mroberon1972
First Post
First, I'd like to let you know the work on the main setting sourcebook is moving along fine. At the moment we have about 15-20% of the book written, with editing following closely behind. Some basic layouts have already been tested, and I wanted to ask some questions:
1. While most published books use dual columns for printing, I have heard some of you complain about this. Would you rather have full-page wide text for a PDF?
2. Some of you have also been speaking of settings not having enough 'flavor'. This got me to wondering if you would purchase PDF/perfect bound short story books based on the Modern Awakenings setting. They would be from 64-128 pages, and would have 4-8 short stories or a novel. Any thoughts on this?
Now, let me present the setting of Modern Awakenings:
The World:
Modern Awakenings is a setting placed on the world of Creation, a planet similar to our own in many basic ways. Its climate varies from tropical at the equator to arctic at the Polar Regions, while having a large temperate zone. Seasons range between winter and summer on a regular cycle, due to the tilt of the world's axis in comparison with the sun. Volcanic and tectonic activity helps to shape the continents over the ages, creating both mountains and valleys. Flora and fauna of different breeds are scattered across the regions of the world, with new ones being born and becoming extinct nearly every day. Overall, the world of Creation is a world of change. This goes for its thinking inhabitants as well.
The People:
Creation has many different sentient species, including humans, elves, dwarves, orcs, halflings, gnomes, giants, and dragons, just to name a few. Hundreds more exist, and in some cases thrive, in both the wilderness and the large cities scattered across planet. These races have shaped the modern world into a place that allows them comforts and advantages they never had in the primitive ages of the past.
Races unable to adapt to the modern world, though, tend to die off as their cultures fall into decay. Those who survive the centuries find themselves living within the great cities of the civilized lands. While most of these beings have learned to live within the rules of modern society, others still hold onto their primitive ways.
Some of these beings are brutal barbarians, for which violence is the most common method of communication. Others are beings who understand the modern world and its cities, but who see them as hunting grounds for their own gain. Still others are quite civilized in culture, while just rejecting the huge cities wrought of metal and technomancy. These beings live in the wilderness, in near the same manner their ancestors did nearly ten thousand years ago.
The Cities:
Great cities dot the land, differing in style and structure as much as those who inhabit them. Their size and population vary, ranging from about five to twenty million inhabitants. To accommodate these beings, towers rise high into the sky while tunnels and sub-basements dig deep into the ground. Even people who have lived within a city for their entire lives never see more than a portion of it.
Cities are usually separated into districts, and then subdivided into blocks. In addition, some cities have levels that generally advise how far above or below ‘ground level’ a place is. Saying that a place is ‘ten levels down’ from where you are now, is about as arbitrary a measurement as saying someplace is ‘about 5 blocks north’.
In some of the larger cities, ground level streets are supplemented by ‘high roads’ that connect buildings together with reinforced bridges to ease ground congestion. Even then, these roads are secondary to the real method of travel that most people use. Magical Gates allow instant access to places connected by them. These masterwork devices of technomancy allow not only movement between sections of a city, but also between different regions of the world as well.
Vehicles are rare in the city. This is not only due to the Gates making them unnecessary, but also due to the perceived danger that they pose to the high number of pedestrians moving about the city at all hours.
Power is provided to the city though WeaveGates. Shielded within special buildings, these unstable gates transmit power to nodes across the city. These nodes then distribute power to each home and business in its area, which covers approximately a single city block. It takes several WeaveGates and thousands of power nodes to provide power for even a small city. Nearly every convenience that people take for granted in the city uses either the nodes or crystalline power cells to function. Without them, these devices would be little more than useless trash, and the city would die as its Gates, vehicles, and equipment came crashing to a halt.
Suburbs:
As you get farther from a city’s center, the buildings get smaller as they eventually give way to the suburbs. The suburbs form a band around the city proper, giving homes to those who would live in less crowded surroundings. This ring tends to have less than half as many people in it as is in the city proper.
Personal vehicles are more common here, partially due to the fact that gatehouses allowing easy travel are not as closely located to people’s homes. Also, making a mistake with one is less lethal to innocent bystanders since people are not as tightly packed as in the city.
Gatehouses are scattered around the suburbs as evenly as possible, allowing for a connection to the outer city. These places usually have plenty of parking, and only charge a modest fee.
Farmlands:
Farmlands surround the suburbs and the city, producing the enormous amounts of food that are needed in order to feed the populations inside. Though covering a large area, the farmlands tend to have only ten percent of the population of a city. This is due to much of the work done by technomantic machinery and magic.
While these farms are actually owned by the local government, the beings who run them tend to be proud and fiercely independent. This is partially due to most of the farmers being retired soldiers and their families. These brave beings, having already proved themselves in combat, have earned their place in blood. Many family members enlist from this region as well, in order to continue the family tradition. Also, the relaxed weapons laws regarding the farmlands reinforce this attitude. Most farmers go armed at all times, and are allowed to legally own weapons of near military grade. With monsters regularly attempting to invade their lands from the wilderness beyond, this is seen as a basic necessity of survival.
While most governments do attempt to make regular patrols around their borders, it is impossible to catch everything. Farming is considered a dangerous career, and they are paid well for their success. Failure usually means having the farm repossessed by the government, to allow someone else a chance.
Vehicles are even more common here, mostly due to the fact that there are no Gatehouses this far out for civilian use. The ones that do exist are fortified military installations for the transport of foodstuffs. They are well guarded to prevent monster incursions into the city.
The Wilderness:
Beyond the farmlands is the wilderness. This term refers to the seventy-five percent of the world’s surface that is uncultivated by modern methods and left mostly wild.
Protected by the United Druidical Foundation (UDF), these lands are populated by those who choose not to dwell in the shadows of the great cities. Living in rural communities that only have access to limited technomancy, these beings live quiet lives while fighting to protect themselves from raiders and the occasional monster. While the druids and rangers of the UDF try as best they can to help protect these areas, they still on occasion arrive at one and find it deserted. While these occurrences are rare, they still happen enough to drive even more people into the cities.
Technomancy is rare in the wilderness, since there are no WeaveGates or nodes to provide power. This only leaves crystalline power cells (CPCs) to run devices. This can be problematic due to the need to get to a city to recharge them. Usually, a town or village has emergency equipment and the CPCs to run them hidden away. This might include anything from weapons to communication gear, but almost never is something that is used on a daily basis. The weapons of choice are slug based, since they can be repaired locally and the ammunition can be stored for long periods of time. Some communities can even make their own ammunition, given the right mechanical equipment and an alchemist who knows the process.
Ruins and lost cities are scattered throughout the wilderness. These millennia-old places speak of the past to those who have ability to listen. Adventurers often travel to these locations in search of treasure and lost knowledge. While such excursions are not discouraged by the UDF, they do expect to see a legitimate adventuring license and ID if found on patrol. Those who cannot provide one are usually arrested and fined. Later, sometimes much later, they are released with a warning about following regulations. These papers can be purchased at any UDF center, either in a city or at designated wilderness facilities.
The UDF has also placed protected parks near many of the larger cities for vacationers to enjoy. For a modest fee, anyone can see the beauty of the wild without the inherent danger of being eaten by something higher on the food chain. While camping outside of these parks is not expressly forbidden, it is firmly discouraged. Luckily, rumors of what happened to those who tried it keep others from making the same mistake.
Mr. Oberon
"Hey Paw! We got orcs in the corn again!"
1. While most published books use dual columns for printing, I have heard some of you complain about this. Would you rather have full-page wide text for a PDF?
2. Some of you have also been speaking of settings not having enough 'flavor'. This got me to wondering if you would purchase PDF/perfect bound short story books based on the Modern Awakenings setting. They would be from 64-128 pages, and would have 4-8 short stories or a novel. Any thoughts on this?
Now, let me present the setting of Modern Awakenings:
The World:
Modern Awakenings is a setting placed on the world of Creation, a planet similar to our own in many basic ways. Its climate varies from tropical at the equator to arctic at the Polar Regions, while having a large temperate zone. Seasons range between winter and summer on a regular cycle, due to the tilt of the world's axis in comparison with the sun. Volcanic and tectonic activity helps to shape the continents over the ages, creating both mountains and valleys. Flora and fauna of different breeds are scattered across the regions of the world, with new ones being born and becoming extinct nearly every day. Overall, the world of Creation is a world of change. This goes for its thinking inhabitants as well.
The People:
Creation has many different sentient species, including humans, elves, dwarves, orcs, halflings, gnomes, giants, and dragons, just to name a few. Hundreds more exist, and in some cases thrive, in both the wilderness and the large cities scattered across planet. These races have shaped the modern world into a place that allows them comforts and advantages they never had in the primitive ages of the past.
Races unable to adapt to the modern world, though, tend to die off as their cultures fall into decay. Those who survive the centuries find themselves living within the great cities of the civilized lands. While most of these beings have learned to live within the rules of modern society, others still hold onto their primitive ways.
Some of these beings are brutal barbarians, for which violence is the most common method of communication. Others are beings who understand the modern world and its cities, but who see them as hunting grounds for their own gain. Still others are quite civilized in culture, while just rejecting the huge cities wrought of metal and technomancy. These beings live in the wilderness, in near the same manner their ancestors did nearly ten thousand years ago.
The Cities:
Great cities dot the land, differing in style and structure as much as those who inhabit them. Their size and population vary, ranging from about five to twenty million inhabitants. To accommodate these beings, towers rise high into the sky while tunnels and sub-basements dig deep into the ground. Even people who have lived within a city for their entire lives never see more than a portion of it.
Cities are usually separated into districts, and then subdivided into blocks. In addition, some cities have levels that generally advise how far above or below ‘ground level’ a place is. Saying that a place is ‘ten levels down’ from where you are now, is about as arbitrary a measurement as saying someplace is ‘about 5 blocks north’.
In some of the larger cities, ground level streets are supplemented by ‘high roads’ that connect buildings together with reinforced bridges to ease ground congestion. Even then, these roads are secondary to the real method of travel that most people use. Magical Gates allow instant access to places connected by them. These masterwork devices of technomancy allow not only movement between sections of a city, but also between different regions of the world as well.
Vehicles are rare in the city. This is not only due to the Gates making them unnecessary, but also due to the perceived danger that they pose to the high number of pedestrians moving about the city at all hours.
Power is provided to the city though WeaveGates. Shielded within special buildings, these unstable gates transmit power to nodes across the city. These nodes then distribute power to each home and business in its area, which covers approximately a single city block. It takes several WeaveGates and thousands of power nodes to provide power for even a small city. Nearly every convenience that people take for granted in the city uses either the nodes or crystalline power cells to function. Without them, these devices would be little more than useless trash, and the city would die as its Gates, vehicles, and equipment came crashing to a halt.
Suburbs:
As you get farther from a city’s center, the buildings get smaller as they eventually give way to the suburbs. The suburbs form a band around the city proper, giving homes to those who would live in less crowded surroundings. This ring tends to have less than half as many people in it as is in the city proper.
Personal vehicles are more common here, partially due to the fact that gatehouses allowing easy travel are not as closely located to people’s homes. Also, making a mistake with one is less lethal to innocent bystanders since people are not as tightly packed as in the city.
Gatehouses are scattered around the suburbs as evenly as possible, allowing for a connection to the outer city. These places usually have plenty of parking, and only charge a modest fee.
Farmlands:
Farmlands surround the suburbs and the city, producing the enormous amounts of food that are needed in order to feed the populations inside. Though covering a large area, the farmlands tend to have only ten percent of the population of a city. This is due to much of the work done by technomantic machinery and magic.
While these farms are actually owned by the local government, the beings who run them tend to be proud and fiercely independent. This is partially due to most of the farmers being retired soldiers and their families. These brave beings, having already proved themselves in combat, have earned their place in blood. Many family members enlist from this region as well, in order to continue the family tradition. Also, the relaxed weapons laws regarding the farmlands reinforce this attitude. Most farmers go armed at all times, and are allowed to legally own weapons of near military grade. With monsters regularly attempting to invade their lands from the wilderness beyond, this is seen as a basic necessity of survival.
While most governments do attempt to make regular patrols around their borders, it is impossible to catch everything. Farming is considered a dangerous career, and they are paid well for their success. Failure usually means having the farm repossessed by the government, to allow someone else a chance.
Vehicles are even more common here, mostly due to the fact that there are no Gatehouses this far out for civilian use. The ones that do exist are fortified military installations for the transport of foodstuffs. They are well guarded to prevent monster incursions into the city.
The Wilderness:
Beyond the farmlands is the wilderness. This term refers to the seventy-five percent of the world’s surface that is uncultivated by modern methods and left mostly wild.
Protected by the United Druidical Foundation (UDF), these lands are populated by those who choose not to dwell in the shadows of the great cities. Living in rural communities that only have access to limited technomancy, these beings live quiet lives while fighting to protect themselves from raiders and the occasional monster. While the druids and rangers of the UDF try as best they can to help protect these areas, they still on occasion arrive at one and find it deserted. While these occurrences are rare, they still happen enough to drive even more people into the cities.
Technomancy is rare in the wilderness, since there are no WeaveGates or nodes to provide power. This only leaves crystalline power cells (CPCs) to run devices. This can be problematic due to the need to get to a city to recharge them. Usually, a town or village has emergency equipment and the CPCs to run them hidden away. This might include anything from weapons to communication gear, but almost never is something that is used on a daily basis. The weapons of choice are slug based, since they can be repaired locally and the ammunition can be stored for long periods of time. Some communities can even make their own ammunition, given the right mechanical equipment and an alchemist who knows the process.
Ruins and lost cities are scattered throughout the wilderness. These millennia-old places speak of the past to those who have ability to listen. Adventurers often travel to these locations in search of treasure and lost knowledge. While such excursions are not discouraged by the UDF, they do expect to see a legitimate adventuring license and ID if found on patrol. Those who cannot provide one are usually arrested and fined. Later, sometimes much later, they are released with a warning about following regulations. These papers can be purchased at any UDF center, either in a city or at designated wilderness facilities.
The UDF has also placed protected parks near many of the larger cities for vacationers to enjoy. For a modest fee, anyone can see the beauty of the wild without the inherent danger of being eaten by something higher on the food chain. While camping outside of these parks is not expressly forbidden, it is firmly discouraged. Luckily, rumors of what happened to those who tried it keep others from making the same mistake.
Mr. Oberon
"Hey Paw! We got orcs in the corn again!"
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