Campaign Idea, The Northern Wastes - Downloaded from the Wizards Community, all coding removed by Solauren

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#1 degausser Dec 10, 2009 23:59:44	So, I had an idea for a campaign setting after playing through Icewind Dale II for the 5 billionth time. How about a game confined to an extreme north (or south) climate, where it is constantly cold and the enviroment is just as much a challenge as everything else? Using the Base DnD world (that is to say, base gods, base races, etc.) I have come up with a world idea, and was hoping to get a critique. If people like it, I can expand on what I've posted. Basic Setting: The northern Wastes is an inhospitable area of frozen cold, through and through. However, it's inhospitality is a boon to some who seek to escape the ever-vigilant eye of the empire, a large, human run orginization, spreading over much of the contenant. However, just because the climate is cold, doesn't mean it's not populated. There are several peoples who make their living in the north. Dragonborn: Strangely enough, the last, major dragonborn city exists in the north. The moderate-sized city (around 600 people) is known as Bahamut's Refuge, and is nestled in a lowland valley. The city consists of around 400 dragonborn, and roughly half that many "others" who are allowed to live there.
#2 degausser Dec 11, 2009 17:03:22	Here are some possible backgrounds for my campaign: Nomad: You are a member of a northern Nomad tribe, you spend the bulk of your time hunting, moving, or crafting goods used for survival. You have little free time for frivolous persuits, but living in the northernmost part of the world has toughened you substantially. Races: Elf, Half-elf, Human, Half-orc Associated Skills: Endurance, Nature Associated Languages: Elven, Giant Keeper of Knowledge Shamans, druids, wise men, chieftens, there are a thousand names for this profession. You were either the elder leader of a tribe, or a tribal leader-in-training. Maybe you got seperated from your clan, or your clan was slaughtered, leaving only you alive. Either way, you were trained not only to survive, but to pass down the history of your people to the next generation. Most often chosen for Arcane, Divine, or Primal leaders. Races: Elf, Half-elf, Human, Half-Orc, Dragonborn, Halfling Associated Skills: History, Diplomacy Associated Languages: Elven, Primal, Draconic, Any Ancient The Primal language lets you read ancient styles of communication, such as cave-drawings or pictographs. It contains no verbal component. Outcast Thrown from your home for any number of reasons, you are a lone wanderer that has been banished, or has chosen, to go to the northern wastes. You find this life hard, striving to live in the most inhospitable of places, and what's more, you have to do it alone. You make your living by either trading, offering services, or sometimes, even theft. Races: Any Associated Skills:Nature, Thievery Associated Languages: Dwarven, Giant, Elven Northern Defender You are a vanguard for your people. You stand, stalwart against the cold, prepared to meet any beast, natural or magical, in combat and kill it before it can harm your people. You are part protector, part soldier, part bodyguard, and 100% indispensable to your people. You are proud to be their first, last, and only line of defense against the dangers of the north. Most often Defender types, such as Warriors and Wardens. Races: Human, Elf, Half-Elf, Halfling, Dragonborn, Half-Orc, Dwarf Associated Skills: Endurance, Athletics Associated Languages: Giant, Dwarven, Dragonborn Hedge magic: You are an apothocary to your people. While most people in the north lack training to be a 'proper' wizard, magic is nonetheless pervasive in the world, and even 'barbarians' have sussed out how to make their own brand of magic work. This so-called 'hedge magic' is usually deridded by their more-learned counterparts, but it is no less effective, just slightly less refined. This background is restricted to Arcane, primal and divine power sources, mostly for wizards, artificers, clerics, invokers, shamen, druids, and bards. Races: Human, Elf, Half-Elf, Dragonborn, Halflings, Half-Orc Associated Skills: Nature, Arcana Associated Skills: Draconic, Elven, Giant
#3 dulsi Dec 13, 2009 12:25:46	I've always liked cold north/south settings. Frostburn is one of the few 3.5 books I have. Your "moderate-sized city" is tiny compared to the sizes recommended by the DMG. While I would make cities smaller in the cold environment that one seems a little small to me. I wasn't fond of the enchantment to make it a nice temperature. After thinking about it I would change the city to be at the base of an active volcano. The enchantment keeps the volcano from enrupting and uses the heat to make the city climate nice. At some point you could do any adventure where the enchantment is failing the volcano is going to errupt. For the changelings, you could do something similar to what I did for the latest hero artisan. I used the changeling stats but flavored the creature as a sand creature since the theme was desert. I created a feat that would give the changeling a bonus to endurance and decrease the amount of water/food needed. I could see doing a similar thing with a snow creature. Perhaps have a feat that gives it a small cold resistance.
#4 Tovec Dec 16, 2009 22:43:34	Really really tiny population in the last major settlement of Dragonborn. Add a couple of 0s to make it more acceptable for a major trading hub. I would suggest at min, 10 000 people. As far as the north so far as setting. Most of the time these places, as anywhere in DnD, are made better by the abnormalities than the uniform. For example, decent detail on races but what if the inciting incident is that one of your races just recently started appearing in the north with little explaination of where they came from and why they are there. Or perhaps instead of having a magicall warmed city have it heated by hot springs. Games/settings/encounters are made better by something changing or keeping things from changing. Is the empire pushing north more and more or is the winter getting harder. Maybe an unpredicted falling star crashes into the ground and reveals a long lost city that not even the dwarves knew about. Beyond that, especially for the races, unless you are going to deal with an aspect it doesn't all need to be written up. Its good to think where you want your races to start but remember that regardless of PC race they all ended up together somehow.

Post/Author/DateTime

Post

degausser

Dec 10, 2009 23:59:44

So, I had an idea for a campaign setting after playing through Icewind Dale II for the 5 billionth time. How about a game confined to an extreme north (or south) climate, where it is constantly cold and the enviroment is just as much a challenge as everything else? Using the Base DnD world (that is to say, base gods, base races, etc.) I have come up with a world idea, and was hoping to get a critique. If people like it, I can expand on what I've posted.

Basic Setting: The northern Wastes is an inhospitable area of frozen cold, through and through. However, it's inhospitality is a boon to some who seek to escape the ever-vigilant eye of the empire, a large, human run orginization, spreading over much of the contenant. However, just because the climate is cold, doesn't mean it's not populated. There are several peoples who make their living in the north.

Dragonborn:

Strangely enough, the last, major dragonborn city exists in the north. The moderate-sized city (around 600 people) is known as Bahamut's Refuge, and is nestled in a lowland valley. The city consists of around 400 dragonborn, and roughly half that many "others" who are allowed to live there.

degausser

Dec 11, 2009 17:03:22

Here are some possible backgrounds for my campaign:

Nomad:
You are a member of a northern Nomad tribe, you spend the bulk of your time hunting, moving, or crafting goods used for survival. You have little free time for frivolous persuits, but living in the northernmost part of the world has toughened you substantially.
Races: Elf, Half-elf, Human, Half-orc
Associated Skills: Endurance, Nature
Associated Languages: Elven, Giant

Keeper of Knowledge
Shamans, druids, wise men, chieftens, there are a thousand names for this profession. You were either the elder leader of a tribe, or a tribal leader-in-training. Maybe you got seperated from your clan, or your clan was slaughtered, leaving only you alive. Either way, you were trained not only to survive, but to pass down the history of your people to the next generation. Most often chosen for Arcane, Divine, or Primal leaders.
Races: Elf, Half-elf, Human, Half-Orc, Dragonborn, Halfling
Associated Skills: History, Diplomacy
Associated Languages: Elven, Primal*, Draconic, Any Ancient
*The Primal language lets you read ancient styles of communication, such as cave-drawings or pictographs. It contains no verbal component.

Outcast
Thrown from your home for any number of reasons, you are a lone wanderer that has been banished, or has chosen, to go to the northern wastes. You find this life hard, striving to live in the most inhospitable of places, and what's more, you have to do it alone. You make your living by either trading, offering services, or sometimes, even theft.
Races: Any
Associated Skills:Nature, Thievery
Associated Languages: Dwarven, Giant, Elven

Northern Defender
You are a vanguard for your people. You stand, stalwart against the cold, prepared to meet any beast, natural or magical, in combat and kill it before it can harm your people. You are part protector, part soldier, part bodyguard, and 100% indispensable to your people. You are proud to be their first, last, and only line of defense against the dangers of the north. Most often Defender types, such as Warriors and Wardens.
Races: Human, Elf, Half-Elf, Halfling, Dragonborn, Half-Orc, Dwarf
Associated Skills: Endurance, Athletics
Associated Languages: Giant, Dwarven, Dragonborn

Hedge magic:
You are an apothocary to your people. While most people in the north lack training to be a 'proper' wizard, magic is nonetheless pervasive in the world, and even 'barbarians' have sussed out how to make their own brand of magic work. This so-called 'hedge magic' is usually deridded by their more-learned counterparts, but it is no less effective, just slightly less refined. This background is restricted to Arcane, primal and divine power sources, mostly for wizards, artificers, clerics, invokers, shamen, druids, and bards.
Races: Human, Elf, Half-Elf, Dragonborn, Halflings, Half-Orc
Associated Skills: Nature, Arcana
Associated Skills: Draconic, Elven, Giant

dulsi

Dec 13, 2009 12:25:46

I've always liked cold north/south settings. Frostburn is one of the few 3.5 books I have.

Your "moderate-sized city" is tiny compared to the sizes recommended by the DMG. While I would make cities smaller in the cold environment that one seems a little small to me. I wasn't fond of the enchantment to make it a nice temperature. After thinking about it I would change the city to be at the base of an active volcano. The enchantment keeps the volcano from enrupting and uses the heat to make the city climate nice. At some point you could do any adventure where the enchantment is failing the volcano is going to errupt.

For the changelings, you could do something similar to what I did for the latest hero artisan. I used the changeling stats but flavored the creature as a sand creature since the theme was desert. I created a feat that would give the changeling a bonus to endurance and decrease the amount of water/food needed. I could see doing a similar thing with a snow creature. Perhaps have a feat that gives it a small cold resistance.

Tovec

Dec 16, 2009 22:43:34

Really really tiny population in the last major settlement of Dragonborn. Add a couple of 0s to make it more acceptable for a major trading hub. I would suggest at min, 10 000 people.
As far as the north so far as setting. Most of the time these places, as anywhere in DnD, are made better by the abnormalities than the uniform. For example, decent detail on races but what if the inciting incident is that one of your races just recently started appearing in the north with little explaination of where they came from and why they are there. Or perhaps instead of having a magicall warmed city have it heated by hot springs. Games/settings/encounters are made better by something changing or keeping things from changing. Is the empire pushing north more and more or is the winter getting harder. Maybe an unpredicted falling star crashes into the ground and reveals a long lost city that not even the dwarves knew about. Beyond that, especially for the races, unless you are going to deal with an aspect it doesn't all need to be written up. Its good to think where you want your races to start but remember that regardless of PC race they all ended up together somehow.