Campaign Settings.... [Archive] - Wizards Community

Campaign Settings.... [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
AlphaSquirell
10-16-05, 10:01 PM Okay, our group is slowly but surely starting a new game, but that's besides the point. One player is playing a Favored Soul, and is going to progress into Storm Lord. He wants his diety to be Talos, but we couldn't find him. (looked in all the books with dieties, even the completes, and the PhB, even the few in the MM listed for specific species only)

Well, this weekend, we went to the movies (not important, but we saw "The Fog") and talked the driver (my parents) into swinging by our local Waldenbooks (largest carrier of D&D stuff around, out of the 2...). We checked Dieties and Demigods, the Ebberon Campaing Setting book, and finally the Forgotten Realms book. (note: it was funny, because this guy checked the Player's Guide to Faerun, and said "it isn't in the Faerun setting...." not knowing it was FR material; anyways) Well, we found him, and his Domains. (Favored Souls don't get Domains, but I was going to give them to him anyways as a reward for playing something OTHER than a fighter)

First off, how would you go about including SOME material from a campaign setting without using that setting? (as in, if I got both the main book for FR and Ebberron, what would be the key things I should include out of each series?)

Second, what are the other Campaign Settings, if any?

Third, what ARE Talos' domains? (we had another member of our group with us, and he claimed he could remember anything if he studied it for just a minute, and when we left, he couldn't remember them, so we didn't get Talos' domains down)
Deluxe 247 G
10-16-05, 10:09 PM Well first off, I would NOT buff the favored soul any more than their current status. I've only glanced at them a couple times, but it is to my memory that they are grossly overpowered at his reward for wanting to play one should be to be ABLE to play one in your campaign.

Second, I use the extended races found in FR in all of my campaigns, even though my campaigns take place in my worlds, races are nice to have. Feats, too, but I really don't like how it's "region only" so I got rid of that pre-req. I don't know what kind of races Eberron has, but I like the FR ones, and the spells (for the most part). Some of FR is cooky though, just cuz half of it's 3.0. I don't like 3.0. But from the multiple books I've "borrowed" from my friend, I take races, feats, spells, and the occasional PrC, but usually not. Red Wizards are just too specified...

Hope that helps,
Eli
Gnome_Dragon_Disciple
10-17-05, 12:07 AM Really, it's not too hard writing up a new deity or domain. Not knowing much about Talos off-hand, I couldn't say much about his domains. If he's linked to the Storm Lord, though, the Chaos domain would probably be a safe bet.

And yes, the Favored Soul is VERY powerful. It doesn't need a domain to become even more so.

Think about it... it's basically a sorcerror with a d8 HD, a better BAB progression, and access to plenty of self-buffing spells to wade into combat with a divine beatstick might the likes of which min/maxers have wet dreams over.
vezina
10-17-05, 12:58 AM Chaos, Destruction, Evil, Fire, Storm

I'd take the subraces, spells, feats, and several of the non-setting specific PrC's(i.e. ones from specific organizations or nations) from the FR setting.
TaintedFire
10-17-05, 01:04 AM In my campaigns, I always have players who want to incorporate new deities, secret organizations and the like in order to aid their character development and make the game unique. Basically, you just have to make sure that there aren't any conflicting elements (these rarely exist unless there are restrictions on the campaign, something drastic like halfling and everything related to them are banned) but the player should have a good reason for their choice. Talos, from my research, is a chaotic evil deity of Storms, Destruction, Rebellion, Conflagrations, Earthquakes, and Vortices. Some suggested domains for the switch over would be destruction (obviously), chaos, evil, earth, fire, etc. Like Deluxe said, just take bits and pieces from anything you need or find interesting, as long as it fits and makes sense, its fine.

The three big campaign settings are Greyhawk (normal dnd setting), Forgotten Realms and the newer Ebberon.

The Favored Soul is a powerful character class, but I do not feel that it is too much so, ESPECIALLY if that character is the only healer in a group of fighters. I've had grown men break down and cry because they were the only healer (partly due to my own provocation I will admit) but, as the two above me said, there is really no reason to buff the class, just don't really worry about it. If you want to get people to play non-fighter classes, just put challenges in the campaign that encourage the use of different classes and you may eventually achieve the quintessential party, something I have only gotten once or twice (my parties are usually mage-heavy).
quark12000
10-17-05, 02:13 AM Kingdoms of Kalamar is also an official D&D setting.
AlphaSquirell
10-17-05, 06:44 AM Chaos, Destruction, Evil, Fire, Storm

I'd take the subraces, spells, feats, and several of the non-setting specific PrC's(i.e. ones from specific organizations or nations) from the FR setting.

Thanks, that was exactly what I was looking for.

What about that "Ghostwalk" or whatever it's called? (the one about the city of Manifest?) I thought it was an adventure, but it's thicker than a complete book, so I don't THINK it's an adventure.

Is any of the extra material (feats, spells, subraces, PrC, etc, etc, etc) worth buying an extra book to have? Or is that just something to look at once we finish our collection of books? (still missing a few of the "non-core Core books" like the DMGII)
Rurik_Torunn
10-17-05, 07:46 AM What about that "Ghostwalk" or whatever it's called? (the one about the city of Manifest?) I thought it was an adventure, but it's thicker than a complete book, so I don't THINK it's an adventure. Well unless you want your player's to be ghosts or constantly face them as enemies, I wouldn't recommend it. Even if you stage a few adventures in a ghost infested city (graveyard, ... whatever) the MM should suffice. If you want your campaign to take place in the city of manifest however, that's a different story.

gs,
Rurik
Morka
10-17-05, 04:26 PM Check this link (http://toril.info/FaA.htm), there is the basics about all the Faerunian gods. Check also Crystal Keep (link in my sig), there is a list of the domains fro almost all the official books.
Shemeska the Marauder
10-17-05, 06:38 PM The three big campaign settings are Greyhawk (normal dnd setting), Forgotten Realms and the newer Ebberon.

It's worth noting that while Greyhawk is the default prime material world in 'core DnD', it was only one world out of many within the same cosmology/universe previous to 3e. Previous to 3e, Greyhawk, Forgotten Realms, Dragonlance, Dark Sun, Ravenloft, etc were all set within the same rubric of the Great Wheel cosmology. The Planescape campaign setting was concerned with the planes (outer, inner, and transitive) of that common cosmology rather than the individual prime material worlds represented by the seperate campaign setting lines.

The Great Wheel cosmology / Planescape has become the default cosmology in 3e/3.5 as seen in the DMG, Manual of the Planes, etc, though you'll only find material concerning Greyhawk's deities referenced now in specific, as opposed to the plethora of references to other worlds and pantheons that were always there previously (though if you read between the lines in the Manual of the Planes you'll find other deities besides the 'core' / greyhawk pantheon there, and there are references to the Great Wheel cosmology, specifically the city of Sigil, referenced in 3e Forgotten Realms material despite the nominal retroactive cosmology change in that setting.)
Talonz
10-17-05, 08:27 PM Incorporating a single deity from another setting into your own really isn't that big of a deal, if you don't already have an equivalent deity. Porting a FR deity into a GH or EBB campaign will seem odd, but it can still be done if you don't mind the incongruity of it.

I had a ftr/clrc of the Red Knight in a non-FR campaign. I read the dragon article that expanded on her history and role, and it appealed to me greatly. It added alot to the game as it added another organiztion and all the accompanying pcs and political intrigue that it brought with it.

To answer your question, only adapt what you have to or want to to your campaign. Make sure it adds to the game wihout overwhelming it or causing too much work for you. Take everything on a case by case basis and enjoy!

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
AlphaSquirell 10-16-05, 10:01 PM	Okay, our group is slowly but surely starting a new game, but that's besides the point. One player is playing a Favored Soul, and is going to progress into Storm Lord. He wants his diety to be Talos, but we couldn't find him. (looked in all the books with dieties, even the completes, and the PhB, even the few in the MM listed for specific species only) Well, this weekend, we went to the movies (not important, but we saw "The Fog") and talked the driver (my parents) into swinging by our local Waldenbooks (largest carrier of D&D stuff around, out of the 2...). We checked Dieties and Demigods, the Ebberon Campaing Setting book, and finally the Forgotten Realms book. (note: it was funny, because this guy checked the Player's Guide to Faerun, and said "it isn't in the Faerun setting...." not knowing it was FR material; anyways) Well, we found him, and his Domains. (Favored Souls don't get Domains, but I was going to give them to him anyways as a reward for playing something OTHER than a fighter) First off, how would you go about including SOME material from a campaign setting without using that setting? (as in, if I got both the main book for FR and Ebberron, what would be the key things I should include out of each series?) Second, what are the other Campaign Settings, if any? Third, what ARE Talos' domains? (we had another member of our group with us, and he claimed he could remember anything if he studied it for just a minute, and when we left, he couldn't remember them, so we didn't get Talos' domains down)
Deluxe 247 G 10-16-05, 10:09 PM	Well first off, I would NOT buff the favored soul any more than their current status. I've only glanced at them a couple times, but it is to my memory that they are grossly overpowered at his reward for wanting to play one should be to be ABLE to play one in your campaign. Second, I use the extended races found in FR in all of my campaigns, even though my campaigns take place in my worlds, races are nice to have. Feats, too, but I really don't like how it's "region only" so I got rid of that pre-req. I don't know what kind of races Eberron has, but I like the FR ones, and the spells (for the most part). Some of FR is cooky though, just cuz half of it's 3.0. I don't like 3.0. But from the multiple books I've "borrowed" from my friend, I take races, feats, spells, and the occasional PrC, but usually not. Red Wizards are just too specified... Hope that helps, Eli
Gnome_Dragon_Disciple 10-17-05, 12:07 AM	Really, it's not too hard writing up a new deity or domain. Not knowing much about Talos off-hand, I couldn't say much about his domains. If he's linked to the Storm Lord, though, the Chaos domain would probably be a safe bet. And yes, the Favored Soul is VERY powerful. It doesn't need a domain to become even more so. Think about it... it's basically a sorcerror with a d8 HD, a better BAB progression, and access to plenty of self-buffing spells to wade into combat with a divine beatstick might the likes of which min/maxers have wet dreams over.
vezina 10-17-05, 12:58 AM	Chaos, Destruction, Evil, Fire, Storm I'd take the subraces, spells, feats, and several of the non-setting specific PrC's(i.e. ones from specific organizations or nations) from the FR setting.
TaintedFire 10-17-05, 01:04 AM	In my campaigns, I always have players who want to incorporate new deities, secret organizations and the like in order to aid their character development and make the game unique. Basically, you just have to make sure that there aren't any conflicting elements (these rarely exist unless there are restrictions on the campaign, something drastic like halfling and everything related to them are banned) but the player should have a good reason for their choice. Talos, from my research, is a chaotic evil deity of Storms, Destruction, Rebellion, Conflagrations, Earthquakes, and Vortices. Some suggested domains for the switch over would be destruction (obviously), chaos, evil, earth, fire, etc. Like Deluxe said, just take bits and pieces from anything you need or find interesting, as long as it fits and makes sense, its fine. The three big campaign settings are Greyhawk (normal dnd setting), Forgotten Realms and the newer Ebberon. The Favored Soul is a powerful character class, but I do not feel that it is too much so, ESPECIALLY if that character is the only healer in a group of fighters. I've had grown men break down and cry because they were the only healer (partly due to my own provocation I will admit) but, as the two above me said, there is really no reason to buff the class, just don't really worry about it. If you want to get people to play non-fighter classes, just put challenges in the campaign that encourage the use of different classes and you may eventually achieve the quintessential party, something I have only gotten once or twice (my parties are usually mage-heavy).
quark12000 10-17-05, 02:13 AM	Kingdoms of Kalamar is also an official D&D setting.
AlphaSquirell 10-17-05, 06:44 AM	Chaos, Destruction, Evil, Fire, Storm I'd take the subraces, spells, feats, and several of the non-setting specific PrC's(i.e. ones from specific organizations or nations) from the FR setting. Thanks, that was exactly what I was looking for. What about that "Ghostwalk" or whatever it's called? (the one about the city of Manifest?) I thought it was an adventure, but it's thicker than a complete book, so I don't THINK it's an adventure. Is any of the extra material (feats, spells, subraces, PrC, etc, etc, etc) worth buying an extra book to have? Or is that just something to look at once we finish our collection of books? (still missing a few of the "non-core Core books" like the DMGII)
Rurik_Torunn 10-17-05, 07:46 AM	What about that "Ghostwalk" or whatever it's called? (the one about the city of Manifest?) I thought it was an adventure, but it's thicker than a complete book, so I don't THINK it's an adventure. Well unless you want your player's to be ghosts or constantly face them as enemies, I wouldn't recommend it. Even if you stage a few adventures in a ghost infested city (graveyard, ... whatever) the MM should suffice. If you want your campaign to take place in the city of manifest however, that's a different story. gs, Rurik
Morka 10-17-05, 04:26 PM	Check this link (http://toril.info/FaA.htm), there is the basics about all the Faerunian gods. Check also Crystal Keep (link in my sig), there is a list of the domains fro almost all the official books.
Shemeska the Marauder 10-17-05, 06:38 PM	The three big campaign settings are Greyhawk (normal dnd setting), Forgotten Realms and the newer Ebberon. It's worth noting that while Greyhawk is the default prime material world in 'core DnD', it was only one world out of many within the same cosmology/universe previous to 3e. Previous to 3e, Greyhawk, Forgotten Realms, Dragonlance, Dark Sun, Ravenloft, etc were all set within the same rubric of the Great Wheel cosmology. The Planescape campaign setting was concerned with the planes (outer, inner, and transitive) of that common cosmology rather than the individual prime material worlds represented by the seperate campaign setting lines. The Great Wheel cosmology / Planescape has become the default cosmology in 3e/3.5 as seen in the DMG, Manual of the Planes, etc, though you'll only find material concerning Greyhawk's deities referenced now in specific, as opposed to the plethora of references to other worlds and pantheons that were always there previously (though if you read between the lines in the Manual of the Planes you'll find other deities besides the 'core' / greyhawk pantheon there, and there are references to the Great Wheel cosmology, specifically the city of Sigil, referenced in 3e Forgotten Realms material despite the nominal retroactive cosmology change in that setting.)
Talonz 10-17-05, 08:27 PM	Incorporating a single deity from another setting into your own really isn't that big of a deal, if you don't already have an equivalent deity. Porting a FR deity into a GH or EBB campaign will seem odd, but it can still be done if you don't mind the incongruity of it. I had a ftr/clrc of the Red Knight in a non-FR campaign. I read the dragon article that expanded on her history and role, and it appealed to me greatly. It added alot to the game as it added another organiztion and all the accompanying pcs and political intrigue that it brought with it. To answer your question, only adapt what you have to or want to to your campaign. Make sure it adds to the game wihout overwhelming it or causing too much work for you. Take everything on a case by case basis and enjoy!