The Campaign Builder's Guild

Because I don't have enough different projects underway, I'm starting to design a new campaign world. My players and I brainstormed it for an hour today, and we came up with some things we did and didn't want. One of the things one player wants is a single, simple pantheon of gods which are worshipped by everyone in the world, of all races and places.

So I have decided on Elemental gods. I want 5 elements (because I abhor even numbers), but I don't just automatically want to go with the traditional ones. I also want to tie each God to a few key domains, of course, and to a few special powers which their clerics can choose from, a la turn undead.

I don't have a lot of "sociology" of the campaign world worked out yet - about the only thing I know is that there is a single vast empire of ancient origin. The edges of this empire fade off into "the mist", and the empire is now gradually failing, and the edges of the world are fading with it. The campaign center is a region of warring city-states, which are located on a smallish continent that is on the edge of the Mists now, itself. Thousands of years ago, the dragons of the world were shattered, reduced to shards of themselves, which are now prevalent as drakes, wyrms, sea-monsters and other draconic creatures. There are humans and elves with dragonblood, including the Imperial family.

If you were creating elemental gods for a campaign world like this, what would you choose? Or would you skip elements and go with a different concept?

Oh, I'd mess with the elements to emphasize a sense of time and perhaps decay, definitely. Let the worship and aspects of your 5 gods change over time.

Maybe ancient texts and art show a god of roaring flames, but today, the world knows a subtler god of ashes and embers, with whatever that entails. Perhaps a betrayed water deity is now a spiteful lord of thirst and famine, representing rare rain but also thirst, want, desperation, and wanton excess. Maybe a wind god's departure has added absence, emptiness, loss, or travel to their portfolio.

I'm getting all maudlin and grim because of what I'm currently reading, so ignore that maybe. But I think you could absolutely get a huge amount on interest from "this used to by the god of X, but now they're also the god of Y," where X is a straightforward element and Y is some other concept that combines in unexpected ways.

Sounds fun, at any rate. Love your initial ideas.

thanks, this gives me a few ideas.

Anyone else have any suggestions?

Consider what meaning elements have in your setting. Are they merely different kinds of particles of matter or are they something else? WHY are the gods elemental? Are they beings separate from the elements that merely exercise power over them, or are they themselves part of their respective elements? Or born from those elements? Or could it be the other way round, that the elements were born from the gods, or even that ALL the elemental stuff that exists in the universe makes up those gods' bodies -- like in pantheism except that there's five gods instead of just one?

Quote from: GilladianI want 5 elements (because I abhor even numbers), but I don't just automatically want to go with the traditional ones.

When you say "traditional" you've actually got a few choices: the Greek (and alchemical) set of fire, earth, air, water, aether/quintessence; the Indian set of fire, earth, air, water, void; and the Chinese set of water, wood, fire, earth, metal. So you've got the possibility of mixing and matching a bit and creating a set that feels interesting but isn't based on any real tradition, for example, Exalted's five elements are fire, earth, air, water, wood.

I like sparkletwist's mentioning of the five Chinese elements.

You can also use non-traditional elements that are important withing the setting. Or you could forget about the traditional balance and use a combo like gold, silver, copper, brass, and tin for example.

Here's what I've written about the world I'm creating so far:

http://vishteercampaign.pbworks.com/w/page/103042861/A%20Short%20Campaign

The religion/gods section is the table in the middle. So far what I lack is names for the 5 gods.

I think elements are cool but I'd throw out the entire traditional bunch, myself. There's really no reason the standard 4-5 are any more primordial than other sets we might imagine. For example:

Stone
Flesh
Mud
Ice
Wind
Sun

Why not?

What even are elements, in the sense that we're talking about them? Paracelsus tied his trinity of sulfur, mercury, and salt to both chemical and metaphysical processes. You could easily choose any five immaterial values and project them into the natural world, if that makes any sense.

Shadow & Stone
Worm & Wood

Shadow represents physical as well as spiritual mutability and softness; Stone represents endurance and hardness.
Worm represents decay and death; Wood represents growth and life.

Objects/personalities could fall along a circumplex of these elements.

Otherwise, I dig Crn's proposal.

Even some traditional elements feel pretty odd in comparison to the more widely known sets. For example, the Jain elements are matter, motion, rest, space, and time; they consider living things to be a separate thing outside of the elemental system, but you could always do something like life, matter, motion, space, time or something like that, too.

Quote from: sparkletwistFor example, the Jain elements are matter, motion, rest, space, and time;

holy shcrap

Well, I did finally decide to meld void and spirit together, and go with the four traditional elements (earth, air, fire, water). I've chosen some domains, symbols, creatures, etc... and I'm fiarly happy with them. Since this is supposed to be a moderately short campaign, and to evolve in play extensively, I think I've got plenty down. I may be back to ask for advice/input on other elements, later.

I loves me the "traditional" set, and use a blending of the Greek and Indian views on the elements myself. I'm too much of a traditionalist.

Going with a single pantheon of gods is a cool idea that doesn't get used enough, I think. Each culture can have different interpretations, though; dwarves may see the earth god as more powerful and important, while orcs could see the fire god as the most powerful.

How far down do you want to take the elements? Do they permeate everything? Flavors, senses, personalities, physical and mental abilities (and ability scores), magic?

I use a 5 element system (Air, Fire, Earth, Water, and Void) with 4 mixed elements myself (Lightning, Metal, Wood, Ice), but I'm a little too structured to put the final touches on it and actually finish it. I wish you luck!

Quote from: Gilladian
Well, I did finally decide to meld void and spirit together, and go with the four traditional elements (earth, air, fire, water). I've chosen some domains, symbols, creatures, etc... and I'm fiarly happy with them. Since this is supposed to be a moderately short campaign, and to evolve in play extensively, I think I've got plenty down. I may be back to ask for advice/input on other elements, later.

I'd like to hear more about what you ended up with, especially as it morphs in reaction to player input.