Level Up (A5E) A Setting For Level Up

[Indagare Nogitsune]

There was a thread, a while back on new settings specifically for 5e or A5e. Folks seemed disappointed that Faerûn kept being used, which is understandable since they seem to be unable to get past Wizards of the Sword Coast. Eberron, Mystera, Athas, Krynn, Greyhawk, Spelljammer, and others tend to be left behind or updated slowly.

For January, once most of the holiday madness has ended, I think this could be a good community project for anyone interested. I'm starting this thread now so I don't forget.

I posted a poll with multiple different time periods and some other themes, though it's obviously not exclusive. Some parts of Faerûn (Al Qadim, Kara-Tur, Maztica, etc.) would also serve as good examples of "themed lands" that could double as an entire setting.

*"Wild West" does not have to specifically refer to the North American west, which involved genocide against Native Americans. It could be a more benign "new land" that allows for the themes of a Western but not the baggage. It can also be replaced by or exist along with the "Age of Exploration" (~1418 CE to 1620 CE) also called the "Age of Sail" where various new lands are being found (or, for a fun twist, the new lands find the 'known' ones instead).

^Though the First World War is known as this, a global war of any sort could fit the overall theme.

P.S. I found this on Reddit which may be of some help.

 

[Micah Sweet]

I'm leaning towards Age of Exploration/Golden Age of Piracy for a fantasy setting, but the Wild West is also an era with a lot of potential.

 

[Indagare Nogitsune]

I'm leaning towards Age of Exploration/Golden Age of Piracy for a fantasy setting, but the Wild West is also an era with a lot of potential.

I think these could be a lot of fun. They also aren't mutually exclusive given one takes place at sea and the other on land.

 

[Micah Sweet]

I think these could be a lot of fun. They also aren't mutually exclusive given one takes place at sea and the other on land.

Absolutely. Plenty of room for both, not to mention more general empire-stuff to represent the folks funding these expeditions and being pirated.

 

[Indagare Nogitsune]

Absolutely. Plenty of room for both, not to mention more general empire-stuff to represent the folks funding these expeditions and being pirated.

Exactly! This isn't even getting into privateers and the Gold Rush. If it's actually new land/sea (thanks to being part of an extensive demiplane or such that's just been discovered) the empires are definitely going to be interested and making claims.

 

[Katarhas]

This seems like a neat idea. What's your idea for the community project on the setting?

 

[Indagare Nogitsune]

This seems like a neat idea. What's your idea for the community project on the setting?

Ultimately, it would be to create a playable scenario based on the agreed upon setting and using the Three Pillars established in Level Up: Exploration, Social, and Combat.

There are Exploration Challenges built in to help with the first part. Social Interactions could be woven in: who can the PCs talk to? what info do they gain? how does this help them get closer to their goals? etc. Combat is, perhaps, an area of least concern. I think there's an expectation that the PCs will have to fight something eventually. The main thing would be making sure the Combat is appropriate, and there's a whole section for both Social Interactions and Combat Encounters under Designing Encounters, so we have some guidelines.

I'm not expecting a whole campaign (though that'd be nice), but I think something like a short adventure that serves as an introductory to Level Up is doable.

Thoughts?

 

[Tonguez]

I've become increasing enamoured of the 17th Century and War based scenarios - and did a couple of games set along the Rhine during the War of Spanish Succession.

Anyway, I've also be looking in to the 80 Years War (which overlapped with the 30 years war too) - which for this vote brings in the whole of "Age of Exploration", "Renaissance", "Golden Age of Piracy" and "Great War" as a theme.

Thats wha I'd love to see develop - mercenaries in gritty battles, naval raids, renaissance 'science' and old superstitons. A gritty early-modern fantasy campaign set in a world torn apart by a generation-spanning religious and political war. Merchant republics, holy empires, and fractured cities fight with pikes, powder, and unstable magic as faith falters, gods fall silent, and monsters creep into the cracks left by progress.

 

[aco175]

I like the idea, but think there should be some people that are some sort of tiebreaker. I'm not sure that we can all agree on too much.

 

[Indagare Nogitsune]

I've become increasing enamoured of the 17th Century and War based scenarios - and did a couple of games set along the Rhine during the War of Spanish Succession.

Anyway, I've also be looking in to the 80 Years War (which overlapped with the 30 years war too) - which for this vote brings in the whole of "Age of Exploration", "Renaissance", "Golden Age of Piracy" and "Great War" as a theme.

Thats wha I'd love to see develop - mercenaries in gritty battles, naval raids, renaissance 'science' and old superstitons. A gritty early-modern fantasy campaign set in a world torn apart by a generation-spanning religious and political war. Merchant republics, holy empires, and fractured cities fight with pikes, powder, and unstable magic as faith falters, gods fall silent, and monsters creep into the cracks left by progress.

Real history is full of all sorts of interesting scenarios that can be incorporated into a game and, sometimes, some very surprising overlaps and connections.

The only potential issue with the failing of faith would be including Clerics and Heralds in a way that would not diminish those classes. It's not like there aren't different settings where the deities were killed permanently (Athas), or where they went silent for a while (Krynn after the Cataclym), or even where they temporarily became mortal (Faerûn during the Times of Trouble), but I feel like if the setting is to incorporate A5e properly, there can't be classes left out in the cold, if that makes sense?