My homebrew world needs a "hook"
- Thread starter KenM
- Start date
Quickleaf
Legend
I won't give you a hook. I'll give you 10.
1. Musicians are considered the creators of the world. If music stopped, the world would collapse in cataclysmic disasters.
2. Paradise is portrayed as a family gathering where everyone gets along. Pious leaders un a tight ship among their noble houses, punishing harshly anyone who bickers internally. People speak of the ideal of peace, but practice hatred and war-mongering.
3. It is common belief that saints ,when they die, are reincarnated as domesticated animals. In this form they watch over and protect their human allies. Thus, pets are often named after saints and are always welcome inside churches. Animal-worship and ancestor-worship intermingle and are accepted by society.
4. The world craves heroes, and common people are often villains seeking to get heroes to do things for them. Most heroes adopt secret identities, feign their deaths, or engage in campaigns to ruin their own reputations (thereby saving their lives).
5. Kuo-toa are forming a floating biosphere in the sky made entirely of water. Glub-Alag, as the biosphere is called, is the precursor to a great spell technology which will cause the firmament of the sky to be broken and salt water to be sucked upward. This will create an environment in which the kuo-toa will be able to breathe on land. Then they'll be able to reach their goal of....mating with humans?....rescuing all fish in aquariams/pools?.....tracking their race's time capsule in the desert?
6. Once a great empire built a system of warning braziers in the mountains which could be lit in case of invasion. Today, the land is politically fractured. A threat is looming as has destroyed the nation to the far north (near the character's home). Only lighting the braziers will save the land, and this requires spywork. They need to convince the old Keepers of the Flame order to revive itself, get aide from the great eagles, acquire guides in each nation, etc. All the while the clock is ticking as the northern war machine advances.
7. Every person (and intelligent) creature in the world follows a code of honor (possibly varying types of codes, like justice, freedom, friendship, etc). It is common for people to give their opponents a "sporting chance." Every warrior is sworn to observe the dying will of an opponent. Even goblins, when outnumbering their foes, will offer the weakest looking character a chance for one-on-one battle with the goblin's champion to win their freedom, rather than waste life uneccesarily.
8. Several utopias exist on the world, each with a different idea of what utopia is: (1) Kirpah Nasmong is a gnomish utopia where every interaction is rife with puns, riddles, jokes, and double entendres. Every single person is lively and interesting. The dissenting opinion is valued so much that the gnomes don't get much done. It is said anyone bringing sarcasm into the gates will destroy the utopia. Another example is Sir Saroch's Kingdom - a utopia where all curses and disease has been eliminated. Indeed, no one ever gets ill in the kingdom, and no one even knows what a curse is. Without any disease, the population has exploded. However, the boundaries of the kingdom are finite, for only within them are the people disease free. Everything feels crowded and claustrophobic and houses are stacked upon each other.
9. A minority of people find arcane tattoos appearing on them overnight, the characters included. Gradually, the tattoos become a language. Several sages race to understand what the language means, but, with the government treating the "painted ones" as witches and cracking down on all attempts to understand the language, the sages are forced to employ thieves and adventurers to capture the painted ones from their prison camps. The secret is that the tattoos tell how to prevent an impending ecological disaster. They are the gift of a psychic race that killed itself by destroying its environment. The government accidentally released the race when exploring ways to open portals to hell in order to redeem a fallen angel who helped found the state.
10. Powerful monsters ravage the countryside. The trick to defeating them is learning that they thrive on being opposed. If one does not attack them, the monsters will go into fits of rage, digging themself into the ground. They will taunt the heroes as weakling and selfish mercenaries, but if one stays the course, the monsters eventually merge into the natural landscape, becoming simply parts of the scenery. The old hill where Grandpa faced the dragon, actually is the dragon. No longer monsters to be slain, but parts of the scenery to be navigated, the monsters loose their bite. The mark of a true hero then, is to conserve energy and to choose their fights carefully, knowing when not to fight.
1. Musicians are considered the creators of the world. If music stopped, the world would collapse in cataclysmic disasters.
2. Paradise is portrayed as a family gathering where everyone gets along. Pious leaders un a tight ship among their noble houses, punishing harshly anyone who bickers internally. People speak of the ideal of peace, but practice hatred and war-mongering.
3. It is common belief that saints ,when they die, are reincarnated as domesticated animals. In this form they watch over and protect their human allies. Thus, pets are often named after saints and are always welcome inside churches. Animal-worship and ancestor-worship intermingle and are accepted by society.
4. The world craves heroes, and common people are often villains seeking to get heroes to do things for them. Most heroes adopt secret identities, feign their deaths, or engage in campaigns to ruin their own reputations (thereby saving their lives).
5. Kuo-toa are forming a floating biosphere in the sky made entirely of water. Glub-Alag, as the biosphere is called, is the precursor to a great spell technology which will cause the firmament of the sky to be broken and salt water to be sucked upward. This will create an environment in which the kuo-toa will be able to breathe on land. Then they'll be able to reach their goal of....mating with humans?....rescuing all fish in aquariams/pools?.....tracking their race's time capsule in the desert?
6. Once a great empire built a system of warning braziers in the mountains which could be lit in case of invasion. Today, the land is politically fractured. A threat is looming as has destroyed the nation to the far north (near the character's home). Only lighting the braziers will save the land, and this requires spywork. They need to convince the old Keepers of the Flame order to revive itself, get aide from the great eagles, acquire guides in each nation, etc. All the while the clock is ticking as the northern war machine advances.
7. Every person (and intelligent) creature in the world follows a code of honor (possibly varying types of codes, like justice, freedom, friendship, etc). It is common for people to give their opponents a "sporting chance." Every warrior is sworn to observe the dying will of an opponent. Even goblins, when outnumbering their foes, will offer the weakest looking character a chance for one-on-one battle with the goblin's champion to win their freedom, rather than waste life uneccesarily.
8. Several utopias exist on the world, each with a different idea of what utopia is: (1) Kirpah Nasmong is a gnomish utopia where every interaction is rife with puns, riddles, jokes, and double entendres. Every single person is lively and interesting. The dissenting opinion is valued so much that the gnomes don't get much done. It is said anyone bringing sarcasm into the gates will destroy the utopia. Another example is Sir Saroch's Kingdom - a utopia where all curses and disease has been eliminated. Indeed, no one ever gets ill in the kingdom, and no one even knows what a curse is. Without any disease, the population has exploded. However, the boundaries of the kingdom are finite, for only within them are the people disease free. Everything feels crowded and claustrophobic and houses are stacked upon each other.
9. A minority of people find arcane tattoos appearing on them overnight, the characters included. Gradually, the tattoos become a language. Several sages race to understand what the language means, but, with the government treating the "painted ones" as witches and cracking down on all attempts to understand the language, the sages are forced to employ thieves and adventurers to capture the painted ones from their prison camps. The secret is that the tattoos tell how to prevent an impending ecological disaster. They are the gift of a psychic race that killed itself by destroying its environment. The government accidentally released the race when exploring ways to open portals to hell in order to redeem a fallen angel who helped found the state.
10. Powerful monsters ravage the countryside. The trick to defeating them is learning that they thrive on being opposed. If one does not attack them, the monsters will go into fits of rage, digging themself into the ground. They will taunt the heroes as weakling and selfish mercenaries, but if one stays the course, the monsters eventually merge into the natural landscape, becoming simply parts of the scenery. The old hill where Grandpa faced the dragon, actually is the dragon. No longer monsters to be slain, but parts of the scenery to be navigated, the monsters loose their bite. The mark of a true hero then, is to conserve energy and to choose their fights carefully, knowing when not to fight.
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DragonLancer
Hero
I've often wondered why every setting needs a hook. What is wrong with the cookie cutter approach? Look at Greyhawk - you don't get much more standard than that and its popular.
The planet is artifical:
1) It is made from the 4 elemental planes and the magic that created it is decaying. When the bonds break, everything that was on the planet will be transported to the appropriate plane (humanoids would most likely go to air or earth).
2) It is a broken down machine that still holds technology desired by beings from other worlds- ones who don't care about the inhabitants.
3) It is made up of several cylinders, thousands of miles long. Those in power have the ability to fly and have created empires across sections of several cylinders. Every 500 years, the cylinders flip and cause social chaos.
4) A Dyson sphere with a lot of water (Flying Mice's Aquavita).
5) The whole system is artifical and the star's gravity is starting to fluxuate causing seasons and climate changes.
1) It is made from the 4 elemental planes and the magic that created it is decaying. When the bonds break, everything that was on the planet will be transported to the appropriate plane (humanoids would most likely go to air or earth).
2) It is a broken down machine that still holds technology desired by beings from other worlds- ones who don't care about the inhabitants.
3) It is made up of several cylinders, thousands of miles long. Those in power have the ability to fly and have created empires across sections of several cylinders. Every 500 years, the cylinders flip and cause social chaos.
4) A Dyson sphere with a lot of water (Flying Mice's Aquavita).
5) The whole system is artifical and the star's gravity is starting to fluxuate causing seasons and climate changes.
I too do not think you need a hook for the world but do think you may add some definement to the world, this can be done just like with any background by asking questions, such as:
How old is the world?
What is the dominate life form(s)?
Does the world have moons?
What is the closest other world?
What is the topography (sp) of the world (70% water 30% Landmass - then break that down more)?
Where is the campaign taking place?
What is the dominate civilization?
so on...
How old is the world?
What is the dominate life form(s)?
Does the world have moons?
What is the closest other world?
What is the topography (sp) of the world (70% water 30% Landmass - then break that down more)?
Where is the campaign taking place?
What is the dominate civilization?
so on...
Arcane power is like a tide that rises and dwindles with some astrological event. It may be monthly (like Krynn) or over centuries/millenia (like Earthdawn). In the first case, magicians make the best use of their time of high magic to exert control, then retreat -- the same can be said for magical monsters. In the latter case, the tide is rising and there are powers and creatures unseen for generations returning to the world.
It is an oldy, but a goody.
It is an oldy, but a goody.
Tonguez
A suffusion of yellow
Csan I suggest that you keep you cookie cutter world but instead find a hook for your PC group
eg
two of my favourite camapigns
1. The PCs are members of a travelling circus troupe moving from town to town and putting on shows (whislt also getting involved in a whole lot of side quests/intrigue/weirdness). The DM character was the Troupes Day Man (the guy who travels ahead of the troupe to prepare the next town etc. traditionally their was a whole system of codes and trail marks used to give information to the Troupe following)
2. The PCs are all agents of the Church (Inquistors even) who do various missions like recovering relics, escorting Pilgrims and investigating dangerous cults and heresies
3, the PCs are merchants out to make a buck
4. the PCs are leading citizens of their town/city and NOT adventurers
5. the PCs are leaders of a group of colonists in a new land who have to build a new settlement (and protect it from hostilities)
6. The PCs are an elite squad in a warzone
eg
two of my favourite camapigns
1. The PCs are members of a travelling circus troupe moving from town to town and putting on shows (whislt also getting involved in a whole lot of side quests/intrigue/weirdness). The DM character was the Troupes Day Man (the guy who travels ahead of the troupe to prepare the next town etc. traditionally their was a whole system of codes and trail marks used to give information to the Troupe following)
2. The PCs are all agents of the Church (Inquistors even) who do various missions like recovering relics, escorting Pilgrims and investigating dangerous cults and heresies
3, the PCs are merchants out to make a buck
4. the PCs are leading citizens of their town/city and NOT adventurers
5. the PCs are leaders of a group of colonists in a new land who have to build a new settlement (and protect it from hostilities)
6. The PCs are an elite squad in a warzone
Lord Morte
First Post
Got a similiar problem with my homebrew... you want to make your world seem unique and interesting so the players get excited. My hook is that in each age of the world, one race or people has been granted a Divine Mandate to rule the world, except for the current one. Since the Last Emperor blasphemed badly enough to have his race's Mandate revoked in a spectacular catasrophe, no new Mandate has been granted and the world has degenerated into global conflict.
A more radical idea, instead of gold being the most precious material and a common material for coins, how about adamantine or mithril coins? How about a more arid world where wood is less common, so hafted weapons, bows and the like must be made from bone or metal and wooden coins are legal tender?
Serious yoinkage. Very cool ideas Quickleaf
A more radical idea, instead of gold being the most precious material and a common material for coins, how about adamantine or mithril coins? How about a more arid world where wood is less common, so hafted weapons, bows and the like must be made from bone or metal and wooden coins are legal tender?
Quickleaf said:
Serious yoinkage. Very cool ideas Quickleaf
At least two of my friends would have a field day visiting this placeQuickleaf said:
kroh
First Post
The hook... The world as you know it is a lie...behind the dragons and dungeons, there are shadows behind the clouds that you can't explain. Everything is right with the world untill one day all the magic and creatures die. Pristine sky turns to slate grey walls. You venture from this strange place into a nightmare world. The world around you burns and the corpses of the dead are everywhere. You come to find your world has been nothing but an experiment to see how "normals" would handle a low tech enviornment and thrive in conditions where "magic" returned. You later learn that several experiments were conducted all over the globe so that heros could be produced when the end of days came. Can you pull your wits together in the face of such knowledge and venture into a world both familiar and alien? Can you peice together the truth of the end days and find the key to reclaiming a civilization that was never truley yours? What are the strange lights in the sky that seem to track you at the edge of sleep? Are you brave enough to go on?
Regards,
Walt
Regards,
Walt
What I like to do is switch around whatever portions of the previous campaign that I had become most tired of, for me, the larger campaign ideas grow out of what sort of player vs monster conflict seem most interesting.
For example:
- Undead are now all intelligent and Lawful Neutral.
- Surface Elves and Drow join forces to try and wipe out Humans and Orcs.
- Dragons (in a disguised form) have infiltrated and made themselves the leaders of almost all other intelligent species - the Chromatic vs Metallic conflict is a ruse (or fought secretly through proxies).
- All living things (or even inanimate objects) have a chance of becoming intelligent, based on age and size, or proximity to magic, or just randomly. (I was always partial toward intelligent spiders for some reason, too many readings of Charlotte's Web as a child perhaps.)
- The gods get bored periodically and switch alignments/domains, or conquer/merge with other gods, acquiring their alignments and domains - leaving their followers to switch, quit, or muddle through.
- Some previously overlooked and underwhelming monster type (for me, Ettercaps) possesses far greater numbers and ability than anyone else realizes, and is preparing for an attack.
For example:
- Undead are now all intelligent and Lawful Neutral.
- Surface Elves and Drow join forces to try and wipe out Humans and Orcs.
- Dragons (in a disguised form) have infiltrated and made themselves the leaders of almost all other intelligent species - the Chromatic vs Metallic conflict is a ruse (or fought secretly through proxies).
- All living things (or even inanimate objects) have a chance of becoming intelligent, based on age and size, or proximity to magic, or just randomly. (I was always partial toward intelligent spiders for some reason, too many readings of Charlotte's Web as a child perhaps.)
- The gods get bored periodically and switch alignments/domains, or conquer/merge with other gods, acquiring their alignments and domains - leaving their followers to switch, quit, or muddle through.
- Some previously overlooked and underwhelming monster type (for me, Ettercaps) possesses far greater numbers and ability than anyone else realizes, and is preparing for an attack.
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