Dungeoncraft - 4th edition style
- Thread starter Delgar
- Start date
Stormtalon
First Post
I've had a world fragment in my current 3.5 semi-campaign that's much like yours, though I think I took it a bit farther. Some things I've done to flesh 'em out and make things more distinct:
1) Most people are clean-shaven and bald, even women. This is a preventative measure instituted after one inventive lich created a nasty plague of undead lice. Those few people who are immune to the effects of the lice tend to grow their hair very long and use flamboyant styles.
2) In remote areas (aka: places where the characters may one day travel) civilization has survived underground and has had to adapt to the new circumstances. The leaders of these enclaves are all powerful necromancers out of necessity -- the only way they have left to defend against the hordes of undead is to use undead themselves; by common agreement and universal hatred of the abominations, the creation of, use of and/or alliances with free-willed undead has been forbidden. Envision imposing granite buildings sitting on blasted grey land with skeletal guards tirelessly watching for the uncontrolled raving mobs of feral (or worse) undead.
1) Most people are clean-shaven and bald, even women. This is a preventative measure instituted after one inventive lich created a nasty plague of undead lice. Those few people who are immune to the effects of the lice tend to grow their hair very long and use flamboyant styles.
2) In remote areas (aka: places where the characters may one day travel) civilization has survived underground and has had to adapt to the new circumstances. The leaders of these enclaves are all powerful necromancers out of necessity -- the only way they have left to defend against the hordes of undead is to use undead themselves; by common agreement and universal hatred of the abominations, the creation of, use of and/or alliances with free-willed undead has been forbidden. Envision imposing granite buildings sitting on blasted grey land with skeletal guards tirelessly watching for the uncontrolled raving mobs of feral (or worse) undead.
Ethalias
First Post
Firstly, great thread, and thanks for the link to those articles; they're new to me and are a goldmine!
Secondly, I was thinking perhaps, unbeknown to the residents of the valley, there is a link to the underdark somewhere behind the defensive wall, which could spell doom if discovered by BBEG etc, or could provide link up with another POL. It would certainly shake up the status quo.
Keep up the good work everyone
Secondly, I was thinking perhaps, unbeknown to the residents of the valley, there is a link to the underdark somewhere behind the defensive wall, which could spell doom if discovered by BBEG etc, or could provide link up with another POL. It would certainly shake up the status quo.
Keep up the good work everyone
Dodavehu
First Post
What a great thread!
@White Tornado: Perhaps the vampire mage became undead specifically to combat the worsening goblinoid problems. As he (and perhaps other stuward defenders of the world) began to age, they saw that they couldn't hold back the tide much longer. The mage had an ancient ritual that he'd found and decided to use it in a desparate effort to keep the "good" races from being killed.
As time went on, the mage became more and more warped by his undead state and eventually decided that goblinoids (gnolls, whatever) weren't the only problem--all natural creatures were corrupting the pristine world he was tasked with protecting. He devised a plan to "purify" the world once and for all. He's converting all of the clean races into undead in order to rise up and destroy the savage species once and for all.
I had a city really similar to Hallowfaust in my game (it was based on the Necromancer's Guide from 2nd if anyone remembers those blue books). It was one of my favorites and one that will be recreated in my 4th world.
--
@White Tornado: Perhaps the vampire mage became undead specifically to combat the worsening goblinoid problems. As he (and perhaps other stuward defenders of the world) began to age, they saw that they couldn't hold back the tide much longer. The mage had an ancient ritual that he'd found and decided to use it in a desparate effort to keep the "good" races from being killed.
As time went on, the mage became more and more warped by his undead state and eventually decided that goblinoids (gnolls, whatever) weren't the only problem--all natural creatures were corrupting the pristine world he was tasked with protecting. He devised a plan to "purify" the world once and for all. He's converting all of the clean races into undead in order to rise up and destroy the savage species once and for all.
I had a city really similar to Hallowfaust in my game (it was based on the Necromancer's Guide from 2nd if anyone remembers those blue books
). It was one of my favorites and one that will be recreated in my 4th world.--
legiondevil
First Post
At one point I had thoughts toward writing an epic level adventure in which a BeholderMage Lich had animated a Kindori (Giant space whale from spelljammer) through the use of "the McGuffin." He tooled around space in this giant whale zombie and filled it with numerous (countless even) undead to serve him in his adventurers.
Well, eventually the McGuffin broke and the whale crashed on a city, enveloping it with its insides. The PC's were called forth to handle what they originally think is a minor undead nusicance, instead to find the entire city crushed and impaling this rotten megalith zombie whale. The BeholderMage Lich has sent out his undead hordes to find replacement "parts" for the McGuffin, and the PC's have to fight their way through the rotten psuedo-corpse to find him and stop him from amazzing another undead horde to take with him back to the outer realms.
Zombies, zombies, everywhere. Infected with some form of space-virus that transmits their condition to those they devour. Come to think of it, this may be my Epic Tier adventure for my current 4th Edition game...
Well, eventually the McGuffin broke and the whale crashed on a city, enveloping it with its insides. The PC's were called forth to handle what they originally think is a minor undead nusicance, instead to find the entire city crushed and impaling this rotten megalith zombie whale. The BeholderMage Lich has sent out his undead hordes to find replacement "parts" for the McGuffin, and the PC's have to fight their way through the rotten psuedo-corpse to find him and stop him from amazzing another undead horde to take with him back to the outer realms.
Zombies, zombies, everywhere. Infected with some form of space-virus that transmits their condition to those they devour. Come to think of it, this may be my Epic Tier adventure for my current 4th Edition game...
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