Reply to thread

Message

<blockquote data-quote="steeldragons" data-source="post: 5252355" data-attributes="member: 92511">Before getting into geo-political regions, races/cultures and other specifics, a few general notes on Orea, the world of the Steel Dragons:&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; <ul>
<li data-xf-list-type="ul">Orea,&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; as a world, should be considered a “high magic/high fantasy” setting.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; While there is some limited gear/clockwork (such as for grandfather clocks&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; and the lift system of Brightmoon) and steam/hot air technology (such as&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; for R’Hath’s flying ship), most people that need to keep track of time&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; still use hourglasses. But for the most part, what we would consider worldly&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; conveniences are generated and/or powered by magic.</li>
<li data-xf-list-type="ul">Orea&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; was conceived to be a campaign setting. My intent was for a defined world&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; in which the system of play was not relevant. That said, I grew up playing&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; what is now called OD&amp;D, AD&amp;D (1E, 2E) and fell out of it&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; somewhere between 3 &amp; 3.5. I have no materials for 3 or 3.5 play…in fact,&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; I don’t believe I even own any 2E books, actually. And 4E, from everything&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; I’ve read, is completely foreign to me and my understanding of what a&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; D&amp;D game is supposed to be. So, I guess, it would be most accurate to&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; say that Orea, as a world, was created really as an “old school” setting&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; but I see no reason players and DMs of any edition won’t be able to use&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; and enjoy it.</li>
<li data-xf-list-type="ul">Magic&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; in Orea functions as it does in other worlds: arcane (mages), divine&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; (clerics), and what I originally called natural (druids, shamans, and&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; other assorted mystics). Apparently, somewhere along the line, TSR or WotC&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; had the same idea and introduced/called it ‘Primal” (whatevuh.) Magic&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; functions a bit differently with most spellcasters being considered is&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; what would now be called “memorized” spellcasters, but a lot of them also&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; are permitted “spontaneous” casting for lower level spells. Orea does not&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; have “sorcerer” as a class. Any arcane magic-user might be called a sorcerer,&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; but this is not meant to imply the current D&amp;D spontaneous caster&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; class of the same name. Details on all of this will be coming in a “Magic&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; of Orea” thread.</li>
<li data-xf-list-type="ul">On&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Orea, Clerics (priests &amp; priestesses) do NOT use bladed weapons. Much&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; as I loved the revamping of divine magic with domains and special abilities&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; related to a deity’s spheres of influence (which I incorporated heavily&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; when making the Orean pantheon and religions) I have never gotten used to&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; the concept of a cleric with a sword…or a bow or whatever. If you want to&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; be a cleric with a sword, play a paladin or multi-class. So…sorry. Clerics use the old school&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; weapons list: you can get a mace, a staff, hammer, flail or morning star.</li>
<li data-xf-list-type="ul">…and&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; speaking of clerics, Orea has its own pantheon. The gods and goddess of&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Orea are watchful without necessarily being interfering (at least not often).&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; This is born from the failing and destruction caused by their&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; predecessors, who were heavily (even personally) involved with mortal&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; affairs. So it was decreed by the lord of the current pantheon (Astar) that&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; the gods keep their distance, power their chosen disciples (priests), and&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; let the mortal realms fend for themselves. Of course, there are exceptions,&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; but for the most part the gods do not involve themselves in the day-to-day&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; goings on of the realms.</li>
<li data-xf-list-type="ul">Drow….oy,&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; the drow. One of the coolest of D&amp;D creations gone wildy wrong. Dark&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; elves on Orea are called the ShïDaeïri (“Those of the Blood of Darkness”) After&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; ages of war with the elves of light, they were sealed away behind the&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Giras Thor (greatest of dwarven craft) by the legendary elf-king&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Drythantalir in the ancient history of the elves. They are little more&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; than folklore to most surface dwellers, if they’ve heard stories of “dark&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; elves” at all. The ShïDaeïri are EVIL. There are not hordes of “exceptions&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; to the rule” swamping from the Underdark to be “nice guys” or “redeem&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; their race.” There is NO such thing as a “half-drow.” There just aren’t. ShïDaeïri&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; are simply and completely genetically incompatible with other races. So,&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; NO drow heroes. NO drow-crossbreeds. If you venture into Orea’s Underdark,&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; you can have all of the drow-mania you like with rival factions and&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; socio-political upheaval and all of that. But in the surface realms, if&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; your average person saw a ShïDaeïri, they’d be terrified, and if a surface&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; elf or other adventurer who knew anything about the ShïDaeïri saw them,&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; they’d be attacked on sight.</li>
<li data-xf-list-type="ul">Barbarians&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; in Orea are a race AND class. They are humans of the indigenous totem clans&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; of the Gorunduu plains. They are called the Gorunduun. That’s a barbarian&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; on Orea. Each clan has a totem animal, a tribal weapon, ability&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; modifications and other abilities specific to their clan as well as the&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; general barbarian traits. A Halfling can not be a barbarian. A wild feral tribal&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; elf, is a wild feral tribal elf, not a barbarian. Half-elves and&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Half-orcs, if they opt to have their human parent be a Gorunduun and are&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; raised in one of the Clans, they MAY opt to take on the barbarian class.</li>
</ul>&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; I think that’s most of the general things for now…ok, onto some fun stuff…&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; Oh and thoughts, comments, questions, ideas on anything is always welcomed and encouraged. Thanks.&nbsp; --SD</blockquote>

[QUOTE="steeldragons, post: 5252355, member: 92511"] Before getting into geo-political regions, races/cultures and other specifics, a few general notes on Orea, the world of the Steel Dragons: [LIST] [*]Orea, as a world, should be considered a “high magic/high fantasy” setting. While there is some limited gear/clockwork (such as for grandfather clocks and the lift system of Brightmoon) and steam/hot air technology (such as for R’Hath’s flying ship), most people that need to keep track of time still use hourglasses. But for the most part, what we would consider worldly conveniences are generated and/or powered by magic. [*]Orea was conceived to be a campaign setting. My intent was for a defined world in which the system of play was not relevant. That said, I grew up playing what is now called OD&D, AD&D (1E, 2E) and fell out of it somewhere between 3 & 3.5. I have no materials for 3 or 3.5 play…in fact, I don’t believe I even own any 2E books, actually. And 4E, from everything I’ve read, is completely foreign to me and my understanding of what a D&D game is supposed to be. So, I guess, it would be most accurate to say that Orea, as a world, was created really as an “old school” setting but I see no reason players and DMs of any edition won’t be able to use and enjoy it. [*]Magic in Orea functions as it does in other worlds: arcane (mages), divine (clerics), and what I originally called natural (druids, shamans, and other assorted mystics). Apparently, somewhere along the line, TSR or WotC had the same idea and introduced/called it ‘Primal” (whatevuh.) Magic functions a bit differently with most spellcasters being considered is what would now be called “memorized” spellcasters, but a lot of them also are permitted “spontaneous” casting for lower level spells. Orea does not have “sorcerer” as a class. Any arcane magic-user might be called a sorcerer, but this is not meant to imply the current D&D spontaneous caster class of the same name. Details on all of this will be coming in a “Magic of Orea” thread. [*]On Orea, Clerics (priests & priestesses) do NOT use bladed weapons. Much as I loved the revamping of divine magic with domains and special abilities related to a deity’s spheres of influence (which I incorporated heavily when making the Orean pantheon and religions) I have never gotten used to the concept of a cleric with a sword…or a bow or whatever. If you want to be a cleric with a sword, play a paladin or multi-class. So…sorry. Clerics use the old school weapons list: you can get a mace, a staff, hammer, flail or morning star. [*]…and speaking of clerics, Orea has its own pantheon. The gods and goddess of Orea are watchful without necessarily being interfering (at least not often). This is born from the failing and destruction caused by their predecessors, who were heavily (even personally) involved with mortal affairs. So it was decreed by the lord of the current pantheon (Astar) that the gods keep their distance, power their chosen disciples (priests), and let the mortal realms fend for themselves. Of course, there are exceptions, but for the most part the gods do not involve themselves in the day-to-day goings on of the realms. [*]Drow….oy, the drow. One of the coolest of D&D creations gone wildy wrong. Dark elves on Orea are called the ShïDaeïri (“Those of the Blood of Darkness”) After ages of war with the elves of light, they were sealed away behind the Giras Thor (greatest of dwarven craft) by the legendary elf-king Drythantalir in the ancient history of the elves. They are little more than folklore to most surface dwellers, if they’ve heard stories of “dark elves” at all. The ShïDaeïri are EVIL. There are not hordes of “exceptions to the rule” swamping from the Underdark to be “nice guys” or “redeem their race.” There is NO such thing as a “half-drow.” There just aren’t. ShïDaeïri are simply and completely genetically incompatible with other races. So, NO drow heroes. NO drow-crossbreeds. If you venture into Orea’s Underdark, you can have all of the drow-mania you like with rival factions and socio-political upheaval and all of that. But in the surface realms, if your average person saw a ShïDaeïri, they’d be terrified, and if a surface elf or other adventurer who knew anything about the ShïDaeïri saw them, they’d be attacked on sight. [*]Barbarians in Orea are a race AND class. They are humans of the indigenous totem clans of the Gorunduu plains. They are called the Gorunduun. That’s a barbarian on Orea. Each clan has a totem animal, a tribal weapon, ability modifications and other abilities specific to their clan as well as the general barbarian traits. A Halfling can not be a barbarian. A wild feral tribal elf, is a wild feral tribal elf, not a barbarian. Half-elves and Half-orcs, if they opt to have their human parent be a Gorunduun and are raised in one of the Clans, they MAY opt to take on the barbarian class. [/LIST] I think that’s most of the general things for now…ok, onto some fun stuff… Oh and thoughts, comments, questions, ideas on anything is always welcomed and encouraged. Thanks. --SD [/QUOTE]

Verification