A bit ago, I was working on a Science Fiction Roleplaying setting, now I've decided to take some of that and instead create a more Science Fantasy setting. First of all, I am a fan of Soft Science Fiction, and this is going to be that way. Instead of technology this universe is built on magic.
In fact, the very first stepping stone of this setting is one of Larry Niven's many laws: "Any sufficiently advanced magic is indistinguishable from technology." Once we begin with that very simple principle then it makes the setting a little easier.
I understand that a Magical Science Fiction setting isn't for everyone, and to that I have nothing to say, the best thing I can do is take your advice and move on. I plan on posting this a bit on Obsidian Portal, and making myself a Wiki, but for now I'm just cooking up idea and listening to feedback. I'd also be interested in hearing suggestions or suggested readings.
The first Trope that I wanted to work with was Space Travel and FTL travel. Travel between planets, solar systems and galaxies is accomplished with Portals. These Portals are 8 feet X 3 1/2 feet. Portals like roads, designed to only go to specific destinations. The Map of the Galaxy is not very accurate at all because it is based on the pathways of the Portals not an actual map of a galaxy. In fact the map will look a little something like this: http://www.sciencenewsforkids.org/articles/20070627/a1509_1198.1.jjr.fob.jpg (//hyperlinkurl)
Aliens: Lots of them, in fact I doubt there will be humans. There will probably be a pretty human race, but mostly alien.
Sorcery and Swords: No ray guns, no guns (they are very shoddy of a renaissance level)
No Starfleet: In my opinion, the big downside of Star Trek is the fact that it focuses in on the Para-Military Starfleet and not so much on civilians. Stories will focus on merchants, adventurers, and other private citizens. In fact, the players will more then likely be apart of the Arbogast Expeditions, a foundation dedicated to mapping the portals and discovering their origins.
That's all for now... Still working on aliens and things like that. It's important that I don't rely too much made up words, although they will be included, all Alien languages are translated into Common. So one example are the Children of the Light, dedicated to their god and spreading the word and putting an end to heretics. (in their language they call themselves Dolari)
QuoteThe first Trope that I wanted to work with was Space Travel and FTL travel. Travel between planets, solar systems and galaxies is accomplished with Portals. These Portals are 8 feet X 3 1/2 feet. Portals like roads, designed to only go to specific destinations. The Map of the Galaxy is not very accurate at all because it is based on the pathways of the Portals not an actual map of a galaxy. In fact the map will look a little something like this: http://www.sciencenewsforkids.org/articles/20070627/a1509_1198.1.jjr.fob.jpg (//hyperlinkurl)
Two suggestions;
Firstly, I'd suggest that these things be bigger in size. For an inter-planetary economy, 28 square foot portal probably won't cut it. I'd suggest making them at least fifteen feet in diameter.
Secondly, I also think that you need to account that the gate system, as you lay it out, is inefficient. You also mention aliens. If we assume a city-state type of international situation, are the gates all standardized?
QuoteAliens: Lots of them, in fact I doubt there will be humans. There will probably be a pretty human race, but mostly alien.
Define alien. Are we talking rubber-forehead aliens, or starfish aliens?
QuoteNo Starfleet: In my opinion, the big downside of Star Trek is the fact that it focuses in on the Para-Military Starfleet and not so much on civilians. Stories will focus on merchants, adventurers, and other private citizens. In fact, the players will more then likely be apart of the Arbogast Expeditions, a foundation dedicated to mapping the portals and discovering their origins.
Interesting. Although I'm wondering why you don't consider these expeditions being the people whose job it is to SET UP THE GATES. Any kind of portal system seems to always assume that the gates are some ancient technology. Why not the crowning achievement of a cabal of extremely talented mages?
Why should the portals be so big? My idea for the portals is that they were created by beings roughly the size of these portals. In my opinion they would find creating a fifteen foot portal a waste. The reason for this is that the portals act just like the door to my bedroom does, it's just a doorway into the hall. No cool splashy effects.
Think of this also, the smaller portals keep the portals from being used as invasion points. You can't drive a tank through them and invade a neighboring planet. Or in this magical sense, you can't ride a huge dragon into the portal. When most people want to move large amounts of stuff through the portals they first cast Shrink Item on the object. This helps me in two ways:
1. It allows me to illustrate how common magic is, it's as common as a blackberry.
2. It allows me to hide these portals, it's harder for me to hide a 15' portal then it is one that's the size of a door.
As for the aliens, expect to see a large variety of aliens, some inspired some strange.
The Gates are already set up and running. The reason I didn't have it focus on people building the gates is because: I don't want there to be Faster Than Light Travel, so how did these Wizards get to the planet in the first place? The reason I am going with the ancient magic (not technology) is because it opens up for exploration adventures not installation adventures.
And my Gate system isn't inefficient it's just not the way you what you want it to be.
Which brings me to the most important key to this Campaign Setting and all campaign settings: This is how it is in MY game, it doesn't have to be in YOUR game. I'm just coming up with ideas and throwing them into these threads.
I hate to intrude, your right it is your game 100%, but a small portal is inefficient for anything large scale.
You can't transport large things across planets, this makes it difficult because you can't bring heavy equipment.
To move large groups of people makes it very difficult, while your correct that this prevents outright invasion, it would also encourage assassination (the most efficient way to strike at people on other planets), bombs and such things.
Evacuation, colonization and trading would also be hindered. Transporting a hundred colonists would take a lot of organization, time and effort. Trade caravans without the benefit of a wagon (maybe pony/mule equivalent) makes trading goods that aren't small and valuable harder (so jewelry, small tech (blackberries :p) and rare items would be about it.
Any particular reason you chose to use the OP wiki over the CBG wiki? I've used both so I'm curious about your opinion.
Also, would you care to link to the OP wiki if you decide to make one?
I'm curious as to why you removed humans? Is it because you couldn't find a way to fit them in to your liking?
Quote from: Gnome NachosWhy should the portals be so big? My idea for the portals is that they were created by beings roughly the size of these portals. In my opinion they would find creating a fifteen foot portal a waste. The reason for this is that the portals act just like the door to my bedroom does, it's just a doorway into the hall. No cool splashy effects.
Okay. Fine. How many of these are on a planet. Unless you say 'several dozen to the same location,' no trade can really take place inter-planet. Look at the trade caravans of the medieval era; several dozen pack animals loaded with goods, not to mention the people.
A better example. Imagine every semi leaving a city having to ship all their stuff through something slightly wider than a doorframe. Just because the aliens are that big does not mean that they wouldn't build larger. Look at garages, cars, buggies, chariots for a few examples about why that's the case.
QuoteThink of this also, the smaller portals keep the portals from being used as invasion points. You can't drive a tank through them and invade a neighboring planet. Or in this magical sense, you can't ride a huge dragon into the portal. When most people want to move large amounts of stuff through the portals they first cast Shrink Item on the object. This helps me in two ways:
Doesn't matter. If it's 'like a doorway,' you can't close it effectively, meaning they can simply shove harmful crap through the door, or build a collapsible shielding unit.
The main thing is that it's a choke point. Period. Not just the size of it. Also, why not just shrink animal on the dragon, then dismiss it?
Quote1. It allows me to illustrate how common magic is, it's as common as a blackberry.
2. It allows me to hide these portals, it's harder for me to hide a 15' portal then it is one that's the size of a door.
On a planet, you'd have trouble hiding something the size of a garage door? And if magic's as common as a blackberry, you've probably got more issues than the size of your doors.
QuoteThe Gates are already set up and running. The reason I didn't have it focus on people building the gates is because: I don't want there to be Faster Than Light Travel, so how did these Wizards get to the planet in the first place? The reason I am going with the ancient magic (not technology) is because it opens up for exploration adventures not installation adventures.
Physician heal thyself. There is no FTL, then how did THE ORIGINAL BUILDERS get them there? Why not simply have the mechanic be a random shot? You still explore, and if the installation is simple, it's not so much an adventure as a simple part of the exploration.
Quote from: Gnome NachosAnd my Gate system isn't inefficient it's just not the way you what you want it to be.
Which brings me to the most important key to this Campaign Setting and all campaign settings: This is how it is in MY game, it doesn't have to be in YOUR game. I'm just coming up with ideas and throwing them into these threads.
Don't be so defensive. I'm not bashing you, I'm pointing out what I perceive to be flaws. And your system is inefficient for several reasons.
1. Trade. I feel I've outlined that enough already.
2. Utility. Everything has to be broken down to fit in that doorway. You want to explore that ocean? Too bad, you've got to build a ship from raw materials on the planet. No wood? Outta luck.
3. Networking. If each gate goes from one place to the other, there are a few problems. One, you either have long, strung out routes that require several jumps (added this to the size issue and you've got serious congestion issues through the busier planets), or you've got a gate to every other world, creating gigantic hubs that are military liabilities, disasters waiting to happen, annoying cross-continent treks, or a combination of all three. The size change would help that, but not by a whole heap. And if we assume that these gates take some sort of resource to keep going, the size increase outweighs any sort of strategic loss, and if it's the hub system, you're wasting tremendous amounts of resources simply keeping the majority of them open.
OK I apologize for being defensive.
How about they come in all shapes and sizes? The larger ones designed for trade, the smaller ones designed for personal use.
You make a good point about the Ancient Technology, so I am going to roll with the idea of the gates being products of a guild known as House Garrett. It still presents the question of how did they get there in the first place... because I am picturing these as working a whole lot like a telephone, you can't call a house that doesn't have one.
Possibly these different planets were driven to create the portals driven by forces they cannot even understand. They dreamed up the plans, created the magic, and opened portals across the cosmos.
Or possibly Magonauts were catapulted into the cosmos and sent to random planets where they summoned the materials and created the portals hundreds (instead of eons) ago. Creating a new renaissance that spans worlds.
Planet names:
[spoiler]Viscerma
Meliara
Olora
Carnassus
Tusteus
Pelusane
Phago
Susarnus
Golypide
Iane
Oesol
Xyset
Visane
Visarot
Itacal
Odiatas
Ustho
Dostrovia
Zere
Amon
Cethois
Iaes
Theope
Dasi
Nius
Nothusta
Than
Kron
Gonic
Joreau[/spoiler]
And that's just the first few!
Quote from: Gnome NachosHow about they come in all shapes and sizes? The larger ones designed for trade, the smaller ones designed for personal use.
That makes a lot more sense.
Quote from: Gnome NachosYou make a good point about the Ancient Technology, so I am going to roll with the idea of the gates being products of a guild known as House Garrett. It still presents the question of how did they get there in the first place... because I am picturing these as working a whole lot like a telephone, you can't call a house that doesn't have one.
Possibly these different planets were driven to create the portals driven by forces they cannot even understand. They dreamed up the plans, created the magic, and opened portals across the cosmos.
Have you ever seen the movie Contact? a message is sent out to all intelligent planets (those that produce intelligible radio signals, or something equivalent in your world), which contains the blueprints for the device. They build it, and it connects them into the system. Problem solved. To use your analogy, sending plans for a telephone by message in a bottle.
Quote from: Gnome NachosOr possibly Magonauts were catapulted into the cosmos and sent to random planets where they summoned the materials and created the portals hundreds (instead of eons) ago. Creating a new renaissance that spans worlds.
That works too.
Quote from: Gnome NachosYou make a good point about the Ancient Technology, so I am going to roll with the idea of the gates being products of a guild known as House Garrett.
So are you naming the guild after me because gates are a form of travel and I'm a wanderer? :P
Nope, the guild's name comes from the paper that I am using for my notes, a bunch of stationary that says "Garrett Aviation" on it, the company my dad used to work for.
Here's a drawing I did of an Alien, this is what I picture.
It's pretty simple, but it's nice to know that maybe I can start uploading my hand written notes here.
[spoiler=Alien Warrior] (http://photos-h.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-snc1/v2113/157/28/537243526/n537243526_1348487_4386.jpg) [/spoiler]
Another alien I drew in fifteen minutes
[spoiler] (http://photos-a.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-snc1/v2113/157/28/537243526/n537243526_1348552_2311.jpg) [/spoiler]
Quote from: Gnome NachosNope, the guild's name comes from the paper that I am using for my notes, a bunch of stationary that says "Garrett Aviation" on it, the company my dad used to work for.
I shall completely disregard this and continue to believe it is because you so revere me as a person. Also, the aliens are nice, but where is the crazy weird anatomy? I want less rubber face aliens and more weirdos.
OK. One alien race that I really like are the Chakelops (name pending) they look like slugs with huge maws and tentacles and multiple eyes.
Well the portals are Plot Devices in my opinion. A lot like the Lightning Rail (trains) from Eberron. I wanted something unique for the universe. I want a serialized set of adventures with a circular structure to it.
The PCs enter a new world through a portal, then they must go find the portal to the next planet. However, it's never that simple. For example, they walk through a freshly opened portal and find themselves caught in the middle of a World War between many factions. Or the portal they need is already turned on, and guarded by a religious sect that demand payment of some sort to enter the portal.
a lot of the Portals the PCs use will already be turned on and owned by a large and powerful guild. The guild demands a small toll (only a few copper pieces) and you don't have to worry about walking into something dangerous. However, some of the portals will be dormant, or shut down. These dormant portals will require a ritual, a key component to running the portals is Mystidium.
Mystidium is a made up element (of course it's made up) thats viscous and luminescent in it's raw form. In it's more refined form it is more watery and is the component that makes things glow (swords, runes, etc.) It is incredibly valuable, a little dab will do ya, and it's a Macguffin. It will probably have no real game rules to it (at least, not in my game) It's gold by any other name. Some planets may not be interested in gold coins (the currency of the more refined planets) but everyone uses Mystidium, it can be found on most planets. So as treasure, the player's may get a small vial of Mystidium worth 1,000 gold pieces.
I think it's also important that the Portals will be a bit of a mystery. An idea I got from Cyre of Eberron, nobody really knows what happened. I really like the idea that across the universe, on billions of planets, 1,000 years ago, somebody woke up on each of those planets with the uncontrollable urge to build these portals. They don't know why, and most of them aren't even magicians, they just knew what to do.
Quote from: Stargate525Have you ever seen the movie Contact? a message is sent out to all intelligent planets (those that produce intelligible radio signals, or something equivalent in your world), which contains the blueprints for the device. They build it, and it connects them into the system. Problem solved. To use your analogy, sending plans for a telephone by message in a bottle.
I have seen Contact, Mathew Mcconaughey's only good role in my opinion. That and Sahara. Anyways the idea is that on billions of worlds intelligent beings woke up and said "Must... Build... Portal..." random people too, like farmers and sheep herders. They cast the spells, gathered the materials and all turned them on simultaneously. The design is something that no body understands, why not just build one portal that goes to all portals? Who says such an Uber-Portal doesn't exist? Who sent the dreams that created the portals in the first place? Those are the great mysteries of life. It's quite elementary, my dear Stargate252, obviously it is a source so omnipotent and unknowable that the pure unadulterated knowledge would drive you mad.
Quote from: Gnome NachosSorcery and Swords: No ray guns, no guns (they are very shoddy of a renaissance level)
What other sorts of magical-tech are there? Not to belittle your concept, but until I know that I'm not getting more than a "standard fantasy with a world-hopping element added" vibe. Even if you have a lot of magical tech if all the institutions are the same (aristocracies, guild-controlled industry, etc.) I still wonder what adds the "sci-fi" element to this. How much fantasy and how much sci-fi are you going for?
QuoteThe PCs enter a new world through a portal, then they must go find the portal to the next planet. However, it's never that simple. For example, they walk through a freshly opened portal and find themselves caught in the middle of a World War between many factions. Or the portal they need is already turned on, and guarded by a religious sect that demand payment of some sort to enter the portal.
a lot of the Portals the PCs use will already be turned on and owned by a large and powerful guild. The guild demands a small toll (only a few copper pieces) and you don't have to worry about walking into something dangerous. However, some of the portals will be dormant, or shut down. These dormant portals will require a ritual, a key component to running the portals is Mystidium.
So portals are one-way?
Quote from: Gnome NachosI have seen Contact, Mathew Mcconaughey's only good role in my opinion. That and Sahara. Anyways the idea is that on billions of worlds intelligent beings woke up and said "Must... Build... Portal..." random people too, like farmers and sheep herders. They cast the spells, gathered the materials and all turned them on simultaneously. The design is something that no body understands, why not just build one portal that goes to all portals? Who says such an Uber-Portal doesn't exist? Who sent the dreams that created the portals in the first place? Those are the great mysteries of life. It's quite elementary, my dear Stargate252, obviously it is a source so omnipotent and unknowable that the pure unadulterated knowledge would drive you mad.
it's five-two-five. Sheesh. :cry:
As far as that knowledge, you as the world-builder need to know the answers to those questions, even if the players don't. Although simply beaming the schematics into peoples' heads is also a very nice trick, how does the house... whatever fit into that? Are they building reproductions, or are they the ones who started it?
Quote from: SilvercatMoonpawQuote from: Gnome NachosSorcery and Swords: No ray guns, no guns (they are very shoddy of a renaissance level)
What other sorts of magical-tech are there? Not to belittle your concept, but until I know that I'm not getting more than a "standard fantasy with a world-hopping element added" vibe. Even if you have a lot of magical tech if all the institutions are the same (aristocracies, guild-controlled industry, etc.) I still wonder what adds the "sci-fi" element to this. How much fantasy and how much sci-fi are you going for?
That's a good question and it's one I have been dealing with since the birth of this project. I think the first part is that I am beginning with something that "works" and that's Fantasy Roleplaying. It's something everybody knows already, everyone understands it and we can keep moving. The Cosmos is all about societies that grew up with the magic available in your average roleplaying game (Wizards can blow stuff up, priests can heal you) and what would they do with that magic. Technology would suffer a lot, and instead of making a gun or more specifically a Ray Gun, they create a Rod of Blasting or something similar. To the people of Cosmos, magic is just like a cellphone, just a part of modern life.
The other thing is the setting. The adventures take place on Worlds (planets, moons, etc.) and these Worlds are going to be treated as fairly as almost any other world you will find (Like Toril in Forgotten Realms) meaning that they will be built with a touch of logic to them. This idea isn't that different from Planescape, the difference is my difference between a world and a plane.
In Planescape you have the Plane of Fire or the Plane of Water or the Plane of Evil so on and so on. In Cosmos, you have worlds that might have a theme to them (like a planet with huge expanses of Jungle, or a planet that has no Landmass, only water) but each World should be enough for you to run a whole series of Adventures without stepping through a portal again. But that's just my philosophy and overlying goal regarding Cosmos.
Oh, and you will never see Volcano Gnomes, or Desert Elves, or even Beholders and Mindflayers. I plan on throwing away the Monster Manual and ripping out the Races section of the Player's Handbook and replacing it with my own alien species. These aliens will be unique, but hopefully enjoyable to play. I also stay away from too much in-game-jargon. I am reading a lot of Star Trek novels, and it always throws me off when they mention a character is a Fallopian and I'm thinking to myself "What the heck is a Fallopian?" then I realize that Fallopian is a body part, the alien's name is Falluvian. It always throws me off, so all Alien names have English sounding names (mostly Kennings like from Beowulf)
As for Magic-Tech, I'm just calling them Magic Items. And they are everything: No Robots, Homunculus and Golems. No Universal Translator, instead they have a piece of jewelry that translates what people say into a language. No Cybernetics, instead the occasional arm made of liquid mithril. No Computers, instead tomes of infinite pages. No cars, instead Tenser's Floating Disk or Flying Carpets. Instead of Camera's I picture a small cube device, you set it down and activate it, then turn it off. Later you can turn it back on and it creates a 360 degree illusion (or similar). Just things like that. No space ships, instead they use a lot of Animals, Golems, or they might have things that seem like technology but are magic. Like a flying boat, or zeppelin, or a small piece of island that flies around.
So I'd say it's 65% Fantasy, 35% Science Fiction
Quote from: Stargate525QuoteThe PCs enter a new world through a portal, then they must go find the portal to the next planet. However, it's never that simple. For example, they walk through a freshly opened portal and find themselves caught in the middle of a World War between many factions. Or the portal they need is already turned on, and guarded by a religious sect that demand payment of some sort to enter the portal.
a lot of the Portals the PCs use will already be turned on and owned by a large and powerful guild. The guild demands a small toll (only a few copper pieces) and you don't have to worry about walking into something dangerous. However, some of the portals will be dormant, or shut down. These dormant portals will require a ritual, a key component to running the portals is Mystidium.
So portals are one-way?
Quote from: Gnome NachosI have seen Contact, Mathew Mcconaughey's only good role in my opinion. That and Sahara. Anyways the idea is that on billions of worlds intelligent beings woke up and said "Must... Build... Portal..." random people too, like farmers and sheep herders. They cast the spells, gathered the materials and all turned them on simultaneously. The design is something that no body understands, why not just build one portal that goes to all portals? Who says such an Uber-Portal doesn't exist? Who sent the dreams that created the portals in the first place? Those are the great mysteries of life. It's quite elementary, my dear Stargate252, obviously it is a source so omnipotent and unknowable that the pure unadulterated knowledge would drive you mad.
it's five-two-five. Sheesh. :cry:
As far as that knowledge, you as the world-builder need to know the answers to those questions, even if the players don't. Although simply beaming the schematics into peoples' heads is also a very nice trick, how does the house... whatever fit into that? Are they building reproductions, or are they the ones who started it?
Hmm... Portals are not one way, but someone can close a portal off (by sticking stuff in the way). However, The idea would be to seek out new portals, and if you're going to turn tail every time you walk into a blazing inferno of war then you need a new job :D
I have decided to stick with the dreaming the idea and turning the portal on. It's a lot like Call of Cthulhu where the guy makes the little sculpture as he goes crazy. The difference is that the Sculpture is a gateway and possibly, the builder took his life after the portal was created, so we have no idea why he felt compelled to do it.
[spoiler=New World!]Nius, Throneworld of the Children of the Light
This is one of the many worlds that is a key part of the Alliance. The Alliance is a coalition of several societies that signed nonaggression pacts years ago. This is a very shaky Alliance.
The Children of the Light (or Illumaratoriaas they call themselves) are a theocratic society focused on the worship of an entity known as "The Light". Their race spreads through out the known worlds as missionaries, dedicating their lives to converting the irreligious and building temples to The Light.
The average Child of the Light stands about 5' to 6' tall. They have electric blue skin and white shocks of hair. Their eyes glow purple. They are a society based on religion, seeing themselves as guardians against the coming shadow.
Nius is made up of three major continents, each one settled by it's native people. The first is Throne, a bustling city with Temples on every street, Throne is also the seat of power for the theocracy. It is the doorway to the many holy sites the World of Nius has to offer.
The second is Sword, the military testing ground of the Theocracy. It is a land of desert where Paladins and the Warmages of the Light practice and refine weaponry. It is also the home to several tribes of barbarians. Little is known about the barbarian hordes as most information is squashed by the theocracy.
The third and final continent is Shield, the holy land of The Church of the Light. It is a fabled land, filled with stories and is the setting of the Tome of Faith. Pilgrims from across the universe travel to Shield hoping to pray at one of the many holy sites. This pilgrimage is required for every faithful at least once in their lifetime. [/spoiler]
So that's just the rough outline, I hope to go into more detail about the nature of the Alliance later today. For now though, it's a lot like NATO but with more infighting. This is also just the bare bones of what I want Nius to be, it's just to whet your appetite and let me get some of my notes down.