Elodan said:
Based on the list you provided, I'm interested in hearing more about the settings I've left above.
I'm going to steal the questions from the setting search contest and add some of my own (setting experts please pipe up).
1. Core Ethos?
2. Who are the heroes?
3. What do they do?
4. Threats, Conflicts, Villains?
5. Nature of magic?
6. Role of dwarves and elves (and by extension non-human races) in the setting
7. What’s new? What’s different?
8. How easy is it to pick up the basics of the setting?
As mentioned before, the majority of my campaign is high/heroic fantasy, the defeat the forces of evil where they lurk type stuff. We do mix in some sword and sorcery and intrigue (not a lot of intrigue, just a taste). Can the setting handle this without a lot of shoe-horning?
I want some places ruled by good people so that my heroes have some place for respite. I'm indifferent if it's considered PoL, but I don't want overwhelming evil (i.e. evil is everywhere and you're the only good people in the world).
Dawnforge
1. The world is young and a mostly blank slate. Who has the courage to venture forth and shape it accordingly.
2. The heroes are Heroes. They are Hercules, Gilgamesh, Rama - legends whose stories will echo in eternity.
3. Heroes can work to end the conflict between the Dawn Elves and Night Elves, explore the recently discovered Tamerland inhabited by Lizardfolk and Dragons, mediate between the dwarf kingdoms and the giants, battle the evil Tieflings bent on world domination, discover what the dormant Yuan-Ti have been up to, unite the Kingsmarch under one banner to become one of the strongest kingdoms in the world, or rally former slaves of the giants - ogres and minotaurs - to form from the remnants a great people. On their way, they will become the strongest, fastest, toughest, smartest, wisest, and most charismatic persons the world has ever seen.
4. The Yuan-Ti empire, the most ancient in the world, is awakening from its slumber and looks north for new conquests. The Tieflings have been pushed back onto a volcanic island, but plot their return to the mainland. A dark immortal is tempting the Night Elves to worship her and break away from their cousins, the Dawn Elves. The giants and dwarves are not in open warfare at the moment, but the slightest mistake could send them into a bloody conflict. Explorers moving through the pristine Tamerland could awaken an ancient, slumbering dragon. Immortals, those mighty creatures who will someday become gods, are plotting and scheming to increase their power.
5. Magic is still young and has not taken the shape it will someday. The schools of magic have not been developed. In their place are four aspects - life, entropy, dreams, and dominion. Wizards bond themselves to one of these aspects. Most of their spells must come from within their aspect. Sorcerers are not restricted in this way. Around the land are eldritch wells, places of arcane energy where a spellcaster may bolster his spells beyond his normal ability.
6. Non-humans are prototypes of what they will become in later years. Dwarves are prototypical miners and crafters. Their conflict with the giants is still young and could go a different route depending on the direction the game takes. Elves are recent immigrants from their fey home. The divide between Dawn Elves and Night Elves is just beginning to take shape. The world is very cosmopolitan with many non-human playable races including minotaurs, ogres, dopplegangers, lizardfolk, orcs, and thinblood yuan-ti.
7. All of the races are beefed up to befit their legendary status. This also allows players to play more powerful races such as ogres and minotaurs. Legendary classes are available which are short, very powerful prestige classes that reflect the unique status of each PC. Their are no clerics because their are not yet any true deities. They are replaced by disciples which are followers of the immortals who will someday ascend to godhood. Druids are replaced by shamans, monks by spirit adepts.
8. It is very easy to pick up the basics of the setting because it uses most of the standard D&D tropes. It just tweaks them to better reflect the Age of Legends setting.
Dawnforge is one of my favorite settings. I think it is perfect for running a wide variety of epic, heroic campaigns.
