Xoriat (How's it work, Ideas on how to run) - Downloaded from the Wizards Community, all coding removed by Solauren

Xoriat (How's it work, Ideas on how to run)

Post/Author/DateTime Post
#1
Failedlegend
Apr 15, 2013 15:35:06 My players have gone and bungled into the Xoriat and I was wondering if I could get the gist of the play setting, I know the general idea but I want to make sure I follow the setting pretty well and could use some ideas of what to do with it so I figured I'd ask here.

Please PM me if you'd like any details about the campaign as my players frequent these forums (or have a suggestion for an active DnD based foum that I can freely talk on)
#2
Madfox11
Apr 16, 2013 2:03:22 You can always ask your players not to read your posts about the campaign. I know some of my players frequent these boards as well, and they certainly follow my requests.

As for Xoriat, 'bungling' into the plane of madness seems a bad thing to do ;) Litterally anything can happen in such a place. There is no cannon about the place except that it is the home plane of the Delkyr, hard to get to and it drives visitors mad. The two times we wandered into it, it was all in areas at least partially connected to Eberron - the other side of manifestation zones too speak with some form of protection going on. Even those were fairly disturbing due to the fact that the laws of nature were twisted in weird ways and we slowly began to suffer from a madness (using the disease rules of 4e to mechanically represent this) that could not be cured while within said manifestation zone. The weird ways were occassionally represented by subtracting Insight checks from other skill checks to represent the fact that wise and perceptive characters had a bit more of a problem dealing with how the environment twisted against us then those with less knowledge (who had an easier time simply accepting it).
#3
Syltorian
Apr 16, 2013 12:25:34 I'll have to echo Madfox that you should, perhaps, tell your players you posted here and want them to stay out.

Keith Baker has stated in his blogs that the Daelkyr are "daelkyr aren’t even the toughest things in Xoriat; they’re just the toughest things that have any interest in other planes." (keith-baker.com/dragonmarks-34-the-lords...). Which means that matters can get easily difficult for any characters who had the misfortune of booking their holidays there. You'll find some more of his quotes on the Daelkyr here: keith-baker.com/dragonmarks-34-the-lords...

The Daelkyr appeared in the 3.5 Dragon Magazines: 348 (Horrors of the Daelkyr has some new creations), 330 an interesting description on the Far Realm ("Enter the Far Realm" by Bruce Cordell), and there are a few other stuff related to aberrations, largely mindflayers and the like, spread around. "Touched By Madness" in 332 (by Keith Baker) explains the Cults of the Dragon Below, but they are on Eberron itself, and don't venture much into Xoriat; still, the influence of the Realm of Madness on mortal minds will be useful. You might also check Heroes of Horror and ..."window.parent.tinyMCE.get('post_content').onLoad.dispatch();" contenteditable="true">Elder Evils for inspiration, if you can get hold of them... and beyond D&D, anything Lovecraft. Parts of Alice in Wonderland too, maybe; after all, the novel plays around with logic alot.

As far as I remember, Xoriat is not random (that's Kythri), but there is a certain method to its madness. Not one mortal minds are made to understand, however. At the very basis, I would expect the geometry to be in either more or less than the 3 dimensions we would be used to, things connect like an Escher painting, colours smell and smells make noise and noise targets a sense the characters were never even aware existed. The landscape itself might try to make the change the characters physically, not to mention mentally. The Daelkyrs who invaded Eberron shaped flesh into twisted things like Dolgrim and Dolgaunt, and on a different world, they created Mindflayers. Magic of Eberron presents one of their little devices, which randomly twists creatures who are put into it and, with a small chance, spits out something viable.

I am not sure about 4e, but in 3.5 Unearthed Arcana there are rules for insanity checks which might be worth using. Of course, you might want to check the Cthulhu setting.

#4
CorrinAvatan
Apr 30, 2013 21:29:40 Honestly, if you want a good idea of Xoriat might be like, look for some videos of the Black Book dungeons from Skyrim's Dragonborn expansion.

Then, imagine watching those videos on LSD. That is what Xoriat would be like.

As far as gameplay wise, start looking at insanity checks, and generally give the players the idea that they need to GTFO right now.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 Failedlegend Apr 15, 2013 15:35:06	My players have gone and bungled into the Xoriat and I was wondering if I could get the gist of the play setting, I know the general idea but I want to make sure I follow the setting pretty well and could use some ideas of what to do with it so I figured I'd ask here. Please PM me if you'd like any details about the campaign as my players frequent these forums (or have a suggestion for an active DnD based foum that I can freely talk on)
#2 Madfox11 Apr 16, 2013 2:03:22	You can always ask your players not to read your posts about the campaign. I know some of my players frequent these boards as well, and they certainly follow my requests. As for Xoriat, 'bungling' into the plane of madness seems a bad thing to do ;) Litterally anything can happen in such a place. There is no cannon about the place except that it is the home plane of the Delkyr, hard to get to and it drives visitors mad. The two times we wandered into it, it was all in areas at least partially connected to Eberron - the other side of manifestation zones too speak with some form of protection going on. Even those were fairly disturbing due to the fact that the laws of nature were twisted in weird ways and we slowly began to suffer from a madness (using the disease rules of 4e to mechanically represent this) that could not be cured while within said manifestation zone. The weird ways were occassionally represented by subtracting Insight checks from other skill checks to represent the fact that wise and perceptive characters had a bit more of a problem dealing with how the environment twisted against us then those with less knowledge (who had an easier time simply accepting it).
#3 Syltorian Apr 16, 2013 12:25:34	I'll have to echo Madfox that you should, perhaps, tell your players you posted here and want them to stay out. Keith Baker has stated in his blogs that the Daelkyr are "daelkyr aren’t even the toughest things in Xoriat; they’re just the toughest things that have any interest in other planes." (keith-baker.com/dragonmarks-34-the-lords...). Which means that matters can get easily difficult for any characters who had the misfortune of booking their holidays there. You'll find some more of his quotes on the Daelkyr here: keith-baker.com/dragonmarks-34-the-lords... The Daelkyr appeared in the 3.5 Dragon Magazines: 348 (Horrors of the Daelkyr has some new creations), 330 an interesting description on the Far Realm ("Enter the Far Realm" by Bruce Cordell), and there are a few other stuff related to aberrations, largely mindflayers and the like, spread around. "Touched By Madness" in 332 (by Keith Baker) explains the Cults of the Dragon Below, but they are on Eberron itself, and don't venture much into Xoriat; still, the influence of the Realm of Madness on mortal minds will be useful. You might also check Heroes of Horror and ..."window.parent.tinyMCE.get('post_content').onLoad.dispatch();" contenteditable="true">Elder Evils for inspiration, if you can get hold of them... and beyond D&D, anything Lovecraft. Parts of Alice in Wonderland too, maybe; after all, the novel plays around with logic alot. As far as I remember, Xoriat is not random (that's Kythri), but there is a certain method to its madness. Not one mortal minds are made to understand, however. At the very basis, I would expect the geometry to be in either more or less than the 3 dimensions we would be used to, things connect like an Escher painting, colours smell and smells make noise and noise targets a sense the characters were never even aware existed. The landscape itself might try to make the change the characters physically, not to mention mentally. The Daelkyrs who invaded Eberron shaped flesh into twisted things like Dolgrim and Dolgaunt, and on a different world, they created Mindflayers. Magic of Eberron presents one of their little devices, which randomly twists creatures who are put into it and, with a small chance, spits out something viable. I am not sure about 4e, but in 3.5 Unearthed Arcana there are rules for insanity checks which might be worth using. Of course, you might want to check the Cthulhu setting.
#4 CorrinAvatan Apr 30, 2013 21:29:40	Honestly, if you want a good idea of Xoriat might be like, look for some videos of the Black Book dungeons from Skyrim's Dragonborn expansion. Then, imagine watching those videos on LSD. That is what Xoriat would be like. As far as gameplay wise, start looking at insanity checks, and generally give the players the idea that they need to GTFO right now.