Homebrew Socieites [Updated with Stats]

Technik4

First Post
I am trying to balance out the nations in my homebrew campaign (its still being brewed ;)). I'm looking for input and anything you think will help flesh out my world. It is loosely based on the factions of Chainmail, but not to a T. I am mostly basing it off of the miniatures I have right now (I don't plan on buying many more miniatures for a long time, over 250 only about 10 painted).

There are 2 main continents so far. On one is the old thriving nation of P'yong Yang (Eastern Humans). This continent has a portal leading to the abyss which festers in what is known as the Shadowlands. The humans have allied with the lizard and snake-men of the forests in order to combat the fiends which pour out from the forest. In the shadowlands evil men plot with demons and conjure the dead back to life.

On the other is the traditional home of the Steel Dwarves. In less recent history the elves have moved here, though they stick to the forests while the dwarves favor the hills. The hordes of Drazen provide enough conflict on this continent, though the combined might of the goodly nations have always beat them back to the wilderlands. Recently many abberations have been seen, fiendish wolfmen sent from the shadowlands on the other nations are sprouting up.

There is a large mountain range in the east that noone has crossed in a long time, within the mountains the Stone Dwarves are stirring, and beyond the mountains the Dark Elves have been civilizing the desert. A large island circles the continent, this is the home for Thalos.



Nations and Races:

Elven Nations:
While the 3 elven nations are not at peace with one another, neither are they at outright war with each other.

Grey Elves (High Elves): predominantly aristocratic magic-intensive society. Grey Elves have been losing their touch with nature and are generally elitist towards anyone but a grey elf. They shared their knowledge of magic with a small group of humans which has grown into a nation. Grey elves have turned their backs on nature as a whole, though many long for walks beneath the boughs. They build their homes with magic, creating fantastic materials and houses of odd design. LN society.

Miniatures include: Grey Elf Warriors, Grey Elf Warsinger, Grey Elf Duelist, Grey Elf Snakestrike Duelist, Grey Elf IMperial Noble. Also allied strongly with Thalos. Color Scheme: Blue and Silver.

Stats: As phb elf but +2 int, -2 con, +2 bluff, sense motive, and intimidate instead of search, spot, and listen.

Wood Elves (Wild Elves): predominantly primitive nature-intensive society. Wood Elves represent the minority of elves that split from the grey elves and remained true to their natural surroundings. They pity their cousins the grey elves, and sometimes grey elves have been known to live with the wood elves. They care for the felldrakes and revere all dragons as the purest embodiment of nature. CG society.

Miniatures include: Wood Elf Scout, Wood Elf Ranger, Wood Elf Skirmishers, Starstrike Archers, Half-Dragon Mage. Also allied with Dragons and Felldrakes. Color Scheme: Green and Silver.

Stats: As phb elf except Favored Class is Druid.

Dark Elves (Spider Elves): predominantly agressive cut-throat society. These elves hail from a different continent as the other elves, and thus are not at war with them. They were led underground in the unremembered past but have recently surfaced in the desert and a few other above-ground areas. They revere giant scorpions and their skin is a dark brown from the sun. CN society.

Miniatures include: Drow Warrior, Drow Archer, Drow Soldier, Drow Ranger, Drow Wizard, Irae T'sarran (as Drow Cleric). Color Scheme: Purple and Silver.

Stats: As FRCS drow, ECL +2.

Dwarf Nations:
As of now, the 2 dwarf nations are not aware of the others existence. However when they meet blood will almost certainly be shed as they will accuse the other of not being true "dwarves".

Steel Dwarves (Hill Dwarves): predominantly parochial craft-intensive society. These are the modern descendants of dwarves. Much like the grey elves, they have largely abandoned their rich past of cast kingdoms and fiefdoms. These days they are regarded as craftsman without peer, and while their practice of magic is not as old as the elves, with regards to items it as at least their equal. Whereas dwarves of old embraced stone and earth, the Steel Dwarves have embraced the flame for its use in shaping metal. There is a small contingent of Azers that have begun living with the Steel Dwarves, though this is largely a secret. They are as yet mostly unaware of the Stone Dwarves existence. N society.

Miniatures include: Dwarf Cleric, Dwarf Fighter, Dwarf Zealot, Dwarf Shock Trooper, Dwarf Scorcher, Azer Warrior. Allied with Gnomes and Azers. Color Scheme: Red and Gold.

Stats: As phb dwarf except +2 Con, -2 Dex. Stonecunning replaced with Metalcunning and craft boni only apply to metals. +2 bonus against heat or fire related effects (replaces poison bonus).

Stone Dwarves (Mountain Dwarves): predominantly communal war-intensive society. These dwarves have been locked in war with various underground races for a milennia, but with the recent earthquakes they have begun to reopen tunnels leading out of their mountain homes. Their long time spent underneath the ground bound them more strongly to the stone, though the ancient clan society has not been in use for a millenia. These dwarves originally rose up against their feudal kings and instituted communism before descending deep beneath the earth. LN society.

Miniatures include: Dwarf Hammer Priest, Dwarf Legionaire, Dwarf Raider, Dwarf People's Guard, Dwarf Ranger. Also allied with Earth or Stone Elementals and Stonechildren (Earth Genasi). Color Scheme: Purple and Gold.

Stats: As phb dwarf except +1 racial bonus applies against Elves and Abberations.

Rush Gnomes (Blunder Gnomes): predominantly advanced techno-society. Noone really knows when gnomes began appearing, but many believe them to be a combination of dwarf and human. Regardless their numbers are small and they live an almost symbiotic relationship with their Steel Dwarf cousins. They constantly innovate in both industrial and magical arts. They have mastered the secrets of gunpowder and such weapons are frequently found in the hands of rush gnomes or steel dwarves. NG society.

Miniatures include: Gnome Fighter, Gnome Infiltrator. Color Scheme: Red and Brass.

Stats: As Phb gnome except gains Racial Familiarity: Firearms. (If a gnome has proficiency with martial weapons, they gain the exotic proficiency for free).

Human Nations:
While these are the largest nations, there are other minor city-states on both continents that don't necessarily fall under these broad strokes. In times of war, most city-states fall back to their greater "kingdoms" of old.

Thalos: predominantly democratic magic-intensive society. Long ago a small faction of humans (from the phoenix clan) left the main continent with the Grey Elves. These humans were taught the old high magics as if they were elves, and there were many half-elf children born. As their magic differs from their homeland, so does their martial arts. Over the years a competition began to build up between the Grey Elves so the entire nation of Thalos left to avoid war. They remain in one place, the island of Sorcere which is rarely in the same place for long. It circles the elven continent and while they are allies with the grey elves, relations are more strained then they were in years past. LG society.

Miniatures include: Human Sorceror, Human Swiftling Disciple, Human Monk, Half-Elf Sorceror, Half-Elf Cleric, Hammerer, Pulverizer, Human Warriors, Human Conscripts, Human Templars, Human Glaivers, Human Marine. Color Scheme: Usually wear a blue-sash (traditional sign of "elf-friend"), otherwise a mix of hot colors and Bronze or Brass.


P'yong Yang: predominantly feudal spirit-intensive society. This is the main continent of humans who have a distinct "eastern" feel. They are broken up into 3 main clans and have always envied Thalos for leaving with the elves. Their continent is plagued with demons and they have had to turn to the Yuan-Ti to keep their footing in the war. They are still too proud to ask for Thalos' help, and the elves and dwarves are too far away. LN society.

Miniatures include: various Clan War miniatures, mostly from Dragon and Phoenix clans. Allied loosely with Yuan-Ti. Color Scheme: Based on Clan; Dragon: Green, Red, Yellow; Crab: Blue, Black, Grey; Lion: Yellow, Brown, Red.


Wild Nations:

Drazen (Savages): predominantly primitive war-intensive society. Includes Ogres, Orcs, and Goblins. Often allies with any giants. They call themselves the drazen, after their greatest warchief who they consider broke the might of elves and dwarves. Hobgoblins are in charge, bossing around goblins and giants. The orcs were once enslaved by hobgoblins, but their numbers proved too much for them and now they join forces out of necessity. Both races realize that without the other any assault would fail before it started. CE society.

Miniatures Include: Goblin Scout, Goblin Trooper, Hobgoblin Fighter, Hobgoblin Adept, Orc Beserker, Orc Trooper, Orc Druid, Orc Gangfighters, Orc Chieftain, Orc Assasin, Ogre Trooper, Ogre Mercenary, Ogre Delver. Color Scheme: Goblins and Hobgoblins with reddish skin, Orcs with greenish skin, Ogres with a pale yellow. Savages often wear pelts or armor of their foes, so colors are mixed but tend toward browns, blacks, and dark greens.


Naresh (Wolf-men): predominantly primitive faith-intensive society. Includes gnolls, bugbears, and most lyncanthropes. Allied with Demons. The naresh have been transported from the shadowlands to fulfill the demon prophecy of ruling both continents. The gnolls are a new race, and many are infused with demon blood. The bugbears are another demon-bred race, though they reproduce far slower than gnolls (and are therefore more rare). NE society.

Miniatures Include: Gnoll Warrior, Fiendish Gnoll Archer, Gnoll Cleric, Gnoll Monk, Werewolf Trooper, Werebear. Colors: Crimson and Black.


Yuan-Ti (Scaly-folk): predominantly primitive voodoo-based society. Includes Yuan-Ti, Troglodytes, Lizard-Folk, and Kuo-Toa. Allied loosely with P'yong Yang. These disparate scaly-folk believe themselves descended from dragons, and they have a rich culture. While many end up turning away from good, they are more self-serving than outright evil. They help the humans of P'yong Yang not only out of friendship, but their own necessity as once the humans are gone they are next. CN society.

Miniatures Include: Troglodyte Warrior, Kuo-Toa Trooper, Lizardman Warrior, various Clan war lizard-like figures. Troglodytes are a light green, whereas Lizardmen are dark green. Kuo-Toa have turquoise or blue-green skin. Colors: Brown, Black, and Dark green.


Shadowland Nations:

Demon (Fiend-touched): predominantly evil ritualistic society. Includes many minor demons, half-fiends, and fiendish monsters. Allied with Naresh. The shadowlands have existed for as long as anyone can remember, but in the last 100 years their festering has only been escalating. There have long existed rumors that a portal to the abyss is the cause of the shadowlands, and that if it could be destroyed the threat would finally end. CE Society.

Miniatures Include: Abyssal Maw, Abyssal Skulker, Tiefling Fighter, Grimlocks, Abyssal Evicerator, various Clan War demons. Demons tend to have other-worldly colors on their skin, like blue or purple. Crimson and Gold are considered demonic when used together.


Ahmut (Undead): predominantly parasatic society. This is not so much a nation as it is a plague. The lure of maho magic and death power in general ensures a constant supply of new cultists to train and the bodies of their enemies becomes their new troops. They are often in conflict with everyone, including the demons, as without all of the rich cultures their own will falter. Many half-orcs find solace in killing either of their parents. NE society.

Miniatures Include: Zombie Troglodytes, Skeletal Dwarves, Ghouls, Skeletal Orcs, Human Death-Cleric, Half-Orc Assasin, Half-Orc Fighter, Human Shadow Priest, Skeletal Equiceph, Skeletal Minotaur, Zombie Minotaur, various Clan War undead. Half-orcs tend to have a pale green skin or sometimes may look as a human. Colors: White, Grey, and a mix of colors from the fallen.

Stats: As phb Half-orc except gains +2 Survival and +2 Intimidate.

Minor Nations:

Halflings (Pecks): gypsy thief/music-based society. Halflings can be found anywhere, but they are pretty rare in the campaign. Thought to be a race of "small men", most halflings have eastern builds and eyes, though 1 band seems to have derived from the Thalos line of humans. CN Society.

Miniatures Include: Halfling Sneak. Colors tend to be flamboyant.

Stats: As phb halfling.


Minotaur (Bullmen): wandering primitive society. Minotaurs inhabit the Eastern Continent with the P'yong Yang and the shadowlands. Minotaurs are rarely seen but have been found fighting on either side of the war. CN Society.

Miniatures Include: Crazed Minotaur Cultist. Colors are as savages, browns, blacks, and dark greens.


Giant: primitive simple society. Giants rarely have the brains to assemble a horde or to learn magic. However, drazen usually makes good use of them when they can be found. They are easily persuaded with food. NE Society.

Miniatures Include: Ettin Trooper, Hill Giant. Colors are as savages.


Whew. Well thats a lot of reading so if you made it this far I appreciate it. I still have to fit kobolds in somewhere, and I didn't get to posting the colors for each nation. I appreciate any feedback or criticism.

Edited: I added stats for the PC-types and colors for the nations.

Technik
 
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wow, this sounds like a great start. I like the idea of using the entire set of Chainmail to start a campaign setting, but your players will have to travel quite a lot for you to use all the miniatures.

I'd love to see a map, that would also help in working out the political affiliations between the societies.
 

Ive been working on a map, but don't have a scanner. I know it would probably help, but it isnt a complete map anyhow (Im not much of an artist).

I will try to describe the map I have in front of me.

The continent of Razadum, ancient dwelling place of the dwarves is bisected by a river running East-West. A large range of mountains runs North-South, these mountains are considered extremely bad luck and most people dwell far from them. Across the mountains lie a barren land, a desert which stretches to the sea.

Many old keeps of the Steel Dwarves lie empty, pillaged long ago. The Steel Dwarves have kept their hill-territory though, and have many outposts securing that territory. The capital is Despin.

Human expansion has begun on the coast, mostly small port towns which deal with the large thalos capital/island of Sorcere. The large island circles the continent and has already encountered some of the strange dark elves of the desert.

The forests are claimed by the wood elves and are defended by felldrakes. On both continents wood elves have migrated, vowing to protect the forests that most use for their own ends.

The grey elves have cities at strategic choke-points or on top of lakes and rivers. Their cities tend to float and have odd geometrical structure.

The drazen live in their own villages and townships in the mountains where all fear to go and among the old dwarven keeps.

The dark elves live across the mountains, where they fought their unending war with the Stone dwarves until an earthquake sealed off many of the deepest passages. They have begun adapting to the desert and its way of life and revere the scorpions found there.

The stone dwarves traditionally have lived in deep mountain tunnels, but after a large earthquake have been tunneling upwards, in search of light, food, and new territory. Their war ended with the dark elves ended the day of the earthquake, as neither can find each other.


I haven't detailed the other continent yet, but it will be sort of like Rokugan with a shadowlands forest, and other diverse terrain.

Technik
 

I only have a few comments - I'm not real great at helping other people design settings, I'm afraid.
Technik4 said:
A large island circles the continent, this is the home for Thalos.
Do you mean a large string of islands? Otherwise... the "island" would be the continent, the ocean inside the island would be a land-locked sea, and the "continent" would be a massive island inside the land-locked sea.
Grey Elves (High Elves):
Stats: As phb elf but +2 int, -2 con, +2 bluff, sense motive, and intimidate instead of search, spot, and listen.
This looks fine. Have you considered replacing their bow proficiency with something more citified? Possibly a crossbow or black powder sidearm of some sort? You could also replace their normal sword with the rapier.
Wood Elves (Wild Elves):
Stats: As phb elf except Favored Class is Druid.
Excellent idea. I may steal that at some point.
Steel Dwarves (Hill Dwarves):
Stats: As phb dwarf except +2 Con, -2 Dex. Stonecunning replaced with Metalcunning and craft boni only apply to metals. +2 bonus against heat or fire related effects (replaces poison bonus).
They've got the CON going ON. I mean the DEX hurts a bit, but these dwarves would make good barbarians. I'd probably give 'em STR instead, for the muscles required for proper forge work.
Stone Dwarves (Mountain Dwarves):
Stats: As phb dwarf except +1 racial bonus applies against Elves and Abberations.
Is this a favored enemy style bonus? What does it add to, exactly?

And do they see all elves as dark elves?
Rush Gnomes (Blunder Gnomes):
Stats: As Phb gnome except gains Racial Familiarity: Firearms. (If a gnome has proficiency with martial weapons, they gain the exotic proficiency for free).
Wow. I like these guys. Have you considered any two-fisted, pistolle-pumping feats for them? :D
Human Nations:
Thalos:
P'yong Yang:
Are you planning on having monks be a Thalos thing? Do you intend to differentiate the human cultures in stats or feats?
Whew. Well thats a lot of reading so if you made it this far I appreciate it. I still have to fit kobolds in somewhere, and I didn't get to posting the colors for each nation. I appreciate any feedback or criticism.
Kobolds: You could take a page from my campaign - I have them as personal servants and aides to the few dragons that exist. Other possibilities include having them be degenerate goblins (few in number, and universally the bottom of the savage ladder), or go the opposite route and have them be noble "dragon-blooded" savages who are born with the Mark of the Scale and become their tribe's sorcerers.
 


First off, thanks for the comments. Every bit helps define it better in my own head, just thinking about it!

The homeland of Thalos could be considered its own continent, but it is much smaller than the 2 main continents. Think if an island the size of Englad was circling Africa, thats kinda what I'm going for.

The grey elves are hard for me to picture, they are racially torn because they delight in their own mastery of magic and what it can do for them, but inwardly long for their original forest homes. I don't picture them having gotten far enough from the beaten trail to forgo archery training and I think the choice between longsword and rapier is fine as is.

It's kinda funny. Classically dwarves had a +2 con/-2 dex, the polar opposite of elves. My "old" race of dwarves has the 3e penalties, which are to cha, and my "new school" dwarves have the dex penalty.

The stone dwarves have been fighting underground for centuries untold in an endless war with the dark elves. Their racial attack boni were altered to reflect fighting abberations and elves (normally dwarves have a +1 bonus against orcs and goblinoids). The thing I'm going back and forth on is taking away the Giant-Dodge ability, as they haven't fought giants for a very long time, this will also give the Drazen some advantage when stone dwarves come pouring out of the mountains.

The dark elves they fought were not really all that dark, their skin was a dull gray, like stone. They have the moniker "dark elves" because they dwealt underground (and are also called "spider elves" for their spider fetish). Their bonus against elves would work against surface elves, and it will be interesting to see how long peace lasts between the stone dwarves and the grey and wood elves.

I haven't been working on gnomes too much, they are the most advanced nation but also one of the smallest. They almost made it to the "minor nations" section, but I decided to put them with the dwarves. I plan on using the rules from the dmg, with some "magic guns" or "dragon rifles" possibly developed as the campaign continues.

My campaign will actually be sort-of monk heavy. I plan on making an alternate neutral-based monk (as opposed to lawful based) which will represent the Thalos. The regular monk will be used by the eastern cultures of p'yong yang. Finally, the demon-bred gnolls have developed their own style of martial arts (couldn't resist, especially because I have a Gnoll Monk miniature :)).

Dragons are going to play a large part in the campaign's past, and possibly its future. There is are islands where dragons dwell more or less in harmony with each other. This may indeed be the place to put kobolds, sort of the servitor race of the evil dragons. I plan on the evil dragons to more or less inhabit their own islands by type, but the oldest (and defacto leader) is an ancient black wyrm.

Good dragons have dwelt with the elves traditionally, but have not been seen in hundreds of years. Their progeny, the felldrakes remain in the care of the wood elves. There is also ample opportunity for half-dragon wood elves, as I have 2 half-dragon wizardy models.

Once again, thanks for the input.

Technik
 

Technik4 said:
The stone dwarves have been fighting underground for centuries untold in an endless war with the dark elves. Their racial attack boni were altered to reflect fighting abberations and elves (normally dwarves have a +1 bonus against orcs and goblinoids).
So it works like the ranger favored enemy bonus? That is, it applies to attack, damage, bluff, etc.?
The thing I'm going back and forth on is taking away the Giant-Dodge ability, as they haven't fought giants for a very long time, this will also give the Drazen some advantage when stone dwarves come pouring out of the mountains.
How about replacing it with a Tunnel Fighting bonus of some sort? That way, when they come out of the tunnels, the Drazen have some advantage, but the Drazen who follows a dwarf into the tunnels is asking for it?
 

The +1 bonus vs elves and abberations is just like the regular dwarf's, a +1 racial attack bonus. Of course, if youre a ranger you get +1 attack and +1 damage against that foe, which is nice.

Hmmm, tunnel-fighting. That's a good idea, I'll have to think on it.

Technik
 

Cool Ideas!

There is some really good stuff here. :)

I'm not sure if this will help you or not but I figured what the hell. :)

Below is the format that I use to describe my world's nations. I also have differnent format for orgs, clans and tribes.

Nation Format

[Nation’s Name]: The kingdom’s or country’s designation.
Population/Races: A breakdown of races that dominate the region.
Major Traits: Two governing factors that describe the nation’s culture, which provides a bonus to those that are born and raised in its boarders. See the table below for details:

Major Traits Table
Trait - Bonus
Commercial - Apprise, Bluff or Sense Motive skill receives a +2 circumstance bonus once per day.
Expansionist - Fort Save, Heal or Survival skill receives a +2 circumstance bonus once per day.
Industrious - Craft, Knowledge or Profession skill receives a +2 circumstance bonus once per day.
Magical - Spellcraft receives a +2 circumstance bonus once per day. Can cast Detect Magic or Read Magic once per day.
Militaristic - Attack bonus or Concentration skill receives a +2 circumstance bonus once per day.
Religious - Knowledge (Religion) receives a +2 circumstance bonus once per day. Can cast Guidance or Resistance once per day.
Scientific - Craft (Alchemy), Disable Device or Gather Information receives a +2 circumstance bonus once per day.

Government: The structure of the nation’s ruling body and any known public heads of state.
Major Cities/Towns: A list of the most important cites in the nation.
Beliefs/Religions: The most prevalent religion fond in the nation.
Technology: The level of advancement for natively produced items such as armor, equipment and weapons in the nation. The technology options are: Stone Age, Bronze Age, Dark Age, Crusades, Clockwork and Renaissance. (See Chart on pages 12 and 18 in the Arms and Equipment guide)
Resources: A list of the most common goods and services used for trade.

Preferred Classes: A list of classes that receive +1000 starting XP because the nation in question spends time and money to produce them.
Restricted Classes: A list of classes that receive –1000 starting XP because the nation either actively persecutes the class or that the class is so rare due to cultural conditions.
Unique Classes: A list of signature classes only found in this Nation.
Regional Feats: Optional feats that can only be taken at 1st level. See Feats section and FRH for Descriptions.

Recent Actions/Conflicts: Actions of note that that nation has engaged in the last 10-20 years.
Overview: A brief description of the nation.
 
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