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A Guide to Fossice
An idea I've been thinking on, and so we're going to try this.
Let's get the basics up:
WHAT: A 5e Game based upon the turmoil, politics, aesthetic, and philosophical enlightenment of the Italian Peninsula in the 16th Century - The Renaissance
WHO: 5 Players, whom I will basically be cherry picking - posting an idea here does not guarantee play. I apologize, but I'm already running a rather massive game and I'd like this to be a liiittle simpler.
- 3rd Level Characters
- 27 Point Buy
- Core Races Only, Please
- PHB, DMG, SCAG Class and Archetypes
- UA Class and Archetype options on request and approval
WHERE: A Homebrew setting that I don't have quite all the kinks worked out, but am eager to build and expand upon with my players
- Focusing on a Single area tied together culturally, but fractured politically
- The main powers will be a series of City States: Republics and Duchies and Kingdoms who compete in territory, economics, and strength
- 1 Officially-Sanctioned Religion, under 1 Goddess, the Maker of All Things. Her Domains are represented through a plethora of Saints of the Church of The Maker. There may be other religions and religious powers, but they are generally not recognized and some may be feared/hated
- Low-Magic. Spellcasters do exist, but are certainly very rare. The presence of even 1 is something to be heralded (or run in fear from). Even the simplest of magical items would be considered "Legendary", and a legitimate (re: Class) Wizard or Cleric has a power that not many others can really compete with.
WHEN: The Renaissance. A time period focusing on Shifting Politics, Rising Philosophies, Scientific Breakthroughs, Artistic Revelations, and Rapidly-Shifting Social Structures
- Nobility faces the idea of losing their status and power to the burgeoning Middle Class: artisans, merchants, bankers, and guildsmen of all type are becoming very rich and very powerful
- City-States compete, ally, and backstab to try and dominate the land. Mercenaries are commonly hired to fight wars rather than raise standing armies, leading to Condotierri, "mercenary contractors", to also gain a great amount of wealth, power, and status.
- Art is on the rise: literature, paintings, sculpture, architecture, and more. Wealth brings in the means to fund these pursuits, and cities are becoming larger and more beautiful with each day. A great artist is hailed throughout the land, and welcomed almost anywhere.
- Like Art, Scientific pursuits have lead to major advances in medicine, engineering, physics, and chemistry. The first true firearms, Wheelocks, have been produced in small numbers. The science of Alchemy is creating things like restorative potions or nigh-magical burning oils and acids (though Lead to Gold still eludes them). Like Artists, Scientists and Engineers can find offers from many noble families to work for them.
- Philosophy is both causing the common man to think more about their place, and also causing strife amongst City-States. The first true Republics and Democracies are returning after over a thousand years, leading to conflict and the question of just who is supposed to rule: the divinely chosen, the risen aristocrats, or the commoner?
WHY: Because no setting, I feel, truly embodies the adventurous, bold, and often magical feel of Dungeons & Dragons than the Renaissance
- Heroes are Heroes, fighting for Causes or City-States, free to be beholden to no Kingdom and have their own, independent wealth and assets
- There is still superstition and mystery: monsters and nightmares are very much a part of society's mind, and through the birth of science, there is still a more primal sense of the world being magical
- There is Progress! The many competing mindsets of the Renaissance more fit the "Enlightened Medieval Mindset" of most D&D campaigns, or at least allow the variance more easily (I feel)
- There is Adventure: travel is becoming more common, exotic goods and services are making their ways in from across strange seas, highwaymen and bandits plunder the roads and coasts, and a witch's curse upon a Duke may be a terrifying reality.
HOW: Well, here. Play By Post. D&D 5E. Already covered most of the other stuff, I believe ...
So yes. I don't have everything settled. I don't know the name of the land or the cities, or the competing factions. I don't know the names of the Saints, nor what they were Saint'd for. I don't know what, exactly, the adventure will be, but I want this to be more Organic where the players themselves will help build the world (by adding in names, places, events, and features through backstory) and create the journey themselves (through the stories their characters want to pursue).
So, what say you?
Cast List
Story Thread
A Guide to Fossice
An idea I've been thinking on, and so we're going to try this.
Let's get the basics up:
WHAT: A 5e Game based upon the turmoil, politics, aesthetic, and philosophical enlightenment of the Italian Peninsula in the 16th Century - The Renaissance
WHO: 5 Players, whom I will basically be cherry picking - posting an idea here does not guarantee play. I apologize, but I'm already running a rather massive game and I'd like this to be a liiittle simpler.
- 3rd Level Characters
- 27 Point Buy
- Core Races Only, Please
- PHB, DMG, SCAG Class and Archetypes
- UA Class and Archetype options on request and approval
WHERE: A Homebrew setting that I don't have quite all the kinks worked out, but am eager to build and expand upon with my players
- Focusing on a Single area tied together culturally, but fractured politically
- The main powers will be a series of City States: Republics and Duchies and Kingdoms who compete in territory, economics, and strength
- 1 Officially-Sanctioned Religion, under 1 Goddess, the Maker of All Things. Her Domains are represented through a plethora of Saints of the Church of The Maker. There may be other religions and religious powers, but they are generally not recognized and some may be feared/hated
- Low-Magic. Spellcasters do exist, but are certainly very rare. The presence of even 1 is something to be heralded (or run in fear from). Even the simplest of magical items would be considered "Legendary", and a legitimate (re: Class) Wizard or Cleric has a power that not many others can really compete with.
WHEN: The Renaissance. A time period focusing on Shifting Politics, Rising Philosophies, Scientific Breakthroughs, Artistic Revelations, and Rapidly-Shifting Social Structures
- Nobility faces the idea of losing their status and power to the burgeoning Middle Class: artisans, merchants, bankers, and guildsmen of all type are becoming very rich and very powerful
- City-States compete, ally, and backstab to try and dominate the land. Mercenaries are commonly hired to fight wars rather than raise standing armies, leading to Condotierri, "mercenary contractors", to also gain a great amount of wealth, power, and status.
- Art is on the rise: literature, paintings, sculpture, architecture, and more. Wealth brings in the means to fund these pursuits, and cities are becoming larger and more beautiful with each day. A great artist is hailed throughout the land, and welcomed almost anywhere.
- Like Art, Scientific pursuits have lead to major advances in medicine, engineering, physics, and chemistry. The first true firearms, Wheelocks, have been produced in small numbers. The science of Alchemy is creating things like restorative potions or nigh-magical burning oils and acids (though Lead to Gold still eludes them). Like Artists, Scientists and Engineers can find offers from many noble families to work for them.
- Philosophy is both causing the common man to think more about their place, and also causing strife amongst City-States. The first true Republics and Democracies are returning after over a thousand years, leading to conflict and the question of just who is supposed to rule: the divinely chosen, the risen aristocrats, or the commoner?
WHY: Because no setting, I feel, truly embodies the adventurous, bold, and often magical feel of Dungeons & Dragons than the Renaissance
- Heroes are Heroes, fighting for Causes or City-States, free to be beholden to no Kingdom and have their own, independent wealth and assets
- There is still superstition and mystery: monsters and nightmares are very much a part of society's mind, and through the birth of science, there is still a more primal sense of the world being magical
- There is Progress! The many competing mindsets of the Renaissance more fit the "Enlightened Medieval Mindset" of most D&D campaigns, or at least allow the variance more easily (I feel)
- There is Adventure: travel is becoming more common, exotic goods and services are making their ways in from across strange seas, highwaymen and bandits plunder the roads and coasts, and a witch's curse upon a Duke may be a terrifying reality.
HOW: Well, here. Play By Post. D&D 5E. Already covered most of the other stuff, I believe ...
So yes. I don't have everything settled. I don't know the name of the land or the cities, or the competing factions. I don't know the names of the Saints, nor what they were Saint'd for. I don't know what, exactly, the adventure will be, but I want this to be more Organic where the players themselves will help build the world (by adding in names, places, events, and features through backstory) and create the journey themselves (through the stories their characters want to pursue).
So, what say you?
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