Settings: we all have one or more, and this is one of mine. I post it just for entertainment, and also in hopes that it might garner some interest for possible PbP in the other forum. It started out from my love of "Dying Earth/Ruined World" type settings, and just trying to come up with one-paragraph locations and "epic" items that sounded interesting. It also reflects my interest in magic items that are "unique", almost artifacts in quality, instead of mass-produced +1 longswords.

My mind tends to work in a fairly hap-hazard fashion, so sitting down and writing up a setting from A to Z doesnt really work. I usually just end up with tons of seemingly unrelated items that I then try to weave into a unified whole. Typically this results in something where I have an item description filled with names and places that a) haven't even been slotted in to the setting yet and b) give the item or place description a feeling of "weight", as if they really are part of something larger. That's what I think, at least.

At any rate, enjoy and comment as you see fit.



[/B]

It is called by most “The Land of Ruins”, and for good reason. In many places, scarcely a spade-full of dirt can be turned without uncovering a fragment of brick, a wayward statuary limb, or a dirt-encrusted column. It is not uncommon to find the walls between fields made from broken statuary and floor tiles, or for the local hay-barn to be a wood-reinforced marble temple hundreds (or thousands) of years old. Many adventurers and scholars roam the land, seeking out the low hillocks that mark the buried remains of long-lost cities. And of course, there are “dungeons”, catacombs and the like, ready to be explored by shepherds or sorcerers.

Sages know that there have been a series of vast Empires that covered the land at various points in the past. Who their rulers were, or why they fell, is a matter of endless research and debate, and any evidence or clues that can be found are vigorously bid for (or fought over). Some of the long-fallen Empires which are known of include the Unified Kingdom of the Hydra, a kingdom once ruled by the ancestors of the Lizard People and an empire known as the Tower Builders. There were doubtless many more.

This is a world of scarcity; a dying world. Magic is fading, to the point that those who wield it are no longer able to simply memorize dozens of spells at a time. A mere handful are available, and most need to be read from books or scrolls. In this world that is winding down, most worship no gods; clearly, if any existed in the first place, they have abandoned this world. Chaos and Order are the only constants, the only points of “worship”, though even they have no organized adherents. Some degenerate or primitive societies may worship animals, or forces of nature, or even powerful local creatures or beings, but it is always a localized phenomenon.

[/B]

The Wall - huge, wide, ancient wall stretching for miles across valleys and, seemingly, through mountains, it was built eons ago for unknown reasons by a lost civilization. Crumbled in many areas, it is inhabited by numerous fell creatures, while in other areas towns use it as part of their defense, and one section even forms a dam creating a huge lake.

The Hydra Maze – miles of parallel natural, open-air stone dikes, the purported location of a mythical battle in the past where the forces of the last unified Hydra kingdom were defeated. The stories say that their warriors become lost or stuck in the narrow natural corridors and were slaughtered by the forbearers of modern human civilization. These walls are covered with ancient, primitive paintings.

The Azure Marshes – low-lying swamps filled with gnarled trees and half-sunken ruins. A pale blue mist hangs over the area at all times. Filled with monsters and lizard-men, it is the source of dozens of plants and animals useful in alchemy and sorcery.  

The Pits of the Taer’c – seemingly bottomless holes in the depths of the southern jungles, some hundreds of yards across. Filled with the sounds of strange creatures, they are home to millions of bats.

The Steel Tower – mysterious tower made of metal, with no known entrance, standing on the windswept moors of the west. Gives off strange lights and sounds at certain times of the year.

The Baleful Reefs – dangerous, jagged reefs off the western shore that have claimed scores of ships over the years. Said to be home to an underwater civilization by the superstitious, while others say it swarms with aquatic zombies and skeletal sailors.

The Mouths of the Gods – raging, multiple-tiered waterfalls located in the Howling Mountains of the East. Some say there are huge gems tossed and polished in the waters at their base, protected by the most foul water elementals known. Others report strange cliff-side ruins in the deep canyons cut by the rushing waters.

The Canyon of the Titans – a series of twisting box-canyons lined by massive 100’ tall stone statues of skeletal warriors, lifelike in every detail, stand at attention - faded over the centuries. They are said to be the guardians of the tombs of the rulers of a long-dead civilization, and stories abound of the treasures hidden in the miles of catacombs hidden beneath them. Strangely, nobody who tells these stories has been there themselves.  


[/B]

The Banner of the Lost Legion – standard of the most powerful legion in the ancient army of Emperor Faldren II. It was lost when the legion was dispatched to face Gar, the ancient Hydra King of the far northern wastes. Said to grant amazing leadership and prowess in combat.

Dannica’s Rod – a slender mace of amazing power wielded by the fabled Priestess Dannica the Fair, who used it to strike down the Demon Lord Piz at the Weeping Fields. In addition to being a powerful weapon, It is said to be able to do everything from purify food to raise the dead.

Malefactor – a long-sword of dark power wielded by Arch-General Galed, leader of the Massed Armies of the East, in the Ruby War that raged a thousand years ago. Said to have last been seen at the Battle of Dunzel Pass where Galed’s final major offensive was crushed.

Bili’s Shards – ten varicolored throwing spikes crafted for the scoundrel Bili Baden, fabled father of the Thieves’ Guilds. Each spike has a different effect, ranging from simple poison to flaming strikes or freezing cold. Bili gave 1 shard to each of the Chief’s of the Five Houses, where they are now used as badges of office. The whereabouts of the remaining spikes is unknown.

The Blue Hat – appears in many stories, songs, and artwork - some of them handed down for hundreds of years - but its origin, creator, and powers are unknown. Some even believe the Hat never really existed, or is a composite of many other tales and traditions. Still, most stories say it was last in the vicinity of the Mouths of the Gods, probably lost forever when the last owner was swept over the raging rapids.

Gadaric – the Bow that Never Misses, carried by the ranger Talc Greenleap on his journey to the Tree of the World. He gave it to his dwarven traveling companion Stonesmite Haggelund, before merging with the Tree in fulfillment of the Erin-Stol Prophecies. Stonesmite is said to have brought it back to his mountain fastness where it held a place of honor in his Hall of Feasting.

Scale – a shield made of a single ancient Hydra scale, embossed and decorated over so many centuries that the original type of scale is unknown (the wildest rumors say it might be from the Matriarch herself). Last carried by the paladin Samuel of La on his quest to locate and dismantle the Demon Forge at the root of Mount Slay.

Earthsplitter– also known as the Staff that Broke the World; carried for decades by the wizard Faben the Weary, it had power over the dirt and rocks, and all earth-based entities. It is also said to have smashed Bloodharvest Peak, a massive orc lair centuries ago, into the crumbled ruins known today in one mighty blast. It is thought to have been lost in the very act of destruction, along with its creator.

Armor of Shadows – said to be formed of powerful undead shadows, it was worn by the Grand Lich Velt during his Reign of Terror two centuries ago. It protected him from all but the most potent magic and weapons, and wielded terrible powers of its own. It was only fully dispersed once, by the Blaine, Archbishop of Golmer at the end of the Reign of Terror. The armor still reformed three days later, but without its master it faded into nothingness, lost forever. Others say it roams the world looking for another worthy master, or has become an independent entity in its own right.

So, is it like DragonLance where there are no true cleric spell casters anymore?  Or, are there a few bastions of true faithful that receive divine spells from their gods?

What I had in mind was that Chaos and Order are the only "true" gods - clerics would get their spells based on adherance to one or the other philosophy. There WERE other gods in the past, but they stopped listening a long time ago. Actually part of the mystery of the setting, part of the "arc" if you will.

This is actually a setting I came up with over a couple of years, most recently tweaked to Pathfinder. I even modified the classes based on the loss of the Good/Evil axis, if you're interested in seeing how that played out.

Bear in mind that for the game we might be contemplating, it would be totally fine to keep the four main alignment food groups as-is.

That's cool.  Most fantasy settings focus on the Good/Evil axis rather than the Law/Chaos axis.  I'm down for some Moorcockian Eternal Champion type action!

That's the idea. Another aspect of the setting that I didn't include up above (since I doubted it would come into play in anything but a eally long term campaign) is that magic is fading, now to the point that making magic items requires disenchanting an existing item and stealing its "essence" (a'la 4e), but there is a negative rate of return, so the total number of magic items is declining over time.

For day-to-day magic, clerics HAVE to have a focus, and mages have to cast from a book or scrolls (or alternately store a small number of spells in a staff). Also, mages tend to keep their staves for a lifetime, and they grow more potent over time. This, combined with the tendency for powerful magic items to grow more powerful over time as people "tweak" them, leads along the lines of the "powerful named magic items" I prefer.

Quote from: Werekoala;365864It also reflects my interest in magic items that are "unique", almost artifacts in quality, instead of mass-produced +1 longswords.

For some time now, I've really liked -- even preferred -- the idea that "magic" weapons and tools aren't enchanted as such, but are artifacts of either superior craftsmanship or generations of prominent use by august personages, or both.  Basically, the excellent use of an excellent item by excellent people amasses a sense of importance and power that seems effectively "magical" without having been enchanted by means of a magical formula.  So +1 or +3 or whatever is a measure of how long or how well the item has been used, and how well the item is suited to its task.

!i!

Now that's an interesting take on it. Like a bow that has been fired so many times that it just seems to fit your hand and fire almost effortlessly, or a sword that feels like an extension of your arm, and always hits the most vulnerable spots. Something like that?

Sort of.  A bow that you've fired so many times that you know it like a brother or a friend.  Or a bow that has achieved such great feats that it must be something special.  Or your father's father's father's bow.  Is it the added confidence of using a proven piece of history?  Is it the added bonus of superlative craftsmanship?  Is it the adoption of spirit or magical power from cumulative success?  Is there really a dividing line between any of the three?

However, to be a cynic, will any of this matter to our players in actual play?

!i!

Here are the sub-class breakdowns I came up with, based on the Pathfinder main classes. My intent was to give a bit more "local flavor" to the core classes (which can still be taken in lieu of these of course).

Cleric

Undead Focused:    gain Knowledge/Undead at rank for free at 1st level, no per-level cap
         +1 / every other level on all rolls vs. undead (saves included)
         lose ability to heal damage with Channel Energy or convert daily spells to healing

Healing Focused:    gain Heal at rank for free at 1st level, no per-level cap
         +1 / every other level on all rolls dealing with healing (cures included)
         lose ability to cause damage with Channel Energy or convert daily spells to damage
         

Fighter

Heavy Armor focused:      armor check penalties are reduced by 1/2 for heavy armor and shields (stacks with later                penalty   reductions for fighter class; round up)
            receives Power Attack Feat at 1st level
            loses light/medium armor proficency

Dual wield focused:       armor check penalties are reduced by 1/2 for light/medium armor (stacks with later                   penalty reductions for fighter class; round up)
            receives Dual Wield Feat at 1st level
            loses heavy armor/shield proficency            


Barbarian

Primitive focused      Str +1/Int -1
            Rage effects increased by 10% (round down), gain Critical Focus feat at 1st level
            Lose Trap Sense/Damage Reduction

Horserider focused      Dex +1/Str -1
            Gain Mounted Combat/Mounted Archery Feats at 1st level, Ride skill at rank (no level cap)
            Lose Fast Move/Damage Reduction


Wizard

Books, scroll focused         Gain +1 to all spell rolls when using book/scroll, every other level
               Counterspell feat and Spellcraft skill at max ranks at 1st level, no level cap
               Lose an additional d% essence when disenchanting items (so min = 0%)

Item creation focused         Gain +1 to any magic item creation/use rolls, every other level
               Gains an additional d% essence when disenchanting items (so max = 20%)
               Roll twice when casting spells, take worst result
               

Ranger

Explorer focused         Max ranks in Knowledge/Geography and History at 1st level, no per-level cap
               Fleet and Nimble Moves Feat at 1st level
               Lose Favored Enemy and Animal Companion

Survival focused         Max ranks in Knowledge/Dungeoneering and Survival at 1st level, no per-level cap
               Self Sufficient and Athletic Feat at 1st level
               Lose Favored Enemy and Animal Companion

Rogue

Traps, locks, pilfering focused      Max levels in Disable Device/Slight of Hand at 1st level, no level cap
               Alertness and Persuasive Feats at first level
               Loses Sneak Attacks         

Stealth, assassin focused      Max levels in Stealth/Acrobatics at 1st level, no level cap   
               Dodge and Lightning Reflex Feats at 1st Level   
               Loses Trapfinding Ability

Quote from: Ian Absentia;366127However, to be a cynic, will any of this matter to our players in actual play?

Depends on how big the pluses are.

Quote from: Ian Absentia;366127However, to be a cynic, will any of this matter to our players in actual play?

Personally, I would gobble this stuff up like candy.

Quote from: Drohem;366134Personally, I would gobble this stuff up like candy.

Oh, I personally will too. I think magic items handed down through generations is a cool concept as well (heirlooms if you will) and it is something we've toyed with in my group from time to time. One of the consequences of how items are created in this setting in fact will eventually lead to a handful of very powerful items being the only ones left, and I imagine they'll be several generations old by that point.

I was thinking that there's even a way of interpreting the "mass produced +1 longswords" -- they're just that, mass produced.  Or at least they're produced formulaically.  Perhaps adherents to the Order-ly end of the philosophical/religious end of the spectrum, in a sort of scientific attempt to bring order to this pseudo-mystical and haphazard process, have established new processes by which they can endow objects with the likeness of superlative qualities.  In effect, the objects may be +1 or even +2, but they are invariably crude affairs, or "tradesmanlike" at best.  A sense of order has been machined into them that enchants them with superior effectiveness.  They get the job done, but no one is particularly proud to be flashing it around.

!i!

That's certainly a possibility, one I hadn't thought of.