Creative Exercise -- NOW LAUNCHED, but moved to rpg.net. URL Inside.

[Desdichado]

IFor my part, I'd be interested in something like that; however, I'm not too savvy on the Wheel of Time rules. I've a fair knowledge of the setting, but, well, that's not as helpful.

Of course, if the idea is just to pull away from D&D'isms, that makes things a bit easier.

That is the idea, is all. I kinda regret mentioning the WoT rules! If you like, think of this as "a setting that could be used (with minor modification) with any fantasy rpg system from D&D to Runequest to GURPS, etc."

 

[Doug McCrae]

But you could have lots of really interesting religions where folk worship the colour yellow or whatever and the more conventional god-bothering type. What's wrong with that?

I'm surprised about the dragon thing. I was sure I saw an early post that said there weren't any.

 

[Desdichado]

Anyway, it sounds like maybe there's enough interest -- I'll start it up and see if it flies. If not, maybe I'll just occasionally add to it and hope that interest picks up.

Anyway, here's a few minor constraints, and then beyond this, anything goes!

1. Do not assume the D&D ruleset. In fact, try to focus on setting elements that would work in any FRPG ruleset.
   
2. Magic is more rare, but not any less powerful. Magicians (or wizards, or sorcerers, or whatever they call themselves) are beings to be feared.
   
3. A more humanocentric campaign. I don't mind some other races, but I'd like a traditional Swords & Sorcery feel like Fritz Leiber or Robert E. Howard, and those guys pretty much focused on humans and human nations.
   
4. Let's try to get nice and fantastic cultures. I don't want "fantasy Vikings" or "fantasy Japanese" or "fantasy Arabs"; let's try and imagine human (with occasional non-human) ethnic groups and cultures that are truly different.
   
5. Ideally, we could end up detailing the equivalent of an entire continent, but for now, let's focus on... uh... the kingdom of Razina. All details forthcoming.
   
6. Other than that, the same rules as Mouseferatu's thread about how to post and what to post. No exclusions, no negativity (unless there's an active contradiction, and even then, let's try to work both ideas in rather than exclude one) and all the typical rules you hear from your "Group Facilitators" about good brainstorming processes.

I think since I put the contraints out there, I'll consider that the equivalent of the first addition, and wait and see if anything else comes in before I muck it up with my stuff again.

 

[Rystil Arden]

Doug: No one has seen dragons recently. But they have had a serious and profound effect on the world and its beliefs.

I'll give you an example of what's wrong with that with an actual post we had to edit. After creating plenty of interesting religions (one worships sacred lizards, one worships the Flame, one worships the Dawn and the Twilight, etc, they aren't so different from the god-botherers, but at the same time they have more of a feeling of human empowerment by the world around them, and less of a "Gee guys, let's go to Arborea and have a chat with Zeus and the other gods" feel) which had differing opinions about Eyrian creation (many of which involved divine beings, but no deities), one person made a post that everyone knew that there was actually a big, omnipotent creator god who created all of Eyros and lent His power to the other beings which why they could be worshipped and people could cast arcane magic. With or without the negative post, this didn't fit with the flavour of the setting so far. And the inclusion of gods would allow someone to post "All the other religions are actually secretly being powered by my god Barbahsal, so they don't really matter" or something. In my mind, even positive posts are somewhat negative (i.e.: If I declare that X kingdom is known for its fearsome Transmuters, I'd appreciate it if someone else didn't make a nearby kingdom that had "The best transmuters in all the world."

Joshua: Sounds like a much-refined idea from before. I personally don't think I would want to post without some regulation to make sure someone doesn't go crazy with the setting's flavour, but I wish you good luck!

 

[Desdichado]

Presumably that's a Eyros statement, not a Razina statement, right?

 

[Rystil Arden]

Yes, I started it before you posted yours, sorry!

 

[Desdichado]

Post a Razina statement and all will be forgiven.

 

[Desdichado]

I'll let this sit for a day or two and see if it picks up; I have a feeling the field may be a bit too busy right now for another one of these. If this doesn't pick up by then, and since I'm especially trying to make a system neutral, D&D-baggage free setting, maybe I'll have more luck at rpg.net.

 

[der_kluge]

Don't know if you're wanting to start or not, but I'll try...


In the lands of Razina, the people believe that all objects and people are tied to the spirit world.

 

[Desdichado]

Actually, I think maybe I will shut it down and I'm just typing up a thread at rpg.net to do it there instead. That seems appropriate since I'm looking at removing D&D-baggage, right? I'll post a link once I'm done.