The Campaign Builder's Guild

I have avoided writing a core ethos for Sulos since it's inception, but I have finally yielded to pressure and composed a rough outline of the type of setting I think Sulos is. I have never been a huge fan of the whole concept, because I like to think each DM should have the freedom to set their own tone and mood when they run a game. None-the-less I completely understand that a basic premise or intro can really draw people in, and get them interested, so I wrote this very rough ethos statement. Please tell me what you think (good or bad) about it. I am more than willing to revise or change it, because this is really my first attempt to summarize Sulos in a clear concise manner.

 
Sulos is built with compatibility in mind. While the world of Sulos is far from traditional fantasy, it is completely compatible with the SRD. Anyone with a firm understanding of the basic rules of 3.5 edition Dungeons and Dragons, knows all they need to know to take full advantage of this setting. Sulos is still D&D, but it has a flavor and feel of something completely different.

Sulos is world with both magic and psionics, but it is neither a high magic, nor high psionics setting. There is a balance of sorts between them, that enables one to focus on either, both, or neither one. Some places within Sulos lean heavily in one direction or the other, while others are ambiguous. Sulos is psionic ready, but it is perfectly possible to leave them out if you choose not to use them. Personally I feel like you would not being doing justice to your game, if you ignore the potential of psionics in Sulos, but I leave it in your hands to choose.

The technology of Sulos is far more advanced than that of the typical D&D world. The people of Sulos are quite familiar with locomotives, printing presses, firearms, and basic clockworks. The setting more closely resembles that of the 19th century world, than the dark ages. Similar problems plague the people of this setting as we ourselves faced during this period. Social reform, industrialization, capitalism, and general scientific bent, are undermining many of the traditionalist ideals and concepts that people once held so dear.

Religion plays a much less pronounced role in the world of Sulos. Deities who in the distant past may have been directly involved in the lives of their people, have faded away into anonymity. The divine magic of the world is granted based upon the power of belief, faith, and devotion to oneâ,¬,,¢s ideals. There is no divine intervention. There are no avatars walking among the mortals of the world. There is simply no direct involvement at all by higher powers.

Intrigue and politics are just a fact of everyday life in Sulos. The lines between the good guys and bad guys are not clearly defined. Spies, assassins, terrorists, and trade secrets have become weapons as powerful as the great militaries that once ravaged the world. Blatant lies, clever manipulation, and propaganda have the potential to turn villains into martyrs and heroes into criminals. The only definitive and universal law of Sulos is that the all mighty gold piece rules supreme.

There are dozens of unknowns to be discovered and deciphered in the setting. Sulos has lost empires, lost religions, lost races, lost cultures, and most importantly lost lore. The answers are out there for those who have the patience to sift through the web of lies and look beyond the rumors. Many people have simply chosen to live in ignorance, but in the past many dark secrets and mysteries await discovery.

There is mounting unrest and tension throughout Sulos. It has been nearly two centuries since last major war, and many old gripes and sleights remain unsettled. Coupled with the harsh reality of a changing world, and shift in power from a fading feudalist era to a capitalistic boom, people have been thrust into a period of uncertainty. The future holds the possibility for both prosperity and disaster.

While many aspects of Sulos are well defined, others remain intentionally incomplete. Sulos is open to interpretation, and dungeon masters are encouraged to fill the blanks with their own personal take on what the answers to these mysteries truly are. Many questions asked of the reader will not have answers; those answers are up to you. In this respect, Sulos will be unique to every table at which it is played. Welcome a world of mystery, intrigue, politics, tension, and moral ambiguity. Welcome to a world of dark fantasy, amazing technology, magic, and psionics. Welcome to a world that is as much your own as it is mine. Welcome to Sulos.

my honest opinion is that it sounds slightly cheesy, but I can't particularly think of anyway to make it better.  It's a very nice description, although I would take care to mention the more prominet differences in Sulos towards core, such as the nature of Goblins in society.  Just my thoughts...

Quote from: Natural 20my honest opinion is that it sounds slightly cheesy, but I can't particularly think of anyway to make it better.  It's a very nice description, although I would take care to mention the more prominet differences in Sulos towards core, such as the nature of Goblins in society.  Just my thoughts...

I figure a section on races will clear that right up. As for the cheese factor, I've got no solution (you weren't very specific). The whole idea of a core ethos is cheesy to me personally. Sulos reads like a history book, or a museum display, so this little intro seems very out of place.

-Nasty-

As I sid, I couldn't come up with any way to chang it myself, and now that I've done one of my own, i can see how it happens.