Adventuring in India [Archive] - Wizards Community

Adventuring in India [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Catastro
12-26-05, 02:17 PM I'm about to take the leap into DMing for the first time, and I was brainstorming a few different ideas for a campaign setting. After a few days, I came up with a world inspired by early 20th century India. Here's an outline of the world. Note that much of the following is not historically accurate. I've changed details here and there to make an environment ripe for adventure.

For centuries, India's vast resources and geographical location have made it a trading crossroads for much of the known world. Naturally, several factions would vie for economic and political control for this land, and eventually the last Indian dynasty was deposed by the British Empire.

The new government faces many challenges in this time of change. Aside from a few critical battle sites, much of the land is mysterious and unexplored. The local culture, a rigid caste system, is equally foreign. While the upper classes despise their conquerors, the lower classes are indifferent. They've always been oppressed and see no change on the horizon. Huge temples dedicated to heathen gods and filled with wealth and ancient secrets have yet to be explored and exploited. These new challenges and opportunities have forced the colonial government to put out the call for adventurers.

Human PCs are the untouchables, members of the lowest rung of the social ladder. Depending on their allegiences, they are either in search of ways to please their new masters in the hopes of social advancement, or looking for a way to repel the invaders and reclaim their homeland. The other races are all represented in India. Dwarves make their mountain homes in the Himalayas, with gnome communities in the foothills. Elves inhabit the jungles of the east. Orc and halfling bands roam the countryside, the former as marauding barbarians and the latter as savvy traders. All races, and all nations, realize that the recent power shift is an opportunity to reap wealth and knowledge from the ancient Indian civilization...

What do you guys think? Comments and suggestions please.
celtredleg
12-26-05, 02:34 PM Not sure about the PCs being untouchables. That may make non-combat interaction very hard. Also certain classes, especialy cleric and mage types just dont seem to fit the untouchables social class.

Those are quibbles. Indian is definately a good place to center a campaign. And diferent enough to be very interesting.
Pandaemoni
12-26-05, 03:03 PM India is a facinating setting, so much so that I am surprized the possibilities never suggested themselves before.

The caste system in India was not only ethnicity based, but it also severely limited your occupation. All priests (clerics) were of the Brahmin caste (the top caste), all merchants were of the Vaishya caste (the middle caste), etc.

Basically, it broke down as follows:

1. Brahmin (hindu priests)
2. Kshatriya (landowners, warriors and nobility)
3. Vaishya (merchants, traders, farmers and herdsmen)
4. Shudra (craftsman, artisans and agricultural workers employed by farmers)
5. Dalit (those outside the caste system, i.e. the "untouchables" so-called because the Brahmins needed to remain ritually in certain contexts pure and so couldn't defile themselves by touching members outside the four castes at certain times,like when they were on a spiritual journey)

Technically the Dalit were not a "caste" themsleves somuch as a catch-all for everyone who didn't belong to the other castes. As such they tended todo jobs that no other caste would (like dealing with dead bodies) As such it is easy to see how PC's might fall into it, exspecially is they are from some other region and thus had no standing under the caste system (or if, for example, they are clerics of non-Hindu gods). The Dalit had a lot of freedom that other castes did not have because their actions were not regulated by Hindu scripture nearly to tightly as members of the other castes.

The castes themselves were defined by Hindu holy scriptures,and hence people felt very deeply about them (and many still do). There were also sub-castes within the system, called jati, about which I am not personally well versed.

Obviously, you'll adapt the system to fit your setting, gods, etc.

One point to note is that for much of the time "Britain" controlled India, the British Empire was not so much in control of the country as was the "British East India Company" a private corporation formed in the year 1600 that had a government sanctioned monopoly on dealing with India. That was wiped away by the mid-19th century, but a centuries old corporation (or any organization more fitting with a D&D context) that runs the nation with the consent and aid of a far off national power also has roleplaying opportunities.
Catastro
12-26-05, 04:06 PM Good points so far. Like I said, I will be changing a few details to help immersion. I'm going for a fantasy setting; I don't wanna get to the game table and just say "It's like India, but with elves." Here are some changes I'll be making to the caste system.

Brahmin - basically unchanged. Before British arrival, these were the guys running the show. It should be noted that PCs with cleric levels aren't considered "priests" by the Brahmin. They believe it's sacrilege for members of the lower classes to even hear the words of the gods, let alone channel divine magic.

Kshatriya - many members of this caste have sorcererous blood in their veins. Through their use of magic, they rose to power as the highest political caste in the land. Wizardry, a British creation, is seen as a perversion of the more pure magical aptitude of the Indian people. Still, intelligent PCs eager for power are willing to gain it through the study of magic, and the magical blood of the Kshatriya has slowly seeped into the lower castes over many generations.

Vaishya - While the Brahmin and Kshatriya gained much of their power through magic, the Vaishya have always been a purely economic force. Of all the castes, the Vaishya were the only ones who were pleased when the British took power (some even rumor that they offered their services as spies and scouts during the invasion). Foreign money is now being used to restore and restructure the land, and the Vaishya have always thrived on foreign money.

Shudra - the "old families" - These people have kept their bloodlines "pure" (by some obscure and ancient standard) and some have accumulated modest wealth over the ages. They are not a viable power in the way the higher castes are, but they often act as the overseers and taskmasters of the Dalit masses. Their existence as a seperate caste from the Dalit is largely a relic from older times.

Dalit - the "impure families" - The vast majority of the population fits into this caste. They work for little pay and even less appreciation, and that's the way it's always been. Only with the recent power shift have they begun to take charge of their own destiny.
chaoscholar
12-26-05, 07:16 PM Make hindu mythology your bread and butter, and you'll never have to come up with an adventure of your own in this setting.

The hindu gods manifested themselves as avatars on the mortal plane constantly to kick demon ass. Demons seemed to grow like weeds, and epic quests and battles were usually required to throw the suckers back into the karmic cycle of rebirth.

Tales of saints and wandering ascetics are also so common place that it should not be unusual for the PCs to happen across mysterious holy men with esoteric powers.

Some kind of parellel to the introduction of Buddhism could also yield interesting adventure hooks - who's this Siddhartha guy think he is, proposing a way to escape samsara without placating the hindu pantheon? Somebody better get that punk a goat to sacrifice!

The Thugee cult - bandit/assassins who believed their victims were sacred offerings to Kali - had a bad habit of strangling merchants who were a little too careless on the road (or too cheap to hire guards).

Sounds like a pretty cool campaign. Good luck.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Catastro 12-26-05, 02:17 PM	I'm about to take the leap into DMing for the first time, and I was brainstorming a few different ideas for a campaign setting. After a few days, I came up with a world inspired by early 20th century India. Here's an outline of the world. Note that much of the following is not historically accurate. I've changed details here and there to make an environment ripe for adventure. For centuries, India's vast resources and geographical location have made it a trading crossroads for much of the known world. Naturally, several factions would vie for economic and political control for this land, and eventually the last Indian dynasty was deposed by the British Empire. The new government faces many challenges in this time of change. Aside from a few critical battle sites, much of the land is mysterious and unexplored. The local culture, a rigid caste system, is equally foreign. While the upper classes despise their conquerors, the lower classes are indifferent. They've always been oppressed and see no change on the horizon. Huge temples dedicated to heathen gods and filled with wealth and ancient secrets have yet to be explored and exploited. These new challenges and opportunities have forced the colonial government to put out the call for adventurers. Human PCs are the untouchables, members of the lowest rung of the social ladder. Depending on their allegiences, they are either in search of ways to please their new masters in the hopes of social advancement, or looking for a way to repel the invaders and reclaim their homeland. The other races are all represented in India. Dwarves make their mountain homes in the Himalayas, with gnome communities in the foothills. Elves inhabit the jungles of the east. Orc and halfling bands roam the countryside, the former as marauding barbarians and the latter as savvy traders. All races, and all nations, realize that the recent power shift is an opportunity to reap wealth and knowledge from the ancient Indian civilization... What do you guys think? Comments and suggestions please.
celtredleg 12-26-05, 02:34 PM	Not sure about the PCs being untouchables. That may make non-combat interaction very hard. Also certain classes, especialy cleric and mage types just dont seem to fit the untouchables social class. Those are quibbles. Indian is definately a good place to center a campaign. And diferent enough to be very interesting.
Pandaemoni 12-26-05, 03:03 PM	India is a facinating setting, so much so that I am surprized the possibilities never suggested themselves before. The caste system in India was not only ethnicity based, but it also severely limited your occupation. All priests (clerics) were of the Brahmin caste (the top caste), all merchants were of the Vaishya caste (the middle caste), etc. Basically, it broke down as follows: 1. Brahmin (hindu priests) 2. Kshatriya (landowners, warriors and nobility) 3. Vaishya (merchants, traders, farmers and herdsmen) 4. Shudra (craftsman, artisans and agricultural workers employed by farmers) 5. Dalit (those outside the caste system, i.e. the "untouchables" so-called because the Brahmins needed to remain ritually in certain contexts pure and so couldn't defile themselves by touching members outside the four castes at certain times,like when they were on a spiritual journey) Technically the Dalit were not a "caste" themsleves somuch as a catch-all for everyone who didn't belong to the other castes. As such they tended todo jobs that no other caste would (like dealing with dead bodies) As such it is easy to see how PC's might fall into it, exspecially is they are from some other region and thus had no standing under the caste system (or if, for example, they are clerics of non-Hindu gods). The Dalit had a lot of freedom that other castes did not have because their actions were not regulated by Hindu scripture nearly to tightly as members of the other castes. The castes themselves were defined by Hindu holy scriptures,and hence people felt very deeply about them (and many still do). There were also sub-castes within the system, called jati, about which I am not personally well versed. Obviously, you'll adapt the system to fit your setting, gods, etc. One point to note is that for much of the time "Britain" controlled India, the British Empire was not so much in control of the country as was the "British East India Company" a private corporation formed in the year 1600 that had a government sanctioned monopoly on dealing with India. That was wiped away by the mid-19th century, but a centuries old corporation (or any organization more fitting with a D&D context) that runs the nation with the consent and aid of a far off national power also has roleplaying opportunities.
Catastro 12-26-05, 04:06 PM	Good points so far. Like I said, I will be changing a few details to help immersion. I'm going for a fantasy setting; I don't wanna get to the game table and just say "It's like India, but with elves." Here are some changes I'll be making to the caste system. Brahmin - basically unchanged. Before British arrival, these were the guys running the show. It should be noted that PCs with cleric levels aren't considered "priests" by the Brahmin. They believe it's sacrilege for members of the lower classes to even hear the words of the gods, let alone channel divine magic. Kshatriya - many members of this caste have sorcererous blood in their veins. Through their use of magic, they rose to power as the highest political caste in the land. Wizardry, a British creation, is seen as a perversion of the more pure magical aptitude of the Indian people. Still, intelligent PCs eager for power are willing to gain it through the study of magic, and the magical blood of the Kshatriya has slowly seeped into the lower castes over many generations. Vaishya - While the Brahmin and Kshatriya gained much of their power through magic, the Vaishya have always been a purely economic force. Of all the castes, the Vaishya were the only ones who were pleased when the British took power (some even rumor that they offered their services as spies and scouts during the invasion). Foreign money is now being used to restore and restructure the land, and the Vaishya have always thrived on foreign money. Shudra - the "old families" - These people have kept their bloodlines "pure" (by some obscure and ancient standard) and some have accumulated modest wealth over the ages. They are not a viable power in the way the higher castes are, but they often act as the overseers and taskmasters of the Dalit masses. Their existence as a seperate caste from the Dalit is largely a relic from older times. Dalit - the "impure families" - The vast majority of the population fits into this caste. They work for little pay and even less appreciation, and that's the way it's always been. Only with the recent power shift have they begun to take charge of their own destiny.
chaoscholar 12-26-05, 07:16 PM	Make hindu mythology your bread and butter, and you'll never have to come up with an adventure of your own in this setting. The hindu gods manifested themselves as avatars on the mortal plane constantly to kick demon ass. Demons seemed to grow like weeds, and epic quests and battles were usually required to throw the suckers back into the karmic cycle of rebirth. Tales of saints and wandering ascetics are also so common place that it should not be unusual for the PCs to happen across mysterious holy men with esoteric powers. Some kind of parellel to the introduction of Buddhism could also yield interesting adventure hooks - who's this Siddhartha guy think he is, proposing a way to escape samsara without placating the hindu pantheon? Somebody better get that punk a goat to sacrifice! The Thugee cult - bandit/assassins who believed their victims were sacred offerings to Kali - had a bad habit of strangling merchants who were a little too careless on the road (or too cheap to hire guards). Sounds like a pretty cool campaign. Good luck.