The Campaign Builder's Guild

I'm new to the community here.  The site was recommended to me by some people over at Forumopolis, so I thought I'd give it a try.

I've been developing a world designed for a sea based game.  Arcane magic is a moderate taboo.  It isn't outright banned, but people who practice it are generally frowned upon.  Generally, the world is based on Vanilla D&D 3.5.

I have the rest of the details published on my website.  The first two articles posted on the linked page.

I feel pretty confident about my ideas for the world, what I would really like help with is checking things for consistancy.  I'm worried about introducing paradoxes and plot holes.  Any help you can offer will be much appreciated.

Thanks.

I like the looks of this so far. I'm a big fan of settings that stick mainly to core rules and races, plus there aren't that many I've seen that are all 'high seas adventure'.

Welcome to the Guild. :)

Consider yourself on the list of settings to review.  I'll get on it as soon a life allows.  I really like sea adventures, and inspiration for mine is alawys welcome.

Quick question before I read?  Gunpowder, or no?

Yes, there is gunpowder.  At the beginning of the game I'm limiting guns to single action muskets and pistols.  I'll leave the developement of more advanced firearms to the players.

So, does this mean there are no cannons?

Cannons are seige/vehicle weapons (aside from the hand variety) and so I think he was speaking on personal weapons only. After all, gunpowder + pirates always = cannons.

Wow, I just read your article on the War, and I have a few questions for you.

Other than the arcane distaste, cleric love, how does the war affect modern life in Felsaf?

Is Felsaf the name of the whole world, or just a region?

What is the world like when the campaign starts?  you speak a lot about history, but provide little information on how the world is today?

Do you have a map?  Or can you at least give a description of the relative locations of the Demon Gate, the ancestral homes of the various races, and the bay of Tortuga?

Why didn't the celestials join the war against the demons earlier on?

Are you using the standard D&D planar cosmology?

Just some food for thought, and write more when you can.  It migght be a good idea to port what little you have written over to these boards, as you're likely to get more feedback that way.

By 'leave the development of more advanced firearms to the players.', do you mean the players will be able to make custom arms?

If so, are custom arms going to play any significant role in the world?

Wow, I didn't think I'd get this many responses so quickly.  To start off, I'll post the information directly in the forums here.  Later tonight, I'll get to some of the questions.  Thanks for all of your responses by the way.



History of the Great War

The Great War began 500 years ago when the wizard Imisha attempted to summon a demon of ultimate evil into the world for the promise of eternal life.  Imisha was killed immediately when the bonds she held the demon with broke.  From then on, a constant invasion from the Plane of Evil gradually beat back resistances.

The first attacks were against the human lands of the Empire.  As the Empire became more dedicated to fighting its new enemy, it began to lose control of its more remote territories.  After only 15 years of conflict, the Empire had collapsed completely.

Local human authorities took over their specific realms, but the slow progress of the demonic armies gradually swallowed up more and more land.  Many humans began to rally around the Church of Pelor for protection from the infernal armies.  The clerics and paladins who followed Pelor began to train as many people in martial and religious skills that they could.

Meanwhile, the elves organized their own resistance.  After 50 years of war, the front lines began to approach the elven forests of Nelbrethel.  The elves used hit and run tactics with archers and wizards to strike fear into the lesser servants of the Shadow Realm.  Using these tactics, the elves were able to hold the enemy at bay for 400 years.

Even as the Church sought to bring more soldiers to the front lines, the armies of the shadow realm conquered more lands.  The Dwarves, whose stony mansions had long been secure in the mountains, came under attack in the 100th year of the war.  For 100 years, the dwarves fought a bitter war underground, but were finally defeated and forced to leave their ancestral homes.

The gnomes and halflings, having little army of their own to speak of, soon throw their lots in with the dwarves and humans, respectively.

250 years into the war, a group of daring wizards found their way to portal where Imisha first attempted to gain immortality.  They attempted to use a powerful, arcane ritual to close off the portal, but the Demon Prince, Dagon, interrupted the spell.  The unfinished ritual could not close the portal completely, but it did create a seal that could not be removed without the cooperation of one representative from each of the demi-human races.  For 200 years, peace was restored to much of the world, though the demons still held much of Felsaf under their sway.

During this time, the Church was finally able to lead its first forays against the demons.  Great headway was made into the demon territory.  For the first time, the world at large learned of the seal that had been placed over the Demon Gate, but as yet, none could approach it again.  Moreover, the Prince of Demons, Orcus, watched the Gate ceaselessly.

As the Church battled its way slowly towards the Demon Gate, agents of the demons roamed through the world, searching for mortals who might be corrupted to their purpose.  They recruited many warlocks from all races with promises of power and influence once the Gate was reopened.  Once the demons had found members of all the demi-human races to help them, they set them to search for a way to open the Gate.  450 years after the first demonic invasion, the Gateâ,¬,,¢s seal was burst.  A vast stream of demons poured into Felsaf, wreaking havoc everywhere.  

The elves were finally driven to abandon their ancient homes.  They carried with them seedlings of their especially beloved plants and trees, for they knew that nothing would survive the burning hate of the Shadow Realm.  They were welcomed by the humans and dwarves, whose lines where now being tested again.  In these days, came the first union of elves and men, with the first half-elves to follow shortly.

With the added might of the elves, the Church was able to finally discover a weakness in the Demon Gate.  However, without additional aid, they would never be able to reach the gate.  The High Ecclesiarch, Armandus, set many clerics to summon allies from the Outer Planes.  A number of archons, planetars and solars answered the call for aid.  Over the next 50 years, the forces of good made slow progress against the forces of evil.  Finally, a company of Solars captured the Demon Gate itself.  Even Orcus had departed the material plane to save his skin.  Nevertheless, the problem remained that the Gate could not be permanently destroyed.  Armandus discovered through his research, that the only way to destroy the gate was to simultaneously cause a miracle to destroy each brick that composed it.  The resulting catastrophe would destroy what little was left of Felsaf.

With no other options, Armandus committed the leadership of the Church to Malthezar, his lieutenant, and rode from the gates of the capitol.  As Armandus rode west, Malthezar lead the remaining survivors of the war to regions surrounding the Gulf of Tortuga.  A small fertile land lay between the mountains and the sea and had only been sparsely populated before.

Armandusâ,¬,,¢s journey was slow.  Many demons still lived in the corrupted landscape.  When he finally reached the Demon Gate, he prayed one last time to Pelor.  The god himself appeared to Armandus in that final hour.  Ã¢,¬Å"You have served me well Armandus, through many years of terrible conflict.  You have never questioned you position until now.  Do not fear death.  Do the task that has been appointed to you.â,¬Â

Violent earthquakes rocked the City of Tortuga, and a brilliant white light could be seen on the western horizon.  The light grew until it outshone even the sun.  And in that hour, the people of Tortuga knew that the Great War was finally over.

Few people truly hate arcane spellcasters, but everyone remembers that it was a wizard who started the Great War and a cleric who finished it.

 General Campaign Notes
Pirates of the Tethys

Drawing from the style of the Pirates of the Caribbean movies of mixing pirates and monsters.  All PHB races are allowed.  Backgrounds on the various races are included here, following the general world description.

The Great War has left the interior of Felsaf, the Mainland, scarred.  This war, by some called the Wizardâ,¬,,¢s War, has left many people looking at practitioners of arcane magic with suspicion.  The arcane arts are not outlawed in most populated areas, but some more rural hamlets have been know to hang witches, warlocks, and the like.  The last thriving metropolis on Felsaf is the port city of Tortuga, with its brilliant green citadel.  The city itself is governed by a group of lords from the local district.  The Council of Lords looks primarily to the economic and military interests of the city.  The religious needs of the city are primarily looked after by the Church of Pelor, god of the noon sun, and the foe of the Stormbringer.  Many other sects and churches are also found in city, even a number of overtly evil aligned sects that hide themselves in the darkest parts of the city.  For all its shining glory and cosmopolitan population, Tortuga is a trouble city; the den of thieves, pirates, and any number of other scoundrels.  Nearly all goods that come from the Sea of Islands must first pass through Tortuga.

Members of all races make their homes in Tortuga.  Humans were the first settlers in this area and are still the most numerous.  The great citadel and many other buildings throughout the city have been wrought by the stonecraft of the dwarves.  The wondrous gardens of Tortuga were grown from seedlings that the elves carried with them out of their homelands.  Recently, gnomes and halflings have begun moving away from their tribes and families to make a living in the city.  Even a number of savage humanoids from the far north have made their way to the shining promise of Tortuga and the Sea of Islands.

 

Humans-

Humans take to the sea well as they do all things.  The City of Tortuga was originally part of a greater human nation, the capital of which was located much further inland.  When the Great War laid waste to much of the land further inland, many soldiers, merchants, and adventurers moved here to ply their trades either along the coast or in the Sea of Islands.

Notably, Lord Admiral Wilson has vowed to clean up both the City of Tortuga and all the surrounding seas.  He has become the primary obstical to all illegimate activity in the area.  For the most part, the other members of the Council of Lords ignore illegitimate activities in their districts.  Or, some may even â,¬Å"taxâ,¬Â the activities in their districts.

Dwarves-

The Dwarves of the Stonewright clan were commissioned by the Council of Lords to rebuild the Citadel of Shells in Tortuga.  Many of them have decided to relocate themselves permanently to this city of men.  The best conventional armor and weaponsmiths are still dwarves.  The dwarves largely live in their own quarter of the city, though many of the public houses throughout the city have dwarven proprietors.

Elves-

The elves migrated en masse when their capital and forest stronghold were overrun by the demons and twisted creations of the Warlocks of the Cibre.  They carried many seedlings with them and much knowledge of the arcane.  In fact, so intertwined are the elves skills in magic and nature, that many of their wizards and sorcerers will carry wands made of special woods to help them focus their powers.  To some extent, elves are the only arcane caster that many people will trust, because they are elves and â,¬Å"theyâ,¬,,¢re supposed to be magicalâ,¬Â.  On the other hand, the most fearful will distrust all elves even if they are not spell casters of any sort.

Gnomes-

With the great suspicion and fear of magic, more room has been made for the development of technology.  This is where the gnomes have found their place in society.  Their natural mechanical inclinations have lead them to be the forerunners in technological development after the great war.  The first great discovery was made by the gnomish alchemist, Gimberfizz.  He discovered a powder that could be decanted from alchemist fire.  When this powder was exposed to fire it would explode violently.  The next invention was one of their most important inventions ever: the flintlock musket.  Flintlock weapons have become a common sidearm for nearly all people who need any type of protection.  They only have one shot, but it packs a wallop.

Halflings-

Some of the sneakiest rouges and most daring pirates are also the smallest.  The halflings have taken to the underworld of Tortuga like fish to water.  Natural thieves, pickpockets, and fast talkers, a hafling is the man you want to have in your crew anytime that you want to keep things quiet and on the down low.

Half-elves-

Half-elves fill the same societal niche in Tortuga that they do in most other places.

Half-orcs and other savage humanoids-

They also fill the same niche.  Notably, they will be hired as muscle on many vessels.  However their tendency towards lower intelligence tends to limit their usefulness at running a sailing ship.  One notable exception is Grush or as he is normally known, Redbeard.  He is one of the most ruthless and feared captains on the Sea of Islands.

The Sea of Islands-

The port city of Tortuga is located at the northeastern margin of the Tethys Sea, or as it is more commonly known, the Sea of Islands.  The Tethys is virtually swarming with merchants, traders, and explorers of all kinds.  With all these other more legitimate forms of traffic comes piracy.  There are hundreds of islands in Tethys, and only a few of them have been settled with in historic memory.  There are no complete maps of the sea, and the Council of Lords have offered a sizable sum to the person or company that is the first to provide a complete map of all the sea.  Some islands have not been explored by mainlanders for many years.  Some have recently been found to house populations of â,¬Å"wildâ,¬Â natives or many different species.  In this sea, monsters are a real threat.

Alright, I'll answer the easy questions first.

There will be cannons.  And what I really meant by "the players developing more powerful guns" would be that new technologies will appear during the game.  For example, rifling, self-contained rounds, multi-chambered guns, etc.

Here's a map of the port area.  I haven't made a map of the continent as a whole yet.  I hope that this helps some of you.  The Demon Gate is located at the western edge of the continent of Felsaf.  And yeah, Felsaf is the name of the continent.  I haven't come up with a name for the world yet.

Quote from: Natural 20Wow, I just read your article on the War, and I have a few questions for you.

Other than the arcane distaste, cleric love, how does the war affect modern life in Felsaf?

Although almost everyone living now fought against the demons, they all fought for different armies.  So, to a large extent, they remain loyal to their smaller group, rather than there being any sort of big united kingdom.  This means there is a lot of political fractionation.  The Lords are only just able to maintain control.  The Church of Pelor is second up to the Lords in terms of followers and political power.

[quote1158384879]Is Felsaf the name of the whole world, or just a region?[/quote]

Felsaf is the name of the continent.

{quote1158384879]What is the world like when the campaign starts?  you speak a lot about history, but provide little information on how the world is today?[/quote]

The campaign is starting five years after the end of the war.  So really, everything is still pretty fresh.

[quote1158384879]Do you have a map?  Or can you at least give a description of the relative locations of the Demon Gate, the ancestral homes of the various races, and the bay of Tortuga?[/quote]

I've just posted a map of the general port area.  The demon gate is a long ways away.  I haven't put thought into the ancestral homes of various people yet, nor have I really thought about the continent as a whole, since there is very little likelyhood to actually explore it.

[quote1158384879]Why didn't the celestials join the war against the demons earlier on?[/quote]

This is one I'm not really sure about.  Although, the various deities have clerics and other representative in the world, I feel like they try not to involve themselves directly in the affairs of the mortal races unless necessary.  I feel that they were hoping that people would be able to fix one of their own goof-ups.

[quote1158384879]Are you using the standard D&D planar cosmology?[/quote]

For the most part yes.  I'm taking a few liberties wtih things.  For example, a few of the demons I picked based on liking the sound of their names rather than what cannon D&D resources say about them.  Also, I'm not anticipating extraplanar travel in this game.  Its really meant to be more of pirates and magic and guns.