Location: In the very bowels of Hell (A.K.A. Chicago)
Posts: 536
The GMF campaign setting
This is an idea I've been toying with for a while, but never got around to making the thread.
I would like the help of all of our members in making our very own, brand new campaign setting. We will vote on things such as whether it should be high magic or low magic, what races there should be, and various parts of the geography.
After that, I would like volunteers to take over different jobs. Ideally, everyone in the GMF should get to head something, but I doubt that many people will be interested.
Here is an example of how this will work. Lets say member x asks to be in charge of the creation and details of country y. Member x writes up the info, geographical features, NPCs, etc. of that area. Then member x asks everyone for input. Everyone in the foundation will work on how to make their idea work with everyone else's ideas. When someone is done with one job, they can ask for another and I will most likely give them the job they ask for.
This will be a long process, and I don't expect it to be done any time in even the somewhat close future, but if everyone pitches in, we can make this work.
P.S. If one of the council members or someone with better organization skills than me is willing help control the process, fine by me. As I said, I have some of the worst organization of anyone in the world, so help from other members would be appreciated.
According to this test, I am a Lawful Good Gnome Paladin with the following ability scores:
Str. 10
Dex. 15
Con. 16
Int. 15
Wis. 10
Cha. 12
The test said it, not me. :\
According to this test, I am a Lawful Good Gnome Paladin with the following ability scores:
Str. 10
Dex. 15
Con. 16
Int. 15
Wis. 10
Cha. 12
The test said it, not me. :\
Location: In the 3rd level of the 5th demiplane of the Abyss on Eternal Damnation Drive
Posts: 212
My vote goes for a high magic world where the common folk are scared of the "Daemonwitches" that use magic, and the magic users look down uppon the common folk.
Mmm i like standard. I dont like where it has to be where practically everyone and their mother has acces to magical equipment, but I also dont like it when the first time you come across a single magical item is when you are almost 10th level.
I know I am exaggerating on the high magic and low magic options. But I can see both kind of backfiring on me if I were to run such a setting. That's why I vote for standard.
Great idea by the way, BoD.
Mmm, I am not sure what area I would like. I really don't have an area of expertise. Plus, i work better with others.
Location: In the very bowels of Hell (A.K.A. Chicago)
Posts: 536
I go for standard myself. Also, GrinReaper, high magic doesn't mean it has powerful NPC spellcasters, it means that magic is common place, not incredibly rare.
According to this test, I am a Lawful Good Gnome Paladin with the following ability scores:
Str. 10
Dex. 15
Con. 16
Int. 15
Wis. 10
Cha. 12
The test said it, not me. :\
Well, a co-op project that sounds like fun! Add another vote for Standard Magic. This also gives folks the option of making their "area" a little more or less magical without throwing off game balance.
__________________ derbacher
The old bald sage of the north. Just because you're paranoid doesn't mean they're not out to get you.
I would have to say standard also, if for no other reason that it would force rule changes that would slow development, or the inclussion of 3rd party material members of the community might not have.
I vote for Standard, just saves some time...of course you could go for High Magic and add a Paranoia flair to it, by giving everyone magic but by also outlawing magic at the same time.
According to this test, I am a Lawful Good Gnome Paladin with the following ability scores:
Str. 10
Dex. 15
Con. 16
Int. 15
Wis. 10
Cha. 12
The test said it, not me. :\
Location: In the 3rd level of the 5th demiplane of the Abyss on Eternal Damnation Drive
Posts: 212
looks like it going to be standard, and what i ment in my post earlier was that the commonfolk, the few, feared the spellcasters and the spellcasters viewed the others as weaklings
looks like it going to be standard, and what i ment in my post earlier was that the commonfolk, the few, feared the spellcasters and the spellcasters viewed the others as weaklings
That is a good theme that has not been explored much. I like the idea of sorcerers wondering around and looking down at peasents as "mundanes"**
Okay then...question is now...what power level? My idea of the various power levels are:
Low
Most people are level 1-3 and the overwhelming majority are NPC classes.
The newbie wizard who has been training in a library is 2nd level. The newly initiated knight is a 1st level fighter (after lots of training). The town constable will be a 3rd level warrior (unless in a large city where training is necessary, not just experience).
The mightiest warriors of the realm are 7th level. Chances are the king/queen/general is about this level.
To most people anything above that level is indistinguishable and superhuman. The heroes of legend are 15th level tops.
Medium
NPC 16/Base Adult Age year olds are first level. Middle age is 2-3rd. Old age is 4th. Venerable will be 5th.
PC classes are special, but not rare. In all cities you'll be able to find a few wizards, clerics etc.
Grunts are 1-2 level, warriors. Cavalry are 3rd. Regiment leaders will probably be the same level as their regiments, but fighters (or equivilent PC class).
The most powerful characters in the kingdom are about 15th level. 16+ characters are the stuff of heroic tales. Few epic characters, but it happens.
High
NPCs can sometimes get to 10th level in their lifespans. This is helped on considerably by the fact that there are frequent monster raids, plots to rule the world, portals from hell opened up and malicous artifacts explodinating people.
PC classes are commonplace and most people have the ability to become one. Regardless, few do try to and even fewer survive the training required for it.
The mightiest heroes are epic, and an occasional few wizards have founded academies teaching many other pupils.
At least, that's an approximate breakdown. Probably no one will agree with me, but whatever.
__________________ Nothing is easier than to denounce the evildoer; nothing is more difficult than to understand him. - Fyodor Dostoevsky
Location: In the 3rd level of the 5th demiplane of the Abyss on Eternal Damnation Drive
Posts: 212
I vote Medium powered.... Don't want it to get too easy for the pcs at high levels, and the same reason for the high powered, It'll be significantly harder to play at early levels, or they'd be bypassed entirely, which is a bad idea, playing characters from the bottom up is funner, in my opinion
__________________ <><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><> <><> "Dad, I love you. But I'm not sure if it's because you're my dad or if it's Stockholm Syndrome." --my son at 12 years old.
Quote of the night last game session: "Want to come to my prepaid hotel room? Bouncy bouncy!" October 25th, 2008
Location: In the very bowels of Hell (A.K.A. Chicago)
Posts: 536
As with the magic, I voter standard power level.
I'll wait till Tuesday to do the final tally of the power and magic levels. It looks like we're going standard magic, but I'd like to wait for more people to have a chance to vote.
I do like the idea of the spellcasters looking down on the common folk as lessers.
Also, my idea of this is that since everyone is putting in there input, people can actually use this campaign setting. If you do, you can just modify it till if fits your style better.
For instance, if I were just going to use it, I could have wizards be incredibly rare, and incredibly powerful. Perhaps until a few hundred years before, the art of magic was lost to the people of this world, until ancient ruins were found containing tomes of spells of arcane might. Those few who were brave, or dumb, enough to read them gained incredible power, at the cost of there sanity. That would be a low magic campaign setting, because although there are very powerful wizard, common folk have little access to arcane magic. Perhaps the same goes for divine magic.
Standard magic: basically where everyone knows magic exists and most people accept it. There are court magicians, wandering mages, local witchs, etc. But the common folk might go generations with little or no exposure to magic of any kind. Magic is something that is pursued by only those who have access to it: you have mage colleges, and many wizards take on apprentices, but you must be very dedicated and fairly wealthy to pursue the art.
High magic is where almost everyone has been exposed to magic at some time or another. It is unexpected, but not uncommon, for more than one person in a small town to have knowledge of a few cantrips. There are vast schools dedicated to magic, and many towns have a small community of wizards, helping around with magic when needed. The most powerful of spellcasters are terrible to behold, with access to powers that others cannot dream of. Also, magocricies would be common. This is a government headed by powerful spellcasters: perhaps the king is an aged wizard or sorcerer, or members of his family or politicians are. In a high magic campaign setting, magic is common place, but not so much that commoners have any real access to it.
According to this test, I am a Lawful Good Gnome Paladin with the following ability scores:
Str. 10
Dex. 15
Con. 16
Int. 15
Wis. 10
Cha. 12
The test said it, not me. :\
According to this test, I am a Lawful Good Gnome Paladin with the following ability scores:
Str. 10
Dex. 15
Con. 16
Int. 15
Wis. 10
Cha. 12
The test said it, not me. :\
). 
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