Shatterworld: Maps, Mythology, Monsters

[Niccodaemus]

Hi folks,

A few months ago (October), I started a blog for my campaign world, Shatterworld. It is something I started designing two years ago, but it contains a lot of ideas I developed from my the very first campaign world I designed back in the early 80's.

I have the entire "known world" roughed in, as well as a couple of detailed areas that are mapped at a scale of 1" = 1 mile, and a number of maps/scales in between.

The setting is "system neutral" (all "fluff", no "crunch"), but designed with an AD&D sensibility. The mythology is distilled to 7 major deities, which are integral to the design aesthetic.

"Declare to me from the beginning, and tell me which of them first came to be.

In truth at first was born Kronos (Time) the wily, then Aeros (Air) came to be. And the darkness was sundered by Pyros (Fire). But next came the deep Hydros (Water), from which sprung wide-bosomed Gaia (Earth), the ever-sure foundation of all the deathless ones who hold the Peak and the Pit. And the children of these, and most dear to all, are Phusis (Flora) and Phanes (Fauna), who Lords over all."
-Darkstar, Archon of Time; Theogeny 217




I've answered my "twenty questions" about the setting:


Twenty Questions about Shatterworld

1)What is the deal with my cleric's religion?

Clerics are followers of "The Way". There are 7 prime gods in Calabria, which cover the domains of Earth, Air, Fire, Water, Time, Flora and Fauna. Larger cathedrals and temples have shrines to each of the Seven. Smaller temples are devoted to each of the single gods/goddesses. A Cleric generally serves all gods, but some may devote themselves to individual gods.

2)Where can we go to buy standard equipment?

For military equipment, a town or city. There are numerous throughout Calabria. For more basic needs, a village, or with luck, a hamlet.

3)Where can we go to get platemail custom fitted for this monster I just befriended?

Most people will flee in terror at the sight of a monster, or try to kill it. The odds of befriending one are slim to none.


4)Who is the mightiest wizard in the land?

Before The Shattering, a cataclysmal event which occurred 1300 years ago, it was undoubtedly one of the seven Archons, servants of the Gods since time immemorial. It is not known if the Archons were destroyed in The Shattering, retreated from the world, or chose to seclude themselves. Knowledge of magic has been mostly lost, but there are some have kept to the old ways, and others who seek knowledge anew. Alchemy is in vogue in the larger cities of Calabria.

5)Who is the greatest warrior in the land?

"Warrior" is a mercenary role in much of Calabria. There are some exceptions, with the rangers who prowl the wilds, the noble if somewhat quixotic Knights of the Empire, and the warriors of the Clans of the Men of Old. There are formal tournaments held in Oregate. Out of the participants, it is usually one of the Knights of the Empire or one of the King's knights who win the tourney.

6)Who is the richest person in the land?

Oregate is the richest territory in Calabria, and the only monarchy to survive The Shattering. The other territories are ruled by groups of powerful merchants. While there are many wealthy merchants, particularly in the cities, none compare to the wealth of the king of Oregate.

7)Where can we go to get some magical healing?

There are many wells and springs throughout the land reputed to have magical healing powers.

8)Where can we go to get cures for the following conditions: poison, disease, curse, level drain, lycanthropy, polymorph, alignment change, death, undeath?

Aside from the magical wells, many remote hamlets have wise folk who practice hedge magic. The knowledge of the Druids of the Clans of Men is also great. Some among the Knights of the Empire are reputed to have healing powers in reward for their pure hearts.

9)Is there a magic guild my MU belongs to or that I can join in order to get more spells?

The search for magic is competitive. Sharing of knowledge is rare.

10)Where can I find an alchemist, sage or other expert NPC?

Large towns or cities throughout Calabria.

11)Where can I hire mercenaries?

Calabria is a mercenary economy. Nearly any town or city. Many travel the Via Imperium (the paved imperial road which winds through Calabria) looking for work.

12)Is there any place on the map where swords are illegal, magic is outlawed or any other notable hassles from Johnny Law?

There are many remote places with their own customs.

14) Which way to the nearest tavern?

Most villages will have a tavern, but not necessarily an inn. Towns and cities have inns.

15)What monsters are terrorizing the countryside sufficiently that if I kill them I will become famous?

The countryside is relatively peaceful. The occasional Wyrm or Wyvern will attack livestock. Very rarely, a giant or dragon will terrorize a locale. Most other creatures operate by stealth, and are tricky to discover.

16)Are there any wars brewing I could go fight?

Not in Calabria at the present time. However, there are many lands over the seas.

17)How about gladiatorial arenas complete with hard-won glory and fabulous cash prizes?

Oregate has many tournaments. Calabria is a mercenary economy, so there is always work for hire.

18) Are there any secret societies with sinister agendas I could join and/or fight?

I don't know. If there are, they are secret.

19) What is there to eat around here?

Grain, mutton, pork, venison, boar, roots, mushrooms, and herbs are the common fare. Wild game is plentiful. Travelers will find hospitality as most homes and hamlets. Villages, towns and cities have commercial fare.

20)Any legendary lost treasures I could be looking for?

There are numerous ruins covering Calabria which pre-date The Shattering. Tales of lost treasure and magic are countless. The Nameless City is rumored to hold great secrets, but only the most daring venture there.

21) Where is the nearest dragon or other monster with Type H treasure?

The Iron Hills are rumored to be the home of Giants, and perhaps a Dragon or two.

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I've designed it primarily for my own purposes, but put it out there for the gaming community as well. Hopefully, you'll find something in it that you will find useful for your own campaign.

 

[[OMENRPG]Ben]

What program did you use to make the maps? Are the cities that you have on the maps just random squiggles or did you actually plot out the city and then zoom out? Either way, if I was a player, I'd be very intrigued.

What do you mean by "mercenary economy?" Does that mean it is sort of like freelance capitalism? Is it like "I need to kill my enemy so I'll hire some assassins, or I need to harvest my crops so I'll hire some farm workers, etc?"

 

[Niccodaemus]

What program did you use to make the maps? Are the cities that you have on the maps just random squiggles or did you actually plot out the city and then zoom out? Either way, if I was a player, I'd be very intrigued.

What do you mean by "mercenary economy?" Does that mean it is sort of like freelance capitalism? Is it like "I need to kill my enemy so I'll hire some assassins, or I need to harvest my crops so I'll hire some farm workers, etc?"

I used Adobe Illustrator to do the world layout. Then imported to photoshop. Each enlargement is done in photoshop. Every terrain type (forest, mountains, rivers and lakes) is on a separate layer, and I use filters (bevel, drop shadow, etc...) to get a look I'm happy with.

The cities are just dots or a large hexagon with texture. For the farmland, I went to google maps, did a screen shot of farmland at the same scale (1" = 1 mile), and added it as a layer in photoshop. I reduced the opacity of the layer, and changed the hue/saturation/contrast to get it to blend.

As for mercenary economy, yes it is like freelance capitalism. That is, rather than having a feudal system, where by rights every character should be in service to a higher ranking noble, the ruling class are merchants, and nearly everyone and everything are fore hire.

So basically, your adventuring group could be a business. A "company" that is hired to do a job, or put on retainer to be called upon when needed. The company could hire underlings to do simple jobs for them, decide which among them are best fit for a particular job, etc...

In other words, as individuals you are not obligated to anyone. If you take a contract, all that matters is that you fulfill it in order to get paid.

A merchant might hire you to guard a caravan, or to provide guards for his stronghold. An alchemist might hire you to find some lost magic. Even the church can hire you to oversee some sort of quest. But you can't be "ordered" by anyone to do anything, unless you specifically enter a country that is run by a king.

The idea is for the game world to actually work the way players tend to play. Take or leave a job as they see fit, without any major repercussions.

And yes, if someone wants to hire you to kill an enemy, that can happen too. The laws governing such acts are very loose. As long as the person hiring you has just cause in the eyes of the community, vengeance is fair game.
Most people will stay out of it unless it affects their pocket book. Since laws are made by councils of merchants, they are likely to look the other way if what you do is considered "good for business".

For this reason, paladins, rangers, and cleric types are feared by merchants, because they have motivations besides money. So while the merchant councils might smile with clenched teeth, they will generally be happy when you move on to another town. Paladins in particular might tend to be troublesome for merchants, acting on the behalf of the underdog in an unfair and questionably legal deal (like a merchant who, through a contract loophole, takes over all the farms in a village, forcing the people to starve)

Clerics who are too invested in the inner workings of the church might also find themselves less than welcome. Think of it in terms of historical "saints" who were martyred because they claimed to be operating on behalf of god, in opposition to the politics of the church. The average priest is not a cleric... just a guy doing a job. Clerics get their powers because of their most unusual devotion to the gods.

Most council members are where they are because they bought their positions. So while it isn't exactly "divine right", they aren't freely elected by the people either. This makes corruption at high levels very common.

The goal of the design is to give a fairly mundane feel to the day to day life of the average citizen of the world, while having corruption and petty feuds through all levels of politics and religion, and letting the players be free agents in the world at large.

Monsters for the most part are relegated to forests, caves, graveyards and swamps. Orcs and goblins are not "martial" enemies. They don't go about attacking towns and such.

Adventuring is more about entering dangerous territory for specific reasons than wandering about the civilized countryside. I call it a "points of darkness" setting. Something that could work well with a horror/weird fantasy approach.

 

[[OMENRPG]Ben]

Cool. I like it. Keep up the good work.