D&D 5E Us Building a "Fundamentally 5E" Setting From Scratch Together

[Not a Decepticon]

However we dont need a set cosmology, instead Players get to determine the way magic and planar effects influence their game, including creating their own 'gods'. (hence the Shattered Planes)

I would go with set of gods that each have assigned one class, maybe each having 3 forms to include variety. But faiths aren't species-locked and most of evil groups are probably mixed of various species.

Genies, Demons, Devils, Celestials, Giants, Dragons and Fey should be VERY active in this world, considering how many classes have subclasses related to some of these. In fact, I'd say each main nation has a powerful member of one of those either ruling it directly or being a power behind the throne, or they run things like magic schools ala Strixheaven. They're also often main movers supporting activities of adventurers, considering how often they create those.

There is a lot of factions nad organizaitons pcs can join, often of conflicting ideals, who offer benefits and jobs. Think Faerun factions + Eberron factions + Guilds of Ravnica.

 

[Shadowdweller00]

I'm thinking this thread has MAYBE run its course. However, it's going to be a whole week before my next game session and I really love worldbuilding (which I'm sure is a great surprise to all), soo..

The Zyrficadian Empire is an expansionist, militaristic state that frequently attempts to subjugate other stabilized Shards. Zyrfish sociocultural doctrine holds that the root cause of the Shattering was moral decay and dissolution. And that the only way to "fix" the world is through an aggressive regime of discipline and hierarchy. Congruent to this belief, the Zyrfish most often believe themselves to be morally and intellectually superior to all other societies. The Zyrfish hold military failure to be a sign of moral degeneracy and lax discipline.

The upper echelons of Zyrfish society are extremely self-important and backstabbing; pompous and grandiose; and often very skilled at getting others to take the blame for their inevitable mistakes rather than learning from them or facing up to the consequences themselves. As a result of this, the Zyrfish officer corps is often filled with staggering examples of incompetence. Though any who would poke the empire heedlessly should be warned that there are also many officers who are brutally cunning and effective AS WELL AS maniacal. The Zyrficadian Empire operates under an informal caste system. Slaves and subjugated people serve at the bottom. Long ago, the Empire subjugated a sizeable orcish population. Which today are forced involuntarily to serve as shock troops and lower rank soldiers. The Empire takes some pains to hide it, but the uppermost members of Zyrficadian society are infernally-aligned planetouched as well as, it is rumored by some, cambions and actual devils.

Zyrfish fashion and architecture often emphasize spikes and chain motifs; which the Zyrfish hold to be symbols of strength. High-ranking officers are often decorated with a sometimes almost comical profusion of these. Official Zyrficadian military uniforms often involve red and and black longcoats.