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The Archives => Homebrews (Archived) => Topic started by: Azezel on December 13, 2006, 04:36:15 AM

Title: Sho-Jin Setting
Post by: Azezel on December 13, 2006, 04:36:15 AM
Now that my current game is drawing to an end, it is my intent to create a new setting. I call it 'Sho-Jin' for reasons which are not important.

(Azezel would like to point out at this time that he does not like the books of T. Pratchet.)

I've decided to make it a roughly disc-shaped world, with a hole in the centre. The sun passes through the hole once every 12 hours, rising and falling at a varying rate. Moving swiflty neare the hole and slowly at the end of each cycle. There are no seasons, but the disc does rotate, once every 360 days.

The world is very thin at the centre (The hole) and gets thicker toward the rim - to the point where people actually live on the rim itself, completely out of the sunlight (Drow, Ithilids, that sort of thing).

The closer one gets to the hole, the hotter the climate, until the last hundred miles or so are just molten black glass completely inhospitable to anything without the [fire] subtype. further out there are deserts and then a ring of temperate land. At the edge, the conditions are frozen cold and mountainous. Water moved cyclically - evaperating near the centre, where clouds and air carry it by centrigugal force further out, where it rains and flows back toward the centre. There are oceans, but there is more land than sea.

My intent is to make the 'top' side a traditional mid to high fantasy sort of afair, with a few extras, airships, printing presses, etc. The other side will be an oriental style fantasy of a similar level.

I don't intend to develop the oriental side too much for now, (Travel between the two sides will be very dificult. One cannot just dig through to china) but PC's will have the option of being a traveler from the strange land.

I intend to play the Formian card, and the Abiel (MM 2) card fairly strongly. I will change Formians' type to Monstrous Humanoid and set them as major villains. There will be a large area of the world dominated by them, and the rest threatened by their expansionist pollicy. The main oponant of the Formians will be the Abiel. I like this, because on the surface, they are very similar races. The Formians will be to Sho-Jin what the Drow are to FR, or the Rakshasa to Eberron (Or what non-Goths are to Dark Sun).

The other races will remain much as they are in the PHB, except for Orcs - who will have a culture somewhere between RL Spartans and the Nietziens in 'Andromeda', and will lose their Light Sensetivity to make them a more atractive player race.

So far as gods go. Gods will not be completely distant, but not utterly in-yer-face either. I will create my own general pantheon (Drawing from the pantheon of my old shared setting) but I will also use the racial pantheons from the 'Races of X' books.

[spoiler=gods]These deities have only a single alignment descriptor, either Lawful, Neutral or Chaotic. All of them are capable of both Good and Evil, and none of them are soley one. This makes all of them apropriate as patrons of Player Characters, and allows interesting rp possibilities, as say, a duel between a Paladin and a Blackguard, both of whom truely worship Feanor.


Pantheon


Greater Gods:


Elhiris:
The Sun God (L)


Weapon - Longbow
Colour - Gold
Portfolio â,¬' Men, Work, Creativity, Strength
Domains â,¬' Fire, Healing, Law, Strength, Sun, Community, Competition, Creation, Glory, Purification, Courage, Nobility.

Elhiris is normally represented as a tall & muscular elf with a shaven pate and wearing a gold toga â,¬' though he is almost as often depicted nude. He is identified with athletes especially, but generally with any who pursue physical prowess or the perfection of the body.

He is also the Patron Deity of Men. Clerics (exclusively male) and devout followers of Elhiris typically shave their heads and often follow rigorous physical regimes. Elhiran Monks are said to be the most flawless physical specimens on En.


Mia:
The Earth Goddess (C)


Weapon â,¬' Unarmed Strike
Colour - Green
Portfolio â,¬' Women, Joy, Creation, Fortitude
Domains â,¬' Chaos, Earth, Healing, Protection, Travel, Celerity, Community, Creation, Purification, Cavern.

Mia is normally depicted as an emerald serpent, though she is also shown as a dark-skinned Human Woman with green eyes. The snake, with its ability to re-generate through the shedding of skin is symbolic of renewal and the changing of the seasons.

Mia is Patron Deity of Women and also artists, builders and others who think themselves creators. The central theme of Mian doctrine is cyclical change â,¬' everything has happened before, and will do again â,¬' one must simply wait out the bad and celebrate the good. Mian Clerics (always female) are often called on for Funerals, since they tend to emphasise the re-incarnation aspect of En theosophy.


Rome:
The Sky God (N)


Weapon - Trident
Colour - White
Portfolio â,¬' Wisdom, Fraternity, Peace, Temperance
Domains â,¬' Air, Healing, Knowledge, Luck, Trickery, Celerity, Dream, Liberation, Inquisition, Oracle, Weather, Fate.

Rome is Normally shown as a Cloud Giant, though confusingly he is sometimes depicted riding a Roc, and sometimes depicted as a Roc himself. Rome is associated with the abstract â,¬' concepts such as wisdom and morality are his territory.

Romans pride themselves on seeing both sides of any argument, and on not judging another. This is not to say they are equivocal or unlikely to act. A Roman believes that, in the absence of objective knowledge, a man is entirely justified in acting according to his subjective morals. Roman Clerics are renowned as fair, if harsh judges and adjudicators.



Lesser Gods:


Ulla:
The Moon Goddess (L)


Weapon - Sickle
Colour - Silver
Portfolio â,¬' Magic, Change, Charity, Evil
Domains â,¬' Evil, Magic, Good, Dream, Liberation, Madness, Mysticism, Pact, Fate, Darkness, Moon.

Ulla is always depicted as a dark-haired Human girl of around seven or eight. This is because she appeared as such the last time any mortal saw her. Whether she still has this form is a matter of debate. Ulla is Patron of Mages, Philanthropists and lost causes. When every God and Mortal has turned their back, Ulla will listen, or so it is said. She is also popular with criminals who think of themselves as misunderstood, martyrs or freedom fighters.

Ullans are commanded to be charitable to those less fortunate than themselves and Ullan Monks & Wu Jen vow never to own more than they can carry.


Lihr:
The Sea Goddess (C)


Weapon - Warmace
Colour - Blue
Portfolio â,¬' Water, Secrets, Retribution
Domains â,¬' Chaos, Destruction, Knowledge, Luck, Travel, Trickery, Water, Dream, Inquisition, Madness, Ocean, Retribution.

Lihr is depicted as an Aquatic Elf, sometimes with a sharkâ,¬,,¢s tail, sometimes with legs. She is Patron of the sea and or mariners, but is also associated with the secret, the clandestine and with vengeance.

Naturally Lihrâ,¬,,¢s followers include those who work in, on or near the sea, she is also worshipped by spies, rogues and those with something to hide. Lihran Clerics are called to bless new vessels, and to exorcise those vessels which have suffered catastrophes. Fishermen usually solicit blessings at the beginning of winter when their task is most dangerous.


Feanor:
The War God (L)


Weapon - Longsword
Colour - Red
Portfolio â,¬' War, Science
Domains â,¬' Destruction, Knowledge, Protection, War, Celerity, Competition, Domination, Force, Glory, Mind, Oracle, Courage, Planning.

Feanor is depicted as a tall Orc in armour, usually holding his sword upraised. He is said to ride a six-legged horse and to have the heads of his enemies tied to his saddle by their hair. Very occasionally he is shown as an Abiel soldier.

Feanorans pride themselves on their wit, cunning and strategy. Soldiers, scientists engineers and artisans are all likely to be worshipers of Feanor. Feanoran Clerics employ their cunning and politicking to make themselves irreplaceable in their communities and then strive to make the community ordered and secure. Feanorans have a nutural bent for adventure, either to increase their knowledge or their martial prowess, and often the church will hand down missions to its Clerics.


Farran:
The Peace God (C)


Weapon â,¬' Club (Followers of Farrain are forbidden from spilling blood)
Colour - Indigo
Portfolio â,¬' Peace, Art
Domains â,¬' Chaos, Healing, Luck, Protection, Community, Liberation, Pact, Purification, Courage.

Farran is typically depicted as a Human or Elf â,¬' often images and statues represent him as a colossus, larger than any giant. He is immovable, inflexible and stronger than the roots of the mountains.

Farranite doctrine emphasises stoicism and fortitude. Farranites accept that the universe is not a good place infected with evil, but at best a neutral place contaminated by good. Farran is popular with philosophers, healers, soldiers and is popular with those who have no strong reason to choose one god over another. Farranite Clerics are ineradicable â,¬' when worship of Farran has been suppressed his Clerics went underground happily. Farranites take a strange pleasure in attempts to suppress or oppress them.


Arten:
The Nature Goddess (C)


Weapon - Shortbow
Colour - Yellow
Portfolio â,¬' Plants, Animals, the Hunt
Domains â,¬' Air, Animal, Earth, Fire, Healing, Plant, Water, Competition, Weather, Purification.

Arten is occasionally represented as a Humanoid or an animal â,¬' but more often she is shown as a landscape. Artenic churches have murals on their walls and ceilings showing scenes of wilderness. Arten is shown as mountains or plains, or clouds or the open sea.

Balance and diversity Are watchwords of the Artenic church. Hunting, exploring and adventuring are of central importance to Artenâ,¬,,¢s followers. Concepts of man versus nature and pitting oneself against the elements are strong in Artenic doctrine. Explorers, scientists and all kinds of outdoorsmen are her worshippers. Artenic Clerics are perhaps the most likely to take up a life of adventuring. Artenites and Druidic peoples celebrate many of the same ideas, but Druids see Arten as part of the natural world, rather than the other way around.


Oz:


The Death God (L)


Weapon - Scythe
Colour - Black
Portfolio â,¬' Death, Forgetfulness, Good
Domains â,¬' Death, Destruction, Evil, Good, Cold, Pestilence, Liberation, Fate, Darkness.

Oz is usually depicted as a smiling Halfling swathed in black, sometimes with a watch or hourglass. Oz is said to be cheerful and jocular, but unbending. He has only ever made on exception to his rule that every mortal dies â,¬' Ulla.

Ozzans believe that the purpose of life is to acquire a fine range of anecdotes, jokes and bon-mots. When one dies Oz will come to take oneâ,¬,,¢s soul to the afterlife â,¬' and Oz will judge the worth of a soul by the stories it tells. Make Oz laugh, or cry, or offer some insight or tale adventure. All souls will spend some time, seconds or centuries in an afterlife before re-incarnation, and the quality of that afterlife is dependant on Ozâ,¬,,¢s being edified by the stories one tells. Ozan Clerics and worshippers tend to keep journals and typically have a fine selection of jokes and tales prepaired. Ozans like to adventure for obvious reasons.

Minor Gods:

Certain gods are worshipped by only a small number â,¬' or have portfolios that are very narrow. These deities are considered Minor, les than the Lesser gods. They still have Clerics, Favoured Souls and followers, but they are fewer in number.

Shide:

Goddess of Ice and of Heroes (L)

Weapon â,¬' Spear
Colour â,¬' White
Portfolio â,¬' Cold, Adventurers
Domains â,¬' Courage, Cold, Windstorm, Nobility, Destiny

Shide is considered Goddess of Heroes because in 2450 the Bard/Cleric of Shide Alastor the Brave single handedly rescued the Queen of Westernestratullis from the Empireâ,¬,,¢s prisons and claimed the achievement was Shideâ,¬,,¢s and not his own.

Shidi doctrine teaches that the universe is like a clockwork mechanism, and will eventually wind down. One day the universe will be utterly lifeless and cold, and Shide will rule an unchanging, dead world for eternity. In the meantime Shidis live life to the fullest and seize every opportunity. Shideâ,¬,,¢s church is small, but there are a disproportionate number of Adventurers who worship the Goddess of Heroes.

Shinto:

God of Arms (N)

Weapon â,¬' All
Portfolio â,¬' Weapons, Weapon smiths
Domains â,¬' Fire, Forge, Metal, Craft

Shinto created the weapons of the gods and his masterpiece is Feanorâ,¬,,¢s Sword, which is called â,¬ËAll Creationâ,¬,,¢. Almost all weapon smiths have a shrine to Shinto in their workshops and many swords have the Dwarven runes for â,¬ËNSBACâ,¬,,¢ stamped on the blade or tang â,¬' standing for the weapon smithâ,¬,,¢s mantra â,¬ËThere is no Sword but All Creationâ,¬,,¢.

Sith:

Goddess of Vampires (N)

Weapon â,¬' Razor
Portfolio â,¬' Vampires, Yaun-Ti
Domains â,¬' Trickery, Undeath, Hunger, Skalykind

Sith, Ullas daughter is the progenitor and goddess of Vampires and Yaun-Ti. Ulla and Sith hate one another and a state of open and permanent war exists between the two churches. Sithans, even those who are not Vampires, have to operate clandestinely and are feared and persecuted by the common people of all races (save Yaun-Ti).

Io:

Goddess of Merfolk (L)

Weapon â,¬' Shortspear
Portfolio â,¬' Merfolk
Domains â,¬' Water, Ocean, Magic

Io, Lihrâ,¬,,¢s daughter is patron of the races which live beneath the waves. Unlike Lihrans, Ions are respected and treated well by Ullans, and it is thought that Io sometimes visits Ulla in her imprisonment.

Jagger:

God of Storms (C)

Weapon â,¬' Javelin
Portfolio â,¬' Storms, Strife and merriment.
Domains â,¬' Destruction, Force, Storm, Lust

Jagger, son of Rome is the God of storms. Heâ,¬,,¢s a wild spirit who does what he wishes without thought for the consequences. Heâ,¬,,¢s as likely to strike his own church or worshipper with his lightening as he is to smite down his enemies. Typically Jagger is hap-hazard and without malice, but his temper and anger are legendary. Jagger is also patron of anyone who pursues his three â,¬Ëvirtuesâ,¬,,¢ of wine, [gender of your choice] and song. Heâ,¬,,¢s attempted (and occasionally succeeded) seducing several gods and goddesses, and likely hundreds of mortals.

Sillan:

God of Beauty (N)

Weapon â,¬' Rapier
Portfolio â,¬' Love, beauty, poetry, wander
Domains â,¬' Charm, Nobility, Pride

Sillan is a Beautiful, romantic dreamer â,¬' his church espouses art and love and strives to further such causes. Sillan is Farranâ,¬,,¢s brother, the two gods rarely see eye to eye, and their two churches are politely distant. Sillanite doctrine teaches that the universe is, in all ways a good and beautiful place, and that if you cannot see this, then the problem is on your end. This idea is difficult for a lot of people to accept, and Sirranâ,¬,,¢s church remains small because of this, but those who do follow Sirran tend to be very devout.[/spoiler]

These are the basic concepts I have created. I will certainly develope, change and add to them, but for now I seek criticism or suggestions from you.
Title: Sho-Jin Setting
Post by: SA on December 13, 2006, 05:17:56 AM
Man, this idea is freaking shweet.  I love Pratchett, but your idea beats his hands down.

(It's a shame to have to put up a disclaimer identifying a dissociation with Discworld, as though Terry originated the concept.  Besides, yours is more of a... donut-world, anyway.)

I like the way you explain the cycle of water: evaporating at the centre and moving outwards.  Does that mean that all oceans flow Centre-ward?  Also, just an interesting notion you might want to consider: as the sun moves to the other side of the planet, might the surface cool to a habitable temperature? (Such that exceptionally speedy creatures might traverse it safely, and its natural denizens actually have to move underground to stay in the heat)

And Orcs as Spartans?  Hell yes.
Title: Sho-Jin Setting
Post by: Azezel on December 13, 2006, 10:35:19 AM
The world of Sho-Jin is shaped like a CD, a disk with a hole in the centre. In fact, I have used the proportions of a CD, since it seems about right.

The world is 4'800 miles across and 15'079 miles around. The hole 560 miles across and 1760 miles around. The world has a surface area of 17'844'272 square miles, this is just under 1/3 the Earth's land surface area.

Both sides of Sho-Jin are habitable, so the area is effectively doubled.

The edge of Sho-Jin is also inhabited by races which shun the light, the edge is about 753'950 square miles.

The hole in the centre is 560 miles across, but surrounding the hole is a belt of molten black glass and unbearable desert for another 200 miles. Beyond this there s hot, but more-or-less survivable desert.

The world is not of uniform thickness. At the inner edge it is very thin, and grows thicker toward the outside, until at the very outer edge it is nearly 50 miles thick. The aproximate thickness of any given point can be found by squaring the fourth root of the distance from the axis of the world.

The sun is always at the axis of the world, and rises and falls daily, giving each side of the world about 12 hours light (Less near the outer edge due to the shape of the world). At Noon, the sun is 1'200 miles above the plane of the world. It moves at an average of 200 miles an hour. IT is possible to work out exactly how far one is from the axis by measuring the angle of the sun at noon (Or any other well defined and measured time).

The world rotates (as compared to the stars visible at night) one degree every 24 hours, and has a 360 day year, with no seasons. It is possible to tell how far turn-ward or anti-turnward one is by noting the date and the position of a known star.
Title: Sho-Jin Setting
Post by: Matt Larkin (author) on December 13, 2006, 10:45:11 AM
Quote from: Brother Rainbow of Damnation UnendingAlso, just an interesting notion you might want to consider: as the sun moves to the other side of the planet, might the surface cool to a habitable temperature? (Such that exceptionally speedy creatures might traverse it safely, and its natural denizens actually have to move underground to stay in the heat)
That reminds me of Chronicles of Riddick.


This is an interesting idea.  I like your idea of two sides two the world, with travel between made difficult.
Title: Sho-Jin Setting
Post by: SDragon on December 13, 2006, 02:10:24 PM
this....
is....
AMAZING!!!

seriously, it's an incredible idea for the world.

a few things: you commented on how "one cannot simply dig their way to china". what is the reasoning for this? does it still hold true closer to the inner diameter?

you also said the inner diameter is only 560 miles. this makes me wonder how big the sun is. that said, the distance (or, rather, lack thereof) between the sun and the planet might make up for any of the effects of a small sun.

i like the idea of such a defined barrier between "east" and "west", but you mentioned that a character could be a traveller from a strange land. just how hard is it to get from one side to the other, and how frequently does it happen?
Title: Sho-Jin Setting
Post by: Epic Meepo on December 13, 2006, 02:18:55 PM
This has to be one of the best ideas for a disk-shaped world ever! Take that, Terry Pratchett!

Now that you've explained the world and its sun, does Sho-Jin have any moons, and how do they fit into the equation? For that matter, what about comets and rings and other orbiting bodies?
Title: Sho-Jin Setting
Post by: Azezel on December 13, 2006, 05:08:12 PM
I'm honoured.

No, seriously, you are all very kind.

Let's see.

Digging through the world - I am unwilling to simply hand wave it 'No - you cannot dig through 'cos I say so', but if I'm honest, that is what it comes down to.

In a world with dwarves, transmutation spells and the ol' Sphere of Anihilation, digging is a viable thing, on the face of it. I feel that it should not be possible, but I am for the moment unsure as to how to prevent it. (Suggestions more than welcome.

My intent is that anyone who wants to move from one side to the other should have to travel to the oute rim, cross that and emerge on the other side (That or Telleportation Magic - but by the time one has fifth level spells, one deserves to travel freely).

Long story short - travelling to the other side should really be a quest in itself for anyone below Ninth level.

The sun is fairly small - probably less than 100 miles in diameter. I have several undeveloped ideas for the sun - including the current favourite - that the sun is actually the realm of all of the gods, and simply glows with pure divine energy (hence undead do not like it). If this is the case, then the 'sun' might not have any physical dimensions at all, but be a single point of brilliance.

As for moons and other satalites - I would like at least one moon - it makes things easier so far as lycanthropes and sundry other things are concerned. Also - If I am importing my old Pantheon, I already have a moon goddess, though that is small beer.

I thought that a moon with a set of rings might be fun. If the moon orbited the same plane as Sho-Jin, but the rings were always at 90 degrees to the plane of Sho-Jin, then the moon would appear as a dot with several rings around it, when seen from the rim, but further toward the centre, one would only see a series of arches on the horizon.

A lot of this setting is undecided - I have had the idea only for a week - and I will not start the real work until my current game finishes on Friday. That said - I am very encouraged!
Title: Sho-Jin Setting
Post by: Matt Larkin (author) on December 13, 2006, 05:17:27 PM
Quote from: AzezelDigging through the world - I am unwilling to simply hand wave it 'No - you cannot dig through 'cos I say so', but if I'm honest, that is what it comes down to.

In a world with dwarves, transmutation spells and the ol' Sphere of Anihilation, digging is a viable thing, on the face of it. I feel that it should not be possible, but I am for the moment unsure as to how to prevent it. (Suggestions more than welcome.
Well, presumably even a disc-world would need plate-tectonics, magma veins, and all that.  It's not like there's just dirt beneath you: there's dirt, then rock (in varying types), magma, and hopefully a molten core.

That said, a sphere of annihilation should dig through it all, but the consequences would be disasterous.  Of course, if one can control a sphere, one can probably teleport.
Title: Sho-Jin Setting
Post by: SDragon on December 13, 2006, 07:56:07 PM
Quote from: AzezelThe sun is fairly small - probably less than 100 miles in diameter. I have several undeveloped ideas for the sun - including the current favourite - that the sun is actually the realm of all of the gods, and simply glows with pure divine energy (hence undead do not like it). If this is the case, then the 'sun' might not have any physical dimensions at all, but be a single point of brilliance.

very nice touch. i assume the divine energy also provides sufficient heat, otherwise you'll need a reason for the innder diameter being molten.

as for the digging... it's probably best to come up for a reason it isn't possible. it's not really fair or realistic to say "yes, that normally would be a viable option, but not here. why not? because i said so." if you get the chance, check out The Jade Stage (the setting made by Luminous Crayon, or LC) for a prime example of this; a very large portion of that setting is explained with "why"s and "why not"s.

pheonix- the strata of earth works the way it does, in part, because it's a globular planet. don't ask me to explain, though, because kmy understanding of the concept is too vague to articulate. while a discworld may have a slight sense of earth-like strata, i imagine it would be very hard for something so relatively thin to withstand a molten core, and i don't think the strata would be quite like ours.
Title: Sho-Jin Setting
Post by: Matt Larkin (author) on December 13, 2006, 08:18:31 PM
Yeah, I realize it is unlikely to work exactly that same, but the problem is going crop up no matter how you slice it when you try to apply science to a scientifically implausible setting.  It is perhaps best to stick with fantasy explanations for such settings, but on the other hand, molten rivers fit pretty well with fantasy, too.
Title: Sho-Jin Setting
Post by: Seraph on December 13, 2006, 09:02:07 PM
First off, I have to agree that this is awesomeness incarnate.

Secondly, I have two thoughts as to why you couldn't dig through to the other side.
1.  The center is composed of an immeasurably strong metallic element that no mortal tool can penetrate.  This could also be surrounded by molten rock as has already been suggested.  While the sphere of annihilation could conceivably overcome this, by the time the characters could have access to it, they'd have plenty of other ways to get to the other side as well.
2.  The center of the earth is composed of a sheet of magical energy which resembles a wheel turning about the point where the sun passes from one side of the world to the other.  The torque of this rotation powers magic throughout the world.  At the sheet, the magical energy is so strong that it repels even the mighty sphere of annihilation.

Just my two cents.  Take it if you like, ignore it if it doesn't appeal to you.
Good job, again.

The Angel has spoken
~Seraphine_Harmonium
Title: Sho-Jin Setting
Post by: Epic Meepo on December 13, 2006, 09:48:13 PM
The middle layer of the disk could contain dust particles that act as rods of cancellation. Anyone digging down into the earth will risk having all of their magic obliterated; even a sphere of annihilation is destroyed by a rod of cancellation.
Title: Sho-Jin Setting
Post by: Ninja D! on December 13, 2006, 11:00:07 PM
This is a great idea, really.  I'll probably try to watch the development of this setting.

I, personally, like the idea of the magic wheel.  I think it works very well.
Title: Sho-Jin Setting
Post by: Azezel on December 14, 2006, 06:40:52 AM
Quote from: sdragon1984- the S is for penguinpheonix- the strata of earth works the way it does, in part, because it's a globular planet. don't ask me to explain, though, because my understanding of the concept is too vague to articulate.

I have an A-Level in geology - I could take a stab at explaining it if anyone really wants me too.

Er, moving on...

I like Seraphine_Harmonium's second idea - that of a sheet/wheel of magical energy.
I also like Epic Meepo's Username, I mean idea, of an area that acts like a Rod of Cancellation.

How's about this: In the centre of the disc is a plane of magic - pure magic, a wheel if you will, which turns ever so slightly faster than the world. IT has two effects. When one is far away from it, it radiates magic, powering all things, as one gets closer to the magic wheel, the force gets stronger (So someone casting a spell within a mile or so of the Wheel would find their spell maximised), but at a certain point, say 1/2 a mile, the effect is suddenly reversed and the Wheel absorbs magic.

Even though it is absorbing Magic it is giving off heat (Just like the Divin radience of the sun is partially heat). if the Wheel gave of heat then it would provide a source of heat to those living on the outer rim, out of sight of thr sun - which is nice. However, close to the wheel, magical protections against heat do not work, so one cannot just dig through it.

Sound plausable?

Now: The Moon. Let us say the Wheel of Magic (Find a better name later) is turning slightly faster than Sho-Jin - what if the Moon orbited at the same rate...

In fact!

The sun is the source of Divine Power, and the Moon the source of Arcane power? Hm... Interesting.

The moon is actually draging the Wheel of Magic with it, forcing it to rotate - which is the source of Arcane Magic.

I just came up with that - it could be interesting...
Title: Sho-Jin Setting
Post by: Ninja D! on December 14, 2006, 09:25:57 AM
That sounds great.  That could be just what you're looking for.  
Title: Sho-Jin Setting
Post by: Epic Meepo on December 14, 2006, 03:11:40 PM
Quote from: AzezelThe moon is actually draging the Wheel of Magic with it, forcing it to rotate - which is the source of Arcane Magic.
Ooo! Tidal magic!

Title: Sho-Jin Setting
Post by: SDragon on December 14, 2006, 04:22:09 PM
Quote from: Epic Meepo
Quote from: AzezelThe moon is actually draging the Wheel of Magic with it, forcing it to rotate - which is the source of Arcane Magic.


fits perfectly.
Title: Sho-Jin Setting
Post by: Azezel on December 14, 2006, 06:05:01 PM
Deities...

Lately it seems the fashion to get 'creative' (read weird for the sake of weird) with all things divine, but I intend to do a traditional politheistic sort of thing.

In the old Campaign Setting with which I was associated we (for it was a group effort) made all the gods with only one alignment descriptor each. A deity could be Lawful, Neutral or Chaotic - but they had no good/evil descriptor at all. Whilst a deity may act in an ordered or chaotic manner, they are literally above good and evil.

In Sho-Jin Good and Evil are real physical forces no different from gravity or magnetism, and the gods are no more affected by good/evil than by gravity - therefor Sho-Jin gods will have only a single alignment descriptor, L/N/C. A god will, over the eons do things which are good and things which are evil.

In practical terms, anybody of any good/evil alignment might worship any deity, and that especially applies to PCs.

I think I would like about a dozen non-racial deities and one racial deity per race.

I will use the standard racial deities (Moradin, Kurtlemak, Zarus etc) because if I created, say a god of Elves he would really be Correlon Larathian with a different name.

That does leave my needing a Deity for Abiel and a Deity for Formians. I think both these should be female 'queen' type figures.

I am shooting for a Borg-like feel with the formians (they may use Clockwork Horrors) and their Goddess should reflect this flavour.

The Abiel are more 'ballence' types - they don't want dominion of all Sho-Jin, merely to live as they always have done - there are probably many druids in their number. Their  Goddess will embody this - possibly some sort of nurturing mother-figure.

As for the non-racial deities, I want four Elemental deities, some sort of 'Father' figure and some sort of 'Mother' figure, but I have not thought further than that.

Title: Sho-Jin Setting
Post by: Seraph on December 14, 2006, 08:13:08 PM
QuoteI like Seraphine_Harmonium's second idea - that of a sheet/wheel of magical energy.
Happy to help!
QuoteNow: The Moon. Let us say the Wheel of Magic (Find a better name later) is turning slightly faster than Sho-Jin - what if the Moon orbited at the same rate...

In fact!

The sun is the source of Divine Power, and the Moon the source of Arcane power? Hm... Interesting.

The moon is actually draging the Wheel of Magic with it, forcing it to rotate - which is the source of Arcane Magic.

I just came up with that - it could be interesting...
So, going with the torque analogy, the moon exerts its magical force tangentially to the arc of Sho-jin's edge at the end of a sort of magical lever-arm which, causing rotation, results in exponentially greater magical energy to power the world.
Fun.
I like combining magic with physics.
Title: Sho-Jin Setting
Post by: Azezel on December 17, 2006, 06:52:35 PM
The nature of a place is fundamentally dependant upon the people who live there, the one influences the other, and the other influences the one.

So far as this concerns me, and Sho-Jin, I must decide which classes and prestige classes are appropriate for my setting.

So, what is it I want? Flavour. Simply put, but an important thing. I must walk the line between restricting the options of a player, and maintaining the flavour I desire. So, we shall start with a few assumptions:

1)Anything that is available to me, as the DM must also be available to a player willing to earn it.
2)Any character with levels in a PC class is hardly normal, and this goes extra for actual PCs.
3)Rules ought be consistent, up until the point where it no-longer serves the greater enjoyment of the game.

So, what do I do with these rules? Well, There are things I want from my setting, which will affect the classes I allow. Classes will be limited by certain factors:

1)Books I own.
2)Classes which follow or reinforce the flavour I desire.
3)Er on the side of leniency.

Point 1 is absolute and objective â,¬' if I don't own the book, you cannot play it. This means no-one in this setting will ever play a Psion, Truenamer or Swordsage, because I have no desire to ever poses those classes' respective books.

Point 2 is entirely subjective, and I have a flavour in mind.

Point 3 is important to me â,¬' I want players to have as much scope as possible.

The flavour I desire stresses certain things. Highest of these is the idea that 'normal' people can do extraordinary things. Given the choice between realistic and cool, I will choose the later every time. If a Player wants his PC to dual wield Large Bastard Swords, then by all means he may do so, if he does it with panache.

In terms of magic â,¬' I like Vancian Casting. I find it flavourful in the extreme, as well as fun and thought provoking. In my setting, I mean to make it the primary and standard kind of magic. Current trends are against Vancian casting, so I will have to exclude several base classes. Furthermore â,¬' I dislike the current trend toward allowing Arcane magic users to wear armour. This is also ground for exclusion, save in extra-ordinary cases.

So, which classes will I allow in Sho-Jin?

All Base Classes from the PHB and all PrC's from the DMG. These classes I think are the minimum a Player has the right to expect.

From the PHB II, I will allow only the Knight Base Class, since all of the other base classes in that book, while mechanically unobjectionable, do not even begin to fit my flavour. I will however allow all Variant Base Classes from that same book, provided the standard Base Class is allowed. (Similarly, any racial substitution class levels will be allowed, provided the normal version of the class is allowed, and I own the book from which the racial substitution came).

From the Complete Adventurer I will allow the Scout and, for characters from the 'Asian' side of Sho-Jin, the Ninja.

From the Complete Arcane I will allow the Warlock and the Wu-Jen. The Warlock breaks both of my rules â,¬' it is a non-Vancian caster that uses Arcane Magic in armour I am satisfied that the Warlock is 'cool' enough and flavourful enough to be worth breaking the guidelines I have set forth.
Wu-Jen are mostly from the Asian side of Sho-Jin, but There will be a few native to 'this' side, a little like monks, they originated on one side, but can be found on the other in small numbers.

From the Complete Warrior I will allow only the Swashbuckler. Why not the Samurai? Simple answer: I don't like it. A player wishing to play a Samurai can be a Fighter, a Ranger, a Paladin, a Swashbuckler or any of half a dozen other classes. Speaking of which, both the Variant Paladin and Ranger from the Complete Warrior are allowed â,¬' indeed, encouraged over the normal versions.

Only the Favoured Soul is allowed from the Complete Divine.

This gives 18 Base Classes from which to choose (as well as a further five NPC classes):
Barbarian â,¬' PHB
Bard â,¬' PHB
Cleric â,¬' PHB
Druid â,¬' PHB
Favoured Soul â,¬' Complete Divine
Fighter â,¬' PHB
Knight â,¬' PHB II
Monk â,¬' PHB
Ninja â,¬' Complete Adventurer
Paladin - PHB
Ranger â,¬' PHB
Rogue â,¬' PHB
Scout â,¬' Complete Adventurer
Sorcerer â,¬' PHB
Swashbuckler â,¬' Complete Warrior
Warlock â,¬' Complete Arcane
Wizard â,¬' PHB
Wu-Jen â,¬' Complete Arcane

More may be added as I gain books (most of my books do not contain Base Classes)

Of those 18 â,¬' two Arcanists can reliably cast spells in armour, and four can cast spells without preping them ahead of time (three arcane, one divine). I am satisfied with these numbers.

Ten are spellscasting classes, eight are mundane. Only six of the ten spellscasters are full casters. Again, a number that I think is about right.

So, is there anything I would change about those classes?

Yes. I think I will (mostly) remove Armour Proficiency from Clerics and Favoured Souls. They may still take the feats, and Divine magic has no spell failure from armour, but they do not gain proficiency for free.

Clerics and Favoured Souls are powerful classes, they can stand to take a nerf, and in terms of flavour, most priests simply would not have learned to wear armour â,¬' those who worship a warlike god should either take the feats or multi class.

Sorcerers will gain a d6 HD and Use Magic Device as a Class Skill.

Other than that, Classes remain as printed â,¬' I am leery of making too many changes to classes, but those above points have always been something I wanted to implement.

As for Prestige Classes â,¬' I am willing to be slightly more flexible over my flavour rules, but only when given a cast iron reason by a player. I will not list all allowed PrC's here, simply re-state my criterion:

1)Cool is more important than realistic.
2)Non-Vancian casting PrC's are extremely discouraged and will almost always be denied, same goes for armoured Arcane casting. (The exception to the non-Vancian thing is any PrC that grants a progression of a previous casting class, Sorcerers etc can gain PrC's that offer casting progression if they want).


So â,¬' what do you think? What are my errors, what have I got right? What would you not be willing to put up with, were you a player?
Title: Sho-Jin Setting
Post by: ironpanzer1 on December 17, 2006, 09:20:55 PM
Sounds good. In fact, that is pretty much the list of PC classes that I use in my own world (except the ninja - who is just plain annoying and should be a PrC). I agree with all of your points that you set out in numbers, and as a player would be fine with following them. Your world, in particular is quite unique. I like the concept of the sun as the home of the gods, and I may use it at some time in the future, if that is alright.
Title: Sho-Jin Setting
Post by: Azezel on December 18, 2006, 05:23:05 AM
Quote from: ironpanzer1Sounds good. In fact, that is pretty much the list of PC classes that I use in my own world (except the ninja - who is just plain annoying and should be a PrC). I agree with all of your points that you set out in numbers, and as a player would be fine with following them. Your world, in particular is quite unique. I like the concept of the sun as the home of the gods, and I may use it at some time in the future, if that is alright.

You're quite welcome to use the sun thing.

As for the Ninja - for my part I think that anyone who wants to play a ninja should be quite happy with the rogue or monk class and just dress in black pyjamas, but I am trying to be as acomadating as I can be, and not exclude a class without a good reason.
Title: Sho-Jin Setting
Post by: SDragon on December 18, 2006, 11:31:19 AM
are there non-vancian PrCs within a vancian system?

also, i like your choice of classes. lots of very DEX based classes :)
Title: Sho-Jin Setting
Post by: Azezel on December 18, 2006, 11:47:35 AM
Quote from: sdragon1984- the S is for penguinare there non-vancian PrCs within a vancian system?

also, i like your choice of classes. lots of very DEX based classes :)

It depends - if one was playing a non-vancian base class, then one could adopt a PrC that offered continued spellscasting progression of that Base Class (Archmage for instance), but I would highly discourage (and probably deny) those PrC's which offer their own discrete non-vancian casting (Assassin for example).

Non-Vancian casting exists in Sho-Jin, but it is by far and away the exception, not the rule. To the point that, upon meeting a strange spellscaster in Sho-Jin, one should 99% of the time, be safe in  assuming that it is a Vancian caster.

Sorcerers and BArds (who are regarded as Sorcerers themselves) are rare inheritors of Draconic Blood, impresive, even fearsome, but rare. Warlocks are the results of dark pacts or unfortunate curses, even rarer and with powers all but unknown to the public. Favoured Souls are the chosen of gods, and no-body expects a god to play by mortal rules.
Title: Sho-Jin Setting
Post by: Azezel on December 19, 2006, 02:32:42 PM
This is my first draft of deities.

I really would like to hear what you think about this pack of yahoos I've taken to calling a pantheon.

All Creation - Goddess of Nature.
Titles: All creation has no other titles or names, she needs none.
Alignment: Neutral.
Holy Symbol: A plain disc with a hole in the centre.
Portfolio: All things that exist.
Domains: Air, Animal, Balance, Creation, Death, Earth, Family, Healing, Moon, Ocean, Pestilence, Plant, Protection, Purification, Renewal, Sun, Travel, Windstorm.

All Creation is patron of, simply put, all things. At least, all things natural. She seems to turn a blind eye to the results of sapient effort, either Magical or Mundane, but she is not actually hostile to such projects. She is typically represented as a middle aged or old Elf woman of fine health and features, often nude, or in simple clothing though she can and has been depicted by nearly anything of natural kind.

The Church of All Creation is widespread and popular. It is mostly a non-interventionist organisation and does not often sponsor or field Adventurers, but in special cases, it has the resources and manpower needed to affect truly worldwide operations.

Clerics of All Creation are strict vegans and often have taboos against killing, and sometimes any act of violence. They usually where light colours and are noted as cheerful compassionate people with iron wills.

Belldandy â,¬' Goddess of Luck.
Titles: Lady Luck, Mistress Fortune, The Divine Dealer, Lady of the Dice,
Alignment: Chaotic.
Holy Symbol: Three playing cards, fanned: Queen of Cups, King of Wands & Ace of Coins
Portfolio: Luck, bad and good, chance, serendipity, coincidence, gambling, Lost Causes.
Domains: Chaos, Charm, Competition, Evil, Fate, Good, Law, Luck, Pride, Protection, Sun, Trickery.

The Goddess called Lady Luck at times, and as plenty worse things when she gives ill fortune is utterly chaotic. She is the enemy of complacency and an irresistible agent of change. Belldandy is typically shown as a young Human woman with long brown hair and one blue eye, and one brown. Often she is shown holding dice, or her three playing cards, and sometimes holding a brass balance, though this is meant ironically.

Belldandy's church is fairly small, but it would be the work of a long day to track down one person who had never offered her a prayer. Adventurers of all stripes are more than likely to give her a thought, and her church has produced more than the occasional roguish hero.

Clerics of Belldandy are quite different from one another as a rule, but common amongst them is a certain devil-may-care lust for life and a certain degree of dumb luck in whatever they do. Clerics normally wear red. Nobody ever bets against a Cleric of Belldandy.

Father Time - God of Time.
Titles: The Old Man.
Alignment: Neutral.
Holy Symbol: an Hourglass.
Portfolio: All that was or ever will be.
Domains: Celerity, Death, Deathbound, Fate, Healing, Knowledge, Law, Oracle, Pact, Planning, Protection, Renewal, Sun, Time.

All that is, is the province of All Creation. Before then, and once it has past, her husband stewards it, Future and Past. Father Time is depicted as a stern old Elf man with a white beard and an hourglass in his hand, and, more rarely, he is depicted as an ancient tree â,¬' sometimes Sho-Jin is supported by the tree.

Father Time's Church is widespread, though not nearly so popular as that of All Creation. Most people barely Think of The Old Man, and his church like it that way. The church concern themselves with the recording of births, deaths and marriages, although they very rarely conduct the associated ceremonies (most people would rather such a ceremony be handled by another church). Between such events the church almost might not exist, so far as the typical person is concerned.

Clerics of Father time are a serene order of patient, contemplative observers. They almost never take direct action, and as such, hardly figure in Adventurous goings-on. They wear black, and listen more than they talk, and know more than they say.

Feanor â,¬' God of War
Titles: Lord of War.
Alignment: Lawful.
Holy Symbol: Crossed Swords.
Portfolio: Soldiers, Duty, Determination, Honour, Martial Prowess.
Domains: Competition, Courage, Death, Destruction, Fate, Force, Glory, Hatred, Healing, Liberation, Protection, Strength, Sun, Tyranny, War.

Feanor is Patron of Those who fight for a cause, but never the supporter of a cause. Feanor cares not for what one fights, provided one fights with all one's might, and heart, and does so with honour. Paladins and Blackguards alike share the grace and patronage of Feanor. Feanor is depicted as an Orc, or an Abiel Soldier, often mounted on a black horse, with the heads of his enemies tied to his saddle by their hair.

The Church of Feanor has few temples, but many times many shrines. Wherever fighting men are, there are shrines. The church often sponsors Adventurers, or task their own members to do something. The church is wealthy and probably has access to more, and more effective raw manpower than any other, hence, churches and nations watch it carefully.

Feanor's Clerics (almost always multi-classed with some martial class) are present anywhere there is strife, valued for the healing they give the injured, and respected for their own martial powers. Most Feanoran Clerics wear red, because it does not show blood, Abiel Clerics of Feanor wear green, for the same reason.

Glory â,¬' Goddess of Fire.
Titles: The Spark, The Flame, The Inferno, The Dancer.
Alignment: Chaotic.
Holy Symbol: A flame.
Portfolio: Fire, Heat, Creation, Destruction, the Core of the World
Domains: Chaos, Craft, Creation, Destruction, Fire, Glory, Healing, Nobility, Purification, Strength, Sun, Trickery.

Glory is truly awesome, she re-makes the stuff or reality at whim and can create or destroy with the least thought. Everyone makes a point of staying on the good side of Glory, it is just prudent. She is capricious, but without actual malice, still one'd not want to put her to the test, her power is beyond question. Artists take great pride in cunningly working the visage of a woman, usually a Gnome into pictures of flame and fire, or, in working fire and flame into their images of Glory's Gnome form.

Glory's church is most powerful toward the centre of Sho-Jin, but remains a force with which to be reckoned wherever one travels. The highly proactive doctrine of the church meshes well with Adventurers, as does the power of the Goddess.

Clerics of Glory are well treated wherever they go, for no-one wants to offend them. They tend to be proactive, forthright and impetuous, in any sphere besides their religion, they feel it is better to seek forgiveness than permission. They were what colour they damned well please.


Jagger â,¬' God of Thunder
Titles: Stormlord, Thunderer, The Rakehell.
Alignment: Chaotic.
Holy Symbol: a Thunderbolt.
Portfolio: Storms, Thunder, Lightning, Base Pleasure.
Domains: Air, Chaos, Destruction, Evil, Force, Gluttony, Greed, Lust, Retribution, Sloth, Storm, Strength, Sun, Water, Wealth, Windstorm, Wrath.

Jagger is a coarse, unsubtle deity who delights in coarse unsubtle things. He is not completely wilful, but he is free spirited and given to over-reaction. He is the patron of those who love his three 'virtues' of Wine, [Gender of your Choice] & Song. He often takes mortal form to seduce attractive men and women on Sho-Jin, and has had affairs with several of his fellow deities. Jagger is typically depicted as an Elf or Human of powerful physique and surrounded by ample drink, food and company.

The Stormlord's church preaches the value of such joys as can be had here & now. The philosophy is very much 'seize the day'. Because of their fairly (extremely) accommodating doctrine, the church is popular with those who might be frowned upon by other organisations. That said, anyone who does not want to by struck by a stray (or otherwise) bolt of lightning makes a point of raising a glass to the Thunderer now and again.

The reputation which goes before Clerics of the Rakehell is only partially exaggerated. The occasional feast, drinking competition or one-night-stand is practically a holy rite. That said, no-one can maintain that sort of life every day, and Jagger's Clerics appreciate the finer things as much as the next man. Jagger's Clerics wear white and silver, and always know where the best parties are (Hint: Temple of Jagger).

Lihr â,¬' Goddess of Water
Titles: Sea Maiden, Lady of the Deep, Walker, Lady Secret.
Alignment: Chaotic.
Holy Symbol: a Raindrop.
Portfolio: Water, Seas, Rivers, Lakes, Rain, Movement, Travel, Secrets.
Domains: Inquisition, Ocean, Purification, Slime, Storm, Sun, Trade, Travel, Water.

Lihr is the capricious Goddess of Water and of Secrets. She is also patron of travellers, and almost everyone will offer her a prayer before the start of a journey. Lihr has a two-fold representation, in her capacity as Goddess of Secrets, or as Goddess of Travellers, she is normally shown as a Halfling, whereas when seen as Goddess of Water, she is normally an Aquatic Elf, or sometimes an Aventi.

Lihr's Church handles its Goddess' various spheres mostly  separately, a given temple, while having a nod to the other aspects, will primarily focus on one aspect, either Water, Travel or Secrets. The majority of Temples are dedicated to Lihr in her capacity as Goddess of Water. Most large crossroads and way-houses will have a shrine to Lihr as Goddess of Travel. As for Secrets, Temples and Shrines to Lihr as Goddess of Secrets are very few in number.

Clerics too focus their efforts on only one of Lihr's areas of power, again, most focus on Lihr as Water Goddess, fewer worship her as Patron of Travellers, and fewer still revere their Goddess as the Keeper of Secrets.

Love â,¬' Goddess of Love
Titles: None.
Alignment: Chaotic.
Holy Symbol: one hand in another.
Portfolio: Romantic, Platonic & Erotic Love, Partnership, Courtship and infatuation.
Domains: Charm, Dream, Envy, Illusion, Lust, Madness, Nobility, Pride, Sun.

Love is the most remote of the deities, she has never once been known to take mortal from, and exists more as a universal force than a distinct being. Nevertheless, a deity she is and her power is felt far and wide. Love is said to love all things, and this has driven her to some questionable ends. Since she has never revealed any from, she is represented in many many ways, mostly as the idealised subject of the artist.

The Church of Love is fairly small in power, wealth and personnel, likely due to its Goddess' distant and inscrutable nature. There are those who do not believe she is a Goddess at all, or even an actual being. The church's policy on this amounts to 'When you're in love, you'll know better'. The daily business of the church is in weddings, matchmaking and treating social diseases, which it does discretely and for a nominal fee.

Clerics of Love fall in to two categories, as a rule, the hopeless romantics and the scorned lovers. Love's Clerics do a nice line in vengeance of the slighted, but the Romantics focus on happier aspects. There are of course exceptions to the categories though. Clerics of Love wear royal blue and their reception generally depends on the love history of any given individual. Legend has it they are extensively trained in the arts of the boudoir...


Mother Lara â,¬' Goddess of Fertility
Titles: All Mother, The Midwife, Great Lady, Lady Green.
Alignment: Neutral
Holy Symbol: an overflowing cup.
Portfolio: Fertility, Childbirth, Renewal, Growth, Healing, Family, Agriculture, Reward.
Domains: Animal, Community, Creation, Family, Gluttony, Healing, Plant, Purification, Renewal, Sun, Water.

Mother Lara is the cheery, curvy, patron Goddess of all things that grow. She has a love of life, and green things and good tilled earth and especially of her family, which is to say, everyone. She is generally depicted a fat little Dwarf woman, always smiling, and often carrying one or more children, usually not Dwarves themselves. She is everyone's favourite aunt, indulgent, kind and comforting. Farmers often make corn dollies in her likeness, and these can be found in all corners of Sho-Jin.

Mother Lara's church welcomes all, and all come. She is popular with Midwives and Farmers, but also with people who have little or no connection with her portfolio. Of all the deities of Sho-Jin, Mother Lara is the most active and approachable, she is known to regularly take mortal form and walk Sho-Jin, often acting as a midwife.

Clerics of the All Mother are nurturing healers, and spiritual leaders of their communities, renowned for their wisdom and compassion. They wear green and make a point of helping things that grow, with spells such as Plant Growth.

Pluto â,¬' God of Earth
Titles: The Underlord, Stonelord, Ruler of the Disc.
Alignment: Lawful.
Holy Symbol: a Hammer.
Portfolio: Earth, Stone, Metal, Smithing, Mining, Natural Philosophy.
Domains: Cavern, Craft, Earth, Knowledge, Metal, Strength, Sun, Wealth,

Pluto is a cunning, humourless and demanding god who espouses hard work and personal effort, physically and mentally. Whether in intellectual or physical pursuits, Pluto demands fortitude, stoicism and determination to better oneself. He is typically represented as an Orc, or a Dwarf apparelled for the Forge.

The church of Pluto reflects their somewhat grim God. Their Temples are architecturally wondrous,   church architects take pride in demonstrating that they need no magic to achieve truly impressive structures. The church patronises engineers, scientists, and craftsmen, and ask only first refusal of the products of innovation. As a result, the Church of Pluto can bring to bare a variety of things unknown to the world in general.

Pluto's Clerics are physically and mentally superb specimens of their races, trained from early childhood to be paragons of development. They wear steel-grey and yellow colours and and truly believe that 'obstacle' is another word for 'opportunity'


Shide â,¬' Goddess of Ice
Titles: Patient Lady, Ice Maiden, Ice Queen, Lady of Frost, Cold Heart, The Queen to Come.
Alignment: Neutral.
Holy Symbol: A Snowflake.
Portfolio: Ice, Cold, The Rim of the World, Snow, Patience.
Domains: Balance, Cold, Deathbound, Fate, Planning, Protection, Sun, Water.

Shide is the cold, calculating and infinitely patient Goddess of Ice. Shidi doctrine teaches that the universe, like a clockwork thing, will one day wind down, and Shide alone will rule a frozen, dead cosmos beyond all time. Shide is normally depicted as a pale skinned, white-haired Human without expression on her hauntingly beautiful face.

The Church of Shide has a fairly hard sell in their emotionless, fatalistic Goddess. Until such time as the Universe is dead, they encourage people to seize life while the chance is here. Work for the future, be not afraid of long term plans, be patient and wise. The church is most powerful at the frozen rim of the world, but there are outposts in warmer climes.

Shide's Clerics are logical, forward-thinking people who always have a plan and one or two to spare. They never waste resources, nor are they misers, but weigh all things to a nicety. Shide's Clerics wear white or pale blue and are known to be just, if unfeeling judges.

The Archmagus â,¬' God of Magic
Titles: Great Wizard, Lord of Magic, The Spellbinder.
Alignment: Neutral.
Holy Symbol, an Eight Pointed Star (Each point corresponds to a different school of magic).
Portfolio: Magic, Spells, Spellscasters.
Domains: Illusion, Knowledge, Magic, Planning, Rune, Spell, Summoner, Sun, Undeath.

The Archmagus is an enigmatic Deity dedicated to Magic. His is strictly non-interventionist, and allows anyone with the talent to use magic for whatever they choose. A policy which mortals have questioned for centuries. By all accounts The Archmagus is content to let mortals second guess him all they like, he is a God and that's the end of it. Many representations of the Archmagus exist, typically as an elderly man of one race or another, garbed as a Wizard. If the Archmagus has a preference for any mortal form, he has never let on.

They Church of the Archmagus operate charitable schools for Wizards and Wu-Jen, and they conduct their own researches. Beyond that, they, like their God, do not particularly care what the public think of them, and as a result, the public think quite poorly of the Church of the Archmagus. Pinion runs that every evil spellscaster has at least the tacit support of the Church and its God.

Clerics of the Archmagus are often Arcanists as well. Typically they are not cut out for Adventuring, though once in a  while an expedition will be mounted to seek out some piece or other of Magical bric-a-brac or scholarship. Clerics wear purple, maroon or burgundy coloured clothing normally.

The Librarian â,¬' God of Knowledge
Titles: The All Knowing.
Alignment: Lawful.
Holy Symbol: A quill (or an Inkpen, The Librarian moves with the times).
Portfolio: Knowledge, Scholars.
Domains: Inquisition, Knowledge, Law, Mentalism, Mind, Oracle, Sun.

The Librarian is the archetypal scholar, a philomath beyond compare, he desires to know everything which is. His if often shown as a crooked old man surrounded by his vast celestial library, where he collects everything which can be known.

To aid their God, the church gather all Knowledge to them. They do not hoard it though, but amass it in libraries open to all, free of charge. Thanks to the free education programme of the church, almost everyone in civilised lands has at least the opportunity to learn to read. For a nominal fee, Junior Clerics will research any subject a person might wish. The church is popular amongst all, save those who have something to gain from an ignorant population.

Clerics of The Librarian are founts of information â,¬' some of it actually relevant. All Clerics have spent some time as scrivening clerks of a library, researching for other people, and as such, they know a little about near anything. Clerics wear no particular colours, but when they are recognised, they are normally well received, for the church is known as the friend of the people.

The Song We Sing â,¬' Goddess of Music
Titles: The Siren, The Diva, The Melody, Lady Conductor, Maestro, The Bard.
Alignment: Lawful.
Holy Symbol: Stylised Treble Clef
Portfolio: Music, Musicians, Art, Artists, Expression.
Domains: Charm, Creation, Dream, Illusion, Nobility, Pride, Sun.

The Bard is a beautiful, playful Goddess, a being of childlike joy and excitement. She immerses herself luxuriously in Art, Poetry and most especially in Music, and she thinks it all very wonderful. She is the subject of some of the greatest masterpieces of Sho-Jin, not least because so many of Sho-Jin's greatest masters worship her. She is normally represented as an adolescent Gnome, but sometimes as a Human or Elf, always, she is surrounded by things of beauty.

The Church of the Song We Sing is rich, for every year the will of some great artist remembers it, and in turn, the church patronises up-and-coming artists of many fields. The Diva is popular among normal people, because her religious services are fun, with singing of nice hymns in temples of exquisite beauty.

Clerics of the Song We Sing are talented, creative artists who see their gift as something to be shared, and to be shown off. The Church rarely patronises Adventurers, but some Clerics find their muse in a life of daring do, and the church supports this. Clerics wear whichever colours appeal to them, and are well accustomed to a little busking to compliment their income.

The Woman Wept - Goddess of Sorrow.
Titles: None.
Alignment: Neutral.
Holy Symbol: None. (For the purposes of game mechanics, individual Clerics can specify an individual Divine Focus)
Portfolio: None.
Domains: Good, Healing, Protection, Sun, Community, Family, Liberation, Madness.

'She saw the suffering, and the woman wept.' So reads the entire holy scriptures of the Goddess whose name no-one knows. Much of the world is ill, evil and in pain, and one being feels the full weight of it, and she weeps. Typically shown as a Human or Elf woman, the Goddess is a popular subject for artists, who try to out-do one another in portrayal of utter despair, inconsolable sadness.

The Church of The Woman Wept has one, single mission, to which they are devoted beyond all things. They will, personally and without possibility of failure or cessation, make the whole world better. Every ill, every injustice, they will right, every wound and disease, they will cure, every sadness they will undo. The church is small and poor, very few people have what it takes to be a member, and all of its resources are devoted to its mission, but in terms of public support, it is far and away the most popular, and in pursuit of a popular cause, the church could conceivably mobilise a large number of fair-weather friends.

Clerics of the Woman Wept are few, for obvious reasons, but they are truly special. They tend to be earnest, compassionate people who truly believe in what they do. A Cleric lives by three words, 'Do no Ill', though different Clerics can have very different MO's. Almost all Clerics are wanderers. They go from place to place, helping who need help, and setting right what is wrong. They wear silver and blue, and are welcome almost everywhere.

Zephyr â,¬' God of Air
Titles: The Ever-Present, The Lord of the Sky, Windlord.
Alignment: Lawful.
Holy Symbol: A Silhouette of a Swift.
Portfolio: Air, Wind, News, Guides.
Domains: Air, Celerity, Knowledge, Storm, Sun, Windstorm.

Zephyr is Lord of the winds, master of the open sky and bearer of news. He is normally represented as four similar Halflings of different ages. The Gentle Turnward wind is a boy, the sultry wind which blows from the core is a young man in the prime of life, the powerful antiturnward wind is a middle-aged blow-hard, and the cold rim-wind is an old man.

Zephyr's Temples typically are square buildings, with each edge dedicated to one of the four winds. The church is neither rich, nor populous, but it has one great service, for which it is relied upon. No matter the distance or circumstances, a message entrusted to the Church of Zephyr reaches its destination. This is taken as simple fact by the public, it is as reliable as the sun rising.

Zephyr's Clerics often fall under the heading of 'Adventurer'. When magical means are either not available, or net desired, it falls to some Cleric to carry a letter to its destination, and no-matter what, a Cleric will see it done. The church often recruits Adventurers as bodyguards for such Clerics.

Well?
Title: Sho-Jin Setting
Post by: Azezel on December 19, 2006, 02:56:40 PM
Further: Belief, Prayer & Worship.

Everyone on Sho-Jin believes in all of these deities - in fact, it's not so much a matter of belief as knowledge - that these deities exist is as obvious as that the sky is blue (the sky is blue on Sho-Jin, although it is fairly pale at the rim).

Most everyone will Pray to most of these deities from time to time, asking for intersession in some matter. People don't expect such prayers to be answered, but are mostly willing to take any positive outcome as being at least partially a result of the prayer.

Worship is a devout thing, a person only worships one deity, that deity is the most important in that persons life - he probably still prays to other deities, but he only ever worships that one.

Incidentally - besides the 18 listed above, there is a single Deity assosiated with each race - these are the normal Correlon, Moradin, Garl etc, plus Zarus for Humans.
Title: Sho-Jin Setting
Post by: Azezel on December 20, 2006, 08:06:28 PM
Religion, or, something very like it.

You will not that each deity has only a single Alignmtn descriptor (L/N/C). It is my experience, both as a player and a DM that the [Evil] descriptor particualarly is not a good thing for a deity to have. Firstly, because it limits player choice. (How many of us would like to play a Cleric of Nerul who is a compassionate, good hearted person dedicated to easing the passing of the ill and dying?), and also because it limits deities.

I mean come-on, Mystra is quite obviously evil (or at best, neutral) but because she has to be available to Good PCs and NPCs she gets stuck with the wrong descriptor.

No, for my money it is better to do away with the good/evil axis for deities (I mean, y'know - Gods, they are above that sort of thing).

All deities of Sho-Jin are capable of good and evil, have done good and evil and will do again, they have plans and motives of which mortals cannot even speculate. I do not stat gods, all of their ability scores (Including Wisdom) are, so far as mortals are concerned, limitless.

Speaking of stats (and of Mystra) All gods are as old as the universe, but no older, they are enduring, none die, no-one ascends, there is no portfolio pass-the-parcel, all is today as it always has been and will be.The gods did not create the Universe, but they did create Sho-Jin, and all that is on it.

There are no 'planes' and the nature of things beyond the Material World if there is anything beyond, is a mystery. (Spells such as Rope Trick still function normally). The afterlife (Heaven and Hell) is known to be real, but the only way to get there is to die. Celestials and Infernals (Demons * Devils are both Infernals) matter only when they interact with Sho-Jin, and that only happens when they are summoned - they cannot get their under their own power.

Souls are re-incarnated, but they spend a period in the afterlife between lives.


As for religion on Sho-Jin:

Each deity has a church - that is, an organization dedicated to the worship of that deity, and to enacting the will of that deity on Sho-Jin. Churches interact with one another through an ecumenical council, an inter-church diplomatic organization. Some churches are antagonistic toward some others, but it is unusual to see it come to violence an any scale, at most it is one Cleric Vs one other.

Not everyone who works for a church is a Cleric, or even an Adept, though actual priests are one or other of those classes.

Any Cleric who worships a specific deity has to be a member of that deity's church. While a Cleric cannot worship a principle or alignment, he can worship the Pantheon as a whole, in which case he cannot be a member of any specific church.

Typically, Favoured Souls are few in number - they are always granted spells by a single, specific deity, but are rarely part of that deity's church.

Druids may worship a deity, but their magic does not come from the gods, but from the cosmos itself.

All deities offer the Sun domain, because the sun is the 'home' of the gods - that is, the sun is where the gods are, or it is the gods, or something like that. Language sort of breaks down at this point. The sun is an infinitely small point of blinding white holy radiance.
Title: Sho-Jin Setting
Post by: Matt Larkin (author) on December 22, 2006, 11:03:16 AM
Let me ask, if you feel there is no reason to keep to the good/evil axis for deities, do you believe there is something to be gained by keeping the law/chaos axis?  The obvious implication is that law/chaos will be the underlining conflict throughout your setting.  Which is okay, of course, if that's the case.  If you do not want alignmnent to seem like a major theme but still want it for monsters, consider dropping it entirely from deities - they are simply beyond mortal conceptions of morality and categorization.

All deities offer the Sun domain?  I agree with your reasoning, though it is strange for a deity to have both Undeath and Sun.  Still, many mythical deities had contradictory portfolios.
Title: Sho-Jin Setting
Post by: SDragon on December 22, 2006, 02:42:58 PM
Quote from: Phoenix KnightIf you do not want alignmnent to seem like a major theme but still want it for monsters, consider dropping it entirely from deities - they are simply beyond mortal conceptions of morality and categorization.


pretty much how i'm going with Xiluh.


and i like the emphasis on the sun... making it figuratively as well as literally a central part of the setting is an incredibly nice touch.
Title: Sho-Jin Setting
Post by: Seraph on December 22, 2006, 02:50:45 PM
In Avayevnon, there is an astrology-based alignment system.  It has nothing to do with good and evil, law and chaos.  Now, there is a god which is "described" as being good, and demon lords which are "described" as being evil, but they aren't assigned a particular concrete alignment.  This system applies to everyone.  A neat thing about that is that "evil" can now be a curse word.  A hero can say "You evil bastard!" to a villain and they can actually be offended. ;)
Title: Sho-Jin Setting
Post by: Azezel on December 22, 2006, 08:16:00 PM
I do not see the law/chaos dichotomy as being crucial, or even cosmically important to my setting. So far as deities go - I see it more as a role-playing guide for players. of 16 gods, five are lawful, six neutral and five chaotic (I did not plan to balance it all so well, though I was shooting for broadly equal numbers of lawful and chaotic).

In general, a chaotic PC will probably work better under a chaotic god, but it is not something that should limit Player choice.

For my part I actually like the notion of objective, definitive, measurable good and evil - in mortals - I think it is a groovy concept that makes for very interesting gaming. Still - I may well drop all alignment descriptor's from Deities, and let players make up their own mind about how they see their god.

As for contradictory Portfolios: A god offering both the Sun and Undeath Domains sort of apeals to me - and seems positively logical when compared to Belldandy - who offers both the Law and Chaos Domain...

Speaking of which: Since a Cleric cannot cast spells against his God's alignment, I find the idea of removing allignmnet from deities even more appealing in light of this.

I like alignment in DnD - I like it strongly, and will not countenance removing it from the game, but I am satisfied that gods work better without good/evil descriptors, so it may be well to remove the law/chaos one too.

The more I think about it - the more fun my concept of the sun/god thing appeals to me - I am going to take it and run with it as far as I can. All gods offering the Sun domain is one example of this.

Incidentally - I have 16 gods - I am prepaired, at the outside, to stretch to 24 - are there any more that I need? Are there any that I can do without? Any that are just to silly?
Title: Sho-Jin Setting
Post by: Azezel on December 29, 2006, 05:29:14 AM
Righto â,¬' before we get to the business of the day, another word on deities: in primus, I have decided to remove all Alignment descriptors from all deities. They are simply above such things. Alignment is real, measurable and objective, but it is a mortal thing, the gods transcend it as easily as they transcend anything else. In secundus, I was shooting for a 50/50 proportion of masculine to feminine gods, but it seems that I have nine goddesses and only seven gods. I was going to rectify this, but I don't think I will. All of them can manifest a different gender (or no gender) if they choose, but I am satisfied with the favoured gender identity stated for each. If it is weird to have more goddesses than gods, then that is a problem I leave to Sho-Jin's theosophers.

That dealt with, on to the main event.

Geography.

There are some certain things I desire. Almost all campaign settings feature one metropolis greater than all of the others. A Waterdeep or Sharn. I am not sure that I like it.

I want three, three great Human cities. They must be comparable in wealth and influence, but having fairly different culture. I say Human cities, they will be cosmopolitan places, but built by and for Humans, at least originally.

All three cities will be within 90 degrees of one another on Sho-Jin.

The largest will be closest to the rim, it is a massive city of 2'000'000+ people. It is a cold, snowbound place â,¬' most outsiders would say inhabited by cold, grim people. Life is ordered and regimented by the government, five immortal people who's identities are not known. Public services are mechanically efficient, but extremely limited â,¬' if there were trains, they would run on time, but only once every six hours. Law enforcement is brutal, but generally just. Divination magic is the central tool of government and law enforcement. Citizens are often 'disappeared'. For all it's big-brother vibe, the government is actually fairly benevolent â,¬' Divination makes wrongful arrest or punishment almost unheard of, and there are not a dozen streets in the whole city that one would feel unsafe in after dark.

The city closest to the core is just this side of complete political meltdown. It is a hot, eclectic place of massive unemployment, corrupt officials and organized crime. Nothing ever gets done without a bribe to someone. The city has not paid its own public works bill in a decade, and as a result, nothing ever gets done. Private citizens therefore do not bother paying taxes, but do employ companies to dispose of their rubbish, mend their streets and protect their property â,¬' if they can afford it. The young, handsome Prince is massively popular with the people, largely because he is young and handsome â,¬' he is also the puppet of the mob. The city has about 1'300'000 people, at a guess, but the very idea of conducting a census would be laughable.

The third city is the smallest, and richest, only 1'000'000 or so. It, and the country it rules is nominally ruled by 16 priests, but in fact the real power is held by a parliament, elected by landowners. The city is a commercial powerhouse, thanks partly to its position, and partly to its history of invading anyone who looked like a soft touch. This practice is now at an end because the city and country are the primary Human adversaries of the Formians, and all of their economic and military might are needed to hold back the ants. A permanent war economy has resulted in prosperity of a kind, but there are often sudden shortages of essential items, and there is a constant looming threat of defeat.

I would very much like feedback on all of this.
Title: Sho-Jin Setting
Post by: Azezel on December 29, 2006, 04:17:09 PM
I mentioned before that I wanted Orcs as a PC race, and speculated about removing their Light Sensitivity to make them more attractive, To be honest, I'm not sure that that is enough - I may also remove their INT penalty, Even without an INT penalty or Light Sensetivity, they are still solidly LA+0, they will be combat monsters - but that's sort of what I'm aiming for.

Y'see - Formians are the big villains of the piece - they are to Sho-Jin what the Drow are to Faerun, the Rakshasa are to Eberon, what non-emo kids are to Dark Sun.

My prototype map has the Formian's territory sandwhiched between the lands of the Abiel and the Orcs, and it is only by the constant effort of these two races that the Formians have not conquered the whole damned world.

As I have said before - I see the Orcs as rather like the Nietziens in Andromeda, and rather like the Spartans of ancient history. When an Orc is born, it is left outside for a couple of days, unatended, if it survives, it is deemed strong enough. Orcs are never punished for doing something bad - but they are punished for getting caught. Every individual sees everything as a chance to proove himself stronger (or smarter, or wiser or faster etc).

The Abiel - who I also want as a PC race (Vassals at least) hold the lands to the other side of the Formain ocupied area.
Title: Sho-Jin Setting
Post by: Azezel on January 14, 2007, 02:41:27 AM
I havn't posted in a while, but I'm still scribbling away here. It might help to have your DMG II & PHB II to hand for this one.

I am fortunate enough to know a chap who is very talented in the creation of maps - and while he works his magic for me, I have been thinking on more ephemeral matters. Specifically - I mean to incorperate affiliations and organizations as presented in the above mentioned books.

The Order of Ancient Mysteries from the DMG II is perfect - indeed, one of the ideas for a campaign in Sho-Jin is effectively 'The PC's are members of ~'.

The Shining Crusade needs slight modification. As I have mentioned previously - Sho-Jin is without the normal plannar baggage, this makes Devils and Demons much rarer - to the point where the existence of a single such entity on Sho-Jin would be the center for an entire campaign. Therefore the idea of an organization devoted to stamping them out does not really fly.

Undead on the other hand - they are always a menace. In Sho-Jin, the Shining Crusade are the most implacable and devoted foes the undead have.

As for the Red Knives - meh: They may exist, but it is not important - I won't run a game for the sort of PC's that would be part of such a group - and since I hate running NPC Rogues the Red Knives will not feature as bad guys.

PHB II next.

Castle Mario will exist on Sho-Jin - though it will probably barely feature, if at all.

I like The Chalice as a concept, but in absennce of Fiends, it is not very useful, so it does not exist.

The Elves of the High Fortrest (and indeed the High Forrest itself) exist.

The Land of Honour as presented in the PHB II does not exist - but since fully half of Sho-Jin is themed on feudal Japan/China/Korea etc, the essence is there.

Merata Kon exist.

Sharulhensa definately exist - it's no secret that I really like Half-Elves so I'm going to play this one to the hilt.

Sun Fane exist, but slightly modified. I will increase it's Scale to 15/16. Instead of worshiping Pelor, they will be church for the whole pantheon - focusing on the one thing all of Sho-Jin's dieties have in common - the sun.

Besides these - I am in the process of creating a few of my own affiliations and organizations.

I will keep you posted.
Title: Sho-Jin Setting
Post by: Numinous on January 15, 2007, 01:21:18 PM
When you post up some of your own organizations, I'll give you feedback.  While it's all well and good to incorporate material from a published source, I'd love to give you some constructive feedback on your own ideas.

EDIT: I'm not sure what to say about your cities, they all seem to oppose each other nicely, and have a nice individual flavor.  One thing you might want to consider is a set of possible adventure hooks for each, as well as more clearly outlining the power structure and the major organizations present in each one.