machinery fill its everchanging space. It is populated the tribal nihilistic Formians and intelligent constructs called Inevitables that exist to spread chaos and anarchy throughout the multiverse. Arcadia; CN Arcadia is essentially wilderness gone mad. Trees grow over one another in precariously-balanced spires, mountains point out of the ground upside down, water falls flow upwards and clouds often touch solid earth. The Outlands; The N Outlands is a planar anomaly because unlike the other planes, its is not connected within the system of the great wheel. Getting there isn’t easy but once one discovers the method they will find a plane rich with potential. The Outlands is a bizarre alien jungle containing portals. Not only do they lead to the other outer planes, but alternative histories, universes and demiplanes as well. The only hard part is finding them and surviving the dangers that fill this plane. 3) New monsters and races could be created just by switching traits and alignment around. A few examples… Beholder CG Aberrations that look like giant floating heads. Their ‘face’ is dominated by single huge eye that comes in various shapes and colours, a toothy maw and a fleshy ‘beard’ of ten stalks each ending with a smaller mouth. Each Beholder is unique and they very open-minded liberal creatures. Imagine if you will an upside-down standard Beholder, with its central eye where is mouth is and its mouth where its central eye is. Centaur NE Horse-headed people, barbaric and are a common enemy for rural humanoids. They are foul-tempered, excessive and utterly self-serving. Only strength keeps their communities together. Basically they are anthropomorphic horse’s and not human + horse taurics. Digester N Bipedal reptiles with a friendly disposition, easily tamed and often used as mounts for Paladins. They can spray a mild medicinal liquid which heals wounds. The aforementioned Paladins admire these amiable creatures because of their healing abilities. Essentially just a normal (i.e. not ugly) Digester whose acid spray heals instead of dealing damage. Its important to note that Paladins might end up being CE in this world so my description probably fails any of the criteria!. Silver Dragon These CE dragons are twisted and ugly creatures. Though tall in height and long of body their frames are emaciated and bent. Their dull grey skin is cracked and filthy and their eyes are opalescent and bloodshot. When associating with humans they often take the form of an raggedy old leper or an arrogant seductress. They take petty glee in interfering with good heroes plans. Storm Giant LE Storm Giants are savage, impatient and destructive. Despite that they seek order through brute-force and those that oppose their will are fought against with violent intolerance. Storm giants have dark green or navy skin and long, pale grey hair. Their eyes burn with an blue balefire and they are often decked in huge, spiky, thick armour. Gibbering Mouthers N vaguely humanoid Aberrations which are covered in dozens of eyes and mouths, forming their own unique but stable patterns all over their bodies. Unlike the standard DnD Mouthers these creatures are calm, quiet logical beings with amazingly segmented minds. They constantly have mathematical, philosophical and scientific conversations with themselves which can create an affect unnerving to those unfamiliar with them. Gibbering Mouthers will converse for weeks with one another if they manage to find the time to meek each other. Goblins Small-statured NG humanoids, Goblins are gregarious and sociable creatures with an aptitude for trading and exploration. Few humanoids hold any real prejudices against these helpful, if somewhat overfriendly creatures. They are considered ‘cute’ by many of the larger humanoids. They look like fair-skinned beige or lime-colored creatures with tiny tusks and slightly snubby flat noses. I hope you like my ideas, and if you any of your own them I’d love to see them. Would you alter to add anything to my ideas or do you want me to take a look at yours? Either way thanks for reading my very long post, but in the words of the Terminator… “I‘LL BE BACK!”
Jagyr Ebonwood 10-09-05, 12:17 PM	The idea for the planes and outsiders is just silly...by the time you're done switching alignments and descriptions and things, you have the exact same thing you started with, only Demons are called Archons and Baator is called Celestia. The idea for new monster species with different alignments is good, but is pretty basic. You're in trouble if you over use it, because everything will have a Good version and an Evil version...
I Am Famine 10-09-05, 02:10 PM	The idea for the planes and outsiders is just silly...by the time you're done switching alignments and descriptions and things, you have the exact same thing you started with, only Demons are called Archons and Baator is called Celestia. The idea for new monster species with different alignments is good, but is pretty basic. You're in trouble if you over use it, because everything will have a Good version and an Evil version... Its just a way of making alternative planes and outsiders, and these planes wont stay named what they are. Try to imagine what CE Hound Archon would look like. It isn't an Archon anymore, or a Demon for that matter. Its the same with the planes, they have become totally new worlds. Celestia (which is just a temporary name) is now a savage everdeepening pit of evil populated by raven-winged blood-stained monsters, balls of screaming red light and brutish spiny anthro hounds, totally different from the infinite layers of the standard CE Abyss. By changing the anatomies and alignments of a monster or race I've created a distinct creature in itself. My 'Beholders' wont stay named 'Beholders', and the alterations in its physical traits and alignment as altered in society, behaviour and stats. Instead of eye rays they could have breath weapons and central mouth cone of magic-enhancing energy. Also it isn't just the alignment that changes, a beings behaviour does as well. The Gibbering Mouther is a true neutral creature so its alignment wont change. However i've switched the unstable insane version for a more stable sane one. Its essentially a new creature and I will eventually give them new names. Thanks for your oppinion mate... :D
Jagyr Ebonwood 10-09-05, 02:21 PM	Oh, I see now. You're not changing the base planes, you're creating separate, new ones, using an alignment shift as a starting point. Okay, I withdraw my comment. That's a good way to start coming up with new material. :)
Nidair 10-09-05, 04:09 PM	Using the words "Demon" and "Honorable" in one sentence just sends chills down my spine. However, "Devil" and "Diplomatic" just fits really nice. Although I will miss the feeling of not being fully able to trust a devil in your world. Hopefully archons will replace their role in a suitable fashion.
Slyde Shadowdart 10-09-05, 04:18 PM	I like it! You've got some very cool stuff in there. It would certainly do a decent job of throwing off those "I know the MM by heart" players. :) I know you already mentioned it, but I would definitely do something about changing the names of the planes. As they stand now, the names' connotations don't fit the planes' descriptions at all. Good work.
Deacon Liadon 10-09-05, 04:22 PM	The idea does sound entertaining. And it certaintly has alot of things going for it. I may even use a couple of those good alligned monsters in my campaign as a treat for those players who learn the MM off by heart. However, "Devil" and "Diplomatic" just fits really nice. Speaking of diplomatic devils... Gentawir Gentawir Medium Outsider (Baatezu, Evil, Extraplaner, Lawful) Hit Dice: 8d8+40 (76 hp) Initiative: 7 Speed:30ft Armour Class: 20 (10+0+0+3+0+7+0) Touch: 13 Flat-footed:17 Base Attack/Grapple:+7/+12 Attack: Claw+8 (1d8+4 Crit 19-20) Full Attack: 2 Claws+8 (1d8+4 Crit. 19-20) Space/Reach: 5ft/ 5ft Special Attacks: Drain, summon baatezu, spell-like abilities, silver tongue. Special Qualities: DR 5/silver or good, blindsense 60ft, immunity to fire and poison, resistance to acid 10 and cold 10, SR 18, telepathy, decay, tongues. Saves:Fortitude +8, Reflex +8, Will +6. Abilities: Str17, Dex16, Con16, Int14, Wis15, Cha16. Skills: Intimidate +12, Listen +13, Move Silently +17, Bluff +12, Diplomacy +13, Knowledge (Nobility) +11 Feats: Blindfight, Alertness, Improved Initiative Environment: The Nine Hells of Baator Organisation: Solitary, Trio. Challenge Rating: 7 Treasure: Standard Allignment: LE Advancement: — Level Adjustment: — A dark-skinned man in a plain, black suit approaches. He has no hair and where his eyes should be are a pair of toothy, lipless mouths. Where his 'mouth' should be is a tiny pair of clawed arms. His arms seem unaturally long and ended with huge clawed hands. It doesn't exactly walk, but slides gracefully and supernaturally along the floor without even moving its feet, which are bare and coated in a black slime of some sort. The Gentawir are Hell's diplomats. The perfect gentlemen, these devils are well spoken and well versed in the art of diplomacy. They often act as envoys to mortal creatures from high ranking devils. Wherever it mavees it sloowly drips a black slime which causes plantlife and such underneath it to decay and decompose. They are generally about six-and-a-half feet tall and weigh about 180 pounds. Combat: Before engaging in any combat a Gentawir will amost always try to use it's silver tongue ability on the opponat who it percieves as the most threatening, then watch as it's enemies turn on each other and wait to finish off any survivors. A single gentawir will always use its mirror image ability to create two more images of itself. Spell-like abilities: At will–Mirror Image, Eagle's Splendour, Disguise Self Undetectable Allignment. 2/day Daze Monster, Detect Thoughts. 1/day Invisibility, Major Image. Drain: If a Gentawir succeds in making a grapple check it may make a second grapple check to see if its two small arms in the middle of its face grab onto the face of the person the Gentawir is grappling with. If this second grapple check is successful then the Gentawir may impose a negative level on its opponent. Summon Baatezu: Once per day a Gentawir may attempt to summon 2d10 of lemures or 1d3 bearded devils with a 50% chance of success. This is the equivalant of a 3rd level spell Silver Tongue: Once every 2d6 rounds a Gentawir may command another creature to do its bidding for 1d4 rounds unless the creature succeeds on a dc18 will save.
I Am Famine 10-09-05, 04:24 PM	Oh, I see now. You're not changing the base planes, you're creating separate, new ones, using an alignment shift as a starting point. Okay, I withdraw my comment. That's a good way to start coming up with new material. :) Your entitled to an oppinion, I obviously didn't interpret my idea as well as I had thought. I'm happy to answer any queries anyone has about it. Using the words "Demon" and "Honorable" in one sentence just sends chills down my spine. However, "Devil" and "Diplomatic" just fits really nice. Although I will miss the feeling of not being fully able to trust a devil in your world. Hopefully archons will replace their role in a suitable fashion. It is wierd I know but they're name and definition that will change. Its actually the Eladrin that will replace the LE 'Celestial' aspect, as they are CG in standard DnD ;) The Archons are CE and totally savage.
I Am Famine 10-09-05, 04:37 PM	Don't worry i'll soon have new names for everything, outsiders and planes. Those players by numbers wont know what hit 'em... :D Hey Deacon your Gentawir is awesome, very disturbing stuff!. In my proposed world they would CG disciples of peace, wearing long white coats and leaving tiny white flowers in its 'footsteps'. Two lips are in place of its eyes and where its mouth should be is a pair of tiny arms.
Nidair 10-09-05, 04:58 PM	It is wierd I know but they're name and definition that will change. Its actually the Eladrin that will replace the LE 'Celestial' aspect, as they are CG in standard DnD ;) The Archons are CE and totally savage. I am already dazed by the idea. I think I'll just enjoy archons as they are, blowing melodious sounds on their trumpets instead of violent warcries.
I Am Famine 10-14-05, 02:42 PM	I am already dazed by the idea. I think I'll just enjoy archons as they are, blowing melodious sounds on their trumpets instead of violent warcries. But remember they wont be Archons anymore. They'll be a new race of outsiders with slightly altered Archon stats... Heres a few more examples of this settings inhabitants... Animated Object, N inanimate objects whose once unliving matter has been replaced with arcane flesh with a spark of animal like sentience. These creatures only vaguely resemble the objects they were originally created from being bizarre sinewy creatures with maws, claws and eyes. Azer, CN elemental dwarves who skin resembles black cracked magma. Atop their heads are raging blue flames that vaguely resemble hair. They despise order that often live in loosely formed groups that sometimes form larger tribes. They are allies of the CG Efreeti. Blink Dog, CE these wild a vicious intelligent animals often go on killing sprees for the sheer sadistic joy it whenever the feeling takes them. They resemble hairless pale-skinned brutish dogs with blood-caked mouths and paws. Though they live in packs they often turn on one another over the smallest annoyance.
Card_Wizard 10-14-05, 05:28 PM	You know what this would be good for? A breif visit to a negative version of the PC's home plane. Just imagine the looks on the player's faces when you start describing the alternate beholders (or should they now be called maws? Cuz of all the mouths) and devils and such. And of course, they end up fighting/encounter/possibily even teaming up with their alternate dimension counterparts in order to find their way home.
I Am Famine 10-15-05, 04:06 AM	You know what this would be good for? A breif visit to a negative version of the PC's home plane. Just imagine the looks on the player's faces when you start describing the alternate beholders (or should they now be called maws? Cuz of all the mouths) and devils and such. And of course, they end up fighting/encounter/possibily even teaming up with their alternate dimension counterparts in order to find their way home. That would be a good use of the idea. It would give an excuse for many good monsters to attack the normal party, mistaking them as the evil version of the party from their world.