[D&D] New Campaign Setting.

[Ampere]

Recently I've been playing some Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind, and I started coming up with some ideas for a campaign setting for D&D. Now, granted, the plot in ES3M was convoluted and there are a lot of things that I'd never do...some certain bits I thought were really cool and will implement them.

This campaign setting is for my own use and for the use of interested friends and the like, not for publication.

A new Campaign Setting for the D&D 3.5 System.
Version 1

History as known:
*For Thousands of years, Elves harnessed the powers of Chaos to form the world.

*Races of men, dwarves and beasts were enslaved.

*Dwarves rebelled and in time became independent. Men and Beasts followed.

*The Great Houses of the Elves were established.

*Orcs were created as a replacement by a one of the Great Houses.

*Dwarves developed great machines which were immune to magic.

*Humans worshipped a large number of gods. Elves worship none, communing with the forces of Law and Chaos directly.

*The Kinslayer (rename later) War began. The Elves became divided in how Chaos was to be used.

*The Separatists were of three Great Houses who became later known as “Dark Elves”.

*After 300 years if inter-racial fighting, the war ended with a truce which was brought on by an invasion by the Dwarven Nation and their massive War Machines.

*This Great War lasted for 100 Years. Through the help of the Dark Elves, the Dwarven Nations were defeated, but at a great cost: A series of volcanic events caused The Great Winter. The Population of the planet was reduced 80%. Dwarves and many other of their ally races were completely eradicated.

*Surviving Races are: Humans (multiple sub races), Elves (and Dark Elves), Orcs, Ogres (and Ogre Magi).
All surviving races are available to PCs
High Elves and Dark Elves both use the Dark Elves/ Drow Stat line (amended as follows), +3 ECL, No Light Blindness. Alternate Spell-Like Abilities: Detect Magic or Read Magic, Light or Darkness, Speak with Animals or Fairy Fire.
No Half-Elves.
No Half-Orcs.
No Halflings
No Gnomes
Orcs use the standard stat-line. No standard Alignment.
Ogres and Ogre Magi use the standard stat-line. No standard Alignment.
There will be special background feats available for each faction: Noble House, Imperium, Guild, etc.


*In the coming 450 years the Elven races retreated to their ancient homelands, leaving behind their citadels. Much knowledge was lost, and this period is called the Dark Age. During this Dark Age, mankind recovered, and at the end of this 450 year Dark Age, the humans established the first Imperium of Man. The new Empire steam rolled over many smaller tribes and races of men, incorporating them in to the empire by treaty or sword.
The Imperium spreads over the planet, incorporating many non-human races, eventually facing and absorbing the elven races as well. Slavery is abolished in almost all areas and peace reigns after 750 years of Imperium.
*Now it is 250 years later and the Empire is crumbling, and the non-human races chafe under the laws and bureaucracy of the largely human-led Imperium. Prophesies abound about leaders coming to restore the ancient kingdoms and overthrow the Empire.

The Main Factions:
Each Faction has the approximate equivalent services, pay, as well as training for accepted members.
The Imperium: The Legions or the Church
The Guilds: Mercenaries, Merchants (includes a Thieves Guild), Tradesmen and Laborers.
The Noble Houses: (there will be several)
Secret Organizations (there will be several)

Departures from the Standard D&D Game System:

*Everyone gets the Dodge Feat for Free.

*Armor Class will work as Damage Reduction

*Your Constitution Score will be the number of actual HIT POINTS you have as well as MAGIC POINTS you have available. Your Hit Points will work as VITALITY (see the SWRPG): most damage will go to your VITALITY. Criticals will go straight to HIT POINTS.
Spell Point Cost Table v.1
Spell Level 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Caster Level
1 2 x x x x x x x x
2 2 x x x x x x x x
3 1.5 2 x x x x x x x
4 1.5 1.5 x x x x x x x
5 1.0 1.5 1.5 x x x x x x
6 1.0 1.0 1.5 x x x x x x
7 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.5 x x x x x
8 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 x x x x x
9 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 x x x x
10 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 x x x x
11 .75 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 x x x
12 .75 .75 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 x x x
13 .5 .75 .75 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 x x
14 .5 .5 .75 .75 1.0 1.0 1.0 x x
15 .5 .5 .5 .75 .75 1.0 1.0 1.0 x
16 25 .5 .5 .5 .75 .75 1.0 1.0 x
17 .25 .25 .5 .5 .5 .75 .75 1.0 1.0
18 .25 .25 .25 .5 .5 .5 .75 .75 1.0

*Spell-casters may continue casting beyond their Spell-Points, but they must make a will save first. If successful they may use their HIT POINTS as SPELL POINTS as well.

*There is no limitation on magic users wearing armor (except their hands and head).

*To cast any spell, the spell-caster must make a successful skill check first (DC 10+SL): Spellcraft for Wizards and Bards, Concentration for Sorcerers and Divine Spell-casters. Critical Failures can mean a backlash from the attempt and a wide variety of things (some menial, some horrific) can happen to the caster.

*Magic is unable to affect machines or technological devices except in very limited ways (i.e.: Enchantment of arms and armor. Enchanted metal armor is rare, enchanted crossbows are almost unheard of.).

*Dwarven Artifacts exist and are rare (and strictly regulated by the Imperium) including Dwarf-Powder Guns, Machines, and other relics and artifacts. These devices used some sort of alchemy/ rune magic to work which is extremely uncommon in this era, the knowledge lost for the most part in the previous age. All Dwarven artifacts and relics of any type are considered the exclusive property of the Imperium and not for sale except through specially-licensed vendors.

*The Imperium has been studying the Dwarven Artifacts for generations and is now starting to field small quantities of Dwarf-Made Devices as well as Man-Made knock-offs. Water-Pumping systems, sewage treatment, and some lighting systems have been restored through the ancient dwarven system. Dwarf-Powder Pistols and Rifles are being issued to special units as well as Imperial Agents now.

*Elves are taller on average than mankind (6.5 to 7 feet tall)and have mildly pointed ears.
High Elves tend towards a light tan coloration and honey-brown to white hair. They have high cheekbones, fine details, slender build and almond shaped eyes.
Dark Elves tend towards a pale white complexion and dark hair to a jet black hair color. Their physical description is otherwise the same as a High Elf (they are functionally the same race and only different culturally).
High Elves and Dark Elves are able to freely inter-breed, such offspring tends towards a reddish hair color, but are not otherwise different and are socially accepted wherever they choose to go.

Orcs and Ogres are the same as their Monster Manual Kin visually.

There are three main cultures of humans.
(detail later)


Important Themes:
*Magic comes from the forces of Chaos.

*Use of Magic can only be harnessed safely through the use of discipline and ritual (the structure of Law). Elves are extremely attuned to Magic and use it naturally. Dark Elves tend towards Sorcerers and Chaotic Alignments where High Elves tend towards Wizards and Lawful Alignments (this is hardly universal). High Elves tend to live highly ritualized, static lives surrounded by order and tradition…where Dark Elves tend more towards order through domination. Dark Elves have retained their rights to keep slaves under the treaty with the Imperium.

There are no restrictions on any PC alignment regardless of race or faction.

There are several factions. Each faction has members of every race included. It’s possible for the Noble Houses to accept members of any race if they have proven themselves loyal (though with some factions race can have an effect on a person’s ability to rise in power.) It is the same with the Imperium as well as all the guilds.

The Imperium of Man is built upon the backbone of Law and Order (originally by building upon the ashes of the High Elven civilization).
(Maps to follow)
(Imperium Organization to follow)
(Noble Houses Organization to follow)
(Guilds Organization to follow)

*The overriding concept is that the forces of Chaos and Law are both fighting for dominance of the world. Both are deadly on their own. Only through Balance can life on this planet survive.

Religion:
*Elves are atheistic. No gods. They do venerate their ancestors. Dark Elves do practice Necromancy.

*Originally Mankind followed a large numbers of gods. Now, in the past 200 years a new Imperial Cult has sprung up, and in typical Imperial fashion absorbed the previous religions. The New Imperial Cult is monotheistic with a single all-powerful Sun God who sacrificed himself and was reborn. The previous gods now “serve him” and are now considered “saints”.

*Orcs and Ogres are very practical when it comes to religion; they placate them all as needed.

Critters:

Non-Standard Critters-
Gobbers.
Functionally they are Goblins with the following modifications:
Alignment: Always Lawful.
Gobbers perform the vast majority of physical labor-type jobs. They commonly are technically adept, taking over the reins as the primary maintainers of the Ancient Dwarven Systems and keeping things like water and waste treatment working (not always successfully). They are also commonly servants, housekeepers and valets. Steadfastedly lawful, they work by contract: breaking a contract is one of their greatest taboos. The vast majority of the Tradesmen and Laborers Union is made up of Gobbers.
(Think of House Elves of the Harry Potter series…but goblins)

(more to follow)

Standard Monster Manual Critters.

Animated Objects. Gargoyle Magmin Sprite
Azer. Ghost Manticore Treant
Barghest Ghoul Medusa Troglodyte
Basilisk Giant Merfolk Unicorn
Blink Dog Gnoll Mindflayer Vampire
Bugbears Golem Mummy Wight
Chaos Beast Griffon Night hag Winter Wolf
Cockatrice Grimlock Nymph Worg
Demon Hag Owl-giant Wraith
Devil Harpy Owlbear Zombie
Dire Animals Hellhound Pegasus
Displacer Beast Hippogriff Pseudodragon
Doppelganger Homunculus Purple Worm
Dragonne Inevitable Rakshasa
Dryad Kobold Remorhaz
Eagle-Giant Kraken Roc
Elemental Kuo-toa Shadow
Ettercap Lich Shield Guardian
Ettin Lizardfolk Skeleton
Frost Worm Lycanthrope Spectre


*Note: You may notice a pattern to this selection of critters. This is intended.
Included are the most common (if a rare creature CAN be called common) critters in this world that are still in existence.

Most importantly:
Constructs of every type. (Very important to the flavor of the campaign)
Undead (the most commonly known types only)
Useful types (Griffons, Eagle-Giant, Blink Dogs, Golems and other constructs, Roc, Giant Owl, Pegasi, Hippogriff etc.)
Antagonistic Critters that are either well known (purple worm, Rakshasa) or common in mythology of the Romans, Greeks, Celts and Norse.

What you will not find are the more obscure critters and certain critters that have been selectively exterminated, don’t fit the setting or are reserved for a special plot device: Dragons, Hobgoblins, Minotaurs, Naga, Oozes, Satyrs, Slaad, Yuan-Ti, etc.

Most conflict is designed to be between factions, where there will often be quests that involve critters. The main thing to realize is that this is a civilized world. Most travel is safe as long as roads are followed. Critters in general will only be found far off the beaten path, or under the control of someone in a civilized area. Many quests and adventures of course will be delving in to these distant, remote and abandoned areas that may have a number of resident critters.





Further Drifting of the D&D 3.5 System:

As noted above, everyone gets the Dodge Feat for free. I’ve always felt it was ridiculous to make it something to have to be bought.

Also, Armor is going to reduce damage instead of make a character harder to hit. This is just IMO a no-brainer.

We can do Armor one of two ways:
Per-Piece Armor and Averaged Armor.

With Per-Piece Armor comes Hit Locations (I’ll use a die).
You still have a general pool of hit points, but damage reduction will depend on you having armor in the location.

Or we can just say the armor is general as is the location, and simply reduce the armor according to the average armor type.

An important note for combat and feat selection:

I use a truncated combat system.
There are no five-foot squares; all movement is approximated for speed.
Flanking requires you to actually try and FLANK someone.
Attacks of opportunity are going to be a matter of GM judgment call and will be likely fewer (taking the time to move x number of feet, threaten, incur attacks of opportunity takes away from the speed of overall combat).
All of this will have a large impact on the usefulness of some feats. Be advised!

The above abbreviated combat system makes hit locations and per-piece Armor a viable option (I believe that in a standard D&D combat engagement, such things would bog down an already cumbersome part of the game).

It is VERY important for the players to act and think in terms of what is happening in the combat as their characters would…not in terms of the D&D game system, because that is the way it will be run.

Especially with combat, I am very visual, and like to keep the action flowing and taut. I don’t take time to count squares. I’ll describe and likely draw movement on a board or move miniatures. “The half-rotten corpse shambles to your right side…trying to get around your shield” instead of “The Zombie moves to threaten you, it gains a flank bonus.”

While this abbreviated combat system does take away some of the value of some Feats, the tradeoff is that you can do almost anything you describe, Feat or no. On the spot I’ll be able to come up with a way for you to do what you like: “I want to duck and roll out of the way” you say. I’ll say “Do you have Tumble? If so, go ahead and try it, otherwise you can do it less gracefully, you can dodge it, but you’ll be on the ground, and either attack or get up”

In combat, time will be handled differently as well. I institute what I call a “reverse bullet-time”. If you are familiar with bullet-time, everything slows down while you act. In Reverse Bullet-Time, time speeds up. You don’t have time to plan. You have time for quick instructions and quick actions or your actions will be held until you decide…while the others go ahead and act. When it is your turn, and your initiative phase is up, act! If you stammer and are indecisive, I’ll let you know that your time is running out to decide. If you can’t decide what to do…then I’ll move on to the next initiative phase.

I am doing away with Search, Spot and Listen, and replacing them all with “Notice” which is encapsulating all perception skills, saving you skill points.

Knowledge Skills cost half.

Alignment is a malleable thing. As you portray your character your actions will have an effect on your alignment.

[Ampere]

The current map...

http://pics.livejournal.com/wolf_in_exi ... 072yb2.jpg