I want to run somthing different than usual

[elrichwizard]

I am starting a new campaign and want to do something DIFFERENT.

Elves: definitely not tree huggers. Over the eons, they have built majestic cities that rely heavily on magic. They seldom venture out of these cities. The leader of the houses have been around since the origins of time. They are finally starting to fade away. This is causing a lot of political maneuvering amongst those who wish to fill the power voids...

Dwarves: are also quite urban, but not being magical in nature, they have relied on their craft skills. They are starting to develop primitive steam and alchemical firearms. Different clans are known for different skill sets (mining, stonework, steamwork, weapons...). Competition among rivals is fierce. An intricate contract/alliance system has developed. It would be unthinkable to break a contract, but perhaps someone forgot to cross one of the "t"s or dot an "i"...

Humans1: envious of the longer life spans of the elves and dwarves, they delved into the necromantic arts. Their cities rely heavily on the use of undead for the workforce. This is not considered evil but is very expensive, especially for the 1000 year old leaders of the ancient houses. Necromantic magic requires very costly spell components...

Humans2: the new kingdoms. These guys are more rural and agriculturally based. Unexplored areas are laced between the kingdoms. They are just starting to mature economically. Each of the other races are trying to secure markets here to gain power at home.

I plan to start the campaign in a Human2 area.

I need to work out the profiles of the major houses and the basics of trade, create some interesting NPCs and draw the maps. I want to work up some "onion" plots that start out small (suitable for lower levels), but after you peel away a few levels lead higher and higher. I also see a number of organized crime families.

Any comments or suggestions would be very helpful. I will post more after I work this out a bit.

 

[elrichwizard]

By the way, I have never run a homebrew before(Greyhawk and Forgotten Realms), so any general advice is also welcome. Like what are the most important things to work out first? I doubt I can whip up several hundred modules and sourcebooks before the first game

 

[kengar]

The two main methods for designing a setting are:

A) Macro to Micro
B) Micro to Macro

I personally prefer running homebrews to prepared settings. I usually start with broad strokes like you have, then develop one area extensively (a particular town or region). I work up major NPC's, maps, descriptions, etc. I make a general map of the rest of the world outlining things like the locations of major cities, natural geography, (mountains, oceans) and so on.

The campaign starts in the detailed area with a couple hooks to encourage the party to start adventuring nearby. This minimizes my need for prep work before gaming night and serves as a "primer" for the players on how the world works, setting tone, and so on. Then I flesh out the outlying areas as new adventures lead them further from "home base."

I like to give the players some background information on the whole world before play, but I keep it general. Just the kind of "common knowledge" things that anyone who grew up in that world would know. Your basic information on the races is a good example.

Anyway, that's my method at least. Do what works for you.

 

[Tonguez]

By the way, I have never run a homebrew before(Greyhawk and Forgotten Realms), so any general advice is also welcome. Like what are the most important things to work out first? I doubt I can whip up several hundred modules and sourcebooks before the first game

What you have so far is a good start. Next thing to do would be to develop relationships between the regions

eg Human1 is antagonistic to the Elf Nation (though currently a Truce is in place). Its leader maintains an elaborate espionage programme focussed on the Elven Houses (magical scrying and mundane spies)

and

Human2 is impressed by the Dwarf technology and is keen to establish good relations with them in order to secure access to the Steampower

All the above and your background is common knowledge - give it to the PCs.
You will also see that by doing this already plot hooks and NPCs are being suggested (everything here after is not common knowledge) eg

NPC A Human1 - the Human1 Spymaster, Plot hook: The Human1 Spies are using the current political tension to destabilise Elven society PCs get involved ...

Human2 Plothook - the PCs are part of a trade delegation meeting with the Steampower Clan ...

Okay now you have a Plothook you can build your microlevel stuff from this. Using the trade delegation plot hook we can determine:

A. the Trade Delegation must travel from Human City X to Dwarf Stronghold Y
B. the area between includes mountain wilderness inhabited by Goblins and Ogres

From this we then work on:

NPCs
A - an Aristocrat as leader of the Trade delegation, his secretary (who might be a Human1 Spy!), the Captain of the Guard
B -the Dwarf Diplomat Expert/Aristocrat, the Leader of the Steampower clan, the Dwarf Runecaster who is part of their delegation.


Maps
Human City X, Wilderness (Mountain pass), Dwarf Stronghold Y
My maps tends to be very 'general' and infact some of them are just text descriptions (so an area may be labeled rugged mountains and thats it - the exact details can be described later). I also divide each map into a grid patttern and place encounters and plot hooks in selected grids (so grid 2A might be labeled Mountain Pass).

Encounters for the three Mapped areas
Human City X - I'd run various standard adventures here before getting to the Trade delegation hook in order to 'introduce the characters to the setting eg stop the goblins attacking the outlying farms, investigate strange happenings at the local cemetery (that sort of thing)

Wilderness - Goblin bandits are harrassing the Mountain pass (new NPC - the Goblin Bandit-leader) refer back to Map Wilderness Grid 2A Mountain pass - Encounter 1d8 Goblin Bandits. Grid 3A Goblin lair (3d4 Goblins) and Grid 4C Owlbear den)

Dwarf Stronghold Y - A contract dispute between the another group of Humans and the Dwarves has broken out and the PCs (being human) are drawn in (all humans look alike to a Dwarf!)

There
We now have yourself a module (with 4 or so adventures)- enjoy (or not)

 

[Desdichado]

Go to the Wizard's website and read all the Dungeoncraft articles (on the Dragon Magazine Page) about how Ray Winninger developed the "forest world."

I agree that your campaign could really use a twist (as could they call, IMO.) The necromantic human culture sounds like just such a twist. I'd start the campaign off there, just to give the campaign an immediate "different" feel. As Dungeoncraft suggests (not that I agree 100% with all his advice, but most of it is really good) don't try to create too much all at once. That's just too much work and you run the risk of burn-out before you even actually ever play the setting.