The Campaign Builder's Guild

My inspiration for the pantheon's feel and function is the Greek pantheon.  People are religious, in that they believe in the gods, and know which god to pray to about which mortal dilemma, but they do not believe that the gods are infallible.

[blockquote Deity Spotlight: Erimond]Erimond, first son of the All-Mother, is a powerful and dedicated warrior.  He is credited with bringing order and justice to the young gods in the early days of Creation.  Most warriors pay at least some heed to his priests, and often make donations at his temples before battles for good luck.  

The priests of Erimond (the Erimin) are the most organized and prominent church in Human lands.  Their temples can be found in any major city.  They fight alongside soldiers in the army and act as healers and advisers in times of war.  They are very orderly and support strong rulers, as long as they are just and fair.  They also work to topple unjust rulers, because they believe tyranny goes against the order of nature.

Many petty warlords claim a right to rule by Erimond's example, but only the most superficial priests support those tyrants.  King Idmar is strongly supported by the priests of Erimond, because he is just and fair.  His great success at uniting the people and the nobles is largely due to Erimin support.[/blockquote]

So far, I have only mapped and detailed an area of the world about the size of New England.  I know there is another land across the sea, but have not detailed it at all.

The elves and the human Kingdom by the Sea are at an uneasy truce, with occasional border skirmishes.  The dwarves generally keep to themselves, but are almost constantly in some kind of conflict with mountain-dwelling monsters.  The warlords of the Low Plains are not strong enough to oppose either the dwarves or the Kingdom by the Sea, but they jockey for power and territory with each other.  Sometimes the warlords will pay tribute to a noble for assistance against another warlord, but these relationships are short-lived.  The nomadic people of the High Plains have moderately friendly relationships with the Kingdom by the Sea, and will trade horses with them for manufactured goods.  The dwarves pay them little mind, and the elves dislike them.  The trade route from the High Plains to the Kingdom by the Sea runs through a corner of Elven territory.

The Rifts are new enough (one or two weeks) that there are not yet many people who understand what they are, but as time goes on more people will seek to understand and exploit them.

I'm toying with the idea of the Rifts inspiring some kind of upstart religious sect.  They may believe that the Rifts are the sign of coming doom, or they may recognize it as the beginning of a new era of creation.  Or there may be one sect of each and they can fight.

[blockquote LordVreeg]I would probably, were the choice mine, have one or 2 of the older gods that are ancient and perhaps tired and nihilistic actually be secretly pushing along an agenda to end their time. Perhaps aiding this Wizard without his direct knowledge to end their time. A tragic god, perhaps the God of feelings: or a God of conflict that has seen enough endless war...[/blockquote]

That's an interesting idea.  I do have a particularly ancient god, who is mostly withdrawn from the world.  Perhaps she knew the ambitions of this wizard and is helping him to craft her replacement without his knowing it.  Perhaps she feels dissatisfied about how the mortals treat the world she created for them, and wants to see how they fare under a god of their own creation.

That definitely has its merits.

1/2. I'm now backing away from the idea that some outside force is pressuring the Wizard into these actions.  It makes for a decent story, but I would like to keep it a little simpler.

I think that he discovered the method through his own research, though it is mostly an experiment still.  He has studied ancient religious texts about the formation of the gods and performed his own experiments on the nature of matter, and combined the knowledge he gained.

3. The most interesting thing to me about this idea is that the force opposing the heroes is primarily one of creation and change instead of death and destruction.  I like the weather and mutation effects you mentioned.  I hadn't thought at all about weird time effects, but that could be a very cool encounter if they get a glimpse of the distant past or future.

The current gods will certainly have a say, but as none of the PCs is a cleric, or in any way religious, I don't want to make the current gods or their priests be too active- they would just steal the spotlight from the PCs.  If a religious character joins up or the PCs get on good terms working with a church, I would be more inclined to play up that aspect.

Rift Zone (w/ a clue):  A very small village has a wooden carving of the town heroes in the main square.  They were famous for defending the village against marauding bandits in the early days of the settlement.  People often touch the statue for luck and protection when undertaking trips.  A rift has awakened these carvings.  They have come to life and now are 'protecting' the village by keeping out all strangers and preventing any villagers from leaving their carefully guarded homes.  The carved heroes all now have a glowing rune on their foreheads.  The mark is the same as the new constellation that appeared in the sky at about the time the rifts began.

A very conservative distribution of magic would leave powerful casters (a rare resource) stationed in well-defended locations.  They could provide magical defenses and also prepare scrolls and wands for lower-level casters stationed at more remote or dangerous locations.  This keeps the real magical talent out of harms way, but also allows for a steady stream of magical power out to the front.

-OR-

A mobile unit of magical cavalry stationed in a central location.  They could travel as needed and bring magical superiority to one conflict at a time.

QuoteI don't think you CAN be too cliche'd with an rpg scenario. You depend on certain tropes to give the players a grounding of familiarity. Straying too far from cliches often leaves the PCs not knowing what to do...

Sometimes I forget this as a DM.  I always think of the story as if I were writing a book.  But when I think back on my favorite gaming moments, they were ALL cliches.  

 

QuoteI like the idea that the wizard is both being used by and making use of some otherplanar being. Perhaps the other being believes it will become a god by the wizard's acts; but the wizard believes that HE will rule the god, by right of creation. Therefore they are working together but each intends to reap the advantage at the end (either by betraying the other or simply through the successful result of their plans).

Maybe a deceased God that wants to be brought back to life?  Or a powerful Demon (dragon?) than wants to be lifted to God status?

Idea 1: being arrogant, this wizard WANTS to be discovered (so he can show off) by anyone smart enough to figure out what he's doing, so does nothing to cover his tracks at the sites of his experiments.  It's like a test to see who is smart enough to be let in on his secret.

Idea 2: The God isn't finished yet, so he doesn't want to out and out declare victory because he is still afraid of the military powers that could be set against him.

Idea 3: The God Baby is held captive by the wizard, and has yet to fully develop.  Each act of the wizard helps to mold the new god into its desired shape, but at game start, it is only about 5% mature, and still largely unformed.

Idea 4: Destroying the God, or preventing the creation of the God are not possible... the wizard has started a ball rolling that he hopes to steer, but cannot stop (he may not know this, and assume that he can kill the God if things start to go sour)

Idea 5: Victory for the PCs will be freeing the new god from the wizard's control, or if they decide to be more self-centered, wresting control of the God from the wizard. (this removes one of my concerns - that I didn't want the players to be able to defeat a god)

I originally wanted to make a villain that the PCs really love to hate for obvious reasons, but if he is generally thought to be benevolent there will be social pressures preventing them from assaulting him unless they have irrefutable proof.  If they decide to attack him based on their suspicions, they will lose the support of the people.

They may even know him as an ally or advisor.  I really like this for the Master Villain, now I just need to add a love-to-hate-him style minion.  The PCs could face the minion, who they thought was the ultimate villain only to uncover the twist that he was working for the Master Villain, a former ally.

Thanks for the thoughts, Tybalt.  It really got my brain going.

For your consideration:

Premise:
New gods are being born.  The energies from their birth are reforming the fabric of the world.  Sometimes this has disastrous results.


Places:
Durchim: Royal City.  Guardian City.  King Idmar rules here.  Known for court, martial prowess, metalwork (arms), and musicians.
Arden: Durchim's Sister City.  Eyes of the East.  Lady Rhodimir, Archduchess of Arden, rules here.  Known for artists, smiths, fine metalwork (mechanics) and glasswork.
Riglind: Lord Barton, Earl of Riglind rules here.  Known for woodworking and shipcraft.  
Subberg: Gnomes and Humans live together in this foothill town.  Ruled by the trades council, with representatives from all the trades working in the town. Known for fine silver and gold work, gem work, and unique magical items.  Trading town for humans, elves, dwarves and the horsefolk from the plains.  Trades council pays taxes to the King by the Sea for military protection.
Vinkirk: Populated by a mixture of Humans, Halflings and Gnomes.  Archpriestess Talus is the de facto ruler of this small hamlet.  Farming, mining and quiet religious study are common here.
Stonehome: Home city/state of all dwarves.  Those who do not live in Stonehome proper live in outposts, camps and small settlements scattered throughout the mountains.  Population: 25,000.  Known for stone and metalwork of all kinds.  Brorsolir IX, the King in the Mountains, claims dominion over all the mountains from the Great Cliffs in the north to the headwaters of the River Andrews.  Regular patrols keep the best mountain passes clear of trolls and giants.  During the winter, construction projects are undertaken in the undercity and mines.  Mushrooms are a staple of the diet.

Sunken Cities/Old Cities: Lie at the base of the Sunken Mountains.  The sunken mountains are all overgrown, and most people refuse to go near them.  Strange sounds can be seen some nights, and sailors report hearing weird noises as well.  They are ruins from a prior (dwarven?) civilization.  Lore and relics are occasionally recovered.

High Plains: Nomadic horse-riding tribes of all species.  Occasionally large coalitions of tribes will form for some common purpose, and sometimes they will swear fealty to the either the Elf-lords, the King in the Mountains or the King by the Sea for short periods of time.  Many tribes are territorial and hostile, but few are aggressive.

Low Plains:  Men hunt here during late summer and fall.  Herds of bison roam here.  Occasional wildfires.  Few permanent settlements, mostly small farming freeholds.  No government.  Warlords and bandits.  Quite inhospitable in winter.  It is said that wise seers can use certain plains-grasses to read the future.

Deep Forest: It is dangerous for non-elves to wander here uninvited.  Stay to the East of the river.

Swamp: Few dare set foot in the swamp save brigands and smugglers for it is teeming with serpents, and their ilk.  Ancient powers still reside there and the beasts do not approve of encroaching civilization.

Pantheon:
Vosnip: -benevolent joker, trickster, middle child, ingenuity- favored by humans
   Magic, Trickery, Knowledge, Luck NG
Erimond: Oldest child, martial prowess, order of all things favored by warriors and many rulers    Strength, Law, Good, Protection, Healing, War LG
All-Mother/Ancient One:  Birther of world, and all other gods.  Left world to other gods, no longer meddles in mortal affairs.  Elves still revere her, and many druids do as well.  
   All domains, all alignments.
Waxpik: -second child, explorer, wanderer- favored by some humans
   Travel, Sun, Water, Air TN
Mason: all craft and skill, beloved by dwarves
   Earth, Healing, Knowledge LN
Devranon: lover of all wilderness
   Animal, Plant, Air, Earth, Fire, Water NG
Lormir: jealous defiler and ruiner, hates other gods and living creatures
   death, evil, trickery, destruction, war, undead, chaos CE

People (sorted by location):
In Riglind
Lord Barton, Earl of Riglind '" Male human aristocrat 12.  Smart, cultured, loves ships.  
Magon '" male human Wiz 10.  lives in a lonely tower atop a hill near to Riglind proper.  Chief advisor to Lord Barton.  middle-aged, clean-cut, well-kempt, good memory... basically the opposite of every stereotypical wizard.  He is secretive and protective of his spell-lore.  
Sir Danby '" Male human Ftr 4.  Son of Lord Barton.  Loves horsecraft, ambitious.  He has several local men-at-arms who are loyal to him.  He hopes to assemble an army and invade the deep forest for access to larger trees for ship-building and to open a road for easy trade to the horsemen in the High Plains.  Does not seek to kill all elves, just wants a part of the forest.  Average intelligence, somewhat rude, certainly selfish at times.  Always dresses in military garb, spends a lot of time hunting with his men.
Roger Stadtler '" Male human Ftr 2 Danby's right hand man.  Son of a wealthy merchant, but not noble.  Hopes to be granted a noble title by Danby as he gains status.
Lorimba '" female half-elf cleric of Waxpik 7.  Broken leg, doesn't travel anymore, but blesses new ships at the shipyard and oversees the preparation of masts and sails.


Brainstorm/Cosmology:
Magic energy from the Ancient One still infuse some places.  Items from those places are prized by wizards, but those areas are universally wild and chaotic.

Rift Zones - places where the new divine energies are re-ordering the universe.  Causing unexpected and unusual occurences, new creatures, mutating old creature.  EX: in dead of winter, area bereft of snow, like a rainforest inhabited by fire-plants )some mix of intelligent plants and fire elementals.

Death and life '" souls are borrowed from the essence of the world for the duration of your life.  They return to the world at death.  Unresolved issues at death can lead to improper re-integration (spontaneous generation of mostly incorporeal undead).  Souls can be forced into other vessels at the time of death (creation of most corporeal undead).  Among all people, regardless of god, there is a great deal of superstition that encourages land, and ancestor worship/appeasance.

Questions/Comments/Concerns?
thanks for reading

I am toying with a Main Villain for a new campaign.  My initial concept of the campaign is that the world is at a turning point between eras.  The World-birther created the world and all the existing gods.  Now, there are major rifts in the world as various divine energies are re-aligning.  So far they just cause unexpected supernatural phenomena, but ultimately they are indicators of the creation of a new pantheon of gods.  I would like the players to follow clues found at the sites of these disturbances which point them eventually to the Villain and his experiments.  

My villain is (everyone say it with me) a wizard.  He is an arrogant bastard who thinks he has unlocked the secrets of the universe and will create a new god in his image.  His experiments are either causing or worsening the rifts in the world.  The villain is forced to hire himself out as a magic-man to warlords in order to finance his experiments.  He views less intelligent people (everyone) as sub-human and will put them in their place when he makes his god and starts the new order of things.  He is frustrated because he believes that he undersdtands the workings of the universe, but has not yet been able to use the knowledge to achieve power.  He resents the fact that his mighty intellect is still subject to petty physical rulers and their armies.

I really liked this idea when I had it, but now I'm feeling a little dissatisfied and at a loss for inspiration to improve upon what I have.

Food for thought:
Is Villain actually capable of creating a god?  Is he barking up the wrong tree?  Is he barking mad?
Where did he gain his understanding of the world?  Is he being manipulated by some un-, sub-, para-, or supernatural force to raise them as a god in this world?
What happens when the new god is created?  
Maybe his understanding of the world is flawed and his experiments are causing these rifts, but are not bringing him closer to raising a god, and are simply tearing apart the world.


I'd appreciate any reactions you fine folks may have.  I still like the idea, but now it feels more like a skeleton of an idea, but there isn't anything to sink your teeth into.  Is it too cliche?  Am I overthinking the whole thing?

Thanks again.

I like the contradicting stories in the new concept.  Both the mages and the priests claim to have saved the world, which could lead to some interesting conflicts.  As a player, I would prefer not to know who was actually right about that.  

Some Shards could side with the mages and some with the priests depending on whose story they believed.  It would make traveling a little more dangerous if you didn't know the political leanings of the Shard you're about to land on.  

As a GM, I'm curious about the actual events that saved the world from the Shattering.  Which story is true?  Or are parts of each story true?

[ic]Here is some RL science about Alpha Centauri and Sirius
Sirius is a binary system. The primary star, Sirius A, is a main sequence star like our sun, but is larger and hotter, appearing bluish-white.  The secondary star is a white dwarf. They are about 20 au apart and have an orbital period of 50 years. No planets have been discovered, but it is theorized that planets could form and support life.

Alpha Centauri is a binary star with a third star orbiting the main binary star. Alpha Centauri A is slightly larger and brighter than our sun, while Alpha Centauri B is somewhat smaller and dimmer.  Both are main sequence stars.  AC-A and AC-B have an elliptical orbit from about 11 au to 35 au with a period of about 80 years. They are orbited by a red dwarf named Proxima Centauri at a distance of 13,000 au with a period of about 500,000 years. It is theorized that terrestrial planets could form around either A or B, but that gas giants would be unlikely to form because of the gravitational effects of the binary system.
[/ic]

 [ooc]
Here is some made up science for Dog Star Blues

Sirius A was once orbited by 6 planets.  The 5 closest planets were terrestrial and ranged in size from roughly .8 to 3.5 the mass of the Earth.  The farthest planet was a gas giant slightly smaller than Saturn.  No planets orbit Sirius B.  When the Ptolemy arrived in the Sirius system it discovered that all five terrestrial planets had been destroyed and a large cloud of asteroids now fills the inner orbits of the star system.  The only remaining planet was the gas giant, which is now known as Miracle.  Miracle has 15 known satellites, the largest of which is about 1/2 the size of the moon.  Colonists in the Sirius system harvest gases from Miracle to replenish their ships' atmospheres and to use in the production of synthetic compounds of all kinds.

There are three terrestrial planets around AC-A. From closest to farthest they are: Carsuan, Terranova, and Telemachus. Carsuan is dense and rich in minerals, but is not suitable for permanent habitation. There are some mining installations on the planet and a lot of construction yards in orbit.  Terranova is habitable now. The atmosphere is the right pressure and temperature, but there isn't enough oxygen yet. They've slowly been increasing the oxygen levels, and there are some valleys with enough to walk around without a mask, but most of the cities are in domes.  Telemachus is too cold to be really terraformed. It's habitable, in the domes, but it will never get enough sunlight to trap enough heat to keep the surface habitable on its own.
[/ooc]

Here's a question for you long time Guild members:  can you point me to a world or two that you think is presented in a well-organized and understandable manner?  I'm having a tough time figuring out a format for my presentation.

Thanks

Here is a detailed write-up for the League of Independent Skippers.  It follows the format from the D20 Modern Menace Manual for factions.

[ooc]League of Independent Skippers

The League is a civilian spaceflight organization. They try to increase regulatory transparency, develop safety standards, host competitions and trade shows and fund exploration efforts. They sometimes provide legal counsel for space traveler's against the Centauri-Sirius Spacecraft Administration's byzantine rules.

Agenda: Act as a public conscience for the CSSA.

Structure: dues-collecting professional organization

Symbol: An ancient sextant, orbited by a modern spacecraft

Most Common Allegiances: League of Independent Skippers, Good, Nimbarkan Free Colonies

Requisition Limit: 25(Licensed) see text


Overview
Formed shortly after the arrival of the Nimbarka in the Sirius system, the League of Independent Skippers developed to oppose the strict spaceflight regulations being imposed by the Sirius Colonization Fleet at the time.  In the early days, it was illegal to use fuel or other resources on 'non-vital' tasks because the Ptolemy's Mission Commander wanted to save enough fuel for a return trip to Earth.  The League sided firmly with the Nimbarkans who wanted to make the best of the situation and start their new life in the Sirius system unhindered.

As the SCF slowly began to acknowledge that making a life in Sirius may be the only hope for the stranded colonists, their antagonism lessened and the League began to expand its repertoire to include advocacy and research into improving spaceflight systems.


Structure

League membership is open to any private citizen who owns or commands a spacefaring vessel.  Anyone who meets those criteria may pay the initial application fee to become a member.  Members vote on officers (President, Vice President, Treasurer, plus committee chairs and representatives for the various action committees the League is focusing on for that election cycle).  Members are always eligible to observe and speak at committee meetings, but only elected officials may cast votes.  Annually, each action committee will present finished proposals to the membership at large for approval.  The officers are supplemented by volunteers within the organization as well as professional office staff.


Member benefits include a subscription to their internal newsletter, discounted subscriptions to trade publications and eligibility to attend League functions.



Bases of Operations

The League's home office is on Nimbarka Station. Regional offices are located on Ptolemy Station and on Terranova.


Resources

The League has little in the way of direct resources. Their holdings are limited to their three offices, but individual members may have great personal resources and frequently will lend those resources to the League or to other members upon request.


Involving the Heroes

It is likely that the heroes, in the course of their adventures, will come into possession of a spacecraft. As a matter of course the League will be interested in the heroes' activities. This may take the form of invitations to the heroes to join, or promotional offers explaining the benefits of membership. As members, the heroes may be involved in developing new rules or codes for spaceflight operations. They also may be involved in rescue operations.


Using the League of Indipendent Skippers

League members are sworn to help vessels in distress. This is the most likely way the heroes will encounter any league personnel. Also, if the heroes get in trouble with the CSSA the League may help them mount a legal defense.


Learning About the League of Independent Skippers

Gather Information The League makes no particular effort to conceal its activities (except where member privacy may be a concern), so gathering information about them is hindered only by the fact that they are relatively unknown.  The GM should feel free to apply up to a -5 circumstance penalty to the check if the League is particularly uncommon in the area.
Check DC-Information Learned
5-Find out if any local skippers are associated with the League; tell if local sentiment is in favor of or opposed to the League
10-Find out if a particular skipper is a member
15-find out where the local hangout is for League members
20-learn the personal contact information of League members in the area


Knowledge (Current Events)The League will occasionally publish public service announcements, op-ed pieces, or technology bulletins.  Someone with a knowledge of current events can get information based on the publicized activities of the League.
Check DC-Information Learned
1-know if the League has been in the news lately
5-remember the main point of the most recent story about the League
10-Know some details of publicized activities, and have a rough idea how often the League has been in the news lately.
15-Know quite a few details about recent and upcoming League activites, such as meetings, rescues they were involved in, and if they have published a new standard or guideline.
20-Know the topic and content of the most recent League publication.


Research By searching newspaper databases, phone directories, and corporate profiles, the following information may be obtained with a Research check.
Check DC-Information Learned
5-Location of offices and contact information for public relations officer.
10-Contact information for other officers
15-Membership directory, including names of people and ships; obtain copies of published material including press statements and articles about the League
20-obtain news items about members, even if the League isn't specifically mentioned in the article



Members
Members may be any race, nationality, religion, gender or political affiliation, but they must own or command a spacefaring vessel.  Given the political mission of the League, it would be highly unlikely that a CSSA captain would want to join, but such a member would be allowed.


Sample Member

Not much is known about the captain of the ISS Recalcitrant, but she is widely regarded as one of the finest skippers and most trustworthy arbitrators in the Sirius system.  She made her first appearance in the public eye in DSY 26, when she performed a daring rescue that the Sirius Colonization Fleet had deemed too dangerous.  A mining colony in the asteroid belt had suffered a violent depressurization of a habitat dome and was blown onto a collision course with another nearby asteroid.  At the time she was merely piloting a small prospecting craft, but she managed to rescue a family of miners who were certain they were doomed.  Despite her young age and suspicious background, she was an overnight sensation.  She was given a hero's welcome when she returned to Nimbarka station, and a mysterious benefactor offered her the command of the recalcitrant.  Now she is a powerful proponent of the League and has an uncanny knack of always being in the right place at the right time to settle disputes between spacers and the CSSA.

Jaquelyn Mudcarthy (Dedicated 5/Charismatic 3/Negotiator 2)
CR 10; Medium-size human; HD 8d6+2d8; hp 41; Mas 10; Init +4; Spd 30 ft; Defense XX, touch XX, flat-footed XX (why); BAB +5; Grap +5; Atk XX; Full Atk XX; FS 5 ft; Reach 5 ft; AL Nimbarka Free Colonies, Good, ISS Recalcitrant; SV Fort +7 Ref +3 Will +13; AP 8; Str 10 Dex 10 Con 10 Int 15 Wis 18 Cha 16[/ooc]

Quote from: Raskolnikov On The StairsWould you be willing to discuss some themes that DSB will explore?

I'd love to.  The primary question is "How will people act when they have a chance to start from scratch?"

I want to create some tension between the Centauri Colonies, which are older, more established, and very much still in the control of the corporations and organizations that funded the colony and the Sirian Colonies which are still relatively young and seeking to find their way in a harsh environment with no one really watching over their shoulders.

Ptolemy station represents a cautious, stick-to-the-plan type response, whereas Nimbarka Station represents a try for something new.

I don't really want to come out in favor of either side exactly, but having those three groups allows me to show the strengths and weaknesses of each system.

Those are the main political themes, but I hope that the main thrust of the game is not entirely political.  I want the political themes to help with character hooks and drive the occasional mission.