Twists from the norm

[Madfox]

Magic as a way to determine the truth should never be final evidence just a truth-tests in RL will not lead to a conviction if it is the only evidence. As a matter of fact, even cameras and photos can be etchy as evidence since they are relatively easy to tamper with. It is just as easy to fool magic with equal or lesser magic.

On a side note, I doubt magic would have a real big influence on society as long as those who wield magic are relatively uncommon. Low level spellcasters can prepare only so many spells. Besides, they can also be at so many places at the same time. Sure, a mage with a fireball would be like a soldier with a grenade launcher with ONE grenade. He will have an impact on the battle, but the impact (unless used very strategical) will not spell victory or doom. This is especially true with clerics who tend to compete with clergy of other faiths and a higher power that controls there magic. Somehow I doubt most religions would deal with death by selling life-insurances. The after-life exists, who are mere mortals to keep an other mortal from his just rewards?

 

[Storm Raven]

On a side note, I doubt magic would have a real big influence on society as long as those who wield magic are relatively uncommon. Low level spellcasters can prepare only so many spells. Besides, they can also be at so many places at the same time. Sure, a mage with a fireball would be like a soldier with a grenade launcher with ONE grenade. He will have an impact on the battle, but the impact (unless used very strategical) will not spell victory or doom. This is especially true with clerics who tend to compete with clergy of other faiths and a higher power that controls there magic. Somehow I doubt most religions would deal with death by selling life-insurances. The after-life exists, who are mere mortals to keep an other mortal from his just rewards?

Hmm, I don't know about not having much impact. In our group we have been roleplaying a 'clear the hex' style game so that one of our number can build a stronghold. The are has been overrun by goblins who use various types of monstrous spiders as mounts and companions.

This past session our group of 5 characters (ranging from 6th to 8th level) took on a small goblin army. The final tally was:

80 dead goblins (including a handful of higher level goblin clerics and rogues)
18 dead medium monstrous spiders
5 dead large monstrous spiders
1 dead huge monstrous spider

No PC died. The total length of the combat took less than three minutes of in game time. My character (an 8th level archer style fighter/rogue) fired 41 arrows and missed once. The other PC's actions in the battle had similar effect.

Now, granted, in game terms we were fighting enemies who were not much of challenge to us, and the battle was actually two combats (we attacked their encampment and rove them off, then they came back later and tried to ambush us). But think about how this sort of thing would affect the conduct of warfare. When a group of 5 can wipe out the bulk of a goblin tribe in less than three minutes, what does that say about how powerful armies comprised of low level human (or other race) warriors really are?

 

[Madfox]

It all comes down to how common mid- to high level characters are in your campaign and how much access they have to magical items. Remember, the PCs are everything but average. With the D&D game they are epic heroes similar in power to mythic figures like Beowulf, Hercules and Sir Lancelot by the time they reach 8th lvl. As in those myths, these characters also tend to meet epic villains. On how many places at the same time can your 8th lvl PCs be? If one goblin raiding party attacks one village and the other attacks the village next door? Then they retreat into their trap ridden lair? How much can you do?

 

[Henry]

In my home-brew campaign:

Elves only live for 750 years - still a long lifespan, but not the 1200+ eternity they have in other campaigns - they also do not care much for conquest or acquisition as a result, and the elves that do (such as the PC's) are considered clinically insane - just not a danger to others unless they prove to be so. There is no elf alive that actually remembers the coming of Arcane magic into the world.

There are half-goblin, half-troll, and half-ogre character races - and in keeping with the Dragonlance tradition, NO ORCS.

Halflings live at most 35 to 45 years of age (due to their small size and faster metabolism), and so are the most frenetic of the races - but they aren't cohesive enough to be an independent nation or fighting force,and have very few extended family values. Who has time for extended families when you've GOT to perpetuate the species?

Wizards need no deities to give them spells, and there is technically no god of "magic" or "the weave" - only a god of Knowledge, including magical research. No deities control Arcane Magic, because it is outside their purview.

The cosmology is Greek in backstory and flavor, but with more Norse characteristics among the deities themselves. And despite the gods' insistence that they are the creators, there are other powers greater than themselves that currently do not interact with the world - but should they begin to do so again, they may not be able to put the cork back in the bottle.

Finally, there are no more than 10 beings in the entire world currently alive that are above 20th level - and not all of them are good.

All these changes are certainly nothing original, but together they make for an interesting campaign setting where the PC's have the power to shape the world they live in.

 

[Dieter]

In my campaign, dwarves have hired elven (wood/drow)mercenaries for ambush parties in the forested areas around their stronghold.

 

[BluWolf]

I'll throw my 2cents in. Not that any of this is terribly original but ... what the hell.

NO GNOMES!

There is a race of world spanning traders based on Herbert's trade guild from Dune. The trade guild is a race thing, they are all highly magical, mutated halflings.

The planes are fractured in my world. the inner and outer planes have bled into the prime causng areas and creatures to be mutated by thier influence. Its not uncommon to see a Fire Squirell animental running around.

My world is a study in the have's and the have nots. There are about 50 or so megapolis like cities powered by massive arcane technology. A remenant of an ancient civilisation. Everyone else is stuck in an early 11th century feudal argrarian technology level.

Outsiders is a very relative term. because of the fracture to the planar structure you can run into infernal and celestial creatures all the time.

Wizardy is an invention of man. So elves are sorcerers not wizards.

Orcs, norkers, bugbears, xvart are all just different names for goblins. Goblins come in MANY different shapes and sizes. Oh yeah, they are natrual sorcerers too.

Hobgoblins are half breeds from an ancient genetic breeding program. they could also be called Half humans.

I stole the "alignment and the always rule" from the Palaestra setting. Absolutely perfect answer to a problem I have had with this game since the early 80s.

The gods are unapproachable.

Evil clerics serve devil and demons.

I ramble. I stop.

 

[Jezrael]

All of the gods, except for the Traveller (god of travelling, natch), are confined to a specific geographical region (physically and mystically).

There are some remnants of technology, but these are all artifacts. The most powerful artifacts of these types are 5 technomagical printing presses. They can't be moved and anyone using them has to tell the truth as far as they know it. They also produce the paper and ink themselves.

Nitrates (esp. potassium nitrate aka saltpeter) do not burn well, if at all. No gunpowder for industrious characters to make, there are some (10) technomagical artifact longrifles, they are heirlooms for powerful noble families - the "bullets" use a green sludge the cannot be analyzed, even with magic, and are in short supply.

The land itself is called the Isle of Kandril, it's a large (size of Australia) magically sustained oasis in the middle of a vast desert called Bahr bela Mahr (the Ocean without Water).

Nothing else has been formalized yet.

 

[Furn_Darkside]

Salutations,

Currently, imc, I am basing the elves off of the Inish in 7th Sea rpg, which are based off of the Irish.

While the race is long lived, they are obsessed with the immortality gained by reputation/story-telling. Bards are a highly respected role in their society, and gods are out right ignored. Though bards can tap into the most famous of elven legends to perform magical affects.

In past campeigns- I have ruled divine magic is based off the soul/positive/negative energy sources. Elves were soul-less and were not affected by most divine magic- beneficially or negativly- nor could they become divine casters. (Druidic magic was not divine in that campeign, but its own classification.)

FD

 

[Dicejockey]

Wow lot a good ideas!
So many campaigns so little time...

Homebre campaigns just seem to be the thing. Its nice to have so much control over the universe

-Dicejockey

 

[Ciaran]

The land itself is called the Isle of Kandril, it's a large (size of Australia) magically sustained oasis in the middle of a vast desert called Bahr bela Mahr (the Ocean without Water).

Pardon me if this is a silly question, but if the place is totally surrounded by a vast desert, why would they call the desert the Ocean without Water? Would the know about oceans at all, and if they did, wouldn't they be more likely to call them Oceans with Water?

- Eric