Realm Handbooks + Poll

Citan Uzuki · Apr 7, 2017

I am currently working on three handbooks that involve the realm I am creating - one is the standard player's handbook for the realm, the second is a race & class prospectus that also includes additional deities based on the additional races listed, and the third is a DM's miscellany guide. The books are looking to be about 400 pages, 200-300 pages, and 100-200 pages, respectively, in length. This has been a significant work in progress for me for nearly the past year, but it has been a work that also has been in the creative stages for nearly twelve when it all started with a single continent.

This work has been a compilation of, adjustments from, and additions to the basic works of the second edition of AD&D. I've put in a lot of time and effort into adapting the various guidelines to better fit the realm I have in mind. This includes a total of nearly 150-200 pages of spells, approx. 70-80 pages of psionics, a number of pages on deities and priesthoods, realm specific magical items, and much more. I've made a few changes to guidelines, reworded a few things, and inserted my own touches based on about 12 years of gameplay experience with second edition.

This all said, I'm far from being done, as I've not even completed the initial handbook yet, but I'm well on my way towards doing so. I plan to have about 75 subraces among 13 main races and 44 classes available. The realm is built on diversity, including some cultures based on ones such as savage-like lands, asian-inspired cultures, cold north-like lands, middle eastern-type culture, medieval european culture, and more. It's a realm made up of those who are from so many other realms. I've developed whole pantheons of deities for the realm to be watched over by as well. Without spoiling too much, I will say that the realm used to not have as much evil in it until a certain event occurred!

I type this up here because I want to gauge interest of folks who enjoy D&D as a whole and might be interested in seeing this put up for use by the public in the future once it is done and also play tested by a local group. I'm curious to see what sort of interest people might have for something like this.

Edit: Looking for folks to vote in my poll about kits! https://strawpoll.com/d49wayw Hope to get some good data with this!

Igwilly · Apr 7, 2017

That sounds interesting! But some questions are still present:
What exactly it is? A retroclone itself? An expansion? Setting book?
The setting is a huge mix of cultures, but what more can be said about it? Technology, level of magic, etc.?
I like many classes. Any of them worth of mention – that is, different than normal 2e ones?

Citan Uzuki · Apr 7, 2017

Igwilly said:
That sounds interesting! But some questions are still present:
What exactly it is? A retroclone itself? An expansion? Setting book?
The setting is a huge mix of cultures, but what more can be said about it? Technology, level of magic, etc.?
I like many classes. Any of them worth of mention – that is, different than normal 2e ones?

I suppose the best way it could be said is it is a setting book, given I'm personally looking at it along the lines of Dragonlance, Forgotten Realms, World of Greyhawk, Dark Sun, and so on that have their own set of adjusted guidelines from the base ones that fit the realm.

Technology and magic are both present in the realm, though tech is along the lines of steam punk, so I will admit it is heavily Final Fantasy inspired (old FF, like 4-6). The two do mix occasionally, which is where airships come from - though these are still a fairly new addition even in the prime world of the realm.

Regarding classes, I have all of the specialists available, as well as a few classes that (again) are FF inspired, such as Dragoon, Fiend Warlock (Blue Mage), Magical Tactician (Scholar), and Grim Templar (Dark Knight) while I have adapted them to be more D&D-esque, however. There's a purely luck-based class called Corsair (aka Gambler). I also have my variation of the Monk for 2nd edition in there, as well, plus a class that I found online that I've reworked to better suit the realm, known as the Inventor. I have the Oriental Adventures classes in there as well, due to their influence in the prime world.

Races have been adjusted to better fit the realm and are just slightly stronger than their original variations, approximately 5-10 CPs' worth to give an approximation. I've also developed a whole new race based on the concept that they eat metal!

Igwilly · Apr 8, 2017

I see. Every setting in AD&D included special rules for it – some more than others. Mixing technology and magic is a favorite of my, although I used to choose a more futuristic one – I don’t know how I’ll do my next setting.
About Final Fantasy…
You touched my weak spot. Huge fan, love all games I’ve played. I was going to adapt many jobs and concepts to 2nd Edition. So I would love to see your work when it is more advanced.
The bad news is I’m still beginning to read 2e, so it would take some time, but this sounds something that I would really like

Citan Uzuki · Apr 8, 2017

Igwilly said:
I see. Every setting in AD&D included special rules for it – some more than others. Mixing technology and magic is a favorite of my, although I used to choose a more futuristic one – I don’t know how I’ll do my next setting.
About Final Fantasy…
You touched my weak spot. Huge fan, love all games I’ve played. I was going to adapt many jobs and concepts to 2nd Edition. So I would love to see your work when it is more advanced.
The bad news is I’m still beginning to read 2e, so it would take some time, but this sounds something that I would really like

Thanks! I plan on play testing it in my area first, and possibly along with a select group of folks online, but that won't be until everything is completed, which I'm hoping will be within the next six months to a year (at the current rate I'm doing this, given I'm also working on it on my own).

So far, I'm to the spells of the handbooks, then I have to do psionics, then the index. After that, it's on to the race & class book. XD

Citan Uzuki · Apr 16, 2017

16 days and 127 pages later, the arcane/wizard spells are complete. Now working on the divine/priest spells, with a few additions from the spell compendiums plus a couple of my own making along with adjustments to existing ones. Huzzah! Looking to be upwards of 425-450 pages for the base handbook, too.

Citan Uzuki · May 11, 2017

Welp, I finished the player's handbook, and now I've moved on to begin work on the Race & Class book. Currently, however, I have run into a bit of a snag that I'm on the fence about, which is whether or not to include kits in the book. As such, I started a poll. I edited a link to it in the original post, but I will include it here as well. I hope to get some data from this, and thanks in advance for voting, as you'll help me in a small way in the making of the book.

https://strawpoll.com/d49wayw