The Campaign Builder's Guild

[Edited: Invitation for open contributions.]

The world of Axa is the world in which the Hellenic Kingdoms are located. I'm just going to post a bit about the various sections to start with. So far the only thing I've got a lot of stuff on is the Hellenic Kingdoms.

Here is my home wiki page for Axa. Apart from a few odd maps and stuff, you won't find much there. But feel free to edit and add comments there.

Axa is intended to be an open project. If people want to contribute to it, feel free. PM me for details, or leave comments on the Wiki.

Thematically, I like to link my stuff to real world culture and myth, but juxtaposed in odd combinations, with magic and religion changed in subtle ways, and generally just different enough to hopefully be interesting while still being recognizable. I personally feel more interest in settings that connect with the mythic elements of our real world human existence. Thus, things like monsters, dungeons, trade, politics, are all intended to tie to those mythic elements.

Axa itself is not a heavily settled world. There are vast stretches that are unknown, and may not be inhabited at all. It is a round world, like ours,
Hellenic Kingdoms are based on ancient Greek culture, but transported to a different background history and geography. Somehow that ended up in the wrong forum, no doubt I screwed up when I created it.
Oupun - A rather warlike culture that will be based on ancient Assyrian patterns, mixed with a bit of Pharaonic Egypt.
Dwarves - They build in stone in the mountains, but they aren't exclusively miners. Their cities are a bit bizarre and fantastic from the point of view of non-dwarves, because they are highly non-linear in layout.
Gnomes - Cousins of the dwarves, they are not bards! A little more pastoral and less grandiose than the dwarves.
Beast Men - There are several different races. What they lack in manual dexterity, they make up for in strength and determination.
Elf lands - Haven't decided much about them. Reclusive and xenophobic - not nice at all.
Island Kingdoms - An odd amalgam of humans, elven renegades, and mixed breeds. Great sailors and traders, but they have a reputation for sharp practice.
Mahalic Empire - Pending further research, probably based on the Moghul period in India.
Omi Empire - Probably based on Han Dynasty.
Various barbarians, raiders, and some other odd groups. One whole subcontinent ruled by lizardmen, adjacent to some couatl-worshipping tribes that ought to be interesting to create.

Some speculation on Axa cosmology:

All is of the aether, born of the aether, returning thence at the end of time. For unknown aeons, there was only the aether, and nothing in it. Then, scarce at first but growing in strength, there came a Spirit, the first and only. The Spirit came to have awareness, but it had awareness only of itself, for it was the only thing in the aether. How long it was this way is impossible to know, for without change, there is no time. Eventually, there came the Essence - that which is. How it came about, I cannot tell. Perhaps it was merely a manifestation of some idle thought of the Spirit's self-regard.

But now there was something that was not the Spirit, for the Spirit to regard. And it came to know the difference between Self and Not-Self.

The nature of Essence is to draw unto itself, and the nature of Spirit is to draw unto Essence. But the first and only Spirit was strong, and capable of remaining separate, observing the Essence without binding to it. The Essence drew itself into great whorls and waves, then split, and drew back together again. And as the Spirit amused itself, the patterns of the Essence drew together for a great instant, then broke up into uncountable fragments in a blinding Cataclysm.

The first and only Spirit was torn asunder in the Cataclysm, and as the tiny sparks Essence began to settle into new whorls, the fragments of Spirit bound to the bits of Essence, becoming incarnate. Thus was born our world, which we call Axa, and countless other worlds besides. In the emptiness between worlds, only the more potent fragements of the Spirit can go, for our poor spirits are bound to the Essence. Lesser men call these greater spirits gods --- yet all may truly aspire to be a part of such greatness, if only they might join together to strengthen their spirit and free themselves of the binding Essence. Perhaps one day, the first and only Spirit will be whole again.

â,¬' Srivan Rabhanat, a mystic of the Mahalic Empire, from his Dreams of a Broken World

The word Axa itself means "spark" in one or another of the ancient languages of the world.

The beginning story is interesting - the style of writing I enjoy for an introduction - and I want to hear more about the Omi and Oupun (the first being based on one of my favourite pieces of history, and the second - well, if it has ANY ancient egyptian influence at all... well...

I think Oupun is next on my list for development, after the Hellenic Kingdoms, because they interact with each other so much. After that, I haven't decided.

Arcane magic description moved here. http://www.thecbg.org/e107_plugins/forum/forum_viewtopic.php?19528

I really, really want to hear about this magic system. It sounds built along the same principles as mine - more flexibility, less structured spells.

Well, in my system spells will still be dominant. I haven't completely figured out all the details, but the following properties will definitely be present:

1. Mana level will start around 1 + modifier. The modifier may be INT or CHA, I haven't decided. For primary casters this will increase by about 1 each level, so at max level it would be around 25 depending. Secondary casters will increase mana slower, like 2/3 or 1/2.

2. Each spell will have mana rating depending on the elements of the spell (Patterns, Techniques, Shape). You can enhance things like range and damage using additional mana.

3. Your mana level drops by the spell rating when you cast. It recovers fairly quickly, but not on the time scale of a single encounter. So it will be fairly easy to burn out a caster if you can keep the pressure on.

4. Spontaneous effects are generally defined to be fairly simple and straight forward. They are limited to a single Pattern and Technique.

5. Spells need to be learned - you don't get them automatically when you have the required abilities. Spontaneous effects can be created using any of the abilities you know.

More arcane stuff moved to the crunch thread: http://www.thecbg.org/e107_plugins/forum/forum_viewtopic.php?19528

You could base familiar magic off Tome of Magic Binding - it sounds very similar.

I'm not familiar with it, but I may check it out. Familiar magic would be the way most divine magic works, although the particulars would depend on the specific religion. It would probably also be the basis for druidic magic, though in that case we'd be talking about genius loci rather than extraplanar spirits.

Any opinions on learning spells? To some extent I feel like the bookkeeping required to keep track of which spells you have memorized is a waste of time, especially when the set of spells you are able to cast is already limited by the casting feats you've taken. I just keep worrying that it will end up giving casters a little too much flexibility, and make them too powerful.

Spirit magic stuff moved here: http://www.thecbg.org/e107_plugins/forum/forum_viewtopic.php?19528

Hmmm... feat-based magic.
You might consider a feat/skill version, similar to what you have in Star Wars. Just a thought.

Might work, especially since both spirit magic and Jedi are mind powers. Of course, spirit magic won't do physical things for you, unlike Jedi training. But that needn't affect the mechanics.

Hmmm...

My big things: I want to hear about the beast-men and the cuoatl worshipping trbes.

Anything on how the people of the world interact would be nice as well.

What defines your gnomes?  You've mentioned they are not gadgety or stupid bards, so what makes hem different form the dwarves you claim they're related to?

Why not make your world all human?  It may not necessarily be a very D&D friendly solution, but it seems you put a great deal of focus into religion and culture, so it could clear way some of the extra and allow you to focus on what you want.

(Answer my questions, and I'll question some more, I owe ya)

I am interested in Oupun and the Mahalic Empire.  If you're going for Assyrian/Egyptian for Oupun, what gods will you be using?  Egyptian gods like Ra, Horus, and Osiris?  Or Assyrian ones like Marduk, Erishkigal, Anu and Enlil?  You should include Pazuzu.  And Lamashtu. :)(I can help with those two if you like)
For the Mahalic, I'd like to see more of what you have and go from there.  One thing I'd like to say, though: The Thugee were awesome.