D&D General A Setting! A Setting!

[Brendan Byrd]

Mage-coaches:
Distributed evenly throughout the city, the mage-coach docking spires average 120m. in height, with the primary platform at 100m. These enigmatic towers all seem to be constructed entirely of metal, with the foundations extending far below ground. If doors exist at ground level, none have ever been found.

The mage-coaches themselves take the form of an elongated sedan chair, with a compartment in the front for the operator/driver. Unlike most sedan chairs, which are built to be as light as possible, these are made of a form of metal that continues to baffle metallurgists. Superficially, they resemble bronze, but have the hardness of steel. Decorative accents in gold and enamel display techniques that have not yet been matched by artisans within the city. The transparent windows seem to be of an unbreakable glass, while the interior paneling and fittings are made from a wood that experts have not yet identified.

Unlike a normal sedan chair with bearers, mage-coaches fly (or hover) at the will of the operator.

A fee schedule is posted inside (in five languages--three of which are unknown in the city and can only be read with the assistance of magic), and payment is placed in a transparent drawer that spans the divider between the operator and the passenger cabin. The largest can comfortably seat four, while the smallest hold two.
Always clean and vermin free, the fares are reasonable, and the range of operation is anywhere in the city.

Mage-coaches are available at all hours of the day, and can be waved down by a commonly known arm gesture.
On a couple of occasions over the last 900 years, a mage-coach has been stolen, in spite of the security precautions employed. Within the span of a month, they ceased to function. Rumors abound of what it takes to fly one of these devices, with no two tales agreeing on the details.

The guild, and clan members refuse to elaborate on these rumors, or provide information.

[Yup. Flying taxis.]

 

[Indagare Nogitsune]

On the bridge to Circle Isle, I was thinking there would be a need to move large objects/goods from Lambeth over to Cynelsa in some manner, as I had imagined that the Great Road was the main commerce line into the city. Having the bridge to Circle Isle does create a buffer to Lambeth directly - in a way I can see the imagery of a prideful Cynelsa noble staring east, a petulant Lambeth staring west and a humble Priest from Circle Isle passing notes between the two, because the C-L won't talk to one another. "Burning Lambeth bridges" could be a phrase like our own "burning bridges behind you" sentiment.

That makes sense. I can add one in and see how it works out. There would definitely need to be some intermediary between someone from Lambeth and someone from Cynelsa, though that sort of rivalry gives a lot of Romeo and Juliet potential. Whether it is a Priest or Wizard would likely depend on where they need to meet and exactly how bad things might be likely to get. "That's a real Priest and Wizard meeting" could refer to a situation fraught with peril since needing both is not a good sign.

Of course, with the Skybound it could be that large objects are moved by flying elephants instead of common wagons, taking Lambeth out of the picture for trading goods. Also makes the phrase "When Elephants Fly/The Elephants Have Flown" mean that something important/big is up - usually involving some change coming from Cynelsa.

As a side note, this could make the derogatory curse in Lambeth (towards Cynelsa) be "When Pigs Fly" .

nods I mean, there is a lot of potential for sayings and, especially, derogatory curses when it comes to Cynelsa just because the folks there are generally seen as rich snobs. I can definitely see Cynelsa having a regular menagerie of flying critters whether they're simply winged versions of regular animals or some form of hippogryph or gryphon. I had thought that some form of raven/cat-gryphon exists at the Wiggend Palace for the same reasons the ravens of the Tower of London are there.

As I'm also thinking about it, there is probably a ferry or flight that Cynelsa gentry use to pass back and forth with Hackwark - maybe it involves that little lake on the border between Cynelsa and Waveswith?

Brendan Byrd's mage-coaches would definitely work with a flight. Besides the underground passages you mentioned for the Palaise de Operium, there could be skyways in. To avoid a spectacle the mage-coaches those of Cynelsa use could probably be made invisible or have some other illusory effect to avoid notice: if they want to avoid notice, of course. The skyways could lead directly to reserved royal boxes or other places within the Palaise that only the royals (or very rich) are supposed to go.

 

[Brendan Byrd]

Brendan Byrd's mage-coaches would definitely work with a flight. Besides the underground passages you mentioned for the Palaise de Operium, there could be skyways in. To avoid a spectacle the mage-coaches those of Cynelsa use could probably be made invisible or have some other illusory effect to avoid notice: if they want to avoid notice, of course. The skyways could lead directly to reserved royal boxes or other places within the Palaise that only the royals (or very rich) are supposed to go.

I suppose it would make sense for the Mage-coach Guild to have a charter from the monarchy in exchange for some specialized transportation services. Velvet curtains are also useful.
Not an exclusive charter of course, since there are 7 million people in the city...no real way to keep up with that.

Spoiler: Mage-coach Metagame Information

[The mage-coach concept is based on Form spells with the optional special effects, and a modified version of Create Minor Helm. These are the closest guarded secrets of the clans that form the membership of the Guild.
They always pilot their mage-coaches at tactical speed or slower.

EDIT: Create Minor Helm is always cast as a spell and NEVER made permanent.

Magically buoyant craft can be comissioned from them at a price they use as a deterrent. Need a chariot light enough that your herd of flying cats can pull it--these folks can build it.]

Lighter-than-air ships are also likely. Zepplin busses?

 

[Indagare Nogitsune]

I suppose it would make sense for the Mage-coach Guild to have a charter from the monarchy in exchange for some specialized transportation services. Velvet curtains are also useful.
Not an exclusive charter of course, since there are 7 million people in the city...no real way to keep up with that.

Given there have been various sumptuary laws through the years, I imagine that, at one time, there was such a prohibition on the general populous using mage-coaches. The wealthy absolutely would want a monopoly on that if they could do so. Mind you, that sort of thing never ends well and after the Great Burning it could have been rescinded.

Spoiler: Mage-coach Metagame Information

[The mage-coach concept is based on Form spells with the optional special effects, and a modified version of Create Minor Helm. These are the closest guarded secrets of the clans that form the membership of the Guild.
They always pilot their mage-coaches at tactical speed or slower.

EDIT: Create Minor Helm is always cast as a spell and NEVER made permanent.

Magically buoyant craft can be comissioned from them at a price they use as a deterrent. Need a chariot light enough that your herd of flying cats can pull it--these folks can build it.]

This makes sense. Given how this is turning out, there are likely to be spells that don't normally exist in other settings because of the sheer amount of magitech available. I could see something like the Creation Forges being developed too, which led to the collapse of manufacturing in the Darco District akin to the various steel mill closures in the US or the way the Industrial Revolution caused many independent artists to struggle since the mass-manufacturing of goods was faster and led to cheaper goods (prices the indies couldn't match if they wanted to make rent and eat).

Lighter-than-air ships are also likely. Zepplin busses?

I mean, if there aren't dirigibles what would even be the point? But, certainly, there could be some type of air services. There's historic precedence for a lot of interesting designs that might not have worked in RL but could do so on a fantasy world. I do think that busses and trolleys are likely much more common and there would probably be some form of ground-based cab business. There's definitely a subway system and elevated (El) trains.

 

[Indagare Nogitsune]

For those watching, I've updated the city map again. I've yet to include the El lines and subway system, but I hope to get to them eventually. I also added some more info under Robinford.

 

[Brendan Byrd]

It's mostly stuff that still needs filled in eventually. The Standard Races/Species are definitely present and, here, include Kobolds, Goblins, Hobgoblins, Bugbears, and Orcs (I think these are included more often lately, but I want to be explicit about it). Ellindam is the type of city where very nearly any sort of race can be found just because it's very large and very influential. Much like London and New York, there has been a lot of immigration over the years.

A couple of things floating in my head on this (and a bit beyond the city proper):

1) The Fey are responsible for a lot of weird things. One of them is possibly changing Humans ala Changling: The Lost. If they aren't directly responsible for all the races/species there are certainly ones that usedto be Human and were changed by them. This is also why a lot of the Humanoids can successfully interbreed even though RL genetics would not likely allow such progeny.
< snip >
3) The Goblins have very malleable DNA (or whatever passes for it). That said, it's a bit harder for such traits to remain consistently over the course of generations (this is also partly inspired by the Gremlin films). Hobgoblins and Bugbears are two notable exceptions, though why is unclear. Kobolds might also be subject to some interesting variations too, though I like to think they have better luck retaining features.

Without even touching the implied mutations due to industrial pollution...

The Everchanging:
The world from which the Everchanging emmigrated is unknown to all but the most learned scholars. What is known: the whelps of this species almost never resemble their parents, unless it is by pure chance. Variations in height, weight, eyes, hair, teeth, etc. are normal.

EDIT: Formatting dissapeared in the tables, alas.
As a starting point:

Spoiler: Variability Tables

Revised / Ressurected take on Orcs, Goblins, Hobgoblins, and Ogres. [aka Beastmen: HWBS]

Base Height and Weight

(d20)Height Weight
1 3'8" 40
2 3'10" 45
3 4' 50
4 4'2" 60
5 4'4" 70
6 4'6" 80
7 4'6" 90
8 4'8" 100
9 4'10" 110
10 5' 120
11 5'2" 130
12 5'4" 140
13 5'6" 150
14 5'8" 160
15 5'10" 170
16 6' 180
17 6'2" 200
18 6'4" 220
19 6'6" 240
20 6'8" 260



Modifiers to Height
Ability Str Con
Score

3 -6" -3"
4-5 -4" -2"
6-7 -2" -1"
8-9
10-11
12-13
14-15 +3" +1"
16-17 +6" +2"
18-19 +9" +3"
20 +1' +4"



Modifiers to Weight (lbs.)
Ability Str Con
Score

3 -10 -20
4-5 -5 -15
6-7 -10
8-9 -5
10-11 +0
12-13 +5
14-15 +10
16-17 +5 +15
18-19 +10 +20
20 +15 +25


Eyes
Iris (d8) Pupil (d8) Sclera (d8)
1 Black 1 Black 1 White
2 Blue 2 Black 2 White
3 Green 3 Brown 3 Yellow
4 Brown 4 Brown 4 Yellow
5 Red 5 White 5 Pale Green
6 Blue 6 Red 6 Pale Green
7 Two colours 7 Green 7 Black
Roll d6 twice 8 Yellow 8 Black
8 None


Ears (d8)

1 Pointed Tips, Very Small
2 Rounded Tips, Very Small
3 Pointed Tips, Normal Size
4 Pointed Tips, Normal Size
5 Rounded Tips, Normal Size
6 Rounded Tips, Normal Size
7 Pointed Tips, Very Large
8 Rounded Tips, Very Large

Hair Colour (d8)

1 Black
2 Brown
3 Green
4 Yellow
5 Red
6 Blue
7 Two colours; Roll d6 twice and use both
8 None


Skin Colour (d6)

1 Sickly Yellow
2 Pasty Green
3 Muddy Brown
4 Leprous White
5 Reddish Brown
6 Mottled / Spotted; Roll d6 twice and use both. (Ignore 6's)


Teeth (d6)

1 Even, Human-like
2 Short, Shark-like
3 Protruding Upper Canines
4 Protruding Lower Canines
5 Rabbit-like Overbite
6 Protruding Jaw and Underbite

Other Characteristics (d20)

Spoiler: Possible Species Build (d20 ish, minus background)

SPECIES: Everchange

Binomal: Homo mutabilis​

Type: Humanoid
Size: (Varies. See charts above to calculate.)

Medium (4'-8', 60-500 lbs.)​

Small (2-4', 8-60 lbs.; +1 AC/Attack, +4 Hide, -4 Grapple)​

Base Speed: 40' (ex)
Ability Score Modifiers:

+1 Str, +1 Con​

Favored Classes:

Warrior* (Fighter) (ex)​

Expert* (Rogue) (ex)​

Each time a level is taken in one of these classes, choose a bonus:

either +1 hit point​

or +1 skill rank​

*3.5 UA Generic classes

INNATE CHARACTERISTICS

SENSES
Darkvision 60 Feet (su) (2 RP):

Black and white vision in complete darkness, up to 60 feet.​

DEFENSE
Natural Armor (ex) (2 RP)

+1 natural armor bonus to Armor Class.​

Improved Natural Armor (ex) (1 RP)

Prerequisite: Natural armor trait​

Benefit: Additional +1 bonus to natural armor.​

Plagueborn (ex) (1 RP)

+2 bonus to saving throws against disease, ingested poisons, and becoming nauseated or sickened.​

OFFENSE
Bite (ex) (1 RP)

Prerequisites: Small or larger size​

Benefit: A natural bite attack; damage determined by creature size.​

Small: 1d2​

Medium: 1d3​

Bite is either a primary attack, or a secondary attack if the creature is wielding manufactured weapons.​