Merged WotC setting search winners/losers thread
Furn_Darkside
First Post
Good thing.. I was beginning to worry about some of the people around here. heh.
coyote6
Adventurer
The announcement is at: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/article.asp?x=dnd/dx20020830x
War Golem
First Post
Here is the announcement:
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Wizards of the Coast is pleased to announce that after a rigorous search through nearly 11,000 one-page proposals, we have narrowed our search for a new fantasy setting to eleven proposals. As of August 30, 2002, the authors of all eleven proposals have been notified that they will move on to the next stage of the search. Though we had originally planned to pick only ten proposals, the high quality of those submitted compelled us to slightly expand that number.
We'd like to sincerely thank all those who submitted proposals. We regret that we cannot, as we'd originally hoped, contact all the submittees personally. Unfortunately, the sheer number of proposals made this impossible.
If you submitted a proposal and have not been contacted, you will not be contacted to tell you that you have not advanced to the next stage. All those who have advanced have been contacted already.
The creativity shown by those who submitted shows that the gaming industry is alive and well. We're sure that some of the proposals we did not choose will be picked up by other gaming companies and turned into exciting settings that will stimulate and challenge the imagination.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Congratulations to the "winners"!
Cheers,
-War Golem
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Wizards of the Coast is pleased to announce that after a rigorous search through nearly 11,000 one-page proposals, we have narrowed our search for a new fantasy setting to eleven proposals. As of August 30, 2002, the authors of all eleven proposals have been notified that they will move on to the next stage of the search. Though we had originally planned to pick only ten proposals, the high quality of those submitted compelled us to slightly expand that number.
We'd like to sincerely thank all those who submitted proposals. We regret that we cannot, as we'd originally hoped, contact all the submittees personally. Unfortunately, the sheer number of proposals made this impossible.
If you submitted a proposal and have not been contacted, you will not be contacted to tell you that you have not advanced to the next stage. All those who have advanced have been contacted already.
The creativity shown by those who submitted shows that the gaming industry is alive and well. We're sure that some of the proposals we did not choose will be picked up by other gaming companies and turned into exciting settings that will stimulate and challenge the imagination.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Congratulations to the "winners"!
Cheers,
-War Golem
mroberon1972
First Post
Well, guess this means I did NOT make it...
And since we obviously did not make it to the second stage, I feel it is resonable to share our One page summary... Since we have decided to work on this ourselves anyway, might as well share...
Who knows, perhaps it will get published somewhere else...
The moral of this story: Perhaps one page was NOT enough...
Mistress Nox adds: How the heck are you supposed to know if a setting is good from one page?
Lurkers...
Mr Oberon & Mistress Nox
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Enter a world of intrigue and magic, a place of power beyond mortal comprehension, a land where godlike beings, both hallowed and dark, are created by artifacts of a forgotten past. This is the world of Ancient Awakenings.
2. There are those who protect and help the common people: Clerics and paladins following the six known gods, rangers protecting the wilderness and roads, warriors and rogues fighting for glory and coin, druids and barbarians enforcing the Compact with the fey, bards who rally the masses, sorcerers wielding magic by will alone, and wizards unearthing magic and knowledge from eons past.
3. The objectives of the heroes can range from protecting the common people to seeking gold, power, artifacts, and magic. Heroes may join Adventures' guilds which can hire them to hunt down monsters, clear ruins, or even act as bodyguards. Colleges allow wizards access to magical items and more powerful spells. Others may rely on rumors or myths to lead them to ruins where treasure may be hidden.
4. Monsters roam the land, created long ago by tainted magics. Temples, unguided by their sleeping gods, seek to destroy each other in their war for the hearts of the people. Ordinary people, upon finding hallowed artifacts, begin the transformation into Awakened Gods. These beings only become more dangerous as followers begin rallying to their banners.
5. Magic is common, and while anyone can be taught to be a wizard, the secrets of arcane magic are only given to a chosen few who show extraordinary talent. Clerics are granted miracles from the Great Altar of their central temple. This altar is the clerics tie to one of the six True Gods. If the altar is destroyed, the worshipers lost, or the cleric excommunicated, he looses all ties to the power of his god. Druids gain their power by linking themselves to a benign fey creature which grant their miracles. Sorcerers, and to a lesser extent bards, wield primordial magic. This ability is inborn, and allows them to wield magic by instinct alone. While they are both incapable of making magical devices, the power they wield is truly amazing.
6. This world uses basic 3rd edition rules with minor modifications. Class changes include: Thieves can use sneak attack damage in order to improve traps. Rangers gain the ability to use sneak attack with a ranged weapon and to make wilderness traps, but loose spell casting abilities. Druids loose all shape changing abilities, but gain the ability to mix potions for free in the wild. Sorcerers cannot create magic items (scrolls, potions, etc...) and cannot use scrolls either, but gain the ability to pick spells from the druid spell list as well as their own. Sorcerers can also burn experience points in the place of material components if they so choose. Clerics loose access to spells that raise people from the dead or allow travel to the outer planes, but gain a new NPC follower called the Bondsman. Bondsmen are fighters, rangers, or rogues that have chosen to follow and protect the cleric. A cleric is able to cast spells as if his bondsman were himself. This ability works at any range.
The six primary gods are asleep. While they grant spells to their followers, they are not truly aware of them. Differing churches may both worship the same god and still be totally at odds in philosophy. Other, lesser gods arise from time to time, some even able to carve a foothold in a true god's worshipers.
Artifacts are scattered across the land. These items wield powerful magic, but corrupt the user and lead to madness: Monsters and Awakened Gods come from these.
And since we obviously did not make it to the second stage, I feel it is resonable to share our One page summary... Since we have decided to work on this ourselves anyway, might as well share...
Who knows, perhaps it will get published somewhere else...
The moral of this story: Perhaps one page was NOT enough...
Mistress Nox adds: How the heck are you supposed to know if a setting is good from one page?
Lurkers...
Mr Oberon & Mistress Nox
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Enter a world of intrigue and magic, a place of power beyond mortal comprehension, a land where godlike beings, both hallowed and dark, are created by artifacts of a forgotten past. This is the world of Ancient Awakenings.
2. There are those who protect and help the common people: Clerics and paladins following the six known gods, rangers protecting the wilderness and roads, warriors and rogues fighting for glory and coin, druids and barbarians enforcing the Compact with the fey, bards who rally the masses, sorcerers wielding magic by will alone, and wizards unearthing magic and knowledge from eons past.
3. The objectives of the heroes can range from protecting the common people to seeking gold, power, artifacts, and magic. Heroes may join Adventures' guilds which can hire them to hunt down monsters, clear ruins, or even act as bodyguards. Colleges allow wizards access to magical items and more powerful spells. Others may rely on rumors or myths to lead them to ruins where treasure may be hidden.
4. Monsters roam the land, created long ago by tainted magics. Temples, unguided by their sleeping gods, seek to destroy each other in their war for the hearts of the people. Ordinary people, upon finding hallowed artifacts, begin the transformation into Awakened Gods. These beings only become more dangerous as followers begin rallying to their banners.
5. Magic is common, and while anyone can be taught to be a wizard, the secrets of arcane magic are only given to a chosen few who show extraordinary talent. Clerics are granted miracles from the Great Altar of their central temple. This altar is the clerics tie to one of the six True Gods. If the altar is destroyed, the worshipers lost, or the cleric excommunicated, he looses all ties to the power of his god. Druids gain their power by linking themselves to a benign fey creature which grant their miracles. Sorcerers, and to a lesser extent bards, wield primordial magic. This ability is inborn, and allows them to wield magic by instinct alone. While they are both incapable of making magical devices, the power they wield is truly amazing.
6. This world uses basic 3rd edition rules with minor modifications. Class changes include: Thieves can use sneak attack damage in order to improve traps. Rangers gain the ability to use sneak attack with a ranged weapon and to make wilderness traps, but loose spell casting abilities. Druids loose all shape changing abilities, but gain the ability to mix potions for free in the wild. Sorcerers cannot create magic items (scrolls, potions, etc...) and cannot use scrolls either, but gain the ability to pick spells from the druid spell list as well as their own. Sorcerers can also burn experience points in the place of material components if they so choose. Clerics loose access to spells that raise people from the dead or allow travel to the outer planes, but gain a new NPC follower called the Bondsman. Bondsmen are fighters, rangers, or rogues that have chosen to follow and protect the cleric. A cleric is able to cast spells as if his bondsman were himself. This ability works at any range.
The six primary gods are asleep. While they grant spells to their followers, they are not truly aware of them. Differing churches may both worship the same god and still be totally at odds in philosophy. Other, lesser gods arise from time to time, some even able to carve a foothold in a true god's worshipers.
Artifacts are scattered across the land. These items wield powerful magic, but corrupt the user and lead to madness: Monsters and Awakened Gods come from these.
derverdammte
Explorer
You know, is it just me, or does that last paragraph really grate? It's like those "We regret to inform you that the position has been filled" letters, where they end with "We sincerely wish you success in your future endeavors." Ick. At least when you get a typical rejection letter on a manuscript they don't BS you that way--they just say "this didn't meet our needs" and add why (if you're lucky). Getting a response like this makes me feel insulted. (Note: I'm not taking that notice personally--I'm objecting to the style and content of it.)
Even saying "we got a lot of great submissions, and we encourage everyone to continue submitting to us and other companies in the future" is better than the last sentence of that notice. It reeks of condescending PR-speak.
----
Edit: But likewise, congratulations to those who got picked! I wouldn't be surprised at all if over half of them were on this board. Some of you guys absolutely blow me away. =)
Even saying "we got a lot of great submissions, and we encourage everyone to continue submitting to us and other companies in the future" is better than the last sentence of that notice. It reeks of condescending PR-speak.
----
Edit: But likewise, congratulations to those who got picked! I wouldn't be surprised at all if over half of them were on this board. Some of you guys absolutely blow me away. =)
Last edited:
WOTC Setting Losers (Like me) Post here!
Let's roll out the non-winners! I'll go first.
====================
The Reborn World
Ethos: It is a world both newborn and ancient, a world of bronze, not steel, a world where the newly Freed fight ancient Abominations...and create legends.
1) Who are the heroes? They are the Freed Races, men and elves and dwarves and orcs and others. They are delvers, kings, explorers, crusaders against the darkness and the midwives of gods.
2) What do they do? Driven by pride, greed, or both, they are humans seeking to learn the secrets of dwarvish ironworking, or dwarves who seek to protect this knowledge against thieves. The priest-kings defend their against invasion by men or monsters. The explorers chart the rivers, cross the mountains, and dare to sail beyond sight of land. The crusaders return to the vast realms below the ground to battle the Abominations. Wizard put their minds and souls at risk to discover the secrets of the arcane, while others attempt to master the sorcerous taint within themselves. The faithful see their faith given form as new gods, young yet eternal, arise in response to their belief.
3) Threat, conflicts, villains: Man made the gods, but the gods did not make man. That task was done by the Abominations, the things which lived below the scarred and airless ruin of the surface. Slaves they sought, and the lakes of flesh gave rise to all the ancestors of those who now live in the sun. Then, the gods came, forged of pure faith, and they remade the surface into a land of seas, and forests, and life, and they led the faithful from their bondage. Now, the old masters remain below, cursing the gods and their followers, endlessly plotting a return to the old order, but this time, they shall dominate the surface world as well as the lands below. Safe far below the ground, they loose an endless stream of new horrors on the world above.
Furthermore, in the time since the gods departed, generations ago to humans and almost yesterday to the elves, conflicts have arisen among the Freed. Humans have spread far, encroaching on the lands of other races. Dwarves guard their secret knowledge jealously. Elves watch the world change in an eyeblink, and begin to fear...
4) Nature of Magic: Divine magic is everywhere, the gods newly formed out of the protoplasm of raw faith. The entire surface of the world is a product of divine creation, an event which occurred just beyond living memory, and the power of the gods still permeates every rock, every tree, every drop of water. Arcane magic is the magic of the Abominations, and what the Freed know of it, they know by theft and trickery. Those who delve too deeply into its secrets find only madness, but the Freed fear that, without the power of the arcane, they will not be able to withstand the Abominations should they rise from the depths. Some believe the answer lies along a third path, and odd cults and secret cabals seek to master the power of pure thought.
5) What makes it different? A world untamed and unexplored. A world where an iron sword is a treasure in itself. The First Cities, built by the gods as models of all cities to come. The death of a single elf, and why it caused the gods to no longer live directly among men. Men who create Gods.
Let's roll out the non-winners! I'll go first.
====================
The Reborn World
Ethos: It is a world both newborn and ancient, a world of bronze, not steel, a world where the newly Freed fight ancient Abominations...and create legends.
1) Who are the heroes? They are the Freed Races, men and elves and dwarves and orcs and others. They are delvers, kings, explorers, crusaders against the darkness and the midwives of gods.
2) What do they do? Driven by pride, greed, or both, they are humans seeking to learn the secrets of dwarvish ironworking, or dwarves who seek to protect this knowledge against thieves. The priest-kings defend their against invasion by men or monsters. The explorers chart the rivers, cross the mountains, and dare to sail beyond sight of land. The crusaders return to the vast realms below the ground to battle the Abominations. Wizard put their minds and souls at risk to discover the secrets of the arcane, while others attempt to master the sorcerous taint within themselves. The faithful see their faith given form as new gods, young yet eternal, arise in response to their belief.
3) Threat, conflicts, villains: Man made the gods, but the gods did not make man. That task was done by the Abominations, the things which lived below the scarred and airless ruin of the surface. Slaves they sought, and the lakes of flesh gave rise to all the ancestors of those who now live in the sun. Then, the gods came, forged of pure faith, and they remade the surface into a land of seas, and forests, and life, and they led the faithful from their bondage. Now, the old masters remain below, cursing the gods and their followers, endlessly plotting a return to the old order, but this time, they shall dominate the surface world as well as the lands below. Safe far below the ground, they loose an endless stream of new horrors on the world above.
Furthermore, in the time since the gods departed, generations ago to humans and almost yesterday to the elves, conflicts have arisen among the Freed. Humans have spread far, encroaching on the lands of other races. Dwarves guard their secret knowledge jealously. Elves watch the world change in an eyeblink, and begin to fear...
4) Nature of Magic: Divine magic is everywhere, the gods newly formed out of the protoplasm of raw faith. The entire surface of the world is a product of divine creation, an event which occurred just beyond living memory, and the power of the gods still permeates every rock, every tree, every drop of water. Arcane magic is the magic of the Abominations, and what the Freed know of it, they know by theft and trickery. Those who delve too deeply into its secrets find only madness, but the Freed fear that, without the power of the arcane, they will not be able to withstand the Abominations should they rise from the depths. Some believe the answer lies along a third path, and odd cults and secret cabals seek to master the power of pure thought.
5) What makes it different? A world untamed and unexplored. A world where an iron sword is a treasure in itself. The First Cities, built by the gods as models of all cities to come. The death of a single elf, and why it caused the gods to no longer live directly among men. Men who create Gods.
BigFreekinGoblinoid
First Post
I agree it would be great to read some of the "losing" enties! I'm sure to get my imagination fired up and find much to use!. Welcome to the boards mroberon1972! Why don't you edit the thread title to something like "post your setting" to encourage people to do just that? There are a lot of very creative people on the boards here, and I'd be stoked to read these...
Joe
PS - -I did not enter the contest. I'm deluding myself thinking that I may publish it myself someday... yeah right.
Joe
PS - -I did not enter the contest. I'm deluding myself thinking that I may publish it myself someday... yeah right.
derverdammte
Explorer
Good idea. I'll post mine, too. It wasn't exactly great, but maybe someone here can get some use out of it.
BENEATH THE GRAY
BENEATH THE GRAY: An ancient land shattered by old magic, where underground-dwelling humanoids and magic-mad spellcasters battle to reclaim the lighted surface of their planet.
The potential for heroism is widespread throughout the underground population; a wide variety of races and classes can effectively accomplish great things. Reasons for adventuring can be mundane (e.g., gaining money, power, or treasure), or they can be noble and heroic (e.g., disrupting schemes of the Scions of the Flame, or even taking the battle to the surface in a guerrilla war against the Burning Ones).
Heroes fight against surface-dwelling outsiders, struggle to ensure their races’ survival in the underworld, and ultimately attempt to topple the authority of the outsiders from the world of the Flame, making the surface safe again for the native races of the planet. It is possible for a hero to master the secrets of the Gray, tapping its power against the Burning Ones, but just as often, heroes can be found sheparding a small community, protecting them from immediate threats. In fact, these latter sorts of heroes achieve more recognition among the common populace; they are more “real” and immediate—they don’t spend their time battling distant threats that few understand.
The Scions of the Flame are the primary threat to the heroes; they are a traitorous faction of humanoids and planetouched who have allied themselves with the Burning Ones (the outsiders who rule the surface world). They kidnap underground-dwellers and use them as slaves or food, and they spy for the Burning Ones, alerting them of any threats to their authority.
The nature of magic changed during the massive cataclysm that hollowed out the planet. Magic flows from a continuum between the Flame and the Void (two pulsing centers of energy; the Void is located in the center of the world and the Flame is outside the planet itself, burning like a second sun) called the Gray. The Gray manifests physically as a tremendous column of opalescent energy spanning the gap between the Flame and Void. Magic is plentiful, but it inevitably causes insanity and physical changes, so wizards, clerics, and other spellcasting classes are either considered outcasts or brave martyrs.
BENEATH THE GRAY twists convention by reversing the typical association of light = good, dark = evil, making the PC heroes live on the lightless, hollow interior of their world. PCs have an unusual set of challenges, having to survive underground in cities carved out of the rock, and venturing to the surface to fight against the evil light-bearing outsiders who have taken over. Gameplay takes place in a world blasted by old magical battles, a world rife with dimensional rifts spewing hostile Burning Ones. Additionally, the unusual source of magic and the high price it carries will attract players looking for a unique roleplaying experience.
BENEATH THE GRAY
BENEATH THE GRAY: An ancient land shattered by old magic, where underground-dwelling humanoids and magic-mad spellcasters battle to reclaim the lighted surface of their planet.
The potential for heroism is widespread throughout the underground population; a wide variety of races and classes can effectively accomplish great things. Reasons for adventuring can be mundane (e.g., gaining money, power, or treasure), or they can be noble and heroic (e.g., disrupting schemes of the Scions of the Flame, or even taking the battle to the surface in a guerrilla war against the Burning Ones).
Heroes fight against surface-dwelling outsiders, struggle to ensure their races’ survival in the underworld, and ultimately attempt to topple the authority of the outsiders from the world of the Flame, making the surface safe again for the native races of the planet. It is possible for a hero to master the secrets of the Gray, tapping its power against the Burning Ones, but just as often, heroes can be found sheparding a small community, protecting them from immediate threats. In fact, these latter sorts of heroes achieve more recognition among the common populace; they are more “real” and immediate—they don’t spend their time battling distant threats that few understand.
The Scions of the Flame are the primary threat to the heroes; they are a traitorous faction of humanoids and planetouched who have allied themselves with the Burning Ones (the outsiders who rule the surface world). They kidnap underground-dwellers and use them as slaves or food, and they spy for the Burning Ones, alerting them of any threats to their authority.
The nature of magic changed during the massive cataclysm that hollowed out the planet. Magic flows from a continuum between the Flame and the Void (two pulsing centers of energy; the Void is located in the center of the world and the Flame is outside the planet itself, burning like a second sun) called the Gray. The Gray manifests physically as a tremendous column of opalescent energy spanning the gap between the Flame and Void. Magic is plentiful, but it inevitably causes insanity and physical changes, so wizards, clerics, and other spellcasting classes are either considered outcasts or brave martyrs.
BENEATH THE GRAY twists convention by reversing the typical association of light = good, dark = evil, making the PC heroes live on the lightless, hollow interior of their world. PCs have an unusual set of challenges, having to survive underground in cities carved out of the rock, and venturing to the surface to fight against the evil light-bearing outsiders who have taken over. Gameplay takes place in a world blasted by old magical battles, a world rife with dimensional rifts spewing hostile Burning Ones. Additionally, the unusual source of magic and the high price it carries will attract players looking for a unique roleplaying experience.
Taladas
Registered User
The Other 10,989 Settings
First of all congratulations to the eleven that pass on to the second round. Great Job!!!!
Well I thought I would start a thread to put up all of the setting submissions that were not selected. You know you’re curious so don’t be shy and post your settings.
First of all congratulations to the eleven that pass on to the second round. Great Job!!!!
Well I thought I would start a thread to put up all of the setting submissions that were not selected. You know you’re curious so don’t be shy and post your settings.
