[DnD 5e] As Of Yet Unnamed Homebrew Setting OOC (looking for players)

Discussion in 'It's Galley's Turn' started by luna, Sep 5, 2017.

  1. luna

    luna Active Member

    I have been thinking about starting a play by post, and wanted to at least give it a try! It is a totally custom setting, which I am already using in games with my irl game groups. There's a few different ways it could play- normal fantasy adventure, political drama, treasure hunt, ect. I wanna know what type of game you all would like to play! Anything in core rulebooks is allowed, run Unearthed Arcana by me, and homebrew is allowed on a case by case basis. You can homebrew races, gods, and classes, if you really want. I've never done a play by post before, so I might have a few issues, but I hope I can give yall a fun game! I will update this OP as people ask and answer questions- first question being what kind of game do you want and where do you want it to be set.

    If you want further information or clarification on something, just ask me and I'll give you the more detailed description.


    Year 0- The Coming of the Gods

    Year 4132- Current Year

    The current Pantheon that rules over all peoples are the Gemmiads, eight gods who came around four thousand years ago and cast out all the other gods. Nobody knows where they came from, but their clerics and priests say that they came to liberate the people of this world from the cruel, exploitative gods who previously ruled. The worship of them is mostly in Ralune, but they are known in some form to all peoples. In Ralune there are festival days for each of the gods, and each country is said to have the divine favor of one of the gods, but the primary form of worship is the sacrifice of nine girls from each country every twenty five years.
    Obsidianae- Goddess of Death- Grave Domain
    A quiet and distant goddess, Obsidianae keeps separate from the others. Claiming no peoples and ruling no populations, she takes those who are desperate, who come to her, and she demands loyalty.

    Sappharian- God of Life- Life Domain, War Domain
    The Leader of the Gods- some call him King, although he himself never would. Most who meet him find him surprisingly unassuming, but behind his calm expression he is a commanding and calculating deity.

    Rubion- God of Fire- Forge Domain
    Rubion is not the most formal of the gods, nor is he the most talkative. He seems mostly content to be a distant figure, protective of his flock but easy to disappoint.

    Aquamaelin- Goddess of Water- Tempest Domain
    Aquamaelin agreed two thousand years ago to seal herself away within Maexan Lake, a great body of water near the center of Ralune, in order to stop a great monster made by the former gods from reemerging. Although her energy is almost completely occupied, she tries to protect her clerics and paladins with what she has left.

    Peridion- God of Lightning- Light Domain
    Peridion values intelligence, invention, and creativity. While not one for divine edicts, he is the most likely of all the gods to talk casually with those who earn his favor.

    Emeralis- Goddess of Nature- Nature Domain
    Emeralis is wild, untamable, and vain. She does not suffer fools gladly, and she has suffered quite a bit. Those who are dearest to her heart are those with unbreakable spirits.

    Amethystine- Goddess of Darkness- Trickery Domain
    Amethystine drew away from the other gods long ago, preferring to keep to her chosen kingdom of Drou, where she actually dwells. Once a benevolent trickster, her bitterness has only grown deeper over the years.

    Quartzen- God of Ice- Protection Domain
    Quartzen is perhaps the most talkative of the gods, although most don’t know it. He prefers to travel in human guise, talking with the people as one of them, without pretensions.

    Other Major Figures-
    Dia- The true leader of the gods and a maiden of incomparable purity. She was killed by Pyrope, and the other gods stand watch for her return
    Pyrope- A devil, temptress, and the betrayer. She is not a true god but has attained immortality, and is said to eternally wander the world. Mothers tell their children stories of her to scare them straight.
    Clerics and Paladins- Servants of the gods are taken very seriously. They are seen as instant authority figures, and are seen as under the jurisdiction of the god only- provided they have passed their trial. Each person, when they swear themselves to a god, are given a trial that they must complete. When they do, they are a full cleric or paladin- if they fail in honor or die along the way, then they will still dwell in that god’s realm, albeit in a lower level. If they fail dishonorably, then they are sent to the lowest part of Obsidianae’s realm. It is illegal to kill those sworn to Obsidianae, but her trials are the hardest to pass and her bargains the least forgiving.
    Druids- Some druids follow Emeraldis, but more commonly druids follow older gods- the Dwarven Mother Stone, the Halfling’s Alald of the Clouds and Gythe of the Trees, the ancient human dieties Awesin, god of raging waters, Praha, god of calm waters, Meketi, goddess of storms, and many others. Some follow no god in particular, but have developed such a close connection to nature that they access its magic through their own will.
    There are many other old, forgotten gods- the vast human pantheons, the Dwarven Mother Stone, the Halfling Hendeciad, the strange fae gods of the elves, and stranger beings still. Their clerics practice in secrets, but others, such as warlocks, gain their help in other ways. You can homebrew or import any god you want as one of these "fallen" gods, but be forewarned that all gods in this state have either become twisted versions of themselves or have lost something essential, be it their grand powers, their divine presence, or something more.
    Tieflings and Aasimar- It is said that the angels are those who first converted to the worship of the new gods, as well as their most loyal and powerful clerics, priests, and paladins. Conversely, demons are those who refused to convert after the new gods overthrew the old ones. Both are still able to breed with the living races, which is where the divine Aasimar and infernal Tieflings come from.

    Ralune is a continent of proud nation-states- monarchies with long histories and strong animosities. Although skirmishes are common, the continent is still recovering from a recent, long war, and even though many have made their best attempts at lasting peace it seems that another is inevitable.
    • Idean’s prosperous, trade heavy eastern half is separated by a mountain range from the mostly agricultural western half, and the split between the two seems to grow larger every day.

    • Alil was once the peaceful, seaside nation of the halflings, until the dwarves were driven up from the depths of the earth and settled the Senefel Mountains in its center, conquering the natives.

    • Tomael, the seat of religion, is an empire whose power has waxed and waned, at times controlling almost all of the continent and at others claiming little more than a castle.

    • Tashe, a young and harsh country, was made by the union of northern humans tired of Tomalen rule and elves driven from their home and transported to Ralune via a terrible storm.

    • Ilidoe, the island where humanity was born, suffers under Tomalen rule still, but nothing has been able to crush their history or their adventurous spirit.

    • Drou, the last true city-state of the dark elves, has little contact with the surface world, content to keep to their underground queendom of treacherous courts and tight knit communities.
    Four thousand years ago, Asloya fell. The beautiful palaces of the dragonborn crumbled, the great orc hordes turned against each other, and Dragonsmaw, the volcano at the center of the world, erupted, coating everything in fire and stone. Life returned only slowly, and even now most of the continent is reclaimed wilderness.
    • Visible from all shores of Asloya, nobody has been able to set foot near Dragonsmaw for millennia. Stories say that a dragon slumbers there, his hoard free for the taking- of course, everybody knows that dragons aren’t real.

    • Dragonsmaw is surrounded by a great rainforest, Echidna, which is so impenetrable that nobody who has set foot inside it has ever escaped. It is said, however, that the greatest remains of the dragonborn royalty lie within.

    • Razol is the last remnant of the beautiful Tabaxi cliff cities. Made of sandstone and near-indestructible glass, Razol is the last refuge of the tabaxi and yuan-ti, once reluctant allies who now have a shared history and culture.

    • Once, the western peninsula of Asloya was a great swamp called Xus, full of vibrant plants and a complex ecosystem that the lizardfolk were the undisputed top of. However, when Dragonsmaw erupted the flora and fauna mostly died, and the water boiled. Even now it is a wasteland- but the lizardfolk remain regardless.

    • Scoar is the greatest of the goblin strongholds that dot the great plains where once the orcs ruled. Home to over ten million goblins, hobgoblins, and bugbears, it is by far the largest population on Asloya.
    Hypothetical Third Continent
    • Home to the goliaths, the firbolgs, and shifters, as well as the warforged and the race that created the warforged, which I might just homebrew. Will probably have more of a nature vs technology/kinda steampunk feel.

    Namala
    • Home to the dragonborn, who allegedly fled their when their ancestors, the mythical dragons, turned on them. They are private, but not reclusive, and those who come to their shores are never turned away.

    Enea
    • Enea is a fabled island, home to the high elves, who have attained a near mythical status. Nobody who sets forth to find Enea ever succeeds, and even those who have left it can never find their way back.

    Orphari Ocean- The Ocean between Namala and Ralune
    • In the waters of the Silent Sea, off the coast of Ralune, the rare aquatic elves and the sahuagin wage near constant war. Although neither bother much with the surface folk, attacks from both parties have become increasingly common in recent years.
    • The Great Orc Fleet travels between Orphari, Tyzanth, and even more exotic waters, bringing goods and stories that most people could not even dare to dream of.
    Tyzanth Ocean- The Ocean between Namala and Asloya
    • The great floating city of Tethne, home to the tritons, is a glorious tower that stretches from the surface down into the depths. Once stationed near the coast of Asloya, when Dragonsmaw erupted the last queen of the tritons tore her castle away from the once capital of Ashelis, saving as many of her people as she could from the plumes of lava and ash.
    • Humans- Hailing from the isle of Ilidoe, humans are born explorers, and have taken to almost every climate and landscape imaginable.

    • Elves- Although the mythical homeland of the elves remains out of reach, there are small populations that have grown outside it.

      • High Elves- Extremely rare, most people only know high elves as fairy tales.

      • Wood Elves- The most common kind of elf to leave Enea, Wood Elves are a welcome addition to any community.

        • Snow Elves- The Wood Elves who settled in Tashe came to be known as Snow Elves, for their adoption of the icy climate. Players who wish to be Snow Elves may chose to take +1 to Con instead of Wis, and access to the cantrip Druidcraft instead of the feature Mask of the Wild (you may still take the normal Wood Elf bonuses and lore-wise be a Snow Elf)
      • Dark Elves- Technically the most common kind of elves, they still do not have much contact with the rest of the world. Although Drou has the largest population, there are other population pockets elsewhere.

      • Aquatic Elves- Extremely rare and extremely reclusive, Aquatic Elves reside in depths even the Tritons don’t dare delve into. If you want to play an Aquatic Elf we will figure something out based on the Aquatic subtype for half elves in SCAG.
    • Dwarves- Once, they dwelt as deep as the dark elves, but conflicts over resources pushed them up towards the mountains. As the undisputed noble class of Alil, they hold great military power.

    • Halflings- The serfs of Alil, they do the non prestigious jobs, such as farming and taming the wilderness.

    • Gnomes- Born of breeding between dwarves and halflings, they almost exclusively occupy the artisan and merchant class in Alil.

    • Dragonborn- It is said that a dragon chased them from their homeland, and the survivors settled on Namala.

    • Tieflings- Rare and despised, most tieflings in Ralune either dwell in small, exclusive communities, hide who they are, or try to escape.

    • Aasimar- Even more rare than tieflings, aasimar are seen as a blessing upon a community.

    • Orcs- Once masters of battle, after a long ago civil war the remaining orcs took to the sea, where even now their fleet sails eternally from port to port.

    • Goblins (Hobgoblins, Bugbears)- The youngest people, Goblins now have the largest and fastest growing culture in Asloya.

    • Tabaxi- Once the great traders and explorers of Asloya, they are, even now, a fraction of their former number.

    • Yuan-ti- Yuan-Ti Purebloods, now almost a completely distinct people from their more monstrous relatives, no longer see themselves as culturally distinct from the Tabaxi.

    • Lizardfolk- The Lizardfolk remain mostly the same, but their home dies more and more every year, and the younger generations are starting, for the first time, to move away en mass.

    • Kobalds- Theorized to be distant descendents of the dragonborn, Kobalds are treated as servants and slaves by the goblinoids.
     
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  2. Panda

    Panda Fuzzy critter

    So I've finally had some time to sit down and read this properly. And I adore it, your setting sounds so fun to explore!

    I've said before that I'd be very interested in exploring Asloya, but with knowing more lore I'd also be interested in the third continent, nature vs technology is such a fun theme to play with. Also Enea, because the mystery of why it's so hard to locate seems very interesting for me.
    Or if we're going for more of a political game, Ralune and Tashe in particularly would be very interesting.

    Personally I lean a bit more towards dungeon crawls and treasure hunts or solving mysteries but I wouldn't mind a more political game, depending on what others might want ^^
     
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  3. Helen of Boy

    Helen of Boy Hugcrafter Pursuivant

    I'm interested, still reading through things, I tend to enjoy dungeon crawls that are leavened with politics or mystery or other things. Wanted to post to note interest, but words are tricky right now so reading through is taking a bit.
     
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  4. luna

    luna Active Member

    Yeah thats good, I am aware I dumped a bunch of words there!

    I have an idea for a campaign that would be mostly dungeon crawling, which'll be interesting to do via play by post! Does anyone know how dms usually handle this?
     
  5. fractalLettuce

    fractalLettuce a disaster cabbage

    posting to indicate interest seems to be the thing to do! I'm having fun re-reading bits to try to retain info, which is always a good sign! I rly like the work you put in to making things make sense :D
     
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  6. luna

    luna Active Member

    Ah thank you so much!
     
  7. Toaster

    Toaster Active Member

    I am posting to indicate interest as well! I would be into either a more traditional adventure or a political game (I have nebulous character ideas for both), and am super intrigued by Asloya.
     
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  8. KingStarscream

    KingStarscream watch_dogs walking advertisement

    I'm poking my head in to indicate tenative interest as well! Asloya looks the most fun to poke around in, and I prefer straightforward dungeon-crawls/adventures, though I'm definitely a fan of political shenanigans too. I'm really hype about some of the god worldbuilding you've done, damn.
     
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  9. luna

    luna Active Member

    Alright, Asloya and dungeon crawling is what I am hearing the most of, which is good because those two go together hand in hand! There will also be many, many chances for minor politicking.
     
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  10. luna

    luna Active Member

    Alright, so: since we'll be playing in Asloya, I can't provide a full continent map/detailed info like I can with Ralune- none of those exist, and even if they do they'd be inaccessible. So instead I'll provide personalized maps and descriptions based on where you character is from/what they know. Sound good?
     
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  11. The Frood Abides

    The Frood Abides Doesn't Know Where His Rug Is

    possibly interested. Maybe a lizardfolk land-circle druid -- would desert or swamp be more appropriate? Depends what kind of wasteland Xus has become.

    The only PbP game I've run (now on hiatus), I used paint.net (though any image editor that supports layers would work, like GIMP or Photoshop) to move player and enemy icons around on a grid and posted snapshots on the forum every combat round.
     
    Last edited: Sep 7, 2017
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  12. luna

    luna Active Member

    Oh hey I mentioned this in the dnd thread but to reiternate here- even if we are playing in asloya, feel free to use whatever race you like! They could be explorers, descended from explorerd, kidnapped, shipwrecked, ect!

    I am thinking that Xus is a drained swamp that has been completely overtaken by one, kudzu like type of plant that starved out all other vegitation and provides little to no nutrition. I would say thatttt swamp eould probably still work best?

    And thank you! That seems like the best solution, yeah.
     
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  13. Toaster

    Toaster Active Member

    I have a couple of character concepts: a dragonborn fighter (adaptation of an existing idea, would actually come from from Ralune due to Circumstances), a lizardfolk barbarian, and a yuan-ti rogue (both inspired by reading the Asloya info), and would be good to develop any of them depending on what other folks want to make and what the party needs.
     
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  14. Panda

    Panda Fuzzy critter

    I have a couple of concepts for characters as well. I'm thinking either a tabaxi sorcerer (wild magic or storm) or maybe ranger, perhaps a dragonborn warlock (pact of the chain, archfey patronage). Orrr a tabaxi bard which I think sounds like a fun concept but it's also the class I have the least experience with so idk if I'd be any good at it ._.

    luna, would you be okay with me using the revised UA ranger in case I decide to go with that?
     
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  15. KingStarscream

    KingStarscream watch_dogs walking advertisement

    I'm ngl I'm eyeing cleric hard. Not sure which of the eight I'd be interested in, I'd like to know more about how their trials tend to work first, but I'm all kinds of hearteyes over the way the pantheon works.
     
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  16. luna

    luna Active Member

    Yep!
    This is a fairly general overview but
    Obsidianae demands that you prove your devotion to the cause, so to speak. Her clerics and paladins are "grim reapers", and she wants to make sure that nothing will come between you and your goal. She's lawful neutral af
    Sappharian usually just has you put in a certain number of years- usually 8- in service, in a hospital, an army, ect
    Rubion's are nebulous- he wants you to prove your worth to him. This can be through some great deed, a masterwork, ect. Most wandering clerics are clerics of Rubion
    Aquamaelin's are very formal, mostly because she. Doesn't have a lot of free energy to check in on everyone personally. You must find the supplies to make a vial of holy water and then bring it to Maexan Lake and pour it in
    Peridion wants you to create something, something exciting. He can be pretty fickle on what that something should be and what exciting is, but he appreciates hearing the though process behind what you made or what you did, and honestly the best way to pass his trial is to give him a goddamn thesis paper
    Emeralis....really puts an emphasis on the trial. Her followers must spend years in the wilderness, keeping nothing for themselves, and go through intense trial and tribulation to earn her favour
    Amethystine's trials vary wildly, depending on her mood. She loves the type of trial that you could have passed instantly, had you thought about it the right way
    Quartzen usually asks you to swear to protect something- a person, a place, an object, ect. Only when you have proven the strength of your resolve to protect do you pass his trial
     
    Last edited: Sep 7, 2017
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  17. luna

    luna Active Member

    Shit pressed post too soon gimme a couple minutes
     
  18. TheSeer

    TheSeer 37 Bright Visionary Crushes The Doubtful

    This looks really cool, I definitely have an interest.

    I've got a couple character ideas - if the campaign concept fits well with having a home base, I might have a talk-y sort of rogue who has a little trading post that caters to sailors, explorers, and people who want to buy the stuff he finds while treasure-hunting. Could you explain a little more about your idea for the campaign? I'm much happier when my character is a good fit for the game.
     
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  19. Toaster

    Toaster Active Member

    Can you elaborate a little on lizardfolk lifestyle and the culture of Razol? I'm leaning towards the lizardfolk barbarian or the yuan-ti (as rogue or monk), and I'd like to get a better idea of what their backgrounds would be like.

    ETA: I've been using Volo's Guide to Monsters as an initial jumping-off point, but IDK if you're using that or have different sources you want us to use for non-PHB chars?
     
    Last edited: Sep 8, 2017
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  20. luna

    luna Active Member

    I'm nt sure the start point yet- I'm waiting to find out more about what the characters are so I can try and find an organic way that this group came together- but the concept of the campaign is that you guys are all some flavor of treasure hunter, explorer, or other adventurer who have heard about the lost temple of the Emytian, a former god of the moons who had an incredible sacred item- an amulet that can turn you invisible, as long as you are under moonlight. A building believed to be the temple was recently uncovered by a group of goblins creating a mine, and they have seized control of it but as of yet have no plans to enter themselves, since places sacred to the old gods get....weird. Aside from the amulet there is sure to be other treasures there, if you can defeat the monsters inside. Beyond that...all I wanna say is that you guys will have a boss who you can trust, betray, ect, and it will be focused mostly on going out and exploring and trying to convince others to join your side. You will have a base that comes with the boss but it isn't exactly on this plane of existance so a more physical one would probably be nice, yeah.
    Alright! I am going off the top of my head so let me know if you need more details
    Xus is covered in the rare plant called Dragonweed, which has chocked out all other plantlife. Useful for potionmaking but almost completely devoid of sustenance, the weed has made sure that there is no other food readily available in Xus. Most lizardfolk families have branches that live on the outskirts of the former swamp and hunt- both animals and other peoples, who ever gets close enough- sending the dried food inwards to the rest of the population. However, there are those that have embraced the strange properties of dragonweed, and use it to preform experiments on animals, other plants, even lizardfolk themselves. These alchemists have managed to create, in a limited capacity, life that thrives in Xus, and hope to use the plant that has damned them to a scavenger life to lift them out of it.
    Culturally, family is extremely important to lizardborn. There are six loose kinship groups, each said to be descended from two of the twelve lizardborn who survived the eruption. There is some conflict between these groups, but it never erupts into all out war- most lizardfolk believe that even if one kinship destroyed the others, it would be a scant few generations before the winning group splintered, and they found themselves in the exact same situation. Pragmatism is valued among lizardfolk, and part of pragmatism is recognizing that you need to help others survive if you wish to survive.
    Although the land is no longer wet, most lizardfolk homes are still built on stilts. The predominant building material is the stalks of the dragonweed, treated with a solution made from the flower to make them inflexible and sturdy. Houses are designed to move safely with the winds that rip through Xus, bending but always coming back. The young spend years going to the outskirts and hunting- a detail not unlike military duty. When they are older they return to the center, where most of the population stays.

    Razol is known by many names- the desert jewel, the shining city, the oldest city, glass cliffs, ect. It once was the youngest of the Tabaxi cities, situated close to the sea for trade, and perhaps this distance is what allowed it to survive the worst of the fallout. The Yuan-Ti, who had lived much closer to the center of the continent, arrived in Razol after fifty years, and for centuries there was tension between the two races, who had not historically gotten along but who mutually recognized the need for cooperation. Now, however, the cultural barriers have fallen down, and the two are united as one. That sense of unity is the most important thing in Razol- community and cooperation are the most important values. Discovery is also important in Razol- they know that they cannot continue to survive if they become comfortable, if they stop pushing forward. They are always looking for new animals to tame, new ways to grow crops, new methods of beating the heat. Razol is a loud and vibrant city, always awake, always creating, never looking back.
    Most of the lore still fits! Tell me if something seems out of place w/ the setting and I'll consider it. Obviously the old gods aren't always openly, but they are still important cultural figures. Default alignments are trash and should go in the garbage.
    If you mean just stat wise, then yeah!
     
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