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Message: <blockquote data-quote="seskis281" data-source="post: 2951602" data-attributes="member: 41593">Wraith - Sometimes minds think alike - I just spent most of last week working on defining routes of commerce, collecting of certain resources to one nation or region and denying them to others, and tying in how organizations (thieves' guilds, various Knights that are contracted to provide protection for merchants a la the Templars) are affected and effect this. Whiz - Your comments have been very helpful so far (as have all - keep 'em coming!) - the bulk of what I've written so far (about 130 pages of material) is the larger aspects of the setting (general world notes, the specific locating of races to my world, history, gazetteer of nations and regions, topography, section on Gods) and I'm working on the last two sections which are "adventuring" in the setting (which is where I'm trying to include the kernels of Sites of Interest, possible hooks, rumors & legends, etc.) and a last section which picks one city and really develops it as one possible area to start, with some specific area encounters both in and around the city.The earlier comment about illustrations I think is good but that'll have to wait till I find someone good to help - I'm good at cartographic art but I'm not illustrator - but I agree that well-illustrated RPG material makes it interesting, as long as the reader likes the style - I get turned off by the anime, dungeon- and mage-punk art. I really like what Peter Bradley's doing with C&C.Vrainor - What you said about the original Greyhawk set is prophetic - it's one of the things that started me on this endeavor. Since Greyhawk 1st came out I've never picked up a setting that really hit my fascination the way that did. I never liked FR (although I think it's perfect for Computer Game setup), Dragonlance I've already discussed, and I always felt limited by the specific "hooks" of Ravenloft, Planescape, etc. Kalamar has come closest for me, but Whiz got it right - it's attention to realism in the world makes it necessary to start from virtual scratch on the campaign story line. For me this was never a problem - I'm a playwright so I prefer the generic macro settings I can write in, but I know many players prefer more concrete direction (hooks, if you will) or simply don't have the time needed to prepare elaborate campaigns.I also just plain love the visual cartography of a good setting - certainly not that important in some settings. When you have two big maps just sitting before you opening the possibilities of adventure in the world.It sounds like the DCC release of Aerth might be doing a world similar to what I'm working on, and C&C is bringing Airdhe out anew soon, but I really like what I'm on to so far here (if nothing else I'm designing the world I want to play in - and I guess that's what matters).I gave thought to what is the "hook" that separates mine from others and I think it falls into three parts:The Lands of Exile are just that - the humans here were forced from lands and empires of great achievement thousands of years ago by dire evil brought on by their own folly, and have brought that evil with them. The demi-humans (Elves, Dwarves, etc.) were the original inhabitants of the continent and view humans as "bringers of evil."The second hook is the devaluation of religion - far more secularism, and the "Gods" of my pantheon are completely removed - zero direct interaction, and in some cases the power of the gods has either waned and vanished or been withheld, so that there is "ordinary" religion abundant (no divine magic involved)The final hook is me just wanting to apply my own geekdom of being a Star Wars fan - I always loved the Sith mythology, so I am creating the most dangerous evil not as an overt Sauron/Iuz (although I have one of those, fairly contained) but as a legacy of Dark Lords who brought down a Draconic apocalypse on lands across the sea, forcing exile. I am making psionics the equivilent of "force" use under this setting, and having the Sythgar (as I call them - hope it's different enough) be devious manipulators of dark magic, creating Sythgar artifacts that are enticing to use but dangerous (i.e. a Sythgar healing device that can heal completely or even restore life at any time, but must drain the lifeforce from another being to do so).Anyway, my thanks again to all who are posting - I do appreciate the advice and it is helping me greatly!Cheers!John Maddog Wright</blockquote>

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