D&D 5E Let’s build a setting: World of Wrestling Acolytes!

[Particle_Man]

Now that the 5.1 srd is protected via cc, I was wondering what a minimalist setting would be like.
Imagine a world with only the pantheons listed in the srd, one that is so dominated by religion that all PCs begin as acolytes. One where grappling is highly emphasized and made a point of pride (not everyone has this feat but there are no other feats). One where all clerics are clerics of life, all sorcerers are draconic, all dwarves are hill dwarves and all humans are standard humans (I guess the bonus feat for variant humans is not as big a deal anyhow if it is the same feat), all warlocks make a pact with the fiend (I guess it gives something for the evil gods to do since all clerics are clerics of life), etc.

Basically stick as close to the srd as possible and build the world based on that.

What would such a setting be like? What would you do with it?

I am imagining a sort of WWE world of wrestlers trash talking and extolling the glory of their faith as they do so.

 

[Clint_L]

I asked ChatGPT, just to see what it would do with this prompt. It was pretty good:

In the world of Ring of Champions, the geography is diverse, with various regions each with its own distinct culture, climate and landscape. The world is divided into several major continents, each home to different wrestling promotions and styles of wrestling.

One of the most prominent continents is "Valoran" which is home to the Battle Royale Wrestling promotion, and is known for its rugged mountains and sprawling cities. The capital city of Valoran is "Vault of Champions" where Battle Royale Wrestling holds its biggest events and where many of the top wrestlers call home. Notable wrestlers from Valoran include "The Iron Giant" a towering and intimidating figure, known for his brute strength and finishing move "The Iron Fist" and "The Masked Marvel" a mysterious and enigmatic wrestler who never reveals their true identity and known for their high-flying moves. Other notable cities include "Ironforge" known for its blacksmiths and weapon makers, and "Mount Targon" a sacred peak where many wrestlers go to train and hone their skills.

Another continent is "Shon-Xan" known for its lush jungles, and home to the Champion's League Wrestling promotion. The capital city of Shon-Xan is "Victory's Stand" where Champion's League Wrestling holds its biggest events, and where many of the top wrestlers call home. Notable wrestlers from Shon-Xan include "The Queen of the Ring" a fierce and skilled fighter, known for her agility and finishing move "The Royal Decree" and "The Promoter" a shrewd and calculating businessman, who will stop at nothing to make his promotion successful. Other notable cities include "The Serpent's Nest" known for its exotic creatures and dangerous wildlife, and "The Golden City" a metropolis built on wealth and luxury.

There are also other smaller continents and island nations, each with their own unique geography and cultures. "The Frostlands" is a cold and snowy region home to independent wrestlers who specialize in hardcore and extreme matches. "The Lost Isles" a group of tropical islands, home to many small wrestling promotions and a melting pot of different cultures and fighting styles.

The world of Ring of Champions is filled with diverse and unique locations, and colorful personalities, each with their own history and stories waiting to be explored.

 

[Clint_L]

I also asked it to create a warlock character for this world:

In the world of Ring of Champions, there is a warlock wrestler known as "The Shadow" who hails from the continent of Valoran. He is a skilled and deadly fighter, known for his agility and cunning in the ring, as well as his mastery of dark magic. He is a tall and slender figure, always shrouded in a cloak of darkness, with eyes that seem to glow with an otherworldly power.

The Shadow's Warlock patron is the mysterious and powerful entity known as "The Shadowed One". The Shadowed One is a powerful and ancient being, said to have existed since the dawn of time and to be able to manipulate the very fabric of reality itself. The Shadowed One has granted The Shadow immense powers of magic, allowing him to control shadows and darkness, to teleport short distances and to summon creatures from the Plane of Shadow to aid him in battle.

The Shadow's finishing move is "The Shadow Step" where he disappears into the shadows and reappears behind his opponent, delivering a devastating blow. In the ring, he is known for his ability to manipulate shadows to his advantage, creating illusions and distractions to disorient his opponents. He is also known for his ability to summon shadowy creatures to fight alongside him during his matches.

Outside the ring, The Shadow is a mysterious and enigmatic figure, rarely seen in public and never revealing much about his past or his motivations. Some say he is a force for good, fighting for justice and the protection of the innocent, while others say he is a dark and dangerous force, using his powers for his own gain. Despite his mysterious nature, one thing is certain: The Shadow is a force to be reckoned with in the world of Ring of Champions.


Edit: so, uh, that is actually really good. I kind of wish I had come up with that.

 

[Tonguez]

I asked ChatGPT, just to see what it would do with this prompt. It was pretty good:

brilliant, I got this

The world of Grappletopia is a fantasy realm where wrestling is the most popular and revered sport. The land is divided into several territories, each ruled by a powerful wrestling federation. The most powerful federation is the Continental Wrestling Alliance (CWA) based in the capital city of Grapple City. The CWA is home to the most talented and skilled wrestlers from all over the world, who compete in sold-out arenas for the adulation of fans everywhere.

The northern territories of Frosthold and Iron Mountains are home to fierce and rugged wrestlers who specialize in hardcore and submission styles of wrestling. These wrestlers are known for their brute strength and toughness, and their matches are often brutal and bloody affairs.

The southern territories of Sunbelt and Junglelands are home to high-flying and acrobatic wrestlers who specialize in lucha libre and cruiserweight styles of wrestling. These wrestlers are known for their agility and speed, and their matches are often fast-paced and high-flying spectacles.

The eastern territories of Dragon's Den and Shogun's Empire are home to mystical and exotic wrestlers who specialize in martial arts and anime-style wrestling. These wrestlers are known for their incredible strength, speed, and precision, and their matches are often epic battles between good and evil.

The western territories of Wild West and Pirates' Cove are home to rough-and-tumble and charismatic wrestlers who specialize in cowboy and pirate styles of wrestling. These wrestlers are known for their showmanship and their ability to connect with the fans, and their matches are often wild and entertaining affairs.

In Grappletopia, wrestling is more than just a sport, it's a way of life. The wrestlers are revered as heroes and legends, and their matches are the stuff of legend. The fans are passionate and die-hard, and they follow their favorite wrestlers from territory to territory, cheering them on to victory and glory.

 

[Particle_Man]

This is awesome!

 

[Krachek]

The human world is ruled By a theocracy.
Life is wrestling and sport. thus temple are much like roman stadium where are organized ceremonial contest to find the fittest and strongest people.
High priest compete against each other trying to attract bigger crowd, build bigger stadium, attract the best wrester!
To fit a pantheon in the SRD we use ancient Greek gods.

 

[Tonguez]

The Dragon Kings of Ausar

The people of Ausar have long sort to perfect themselves, honing their strength and agility. Each year a tournament is held in the Grand Stadium where combatants enter the squared circle and engage in unarmed grappling competitions against each other and against charging beasts, in order to prove themselves worthy to ascend to the perfection of the Dragon-kings.

Those who succeed are awarded with the Belt of Champions and become acolytes of the Dragon-kings

 

[Lanefan]

The Dragon Kings of Ausar

The people of Ausar have long sort to perfect themselves, honing their strength and agility. Each year a tournament is held in the Grand Stadium where combatants enter the squared circle and engage in unarmed grappling competitions against each other and against charging beasts, in order to prove themselves worthy to ascend to the perfection of the Dragon-kings.

Those who succeed are awarded with the Belt of Champions and become acolytes of the Dragon-kings

And the reason PCs go adventuring in the setting is to improve their grappling skills, learn new moves, toughen their bodies, and so forth. They then test their prowess in minor-circuit competitions (vaguely analagous to training for a new level) with the ultimate goal of one day being invited to participate in the annual GrappleMania tournament.......

One cool element of roleplaying a character in this system is that in effect you'd be playing two characters at once: the actual character itself and its in-ring persona. This could even reflect in the game mechanics somehow. Consider Bruce Banner/The Hulk: Banner is a highly-intelligent wimp, Hulk is a big dumb brute - he takes a huge hit to his non-physical stats in order to vastly improve his physical abilities for a while. A toned-down form of this might suit Wrestleworld, with the change in abilities not necessarily always reflecting the Banner-Hulk model: one character, for example, might be a gentle giant out-of-ring but in-ring be a persuasive trickster (in D&D terms, higher Cha and Dex, lower Str and Con) who wins by conning - or bribing! - the referee, or through always having allies come to his/her aid.