Hi I'm new to these forums and i just recently began writing up my campaign world Astraea. I added the map as an attatchment file. I am currently working on a pantheon and extended descriptions for regions.
I really appreciate ANY comments/questions or fears that anyone has, as I really need to polish this up before I present it to my group
Thx in advance,
So-Keher
[spoiler=World Map]
(//../../e107_files/public/1152537944_123_FT0_astraea.gif)[/spoiler]
The new introduction:
[spoiler]
It is said that history is written by the victors, and to the victors go the spoils. Heroes make and shape the world around them, crafting great adventures of daring and grandeur. In the world of Astraea you are the hero, pitting yourself against monstrous beasts and deadly traps for treasure, fame or even the damsel in distress.
Astraea is a world both familiar and strange. A cataclysmic magical event has torn apart the once peaceful realm of Astraea. A great magical artifact has been lost, destroying the past with its disappearance. Monsters and fell beasts roam the countryside. High nd dark intrigue blend and interweave to form an exciting world full of adventure. Grab your sword and prepare your spells, Astraea awaits you.
A Whole New World
Astraea is a world much more different than the one we live in today. Humans are widespread across its lands, but elves, dwarves, orcs, halflings and other races live there as well. Races as different as these have led to cultural diversity and ethnic diversity unlike anything we have ever seen. In Astraea, cultures who are as different as elves and orcs can maintain (even if fleeting) peace and acceptance between their nations. In the local pub you may see a dozen different races and not stop to think about it. The other races, while not as numerous or widespread as humans, make up an important part of the world.
The world itself is not as strange. Continents and islands rest among great seas. Mountains and rivers carve their way through the landscape. The sun and the moon live in constant opposition, rising and setting as time goes by. Recently, a smaller sun has appeared next to the first. Although it seems to have no effect on the climate, its appearance is shocking and remains a mystery to the people of Astraea.
[/spoiler]
The revised Race section:
[spoiler]
Races
Races available to the players are: aasimar, dwarf, gnome, half-elf, human, high elf, orcs, Tiefling or wild elf. New races include lizardfolk and tigris (described in detail below).
Aasimar â,¬' Graced with the touch of the holy, aasimar are usually tall, good-looking, and generally pleasant. They fight against evil creatures and attempt to sway others to do the right thing.
Dwarves â,¬' Dwarves are noble warriors who excel at metalcraft, stoneworking, and war. They tend to be serious, determined and very honorable.
Gnomes â,¬' Gnomes are inveterate explorers, tricksters and inventors. They have a knack for both illusion and alchemy. Their curiosity makes them skilled engineers, as they are always trying new ways to build things.
Humans â,¬' Humans are a widespread race that tends to be adaptable to every situation. They are the most common race of Astraea.
High Elves â,¬' High elves are the most noble and regal of all elves. They are great practitioners of the arcane arts, and love all that is beautiful.
Orcs â,¬' Orcs are aggressive humanoids that raid, pillage and battle other humanoids, especially elves and dwarves. They have only recently began to be more organized and societal.
Tiefling â,¬' Twisted, devious and untrustworthy, tieflings more often than not follow their inherent tendencies to heed the call of evil. A few defy their nature, but still must fight against popular opinion or the feeling of â,¬Å"wrongnessâ,¬Â that seems to follow them wherever they go.
Wild Elves â,¬' Wild elves are barbaric and tribal. Very reclusive, wild elves are seldom seen outside of their forest environment.
Tigris
The tigris are descendents of the ancient rakshasa, a race so old only the elves remember them. They are a stalwart people who struggle to survive against the challenges of the wilderness. Tigris are natural warriors. They have pale gold to dark orange fur with black stripes, resembling a tiger.
âˆ' +2 Strength, +2 Constitution, -2 Charisma. Tigris are a hardy people, but their appearance is sometimes fearsome.
âˆ' Medium size.
âˆ' Tigris base land speed is 30ft.
âˆ' Darkvision 60ft.
âˆ' Tigris gain a +2 bonus on Survival and Hide checks while in a forest environment. Tigris always gain a +2 bonus to Move Silently checks.
âˆ' Natural weapons: 2 claws (1d4) or bite (1d4).
âˆ' Favored Class: Ranger.
âˆ' Level Adjustment: +1
âˆ' Suitable for use a 2nd level character race (at DMâ,¬,,¢s digression).
Lizardfolk
Lizardfolk are a primitive reptilian species that inhabit the tepid swamps of Astraea. They are fierce fighters and a savage species. They have dark green or yellow scales and a lighter underbelly. Many lizardfolk can be distinguished by their frills, which vary greatly. Lizardfolk in Astraea are similar to other lizardfolk except:
âˆ' +2 Strength, -2 Intelligence
âˆ' No Racial Hit Dice, Skills or Feats.
âˆ' +2 natural armor bonus
âˆ' Special Qualities: Hold Breath (see Monster Manual description pg. 169)
âˆ' Natural Weapons: 2 claws (1d4) and bite (1d4)
âˆ' Level adjustment: +0
âˆ' Suitable for use as a 1st level character race (at DMâ,¬,,¢s digression).
[/spoiler]
Dorion
[spoiler]Dorion
Population: 500,670 (93% human, 3% lizardfolk, 2% halfling, 1% elf, 1% other)
Government: Monarchy
Chief Alignments: LG, NG, LN
Capital (Pop.): Forinal (70,500)
Resources: grapes, wool, iron, farm goods.
Exports: Mercenaries, wines, ale, textiles, wool, iron ore.
Imports: Wizards, magic supplies, wood, gold, bronze, mithral, adamantite.
Notable Achievements: crop rotation, cold iron forging
Allies: Trueion, Sera, Meriador
Enemies: Karraâ,¬,,¢nash
Dorion is a peaceful nation of rolling pastures, apple orchards and quaint villages. Its land, and its, people are hardy and survivable even through the worst disasters. As serene as it seems, Dorion is troubled by the past, and scars from past wars litter its land, leaving constant reminders of what might lie ahead.
Government, Military and Trade
Dorion maintains a small militia at all times. Its militia carries on trivial duties such as guarding caravans or towns. Until the lizardfolk of the Karraâ,¬,,¢nash started acting up, the troops were relatively useless in the long peace. In case of an emergency, Dorion keeps a record of all men able to fight to call a draft.
Dorion is ruled as a monarchy. King Sarperon is a wise and just ruler, with complete trust of his subjects. He maintains a court of nobles to aid him in his governing decisions, a policy that makes the populace feel involved in the direction of their country.
Most of Dorionâ,¬,,¢s trade is from its protectorate-colony of Meriador, who maintain a stable trade status with all the continentâ,¬,,¢s nations as well as the exotic lands overseas.
Entertainment
Entertainment is not common in Dorion. Most peasants never see a fair or a grand festival, but all holidays are at least recognized in every part of the country. Once every year, King Sarperon holds a great festival in his palace. All the nobles are invited and there are great feasting, entertainers and tournaments lasting over a week. Occasionally, traveling troupes meander through the countryside, providing what entertainment can be bought to the peasants.
History
After the War of Beginnings, the humans retreated eastward to a large stretch of plains between the Rugarr holds, the Karraâ,¬,,¢nash Swamps and Snake River. They formed the bulk of their nation close to the southern banks of Cratre Lake. They continue good relations with the elves of Trueion but the lizardfolk of Karraâ,¬,,¢nash continually test their boundaries causing tense foreign relations. The Karraâ,¬,,¢nash Embassy in Forinal is attempting to keep the peace but that is hard between such disparate nations. If there is an escalating conflict, it may spell doom for Dorion. Dorionâ,¬,,¢s only access to the sea is from a port in the midst of Karraâ,¬,,¢nashâ,¬,,¢s swamps, and the river to it also has to traverse through most of the swampland. Since Dorion relies firmly on their exports, the lizardfolk could easily put a chokehold on Dorionâ,¬,,¢s sea-based economy.
[/spoiler]
LeStravia
[spoiler]LeStravia
Population: 370,000 (79% human, 9% half-vampire, 5% vampire, 3% elf, 2% dwarf, 1% gnome, 1% other)
Government: Elected council
Chief Alignments: LN, LE
Capital (Pop.): LeStravia (87,000)
Resources: Silver, precious ore.
Exports: Fine clothing, meats, precious stones, silver.
Imports: Iron, gold, fish, wines.
Notable Achievements: alchemical silver.
Allies: none.
Enemies: Sera
LeStravia is a strange land of deceit and mystery. Most of its population is made up of human slaves who are under the constant watchful eye of a vampiric aristocracy. The vampires employ harsh rules and even harsher punishment for breaking them. Little is known about LeStravia and what is known is hardly credited to being the truthâ,¬Â¦
Government, Military and Trade
Although the LeStravians hate the other nations, they try to keep good trading status with as many as possible because of their limited resources.
Their government is strange. It consists of a council similar to that of Dorion except that there is no king. There is however, a council leader elected every decade by the other members of the council. No one knows for sure how it really works, because no one has gotten close enough and lived.
As for military, almost every human is expected to pitch in when there is cause for fight. Those who are especially serviceable are sometimes granted their own land but this is rare. Legions of human troops are usually led by a vampire prince or general in battle.
Entertainment
The human slaves of LeStravia are under constant repression, making little or no time for self indulgence. Several times a year, the aristocracy holds small fairs to keep the human populace just happy enough not to revolt. The vampires themselves enjoy numerous feast days and frequently hold gladiatorial matches in the stadiums of their capital.
History
LeStravia is not what it seems and the vampiric aristocracy works hard to keep up the impression that LeStravia is just a reclusive human nation. While the human population is a great majority in the nation, they are slaves to the vampiresâ,¬,,¢ whims and motives. The vampires are currently in a neutral status with foreign nations but it is rumored that a deeper alliance with Meriador is brewing. The only country they donâ,¬,,¢t come to terms on is Sera, as their views on religion and morals are broadly different. In 850 AT they fought a brief war over their control of the trade routes in the Divide. After the involvement of Rugarr the warring nations temporarily came to terms and decided on an international trade route that reached all the way from LeStravia City to the Rugarr Holds and then through the mountains to Sera. Currently Baron von Vanderbain is the â,¬Å"electedâ,¬Â ruler of LeStravia after the unfortunate death of his older brother. In actuality Vanderbain consumed his brother and bribed the aristocracy into keeping their mouths shut. Now he is too engrained in the nation to be safely removed, and his deep-felt hatred for Sera may soon lead to another conflict.
[/spoiler]
Maar
[spoiler]Maar
Population: 4,570 (96% Tigris, 2% human, 1% rakshasa, 1% other)
Government: Tribal
Chief Alignments: LG, NG
Capital (Pop.): none, loose tribal groups instead.
Resources: Woods of all kinds, most notably flightwood.
Exports: Woods, furniture, magic supplies.
Imports: Mercenaries, wines, fine clothing.
Notable Achievements: Flightwood.
Allies: Meriador, Trueion, Dorion, Sera
Enemies: none, tense relationships LeStravia and Karraâ,¬,,¢nash
Maar is the region of jungles north of Dorion and the Karraâ,¬,,¢nash swamps. It is inhabited by the reclusive Tigris, a descendant race of the ancient rakshasa. The tigris are both skilled hunters and artisans, weaving delicate music from their panpipes or using cunning and finesse to take down game and other, more intelligent prey. Even less is known about Maar than LeStravia, but at least they can be trusted.
Government, Military and Trade
Maar really has no formal government that anyone knows of. Instead, it is organized loosely into patriarchal tribes, generally with the oldest Tigris (or rakshasa) as the leader. Leaders are in position for life or until they are unable to rule.
They have no formal military or militia, but everyone is willing to fight if it is needed. The individual clan leaders act as war chiefs as well, and the male Tigris from each clan are expected to follow them willingly into battle.
Maar maintains a stable trade status with Dorion, Trueion and Sera. Their relations with LeStravia and the Karraâ,¬,,¢nash are somewhat tense and are restricted but never coming to conflict. They rely mostly on their trade of wood to Meriador, as they need lots of it to use on their ships. Two years ago a Tigris ranger discovered a new tree with surprisingly light, but strong, wood that could almost float on the air. This flightwood has been shipped to Meriador, where shipwrights are using it to develop a new type of ship that travels in the airâ,¬Â¦
Entertainment
Entertainment in the Maar tribes varies from clan to clan. Mostly, they celebrate holidays based upon the changing of the seasons. The Tigris are known well for their skill in the panpipes. They are said to have learned it from the few and reclusive satyrs that are rumored to live in their woods. Many Tigris bards can be seen in taverns and inns in the largest cities of foreign nations, especially in Sera where they feel most welcome.
History
There is not much to be said about Maar. The Tigris and last remaining rakshasa are reclusive and seldom seen outside of their jungle home. What relations they do keep are with Trueion. They feel that the elves are more trustworthy than the short-lived humans or lizardfolk, and the vampires are untrustworthy by nature. Maar has played a small part in history, but has provided a small but helping hand in almost every war, especially the War of the Divide between Sera (close allies of Trueion) and LeStravia.
Long ago, the rakshasa maintained one large tribe with an elected leader. Over the years, the population dwindled. Soon, squabbles over who would be next leader arose, leading to conflict. Different sides broke apart and became small tribes. This formed the loose structure of government that remains today. There are still dispute between tribes, but they recognize the need to stay unified in the least sense. A radical young Tigris cleric has been preaching to the people, insisting that all the tribes truly unify under one leader like in the past. However, no move has been made toward reformation.
[/spoiler]
Meriador
[spoiler]Meriador
Population: 192,400 (79% human, 9% lizardfolk, 5% gnome, 3% elf, 2% dwarf, 1% dark elf, 1% other)
Government: Protectorate
Chief Alignments: CG, CN, CE
Capital (Pop.): Port Commondàte (84,000)
Resources: Gunpowder, fish.
Exports: Silk, spices, gems, privateers, precious goods, gunpowder, ships, ship supplies, fish.
Imports: Wood, magic supplies, textiles.
Notable Achievements: invention of the airship, trade across the Seyvern Sea
Allies: Maar, Dorion, Karraâ,¬,,¢nash
Enemies: none.
Meriador is the center of trade and commerce in Astraea but it is also dangerous. Its chain of islands are home to some of the most vicious monsters and people in the world. Pirates regularly prey on its ports and its waters are haunted by a monster of legend. Due to their prime position off of Meriadorâ,¬,,¢s coast provide them with access to the trade of all the nations in the region.
Government, Military and Trade
Meriador is a protectorate nation under Dorion. They are the premier trading nation of the continent and have managed to connect with exotic lands overseas. The overseas lands have provided many new commodities to Astraea including spices, silks and guns.
As a protectorate nation, Meriador is ruled by a governor from (and elected in) Dorion. It also has a primitive parliament consisting of representatives both from the islands and from mainland Dorion. This allows for equal representation and meets the needs of both parties. Dorion also provides Meriador with a militia, which is commanded by the elected governor.
Entertainment
Entertainment is Meriador is a mere reflection of Dorionâ,¬,,¢s feasts and festivities. Meriador has many of its own holidays though, including the Day of Remembrance for lost sailors at sea and a day of sacrifices to the monsters of the deeps to keep them from attacking ships throughout the year. Every festival, feast and holiday is accompanied by a good keg of ale for sure.
History
Meriador is a confused nation. The inability to tame the wilderness in which it is situated keeps Meriador from taking advantage of its position. Founded from emigrants from the mainland Meriador is a cosmopolitan place where no one is unaccepted, but no one is really accepted either. It is a prime place for adventurers to make a living and many adventuring companies along with the fabled Wayfarerâ,¬,,¢s Guild make their home here.
About one hundred years ago, the nation was overrun by lizardfolk. When they called for help, Dorion arrived and freed them form the savage species, but also took the nation as a colony in the process. Since then, Meriador has remained as a protectorate, but also enjoys free trade with any nation it wishes.
[/spoiler]
Rugarr
[spoiler]Rugarr
Population: 165,000 (96% dwarf, 2% human, 1% halfling, 1% other)
Government: Monarchy
Chief Alignments: LG, LN
Capital (Pop.): none, there is only one gigantic city beneath the mountains
Resources: Metal ores, precious gems
Exports: Adamantite, gold, silver, iron, bronze, copper, precious gems, magic toys and artifacts.
Imports: Wood, fine clothing, mercenaries, ale.
Notable Achievements: magical artifacts, architecture, stoneworking
Allies: Dorion, Trueion
Enemies: the dark elves
Rugarr is the nation of the stout and sturdy dwarves. The dwarves used to inhabit the Fang Strip before they unleashed the vampires from a planar entrance in the deeps. They now build their great feasting halls and magnificent courts under the Rugarr Holds, the complex mountain region at the center of Astraea. The dwarves are great smiths and provide almost every other nation with the ore and minerals they need. They are also masterful craftsman, making anything from toys to complex magical artifacts. They hoard their treasure selfishly, partially because it was always stolen by marauding creatures from under the earth, but also because they are afraid of what their magic might do to Astraea.
Government, Military and Trade
Rugarr is a strict monarchy with a leader elected by his prowess in battle, also making him the warlord of the Dwarven people. The entire Dwarven nation is formed up of many clans (large extended families) united under the rule of one warlord. In order to replace the current leader, a younger dwarf must challenge him to a duel (usually unarmed wrestling) and beat the warlord fairly.
Dwarven military is strict and orderly. They are known to be the best warriors in all of Astraea and it is said that ten good men could not take down one â,¬Å"badâ,¬Â Dwarven warrior. Each clan has its own war chief and soldiers, similar to the military of Maar but far more orderly and efficient.
Entertainment
Entertainment is rough in Rugarr. The dwarves especially enjoy wrestling matches, keg throwing contests and drinking games. Many feasts are held in their long halls for the achievements of clan and individual, so every dwarf is always well fed.
History
The history of Rugarr itself is fairly short. Two hundred years ago the dwarves were nothing but scattered clans throughout the Rugarr Holds. They developed their skills separate from each other, but due to assimilation, all the dwarves became skilled craftsman. One clan became especially powerful: The Trugore Clan. Kind Trugore (as he was self titled) decided he wanted to unify the dwarves to create one massive, close-knit clan. He had messengers spread the idea to the other clans. Surprisingly, there was no dissent and the dwarven nation was formed and named after the mountain region they occupied.
Since then, the dwarves have fought countless battles against the monsters of the mountains and the deep tunnels, honing their battle skills and toughening their skin, making them sturdy masters of war.
[/spoiler]
Sera
[spoiler]Sera
Population: 870,400 (79% elf, 9% aasimar, 5% human, 3% half-elf, 2% dwarf, 1% gnome, 1% other)
Government: Republic
Chief Alignments: LG, NG.
Capital (Pop.): Xenell (97,000)
Resources: none.
Exports: Healing, clerics, magic supplies.
Imports: Iron, gold, precious goods, wines.
Notable Achievements: divine Spellcasting, the healing arts
Allies: Trueion, Dorion, Maar.
Enemies: LeStravia
Sera is the beautiful home of humans, elves and aasimar alike. Sera was founded by religious zealots of Trueion and to this day is the center of what is believed to be divine power. The aasimar from the outer planes, impressed with the Seranians, have also decided to make it their home. Because of this, Sera is almost surreal, a truly magnificent example of Astraeaâ,¬,,¢s splendor.
Government, Military and Trade
Sera is governed by a republic state. Their leader is an elected ruler, usually of elven or even aasimar descent because of their long lifespans. Rulers are elected by a complex voting process and new elections are held every twenty-five years.
Seraâ,¬,,¢s military is very similar to that of Trueion, a mixture of arcane and martial warriors. However, war-clerics are large part of the army and are essential to Seranian military strength.
Since Sera has no real natural resources (at least enough to make a living off of), they rely on their provision of healing supplies and clerics to Astraea. So far this has worked out well because healing is always needed, but Sera needs a plan for the future as their magic spreads and demand decreases over time.
Entertainment
Once again, Seranian culture is a close mirror of Trueionâ,¬,,¢s. However, festivals are pronounced holy days by the churches of Sera and all citizens must spend a part of the day in prayer to the Muses for guidance and thanks. This is usually followed by feasting and games lasting many days at the very least.
History
Some elves donâ,¬,,¢t like magic. That is, the way it is practitioned. They think that it is too wild even when carefully studied by wizards in their libraries of arcane. So, they found a way to practice their magic in a more divine sense. These few elves called upon the gods for their power, creating the first clerics of Astraea. Due to â,¬Å"religiousâ,¬Â persecution in Trueion, they went south to create their own nation, Sera. The Seranian elves became so powerful that the deities sent down their own mortal avatars to employ their word among the elven people: the aasimar. They became a part of Sera, turning it into a place both divine and material, a blend of exotic culture that makes Sera one of the most influential nations of Astraea.
[/spoiler]
Trueion (my personal favorite) :)
[spoiler]Trueion
Population: 987,850 (96% elf, 2% half-elf, 1% human, 1% other)
Government: City-state, elected council (magocracy)
Chief Alignments: CG, CN.
Capital (Pop.): Trueion (450,000)
Resources: woods, especially darkwood, and arcane spellcasters.
Exports: Wizards, magic supplies, wood.
Imports: Gold, silver, precious gems, textiles, fine clothing.
Notable Achievements: itself, elven high magic.
Allies: Dorion, Sera, Maar
Enemies: none, tense relations with LeStravia.
Trueion is the massive city state of the elves. Trueionâ,¬,,¢s heart and center is a gargantuan city spreading over hundreds of miles. The elves of Trueion adore magic of all kinds, and it is magic that allowed them to sustain such a gigantic city in the first place. Trueion is all spindly towers, winding streets and beautiful gardens, making it second only to the beauty of Xenell in Sera, their close neighbor.
Government, Military and Trade
Trueion is ruled by an elected council of representatives. The council is composed of thirteen elves each representing a section of the city, with the thirteenth standing for the College of Arcanum: the premier college for learning the arcane arts and allege enough to need separate representation. The council takes votes on major issues. Since there are an odd number of council members, it is assured that there will never be a split vote. Members of the council are elected for life.
Trueionâ,¬,,¢s military is a complex organization of mages, war-wizards and soldiers alike. Almost everyone in the military has some arcane knowledge or ability and Trueionâ,¬,,¢s cavalry are especially feared for their magical steeds.
Trueion keeps close ties with all nations, even when they donâ,¬,,¢t agree. This assures that their massive need for capitol is met. Their magic is always in high demand, surpassing the knowledge and ability of all others by many times over.
Entertainment
Entertainment is splendid in Trueion. Every street corner has some sort of dancing bear, juggler, fire-blower or magician to entertain the people. Each season is especially celebrated and is held in much more importance than other nations.
In Midsummer he elves celebrate family, and huge feasts are prepared in which everyone gives thanks to those they appreciate and for the good things life has provided them.
Spring is a celebration of fertility. The day of celebration is reserved for young couples to show their love for each other, and for new courtships to form and blossom.
Winter is known as the time of death. At the winter solstice, children don masks of the dead and the deathless, dancing through the streets along with elaborate parades and festivities to remember the ancestors of their land.
In autumn the elves hope for good crops and plentiful harvest. They hold small feasts and then fast in preparation of the upcoming harvest.
History
Trueionâ,¬,,¢s history is so long it could not be accounted for in any book, however large. The elves of Trueion define Astraea as being the firstborn of the world giving them thousands of years to develop a complex culture before the other races even were born. Trueionâ,¬,,¢s growth slowed to a crawl after the War of Beginning. They began to be more reclusive, limiting their trade to the only thing they have in excess: magic. They supply the entire region with its mage wrights, war-mages and general arcane magic as needed. Even the dwarves learned their magic from the elves.
The elves have since then settled down within their forest home and kept to themselves much akin to the Tigris. The elves, using their ancient magic, stored their history in a magical book: The Firstborn. As long as the book exists, the history of the elves remains intact. However, the book was stolen along with their beloved child-queen Seloquiel in a violent attempted coup by the dark elves. The elves have since then lost all memory of their past, turning them into a confused society where the laws of the nation no longer hold sway. The High Council has been recruiting adventurers for years but none return with the book, or even at all.
[/spoiler]
CHARACTERS [spoiler]
Each character in Astraea is unique, the result of his upbringing, past experiences and training. Culture, family, and the community all take a hand in his growth. Realizing this, players should not be limited to - and steadfast rules of character development. After all, they are not playing pieces of paper with a few numbers on them, they are role-playing organic, thinking and feeling characters. Have your players create a background story for their characters. It doesnâ,¬,,¢t need to be longer than a paragraph, but should answer some important questions. How where they brought up? Where do they come from? Why did they start adventuring? Is there a goal or a mission they wish to meet through their travels? Questions like these can help players connect with the game like they do in real life and also provide you, the DM, with material to shape your campaign.
REGIONS OF ORIGIN
Characters in Astraea come from many varied cultures. They are never just an elf or a human: they are an elf from the city-state of Trueion or a cultured human from Meriador. To handle this, players may choose one starting region for their character. This choice doesnâ,¬,,¢t limit the players, but provides a backdrop for their choice in skills, feats and classes.
Dorion
Homeland to the fledgling human race, Dorion is a place of both untamed wilderness and civilized society. Humans of Dorion are versatile, able to apply themselves to any task they face.
Feats: any.
Classes: any.
Skills: any.
Prestige Classes: any.
Karraâ,¬,,¢nash Swamps
You hail from the stinking swamps or Karraâ,¬,,¢nash, home of the lizardfolk. You have learned to survive in the worst of wetland conditions.
Feats: Self-Sufficient, Track.
Classes: Ranger, Barbarian, Druid.
Skills: Knowledge (nature), Balance, Jump, Swim.
Prestige Classes: none.
LeStravia
LeStravia is as much mystery as it is legend. To the casual eye it is a structured and elaborate human society reminiscent of Victorian culture. The truth is not far off but is truly shocking to most.
Feats: Alertness, Lightning Reflexes, Persuasive.
Classes: Rogue, Bard, Fighter.
Skills: Bluff, Climb, Diplomacy, Intimidate.
Prestige Classes: none.
Maar Jungles
You hail from the feral jungles that are home to the ancient Tigris race. You know how to survive in a jungle full of predators and make a living at the same time. Your race is wary and alert.
Feats: Endurance, Self-Sufficient, Alertness
Classes: Ranger, Druid.
Skills: Knowledge (nature), Survival, Hide, Move Silently, Spot.
Prestige Classes: Horizon walker.
Meriador Isles
Meriador is an enchanted land of both beauty and terror. Humans, elves and monsters alike live in its haunting isles along with darker things better not spoke of. Civilization is harsh here, and pirates and cut-throats are the mainstream at its ports.
Feats: Track, Combat Expertise.
Classes: Ranger, sorcerer.
Skills: Survival, Listen, Spot, Knowledge (nature).
Prestige Classes: Horizon Walker.
Rugarr Holds
The rugged dwarves of Rugarr are a hardy folk skilled in crafting and masonry. They live deep in their mountain fortresses behind stalwart defenses against the dark denizens of the deeps.
Feats: Toughness, Skill Focus (craft), Great Fortitude.
Classes: Fighter, Barbarian.
Skills: Craft (any), Knowledge (architecture and engineering), Knowledge (dungeoneering).
Prestige Classes: Dwarven defender, thaumaturgist.
Sera
Aasimar find their home here, as few of them as they are. They mingle with humans and elves to create a truly unique society.
Feats: Spell Focus (enchantment), Iron Will.
Classes: Wizard, paladin, cleric.
Skills: Knowledge (religion), Spellcasting.
Prestige Classes: Hierophant, mystic theurge
Trueion
Trueion is the center of elven culture, a city state of thousands of people. The elves of Trueion delight in swordplay and magic as well as art and culture.
Feats: Weapon Finesse, Combat Casting, Magical Aptitude.
Classes: Wizard, fighter.
Skills: Use Magic Device, Diplomacy.
Prestige Classes: Arcane Archer, archmage, duelist, eldritch night.
~
[/spoiler]
HISTORY [spoiler]HISTORY
THE CREATION OF THE WORLD AND THE RACES
̢,"It was a long time ago indeed. I was young then, no more than a child in our sense. It may seem strange, that the beginning was far from it, but that is where I will choose to start.
The world was already made, I was born afterwards. I was one of the second generations of the Firstborn, long before humans came about. My mother was one of the original firstborn, but I donâ,¬,,¢t recall having a father. For a long time things were pretty uneventful. There were the occasional raids by animals but we were peaceful. About a half a century after I was born was when I first encountered them. What? Oh, yes: the humans, yes. I was out gathering ingredients for my mother when one came out of nowhere. She was about my age I guess, relatively speaking.â,¬Â
- Sarelum, Elven Elder on the appearance of humans.
The Firstborn
In the beginning were the Muses, divine aspects of the godsâ,¬,,¢ portfolios, who walked the barren earth alone. Eventually, their influences took material form in the emptiness around them, forming continents and oceans and everything that is known to us today. Eventually the creation of the world was done and the muses went their separate ways: one as the moon, one the sun, one into the oceans, one the land and one became the energy of the world. Long times passed and the world developed and grew teeming with life.
The gods then sent the elves, the Firstborn. They were the catalyst that led to the creation of the other races. The elves grew and flourished, eventually settling into what is currently the Trueion forests. They lived peacefully for hundreds of years.
The Secondborn
The origin of the Secondborn is largely a mystery. The humans were unknown to Astraea until around 372 Ancient Times (AT). They seemed to justâ,¬Â¦appear out of the forest. Perhaps they are descendant of lone elves. No one knows and the gods will not tell. All we know is that they would be the center of the rest of history as we know it.
The humans immediately started to undo everything the elves had done: cutting down the forests, polluting the rivers. It seemed to the elves like they were a plague upon their perfect world. Thus began the first of the conflicts between the races. The War of the Beginning was fought between the plains of human Dorion and the eastern steppes of Trueion. To make a long story longer, the war ended in a bloody draw, with both sides retreating back to their original boundaries.
The results of the war were not just loss of life. In the front lines of the last battle of the war, an elven prince was fatally wounded in a great duel with a human knight. With his last breath, he called upon the ancient Muses for strength. As he died, he channeled the power of the Muse of energy and unleashed a powerful blast of energy across the battlefield. The energy was the first magic, and its introduction into the world made immediate effects on some, giving birth to the first primitive spellcasters. As it spread, the magic warped the environment, creating magical beasts and plants of all kinds.
The Thirdborn
The Thirdborn are the dwarves. After the magical anomaly, the humans of the southern mountains (currently the Rugarr Holds) changed over many years. They grew stouter and became shorter, adapting to the caves and subterranean passages they lived in. They became skilled in stonework and architecture, building massive fortresses and cities within the mountains. They became the dwarves.
The Others
The creation of the other races was uneventful at best, merely adaptations of the First, Second and Thirdborn. From the mingling of humans and dwarves became the gnomes and halflings. Orcs, half-orcs, the rakshasa (eventually the Tigris) and the Lizardfolk were the result of magic warping and reshaping beasts to make them more intelligent and humanoid.
DORION
Population: 500,670 (93% human, 3% lizardfolk, 2% halfling, 1% elf, 1% other)
Exports: Mercenaries, wines, ale, textiles, wool, iron ore.
Imports: Wizards, magic supplies, wood, gold, bronze, mithral, adamantite.
After the War of Beginnings, the humans retreated eastward to a large stretch of plains between the Rugarr holds, the Karraâ,¬,,¢nash Swamps and Snake River. They formed the bulk of their nation close to the southern banks of Cratre Lake. They continue good relations with the elves of Trueion but the lizardfolk of Karraâ,¬,,¢nash continually test their boundaries causing tense foreign relations. The Karraâ,¬,,¢nash Embassy in Forinal is attempting to keep the peace but that is hard between such disparate nations. If there is an escalating conflict, it may spell doom for Dorion. Dorionâ,¬,,¢s only access to the sea is from a port in the midst of Karraâ,¬,,¢nashâ,¬,,¢s swamps, and the river to it also has to traverse through most of the swampland. Since Dorion relies firmly on their exports, the lizardfolk could easily put a chokehold on Dorionâ,¬,,¢s sea-based economy
LESTRAVIA
Population: 370,000 (79% human, 9% half-vampire, 5% vampire, 3% elf, 2% dwarf, 1% gnome, 1% other)
Exports: Fine clothing, meats, precious stones, silver.
Imports: Iron, gold, fish, wines.
LeStravia is not what it seems and the vampiric aristocracy works hard to keep up the impression that LeStravia is just a reclusive human nation. While the human population is a great majority in the nation, they are slaves to the vampiresâ,¬,,¢ whims and motives. The vampires are currently in a neutral status with foreign nations but it is rumored that a deeper alliance with Meriador is brewing. The only country they donâ,¬,,¢t come to terms on is Sera, as their views on religion and morals are broadly different. In 850 AT they fought a brief war over their control of the trade routes in the Divide. After the involvement of Rugarr the warring nations temporarily came to terms and decided on an international trade route that reached all the way from LeStravia City to the Rugarr Holds and then through the mountains to Sera. Currently Baron von Vanderbain is the â,¬Å"electedâ,¬Â ruler of LeStravia after the unfortunate death of his older brother. In actuality Vanderbain consumed his brother and bribed the aristocracy into keeping their mouths shut. Now he is too engrained in the nation to be safely removed, and his deep-felt hatred for Sera may soon lead to another conflict.
MAAR
Population: 4,570 (96% tigris, 2% human, 1% rakshasa, 1% other)
Exports: Woods, furniture, magic supplies.
Imports: Mercenaries, wines, fine clothing.
There is not much to be said about Maar. The Tigris and last remaining rakshasa are reclusive and seldom seen outside of their jungle home. What relations they do keep are with Trueion. They feel that the elves are more trustworthy than the short-lived humans or lizardfolk, and the vampires are untrustworthy by nature. Maar has played a small part in history, but has provided a small but helping hand in almost every war, especially the War of the Divide between Sera (close allies of Trueion) and LeStravia.
MERIADOR
Population: 192,400 (79% human, 9% lizardfolk, 5% gnome, 3% elf, 2% dwarf, 1% dark elf, 1% other)
Exports: Silk, spices, gems, privateers, precious goods, gunpowder, ships, ship supplies, fish.
Imports: Wood, magic supplies, textiles.
Meriador is the center of trade and commerce in Astraea but it is also dangerous. Its chain of islands are home ot some of the most vicious monsters and people in the world. Pirates regularly prey on its ports and its waters are haunted by a monster of legend. Due to their prime position off of Meriadorâ,¬,,¢s coast provide them with access to the trade of all the nations in the region.
Meriador is a confused nation. The inability to tame the wilderness in which it is situated keeps Meriador from taking advantage of its position. Founded from emigrants from the mainland Meriador is a cosmopolitan place where no one is unaccepted, but no one is really accepted either. It is a prime place for adventurers to make a living and many adventuring companies along with the fabled Wayfarerâ,¬,,¢s Guild make their home here.
RUGARR
Population: 165,000 (96% dwarf, 2% human, 1% halfling, 1% other)
Exports: Adamantite, gold, silver, iron, bronze, copper, precious gems, magic toys and artifacts.
Imports: Wood, fine clothing, mercenaries, ale.
Rugarr is the nation of the stout and sturdy dwarves. The dwarves used to inhabit the Fang Strip before they unleashed the vampires from a planar entrance in the deeps. They now build their great feasting halls and magnificent courts under the Rugarr Holds, the complex mountain region at the center of Astraea. The dwarves are great smiths and provide almost every other nation with the ore and minerals they need. They are also masterful craftsman, making anything from toys to complex magical artifacts. They hoard their treasure selfishly, partially because it was always stolen by marauding creatures from under the earth, but also because they are afraid of what their magic might do to Astraea.
SERA
Population: 870,400 (79% elf, 9% aasimar, 5% human, 3% half-elf, 2% dwarf, 1% gnome, 1% other)
Exports: Healing, clerics, magic supplies.
Imports: Iron, gold, precious goods, wines.
Some elves donâ,¬,,¢t like magic. That is, the way it is practitioned. They think that it is too wild even when carefully studied by wizards in their libraries of arcane. So, they found a way to practice their magic in a more divine sense. These few elves called upon the gods for their power, creating the first clerics of Astraea. Due to â,¬Å"religiousâ,¬Â persecution in Trueion, they went south to create their own nation, Sera. The Seranian elves became so powerful that the deities sent down their own mortal avatars to employ their word among the elven people: the aasimar. They became a part of Sera, turning it into a place both divine and material, a blend of exotic culture that makes Sera one of the most influential nations of Astraea.
TRUEION
Population: 987,850 (96% elf, 2% half-elf, 1% human, 1% other)
Exports: Wizards, magic supplies, wood.
Imports: Gold, silver, precious gems, textiles, fine clothing.
Trueionâ,¬,,¢s history is so long it could not be accounted for in any book, however large. The elves of Trueion define Astraea as being the firstborn of the world giving them thousands of years to develop a complex culture before the other races even were born. Trueionâ,¬,,¢s growth slowed to a crawl after the War of Beginning. They began to be more reclusive, limiting their trade to the only thing they have in excess: magic. They supply the entire region with its mage wrights, war-mages and general arcane magic as needed. Even the dwarves learned their magic from the elves.
The elves have since then settled down within their forest home and kept to themselves much akin to the Tigris. The elves, using their ancient magic, stored their history in a magical book: The Firstborn. As long as the book exists, the history of the elves remains intact. However, the book was stolen along with their beloved child-queen Seloquiel in a violent attempted coup by the dark elves. The elves have since then lost all memory of their past, turning them into a confused society where the laws of the nation no longer hold sway. The High Council has been recruiting adventurers for years but none return with the book, or even at all.
Note: The Karraâ,¬,,¢nash Swamps, as they are not a nation, are not given a place in this section.
[/spoiler]
First thing I saw was the Creeping Frost. That sounds like it has promise.
Post away and welcome!
Yeah the creeping frost is a magical anomoly created by the chaos in Trueion (see their history). It is similar ot the Creeping frost of Ghularuk or whatever in DMG2.
CHARACTERS [spoiler]
Each character in Astraea is unique, the result of his upbringing, past experiences and training. Culture, family, and the community all take a hand in his growth. Realizing this, players should not be limited to - and steadfast rules of character development. After all, they are not playing pieces of paper with a few numbers on them, they are role-playing organic, thinking and feeling characters. Have your players create a background story for their characters. It doesnâ,¬,,¢t need to be longer than a paragraph, but should answer some important questions. How where they brought up? Where do they come from? Why did they start adventuring? Is there a goal or a mission they wish to meet through their travels? Questions like these can help players connect with the game like they do in real life and also provide you, the DM, with material to shape your campaign.
RACES
Characters may choose from all of the races presented in the Playerâ,¬,,¢s Handbook plus orc, dark elf (treat as grey elf) and lizardfolk (modified player race, see below).
Tigris
The tigris are descendents of the ancient rakshasa, a race so old only the elves remember them. They are a stalwart people who struggle to survive against the challenges of the wilderness. Tigris are natural warriors. They have pale gold to dark orange fur with black stripes, resembling a tiger.
âˆ' +2 Strength, +2 Constitution, -2 Charisma. Tigris are a hardy people, but their appearance is sometimes fearsome.
âˆ' Medium size.
âˆ' Tigris base land speed is 30ft.
âˆ' Darkvision 60ft.
âˆ' Tigris gain a +2 bonus on Survival and Hide checks while in a forest environment. Tigris always gain a +2 bonus to Move Silently checks.
âˆ' Natural weapons: 2 claws (1d4) or bite (1d4).
âˆ' Favored Class: Ranger.
âˆ' Level Adjustment: +1
âˆ' Suitable for use a 2nd level character race (at DMâ,¬,,¢s digression).
Lizardfolk
Lizardfolk are a primitive reptilian species that inhabit the tepid swamps of Astraea. They are fierce fighters and a savage species. They have dark green or yellow scales and a lighter underbelly. Many lizardfolk can be distinguished by their frills, which vary greatly. Lizardfolk in Astraea are similar to other lizardfolk except:
âˆ' +2 Strength, -2 Intelligence
âˆ' No Racial Hit Dice, Skills or Feats.
âˆ' +2 natural armor bonus
âˆ' Special Qualities: Hold Breath (see Monster Manual description pg. 169)
âˆ' Natural Weapons: 2 claws (1d4) and bite (1d4)
âˆ' Level adjustment: +0
âˆ' Suitable for use as a 1st level character race (at DMâ,¬,,¢s digression).
REGIONS OF ORIGIN
Characters in Astraea come from many varied cultures. They are never just an elf or a human: they are an elf from the city-state of Trueion or a cultured human from Meriador. To handle this, players may choose one starting region for their character. This choice doesnâ,¬,,¢t limit the players, but provides a backdrop for their choice in skills, feats and classes.
Dorion
Homeland to the fledgling human race, Dorion is a place of both untamed wilderness and civilized society. Humans of Dorion are versatile, able to apply themselves to any task they face.
Feats: any.
Classes: any.
Skills: any.
Prestige Classes: any.
Karraâ,¬,,¢nash Swamps
You hail from the stinking swamps or Karraâ,¬,,¢nash, home of the lizardfolk. You have learned to survive in the worst of wetland conditions.
Feats: Self-Sufficient, Track.
Classes: Ranger, Barbarian, Druid.
Skills: Knowledge (nature), Balance, Jump, Swim.
Prestige Classes: none.
LeStravia
LeStravia is as much mystery as it is legend. To the casual eye it is a structured and elaborate human society reminiscent of Victorian culture. The truth is not far off but is truly shocking to most.
Feats: Alertness, Lightning Reflexes, Persuasive.
Classes: Rogue, Bard, Fighter.
Skills: Bluff, Climb, Diplomacy, Intimidate.
Prestige Classes: none.
Maar Jungles
You hail from the feral jungles that are home to the ancient Tigris race. You know how to survive in a jungle full of predators and make a living at the same time. Your race is wary and alert.
Feats: Endurance, Self-Sufficient, Alertness
Classes: Ranger, Druid.
Skills: Knowledge (nature), Survival, Hide, Move Silently, Spot.
Prestige Classes: Horizon walker.
Meriador Isles
Meriador is an enchanted land of both beauty and terror. Humans, elves and monsters alike live in its haunting isles along with darker things better not spoke of. Civilization is harsh here, and pirates and cut-throats are the mainstream at its ports.
Feats: Track, Combat Expertise.
Classes: Ranger, sorcerer.
Skills: Survival, Listen, Spot, Knowledge (nature).
Prestige Classes: Horizon Walker.
Rugarr Holds
The rugged dwarves of Rugarr are a hardy folk skilled in crafting and masonry. They live deep in their mountain fortresses behind stalwart defenses against the dark denizens of the deeps.
Feats: Toughness, Skill Focus (craft), Great Fortitude.
Classes: Fighter, Barbarian.
Skills: Craft (any), Knowledge (architecture and engineering), Knowledge (dungeoneering).
Prestige Classes: Dwarven defender, thaumaturgist.
Sera
Aasimar find their home here, as few of them as they are. They mingle with humans and elves to create a truly unique society.
Feats: Spell Focus (enchantment), Iron Will.
Classes: Wizard, paladin, cleric.
Skills: Knowledge (religion), Spellcasting.
Prestige Classes: Hierophant, mystic theurge
Trueion
Trueion is the center of elven culture, a city state of thousands of people. The elves of Trueion delight in swordplay and magic as well as art and culture.
Feats: Weapon Finesse, Combat Casting, Magical Aptitude.
Classes: Wizard, fighter.
Skills: Use Magic Device, Diplomacy.
Prestige Classes: Arcane Archer, archmage, duelist, eldritch night.
~
[/spoiler]
Note: I am restructuring the cmapaign setting. content will not drastically change but layout and organisation will. More later. :medic: <-- my campaign is a little queasy
I had read your campaign in the Homebrew forums over at the Wizards site and I thought it was pretty interesting. It was your post that had something about house rules involving lower starting money but the chance of gaining more abilities, if I am not wrong.
Do post more, I'll keep track of updates.
The hous emod of adding abilities has seemed ot crumble, as it further widens the gap between arcanists and fighter-types. More on that in the Essentials of a Campaign World thread.
I have made a list to help restructure the campaign. i odn't want to change material, just keep things organised and clear
1. Humans dominate the world.
2. Gods are not real. Clerics follow orders based off of alignments.
3. Magic is real and can be used by anyone who learns it.
4. Opposite alignments disagree, but only rarely come to serious conflict.
5. Arcane and divine magic seem separate, but are really just different manifestations of the same energy.
6. The wilderness is separate enough from the cities to justify 3 wilderness-oriented classes.
7. There are hundreds of intelligent species of creatures, but 99% of them are considered "monsters".
8. Arcane magic is impersonal and requires no "deal" with a supernatural being.
9. Beings from other planes of existence do not interfere with the inhabitants of the world. Rather, some live in it and become a part of it.
10. Magic items are rare and treasured artifacts, and game balance proceeds from that assumption.
11. Magic is not consequence-free. Need more on this
12. Truth vs. Deception is the ethos. Exemplified in two great supernatural beings who are source of all magic energy: I like the whole Sun vs. Moon concept but is there something that is better and not so common?
my biggest fear of this setting is the size of that map. its so big its scary :tongue:
seriously, though, if you can edit the map so its 500p wide, that would help people be able to see the whole thing, and theyd have more to comment on.
for duality, sun vs. moon isnt as common as you seem to think it is; actually, ive found that in most mid- to high-magic settings, truth vs. deception is more common. that said, there are tons of ways to achieve duality, hopefully some will fit in a given setting, most likely not all will: nature vs. nurture, life vs. death, light vs. dark, self-preservation vs. concern of others, etc. etc.
i cut the size of the map in half but i can't seem ot link it to the new map
edit: nevermind, map is now smaller! yay
I am removong halflings from my world. i can't see where they would fit in and they don't seem to add aything useful so out they go.
I'm sort of curious about why you decided to make extra-planar beings without much influence in your campaign. On what basis does religion exist at all in your world? Do clerics, if you allow them, actually just do magic and call it religion in some fashion?
tell me more about gods- early on, you mention the muses, as if they were incarnations of the portfolios of the gods, but later you say there arent any gods. i may have missed it, but did something happen to the gods? if so, and if its known, then what was it? id love to see more on this.
Thanks for pointing that out about the gods i hadn't realized that. Just one mor ereason i nee dot plan better.
Ok here goes: (revision of original)
The Muses WERE the gods, persay. They were living encarnates of the elements (as said) but were consumed for the creation of the world. Their energy still lives on, which is what magic is. There is only one type of magic, the one released by the elven prince in the Battle of Beginnings.
When the Seranian elves split fro mTrueion, they believed that there was a seperate kind of magic, divine instead of arcane. Really, they are using their own inner energies to muster up spells just like arcane spellcasters. However, their spells are based on their ideals (i.e.: alignment) and their domains are further derived from that.
It is currently a work in progress but I really like it. I am currently working on the alignment/domain relationships and I'll post them soon.
Thanks for all the feedback keep it up! :D
Looknig back I'm thinking that I could do something cooler with the gods.
What if they were destroyed? Perhaps they grew so greedy over their control of the mortals that they destroyed each other? This would solve the first issue that sdragon metntioned
The new introduction:
[spoiler]
It is said that history is written by the victors, and to the victors go the spoils. Heroes make and shape the world around them, crafting great adventures of daring and grandeur. In the world of Astraea you are the hero, pitting yourself against monstrous beasts and deadly traps for treasure, fame or even the damsel in distress.
Astraea is a world both familiar and strange. A cataclysmic magical event has torn apart the once peaceful realm of Astraea. A great magical artifact has been lost, destroying the past with its disappearance. Monsters and fell beasts roam the countryside. High nd dark intrigue blend and interweave to form an exciting world full of adventure. Grab your sword and prepare your spells, Astraea awaits you.
A Whole New World
Astraea is a world much more different than the one we live in today. Humans are widespread across its lands, but elves, dwarves, orcs, halflings and other races live there as well. Races as different as these have led to cultural diversity and ethnic diversity unlike anything we have ever seen. In Astraea, cultures who are as different as elves and orcs can maintain (even if fleeting) peace and acceptance between their nations. In the local pub you may see a dozen different races and not stop to think about it. The other races, while not as numerous or widespread as humans, make up an important part of the world.
The world itself is not as strange. Continents and islands rest among great seas. Mountains and rivers carve their way through the landscape. The sun and the moon live in constant opposition, rising and setting as time goes by. Recently, a smaller sun has appeared next to the first. Although it seems to have no effect on the climate, its appearance is shocking and remains a mystery to the people of Astraea.
[/spoiler]
The revised Race section:
[spoiler]
Races
Races available to the players are: aasimar, dwarf, gnome, half-elf, human, high elf, orcs, Tiefling or wild elf. New races include lizardfolk and tigris (described in detail below).
Aasimar â,¬' Graced with the touch of the holy, aasimar are usually tall, good-looking, and generally pleasant. They fight against evil creatures and attempt to sway others to do the right thing.
Dwarves â,¬' Dwarves are noble warriors who excel at metalcraft, stoneworking, and war. They tend to be serious, determined and very honorable.
Gnomes â,¬' Gnomes are inveterate explorers, tricksters and inventors. They have a knack for both illusion and alchemy. Their curiosity makes them skilled engineers, as they are always trying new ways to build things.
Humans â,¬' Humans are a widespread race that tends to be adaptable to every situation. They are the most common race of Astraea.
High Elves â,¬' High elves are the most noble and regal of all elves. They are great practitioners of the arcane arts, and love all that is beautiful.
Orcs â,¬' Orcs are aggressive humanoids that raid, pillage and battle other humanoids, especially elves and dwarves. They have only recently began to be more organized and societal.
Tiefling â,¬' Twisted, devious and untrustworthy, tieflings more often than not follow their inherent tendencies to heed the call of evil. A few defy their nature, but still must fight against popular opinion or the feeling of â,¬Å"wrongnessâ,¬Â that seems to follow them wherever they go.
Wild Elves â,¬' Wild elves are barbaric and tribal. Very reclusive, wild elves are seldom seen outside of their forest environment.
Tigris
The tigris are descendents of the ancient rakshasa, a race so old only the elves remember them. They are a stalwart people who struggle to survive against the challenges of the wilderness. Tigris are natural warriors. They have pale gold to dark orange fur with black stripes, resembling a tiger.
âˆ' +2 Strength, +2 Constitution, -2 Charisma. Tigris are a hardy people, but their appearance is sometimes fearsome.
âˆ' Medium size.
âˆ' Tigris base land speed is 30ft.
âˆ' Darkvision 60ft.
âˆ' Tigris gain a +2 bonus on Survival and Hide checks while in a forest environment. Tigris always gain a +2 bonus to Move Silently checks.
âˆ' Natural weapons: 2 claws (1d4) or bite (1d4).
âˆ' Favored Class: Ranger.
âˆ' Level Adjustment: +1
âˆ' Suitable for use a 2nd level character race (at DMâ,¬,,¢s digression).
Lizardfolk
Lizardfolk are a primitive reptilian species that inhabit the tepid swamps of Astraea. They are fierce fighters and a savage species. They have dark green or yellow scales and a lighter underbelly. Many lizardfolk can be distinguished by their frills, which vary greatly. Lizardfolk in Astraea are similar to other lizardfolk except:
âˆ' +2 Strength, -2 Intelligence
âˆ' No Racial Hit Dice, Skills or Feats.
âˆ' +2 natural armor bonus
âˆ' Special Qualities: Hold Breath (see Monster Manual description pg. 169)
âˆ' Natural Weapons: 2 claws (1d4) and bite (1d4)
âˆ' Level adjustment: +0
âˆ' Suitable for use as a 1st level character race (at DMâ,¬,,¢s digression).
[/spoiler]
i like the idea of the gods somehow being destroyed. its an easy and efective answer to the problem.
remember, revisions- especially in the early stages- are your friends.
My revised magic section (including the new divine domains material! ):
[spoiler]
Magic
Magic is prevalent in Astraea. Arcane and divine spellcasters of all kinds roam the streets of every hamlet, town and metropolis. Wizards are hired for their skills and clerics are sought after for healing. Sorcerers are employed as mercenaries and adventurers of all kinds. Magic items however are rare. They are treasured as artifacts, with only the strongest (or richest) wielding them.
Divine Magic
As explained in greater details under the Religions section below, divine spellcasters do not draw their power from a pantheon of deities. Rather, they use their own innate power as a fuel for their magical abilities. A clericâ,¬,,¢s (or any other divine spellcaster for that mater) domains are based upon their ideals and morals: their alignment. Alignment determines from what domains a divine spellcaster can cast from (shown below). Divine spellcasters still can choose only two domains.
Alignment Domains
LG Good, Law, Protection, Healing.
NG Good, Protection, Healing, Sun, Strength.
CG Good, Chaos, Protection, Trickery.
LN Death, Law, Magic, Destruction, Protection, Strength.
N Any (choose no more than one Good or Evil domain).
LE Destruction, Evil, Law, War.
NE Death, Evil, Trickery, Law, Magic, Knowledge.
CE Chaos, Evil, Trickery, Strength, War.
Any Air, Animal, Earth, Fire, Plant, Water.
[/spoiler]
That there is a really well-drawn map.
Quote from: Salacious AngelThat there is a really well-drawn map.
Thank you
here is a sample of my color work (this is posted in another thread too)
[spoiler=Color Map]
(//../../e107_files/public/1152581021_123_FT8977_colormapsample.gif)[/spoiler]
I hope this works
This is the "final" draft of the setting with flavor images (not original, but they won't show so don't worry about it) and all the updates plus better organisation.
Comments/questions/fears welcome
[spoiler]
Astraea: The Chaos Within
Introduction
I
t is said that history is written by the victors, and to the victors go the spoils. Heroes make and shape the world around them, crafting great adventures of daring and grandeur. In the world of Astraea you are the hero, pitting yourself against monstrous beasts and deadly traps for treasure, fame or even the damsel in distress.
Astraea is a world both familiar and strange. A cataclysmic magical event has torn apart the once peaceful realm of Astraea. A great magical artifact has been lost, destroying the past with its disappearance. Monsters and fell beasts roam the countryside. High nd dark intrigue blend and interweave to form an exciting world full of adventure. Grab your sword and prepare your spells, Astraea awaits you.
A Whole New World
Astraea is a world much more different than the one we live in today. Humans are widespread across its lands, but elves, dwarves, orcs, halflings and other races live there as well. Races as different as these have led to cultural diversity and ethnic diversity unlike anything we have ever seen. In Astraea, cultures who are as different as elves and orcs can maintain (even if fleeting) peace and acceptance between their nations. In the local pub you may see a dozen different races and not stop to think about it. The other races, while not as numerous or widespread as humans, make up an important part of the world.
The world itself is not as strange. Continents and islands rest among great seas. Mountains and rivers carve their way through the landscape. The sun and the moon live in constant opposition, rising and setting as time goes by. Recently, a smaller sun has appeared next to the first. Although it seems to have no effect on the climate, its appearance is shocking and remains a mystery to the people of Astraea.
Players
Each character in Astraea is unique, the result of his upbringing, past experiences and training. Culture, family, and the community all take a hand in his growth. Realizing this, players should not be limited to - and steadfast rules of character development. After all, they are not playing pieces of paper with a few numbers on them, they are role-playing organic, thinking and feeling characters. Have your players create a background story for their characters. It doesnâ,¬,,¢t need to be longer than a paragraph, but should answer some important questions. How where they brought up? Where do they come from? Why did they start adventuring? Is there a goal or a mission they wish to meet through their travels? Questions like these can help players connect with the game like they do in real life and also provide you, the DM, with material to shape your campaign.
Races
Races available to the players are: aasimar, dwarf, gnome, half-elf, human, high elf, orcs, Tiefling or wild elf. New races include lizardfolk and tigris (described in detail below).
Aasimar â,¬' Graced with the touch of the holy, aasimar are usually tall, good-looking, and generally pleasant. They fight against evil creatures and attempt to sway others to do the right thing.
Dwarves â,¬' Dwarves are noble warriors who excel at metalcraft, stoneworking, and war. They tend to be serious, determined and very honorable.
Gnomes â,¬' Gnomes are inveterate explorers, tricksters and inventors. They have a knack for both illusion and alchemy. Their curiosity makes them skilled engineers, as they are always trying new ways to build things.
Humans â,¬' Humans are a widespread race that tends to be adaptable to every situation. They are the most common race of Astraea.
High Elves â,¬' High elves are the most noble and regal of all elves. They are great practitioners of the arcane arts, and love all that is beautiful.
Orcs â,¬' Orcs are aggressive humanoids that raid, pillage and battle other humanoids, especially elves and dwarves. They have only recently began to be more organized and societal.
Tiefling â,¬' Twisted, devious and untrustworthy, tieflings more often than not follow their inherent tendencies to heed the call of evil. A few defy their nature, but still must fight against popular opinion or the feeling of â,¬Å"wrongnessâ,¬Â that seems to follow them wherever they go.
Wild Elves â,¬' Wild elves are barbaric and tribal. Very reclusive, wild elves are seldom seen outside of their forest environment.
Tigris
The tigris are descendents of the ancient rakshasa, a race so old only the elves remember them. They are a stalwart people who struggle to survive against the challenges of the wilderness. Tigris are natural warriors. They have pale gold to dark orange fur with black stripes, resembling a tiger.
âˆ' +2 Strength, +2 Constitution, -2 Charisma. Tigris are a hardy people, but their appearance is sometimes fearsome.
âˆ' Medium size.
âˆ' Tigris base land speed is 30ft.
âˆ' Darkvision 60ft.
âˆ' Tigris gain a +2 bonus on Survival and Hide checks while in a forest environment. Tigris always gain a +2 bonus to Move Silently checks.
âˆ' Natural weapons: 2 claws (1d4) or bite (1d4).
âˆ' Favored Class: Ranger.
âˆ' Level Adjustment: +1
âˆ' Suitable for use a 2nd level character race (at DMâ,¬,,¢s digression).
Lizardfolk
Lizardfolk are a primitive reptilian species that inhabit the tepid swamps of Astraea. They are fierce fighters and a savage species. They have dark green or yellow scales and a lighter underbelly. Many lizardfolk can be distinguished by their frills, which vary greatly. Lizardfolk in Astraea are similar to other lizardfolk except:
âˆ' +2 Strength, -2 Intelligence
âˆ' No Racial Hit Dice, Skills or Feats.
âˆ' +2 natural armor bonus
âˆ' Special Qualities: Hold Breath (see Monster Manual description pg. 169)
âˆ' Natural Weapons: 2 claws (1d4) and bite (1d4)
âˆ' Level adjustment: +0
âˆ' Suitable for use as a 1st level character race (at DMâ,¬,,¢s digression).
Regions of Origin
Characters in Astraea come from many varied cultures. They are never just an elf or a human: they are an elf from the city-state of Trueion or a cultured human from Meriador. To handle this, players may choose one starting region for their character. This choice doesnâ,¬,,¢t limit the players, but provides a backdrop for their choice in skills, feats and classes.
Dorion
Homeland to the fledgling human race, Dorion is a place of both untamed wilderness and civilized society. Humans of Dorion are versatile, able to apply themselves to any task they face.
Feats: any.
Classes: any.
Skills: any.
Prestige Classes: any.
Karraâ,¬,,¢nash Swamps
You hail from the stinking swamps or Karraâ,¬,,¢nash, home of the lizardfolk. You have learned to survive in the worst of wetland conditions.
Feats: Self-Sufficient, Track.
Classes: Ranger, Barbarian, Druid.
Skills: Knowledge (nature), Balance, Jump, Swim.
Prestige Classes: none.
LeStravia
LeStravia is as much mystery as it is legend. To the casual eye it is a structured and elaborate human society reminiscent of Victorian culture. The truth is not far off but is truly shocking to most.
Feats: Alertness, Lightning Reflexes, Persuasive.
Classes: Rogue, Bard, Fighter.
Skills: Bluff, Climb, Diplomacy, Intimidate.
Prestige Classes: none.
Maar Jungles
You hail from the feral jungles that are home to the ancient Tigris race. You know how to survive in a jungle full of predators and make a living at the same time. Your race is wary and alert.
Feats: Endurance, Self-Sufficient, Alertness
Classes: Ranger, Druid.
Skills: Knowledge (nature), Survival, Hide, Move Silently, Spot.
Prestige Classes: Horizon walker.
Meriador Isles
Meriador is an enchanted land of both beauty and terror. Humans, elves and monsters alike live in its haunting isles along with darker things better not spoke of. Civilization is harsh here, and pirates and cut-throats are the mainstream at its ports.
Feats: Track, Combat Expertise.
Classes: Ranger, sorcerer.
Skills: Survival, Listen, Spot, Knowledge (nature).
Prestige Classes: Horizon Walker.
Rugarr Holds
The rugged dwarves of Rugarr are a hardy folk skilled in crafting and masonry. They live deep in their mountain fortresses behind stalwart defenses against the dark denizens of the deeps.
Feats: Toughness, Skill Focus (craft), Great Fortitude.
Classes: Fighter, Barbarian.
Skills: Craft (any), Knowledge (architecture and engineering), Knowledge (dungeoneering).
Prestige Classes: Dwarven defender, thaumaturgist.
Sera
Aasimar find their home here, as few of them as they are. They mingle with humans and elves to create a truly unique society.
Feats: Spell Focus (enchantment), Iron Will.
Classes: Wizard, paladin, cleric.
Skills: Knowledge (religion), Spellcasting.
Prestige Classes: Hierophant, mystic theurge
Trueion
Trueion is the center of elven culture, a city state of thousands of people. The elves of Trueion delight in swordplay and magic as well as art and culture.
Feats: Weapon Finesse, Combat Casting, Magical Aptitude.
Classes: Wizard, fighter.
Skills: Use Magic Device, Diplomacy.
Prestige Classes: Arcane Archer, archmage, duelist, eldritch night.
Magic
Magic is prevalent in Astraea. Arcane and divine spellcasters of all kinds roam the streets of every hamlet, town and metropolis. Wizards are hired for their skills and clerics are sought after for healing. Sorcerers are employed as mercenaries and adventurers of all kinds. Magic items however are rare. They are treasured as artifacts, with only the strongest (or richest) wielding them.
Divine Magic
Divine spellcasters do not draw their power from a pantheon of deities. Rather, they use their own innate power as a fuel for their magical abilities. A clericâ,¬,,¢s (or any other divine spellcaster for that mater) domains are based upon their ideals and morals: their alignment. Alignment determines from what domains a divine spellcaster can cast from (shown below). Divine spellcasters still can choose only two domains.
Alignment Domains
LG Good, Law, Protection, Healing.
NG Good, Protection, Healing, Sun, Strength.
CG Good, Chaos, Protection, Trickery.
LN Death, Law, Magic, Destruction, Protection, Strength.
N Any (choose no more than one Good or Evil domain).
LE Destruction, Evil, Law, War.
NE Death, Evil, Trickery, Law, Magic, Knowledge.
CE Chaos, Evil, Trickery, Strength, War.
Any Air, Animal, Earth, Fire, Plant, Water.
Psionics
Psionics are virtually nonexistent in Astraea. In fact, the residents of the world do not even know of its existence. It was not until very recently that anyone knew anything about it. A researcher in a Sera discovered the first psionic creature: a brain mole. They are currently examining it further in hopes of discovering the secrets of its strange powersâ,¬Â¦
Gazetteer
The Creation of the World and the Races
̢,"It was a long time ago indeed. I was young then, no more than a child in our sense. It may seem strange, that the beginning was far from it, but that is where I will choose to start.
The world was already made, I was born afterwards. I was one of the second generations of the Firstborn, long before humans came about. My mother was one of the original firstborn, but I donâ,¬,,¢t recall having a father. For a long time things were pretty uneventful. There were the occasional raids by animals but we were peaceful. About a half a century after I was born was when I first encountered them. What? Oh, yes: the humans, yes. I was out gathering ingredients for my mother when one came out of nowhere. She was about my age I guess, relatively speaking.â,¬Â
- Sarelum, Elven Elder on the appearance of humans.
The Firstborn
In the beginning were the Muses, divine aspects of the godsâ,¬,,¢ portfolios, who walked the barren earth alone. Eventually, their influences took material form in the emptiness around them, forming continents and oceans and everything that is known to us today. Eventually the creation of the world was done and the muses went their separate ways: one as the moon, one the sun, one into the oceans, one the land and one became the energy of the world. Long times passed and the world developed and grew teeming with life.
Then the gods sent the Firstborn. They were the catalyst that led to the creation of the other races. The elves grew and flourished, eventually settling into what is currently the Trueion forests. They lived peacefully for hundreds of years. They grew and prospered, unknowing of the growing chaos of the deitiesâ,¬,,¢ greed. The various gods bickered and fought over their ownership of the world. Soon, they were in all-out war with each other. The elves, who had no access to magic or conference with the gods, paid no heed. The furious battle grew and at its climax, the great deities were destroyed by their own greed, leaving nothing divine but the Musesâ,¬,,¢ energy behind in their wake.
The Secondborn
The origin of the Secondborn is largely a mystery. The humans were unknown to Astraea until around 372 Ancient Times (AT). They seemed to justâ,¬Â¦appear out of the forest. Perhaps they are descendant of lone elves. No one knows and the gods will not tell. All we know is that they would be the center of the rest of history as we know it.
The humans immediately started to undo everything the elves had done: cutting down the forests, polluting the rivers. It seemed to the elves like they were a plague upon their perfect world. Thus began the first of the conflicts between the races. The War of the Beginning was fought between the plains of human Dorion and the eastern steppes of Trueion. To make a long story longer, the war ended in a bloody draw, with both sides retreating back to their original boundaries.
The results of the war were not just loss of life. In the front lines of the last battle of the war, an elven prince was fatally wounded in a great duel with a human knight. With his last breath, he called upon the ancient Muses for strength. As he died, he channeled the power of the Muse of energy and unleashed a powerful blast of energy across the battlefield. The energy was the first magic, and its introduction into the world made immediate effects on some, giving birth to the first primitive spellcasters. As it spread, the magic warped the environment, creating magical beasts and plants of all kinds.
The Thirdborn
The Thirdborn are the dwarves. After the magical anomaly, the humans of the southern mountains (currently the Rugarr Holds) changed over many years. They grew stouter and became shorter, adapting to the caves and subterranean passages they lived in. They became skilled in stonework and architecture, building massive fortresses and cities within the mountains. They became the dwarves.
Religion
When the Muses were consumed by the worldâ,¬,,¢s creation, their energy remained behind. The energy became the worldâ,¬,,¢s magic. When a spellcaster prepares a spell, he is calling upon the energy of the world, and the innate energy inside himself. When the Seranian elves split from Trueion, they believed that there was a separate kind of magic, divine instead of arcane. Really, they are using their own inner energies to muster up spells just like arcane spellcasters. However, their spells are based on their ideals (i.e.: alignment) and their domains are further derived from that.
So, there really is no true religion in Astraea. The inhabitants of Astraea worship â,¬Å"deitiesâ,¬Â but they are only as portrait assigned to their views. The true deities were destroyed long before magic was even discovered (see the Firstborn, pg.8 ).
A Seranian church
The Nations of Astraea
Dorion
Population: 500,670 (93% human, 3% lizardfolk, 2% halfling, 1% elf, 1% other)
Exports: Mercenaries, wines, ale, textiles, wool, iron ore.
Imports: Wizards, magic supplies, wood, gold, bronze, mithral, adamantite.
After the War of Beginnings, the humans retreated eastward to a large stretch of plains between the Rugarr holds, the Karraâ,¬,,¢nash Swamps and Snake River. They formed the bulk of their nation close to the southern banks of Cratre Lake. They continue good relations with the elves of Trueion but the lizardfolk of Karraâ,¬,,¢nash continually test their boundaries causing tense foreign relations. The Karraâ,¬,,¢nash Embassy in Forinal is attempting to keep the peace but that is hard between such disparate nations. If there is an escalating conflict, it may spell doom for Dorion. Dorionâ,¬,,¢s only access to the sea is from a port in the midst of Karraâ,¬,,¢nashâ,¬,,¢s swamps, and the river to it also has to traverse through most of the swampland. Since Dorion relies firmly on their exports, the lizardfolk could easily put a chokehold on Dorionâ,¬,,¢s sea-based economy.
LeStravia
Population: 370,000 (79% human, 9% half-vampire, 5% vampire, 3% elf, 2% dwarf, 1% gnome, 1% other)
Exports: Fine clothing, meats, precious stones, silver.
Imports: Iron, gold, fish, wines.
LeStravia is not what it seems and the vampiric aristocracy works hard to keep up the impression that LeStravia is just a reclusive human nation. While the human population is a great majority in the nation, they are slaves to the vampiresâ,¬,,¢ whims and motives. The vampires are currently in a neutral status with foreign nations but it is rumored that a deeper alliance with Meriador is brewing. The only country they donâ,¬,,¢t come to terms on is Sera, as their views on religion and morals are broadly different. In 850 AT they fought a brief war over their control of the trade routes in the Divide. After the involvement of Rugarr the warring nations temporarily came to terms and decided on an international trade route that reached all the way from LeStravia City to the Rugarr Holds and then through the mountains to Sera. Currently Baron von Vanderbain is the â,¬Å"electedâ,¬Â ruler of LeStravia after the unfortunate death of his older brother. In actuality Vanderbain consumed his brother and bribed the aristocracy into keeping their mouths shut. Now he is too engrained in the nation to be safely removed, and his deep-felt hatred for Sera may soon lead to another conflict.
Maar
Population: 4,570 (96% tigris, 2% human, 1% rakshasa, 1% other)
Exports: Woods, furniture, magic supplies.
Imports: Mercenaries, wines, fine clothing.
There is not much to be said about Maar. The Tigris and last remaining rakshasa are reclusive and seldom seen outside of their jungle home. What relations they do keep are with Trueion. They feel that the elves are more trustworthy than the short-lived humans or lizardfolk, and the vampires are untrustworthy by nature. Maar has played a small part in history, but has provided a small but helping hand in almost every war, especially the War of the Divide between Sera (close allies of Trueion) and LeStravia.
Meriador
Population: 192,400 (79% human, 9% lizardfolk, 5% gnome, 3% elf, 2% dwarf, 1% dark elf, 1% other)
Exports: Silk, spices, gems, privateers, precious goods, gunpowder, ships, ship supplies, fish.
Imports: Wood, magic supplies, textiles.
Meriador is the center of trade and commerce in Astraea but it is also dangerous. Its chain of islands are home ot some of the most vicious monsters and people in the world. Pirates regularly prey on its ports and its waters are haunted by a monster of legend. Due to their prime position off of Meriadorâ,¬,,¢s coast provide them with access to the trade of all the nations in the region.
Meriador is a confused nation. The inability to tame the wilderness in which it is situated keeps Meriador from taking advantage of its position. Founded from emigrants from the mainland Meriador is a cosmopolitan place where no one is unaccepted, but no one is really accepted either. It is a prime place for adventurers to make a living and many adventuring companies along with the fabled Wayfarerâ,¬,,¢s Guild make their home here.
Rugarr
Population: 165,000 (96% dwarf, 2% human, 1% halfling, 1% other)
Exports: Adamantite, gold, silver, iron, bronze, copper, precious gems, magic toys and artifacts.
Imports: Wood, fine clothing, mercenaries, ale.
Rugarr is the nation of the stout and sturdy dwarves. The dwarves used to inhabit the Fang Strip before they unleashed the vampires from a planar entrance in the deeps. They now build their great feasting halls and magnificent courts under the Rugarr Holds, the complex mountain region at the center of Astraea. The dwarves are great smiths and provide almost every other nation with the ore and minerals they need. They are also masterful craftsman, making anything from toys to complex magical artifacts. They hoard their treasure selfishly, partially because it was always stolen by marauding creatures from under the earth, but also because they are afraid of what their magic might do to Astraea.
Sera
Population: 870,400 (79% elf, 9% aasimar, 5% human, 3% half-elf, 2% dwarf, 1% gnome, 1% other)
Exports: Healing, clerics, magic supplies.
Imports: Iron, gold, precious goods, wines.
Some elves donâ,¬,,¢t like magic. That is, the way it is practitioned. They think that it is too wild even when carefully studied by wizards in their libraries of arcane. So, they found a way to practice their magic in a more divine sense. These few elves called upon the gods for their power, creating the first clerics of Astraea. Due to â,¬Å"religiousâ,¬Â persecution in Trueion, they went south to create their own nation, Sera. The Seranian elves became so powerful that the deities sent down their own mortal avatars to employ their word among the elven people: the aasimar. They became a part of Sera, turning it into a place both divine and material, a blend of exotic culture that makes Sera one of the most influential nations of Astraea.
Trueion
Population: 987,850 (96% elf, 2% half-elf, 1% human, 1% other)
Exports: Wizards, magic supplies, wood.
Imports: Gold, silver, precious gems, textiles, fine clothing.
Trueionâ,¬,,¢s history is so long it could not be accounted for in any book, however large. The elves of Trueion define Astraea as being the firstborn of the world giving them thousands of years to develop a complex culture before the other races even were born. Trueionâ,¬,,¢s growth slowed to a crawl after the War of Beginning. They began to be more reclusive, limiting their trade to the only thing they have in excess: magic. They supply the entire region with its mage wrights, war-mages and general arcane magic as needed. Even the dwarves learned their magic from the elves.
The elves have since then settled down within their forest home and kept to themselves much akin to the Tigris. The elves, using their ancient magic, stored their history in a magical book: The Firstborn. As long as the book exists, the history of the elves remains intact. However, the book was stolen along with their beloved child-queen Seloquiel in a violent attempted coup by the dark elves. The elves have since then lost all memory of their past, turning them into a confused society where the laws of the nation no longer hold sway. The High Council has been recruiting adventurers for years but none return with the book, or even at all.
Note: The Karraâ,¬,,¢nash Swamps, as they are not a true nation, are not given a place in this section.
[/spoiler]
I will link the actual document with pics on my hosting section of the sight
Mezerous has given me some EXCELLENT advice on nation and religion development. Be sure to see some changes reflecting that very soon.
~So-Keher
I've finished the setting: heres the final edit on Nations (GREATLY expanded to over double its original size)
Enjoy!
Hope you liked it!
once again questions/comments/fears more than welcome
Just a friendly bump, as Astraea is the setting of the week this week.
I'm working on a reasonable review right now.
EDIT: So-Keher? Can you put the world map in a spoiler? It's distorting the page.
Thanks. I would love it if people could take a look over the nations i added last, since no one has commented on them yet. Also i would like to note that the Faenaed Chronicles are in a large part an upgrade to this but they will have to wait for another week!
The maps have been spoiled
LeStravia seems interesting.... almost like a nation ruled by a freemason-like order. looking at the general tones of catholicism-masonry relations might help you flesh out the bad blood between LeStravia and sera.
also, have you decided what youre going to do with the gods? i'd like to see the developments on that :)
wow it's been a long time since i have looked at this (ive spent all of it developing the Faenaed).
I talked to my players and abolishing religion did not go over well with them, so I think i decided to have the gods just as images of the alignments, rather than direct incarnations of them. Sort of like the pictures on a tarot card.
LeStravia has been one of my favs. One of my PC's actually based his character bg off of it. He had his character a half-minotaur, the result of vampiric tinkering with human slaves for entertainment (who got free). It is pretty cool.
Nice catch wit hthe catholocism thing. I was actually inspired by that myself. A few books (namely the Archer's Tale/Heretic/Vagabond by Bernard Cornwell) while not entirely non-fiction, inspired my thoughts on the subject. I would like to incorporate more of that into the Faenaed as well, but ill leave that for the next CS of the Week!
what did you have in mind for the gods? i am still a little confused by them so i would love to have some other ideas!
Thanks for the feedback :)
actually, when i posted that, i didnt notice your revision of the gods role in creation. looking at that, its kinda nice. i like how greed was the acting force in the destruction of the gods.
:D i like that too
is my Kobold deity up there? lemme check.
shoot nm that's a different campaign
ElDo's review is here!
First things first: as has been said, awesome map. :)
In the history section: The early information sets a fairly solid foundation for the setting, but I'll admit I don't have a very firm timeline of what happened to help frame it. I recommend splitting your national histories with the pre-history, and establishing a timeline of events seperately to help maintain continuity.
In Dorion, the lizardfolk make up an awfully small percentage of the population for them to be a viable threat in my eyes, but perhaps there aren't very many royal/militia warriors in that nation? If so, I could certainly see why they're having such problems with the rascals. Also, how is the government of Dorion strucutured? Is there a special mercenary corps dealing with the "lizard problem"?
How are the vampires keeping ever Tom, Cleric, and Pally from starting a crusade into their nation? I'd see a whole aristocracy being a very lucrative target for both revolutionaries looking to overthrow the feudal system to the forces of good wanting to shift the balance of power. I'm curious as to what methods they're using to outsmart the good guys-- especially when it comes to things like public addresses, banquets, and any other daytime activity.
For a realm full of Machiavellian schemers, Maar sure is a quiet place. >_>
What justification do the merchants of Meriador have for simply not moving shop elsewhere? If the local navy isn't able to engage most of the pirate attacks, it seems like an unprofitable situation.
I bet those vampires from the Fang Strip have haunted the dwarves more than once-- after all, travelling underground means never having to stop because of sunlight. How does the dwarves' willingness to supply weaponry to anyone affect their relations when they are supplying opposite sides in a war? Is there some peace that is brokered to ensure the dwarves' neutrality?
How does the presence of the aasimar in Sera affect the lives of the mortals who live there? Are there any Seranians who have seen the placement of the aasimar as a sign of distrust from the gods, that they aren't responsible enough to wield the power they do?
Not much to say about Trueion.
Hope I helped. :)
Wow very in-depth thanks! However I have to admit that I had never even considered those ideas in my original draft so it may take a little while to get back to you on that! Thanks again.
Quote from: Elven Doritos1.)How are the vampires keeping ever Tom, Cleric, and Pally from starting a crusade into their nation? I'd see a whole aristocracy being a very lucrative target for both revolutionaries looking to overthrow the feudal system to the forces of good wanting to shift the balance of power. I'm curious as to what methods they're using to outsmart the good guys-- especially when it comes to things like public addresses, banquets, and any other daytime activity.
2.)How does the presence of the aasimar in Sera affect the lives of the mortals who live there? Are there any Seranians who have seen the placement of the aasimar as a sign of distrust from the gods, that they aren't responsible enough to wield the power they do?
(numbers, mine)
1.) my guess is subtle-yet-powerful behind the scenes minipulation, quite possibly seeped in centuries of highly secret vampiric tradition. unless youre asking just what those minipulations and traditions are, in which case, ill return the question to so-keher...
2.) divine distrust seems an unusual twist of a reaction.... my thought was that it was seen as more of a blessing; the basic line of thought would be similar to :Aasimar come to
us, not you.
we're the ones chosen to be in the presence of these beings."
just my 2cp on the subject....
My comments are pretty much the same as the others in the way that I can't figure out how the vampiric aristocracy keeps their hold of power. Eventually, someone is going to stumble across something. Especially if they hold the gladitorial matches.
Also, when the "attempted coup" by the dark elves stole the book, did they actually keep the "princess" or whatever girl when they did their coup?
So, Let's start the review, shall we?
Your categorisation into generations of the races is nice. Simple, but not overwhelmingly so. Pardon me as I'm reading this in order, so my questions may be answered elsewhere. Do the various "generations" have issues with who is better? Like, I was here first and such?
Alright, your nations look fairly alright here... Are rakshasas evil in your setting? Are elves good? And where precisely did the vampires come from? Perhaps a section on their origin would be useful. Also, it is mentioned that Sera and Trueion are close allies at one point, even though it is mentioned that Serans fled Trueion due to persecution. Could you perhaps shed some light on the relations between these two nations? Perhps expanding your history in the first post and moving the nations to a different post might help, allowing a more in-depth look at both.
It seems like you have taken a page from the Eberron CS here, as your elaborations on building characters based on their background sounds familiar. Of course, this is definitely not a bad thing, as this information would prove very useful. Once again, I wonder about the alignment of the rakshasas and the lizardfolk. Since these reptilian buggers are almost at war with the humans, how would an adventuring member of that race be treated? Seems like discrimination would be a big issue here.
Can you provide a link to this "essentials of a campaign world" thread? I thought I saw it somewhere...
Two small notes from your somewhat random intermediary posts. Sun and Moon duality is awesome, and if you wan to use it, there's nothing wron gwith that. Also, yay for dumping halflings! They really don't add much to a world without serious rebuilding, and if you're not in for that, so be it!
Well, oops. Looks like you revised a lot of stuff... I'm gonna make a new post to review the rest of it. Maybe you should put a note in the earlier posts to point that out so others don't make the same mistake. You can have my thoughts on the prior information, maybe some of it is still useful.
Dorion: Nice tension here, although I'd like to hear how they have achieved such good relations with Trueion since elves usually hold a grudge and the War of Beginnings wasn't exactly a minor conflict.
LeStravia: How much of what goes on in LeStravia is common knowledge? I'm just curious as to whether or not the other primarily good nations are aware of the presence of the vampires ruthless control.
It sounds like the humans have crap for a life here. Is there a reason they haven't successfully rebelled yet? I mean, how old is LeStravia? Are the vampires really that powerful, with their limited numbers? Presicely what position does Vanderbain hold in the government?
Maar: If so little is known about the Tigris, then why are they trusted? Also, tell more of this Tigris cleric? Why does he wish the tribes united? A viion perhaps?
Meriador: First question. what is the "Monster of Legend"? Can we get an actual legend for it? Why does it say Meriador is alled with Karra'nash when the lizardfolk overran them in the pat? Are they quick to forgive, or what?
Rugarr: Sounds like a fairly simple idea and tame reion, so maybe you should think up some adventure seeds for this nation. I'd think some sort of political manpulation amongst the old tribes would still be going on,a s their unification wasn't that long ago.
Sera: You mention the Aasimar, but have any other celestials decided to make their home in Sera? Also, are there any other beliefs which are persecuted in Sera? How are those without any prominent faith treated?
Trueion: The one issue I have with Trueion is that you describe it as an almost uptian society, but then the last paragraph claims that the state is in turmoil. what exactly is the status of Trueion, and how is it even still intact since the book was lost?
And that's all, folks! :P
Quote from: sdragon1984, ona'envalyaQuote from: Elven Doritos1.)How are the vampires keeping ever Tom, Cleric, and Pally from starting a crusade into their nation? I'd see a whole aristocracy being a very lucrative target for both revolutionaries looking to overthrow the feudal system to the forces of good wanting to shift the balance of power. I'm curious as to what methods they're using to outsmart the good guys-- especially when it comes to things like public addresses, banquets, and any other daytime activity.
2.)How does the presence of the aasimar in Sera affect the lives of the mortals who live there? Are there any Seranians who have seen the placement of the aasimar as a sign of distrust from the gods, that they aren't responsible enough to wield the power they do?
(numbers, mine)
1.) my guess is subtle-yet-powerful behind the scenes minipulation, quite possibly seeped in centuries of highly secret vampiric tradition. unless youre asking just what those minipulations and traditions are, in which case, ill return the question to so-keher...
2.) divine distrust seems an unusual twist of a reaction.... my thought was that it was seen as more of a blessing; the basic line of thought would be similar to :Aasimar come to us, not you. we're the ones chosen to be in the presence of these beings."
just my 2cp on the subject....
exactly (on both acounts)
when thinking of the vampires, think of the nation as a pre 1989 South Africa during Apartheid. The same reasons apply for LeStravia as they do for the white minority becoming dominant in a dominantly-black population.
i think that answers wixtor's question as well
i would explain more deeply but i think that one sentance does a pretty good job
note: the vampires will be making a much more in-depth appearance in the Chronicles. takin gin ALL of the subject matter you guys have so graciously suggested. thanks all!
Quote from: Natural 20So, Let's start the review, shall we?
Your categorisation into generations of the races is nice. Simple, but not overwhelmingly so. Pardon me as I'm reading this in order, so my questions may be answered elsewhere. Do the various "generations" have issues with who is better? Like, I was here first and such?
Most definetely. The elves especially never really TOTALLY get along with the human races just because they are younger. Think of if you had a younger brother. Mostly you would get along but there is always a small, small underlying tension due to age differences (this weaskens as you get older, appropriately)
QuoteAlright, your nations look fairly alright here... Are rakshasas evil in your setting? Are elves good? And where precisely did the vampires come from? Perhaps a section on their origin would be useful. Also, it is mentioned that Sera and Trueion are close allies at one point, even though it is mentioned that Serans fled Trueion due to persecution. Could you perhaps shed some light on the relations between these two nations? Perhps expanding your history in the first post and moving the nations to a different post might help, allowing a more in-depth look at both.
Sera, although fleeing Trueion at first, still remain their allies. They are similar in concept to the American Colonies. At first we said "screw you" to GB, but then after a while we still became allies in many world disputes. Sera, although differing in religious views, has the same mindset as the colonies.
QuoteIt seems like you have taken a page from the Eberron CS here, as your elaborations on building characters based on their background sounds familiar. Of course, this is definitely not a bad thing, as this information would prove very useful. Once again, I wonder about the alignment of the rakshasas and the lizardfolk. Since these reptilian buggers are almost at war with the humans, how would an adventuring member of that race be treated? Seems like discrimination would be a big issue here.
the rakshasas are either LG or LN. The lizardfolk are CN to CE. Yes i did take a little from Eberron but I also stress the importance (as do all of my DM friends) of character development, as we like roleplaying the best, possibly even more than leveling and killing monsters. Yes discrimination would play a large part. Hwever, keep in mind that adventureers are most certainly outcasts, therefor they are more accepted. A good mercenary is a good mercenary, regardless of race.
QuoteCan you provide a link to this "essentials of a campaign world" thread? I thought I saw it somewhere...
http://thecbg.org/e107_plugins/forum/forum_viewtopic.php?8983 (//TheEssentialstoaGoodCampaign)
QuoteTwo small notes from your somewhat random intermediary posts. Sun and Moon duality is awesome, and if you wan to use it, there's nothing wron gwith that. Also, yay for dumping halflings! They really don't add much to a world without serious rebuilding, and if you're not in for that, so be it!
:D
I think I answered a lot of questions here. If I missed anything tell me. Thanks for all the feedback guys!
Alright so I read through your material. In general, I can say I certainly like it. Here are a couple of questions and thoughts.
Edit: Disclaimer: I haven't read wat others have said so some or all of this might duplicate earlier comments. Apologies.
Organization-wise, you might consider putting up the latest material in the first and second posts. Or at least clearly pointing out what the latest material is. Now it seems you have to read the entire thread to figure that out for sure. Your July 11th and July 12th posts together cover everything correct?
I noticed you were using a list of ten assumptions about roleplaying games I have seen in the past but couldnâ,¬,,¢t find again when I looked for it. Do you have a link?
The race-name Tigris is apparently base don â,¬Å"tigreâ,¬Â or some variant of that word. Donâ,¬,,¢t you think this is a bit too obvious? Or is it deliberate, giving the same impression to people in-game as it does to me? In short, what is the point?
Lizardfolk seem overpowered at first glance, though Iâ,¬,,¢ll leave it to the experts to give a more in-depth judgement of that.
The idea of distinguishing between regions is cool, and doing so through mechanics is an obvious choice (though that not necessarily the best one). However, by pointing out some feats, classes, skills and prestige classes from core material, you are not giving me any further impression of the area beyond what the one-line descriptor already says: I can think up for myself what core material would be well-placed in an elven metropolis or a misty swamp. To me, it would be much more interesting if the region offered specialized (new) feats and (prestige) classes, not unlike Forgotten Realmsâ,¬,,¢ regional feats.
Destruction seems like an obvious Domain choice for CE clerics.
I very much like your creation story. Though the Tolkien influences are obvious, it still has some original twists and, at least to me, remains a very interesting read, whether thatâ,¬,,¢s despite or because of the Tolkien influence.
Are elves immortal in your world?
Your take on religion is cool. Will you be detailing any churches/religions/cults?
Trueion has about half of its population living in one city. Is this intentional? In fact it seems all of your countries have disproportionately large capital cities. It might be wise to multiply the country populations by a factor of ten or somesuch.
Also about Trueion, you state it is a magocracy, does this mean all of the thirteen council members are mages?
When and how did Dorion and Trueion become allies again?
Why donâ,¬,,¢t the lizardfolk take advantage of the fact that they have Dorion at their mercy (I like that idea, by the way)?
Dorion seems a bit generic. For example, the statement â,¬Å"King Sarperon is a wise and just ruler, with complete trust of his subjects.â,¬Â is a bit boring, as it leaves no room whatsoever for doubt. How about â,¬Å"King Sarperon is a wise and just ruler, but some whisper that he is getting too old for the job.â,¬Â?
Oooh, vampires and flying ships. You sure got your basics covered! :D
Without a central government, how does Maar defend against attacks from other nations?
The idea that the King of the dwarves united them through messengers seems weird at first, but is actually pretty cool. It serves to illustrate in a nice way that the dwarves actually think different from humans. Such a peaceful union would be unthinkable among humans, but the lawful dwarves donâ,¬,,¢t give it a second thought.
In general, the nations all seem quite beneficial (except the vampires, but theyâ,¬,,¢re quite far away). Iâ,¬,,¢m missing some potential for conflicts and tension here, with all the goody two-shoes leaving peacefully together. One or two of the human nations could have a few more sinister twists IMO.
In conclusion, I can say that this is a setting that is a bit too generic for my tastes. A couple of twists and some novelty would much improve it. There are, however, quite a few twists already present, so this still remains an excellent setting. Keep up the good work and be sure to add more material every now and then.
Túrin
QuoteWhat justification do the merchants of Meriador have for simply not moving shop elsewhere? If the local navy isn't able to engage most of the pirate attacks, it seems like an unprofitable situation.
I bet those vampires from the Fang Strip have haunted the dwarves more than once-- after all, travelling underground means never having to stop because of sunlight. How does the dwarves' willingness to supply weaponry to anyone affect their relations when they are supplying opposite sides in a war? Is there some peace that is brokered to ensure the dwarves' neutrality?
How does the presence of the aasimar in Sera affect the lives of the mortals who live there? Are there any Seranians who have seen the placement of the aasimar as a sign of distrust from the gods, that they aren't responsible enough to wield the power they do?
You still haven't touched on these, I believe.
wow turin im overwhelmed im sorry but right now i dont have time but ill look at your comments tommorrow thx! same @elven as well
OK i think everything is moved ot the first post.
So, Astrea is a generic sort of world, without any big hooks or gimmickry? It'll be interesting to see where you go with that, as generic-styled worlds live or die by their handling. What's this about a second sun newly appearing? I take it this world is going somewhere, and I'm curious to know where.
The map is gorgeous.
The nations themselves fail to capture my enthusiasm, for the most part. With a few exceptions, they seem to be highly simplified and isolated cliches, which is not in itself a problem, but they don't seem to go anywhere from there. We have the simple, idyllic farming community (Dorion), the reclusive jungle tribal lands (Maar), the undermountain dwarven kingdoms (Rugarr), the beautiful elven cities of magic (Trueion.) I just don't find a lot to get excited about in any of these; I can't shake the feeling that I've been there, done that, even before reading the setting.
Meriador, I like. Ships and trade open up some valuable possibilities, not the least of which is some nice cultural mixture due to travel (although 4 out of 5 people there are still humans.) There's exciting danger from pirates and from sea monsters, which is cool. (How do the pirates avoid the sea monsters?)
LeStravia is also interesting, but I can't shake the feeling that the vampire government secret would be hard to keep (what with the part about no government official ever being seen during the day and all.) I also wonder why the human slaves don't just revolt in the daytime.
All in all, I feel like the nations are all existing in some sort of isolation, or in stasis. You have some international politics, but they amount to "Country A doesn't like Country B much" and "Country C is under protection from Country D." It's not exciting because there's no tension; I'm not worried about anything, because nothing looks likely to change. Does that make sense?
I'll ask the questions I ask everybody; in the case of Astrea, I think the answers might be particularly helpful to understanding: What are the main sources of conflict? What kinds of games would you plan to run in a setting like this, and what makes this setting well-suited to them?
You touch briefly on some really interesting ideas, but then we don't hear any more about them. Where are you taking the whole "magic has consequences" idea (and what does that mean for magic-heavy nations like Trueion? Where are their consequences?) What does the sun vs. moon duality actually mean?
I feel like you have a lot of potential here. You just need to release some of that potential. There are so many things here that just need to be explored and clarified a little more.
Think of a boulder on the ground, compared to a boulder balanced on the edge of a cliff. The second image is more powerful, because it's not just an object at rest: it's an object that gives you the impression that something scary might be about to happen. The higher the cliff, and the more precarious the balance, the more suspense the boulder holds.
So you have a lot of really nice boulders here, but they're mostly boulders on flat ground. Maybe it would help to start pushing them up to the edges of cliffs?
Just a couple of quick thoughts and q's:
-Love the way you pulled the creation myth and the generations of races together. The way you handled religion is very elegant as well.
- I have to second the need for more tension. While it's a lot of fun to raid the dragon's den for swag, it's so much more fun when that dragon is conspiring to conquer the world and has shadowy allies that now are actively hunting the PC's. Particularly if the allies are highly placed in the nations on the brink of war.
- Also I'm seing a lack of reliable villains. Lestravia and the Lizardfolk are pretty much the only groups of evil baddies around, but I could have missed something.
-edit- Another thought would be to preserve the whole goodness side of things and have it on the cusp of a rennaissance.The PC's would help create a better world, in their image.
Alright, Setting of the Week, so it needs a thorough review. It looks like a very nice work, with lots of effort put into it. Any criticisms are intended to be constructive. A general recommendation after getting to the end: it's always good to edit new material into the early posts for first-time viewers, even if it is included later, as well.
MapAs others have said, very nice. You use evocative names like "The Creeping Frost," which is good. Color maps can be nice, but that black-and-white feel can also add something special to a setting.
IntroQuoteIt is said that history is written by the victors, and to the victors go the spoils. Heroes make and shape the world around them, crafting great adventures of daring and grandeur. In the world of Astraea you are the hero, pitting yourself against monstrous beasts and deadly traps for treasure, fame or even the damsel in distress.
Races[/b]
You've got a good selection going there. According to the typical thinking from
Savage Species, I'd say the lizardfolk are bit powerful for a ECL 0 race, with natural armor, natural weapons, and so forth. They're stat bonuses basically make them better versions of the half-orc, mechanically. They give up Darkvision to gain the less useful Hold Breath, but natural weapons, natural armor, and better ability mods.
My personal opinion is that the core gnome, which you seem to stick to, seems a little forced. However, since it is Core, I won't say it's a bad thing to include it. Many players do like the familiarity that offers.
I, too, removed halflings feeling they just didn't have a place in my setting. I support your bravery in being willing to change or remove a core race. You might want to edit the history section that says halflings come from dwarvs and humans, if there are no halflings.
Dorion and other NationsExcellent means of presenting information. You might consider adding a general line about the religions present in the nation (assuming you don't just use the Core idea of everybody choosing a deity from a big list and all deities being the same in all lands). That's the only suggestion I could make.
A side note on half-vampires: these are often called dhampirs (I think they are even presented as such in
Libris Mortis, or perhaps
Heroes of Horror), if having an actual name helps you any. It must be a disturbing land in which vampires and half-vampires make up a big enough part of the population to statistically represented in the demographic breakdown, even if it is ruled by vampires. I'm glad I don't live there.
You seem to use two different spelling for Truion on the map and Trueion in the text.
CharactersYeah, I always encourage a character background, though I see that more as a DM/campaign thing than a setting-based decision.
So the listed feats, skills, and classes are suggested ideas for characters from those regions? They are not required to take them?
HistoryOverall, very nice. You present a summary of events very concisely so players and others can get the quick intro. I second ElDo in saying a timeline might be good for those that really like to delve into history.
The muses are very cool. I like that.
QuoteAs he died, he channeled the power of the Muse of energy and unleashed a powerful blast of energy across the battlefield. The energy was the first magic, and its introduction into the world made immediate effects on some, giving birth to the first primitive spellcasters. As it spread, the magic warped the environment, creating magical beasts and plants of all kinds.
Thirdborn[/b]
Dwarves used to be human!? A creative new twist, kudos.
OthersSo rakshasa are not outsiders? And where do outsiders (or whatever you call them) fit in? Or do they?
Quote1. Humans dominate the world.
2. Gods are not real. Clerics follow orders based off of alignments.
3. Magic is real and can be used by anyone who learns it.
4. Opposite alignments disagree, but only rarely come to serious conflict.
5. Arcane and divine magic seem separate, but are really just different manifestations of the same energy.
6. The wilderness is separate enough from the cities to justify 3 wilderness-oriented classes.
7. There are hundreds of intelligent species of creatures, but 99% of them are considered "monsters".
8. Arcane magic is impersonal and requires no "deal" with a supernatural being.
9. Beings from other planes of existence do not interfere with the inhabitants of the world. Rather, some live in it and become a part of it.
10. Magic items are rare and treasured artifacts, and game balance proceeds from that assumption.
11. Magic is not consequence-free. Need more on this
12. Truth vs. Deception is the ethos. Exemplified in two great supernatural beings who are source of all magic energy: I like the whole Sun vs. Moon concept but is there something that is better and not so common?
Magic[/b]
Ah, we come to magic. So it is a high-magic world? You might consider adding this to one of the earliest posts so people know right away that you have lots of magic in the world.
Nice choice on divine magic.
OverallNice work. Astraea seems to be very close to Core, which is not bad (it makes it quickly accessible). I like your focus on history, and you seem to have crafted interesting nations and politics.
Quote from: Elven DoritosQuoteWhat justification do the merchants of Meriador have for simply not moving shop elsewhere? If the local navy isn't able to engage most of the pirate attacks, it seems like an unprofitable situation.
I bet those vampires from the Fang Strip have haunted the dwarves more than once-- after all, travelling underground means never having to stop because of sunlight. How does the dwarves' willingness to supply weaponry to anyone affect their relations when they are supplying opposite sides in a war? Is there some peace that is brokered to ensure the dwarves' neutrality?
How does the presence of the aasimar in Sera affect the lives of the mortals who live there? Are there any Seranians who have seen the placement of the aasimar as a sign of distrust from the gods, that they aren't responsible enough to wield the power they do?
third one was touched upon. i answered it, but phoenix confirmed my answer.