Dread Domains in the Realms [Archive] - Wizards Community

Dread Domains in the Realms [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Sliced_Mustard
05-07-06, 07:33 PM I have been toying with an idea that will change the balance of power throughout Faerun (perhaps beyond). I pretty much know what I want and how I'm going to do it, but I'm not sure how I'm going to implement the geographical changes just yet.

after some epic heroes have gone meddling in the Plane of Shadow causing trouble for Mask, they escape through a gate that (unknown to them) leads them into the Demiplane of Dread (Ravenloft). yes, I know this plane is no longer part of the official cosmology, but it once was and I still use it, so let's move on.

the heroes have had experience with this plane once before (and hate it), so once they realize where they are, they're going to attempt to escape. luckily for them, they have a secret benefactor that wants to help them escape: Shar. through minions of her own sent to this plane, the heroes will learn rumors of a way to escape the demiplane and perhaps seal it off forever. of course, things aren't going to go exactly the way they plan, but that's Shar's secret (as is her involvement).

the scope of Shar's plan is big, perhaps dwarfing the event called the Grand Conjunction which once reordered the landscape of the Demiplane of Dread. Shar intends to shatter the planar boundries of the demiplane, freeing the domains and inhabitants within. before the lands themselves can be dispersed amongst the planes or lost forever, though, Shar will draw them (as many as she can) to Toril and bind the domains to the Shadow Weave.

for the inhabitants of the domains, only a few changes will take place. the geography outside each domain will change as its Shar's intention to spread them out as much as possible. domains that were once connected will no longer be neighbors. the "dark powers" of Ravenloft will no longer be in control; their power was limited to the demiplane. all (un)natural laws that held sway within the demiplane will still hold true within the borders of each domain where ever it comes to rest on Toril. the domain lords will remain trapped within the borders of their respective domains still retaining what powers they had before, including the ability to open and close the borders of their respective domains.

though part of the material plane now, magic will continue to function as it had before; good and evil aspects of alignment cannot be detected, spells that teleport or open planar gates are limited in only being able to transport individuals within the confines of the domains (even if they are no longer connected geographically, they are now connected through the Shadow Weave). those who commit evil acts still make powers checks, though now they are being lured into evil with rewards from Shar. additionally, native spellcasters of the former demiplane have their magic tied to the Shadow Weave as if they possessed the Shadow Weave Magic feat (regardless of prerequisites, alignment, etc). in fact, to learn to cast magic without the Shadow Weave feat, an individual would have to come into contact with Mystra's followers and be taught about the Weave (and spend a feat on an equivalent feat called Weave Magic, forever abandonning the Shadow Weave). additionally, the Shadow Weave is now the dominent magic within the borders of the stolen domains, and anyone using Weave Magic has a -1 caster level penalty applied.

initially, there will be confusion as towns, castles, and other geographic changes spontaneously appear overnight. adventurers and military units will likely be sent to investigate. aggression too strong to counter by the local lords can easily be dealt with, however, by sealing the borders of their domains as it suits them. once things settle down and everyone starts to adjust to the change, Shar implements the next phase of her plan: expanding the borders of the individual domains. the domain lords will become aware that the former dark powers that bound them to their domains are gone, and they now have a "dark lady" to serve. not all will be eager to follow their unknown benefactor, but Shar promises them freedom by expanding the borders of the domains until the domains overlap and cover all Faerun. When this is done, Mystra's power will be effectively diminished and Shar will become significantly more powerful any other god in the Realms.

of course, powerful heroes may yet undo Shar's plans. while I haven't given much thought to specifics yet, I've decided that if the domain lord can be killed AND the domain itself separated from the Shadow Weave, Shar's influence in that area can be broken --slowing her plans for supremacy, little by little.

the hardest part, and what I'm looking for assistance with, is determining where would be the best place to overlay each domain within the Realms? no domain should super-impose itself over an existing populated area, though I don't mind bumping domains right up next to such regions.

I'm planning on this becoming a long-running multiple-campaign background, allowing for the epic level heroes to continue by thwarting Shar's plans, but also giving my Realms a whole lot of new intrigue to occupy lower level heroes.

what do ya think? any questions? suggestions? domain placement recommendations?
Old Sparky
05-08-06, 12:10 AM When will Elminster and Mystra's other Chosen be solving this problem? ;)
The-Half
05-08-06, 12:20 PM The only big problem I see is the one stated above...... every epic power in the Realms (including evil ones, because they don't want any outside competition) would be trying to crush these domains as soon as possible...... possibly good/evil even working together temporarily to get rid of this obvious huge threat. And most Domain Lords arent very high in level/stats as Ravenloft isn't really designed for campaigns that go into the high teens as far as character level.

But that being said..........

..........I find it a VERY INTERESTING and CREATIVE idea. It could be a lot of fun, and would deffinately be something different.
Petrankov
05-08-06, 12:52 PM Very cool idea.

I would guess the Islands could appear in different areas off of the sword coast.

I am not sure what changed from 2nd to 3.0 Ravenloft but...

Can't think of all the domains offhand either but off the top of my head.
The Shadow Rift, in the Shaar. Barovia next to Cormyr and Sembia. Azalin's domain (name escapes me at the moment) next to Thay. Could Gondegal now conquer Cormyr with Azoun gone? Sithicus next to Silverymoon. Vlad Drakov's domain across the Moonsea from Zhentil Keep.

Some of these Lords might be dead but oh well.
Tergiver
05-08-06, 05:13 PM That's an interesting concept, but have you thought about reversing the flow? Let's say that Shar manages to bring Ravenloft into conjunction with the Realms. What if instead of the Ravenloft domains entering the Realms, areas on the Realms gained the properties of Ravenloft?

I can see a few candidates: Thay, Mulhorand, Calimport Muzad (Undercalimport), Skullport, the Battle of Bones, Westgate, the ruins of Myth Drannor, Hellgate Keep, and Zhentil Keep. These areas become mist-shrouded areas across the realms, where evil has additional power and detection spells go awry.

It's definitely true that the forces of good are going to be fighting this - and probably not the only ones. What if Shar is trying to become the ruler of the Faerunian Pantheon? In Realmsloft, there might be only shadow weave, and no Weave (which can be drawn upon by weave users with some risk and consequences). If Mystra's chosen enter Realmsloft, they (and Mystra's essence) become subject to the Dark Lady. It only takes losing one Chosen (possibly Fzoul, and not even one of Mystra's) to make the rest a lot more cautious.

As things progress, some of the classic Ravenloft realms might enter Realmspace, or it might be that a group of expendable, I mean noble, heroes have to enter Realmsloft and work their way to the Ravenloft Core in order to cut it loose. Oh, an interesting idea would be to make the Ravenloft domains that were once part of the Realms (like Castle Spulzeer) into anchor points.
Old Sparky
05-08-06, 06:19 PM I was just kidding about Mystra's Chosen elite saving the day, though such should be a concern for them. Perhaps they would/should stay out of the "Realmsloft" domains (nice term, Tergiver) because Shar's influence is stronger there... such would have Elminster encouraging various heroes to investigate the goings on.

Of course, aside from the obvious geographic changes (towns & cities popping up in various locales), everyone wouldn't know right away what's really going on and that Shar is involved. She is the goddess of secrets, after all... and while she can't keep it a secret (for long, anyway) that these new communities have suddenly appeared, she should be able to keep the whole truth in the dark for awhile.

As for the dark lords not being a match for the powers that be within the Realms (über heroes of a magic rich campaign world vs. gothic horror setting), the various lords can be goosed if they agree to serve Shar... either boost their already formidable special abilities, add some bonus hit dice (as appropriate), or maybe apply a Chosen of Shar template (similar to Mystra's) to them. Whatever the form of the boost, its a gift from Shar to put them on par with the threats they'll face.

Additionally, within their own domains, the lords have powers over the land and can just lock out threats they aren't necessarily able to deal with. If Barovia does end up between Cormyr and Sembia, for example, neither side could send an invading force if Strahd didn't allow them in. Of course, until the mystery is uncovered, why would the send an army or invasion force into Barovia? I mean, secret vampire lord notwithstanding, the general populace isn't exactly all that threatening... and whole populations have migrated to Faerun in the past (elves, Mulhorandi people, etc.). I think the idea does have plenty of potential for mystery/investigation adventures.

Also, one thing I'd change about the nature of the domains, though, is the mists associated with Ravenloft. Now that the domains are under Shar's control, you should either alter the mists to look black/shadowy (kinda smoggy-looking I would imagine) or change the mists outright into darkness or shadows.
Blackheart
05-09-06, 12:40 AM If you're going to be running this on the strict rules-set for Ravenloft within the domains, I feel sorry for your players for having to keep up with where they are, what rolls will be necessary when and where, etc..
I'm not so much sorry for you. If you think you can balance it and not have it bog your game down, great. If you run free-form, even better.
I'm not bashing you, mind you. The idea is a nice one, but be sure you and your players are ready for the rule-shifts midcampaign that are brought on from simply travelling. Spellcasters, especially suffer from heaps of rolls in Ravenloft as a simple result of spellcasting.
I wish you luck, Sliced Mustard.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Sliced_Mustard 05-07-06, 07:33 PM	I have been toying with an idea that will change the balance of power throughout Faerun (perhaps beyond). I pretty much know what I want and how I'm going to do it, but I'm not sure how I'm going to implement the geographical changes just yet. after some epic heroes have gone meddling in the Plane of Shadow causing trouble for Mask, they escape through a gate that (unknown to them) leads them into the Demiplane of Dread (Ravenloft). yes, I know this plane is no longer part of the official cosmology, but it once was and I still use it, so let's move on. the heroes have had experience with this plane once before (and hate it), so once they realize where they are, they're going to attempt to escape. luckily for them, they have a secret benefactor that wants to help them escape: Shar. through minions of her own sent to this plane, the heroes will learn rumors of a way to escape the demiplane and perhaps seal it off forever. of course, things aren't going to go exactly the way they plan, but that's Shar's secret (as is her involvement). the scope of Shar's plan is big, perhaps dwarfing the event called the Grand Conjunction which once reordered the landscape of the Demiplane of Dread. Shar intends to shatter the planar boundries of the demiplane, freeing the domains and inhabitants within. before the lands themselves can be dispersed amongst the planes or lost forever, though, Shar will draw them (as many as she can) to Toril and bind the domains to the Shadow Weave. for the inhabitants of the domains, only a few changes will take place. the geography outside each domain will change as its Shar's intention to spread them out as much as possible. domains that were once connected will no longer be neighbors. the "dark powers" of Ravenloft will no longer be in control; their power was limited to the demiplane. all (un)natural laws that held sway within the demiplane will still hold true within the borders of each domain where ever it comes to rest on Toril. the domain lords will remain trapped within the borders of their respective domains still retaining what powers they had before, including the ability to open and close the borders of their respective domains. though part of the material plane now, magic will continue to function as it had before; good and evil aspects of alignment cannot be detected, spells that teleport or open planar gates are limited in only being able to transport individuals within the confines of the domains (even if they are no longer connected geographically, they are now connected through the Shadow Weave). those who commit evil acts still make powers checks, though now they are being lured into evil with rewards from Shar. additionally, native spellcasters of the former demiplane have their magic tied to the Shadow Weave as if they possessed the Shadow Weave Magic feat (regardless of prerequisites, alignment, etc). in fact, to learn to cast magic without the Shadow Weave feat, an individual would have to come into contact with Mystra's followers and be taught about the Weave (and spend a feat on an equivalent feat called Weave Magic, forever abandonning the Shadow Weave). additionally, the Shadow Weave is now the dominent magic within the borders of the stolen domains, and anyone using Weave Magic has a -1 caster level penalty applied. initially, there will be confusion as towns, castles, and other geographic changes spontaneously appear overnight. adventurers and military units will likely be sent to investigate. aggression too strong to counter by the local lords can easily be dealt with, however, by sealing the borders of their domains as it suits them. once things settle down and everyone starts to adjust to the change, Shar implements the next phase of her plan: expanding the borders of the individual domains. the domain lords will become aware that the former dark powers that bound them to their domains are gone, and they now have a "dark lady" to serve. not all will be eager to follow their unknown benefactor, but Shar promises them freedom by expanding the borders of the domains until the domains overlap and cover all Faerun. When this is done, Mystra's power will be effectively diminished and Shar will become significantly more powerful any other god in the Realms. of course, powerful heroes may yet undo Shar's plans. while I haven't given much thought to specifics yet, I've decided that if the domain lord can be killed AND the domain itself separated from the Shadow Weave, Shar's influence in that area can be broken --slowing her plans for supremacy, little by little. the hardest part, and what I'm looking for assistance with, is determining where would be the best place to overlay each domain within the Realms? no domain should super-impose itself over an existing populated area, though I don't mind bumping domains right up next to such regions. I'm planning on this becoming a long-running multiple-campaign background, allowing for the epic level heroes to continue by thwarting Shar's plans, but also giving my Realms a whole lot of new intrigue to occupy lower level heroes. what do ya think? any questions? suggestions? domain placement recommendations?
Old Sparky 05-08-06, 12:10 AM	When will Elminster and Mystra's other Chosen be solving this problem? ;)
The-Half 05-08-06, 12:20 PM	The only big problem I see is the one stated above...... every epic power in the Realms (including evil ones, because they don't want any outside competition) would be trying to crush these domains as soon as possible...... possibly good/evil even working together temporarily to get rid of this obvious huge threat. And most Domain Lords arent very high in level/stats as Ravenloft isn't really designed for campaigns that go into the high teens as far as character level. But that being said.......... ..........I find it a VERY INTERESTING and CREATIVE idea. It could be a lot of fun, and would deffinately be something different.
Petrankov 05-08-06, 12:52 PM	Very cool idea. I would guess the Islands could appear in different areas off of the sword coast. I am not sure what changed from 2nd to 3.0 Ravenloft but... Can't think of all the domains offhand either but off the top of my head. The Shadow Rift, in the Shaar. Barovia next to Cormyr and Sembia. Azalin's domain (name escapes me at the moment) next to Thay. Could Gondegal now conquer Cormyr with Azoun gone? Sithicus next to Silverymoon. Vlad Drakov's domain across the Moonsea from Zhentil Keep. Some of these Lords might be dead but oh well.
Tergiver 05-08-06, 05:13 PM	That's an interesting concept, but have you thought about reversing the flow? Let's say that Shar manages to bring Ravenloft into conjunction with the Realms. What if instead of the Ravenloft domains entering the Realms, areas on the Realms gained the properties of Ravenloft? I can see a few candidates: Thay, Mulhorand, Calimport Muzad (Undercalimport), Skullport, the Battle of Bones, Westgate, the ruins of Myth Drannor, Hellgate Keep, and Zhentil Keep. These areas become mist-shrouded areas across the realms, where evil has additional power and detection spells go awry. It's definitely true that the forces of good are going to be fighting this - and probably not the only ones. What if Shar is trying to become the ruler of the Faerunian Pantheon? In Realmsloft, there might be only shadow weave, and no Weave (which can be drawn upon by weave users with some risk and consequences). If Mystra's chosen enter Realmsloft, they (and Mystra's essence) become subject to the Dark Lady. It only takes losing one Chosen (possibly Fzoul, and not even one of Mystra's) to make the rest a lot more cautious. As things progress, some of the classic Ravenloft realms might enter Realmspace, or it might be that a group of expendable, I mean noble, heroes have to enter Realmsloft and work their way to the Ravenloft Core in order to cut it loose. Oh, an interesting idea would be to make the Ravenloft domains that were once part of the Realms (like Castle Spulzeer) into anchor points.
Old Sparky 05-08-06, 06:19 PM	I was just kidding about Mystra's Chosen elite saving the day, though such should be a concern for them. Perhaps they would/should stay out of the "Realmsloft" domains (nice term, Tergiver) because Shar's influence is stronger there... such would have Elminster encouraging various heroes to investigate the goings on. Of course, aside from the obvious geographic changes (towns & cities popping up in various locales), everyone wouldn't know right away what's really going on and that Shar is involved. She is the goddess of secrets, after all... and while she can't keep it a secret (for long, anyway) that these new communities have suddenly appeared, she should be able to keep the whole truth in the dark for awhile. As for the dark lords not being a match for the powers that be within the Realms (über heroes of a magic rich campaign world vs. gothic horror setting), the various lords can be goosed if they agree to serve Shar... either boost their already formidable special abilities, add some bonus hit dice (as appropriate), or maybe apply a Chosen of Shar template (similar to Mystra's) to them. Whatever the form of the boost, its a gift from Shar to put them on par with the threats they'll face. Additionally, within their own domains, the lords have powers over the land and can just lock out threats they aren't necessarily able to deal with. If Barovia does end up between Cormyr and Sembia, for example, neither side could send an invading force if Strahd didn't allow them in. Of course, until the mystery is uncovered, why would the send an army or invasion force into Barovia? I mean, secret vampire lord notwithstanding, the general populace isn't exactly all that threatening... and whole populations have migrated to Faerun in the past (elves, Mulhorandi people, etc.). I think the idea does have plenty of potential for mystery/investigation adventures. Also, one thing I'd change about the nature of the domains, though, is the mists associated with Ravenloft. Now that the domains are under Shar's control, you should either alter the mists to look black/shadowy (kinda smoggy-looking I would imagine) or change the mists outright into darkness or shadows.
Blackheart 05-09-06, 12:40 AM	If you're going to be running this on the strict rules-set for Ravenloft within the domains, I feel sorry for your players for having to keep up with where they are, what rolls will be necessary when and where, etc.. I'm not so much sorry for you. If you think you can balance it and not have it bog your game down, great. If you run free-form, even better. I'm not bashing you, mind you. The idea is a nice one, but be sure you and your players are ready for the rule-shifts midcampaign that are brought on from simply travelling. Spellcasters, especially suffer from heaps of rolls in Ravenloft as a simple result of spellcasting. I wish you luck, Sliced Mustard.