The Shattered World [Setting] Advice? Opinions?

[WizardofOwls]

Got a few numbers questions for you....

In my original premise, I said that the Shattering occurred 1000 years ago. Is that too long? I've been thinking that maybe I should change that to 100 years...

I've stated elsewhere that there are 1000 shards. I'm thinking that that is not enough. what about 10,000? Or should there be more?

I've also stated that no two shards can come closer than 1/2 mile to each other. I'm thinking that that is too close. Would 1 mile be better?

Finally, I posted elsewhere that all of the shards are contained within a sphere roughly the size of Jupiter. Is that too big? What would be more reasonable?

[Stargate525]

In my original premise, I said that the Shattering occurred 1000 years ago. Is that too long? I've been thinking that maybe I should change that to 100 years...

It depends. With 100 years, you would have people still able to remember the shattering, and the dragons adapting would be less plausible.

I prefer 1000 years.

I've stated elsewhere that there are 1000 shards. I'm thinking that that is not enough. what about 10,000? Or should there be more?

1000 shards makes each one 5.6 × 10^21 kg in mass, or about 112,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 pounds or 56,000,000,000,000,000,000 tons. Do with that information what you will.

I've also stated that no two shards can come closer than 1/2 mile to each other. I'm thinking that that is too close. Would 1 mile be better?

Way too close. Hurtling masses suddenly changing directions like that would do serious damage, and 1/2 mile with no gravity is easily jumpable. I'd make it five miles.

Finally, I posted elsewhere that all of the shards are contained within a sphere roughly the size of Jupiter. Is that too big? What would be more reasonable?

I'd say half that size. makes it so that there's still space to roam in, but still not too crowded.

[psychoticbarber]

I really love this world. If I'm able to find some players more experienced than the ones in my current campaign, you can be sure that I'll want to run in the Shattered World.

That being said, have you ever considered putting this information into a Wiki?

If you don't know how/have never created a Wiki before, that's totally cool, just pop me a PM and I'll tell you all about TiddlyWiki. This isn't an advertisement, it's just the one I know :).

I think that given the style you're using to present information, a wiki would be a really good way to go with it.

Keep up the awesome work!

[WizardofOwls]

Just wanted everyone to know that I have created a new Wiki for the Shattered World! Here is the addy (I hope its okay to post this here. If not, please feel free to delete it):

http://oramis.wetpaint.com

Please stop by and let me know what you think!

[WizardofOwls]

I need to find a class or prc for my game. I don't have enough books to see if an official one has already been made or money to buy one if I knew where one was. I would like to find one posted online on which to base my own class.

What I need is a Demon Conjuror/Summoner or Demonist... someone who summons demons to serve them and/or provide them with magic ability, sort of like the sha'ir from the old Arabian Adventures setting. Anybody know where I could find something along these lines? I will also have a Diabolist too, similar to the domonsit but dealing with devils. Any help would be appreciated.

[WizardofOwls]

Hmmm I must be blind... Just found a PRC in the DMG called the Thaumaturgist. I think it would work for my needs. Perhaps demonists and diabolists are specific types of thaumaturgists.

[WizardofOwls]

What is the best way to deal with lycanthropes in a world without night? I am thinking that the alernate creature (wolf, rat, bear, whatever) wants out as much as the human does so there is a constant battle for control of the body. Perhaps whenever the lycnathrope is in a stressful situation, or experiences extreme emotion, he must make a will check. If he fails, the other creature comes out for a set amount of time. Each time he makes the save a cumulative -1 penalty is added to the check until the creature is released at last. Maybe in some cases, if the human form is evil, the lycanthorpe can willingly release control to the creature.

Thoughts? Ideas?

[Seraph]

Children of the Light: A militant organization composed of extremist Lawful Good members who are fanatically driven to further their own alignment. They use inquisition-like tactics to find and convert those who are not Lawful Good to their own system of beliefs. It is rumored that the radical group called the Witch Hunters is in some way connected to this organization, since the Children condemn mages and all things magical in nature. Based on the shard called Caemlyn. (See The Lexicon of Shards: Caemlyn. See also: Shard; Witch Hunters.)

In a recent article about alignment we discussed the definitions of alignments including Lawful Good.  Think about the 'Good' part of the descriptor when you think about persecution and condemnation of magic-users.
 

At least one shard, the shard called Dark Haven, is known to remain in darkness all of the time because it is somehow linked to another, larger shard, which always blocks it from receiving sunlight

This seems strange to me, because the other shards turn away from the sun at times, so I would expect the shard that Dark Haven is attached to at times to turn away from the sun as they do, which should reveal Dark Haven. . .
   What I expected of Dark Haven was that it lay perhaps amidst the center of the shards and thus was blocked by the other shards a majority of the time.
 

In the Shattered World, dragons are the primary components in the construction of windskiffs and windriggers. Thus dragons are heavily hunted and can bring high profits on the black market.

Does this mean that your dragons are not the legendary creatures they are in other worlds, but rather more common (though each is still unique) and easier to slay for their components?  Otherwise I find it difficult to imagine that there would be any form of sizable market for these windriggers and windskiffs.  The cost in acquiring the materials, in money, manpower, and risk pay would be too great.
 

Moon: Before the Shattering, Oramis - like many other worlds - had a moon called Selene. It is theorized that when the world 'exploded,' the sudden loss of gravity and the force of the explosion hurled it into space, leaving Oramis moonless. If this is true, then it becomes difficult to explain why the priestesses of Selene still revere the moon and - mysteriously - still retain their spell-casting ability and other granted powers! Some sages have theorized that this can be explained in one of two ways. First, perhaps some other power has adopted the moon's portfolio and has 'adopted' the priesthood as its own under the guise of Selene. Second, perhaps the moon was not lost at all, it just isn't visible now because of the fact that there is no longer a true night. (See also: Oramis; Shattering, The.)

Hmm, a mystery!  Now I am intrigued.
 

Unknown to the general public, windriggers are actually living sentient beings - probably dragons - magically shaped by mages to look like ships.

Say what?  Wait, are these things made from dragon parts or are they dragons polymorphed into flying ships?
 

Due to a great deal of foresight and Foresight

Nice. (I take it you did that intentionally, to be humorous and it was not a redundancy error)
 

Night: A pre-Shattering myth. Supposedly when the world was solid, it would undergo periods of complete darkness, resulting from the world turning away from the sun. Sages say that such a thing is possible, but it is difficult for most Oramians to imagine such a concept.

I think I'm starting to see what you meant including this in the other thread.  If you were including that to juxtapose the time when there was regular night to now when there are times of darkness only randomly when shards pass in front of the sun, then make sure you explain the difference, and state strongly (I am referring to the other thread now) that there is not night in the world today.
 

Shard-Edge: The rim of a shard; the point from which - if one continues walking - one will fall off the shard into the Wind Ways. (See also: Shard; Wind Ways, The.)

Ha!  I like it.  An amusing new take on an old legend.
 

Wind Ways, The: The space that exists between the shards. A chaotic, wind-filled area dominated by strong air currents and buffeting winds. Sometimes referred to as simply as 'the '˜Ways.' There is no gravity in the '˜Ways, so anything which falls into the '˜Ways without some means of self-propulsion will be buffeted haphazardly by the winds. It is nearly impossible to determine time and direction in the '˜Ways unaided. (See also: Shard.)

Eek.  So no way to tell time or direction.  Direction I can understand pretty well, as the shards would all look more or less the same, and being sucked along to who-knows-where who-knows-how-fast it would be very hard to get your bearings.  Yes, you would probably lose track of time after your head met with a continental rock, but now that I think about it, without distinct day or night, how do the people of Oramis keep track of the time at all?


In general I like your layout.  Later I would like to see some fluffy goodness by way of extended writing on things, but for now this works fine. It gets the information out there and conveys the flavor of the world in nice little bite-sized chunks. :)