Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="EricNoah" data-source="post: 349693" data-attributes="member: 4">e-mails -- for storageOriginal e-mail from me:Hey guys, I think I might start brainstorming on a homebrew campaign setting.  Nothing fancy, but something that maybe has a couple of cool "hooks" (idea/theme/genre/mood hooks as well as some key "rules" hooks that might fundamentally change the shape/scope of adventuring).  I plan to steal liberally from d20 and D&D stuff already out there and probably won't go to far from the core rules with a few exceptions.  If you have thoughts on what you'd like to see in that, drop me a line. Eric --------------As far as new campaign, i'd be real interested to see what you come up with. Only thing I have to say now is that, looking back at both my most memorable campaigns w/you and the best "feeling" campaigns in general, the thing that really gets me going is the "fish out of water feel" as a player. I don't just mean having to learn a new world, but a world in which the characters are thrust in a situation they are unfamiliar with. Classic examples come to mind like being a clueless prime in Planescape, or a newly arrived victim into unimaginable horrors of Ravenloft. Theres something that makes a great story with that type of situation that just drags you in and makes it exciting. Anyhow, thats what I'd have to say at the moment. Matt-------------Let me throw out some things I was considering... 1) Planar travel would be a biggie.  Considering, though, a different type of planar cosmology arrangement.  Maybe a Prime, Heaven, Hell, and some realms in between.  2) The major "rules" change I'm considering is using Wheel of Time rules for healing:  healing magic doesn't heal hit points -- it turns hit point damage into subdual damage.  That, in turn, can only be cured by rest, generally, though I think I would like to then introduce herbal/alchemical means of healing (probably to accelerate the rate of subdual recovery).  There might be one and only one god that grants access to the Healing domain, which would be the only way to heal "real" hit points.  This might then change the shape/scope of adventures.  If PCs can only tolerate so much damage (say, four encounters with an EL equal to the party's level) then there will need to be lots more "local" adventuring, finding safe places to stay, and less traipsing off into dungeons with room after room after room of dangerous encounters.  Adventures might have to be more "flower shaped" than "vine shaped" -- lots of little things to do/accomplish with chances to return to home base.  To me this is somewhat appealing.  Also makes higher level adventuring still fairly dangerous.   3) The other "rules" change I'm considering is related to healing -- specifically resurrection.  I have some thoughts stewing in my brain about why gods would/wouldn't want mortals to die or return from death, and need to explore that.  This might be THE hook of the setting, btw, and could tie in neatly with a simplified planar cosmology.   Fun to think about! Eric----------------Planar travel is always cool <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f60e.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt="8-)" title="Cool    8-)"  data-smilie="6"data-shortname="8-)" />  Hp rules sounds interesting as long as it doesn't make us feel too wimpy. We're a party full of clerics and we still have problems healing everyone ;-) Id say the one and only way to heal true damage via domain sounds dubious - all it does is make taking the Healing domain a requisite for clerics (as in, well, gotta take healing domain to be efficient, now what other domain can I take?). Unless...other domains were uberized a bit for clerics so the choice isn't so obvious. Something to consider. Anyhow, depending on how you envision planar travel, it can support the flower method very well with "quick trips" here and there and back again. Matt-------------I am fully expecting there to be a very big shift in the balance of power in this setting because of the healing situation. That church that provides "true healing" would be fantastically powerful and probably very much enmeshed with nobility, politics, and money. This might not even be a "good" religion -- it could be a LN religion that focuses on the nobility, inherent right to rule, stuff like that. I'm not so much worried about balance -- I am anticipating that there would be no PCs with that healing domain. If balance does come into it I might make the healing domain trade off with armor and shield proficiencies. Also, magic items created by clerics of the true healing domain would do "real" hp healing but would of course be more expensive and rare -- it would be much more common to find the lesser curatives that change hp damage to subdual damage.Remember that subdual damage heals at a significantly faster rate. Also I am anticipating then that there would be a much bigger role for alchemical and herbal remedies to accelerate healing of subdual damage. I think that would be an interesting side to the society/world. When you're sick, don't go to a cleric - go to the snake oil salesman. <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=":)" />This would make adventuring quite different in many ways -- probably some that I can't even anticipate. That's kind of why I want to do it -- see what happens. <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=":)" />I am also considering that there might be special locations in the world -- shrines to some old, forgotten god of "good" that might provide some kinds of healing and other benefits. They might be hidden, outlawed, many might be destroyed by this powerful church, well guarded secrets, etc. Eric--------------- think that all sounds very interesting. You may not like it, since if Iremember you don't like the setting, but certain elements of it soundsomewhat Dragonlance-ish ;-) But I like DL hehe, so it sounds all prettycool. Now that you explained it a bit I'd be very interested in testing itout and seeing what happens. I think the alchemy role is pretty cool, too. Ano-pc healing domain would be pretty cool .. or maybe a high level optionand only if the character decided to follow a certain path/way of religion.Any thoughts on how you involved you see the god(s) and religion inday-to-day life?And any changes to arcane magic?Hehe, i know its just swimming around in your head, but I'm kindainterested.Matt-------------->>Now that you explained it a bit I'd be very interested in testing itout and seeing what happens. I think the alchemy role is pretty cool, too. Ano-pc healing domain would be pretty cool .. or maybe a high level optionand only if the character decided to follow a certain path/way of religion.**That's an idea -- the "holy grail" of all alchemy, herbalism, and magiccould be to achieve what this one religion has -- true healing. Maybethat's something that would develop over the course of several years ordecades in the campaign setting. >>Any thoughts on how you involved you see the god(s) and religion inday-to-day life?**I think distant, remote. Also very few gods. Maybe only a couple of"gods" (like a God and a Satan type thing), plus a vague divinity known asNature for the druids, and then philosophies that essentially act as gods(Fate, Freedom, Knowledge, Charity, etc.). None of this is nailed down inany way of course. <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=":)" /> I like the idea of person A saying "the gods existand I can prove it because of my divine spells" and person B saying "I don'tworship a god, and yet I can do most of the stuff you do."I like the idea of one big god with a lot of different orders/sects. Therecould very well be a charitable, good branch that does charity work, healingthe poor, etc. but they might not have very much political power. Therecould be more martial orders, more avaricious orders, orders that serve onlynobility, etc. >>And any changes to arcane magic?** Haven't thought about this side yet. Might do psionics and arcane magicbut do the "psionics are different" or kind of different option. Psionicsmight be an added complication that I might not want to get into though. Isee arcane casters allied with alchemists, and druids aligned withherbalists.>>Hehe, i know its just swimming around in your head, but I'm kindainterested.Cool!Thinking a different direction -- what kind of geography/terrain would beinteresting to focus on at first? Islands? Gorges/canyons? Civilizedterrain? Big mix? I don't think I want to get stuck with something like"Swamp World" or "Snow World" or something so limiting. But at first I'llneed to generate at least a small part of the world. Eric--------------I like the idea of alchemy, herbalism and magic system. I especially likeherbalism and alchemy as they are so often neglected. Lots of potentialthere, especially dealing the the former two in detail. You could even tossin suspicion as you mentioned between alchmists/herbalists and the clericswith exactly that, "i can do what your god can do, too". Very neat.If you remember when we talked about the WOTC contest I had similar ideas offew gods (just a good, evil and neutral deity) with various "sects" and"orders" in the way the serve them (as opposed to pantheistic system withgods having domains). I think it sounds really cool. One thing that could bea lot of fun is that if the gods are remote & distant, you could have abunch of orders who aren't really sure how exactly they need to serve theirgod ... so they guess on philosophies and religious law and each develop adegree of distrust between orders, each thinking theirs is the one true wayto serve their deity. I think if you did it though you'd have to be carefulnot to take it too far but lots of possibility!As for starting areas, I guess it depends a bit. I think for a homebrewusually the best is a semi-rural area (terrain type is open to possibility)with small town. Its cliche BUT this gives the PCs the chance to exploreruins from old times and learn more about the history of the world...andalso gives them time to move up to a big city some day and explore and learneven more. I see this especially the case if you have a large "high order"religion. PCs in the rural area might have heard of it in that far off bigcity, or tangentially been influenced by it from its missionaries, but thereremains a lot of mystery on how that "high order" religion really works oreven what it really stands for and it keeps a strong degree of awe for "truehealing" since it seems so foreign and far off. Maybe it is something thatfew even believe in and dismiss as rumor ... unless they've seen it ...first hand.Matt</blockquote>

Verification