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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Ralts Bloodthorne" data-source="post: 2926828" data-attributes="member: 6390">OK, which shall we address first? The Nature of the Gods, the Races, or magic?Better go with Gods...GodsNow, we can use one of several templates, but let us look at what is fun.Aloof and uncaring is typical, and honestly, not much fun.Petty, meddling, vain, and childish, ala Greek/Roman myth! That's always fun, AND prevents the rise of "One True Church" and "One Kingdom!" While Rome stretched over much of the known world, they are a special case, and we're not going to allow a republic or democracy to exist on our world.Let's go with Vain, meddling, Petty, vengeful, and childish. Our gods may often walk among the mortals in disguise, may take sides during a war by providing divine intervention.To what level? Let's go with the Xena and Hercules models. Intricate, but childish plotting, powerful beings that really aren't very all knowing and wise.Hmmm, Elhonna led the races across the land bridge to Wee-Jas herself! Obad-Hai wanted the races to remain, and this caused the initial schism. While in the PHB he's a rival, what if it's a little more than that, each side accusing the others of heresy?Wee-Jas corrupted the peoples that Elhonna led to the continent, forcing Elhonna to lead some to Vershint, and a mighty mortal named St. Cuthbert led the others to Halstain?Works for me.Now, see, in deciding how the Gods interact, you can also start history. Halstain is named for St. Cuthbert's unspoken love to a woman who died during the retreat.Those who worshipped Wee-Jas became corrupted and twisted, resulting in Orcs, Goblins, and kobolds! There's some racail data.So, we decide which Gods we want to use (obviously, I'm dealing with PHB gods) and what level of interference they have.Now, we'll also make it so that the PHB Gods are worshipped on all the continents, but the starting continent Beltrain is thier primary continent (And coincedently, where the PC's get to start!)What's next? Ahhhh, magic... <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" />On MagicHere's where you have to make some decisions...<ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Power level</li> </ul>This is the most important decision you can make. Logically, everything has to fit together. You need to address this right after, or right before, the Gods. I did right after for a reason, see, I have a vision, and that will show up in a moment, but first, power level...OK, let's put it where magic items are uncommon, but not rare. Most villages have a low level cleric and wizard, or at least a mid-level adept. This extends life expectancy as well as lowers the child-death rate and death due to child-birth, farm accidents, infections, etc.Dragons are rare, but not unheard of. Each dragon claims several hundred square miles as it's territory, so you aren't going to encounter flocks of them around the watering hole.Artifacts exist, and now is where we decide where they are...Open up a spreadsheet, and enter in the name of each one. Now, for your columns, enter the following:NameLocationLast OwnerPrevious OwnerPrevious OwnerPrevious OwnerLast Known LocationPrevious LocationPrevious LocationPrevious LocationTime LostCreatorMethod of CreationMethod of DestructionPowersCursesBad ThingsNow, we get to fill those out, but not  right now. We'll do that later.Who knows how long we'll be using this campaign. With my luck, it'll last like Shtar, and I'll be DMing the goddamn thing 25 years later!OK, now, what should be the levels of the wizards/clerics/adepts?How about this... 1d4+1 level. That's for your small thorps and hamlets.Potions aren't falling out of everyone's spice racks, but aren't completely unknown either.Since the Gods exist, it would not be uncommon for a shrine or small church to possess at least a few (1d8) potions of curing and a couple (1d4) potions of cure disease.The level of magic covers the spectrum, but unless you are in a metropolis or large city, you won't see guards packing magical weapons and wearing magical armor.Let's keep sorcerers and wizards standard, but RIGHT HERE, let's add a little common sense...Power Words only take up a single damn page. Let us fix that now.And now, onto:<ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Where did Magic Come From?</li> </ul>You know who always gets a bad rap? Vecna. Seriously, what did he do? Well, in our setting, let's have that he did a Promethus.Vecna stole magic from the Gods and brought it to Mortals. Kas accepted Nerull's coin and killed him, but Vecna's power flowed outward and everyone learned magic.We need a fable, and Vecna and Kas work...And now we have a fable! I know, stupid, right? Well, right there we have some history.Fables and tales are a lot of work, but something I recommend. Having those fables and those little folk-tales may seem like nobody would notice, but some role-players really enjoy hearing it, and having the party facing a Lich who has a small sparkling mote in a glass ball gives it a sense of history. This guy was there, he SAW Vecna, Kas, and Nerull go at it. Or at least, someone was, and this Lich has a piece of history. Is it an artifact? What happens if you bust the glass bubble and let the mote go free?Where it came from should have a fable attached.Oh, crap, you know what, I forgot to talk about what we're going to need to have.Folders.Yup. Three ring binders, spiral notebooks or college ruled log books.Graph paper.Pencils, normal and coloured.Pens, multiple colours.Highlighters.Now, take the spirals or log books, and label them with the following:<ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Magic</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Human</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Half-orc</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Halfling</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Gnome</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Half Elf</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Elf</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Dwarf</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Humaniod</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Gods</li> </ul>That will do for now.So, inscribe your basic "true" fable on where magic came from in the magic book.Now, as far as magic power level goes, do we want to build in a nerf on the cleric? I say, as the Gods are petty and cruel, for this world, we do.All clerics/Paladins MUST choose a god.Spells 1-3 level can be taken from any domain.Spells 4-6 can be taken from the primary and secondary domains.7-9 are from the PRIMARY domain ONLY!Let's go even further, with adjusting the magic.All sorcerers and wizards must be specialized.That puts the breaks on spells.Now, this isn't necessary for every world, but it does make a quick, easy, and common sense way to deal with magical power level.OK, now for the fun one...</blockquote>

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