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World Building: S&W + Dinosaurs
- Thread starter jdrakeh
- Start date
jdrakeh
Front Range Warlock
Oh, heck yeah! I think I might know where my technologically advanced kobolds may come into play. Thanks!
Yora
Legend
For a campaign that is about exploring a mostly abandoned land, I would put some work into developing the disappeared civilization, and perhaps making it multiple civilizations or at least distinct factions.
A big thing about exploration is that exploring isn't actually the fun part. Discovery is fun. What makes exploration as a whole engaging is the anticipation of discovery. What this means is that there has to be something that can be learned by searching old ruins. And where it gets really fun is when things learned in one ruin provide useful information that applies in other ruins as well. Recognizing repeating symbols or features, and eventually understanding what they indicate about what lies ahead is a big part of creating a sense of progress. Your not just discovering things, you are forming a greater picture.
A big thing about exploration is that exploring isn't actually the fun part. Discovery is fun. What makes exploration as a whole engaging is the anticipation of discovery. What this means is that there has to be something that can be learned by searching old ruins. And where it gets really fun is when things learned in one ruin provide useful information that applies in other ruins as well. Recognizing repeating symbols or features, and eventually understanding what they indicate about what lies ahead is a big part of creating a sense of progress. Your not just discovering things, you are forming a greater picture.
MarkB
Legend
Possible twist for the ancient civilisation: Have there be numerous references in outlying ruins to outposts being abandoned due to being logistically untenable, with plans to consider re-opening them in another ten generations if conditions are favourable. It gives the impression that this was an empire that was gradually shrinking back to its core cities.
The twist, when they finally dig deep enough, is that the "outpost" mentioned in so many texts is this entire continent's civilisation - it was merely a small part of a much wider multiplanar empire. Oh, and this ancient race had lifespans measured in millennia, so that timespan of ten generations until they come back may be expiring any time now.
The twist, when they finally dig deep enough, is that the "outpost" mentioned in so many texts is this entire continent's civilisation - it was merely a small part of a much wider multiplanar empire. Oh, and this ancient race had lifespans measured in millennia, so that timespan of ten generations until they come back may be expiring any time now.
Go the Warhammer route (also used in Karl Edward Wagner's Bloodstone book), Frogs or an amphibian race. They go from a Magic-tech to primitives. Dinos are fine but don't forget the mega-fauna! Just remember to make the magic different, they used crystals for power and spells. Or runes.
Worlds collide, done in sci-fi, myth and fantasy, planes/planets/dimensions/etc., just merge.
Worlds collide, done in sci-fi, myth and fantasy, planes/planets/dimensions/etc., just merge.
Well, the Stargate franchise did subvert the trope of primitive humanoids- particularly those living in the shadow of a presumptively fallen empire- pretty nicely with The Nox. Might be a fun alternative take in the kobolds.
Nox
The Nox are an advanced humanoid race from the lush planet Gaia, located in the Milky Way galaxy. The Nox had a symbiotic relations with nature, and were an absolute pacifism and non-violence society. They also did not permit to their technological advances to compromise the natural beauty of...
stargate.fandom.com
Yora
Legend
One option when you want to have foreign humanoids in your exploration setting but don't want to rob the natives is to have the other humanoids be another faction of explorers coming into the area from the other side.
All the treasure isn't their stuff either, and while they may have a claim on the land they have settled so far, it doesn't entitle them to the areas still unexplored.
In my setting, the naga are just as greedy treasure hunters looting old asura ruins as the mortal explorers. And they don't even care for gold, just demonic magic.
There's also goblins living in the wild lands, but they don't have much treasure that PCs could steal and usually don't want anything to do with the asura ruins. (Except for those who join treasure hunter parties.)
All the treasure isn't their stuff either, and while they may have a claim on the land they have settled so far, it doesn't entitle them to the areas still unexplored.
In my setting, the naga are just as greedy treasure hunters looting old asura ruins as the mortal explorers. And they don't even care for gold, just demonic magic.
There's also goblins living in the wild lands, but they don't have much treasure that PCs could steal and usually don't want anything to do with the asura ruins. (Except for those who join treasure hunter parties.)
Older version of Klingons come to mind, a warrior/slave race for another race. The builders disappeared and all the Klingons were left with were the templates. They did not create anything new, just keep building the same designs. The race did not improve or level up, staying at a period of time. Is game, this would be their society, everything done because that is the way it has always been done.
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