Enworld Co-OP Campaign Setting

[GreatLemur]

EDIT: Let me add that I agree that little or no mechancical changes or additions should be made. If it really is supposed to be accessible to the masses of ENworld then it needs to be SRD only. Some racial variations or regional differences might be fine, or some new player races, but nothing to dramatic.

Certainly, it shouldn't rely on books like Magic of Incarnum or the Tome of Battle, but I think mechanical changes and additions are fine as long as we provide them, rather than requiring others to go buy books.

 

[Nightfall]

kaf,

What about Ravenloft fey? Are they good in your book?

 

[Kafkonia]

kaf,

What about Ravenloft fey? Are they good in your book?

In all honesty, my only exposure to Ravenloft consists of playing in Endur's PbP game right now.

 

[BRP2]

Just so you know, there seems to be two of these going on at once, this and the
Hyperborea one.

 

[Nightfall]

Then you should most definitely check out this book: Van Richten's Guide to Shadow Fey

It's a great book AND cheap too.

I'd post the link via DTR (which no longer supports ANY DTR but does do watermarking) but some reason keeps point back at RPGnow for some reason...

 

[Jürgen Hubert]

so How about a Late Neolithic People suddenly facing a Chuul invasion which has spurred them into receeding into walled fortifications for protection (thus creating the first cities)

I think it's a bit extreme if there was no civilization before the chuul arrived. For one thing, it's a bit hard to explain where arcane magic suddenly came from if there is no history of writing. For another, to fight such a large-scale threat the human resistance should build up some large-scale organized resistance - something which societies at the tribal level aren't terribly good at.

How about this: Most humans did live at a neolithic level, but the pseudo-Tibetans on the high mountains maintained a civilization that included cities in Splendid Isolation from the rest of the world. Some nonhuman races (probably dwarves, possibly elves as well) also maintained a writing system and some trappings of civilization.

But now that the chuul have arrived, these isolated cultures realized that remaining isolated isn't going to work any more - if the invaders are to be driven back, all native races need to cooperate. Thus, ambassadors have swarmed out into the world to bring the poor primitives the blessings of civilization - such as arcane magic, agriculture, creating steel, and so on. Better hope that they learn fast...

 

[Jürgen Hubert]

So we'll have druids that aren't nature clerics then?

If we use the "civilized"/"tribal" dichtomy described above, then maybe the druids are the "shamans" of the tribals, while the "clerics" are the priests of the civilized cultures with more organized worship. The clerics worship specific deities or concepts, while the druids appease all sorts of spirits to appease their tribes.

 

[GreatLemur]

Thus, ambassadors have swarmed out into the world to bring the poor primitives the blessings of civilization - such as arcane magic, agriculture, creating steel, and so on. Better hope that they learn fast...

Okay, now that is an interesting angle. So in addition to the invasion plot and the obvious military means of resisting it, you've got a subplot of education and humanitarian work. The Peace Corps in a fantasy setting . . . and with a deadline. Ignorance, superstition, the grip of backwards tradition, and the tendency of developed cultures to exploit developing cultures would all be threats as real as the aberrations themselves.

 

[Sigurd]

Timelilne

Mostly evil powerful Fey - play round with world. Build cities in the sky, create or receive humans (other gods at play), often enslave them.

- Balance with Humans on top.


Arrival of Chull. - Huge detonations as they burrow even below the earths mantle. (alien sorcery, heat, and really deep dungeons.

First wave decimates the Fey (or so it seems) Chull seek to gather human cattle and supplant fey.

Earth is not always healthy for Chull - many die to strange sickness.

- Uneasy war between Chull and Fey, humans in between with growing numbers. Fey & Chull in decline but very powerful.


Humans discover and mix the magic from the chull and fey. Introduce minor races.

Chull, Gods, Fey - all intruduce races that they think will help them control the world.


Sigurd


Hows that.

 

[Sir Elton]

Well, we could make the geographical "center" of the setting a really tall mountain range, like the Himalayahs. The nations in this mountain range could resemble Tibet, Nepal, Bhutan and so forth. (And, since this is a fantasy setting, we probably have a whole bunch of dwarves living below the surface...)

To the north, the climate is relatively cold and dry, just like in the real world. Thus, there won't be many chuul there, but humans can eke out a living in these lands. And with the support of magic, these regions might be able to support more people than in our world.

To the east, far west, and especially to the south the weather is much wetter, and the chuul thrive there...

Is that a start?

Yes. A good start. Lets see, a different set of geographical features could be like Upstate New York and Pennsylvania for a late Neolithic Culture. Thus:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finger_Lakes

The area around the finger lakes was heavily forested, virgin woodland when the Mound Buiilders were there. A great, moist climate. Lots of water and resources for a late neolithic culture.