The Campaign Builder's Guild

I agree it will be much easier as disease. I should probably make it resistant to remove disease though, because that would make it pretty easy to cure the world.

Thanks for the comments, and sorry for not replying sooner. Thanks for the book references. Yeah, I've always thought casters were more powerful than fighters. That's part of the reason I'm doing this. Yes, it is rather dark. Especially if the illithids are the reason this is happening...

This thread is one that I originally posted in the WOTC message boards, but I moved it here because the thread didn't really kick off very much, so I wanted to ask the great creators of the CBG for some help. So, in my campaign, which is set in Forgotten Realms, I plan to have an organism invade the material plane that affects all magic users and psions (there are two types, one for magic and one for psionics). At first, the organism is undetectable as it spreads to its targets through the Weave and telepathic links. Then as it begins to take hold, it starts to affect their ability to cast. It makes the magic user/psion subject to the wild magic plane attribute table (Manual of the Planes). After a period of a few months, the caster/psion starts to lose his or her sanity when they use their powers (Unearthed Arcana Sanity). My idea is this organism is the scouts of an invasion from the Far Realm. One of my questions is, does anyone have any information on the Far Realm, I don't know much about it, and maybe you can direct me to a place that has information on it? Also, does anyone have any suggestions on how I should approach this? I like the idea, but it puts casters and psions at a major disadvantage to everyone else in the party. It makes them a liability actually. Also for the stats of the organism, I might make it a swarm, but more than likely it will have to be microscopic with the ability to combine into a bigger creature. It was suggested that I should make it some kind of disease on the casters, and I'll think that one over. I envision them to be like the Borg from Star Trek to make a good comparison. Perhaps I could make a template out of them.

I agree with both ends. Stereotypes are bad, but they can only be thrown out to a certain point. I will think about ways to make some nations that aren't stereotypes. I really like the way that the dwarves are going right now. Maybe I'll twist the halflings or gnomes in some ways. Or the half-orcs, since they are a new race to the world (orcs had a late arrival). Or better yet, I'll change the orcs which will affect the half-orcs as well. I'll think about it.

That's an interesting idea. Maybe they could've found a special gem deep underground that they could eat.

Sorry guys that I haven't posted for so long. Internet has been down (that's what I get for living in the capital city of the middle of nowhere).

I may not have made this clear about the dwarves, but I was thinking of them being magically altered by very powerful evil wizards in experiments that actually made them elementals, just dwarfish (doing regular dwarf activities). That would eliminate the need for food, but now I think it would be better if they didn't become actual elementals, and settled in the Underdark and made an alliance with the drow. I would have to think of a way that work though because they don't really like each other that much. They both hate the elves. That's a start. The drow could supply the dwarves with provisions and the dwarves could supply them with metals for weapons and armor. Then they plan to one day attack the surface races (can you say campaign idea?). That's one solution. It needs some fine tuning if I plan to use it, but it's a start. I would have to think of more ways for the dwarves to help the drow for it to really work.

I like the idea of them finding some sort of elemental way to grow food. Or they could have made contact with races that live in the mountain range. I would stretch the "no one seeing them since" to "no one the elves or Draharthea recognize as people has seen them since. I have some other races they've done this to. Like the forest dwelling wolf-men that they didn't understand/feared because they feared they were somehow connected to lycanthropes. Originally they were a race that moved out of the continent and onto an island in habited by forest giants, but I can change it to a forest in the mountains easily. The wolfmen were deemed "savages," but they are actually quite wise. Many of them are philosophers, and they are quite kind to travelers. They would help the dwarves.

I would say they probably have secret cities close to the surface to trade with the races in the forest of the mountains. Now I can say that people have gone searching for them, but no one has come back alive (can you say plot hook?). The dwarves are actually very powerful. They have  many spell-like abilities that deal with earth. If anyone has every seen the Nickolodean show Avatar: The Last Airbender, think of the dwarves as superpowered earth benders. They are just waiting for the opportune moment to get their revenge. I could post their stats sometime.

Quote from: SilvercatMoonpawI have all sorts of approaches to nations.  One interesting way is to think of a person, group, or species and try to figure out what sort of nation they'd live in based on factors such as whether they are the majority or minority, whether they "fit in" or "stand out", whether they agree with the way the society works or not, etc.

Let's pick apart what you have to take a look at it's workings:
"a nation of dwarves that is deep underground and doesn't ever come out"
Very standard.  I reiterrate the suggestion that you figure out why these dwarves are the way they are.  Too many people just stereotype dwarves without exploring their possibilities.
"Draharthea, a race of pure good humanoid altered dragons that has an empire and is basically the ruling power of the world"
What does "pure good humanoid altered dragons" mean?  I feel that could be written better.  Until then I don't get the concept.
"Avondale, a nation of humans that hates Draharthea for occupying them for over 50 years and for trying to stop them from expanding their borders"
Now this is interresting: what you seem to be saying is that the greedy, explansionist nation is the one being occupied rather than the other way around.
"an elven nation that is allied with Draharthea"
Need more before I can comment.
"Flandrea, a nation of elves, Half-elves, and humans that tries to stay neutral because it is a relatively small nation in the middle of the conflict between Draharthea, the elves, and Avondale, but they secretly support Draharthea"
Why are they neutral?  It seems that with the elven nation allied with Draharthea and Draharthea occupying Avondale there isn't anyone to be against.
"Kaleas, a desert nation that is based off Ancient Egypt, a nation of magic, a magocracy with an ogre mage as it's ruler, mostly humans however live there"
Ogre mage as ruler.  What kind of ruler?  Cruel?  Sadistic?  Noble?  Benevolent?  Just the fact that you have a nation ruled by a monster that doesn't get that much press as anything but an ajunct is a good start.
"Nomadic halfling tribes; barbarian tribes"
Climate is a key factor is deciding what the culture of this tech level is like.
"a nation of serious, crafty, inventive gnomes"
Serious as in not pranksters?  Crafty as in scheming?  Certainly works over the bubbling fun-lovers from core.  Do they maintain power with their fabulous inventions?  Do they sell said fabulous inventions to other nations?

1. The Dwarves were driven underground by the elves and Drahartheans about 10,000 years ago. No one on the surface has seen one since. Many were subject to cruel experiments performed by evil wizards that transformed them into elemental versions of dwarves.
2. I'm sorry about the descriptions I gave as a whole really. The Drahartheans came into being when the God of Elves took some of the good dragons made by the God of good dragons and transformed them into a humanoid creature which draconic powers. Over the generations, however, these powers lessened. They are long-lived humans that are far more beautiful than the average human. The reason for the the alliance of the elves and Drahartheans is because of the friendship of the two gods. Drahartheans believe they are the force of pure good in the world, and this notion is causing them to fall into arrogance and corruption. In an attempt to "save the mortals from themselves", a Gold Dragon has killed the King and assumed the King's appearance.
3. I can provide more info on Avondale if you need it. For example, there is a resistance force that is working to end Draharthea's reign without the government's approval (although they probably wouldn't object to the idea). They have help and spies everywhere. They're main supplier is a family of people who mostly have draconic blood in them. This is the mafia (I will call it something else but I don't have a name for it yet). This mafia is known and feared world wide.
4. The elven nation, Larethion, is a somewhat cowardly nation. It pursecutes races that it fears, then calls for Draharthea's help if they find the race wants to fight. This is mostly due to the royal line of old dying out, leaving the rulership to another family known for its cowardice. They are racist against humans, whom they believe to be an inferior race. Some elves secretly support the humans and are helping them to form a resistance.
5. Flandrea is neutral because Avondale borders them to the East and South (it is the land that Avondale was trying to gain when it caused the war when they were occupied afterward), while Draharthea is on their northern side. Draharthea used to be across a huge body of water, but I might be changing the map so I don't know. It is run by a council of 11 Lords, Princes and Princesses.
6. The Ogre Mage is a noble and benevolent ruler to most of his subjects (he has a very short temper and usually doesn't bother with trials for convicts, just kills them), but the slaves wouldn't say so. The slaves bring huge amounts of stone to building sites, where the spellcasters of the nation use the stone to build great structures to the gods and to their King, who they believe is a messenger of the gods.
7. Yes, they aren't pranksters. They make inventions and sell them to warring nations mostly. They often scheme and make bets with one another on who can make the most profit off the other nations. They also like to bet on who can make the most destructive "toy."

I hope that helps a little more than my original descriptions. Upcoming, a nation of evil monsters!

Thanks for the advice. It really helped. Does anyone have any suggestions for interesting nations?

Hey guys,

I'm trying to add a new feel to my world by adding in some new nations and adding flavor to the old ones, but I'm kinda stuck. So far, I have a nation of dwarves that is deep underground and doesn't ever come out; Draharthea, a race of pure good humanoid altered dragons that has an empire and is basically the ruling power of the world; Avondale, a nation of humans that hates Draharthea for occupying them for over 50 years and for trying to stop them from expanding their borders; an elven nation that is allied with Draharthea; Flandrea, a nation of elves, Half-elves, and humans that tries to stay neutral because it is a relatively small nation in the middle of the conflict between Draharthea, the elves, and Avondale, but they secretly support Draharthea; Kaleas, a desert nation that is based off Ancient Egypt, a nation of magic, a magocracy with an ogre mage as it's ruler, mostly humans however live there; Nomadic halfling tribes; barbarian tribes; and a nation of serious, crafty, inventive gnomes. Any suggestions on ways to improve on my existing nations, or suggestions for new ones? Thanks. Sorry about the length of this post by the way.