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<blockquote data-quote="kenjib" data-source="post: 499613" data-attributes="member: 530"><p>One thing that is often overlooked is that territorial borders and cultural groups usually do not coincide perfectly. In my homebrew I've been writing up cultures seperately from nations. This device allows me more freedom in defining interesting cultures. Two abbreviated examples:</p><p></p><p>The Prala: A people forced on an exodus from their homeland long ago, they are now known as the river people. Poor gypsies, thieves, and beggars, the Prala exist in the margins, mostly along the waterways of the great inland sea. They endure great prejudice wherever they go. They exist in travelling bands throughout the Central Kingdoms, but the two most well known permanent settlements are the city of tents, a shantytown outside the western wall of the largest city in the world, and the floating city, a constantly shifting city of boats tied together in a river as it runs through another major city in a different nation. Both of these serve as very active black markets, allowed to thrive because they serve convenient purposes to their host cities.</p><p></p><p>The Malaccans/Malacalos: Once a great cultural center of art and romantic ideals, Malacca has long been embroiled in a devastating civil war, and within Malacca proper only the oldest generation now alive still keeps alive the old romantic ideals of their heritage. The younger generations are jaded and cynical. Many bohemian immigrants have fled Malacca and travelled across the world, often achieving great status as celebrated musicians and artists in foreign lands. The Malaccan cultural group, however, extends across the northern Malaccan border into a neighboring nation. These people who live across the national border are called the Malacalos. Living in a region that is still safe and prosperous, the Malacalos as a whole still live according to the older traditions and ideals. While the homeland, once a great cultural center, withers, the Malacalos still flourish. Thus the cultural center of this group is starting to shift from the traditional homeland due to the civil war.</p><p></p><p>Here also would be included food, dress, architecture, religion, language, lifestyle, etc. Multiple cultural groups can exist in the same area.</p><p></p><p>By contrast, nations are described as the political and military bodies that govern a given territory.</p><p></p><p>In terms of fluff, both of these examples give characters strong archetypes to play off of if they choose -- the travelling vagabond gypsy and the bohemian artist (with a repressed chivalrous streak ala Don Quixote), but of course the player is free to deviate at will.</p><p></p><p>For reinforcing the cultural traits, I came up with something very similar to the d20 Modern profession mechanism. I was actually surprised when d20 Modern came out and was so close to what I was doing. Based on culture, every character gets a couple of skills that are considered class skills for all classes they take. If the class they take at 1st level already has a given skill, they may choose a +1 competance bonus in that skill instead.</p><p></p><p>According to this system, someone who comes from the Prala culture might want to be a rogue because they would gain +1 bonuses to bluff and pick pockets. Someone who decides to be a Prala, but chooses a different class, can still be good at bluff and pick pockets, which makes them more rogue-like, regardless of their class. Thus, all Prala characters can choose their own path freely but have incentives toward a certain direction. I like how this works out.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="kenjib, post: 499613, member: 530"] One thing that is often overlooked is that territorial borders and cultural groups usually do not coincide perfectly. In my homebrew I've been writing up cultures seperately from nations. This device allows me more freedom in defining interesting cultures. Two abbreviated examples: The Prala: A people forced on an exodus from their homeland long ago, they are now known as the river people. Poor gypsies, thieves, and beggars, the Prala exist in the margins, mostly along the waterways of the great inland sea. They endure great prejudice wherever they go. They exist in travelling bands throughout the Central Kingdoms, but the two most well known permanent settlements are the city of tents, a shantytown outside the western wall of the largest city in the world, and the floating city, a constantly shifting city of boats tied together in a river as it runs through another major city in a different nation. Both of these serve as very active black markets, allowed to thrive because they serve convenient purposes to their host cities. The Malaccans/Malacalos: Once a great cultural center of art and romantic ideals, Malacca has long been embroiled in a devastating civil war, and within Malacca proper only the oldest generation now alive still keeps alive the old romantic ideals of their heritage. The younger generations are jaded and cynical. Many bohemian immigrants have fled Malacca and travelled across the world, often achieving great status as celebrated musicians and artists in foreign lands. The Malaccan cultural group, however, extends across the northern Malaccan border into a neighboring nation. These people who live across the national border are called the Malacalos. Living in a region that is still safe and prosperous, the Malacalos as a whole still live according to the older traditions and ideals. While the homeland, once a great cultural center, withers, the Malacalos still flourish. Thus the cultural center of this group is starting to shift from the traditional homeland due to the civil war. Here also would be included food, dress, architecture, religion, language, lifestyle, etc. Multiple cultural groups can exist in the same area. By contrast, nations are described as the political and military bodies that govern a given territory. In terms of fluff, both of these examples give characters strong archetypes to play off of if they choose -- the travelling vagabond gypsy and the bohemian artist (with a repressed chivalrous streak ala Don Quixote), but of course the player is free to deviate at will. For reinforcing the cultural traits, I came up with something very similar to the d20 Modern profession mechanism. I was actually surprised when d20 Modern came out and was so close to what I was doing. Based on culture, every character gets a couple of skills that are considered class skills for all classes they take. If the class they take at 1st level already has a given skill, they may choose a +1 competance bonus in that skill instead. According to this system, someone who comes from the Prala culture might want to be a rogue because they would gain +1 bonuses to bluff and pick pockets. Someone who decides to be a Prala, but chooses a different class, can still be good at bluff and pick pockets, which makes them more rogue-like, regardless of their class. Thus, all Prala characters can choose their own path freely but have incentives toward a certain direction. I like how this works out. [/QUOTE]
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