I'm bringing my campaign up to 4.0 Points of Light Setting via a major Cataclysm where Wizards and Clerics dont even have powers during the Campaign Year in which the Cataclysm Occurs (Magic and Immortal Access has failed globally for the year).
My New Points of Light Campaign Area is about 500 miles Radius where basically vast regions have collapsed into the Earth destroying pretty much the three Kingdoms that occupied the land previously. However there is now a 20 mile wide corridor of land that weaves between these sunken regions. it is here that an Assortment of Communities now sit in isolation until the PCs can reconnect them, establish Traderoutes, ect.
The Sunken Regions are flooded to a depth of 50 feet deep (in some spots up to a quarter of a Mile Deep) and will likely become a very large swamp/Jungle that sits 800 ft below sea level. There are islands of Land that didnt sink - poking up from this Sunken Sea, And these are regions where Humanoids survived the Cataclysm that killed their fellows across the region.
What I'm looking for is thoughts on a number of Areas:
- I want Magic to change to the New 4.0 version as it recovers from this Year without Magic. More Importantly - Before the Fall of (what I will call here) High Magic, the more barbaric peoples had Shaman Magic that drew on various sources of Power (Immortal Artefacts specific to their cultures, Immortals - Like it was Cleric Magic, and in the Case of Faerie Races - Actual Magic Abilities using the techniques of the Immortals). Even magic Items will fail during this period.
- I'm Reducing the number of Wizards - Basically this is easy as in the year Without Magic, they will be vulnerable to every Madman With a Sword or an assassin's blade. - When we Exit Wizards will be Very Rare (even Secretive about their Art). Making it an Age when there are none of those Global Telecommunication Networks propped up by Magic. While the New Magic will need to be 'rediscovered', Shaman Magic will shift the Balance to Barbaric Cultures.
- The Surviving Lands in the region of the Cataclysm will become a Points of Light Campaign Setting. Basically i could easily set some adventure like H1-Shadowfell Keep in the region. The Earthquake will have reduced the Keep (as with many communities - cities, towns, fortresses in the region) to rubble leaving Survivors to Rebuild Without Magic.
- An Entire Elf Principality was exposed to an Enthopic Poison cloud from fissures in the Earth that causes deformities and rotting disease on the Body - any surviving Elves look like Liches and may in fact now be considered Liches (although I am hoping there is an alternative choice).
- The Regions that have survives will become chaotic - because these Geological Changes have caused environmental changes in Surrounding Lands - A Swamp will dry up forcing its Lizard Man Population to Migrate - simply because the rivers that fed it now drain into the Sunken regions.
- Refugees will flee the region of the Cataclysm for surrounding Safe regions (A Halfling Land bordering the region will now be occupied by a Human Refugee Tide of Equal population).
- An Empire Further Afield will invade to pick up surviving Territory along its borders but it is not part of the Points of Light Region.
Anyway here is the map so you know what you are looking at:
I got this duengon that I drew out on my page: community.wizards.com/rysfranco/gallery/...
i made it originally to be Undercaves below an old part of a town, but i think it would work nicely as a cave system somewhere in the thrench. i was thinking your party would be exploring, trying to find survivors, or a town, and stuble across a steady slop into the trench, halfway down they notice an opening in the cliffside. The opening go's deeper into the ground, and then they come to my camp layout.
I wish i had drawn it on graph paper, but i had sudden insperation, and all i had was a pencil and a small notebook. if you would like to use the drawing, feel free. i also have a description of the cave system's, battle's, skill Chalenges, oprotunities for your party to rollplay, and do some pretty epic stuff. one more thing : the drawing is not proportional to the scaling for the first room.