Working with an idea for a new D&D campaign, I want to provide lots of freedom for play, allowing players to contribute to the world, but I also want to have a central direction for the story and a drive to play.
With that in mind, I want to design a small part of the Rediscovered Land, Shuul, that the characters can immediately access, as well as a small sampling of powers that influence the characters.
Temples are small and tend to be universal, serving as places of worship for many disparate deities.
The powers of nature commonly worshiped by druids are known but given grudging respect. Outlanders consider nature a foe to be fought; much of the territory surrounding the Outlands is claimed by dangerous beasts such as dragons.
Finally, because people pay so little attention to deities, most fail to understand what a devil or demon is. Warlocks are as common as clerics. Their powers and relations with their patrons are often confused.
Many factions want to gain favor in Shuul- governments, merchant guilds, religious orders, arcane societies, monasteries and libraries.
There are small offices where officials of the government of Shuul test new entrants to grant 'Warrants of Passage.' These tests are unique and unpredictable. A new Warrant grants access to very limited territories of Shuul; to gain further access a Warrant must be updated by these officials.
There are many merchants' stalls where traders from inner Shuul are allowed to sell their wares to Outlanders. Few of them are interested in Outlander currency; most want magical ores, rare gems and technological treasures.
In the center of Charity there is a temple. This building is tall and well-built. The Shuulans that come to Charity visit it at least once a day. Here they purify themselves with water or oil and decorate their bodies with ash, ink and paints to honor the deities and spirits they desire favor from.
Farthest from the gates into Charity are tall stone gates that lead into the interior of Shuul. They are surrounded by iridescent rainbow barriers that prevent magical and mortal travel or scrying.
I don't want anything so strongly built that it feels like it will break when people want to add to it.
The major idea that I wanted to play with is that this is a new land among well-known lands. I wanted to have the feeling of need and desire that drove western expansion, but I also wanted to have a new land that was capable of taking care of itself and offering challenge. I still don't want the major theme of the game to be war, but I do want there to be a reason to explore and understand.
With that in mind, I want to design a small part of the Rediscovered Land, Shuul, that the characters can immediately access, as well as a small sampling of powers that influence the characters.
Worship in the Outlands
Everything outside of Shuul. These are the realms known to the characters. In the Outlands, divine worship is common but given little emphasis. Everyone says the name of a deity or deities but few truly believe.Temples are small and tend to be universal, serving as places of worship for many disparate deities.
The powers of nature commonly worshiped by druids are known but given grudging respect. Outlanders consider nature a foe to be fought; much of the territory surrounding the Outlands is claimed by dangerous beasts such as dragons.
Finally, because people pay so little attention to deities, most fail to understand what a devil or demon is. Warlocks are as common as clerics. Their powers and relations with their patrons are often confused.
Factions in the Outlands
The Outlands is filled with small realms. These realms fight and compete over territory and resources. The Outlands have technology and magic but the fabled land of Shuul was known to have incredible treasures that have never been duplicated.Many factions want to gain favor in Shuul- governments, merchant guilds, religious orders, arcane societies, monasteries and libraries.
Charity
The one entry for Outlanders into Shuul is Charity. This small town is newly built to accomodate Outlanders.There are small offices where officials of the government of Shuul test new entrants to grant 'Warrants of Passage.' These tests are unique and unpredictable. A new Warrant grants access to very limited territories of Shuul; to gain further access a Warrant must be updated by these officials.
There are many merchants' stalls where traders from inner Shuul are allowed to sell their wares to Outlanders. Few of them are interested in Outlander currency; most want magical ores, rare gems and technological treasures.
In the center of Charity there is a temple. This building is tall and well-built. The Shuulans that come to Charity visit it at least once a day. Here they purify themselves with water or oil and decorate their bodies with ash, ink and paints to honor the deities and spirits they desire favor from.
Farthest from the gates into Charity are tall stone gates that lead into the interior of Shuul. They are surrounded by iridescent rainbow barriers that prevent magical and mortal travel or scrying.
Goals
So the goal of adding just a little information about the game setting is to give players something to build off of and help them find reasons to be excited.I don't want anything so strongly built that it feels like it will break when people want to add to it.
The major idea that I wanted to play with is that this is a new land among well-known lands. I wanted to have the feeling of need and desire that drove western expansion, but I also wanted to have a new land that was capable of taking care of itself and offering challenge. I still don't want the major theme of the game to be war, but I do want there to be a reason to explore and understand.
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