Well I've got that itching to create a campaign setting, and I think I've found my muse.
I was looking for something that I wanted to build my setting around. Last time it was an alternate history "1632" inspired setting set in Eberron, but now I'm looking to create a fantasy world all my own. For years i've been trying to create a decent steampunk setting, but it always dies on itself for some reason. Now don't get me wrong steampunk is AWAZING!!! But my heart is out there for dieselpunk. I love jazz, Bad-asses in three piece suits, pulp, noir, jazz, mobsters, cabarets, did i mention jazz, and awesome old cars! I'm also fascinated by the political philosophies that came out of the eras that are considered "dieselpunk" like objectivism, fascism, communism (not made up in this era, but is certainly prominent), etc.
As i said before i love steampunk, but i've always felt it's overdone. And really if i wanted a steampunk fantasy setting i could just pick up DMech books, or Iron Kingdoms. I also know that there have been cyberpunk settings for Dnd, like Shadowrun, but i havent seen too much on Dieselpunk. Eberron has alot of the tone, and elements of dieselpunk, but isn't really.
Sadly all i've got are ideas at the moment, but they should be enough to build a general idea.
Nations: This being a fantasy world, i'd like to keep a somewhat medieval feel to this. but i also want there to be a presence of all the other ideologies that were present in the 20's-60's.
Magic: I'm still thinking on this one. The only image that comes to mind is Zatanna at the moment.
Races: Once again thinking, but i do have a wonderful idea for kobolds.
These are my thoughts so far. Flimsy i know. but i want to make sure i stay committed to this. I invite everyone to post there thoughts, ideas, constructive criticism, soul rending criticism as long as its fun to read etc.
Oh and hear are some of the images i've looked at to give me ideas.
[spoiler] (http://lh3.ggpht.com/_hVOW2U7K4-M/SUTP-UOBQXI/AAAAAAAAvKU/gK2QXDzstDc/s640/o08.jpg) [/spoiler]
[spoiler] (http://api.ning.com/files/JKzGBzRtQWw0Sn28KAjfKnciZixYRO7oubYvAD2kjAlL*jz7LuroHfkOuNu5lUuT/rollsroyce3.jpg?width=737&height=552) [/spoiler]
[spoiler] (http://www.keiththompsonart.com/images/full/scavenger.jpg) [/spoiler]
[spoiler] (http://www.keiththompsonart.com/images/full/antiwanderer.jpg) [/spoiler]
I like the general idea, especially the jazzy effect your trying to bring up. I love jazz too :)
Reminds me of Cowboy Bebop, perhaps a bit different. Or even Vampire D Hunter: Bloodlust. Both are animes.
P.S: I recently found out about Kaori Kobayashi, try her out, great saxo player.
Cool idea, cool art. A few questions that might help you get started with fleshing it out:
1. You say you want your nations to have a medieval-fantasy feel to them. I'm interested to see how this will correspond with the technologies and aesthetics of deiselpunk. Does this mean a feudal power structure? Will factory-workers be the vassals of the Aristo-Industrialists who own their workplaces? Will there be direct and obvious medievalisms, for example, jousting tourneys where the knights ride motorcycles? Or are you thinking of a more subtle blend?
2. Just how widespread is motorisation? How common are cars? Are factories often mechanised? Are wars fought using cavalry, or tanks - or even mecha or some other fictional war-vehicles?
3. What is communication technology like? Telegrams or telephones, and how accessible are they to the general public? Do citizens regularly have radios in their houses, or even TVs?
4. You mention magic. Will magic exist as an adjunct to or aspect of "conventional" technology, or as an opposing force? Or, perhaps more interestingly, as both?
5. You say you'll be including kobolds, so I'm guessing that means there may well be other fantasy races and/or monsters. Will they be at the same tech level as humanity? Will they be integrated into a cosmopolitan society or considered aliens? Will any of them be "always chaotic evil?"
6. On that note, fantasy settings often - but by no means always - feature some kind of moral absolutism. Is this something you will implement, or are you more likely to go for ambiguity? Just wondering if there will be any Dark Lords or equivalents (Dark Tsars? Dark Kaisers? Dark Prime Ministers?)
That's just a few queries off the top of my head, hope thinking about them helps you get started :)
I love the notion of the imagery of such a setting; kudos on thinking of it. I want to echo Kindling's 3, 4, and 5, as magic and races are one of the bigger things that define fantasy settings. Magnus's suggestion to check out Cowboy Bebop is good; also Outlaw Star (another Anime) or even Firefly could give you some thoughts, though both (and Cowboy Bebop) are "space-punk?" there is an oldness to the culture and feel.
I too want to know what types of government's are around, and whether large nations exist like on Earth at the time, or if things will be more like city-states. And which races do you intend on using?
Looks very interesting. You might want to check out Light Dragon's Gloria - it's not quite dieselpunk but it's not far off, and the main society is more or less an objectivist one. The socialists/commies are the bad guys, though it's *somewhat* open to interpretation whether the inhabitants of Gloria just see them as an evil empire (correct me if I'm wrong LD - how gray is Gloria's morality?).
One thing I think steampunk, and by extension dieselpunk, settings sometimes tend to gloss over is the "punk" half of the genre. Cyberpunk was proclaimed such because it a) extrapolated from present-day cybernetics and telecommunications technology and b) there was a "do it yourself," low-life, irreverent streak to the genre, with characters hacking, hijacking, or otherwise re-appropriating tech for their own purposes. To what extent do you plan on replicating this feel, or do you intend on discarding the DIY low-life elements of the ___punk subgenre? On the flip side, are you imagining the setting's technology as being significantly more sophisticated than that in the 20's/30's - just as steampunk frequently envisions gear-driven robots and artificial intelligences, for example - or is this more of a "d&d with models Ts and tommyguns" kind of setting? Either could be very cool. The latter strikes me as a little more cartoonish, but sounds really fun...
EDIT: To add to the list of influences, Bioshock, Hellboy and Lobster Johnson, and perhaps 1984 might be worthy of consideration. Do you want a pulp feel of action and high adventure, or a gritty dystopian satire of ideological movements? Or some blend of the two?
Oh boy, a lot to reply too.
Okay so everyone's been recommending media to watch,read, and play, and i've seen a lot of these. I'm just gonna make a quick list off the top of my head.
Bioshock (awesome game)
Sky Captain and the world of Tommorow (I saw it when i was younger, and thought it was pretty fun)
All of the Indiana Jones movies
A little bit of Cowboy Bebop
Read a little of Atlas Shrugged
The Leviathan Trilogy (Set in the Edwardian Period, so arguably Dieselpunk)
Aviator (the one about Howard Hughes)
The Rocketeer
Some Like it Hot
Casablanca
I've seen a lot of old movies on MST3K that could be considered dieselpunk
and the first Godfather movie
Now for Responses!
Quote from: KindlingCool idea, cool art. A few questions that might help you get started with fleshing it out:
1. You say you want your nations to have a medieval-fantasy feel to them. I'm interested to see how this will correspond with the technologies and aesthetics of deiselpunk. Does this mean a feudal power structure? Will factory-workers be the vassals of the Aristo-Industrialists who own their workplaces? Will there be direct and obvious medievalisms, for example, jousting tourneys where the knights ride motorcycles? Or are you thinking of a more subtle blend?
[spoiler] (http://www.tensionnot.com/pictures/images/Motorcycle/Knight-Motorcycle.jpg) [/spoiler] :D
I've been giving this a lot of thought. I won't be able to give any conclusives until i get a map worked out, but my general thoughts are that there are a few kingdoms in the world that are still trying to hold on desperately to the "old" ways of the past. They still use horses, but they might have a few mechanical commodities in their military's.
Quote from: Kindling2. Just how widespread is motorisation? How common are cars? Are factories often mechanised? Are wars fought using cavalry, or tanks - or even mecha or some other fictional war-vehicles?
3. What is communication technology like? Telegrams or telephones, and how accessible are they to the general public? Do citizens regularly have radios in their houses, or even TVs?
I'm still giving this thought. I want there to be cars of course,I like the idea of mechs, but i can't find a system for running it in a game that i like. Dmech is pretty cool, but i never liked how complicated it is at times. Factories vary in tech level, As for communications, there will be theaters, there is television, but it's a very expensive commodity at present. Telephones are around as well, but they're rare in some countries, or don't exist at all.
If there are mechs, this will probably they're gonna be like
[spoiler] (http://www.keiththompsonart.com/images/full/smsbeowulf.jpg)[/spoiler]
Also i find this image very inspirational.
[spoiler](http://www.keiththompsonart.com/images/full/negotiations.jpg) [/spoiler]
Quote from: Kindling4. You mention magic. Will magic exist as an adjunct to or aspect of "conventional" technology, or as an opposing force? Or, perhaps more interestingly, as both?
I'm thinking that it'll vary. Industrial magic well certainly be widespread in certain areas, but it will certainly be small in some areas, and large scale in some areas. Some nations will stick exclusively with magic, manufacturing magic similar to Eberron. There are wizards and sorcerers, but like in Eberron there very rare. Some magicians work as entertainers in Cabarets
Quote from: Kindling5. You say you'll be including kobolds, so I'm guessing that means there may well be other fantasy races and/or monsters. Will they be at the same tech level as humanity? Will they be integrated into a cosmopolitan society or considered aliens? Will any of them be "always chaotic evil?"
6. On that note, fantasy settings often - but by no means always - feature some kind of moral absolutism. Is this something you will implement, or are you more likely to go for ambiguity? Just wondering if there will be any Dark Lords or equivalents (Dark Tsars? Dark Kaisers? Dark Prime Ministers?)
One of the things that i liked about Eberron was the grey morality that's so prominent in Noir, and i'd still like to keep that to a degree. But yes, i'm trying to make a place for all kinds of fantasy monsters.
I'll post my kobolds later.
As for dark lords, i'm still thinking on these things.
Quote from: KindlingThat's just a few queries off the top of my head, hope thinking about them helps you get started :)
Thanks for the help. :)
Quote from: Magnus PymP.S: I recently found out about Kaori Kobayashi, try her out, great saxo player.
I have one thing to say: Sweet!
You know how some people play music in the background for their campaigns? I think it would be fun to come up with a song list for this setting.
QuoteI have one thing to say: Sweet!
You know how some people play music in the background for their campaigns? I think it would be fun to come up with a song list for this setting.
If you'd like some help for that you can always message me with what your looking for exactly, perhaps I could help.
I've been trying to create a map for this setting, but I can never make a decent map on my own, so i decided to just use a fractal map generator, to my eternal shame. Here's the code.
542562622
I've also been wondering somehting. What are some good and simple systems for using vehicles, mechs, etc?
Oh wow! You and I must be on the same wavelength, loveofawesome, I'm in the midst of making a very similar setting called Shattered Spectrum (http://www.thecbg.org/wiki/index.php/Shattered_Spectrum)*. Also, I love the artwork you've linked with your setting: it gives a great feel for the world as a whole. Because I don't always portray things as well as I wish I could through writing, I find artwork to be hugely pivotal in my work, be it that of my own or someone else's. Great stuff!
I have a very limited experience with systems overall, but I plan on using the Dresden Files FATE system for mine (special thanks to Luminous Crayon for his wisdom on the matter). It's unfortunately not available for free, but the system it uses, FATE, can be found here, at the Spirit of the Century SRD (http://crackmonkey.org/~nick/loyhargil/fate3/fate3.html).
You could even use SotC FATE as is if you wanted, but it's definitely a little more "high adventure and action," rather than gritty and lethal, if you're looking for the latter. Characters tend to be able to do some cinematic and unrealistic things in SotC, but if that's your cup of tea then by all means, take it and run with it!
Mechs and such aren't inherently written into either SotC or Dresden FATE, but they're really simple to add. SotC has a section on vehicles that may be very useful to you.
Let me point out that the FATE system is very laid back and doesn't like to get worked up on the details of things (for instance, your character needs a grappling hook? Spend a fate point and you'll act is if you had bought one in the last town). A lot of the stuff is left open intentionally to get creative with it.
*The wiki page is far from done, but I have some solid information up there for the time being if you're ever interested or looking for inspiration.
Quote from: The_Weave05Oh wow! You and I must be on the same wavelength, loveofawesome, I'm in the midst of making a very similar setting called Shattered Spectrum (http://www.thecbg.org/wiki/index.php/Shattered_Spectrum)*. Also, I love the artwork you've linked with your setting: it gives a great feel for the world as a whole. Because I don't always portray things as well as I wish I could through writing, I find artwork to be hugely pivotal in my work, be it that of my own or someone else's. Great stuff!
I have a very limited experience with systems overall, but I plan on using the Dresden Files FATE system for mine (special thanks to Luminous Crayon for his wisdom on the matter). It's unfortunately not available for free, but the system it uses, FATE, can be found here, at the Spirit of the Century SRD (http://crackmonkey.org/~nick/loyhargil/fate3/fate3.html).
You could even use SotC FATE as is if you wanted, but it's definitely a little more "high adventure and action," rather than gritty and lethal, if you're looking for the latter. Characters tend to be able to do some cinematic and unrealistic things in SotC, but if that's your cup of tea then by all means, take it and run with it!
Mechs and such aren't inherently written into either SotC or Dresden FATE, but they're really simple to add. SotC has a section on vehicles that may be very useful to you.
Let me point out that the FATE system is very laid back and doesn't like to get worked up on the details of things (for instance, your character needs a grappling hook? Spend a fate point and you'll act is if you had bought one in the last town). A lot of the stuff is left open intentionally to get creative with it.
*The wiki page is far from done, but I have some solid information up there for the time being if you're ever interested or looking for inspiration.
This was a major help! Thank you very much The_Weave05. We must be on similar wavelengths, cause i'm a major Calvin and Hobbes fanatic. And ATLA is pretty awesome too.
I'm totally behind this project. Bioshock + Indy + The Godfather can only mean good things.
Quote from: SteerpikeOne thing I think steampunk, and by extension dieselpunk, settings sometimes tend to gloss over is the "punk" half of the genre. Cyberpunk was proclaimed such because it a) extrapolated from present-day cybernetics and telecommunications technology and b) there was a "do it yourself," low-life, irreverent streak to the genre, with characters hacking, hijacking, or otherwise re-appropriating tech for their own purposes. To what extent do you plan on replicating this feel, or do you intend on discarding the DIY low-life elements of the ___punk subgenre? On the flip side, are you imagining the setting's technology as being significantly more sophisticated than that in the 20's/30's - just as steampunk frequently envisions gear-driven robots and artificial intelligences, for example - or is this more of a "d&d with models Ts and tommyguns" kind of setting? Either could be very cool. The latter strikes me as a little more cartoonish, but sounds really fun...
I can't believe I forgot to respond to this.
In order to respond to this, i need to get something else out of the way first.
One of the first questions that come to mind when doing this type of setting is "How does magic and technology interact?". It's a perfectly good question to ask, I suppose.
I think the relationship will have a somewhat dragonmechish feel to it.
In Dynama, It's possible to do things with machinary that wouldn't really be plausible in other worlds. For instance, thanks to magical resistances it's possible to have a hydrogen blimp armada, because it's possible to imbue magical properties into the cloth that makes up the balloon with magical fire resistance. Still magic is slowly weaning in it's power. Remember that sorcery was once the ultimate source of power in this world, but now it's being challenged. Why cough up 1000 gp's to use
teleportation when you could cough up 400-500 gp's for a nice car, and go anywhere you want, whenever you want, and use that other gold to pay off bills? So magic is trying to compete with the growing popularity of machinery, and in it's desperation has been flinging itself to capitalism, by trying to create more practical uses of magic, and even creating magical automatonry to try to compete with machinery. Large golems, flying ships, etc. Some nations who are considered "technophobic" employ these type of magical technologies to compete with scientifically advanced nations.
So to answer this, it's probably going to have a mix of different things. Some things will be hyper advanced (Robots, mechs, planes, etc) but have primitive technologies as well
I must say I will be watching this with interest. I do love the Keith Thompson art. I have read Leviathan, and I only read it because of the Steampunk. Also, a friend of mine was going to make a setting with a Steam vs Diesel punk feel. Perhaps a race or civ could be stuck with (probably inferior) Steampunk tech?
Quote from: The ClockmakerI must say I will be watching this with interest. I do love the Keith Thompson art. I have read Leviathan, and I only read it because of the Steampunk. Also, a friend of mine was going to make a setting with a Steam vs Diesel punk feel. Perhaps a race or civ could be stuck with (probably inferior) Steampunk tech?
Thank you very much!
While not meaning to stir up a flame war, Leviathan is set in the Edwardian period which was where diesel and gasoline were beginning to take the place of steam power. Scott Westerfield (author of Leviathan) has said that Leviathan is dieselpunk in this interview http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sj2li77-E_c (//hyperlinkurl) But then again, he's said in the book that it's steampunk also.
I myself argue that Edwardian isn't neccesarily neither. I think of it as the transitioning period between steampunk and dieselpunk. In fact, i've even heard other people argue that it's not either, and that it should be referred as "Electropunk" since it's when electricity was rising as a power source. This car for instance. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O9vC3S8MJPY (//hyperlinkurl)
But since I haven't posted a thing on my campaign in day's, i feel i should throw something out there. Here's a race compolation i have so far.
I've decided that i don't want to many races.
Human
Kobold (slightly different from normal kobolds in this setting)
potty (a homebrewed vesrion of the Giff. I'm sorry but i can't resist anthropomorphic hippos)
Gremlins (A variant of halfling)
I've also decided that there was a time when elves and dwarves existed, but now they're extinct. They did leave behind ancient civilizations to explore though. This is where the indiana jones elements begin to come in.
QuoteI've also decided that there was a time when elves and dwarves existed, but now they're extinct. They did leave behind ancient civilizations to explore though. This is where the indiana jones elements begin to come in.
I like that.
Now I'm going to begin working on classes. It's important to remember, that i'm going with an E6/pathfinder system.
Fighter
(Urban) Ranger
(Urban) Druid
Sorcerer
Artificer
Rogue
Bard
Pilot (homebrewed class)
Machinist (probably homebrewed)
I'm also thinking Factotum. What do you guys think?
I'm leaving out some classes, and i'll explain why. I'm leaving paladins and clerics out because i want religion to resemble our world. I also decided that just as Athas doesn't really have any "sorcerers" (spontaneous spell casters), and so Dynama doesn't really have any wizards. There are ways to create magical relics, but it's left to artificers, and the process is always pretty expensive. I'm also leaving out monks. For some reason i don't think kung fu masters really fit into my setting.
I've decided to post some of my races. WIP
Poppy: The poppies are a race of hippo-like humanoids.
+2 Strength, +2 Wisdom, -2 Charisma. Poppies are strong, and astute, but are also off-putting, and pugnacious at times.
Medium: Poppies are Medium creatures, and have no bonuses or penalties due to their size.
Normal Speed: Poppies have a base speed of 30 feet.
Natural Armor: Poppies get a +2 natural armor bonus due to their tough, thick skin.
Aggressive, yet Insightful: Poppies get a +2 racial bonus on Perception and Intimidate checks.
Hardy: Poppies get a +2 racial bonus on saves against Disease.
Languages: Poppies begin play speaking Common.
__________________________________________________________________
Gremlins
+2 Dexterity, +2 Intelligence, '"2 Strength: Gremlins are Gearheads by nature, they have nimble fingers, and highly intelligent.
Small: Gremlins are Small creatures and gain a +1 size bonus to their AC, a +1 size bonus on attack rolls, a '"1 penalty to their Combat
Maneuver Bonus (CMB) and Combat Maneuver Defense (CMD), and a +4 size bonus on Stealth checks.
Slow Speed: Gremlins have a base speed of 20 feet.
Fearless: Gremlins receive a +2 racial bonus on all saving throws against fear.
Gremlin's Luck: Gremlins receive a +1 racial bonus on all saving throws.
Keen Senses: Gremlins receive a +2 racial bonus on Perception skill checks.
Sure-Footed: Gremlins receive a +2 racial bonus on Acrobatics and Climb skill checks.
Technologically Adept: Gremlins recieve Knowledge: Engineering, and Craft Mechanics, as class skills regardless of class taken
Languages: Gremlins begin play speaking Common and Gremlin.
______________________________________________________________
(Dynamian) Kobold
'"2 Strength, +2 Dexterity, +2 Charisma : Dynamian Kobolds live healthier lifestyles than there mineworking cousins, and are hardier as such. They are also far more refined, and have an air to them, that makes you want to do business with them.
Small: Kobolds are Small and gain a +1 size bonus to their AC, a +1 size bonus on attack rolls, a '"1 penalty to their CMB and CMD, and a +4 size bonus on Stealth checks.
Normal Speed: Kobolds have a base speed of 30 feet.
Darkvision: Kobolds can see in the dark up to 30 feet.
Business Sense: Dynamian Kobolds have a +2 bonus to Sense Motive, Diplomacy, Knowledge: Local, and Profession (any, Pick one at character creation)
Armor: Kobolds have a +1 natural armor bonus.
Languages: Dynamian Kobolds begin play with Common, and a language all thier own, that's a reformed version of Draconic, but people refer to it as "Kobold".
Quote from: good; socialism=evil); but there's a lot of philosophical debate inside of capitalism (laissez-faire v. fascism v. state corporatism) and although a robber baron may be respected for the money he gained due to skiffing; he's not exactly one to be emulated since he can fall far if he violates one too many (of the few) laws of the market.
Essentially, the citizens of Gloria see the Socialists as an evil empire; that being said, I think most people on this board, even the liberal-minded ones, would probably prefer to live in Gloria. The Socialists lands are harsh lands... imagine Stalin's Russia and Mao's China. While the Socialist Empire is "evil", an individual Socialist is probably not.
[quoteOne thing I think steampunk, and by extension dieselpunk, settings sometimes tend to gloss over is the "punk" half of the genre. Cyberpunk was proclaimed such because it a) extrapolated from present-day cybernetics and telecommunications technology and b) there was a "do it yourself," low-life, irreverent streak to the genre, with characters hacking, hijacking, or otherwise re-appropriating tech for their own purposes. To what extent do you plan on replicating this feel, or do you intend on discarding the DIY low-life elements of the ___punk subgenre? On the flip side, are you imagining the setting's technology as being significantly more sophisticated than that in the 20's/30's - just as steampunk frequently envisions gear-driven robots and artificial intelligences, for example - or is this more of a "d&d with models Ts and tommyguns" kind of setting? Either could be very cool. The latter strikes me as a little more cartoonish, but sounds really fun...
Steerpike makes an important point here, although I'd expand the "punk" definition to focus on the anti-establishment aspect. (Which is one reason why Gloria can't rightfully be called anything-punk... it celebrates the establishment- you ARE the establishment :)) Lots of Cyberpunk literature is about thumbing one's nose at the settled morals and order.
>>I've also decided that there was a time when elves and dwarves existed, but now they're extinct. They did leave behind ancient civilizations to explore though. This is where the indiana jones elements begin to come in.
That's pretty neat.
just to let everyone who keeps up with this thread know that i feel i've made enough progress to be able to post it up in the homebrew section. the name is Dynama the world of swing n' sorcery