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D&D 5E Tarras: A Homebrewed Campaign Setting


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Lanefan

Lanefan

Victoria Rules
Knightfall said:
I expect that I'll only add to this setting as inspiration strikes me. I'm thinking of connecting it to another idea I have, a massive planar city called Bottleneck that exists on a demiplane.

In fact, Bottleneck will likely be a central nexus that leads to many of my settings (and cosmologies) such as Kulan.

Of course, that planar setting is only an idea at this point. Still, Bottleneck, like Tarras, will be systemless.
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Our games have a similar setup on a little tiny demi-plane - it amounts pretty much to a small keep and about 30 square miles of partly-forested snow and ice. We usually just call it the Nexus.

The keep has a series of inter-planar gates whose destinations change all the time and will eventually contact - among other places - every prime material world in existence (yes, yours too). The only individual in the universe who knows what gate will go to where when is the mostly-insane Gnome who runs the place. Also, this Gnome has enough powers to enforce peace between visitors no matter who they might be. (ever sat down to a friendly dinner with a bunch of Mind Flayers and a Frost Giant who happened to be passing through? It can happen here...)

It's not so much systemless as system-inclusive: if you somehow end up here you function just the same as you did back home - thus it's theoretically possible to have a 1e Fighter meet a 3e Wizard and a Basic Elf and sit down for tea with them.

Lanefan
 

Knightfall

Knightfall

World of Kulan DM
Lanefan said:
Our games have a similar setup on a little tiny demi-plane - it amounts pretty much to a small keep and about 30 square miles of partly-forested snow and ice. We usually just call it the Nexus.

The keep has a series of inter-planar gates whose destinations change all the time and will eventually contact - among other places - every prime material world in existence (yes, yours too). The only individual in the universe who knows what gate will go to where when is the mostly-insane Gnome who runs the place. Also, this Gnome has enough powers to enforce peace between visitors no matter who they might be. (ever sat down to a friendly dinner with a bunch of Mind Flayers and a Frost Giant who happened to be passing through? It can happen here...)

It's not so much systemless as system-inclusive: if you somehow end up here you function just the same as you did back home - thus it's theoretically possible to have a 1e Fighter meet a 3e Wizard and a Basic Elf and sit down for tea with them.

Lanefan
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Yeah, Bottleneck is going to be my "nexus," sort of.

Anyway, the announcement of D&D Next has made me reflect on this setting, and while I'm going to keep Tarras systemless for now, I'm thinking it will become a 5e world if the new game turns out to be something I like.
 

Knightfall

Knightfall

World of Kulan DM
Today's seminar has me psyched for 5e. I've gone back and modified all the ability score modifiers to reflect the idea of +1/+1 for standard small and medium-sized races. For large races, I'm thinking +2 for the physical ability score bonuses/penalties while keeping +1 for the mental modifiers. :hmm:
 



Knightfall

Knightfall

World of Kulan DM
I've now decided I'm not going to add negative ability scores to the various races for this world. I've had a chance to learn and like the D&D 5E system and its balance of racial and class abilities. I'm still not sure how I'm going to do large-sized races. Perhaps I'll mimic what WotC did for the Goliath.

It is possible I might create a chart that gives negative ability score values as an optional rule, but it isn't going to be a priority. I'm more concerned with getting the various race descriptions written for the world. I finally have the catfolk semi-finalized. All I have to do for that is come up with two unique subraces for Tarras.
 

Connorsrpg

Connorsrpg

Adventurer
Re negative ability modifiers for races. We too have always done this...and we still do in 5E.

Here is a link to our main Race Page, just in case you are interested to see how someone else has dealt with 'negative features'. Most refer you to the Flaws Page. We have a whole subsystem based upon drawbacks etc.

Link to Race Page: http://connorscampaigns.wikidot.com/d-d-races

Link to Flaws Page: http://connorscampaigns.wikidot.com/d-d-flaws

Cheers, and good luck with conversions to 5E. :)
 

Sadrik

Sadrik

First Post
Knightfall said:
It will be a city full of decadence and strife hidden behind a veil of civility. There will be "haves" and "have nots," and the "have nots" will out number the "haves" by at least 3 to 1.
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This would be an extremely egalitarian society at 3 to 1. I think you are looking more for at minimum 100 to 1, for extreme 1,000 to 1 or more. Think about demographics. Which clearly you do, based on your rarity charts. If this city was 1,000,000, an enormous sprawling city that arguably could not exist in a medieval setting (but hey magic). With 3:1 that would be 750,000 have nots and 250,000 haves. That is a huge amount of haves. Even at 100:1 that is 10,000 haves, so that is 10,000 manors and mansions throughout the city? More than likely it is 1,000:1 which would be more in line with medieval economics which is even more extreme than that.

Edit: oh and remember the middle class is virtually an invention of the 20th century. It was just so small it virtually was not there before then.
 
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Knightfall

Knightfall

World of Kulan DM
Connorsrpg said:
Re negative ability modifiers for races. We too have always done this...and we still do in 5E.

Here is a link to our main Race Page, just in case you are interested to see how someone else has dealt with 'negative features'. Most refer you to the Flaws Page. We have a whole subsystem based upon drawbacks etc.

Link to Race Page: http://connorscampaigns.wikidot.com/d-d-races

Link to Flaws Page: http://connorscampaigns.wikidot.com/d-d-flaws

Cheers, and good luck with conversions to 5E. :)
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Very cool. You don't mind if I steal from this, do you?

Specifically, your Canisaran's Howl ability might be perfect for my gnolls for World of Kulan, which I'm also doing racial conversions for. It might help with my Lupin conversion too.
 
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Sadrik

Sadrik

First Post
Knightfall said:
I think that 100 to 1 is too high for me. I'm likely to consider 10 to 1 or 20 to 1. At the highest, I'd go 50 to 1.
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50 commoners to every lord. That is still very egalitarian and "fair". Who keeps the land barons, from making everyone destitute? Are there equality laws in the city? Who holds the keys to the judiciary? Is it corrupt? How do the various religions in the city vie for worshipers? Is it a high tax city with lots of services for its citizenry or is it a low tax city and let the people fend for themselves? What about immigration? are they trying to grow or are they overburdened and trying to grow less? All interesting questions in an egalitarian 1 have to every 50 have nots city.
 

Connorsrpg

Connorsrpg

Adventurer
'Steal' away [MENTION=2012]Knightfall[/MENTION]. :) Of course, most of my ideas have come from somewhere/someone in the first place, so, you know, it is hardly stealing when I have already 'borrowed'. ;)
 

Knightfall

Knightfall

World of Kulan DM
Connorsrpg said:
'Steal' away [MENTION=2012]Knightfall[/MENTION]. :) Of course, most of my ideas have come from somewhere/someone in the first place, so, you know, it is hardly stealing when I have already 'borrowed'. ;)
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Yes, I noticed that as I looked through it more. Your rakasta may end up being very helpful for Kulan.
 

Knightfall

Knightfall

World of Kulan DM
Sadrik said:
50 commoners to every lord. That is still very egalitarian and "fair". Who keeps the land barons, from making everyone destitute? Are there equality laws in the city? Who holds the keys to the judiciary? Is it corrupt? How do the various religions in the city vie for worshipers? Is it a high tax city with lots of services for its citizenry or is it a low tax city and let the people fend for themselves? What about immigration? are they trying to grow or are they overburdened and trying to grow less? All interesting questions in an egalitarian 1 have to every 50 have nots city.
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The truth is, I'm not there yet. I haven't begun to think much about how Tantus 'works' on a day to day basis. For now, there are haves and have nots.
 

Knightfall

Knightfall

World of Kulan DM
MAGIC: THE GATHERING RACES
Kor [PSZ]
Description still to be written.

Patron Deity: TBD


Loxodon [GGR]
Description still to be written.

Patron Deity: TBD


Vedalken [GGR]
Description still to be written.

Patron Deity: Tinia.
 
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Knightfall

Knightfall

World of Kulan DM
Re-reading [MENTION=14506]Sadrik[/MENTION]'s posts has me thinking about Tantus more. I'm fairly certain I don't want to go as high as 1,000 to 1, but it's probably not a good idea to go for 50 to 1 either. Perhaps 500 to 1 might be more what I'm thinking for the city. I want there to be a lot of 'have nots' but I don't want it to be too high. Maybe 250 to 1? I'm certain that 100 to 1 is also too low for what I want Tantus to be.

Tantus is, for many, the cultural center of the world, and some would say, it's what is wrong with Tarras at its core. (It's also a massive city; well beyond a standard medieval city.) Not all evil flows from Tantus, but it has more than its fair share. The 'haves' are a big reason for this and there are a lot of them. More than is usual, or even realized. There are powerful people that are publicly known and feared/respected but there are many shadow powers (not all evil) that guide the city in unseen ways.

250 to 1 might be best. Thoughts?
 


Knightfall

Knightfall

World of Kulan DM
AMPHIBIAFOLK
Bullywug
Description still to be written.

Racial Traits: Racial Handbook (p. 8)

Patron Deity: Leinth.

"Yum." <Rib-bit.> "Yum." - A bullywug comes across a lost human merchant in the swamp​


Grippli
Description still to be written.

Racial Traits: Racial Handbook (p. 3).

Patron Deity: Pan and Uni.


Kuo-Toa
Description still to be written.

Racial Traits: Racial Handbook (p. 12).

Patron Deity: Queen of Air and Darkness.
 
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