tell me what you think - campaign idea

[Drakmar]

hmm.. however.. I don't know if I want the Dwarves to use the classical battleax and warhammer as their weapons of choice.

hmmm...

the Rage Dwarves.. maybe they can still use the Ax.. cause they are easy to make n stuff..

the Deep dwarves.. traditional weapons.. hmm.. pick and hammer.. since they mine so much..

and the Standard dwarves.. hmmm... maybe the short sword.. hmm... maybe a Gladius.. heck.. .maybe I will stylish them a fair bit on the Romans.. yeah.. that could work. I just won't use short little red skirts

hmm.. what do you think? could work.

 

[Bendris Noulg]

Some nice ideas here...

I actually like the Flax. I'm playing a Fighter/Assassin that's Focused in it (Green Ronin's Assassin Class, Ass4/Ftr3). He'll be specializing in it at 9th Level (when he gains 8th Level, 4th as a Fighter, he'll be Specializing in Dagger, his "trade tools").

Anyhow, enough of that. I like the throw-back Humans idea. Could definately work.

Mind listing out the races in a clean list, indicating which magic type they are Advantaged in?

Afraid I don't have Quint Dwarf, but it just moved up near the top of my list (right after BoVD and Monsternomicon). I do have Hammer and Helm, though. I think there might be a few compatible ideas in there.

 

[Drakmar]

I will write that up later.. I am at work.. and avoiding it.. and feeling guilty.. prolly in about 2 hrs.

I am thinking of having a flexible Advantaged system.. still thinking on it.

 

[Drakmar]

ok.. belated addition.

Now.. I haven't got the exact names.. and the humans still need work.

The way I am working the advantaged system is to have it variable for all races, and just have a percentage of the population of mages in each field.

Advantaged Elements.
Rage Dwarves - Fire 50%, Earth 25%, The Rest 25%
Deep Dwarves - Earth 50%, Fire 50%, The Rest 25%
Standard Dwarves - Earth 35%, Fire 35%, The Rest 30%
Elves - Air 35%, Water 35%, The Rest 30%
Humans - Even Split. barring Void.. which has about a 5% market share.

Also. I have a couple of new feats.
Low-Light Vision - Must be taken at 1st level. - only can be taken if you have elven or dwarven blood.
Darkvision - Must be taken at 1st level - only can be taken if you have dusk elven or dwarven blood

Normal Elves vs Dusk Elves
All of the Normal Elves, are those elves that were born above the surface.. They are starting to run low.. if an Elf has dusky skin, it is usually a good indicator that they are from Down Below.

now.. to the Bad Guys.

I have decided that the Dracos Race is all one race. All eggs that are laid by the Kobolds, Lizardmen, or Half-Dragons.. hatch as Kobolds. And.. it takes about 100 years for a Kobold to grow into a Lizardman.. and about 200 years for a Lizardman to grow into a half-Dragon.

Also... overtime the Half-Dragon dudes, can grow in size. As they age.

I have also decided that it is possible for any of the Dracos races to speed up this growth.. by consuming Sentient creatures souls. I haven't decide how. But what I reckon.. they need about 1 CR worth of critters, for every year they want to reduce how long it takes to change. I need to refine it a little bit more.

 

[Drakmar]

hmm.. another idea.. I will make the Deep Dwarves.. Earth Genasi.. well.. sort of. .a modified version.. probably make the ECL +1 or 2.

 

[Sidran]

I would suggest renaming the age levels of the draco society to something else and do Half dragons become like full serpents at a certain age say like a young adult dragon.

Also you could use the idea from the time machine and have the draco's be mining the world for its metals, and raiding underland enclaves of men, elves, and dwarves for women for food, and breeding and have it be a society thing not to mention the loss of those taken. Perhaps the party will first leave the enclave to find and save a close friend taken in such a way.

Perhaps even having the Draco's ran by a Psionic overlord of a sort.

 

[Drakmar]

hmm.. I don't actually want the Draco lords to ever turn into actual dragons. They just get bigger and bigger.

Now.. I suppose that having the Dracos want metal could work.. I could steal an idea from a DM friend of mine.. Have the Dracos eat different metals.. ie.. Copper Ore..makes you green.. Pure Copper.. well.. makes you copper..you know.. that kind of thing.. Brimstone for Reds,, Gold for Golds.. and the reason different Draco's would chose a different substance to eat.. is purely personal preference.. I might make it difficult for the Kobold's and Lizardmen to eat the metals..

The other thing is.. I was thinking of personalising the Void Casters.. Each of the different Void Casters require a special focus to cast their magics.. most groups just use a Dagger of some sort.. because you just cut yourself to make a wound.

Elves.. they were a special helmet/facemask.. basically it is just a chrome egg helmet (that they can see and breath through).. when they start actually casting Void magic or have the Void Taint, it changes and it starts to look like a void.. (I am thinking with stars in it) Any damage they take from casting.. is basically cracks of Voidness that consumes there body but not from the edges.. and if they have time to heal.. the void goes away. So a Mage who has got like 1 hp left from casting.. almost completely looks like a Void creature of some sort.

Because of this, the Void Mage Elves, tend to wear long dark flowly robes.

The Deep Dwarves - Well.. their focus is a pair of special gauntlets. For them to cast they usually just hit themselves on the chest or arms or legs.. and that part of their flesh becomes more stonelike (not affecting movement) and starts to crack. So somebody on 1 hp from Void Magic, looks like a shattered statue that has somehow managed to stay in one piece.


Um..Standard Dwarves.. they just use an Athame.. a kind of dagger (wavy like a Kris, yeah.. I like that) and cut themselves.. and then blackness consumes them as the magic takes hold.. so a Void Mage on 1 hp seems to be a weakened dwarf covered in blackness.

Rage Dwarves - well.. they have a tradition of competely shaving.. and tattooing a Skull onto their face.. and tattooing black tentrils all over their bodies.. starting from their head. They just cut themselves with a Athame.. but they just start to be racked in pain (that shows on their faces and by their stance) that does not have any game effects at this point.

Now.. Human Void Mages. well.. they really tend to have either the Standard Dwarves method.. or the Rage Dwarves method (just minus the tattoos in most cases) Half-Elves are allowed to enter the Elven Tradition.. and if there is a Half-Deep Dwarf.. they are allowed to enter the Deep Dwarf Tradition.

Yeah.. I like those differences.

The Rage Dwarves.. the Skull Mask tradition.. is also used by their "scouts" which is a kind of assassin tradition, so a Rage Dwarf with the tattoos may not be a pure Void Mage (but if they have the blackness they are)

 

[Drakmar]

Ok.. I like your ideas Marcolino... so I will pinch them.. and expand how I see it fitting.

The Redemptionists
(some of this is Macolino verbatim)
The events occurred as the gods' punishment to the human race. The faction that adheres to this belief would focus on serving the dwarves as a measure of appreciation for "taking them in." They would also focus on serving the elves as a measure of apology for "getting them involved." This faction would work toward atonement and redemption of the human race. Many of these Humans have become rather non-violent. They make small communities near Elven or Dwarven Cites and Delves (Towns) and do their best to assist both Elves and Dwarves. Many of them have started to study and incorporate many of the Elven/Dwarven Traditions. They have not become slaves, however some Dusk elves have started to treat them without respect. Their favoured weapons are the same as their community. Some of this group have become very violent, due to the fact that they have joined with the Rage Dwarves, and are helping them fight the Orcs. They see saving the Rage Dwarves as their destiny.

The Chosen
The events occurred as a gift from the gods, driving them underground as part of humanity's growth. The faction that adheres to this belief would focus on advancing human influence in the underground world. This would be due to a "Manifest Destiny" for humanity. This faction would seek to expand through trade, diplomacy, warfare, or any other means at their disposal.
These humans have chosen to expand and embrace. They are the most dominant group. They have incorporated those aspects of both Dwarven and Elven culture that they find useful and ignored those that they don't. They have a very similar structure to the Standard Dwarves. and as such they tend to use the same gear as the Standard Dwarves, however they do value the Elven products.

The Greeners
The events occurred at the whim of the gods. It was simply some outside, possibly random force that brought this calamity upon the races as a whole. This faction seeks to one day return to the surface and reclaim their ancestral home.
Hmm... still thinking on this group. But I have thinking these guys stay closer to the surface. They are very similar to the Chosen. Main difference is.. they want to go back to the surface.. They also seem to have a preference for Leather goods. Every so often they send a Colonising party back to the surface.. none have been seen again. They tend to try and make very brightly lit Cities and Delves.. and they have gained the Elves assistance in making light that can support plants. Elves quite like visiting Greeners towns.

 

[Marcolino]

Drakmar,

Thanks. At least my ideas may be good for someone.

I, too, imagined the Redemptionists as a subservient and pacifist group. Although it does make sense that some of them may help their benefactors fight if that were their wish.

As for the Greeners, where would they get their leather? From some cave lizards? It wouldn't make too much sense to have cattle, etc. underground. Another thought, perhaps the elves who live among the Greeners aren't as "Dusky" as the rest of their kin? Just the idea of returning to the surface might start to brighten their outlook, as well as their skin.

 

[Drakmar]

well.. they are good ideas.. give me more.. and I will probably pinch them too if they suit the way I envisage the world.

The Redemptionists that fight.. I see them trying to be bodyguards.. and doing things to protect the Rage Dwarves.. And as a community the would all be fairly self-sacrificing.

The Greeners would probably get them from an underground riding Mammel - I am pinching the Cave Crawler from the quint Dwarf..

With the elves.. well.. that is sort of how I was planning it.. in the main Elven enclave they have created an artificial sun..and have speed the growth of many trees in there. This is the only thing (and smaller varients) that is preventing them from turning into Drow. so.. there could be some communities that have been cut off for some time.. and their children could be Drow already. (if you are an surface elf.. you don't become a dusk elf.. but you children do).

One of the major reasons from my party to go adventuring is that the Elven Elders (all Surface Elves) realise what is happening and believe that their people must return to the surface.