Merged WotC setting search winners/losers thread

[orbitalfreak]

Would people be interested in contributing to an archive of these setting proposals? It could be a great resource for a GM who has writer's block, or who is new, and who needs inspiration for his next homebrew campaign.

Good Idea!

I'd put mine up, and I'd probably use a lot of them myself. It'd be great for skimming ideas from several areas, and slapping them together to fill in holes too.

personally i'd like to have the EN world community run through the "losers" and vote on the 10, they want, then pick the 3 and then the 1st. but i know it wont happen cause it would just basically be a big 'ole pain in the butt to figureout how to do it, and it would require so much followthrough that i just wouldn't get done.

But would be interesting to see what the population, as opposed to WoTC, considers the best submissions.

joe b.

This would be nice. Maybe run a few different heats of 10 settings at a time, pick the top two or three from each, and run them through again. Have a few rounds to pick out a winner.

Maybe, you could take the top three winners, have them write a 10-page document, and vote on the best one there. Winner gets, oh, I dunno, $15 worth of ENWorld merchandice?

Just my .002 pp.

 

[kenjib]

Would people be interested in contributing to an archive of these setting proposals? It could be a great resource for a GM who has writer's block, or who is new, and who needs inspiration for his next homebrew campaign.

I'd be honored myself. I like the ENWorld competition idea as well.

 

[Paladin]

Great...maybe we can send this thread as a mass e-mail to every role-playing publishing company we can think of...Personally, I think WotC got in a lot over their heads to start with...11 out of 11,000!? How the hell did they think that would work? There are just too many talented people out there!!!
Congratulations if you're a winner, and even if you are not, because you had the guts and the talent to even send in a submission, something a lot of people didn't even do.
P.S. I'm serious about the mass e-mail!!!...Paladinwife

 

[JoeCrow]

Paragons

Well, here's mine. Probably the lack of core races that did it in.

1) Core Ethos Sentence: PARAGONS is a world of wizardry, psionics, and steel, where heroes struggle to ascend beyond the limitations of mortality and recover the secrets of fallen empires.

2) Who are the heroes?: In the world of PARAGONS, priests and monks from the Five Kingdoms seek to emulate the Paragon of Man and achieve enlightenment, while purifying and protecting humanity. Scale-princes and wizards from the draconid clans search for the secret of the Dragon Ascension. In the Hive-Cities, psychic warriors and psions struggle in the War of Queens. Beastfolk druids and woodsrunners follow the Way of the Animal Lords in the northern forests. Between them all, shifter rogues and bards carry lore and lies, never showing their true faces.

3) What do they do?: Scholars and kings hire adventurers to explore ancient ruins, seeking the lost methods of transcending mortality. Spies and assassins stalk the shadows, their intrigues twisting the fates of nations. Draconid heroes perform feats of valor, hoping to prove themselves to their dragon ancestors. Hivespider diplomats forge alliances to promote their own Queen's agenda against those of the other Hive-Cities, striving to recreate the long-shattered Crystalline Empire.

4) Threats, Conflicts, Villains: Hive-City K'talak has begun to spread her Queen's message of absolute hivespider supremacy to her neighboring Hive-Cities by conquest and subversion, intent on shaping a new Crystalline Empire in the image of K'talak's rigid caste system. Seaborne pirates calling themselves the Servants of the Iron Throne have appeared, raiding the coasts for slaves and plunder. Redclan scale-princes seek to demonstrate their worthiness by ravaging the human Five Kingdoms with fire and sword. And behind all this, rumors spread of the return of Leviathan's Children, the Skinless Ones, the shapechangers whose attempt to awaken their sleeping father-god 1000 years ago destroyed both the Dragon Accord and the Crystalline Empire.

5) Nature of magic: Magic in all its forms is integral to the world of PARAGONS. Eons ago the dragons learned to harness the raw power of the elements through force of will, and passed the secrets of sorcery to their draconid children. The hivespiders' mastery of life led to their perfecting of the psionic arts, drawing power from their own bodies. The druids of the beastfolk tribes draw on the power of the natural world, as they have from the beginning of time. Human wizards allied with the draconid clans have learned to manipulate arcane forces through knowledge, and some humans who live among the hivespiders have mastered their psionic arts. All races revere those who have ascended, drawing power from immortal paragons through meditation and prayer.

6) What's new? What's different?: Psionics and the quest for epic-level power are essential parts of the world structure. Three new races: draconids - clannish warriors and sorcerers descended from dragons, hivespiders - psionic arachnids with a caste society, and shifters - shapechanging tricksters and humanity's closest allies. Humans are torn between the knowledge of the elder races, the ancestral traditions of the beastfolk tribes and the developing wisdom of the monastic orders devoted to the Paragon of Man, the Ascended One who broke the Cauldron of Tears and defeated Leviathan's Children 1000 years ago. Each race's struggle to define themselves in alliance with or in opposition to the other races consumes the world of PARAGONS.

 

[Scribe Ineti]

Congrats to the 11 semifinalists. Would have been nice to be one of them, but hey, no big deal. I have lots of other writing irons in the fire.

Here's my proposal. Nothing in it that hasn't been seen in this thread already, though.

Ancient Legacies

Core Ethos Sentence

Ancient Legacies is a world of adventure where heroes explore once-lost lands and battle foes using mundane weapons, religious faith (real or artificial), and their own innate magical talents.

Who are the heroes?

With the rediscovery of the Ancient Lands, people from all races and livelihoods trade in their old lives for the mantle of adventurer. Whether of common blood or to the manor born, whether oppressed or free, whether simple-minded or brilliant, these daring souls believe they will find something better across the Great Sea than they could have found by simply staying home.

What do they do?

In general, different heroes have different goals. For example, commoners seek better (or at least, more exciting) lives; cultists of ancient religious orders struggle to keep their faith alive; apprentice spellslingers attempt to maximize their potential; nobles hope to claim power in the little-explored Ancient Lands; fervent priests of the rediscovered gods strive for recognition; and swordsmen fight for anyone with sufficient means. The most daring heroes make the long journey to the Ancient Lands to start a new life, acquire treasure, or even unearth one of the long-lost divine artifacts.

Threats, Conflicts, Villains

The world's dangers are legion. Evil rulers seek to steal, enslave, and conquer; religious orders and cults war with each other over which god is the True God; and the gods themselves walk upon the earth and squabble for followers. Those who travel to the Ancient Lands also encounter arduous journeys through treacherous climes, mystical creatures long thought extinct, crumbling cities and temples filled with death and mystery, and many other challenges both wondrous and strange.

Nature of Magic

The potential to perform magic resides in all people, great and small. The majority of the populace believes this potential is a divine gift. Some people (who are usually looked upon as either misguided or heretical) are certain magic is nothing more than the manifestation of an individual's will. Others feel magic is a by-product of nature, and believe that living in harmony with all life will enhance one's magic.

What’s new? What’s different?

The exploration of the Ancient Lands is the primary goal of many countries and organizations, especially those seeking to do evil and dominate the world. The old pantheon has been reestablished, and virtually everyone worships one deity or another either because it is fashionable to do so or because they have true faith. The old orders and the new sects bitterly fight over ideology. The gods regularly influence world events. All of these facets and more challenge the heroes of Ancient Legacies.

 

[Vengue]

commentary

I am really impressed with some of the settings I have read so far. Must say that I feel a little humbled knowing there is so much untapped talent out there (some much for that self delusion). Here are my initial opinions on the settings I’ve read and the settings I consider noteworthy;

Beneath the Gray…really like the Void and the Flame idea…sounds like a cool setting…but wouldn’t want to start a level one character, seems like he would have the life expextancy of a Twilight 2000 character.

Mosaic…Seems like you would have so much different types of environments to roleplay in…sort of like Ravenloft but substitutes originality and unknown instead of the Goth factor.

Alterra…Because I would like to read a book based on it. Gonna have to steal the idea of the Zhen Tao though. Samurai as fighter sorcerers….awesome idea. And elves as Angels. Very sweet and very creative. *bow* *grovel* *bow*

Vast Horizons…wish I would have thought to submit my submission that way: like a story instead of an essay.

Sundered Seas…cause damn it a sea setting would be cool (and I like the idea of having a pet nomek…ranger with high levels in animal training and a helm of underwater breathing….sigh

Shadows of the Dominion….well because its mine…and kobolds need more recognition.

Avatar…because every gamer needs to say “well my character is umm me.”

Moon Gate…history of the world sounds neat and I like the breaking up of magic…would have been interesting…sounds a little like Dark Sun though.

Lands of Leone…cause it reminds me a little of birthright with the political side, and because orange is a cool color damnit!

Myrik…the villains just sound mean; Bonecasters, Vampire Lords, Stoneblades, Shadowknights, and Darkwights (gonna borrow these for my game, muhahahah) and I like the details in the setting.

Eidus…because its better than my setting damnit and the panatheon is a great idea.

Verdistum…talk about a great epic level world, think my players are going to find a suspicious astral gate that says “do not enter” (one way of course), they will definitely go for it.

Siddir…Sorcerers being tieflings…enough said.

Empire Ascendant…because I personally think monster societies should be more developed than the standard “tribe that raids for food” and me strongest, me in power. Sounds like this would have done well in this department.

Asgoth- because that’s a lot of words to fit on one page.

Again all thoughts are strictly opinions, and from a highly questionable source, but good job everyone, even if you didn’t win.


Edit: oh yeah...and my vote would have gone to Harn world. That should have won.

 

[Rune]

Readers of my story hours will probably recognize this.

The Dream

The Dream is a medieval fantasy world of high adventure, wherein heroes shape the reality of their world through their actions.

The heroes of the Dream come from all walks of life, from the poorest of laborers to the wealthiest of leaders. They inevitably share one characteristic with each other, one spark that separates them from the common folk of the world. The heroes are the individuals who are special, who are more than mere reflections of the Dream. The heroes stand out among a crowd, because they can alter the world around them, while the common people are but a part of the altered world.

The heroes of the Dream seek to gain glory, wealth, honor, and enlightenment for themselves. During the course of their careers, the heroes may enmesh themselves in the tangled webs of politics that connect the powers of the world, or they may choose to bring down mighty countries through sheer might. Whatever the goals of the heroes, they will inevitably leave a long trail of alterations in the very landscapes, social attitudes, and even the flow of time throughout the world, as they travel through the Dream.

Conflicts are commonplace in the Dream. Differing ideologies, political alliances, and simple villainy conspire to hinder the heroes in their progress. Even within a monotheistic world, religions clash with bitter enmity. Many different interpretations of the deity, the Dreamer, exist. Each carries with it a doxology that is radically opposed to several others. Religions, factions, and rivalries ensure that a healthy dose of political dissention divides the world. Even so, a greater threat exists to the Dream than its conflicting inhabitants can pose. A vile pit of anguish and terror writhes in the center of the continent; this is the Nightmare. From it, terrible monsters enter the world.

Magic is a powerful force in the Dream, often triggering shifts in reality. It is abundant and plentiful among the heroes of the world, but it is not wildly available to most of the common people of the Dream. Arcane magic is a bending of the substance of the Dream, a shaping that often triggers a reaction from the Dream. Divine magic is granted specifically by the Dreamer and is, in a sense, more pure. In its slumber, the Dreamer has a tendency to take on certain personalities within the Dream—these take the roles of lesser gods and it is to these that the faithful pray, often claiming that their patron is the only true reflection of the Dreamer. The casting of divine magic has a tendency to attract the attention of these personalities, not infrequently at the caster’s peril.

The Dream is a world in which the heroes live and die within the confines of a single, massive dream. The setting does not suppose that the heroes can enter or exit the Dream at will; the heroes’ entire world is bound in the Dream. Certain elements within the world are frequently changing and the heroes’ actions may directly result in some of these changes. The landscape, the seasons, the common inhabitants, and the rate of temporal flow are all subject to distortion. Major changes are completely within the domain of the Dreamer, but minor shifts occur with every birth (or rebirth), with every death, and with many actions of importance.

Cameron Morgan

 

[gregweller]

Well, here's one more setting that didn't make it. But I have to say, it was a lot of fun for my wife and I to work on this. Of course, I wouldn't be disinclined to talk to any publisher that happens to see this and like what they see!

1. Entia is a world in flux where heroes and villains are pitted against one another in a battle to control the ever-shifting landscape.

2. Heroes are those that are awakened to the fluctuations around them. Unlike the normal population that is unaware that the Old Forest did not exist until yesterday, the heroes are in tune with the shifting of the world. They are awakened in varying ways--through lore study, monastic training, prophetic dreams, devastating loss or any number of life changing events

3. Heroes seek to bring balance and stability to the world by understanding the changes around them. Fighters tend to have some scholarly training—a Fighter/Loremaster is not that uncommon. Wizards and Clerics test the boundaries of reality through Alchemical and Emotive magic. Monks balance the scales with their uncompromising beliefs and the help of their fists.

4. Entia is in danger of becoming so unstable that it could no longer support life. However, several groups rely on a shifting world for their livelihood or to further their political or spiritual goals. There are merchant cartels that constantly plunder the Shimmerlands for new delights to bring back to the jaded upper classes. Powerful Alchemists seek to control the chaos for their own gain, and Heresiarchs twist and turn the very spells of the Gods for their own inscrutable ends.

5. There are three basic kinds of magic. The first kind is the typical fantasy magic that most people will be familiar with—spells like ‘feather fall’ or ‘magic missile’. The second kind of magic, Alchemical magic, is the focus of a lot of the uniqueness of the world. Finally there is Emotive magic, which is this world’s Clerical magic. This magic is based on the emotions. The spells are not substantially different than those in the Core Rules, but they have a different flavor. They are based on the personification of emotions as deities, rather than the more naturalistic domains in a traditional mythos. Wizardly/Alchemical magic tends to be chaotic. Clerical/Emotive magic tends to be ordered. However, there are Heresiarchs who are attempting to bring chaos into the realm of Emotive magic. Depending on the locale, the power of magic can vary greatly.

6. Several ancient, many-layered cities dominate the world of Entia. In all cases, the cities that most people see are only the tip of an urban iceberg. As you descend into the depths it is as if you go back through time. If Troy had 7 layers, these cities have many more. It appears that all of the cities are part of one very ancient unimaginably large metropolis. For example, the Library of Saq, 6 levels down from the surface, appears to form its own layer that stretches under Entia’s entire surface.

Outside the city, the land is in a constant state of flux. This might be the case for one or more reasons. One view is that it is caused by different power groups who are manipulating reality itself for their own ends: Alchemists hired by powerful trading cartels use the Shimmerlands as a breeding ground for treasures, both living and artistic to take back to the decadent rulers of the city of Isald. Others posit that a whole sister world occupies the same space as Entia and that this other world is bleeding into her. There is yet another explanation--that this ever shifting land is the result of the machinations of an ancient cabal of Alchemists and Philosophers whose goal was to create a world made to their specifications.

Emotive magic, the chaotic nature of the landscape and the ability to create radically different realities but still have a reasoned basis for their existence are all unique elements of this world.







Greg Weller
Heather Roberts

 

[Troll-Hunter]

Reviewing posted ideas...

Delurking just to say that I found derverdammte's "Beneath the Gray" to be the most interesting (IMO) world idea. Though it did not really catch my attention until the summary paragraph, I then went back and read the rest of his submission. I would not mind seeing more detial in your "Nature of magic" paragraph - some good thoughts there.

Of the rest I found Vengue's "The Shadows of the Dominion" the best campaign background for a basic sword and sorcery world

I will post mine and submit to whomever wants it, once I get back to work on Tuesday.

 

[Undead Pete]

Here's my entry. Feel free to send me offers

____________________________________________


The Dominion of Urdan

1. Core Ethos Sentence – The Dominion is a world torn asunder by a god’s insanity, where heroes and villains are determined by the time of their birth, and numinous storms raze the countryside.

2. Who are the Heroes? – The majority of heroes are the chosen few whose births coincide with the “cusps” of the hours (see #6), named Cuspriders and Cuspwalkers. A large council of wizards and sorcerors known as the Storm Wardens serve as guardians against encroaching evil. Other heroes are simply ordinary individuals caught up in extraordinary circumstances, making a stand despite overwhelming odds.

3. What do they do? – The heroes are in a constant battle to hold back the Dominion and other threats. Besides attempting to control the magical energies of the storms, the Storm Wardens are also the self-appointed keepers of the known Conduits, artifacts which allow the gods to possess mortals’ bodies and appear as avatars. Not all the Conduits have been discovered. As can be expected, many different parties constantly search for them.

4. Threats, Conflicts, Villains

1. Urdan, The Insane God – Originally a strong and benevolent deity, the god of the sun was driven insane through machinations of his jealous bride, Magdala, and a number of her children. Urdan’s personality was divided into two diametrically opposed facets. One is a merciless genocidal tyrant. The other is the hollow remnant of his former glory. As a result, the church of Urdan has split into two factions. In the centuries since the division, the tyrannical camp has come to dominate over 50% of the world’s landmass. Only the Great Breach (see #5), an immense canyon created by the god of the earth, holds them back from complete supremacy.
   
2. The Beloved – Disciples of Stannesh, the god of disease, these creatures’ sole purpose is to spread pestilence throughout the world. They are assumed to be to blame for the Yellow Rot, a plague killing all manner of hoofed beast.
   
3. The Swarm Queen – Recently reincarnated as a legendary awakened monstrous mantis, this priestess of Hhussk, the god of insects and fanaticism, is rapidly spreading her legions of mantis warriors. The Daqi (see #6) regard her as an abomination of nature and are at the front ranks of the conflict.[/list=1]
   
   5. Nature of Magic – Prior to Urdan’s affliction, magic was a constant, unending source that flowed through the earth, distributed evenly throughout the realm. Alas, in order to stem the Dominion, Vareth, god of Earth and Protection, ripped the land in two, creating the Great Breach, a profound chasm, across the center of the lands. Now, arcane energies surge from this gulf, creating storms that create and destroy wherever they land (see The Warped below). This also has created a discrepancy in the magical distribution. Some regions are weak while others are overflowing with magic. There have even been reports of null zones and areas where chaos reigns. The Storm Wardens (see #2) attempt to control and harness the energies in the storms.
   
   6. What’s new? What’s different?
   1. The Hours – Each of the 25 hours of the day is “ruled” by one of the major gods, with Urdan as the exception (see #4). Due to his power and dual nature, he rules 2 hours. The hour of one’s birth determines one’s patron god. This god will influence the individual’s life, whether she chooses to revere the god or not. Special interest is given to the Cuspriders and Cuspwalkers (see #2), born in the second between the hours. Such individuals are blessed (or doomed, depending on one’s perspective) to serve both gods. They alone have no choice. Cuspriders are destined to be warriors and rogues. Cuspwalkers are destined to be priests and mages. Their twin natures can be complementary, or in conflict, depending on the duo of gods. Imagine the power of a Cusprider who travels the path between the god of warriors and the god of dragons, or the discord one must face if you are a Cuspwalker of the goddess of disease and the god of beauty.
      
   2. The Daqi – These creatures are a race of nomadic humanoids with a unique affinity for insects and arachnids. At an early age, each Daqi forms a symbiotic relationship with a swarm, similar to that of a wizard and her familiar. As they grow together, the insects give the Daqi a variety of benefits, dependent on the type of insects. The Daqi are divided into a hierarchy of castes, based upon the insect that has chosen them. Some are benign and some are foul, but only the Daqi know the complete truth.
      
   3. The Warped - Those who live in the Dominion know to seek shelter when storms appear on the horizon. Individuals caught in the fury of the thunderstorms released from the Great Breach rarely escape unscathed. The unbridled magic changes them. Most of the time, the differences are minor, but every so often individuals feel the full wrath of these energies. These people are called the Warped.[/list=1]