Smog: A Community World Building Project [Archive]

kopout

2009-02-27, 07:59 PM

Let's look at how various standard fantasy races could react to the smog:

Humans: Up in the Highlands, they could do quite well. Humans are adaptable things, but there's one group that would do a lot better with their resources severely diminished:
Halflings!: With less land for growing food these guys would do just fine. They're pre-adapted to the tiny-island-esque terrain.
Dwarves: The ones at the top of the mountains would probably want to get back underground, but how? Through the tops! The would burrow down INTO the mountains and make communities beneath the Highlands. Number one fear if this is what they do? Cave-Ins. If the Smog gets in, these guys are done for.
Elves: The Highlands are quite likely at the very top of the treeline, if not above in a few places, so the elves wouldn't have their fancy treehouses everywhere. If they are to survive in anything more than in incredibly small numbers, their concept needs to be reworked.
Gnomes: Likely to want to jump back into the Smog to find stuff, or use the Smog to experiment, perhaps weaponizing it...

Tacoma: I like that thought about powerful psychics going mad and manipulating things around them. Let's look at some monsters/things that could do that and/or keep functioning.

Golems: The fog wouldn't stop them, they'd be just fine. (And I now officially vote for warforged not being in the setting, as that whole 'not breathing' things gives them Smog immunity and raises the question of "Why don't they just walk down and rescue everyone?") Players could encounter golems anywhere where valuable things are stored. Using golems of various sizes as security systems, then, was likely very common in the PreSmog society.
Illithids: Huge brains. Mindslaves. Everyone with an X mile radius gets dominated and little monster enclaves controlled like puppets spring up across the world near places where illithids were before the fall- I'm gonna go with underground/at the base of a few mountains.
Aboleths: Does the Smog go beneath the water? If not, then aboleths and kuo-toa and sahuagin would all be pretty much fine. This does also open up the possibility of caves that can only be reached through water and aren't exposed to the air.
Dragons: Surprisingly, probably not much of a problem. Most are most likely frozen, dominated by an Illithid or powerful psychic, or burrowed deep beneath the ground, waiting for the Smog to clear. They could have a few hidden enclaves deep beneath the ground with entrance tunnels far away in the Highlands. They could represent a sort of refugee filled Underdark.

Thoughts and comments?

Ah, Cataclysm of Green...that was a fun month, it really was.

I'm, gong to say that Smog doesn't go under water, but it dose dissolve in it like air does. I can see air filed caves with the entrance beneath the water existing. Dwarves that had enough warning could seal off a town or a mine or even a whole portion of the Underdark as long as the seal is air tight and all entrances are sealed. Now then, the Undead I'm pretty sure they can unlive just fine in the Smog so the question is , what are they up to? Also should we include dead born in this ? A reproducing sentient race of Undead would do well in the Smog.

Vadin

2009-02-27, 08:19 PM

Now then, the Undead I'm pretty sure they can unlive just fine in the Smog so the question is , what are they up to?

Liches could fill roles similar to Illithids (controlling now-frozen monsters and using them as puppets).

Vampires would walk the streets freely, as no one could stop them and there wouldn't be any sun. The world would be their buffet.

Very few ghosts/ghouls. The people aren't dieing, so there wouldn't be that many undead in places away from Lichdoms. That's my opinion, at least.

Also should we include dead born in this ? A reproducing sentient race of Undead would do well in the Smog.

I vote no, for the reason that if they were there, there wouldn't be any reason for them not to expand like crazy and take over everything and overwhelm the Highlands without any chance of resistance.

mr.fizzypop

2009-02-28, 11:02 AM

I like Vadin's idea of vampires, maybe have a race of half-vampires or something to be the main organized threat beneath the smog?

kopout

2009-02-28, 06:29 PM

I was thinking, wouldn't vampires starve to death because there pray is frozen? Could they drink the blood of people frozen by the smog?

Vadin

2009-02-28, 07:35 PM

I was thinking, wouldn't vampires starve to death because there pray is frozen? Could they drink the blood of people frozen by the smog?

As long as we're assuming that things that don't need to breathe aren't affected by it, then yes, I'd suppose they could. That, or it would act like a poison to them, and they'd have to hunt the Highlands in very small numbers (as they'd be almost starving to death) and prey on what few survivors they can take without eliminating their cattle the small communities in the Highlands.

mr.fizzypop

2009-02-28, 08:22 PM

I was thinking, wouldn't vampires starve to death because there pray is frozen? Could they drink the blood of people frozen by the smog?

Actually I think we need a homebrewed race just for this campaign, that's like a vampire.

Vadin

2009-02-28, 08:25 PM

I'm not against the idea, but why make something different when we already have vampires?

kopout

2009-02-28, 08:30 PM

Vadin

2009-02-28, 08:42 PM

I'm going to support the hypothesis of frozen blood being poison.Vampires now travel nomadicly so as to not over hunt the highlands. also the "mind flayers control armies" thing only works if they control things that don't breath , other wise they just stay put .

Why? Couldn't the things still be manipulated? Just because YOU can't make your arms move doesn't mean I can't make your arms move. And the Illithids wouldn't have to move at all themselves; they'd use their psionic powers to reach out and control things. Powerful psions could do the same thing, I suppose.

BRC

2009-02-28, 08:54 PM

We need to think of several ways to protect oneself from the Smog, here are some ideas

Smogwalker Suit: Think an old-fashioned diving suit. Essentially airtight full plate, usually with a magical air supply built in that can last for several hours, though some of the fancier models use a Bottle of Air.The same principle could be applied to airtight helmets or masks, though because the runes used to protect the wearer from the smog are easier to do the bigger they are, full suits tend to be cheaper if your going to be wearing armor anyway.
Spell: Somebody probably developed a spell that specifically blocks the effects of the mist. However, you cannot cast it on somebody within, lets say, an hour of it having been on that person, which means that anybody going into the mists has a time limit before they get back up. It's probably also available in potion form.
A second Potion: Kind of an "emergency" potion, this provides protection from the smog for up to an hour, however, once that protection wears off, it has poisonous aftereffects. Most "Lowwalkers" (people who venture out of the highlands) carry a bottle on them, but are loath to use it. Maybe it's called somthing like "Last Resort"

Jangoose

2009-02-28, 11:05 PM

I agree with mr.fizzypop... we definitely need a homebrewed race for this...

perhaps a race of tainted humans who have been mutated by the smog, and who perhaps have an adverse reaction to being out of the fog as opposed to the other way around... but become stronger or faster while in the smog...

(i think someone mentioned smoglings?)

or perhaps the introduction of mutations in general as per the d20modern system, just re-flavored towards the setting's theme

also... there should be a new branch of magical study focusing around manipulation of the fog... (if we do have a mutation system, this could include body and/or corpse manipulation to people of a more evil bent)

other ideas:

- the effects of some of the deep fog can grant a temporary high, and some of the more enterprising businessmen have begun marketing bottled deep fog as a drug.

- alchemy should not require the creator to have levels in a magical class, and simple alchemical items should be relatively common...and cheap... more alchemical fire, smoke-sticks, alchemical light sources, alchemical air-filtering substances etc...

I think that the general theme that has seemed to pop up is starting to verge on faint bioshock... I have always been annoyed at the lack of magical items who function only through the use of magic... but are not a mere reproduction of a spell. for instance, when people mention the use of magic in society, they often suggest having everburning torches in cities... this is a very simple idea... more interesting are physical objects that are merely powered by magic... for instance, a grappling hook with a stone hand on the end, or a sword with gears built into the blade to function like a chainsaw... they bring a more tactile and gritty sensation to the fantasy world than do these arbitrary energy effects all over the place. We should have more of these kinds of things

kopout

2009-02-28, 11:25 PM

Why? Couldn't the things still be manipulated? Just because YOU can't make your arms move doesn't mean I can't make your arms move. And the Illithids wouldn't have to move at all themselves; they'd use their psionic powers to reach out and control things. Powerful psions could do the same thing, I suppose.

I see your point. I had thought that you meant like mind control instead of "manly " moving there limbs.

mr.fizzypop

2009-02-28, 11:35 PM

perhaps a race of tainted humans who have been mutated by the smog, and who perhaps have an adverse reaction to being out of the fog as opposed to the other way around... but become stronger or faster while in the smog...

Would this be a playable or NPC race? Because I think that it would be very unfair player race, not only being able to go into a place almost nobody else can, but also getting bonuses. Maybe they're an NPC race, they could be the main "enemy" in the campaign, much like orcs in LotR?

Maybe under the smog there could be different versions of them. Some with psionic abilities or some with unnatural strength and bulk.

Vadin

2009-02-28, 11:43 PM

That's a pretty good idea. Maybe 1 in 20 creatures or so got turned into smoglings and could have any number of different abilities.

Zeta Kai

2009-03-01, 12:27 AM

My only question is this: Do you need a map? :smallamused: I love asking that question.

mr.fizzypop

2009-03-01, 09:40 AM

Yah we'd probably need one eventually, but its too early at this point.

Also I was thinking: What about the ocean? So maybe along with all the land, all the ocean is covered in smog, in which you can't tell between land and water from above the smog. Maybe called "the sea of silence" or something?

Perhaps the smog reacts to the water, polluting it, and chemically affecting those beneath? I know someone brought up Aboleths and other sea creatures, how would those be affected? Underwater variant of Smogglings? Two headed dolphins? Any thoughts?

Jangoose

2009-03-01, 09:41 AM

I was actually thinking of a player race... because while they would get bonuses in the smog, they would get penalties out of it, which is where many campaigns would consistently end up, assuming they are one of only a few smoglings in any party... and if they are not, then the whole group will receive the same bonuses so it won't matter...

either way, being stronger in the mist is not a must, it was just an idea...

as a matter of fact... i have another idea... why not make it a template? and afterwards, if we still think its unbalanced, we can add LA...

(also... there should be natural and afflicted smogtouched... people should be rolled on to see if they possess the gene that would allow them to survive the fog (without their knowledge), and then, if they take a certain amount of ability damage from the fog, they become smogtouched (after an appropriate amount of time being wracked by horrible pains etc...).

i still like the mutation system from d20modern, though... perhaps it can still be incorporated...

mr.fizzypop

2009-03-01, 09:54 AM

I like the idea of mutation. I don't know how it works in D20 modern but I assume its kinda like insanity. And maybe various affects of mutation, paralysis, unconsciousness, loss of hair or skin, all ending in death if its not treated.

Jangoose

2009-03-01, 09:56 AM

about the water thing, i totally agree, the sea beneath the smog should be affected, but i think to a lesser degree... perhaps water is a way of slowing down the effects of being beneath the smog...??

Jangoose

2009-03-01, 09:59 AM

more info on the d20modern mutation system can be found here (http://ca.geocities.com/spike_fightwicky/d20modernsrd/futuremutant.html)

mr.fizzypop

2009-03-01, 10:13 AM

more info on the d20modern mutation system can be found here (http://ca.geocities.com/spike_fightwicky/d20modernsrd/futuremutant.html)

That could work but your link doesn't really explain how you get mutations. Also if we use this I think we'd only use the drawbacks, since I don't think smog mutation can be good.

Jangoose

2009-03-01, 11:39 AM

Owrtho

2009-03-01, 12:38 PM

Some possible abilities for a race or template that can live beneath the smog would be ability to breath in it unharmed, light sensitivity, becoming fatigued if they breathe air without it for more that a minute or two, charisma penalty, adverse reaction to bright sunlight (as the smog blocks most of it below), as the smog seems to be cold maybe some cold resistance, better hearing (perhaps blindsense at least when in the smog, likely not out of it though due to different densities of the medium throwing it off), perhaps an ability to improve visibility in the smog. Can't think of anything else ability wise at the moment. Preferred class would likely be rouge, ranger, or maybe a custom class based on using salvaged artifacts. I don't think they would be particularly strong compared to other races and might actually seem somewhat sickly (not that it would be bad when compared to a normal person left unprotected beneath the smog). As such it seems like they would be more likely to use roundabout means to win in combat. Also they would seem less likely to be wizards (or other disciplined magic classes) do to small numbers and most people generally disliking and/or mistrusting them (and the issue of having trouble being outside the smog while the people outside would have trouble in it making for a difficult student/teacher relationship). Most likely they would prefer to hide their nature above the smog due to discrimination. Those that are known would likely be treated somewhat poorly except in the situation of being employed by those wanting to go on scavenging trips seeing them as useful if distasteful workers (and often less expensive than gear that could last for extended trips).

Also, given that the smog limits vision, I'd expect that many thing that have adapted to life in it would either have the special ability of seeing through it clearly, or some other means of sensing things (such as improved hearing, improved smell that is used to the smog so not hindered by it, tremor sense, etc.).

Owrtho

Jangoose

2009-03-01, 01:28 PM

cool

i agree... the loner theme suits these smoglings well... they should definately have a favored class of one of the ones you mentioned, of the magical classes, i think a smog-rethemed warlock would be the most suited to them... sorcerer comes close, but is just not enough of a loner / utilitarian... these guys need to be ready all the time, and i think the warlock gets that aspect best... psionics might also be an interesting avenue for some of them... perhaps soulknife? how about pyrosmogakineticist?

also...
http://i291.photobucket.com/albums/ll305/justinkanga/smog.jpg
yay??

mr.fizzypop

2009-03-01, 01:36 PM

this was more about how you would balance having mutations... the actual book is just as vague about how one can get mutations

i think that the specific mutations would need to be changed, and that many of the more powerful beneficial mutations (such as the wings) should be eliminated, but i think that overall, beneficial mutations are a good thing to include. Also, all mutations will need to be hidden, and will carry a social penalty no matter how good they are... also... we are thinking of these mutations from an outside perspective. while a "beneficial mutation" might provide an in game statistical bonus, how many people would think that having tentacles grow out of their back spontaneously would be a good thing. yes they could learn to use them to their advantage, but the mutation itself is not inherently beneficial.

I believe positive mutations should be rare. But there could be some others that are at first a negative reaction, but might become positive. Such as growing a third arm out of your chest. You might not be able to wear most armor but by spending a feat you could wield a third weapon.

I'm thinking a homebrewed feat called "Mutation Mastery" that turns negative mutations into partially positive.

mr.fizzypop

2009-03-01, 01:40 PM

cool

i agree... the loner theme suits these smoglings well... they should definately have a favored class of one of the ones you mentioned, of the magical classes, i think a smog-rethemed warlock would be the most suited to them... sorcerer comes close, but is just not enough of a loner / utilitarian... these guys need to be ready all the time, and i think the warlock gets that aspect best... psionics might also be an interesting avenue for some of them... perhaps soulknife? how about pyrosmogakineticist?

They should definitely be warlocks. To me it fits perfectly.

Jangoose

2009-03-01, 02:01 PM

ok... how about... you can only accumulate mutation points normally, and can only spend them on "beneficial mutations" by having levels in a mutation class... perhaps the smogling template/race should allow like 3 mutation points to be spent before-hand too...

then what we do is make it so that every "beneficial" mutation takes a full level to master... on the first level of the class, you gain a small amount of mutation points, in addition to the ones you can attain by being in the smog often enough to acquire drawbacks, and then can choose which mutations to master by the next level. before the next level is reached, the preliminary signs of such a mutation would show, and provide some penalty. use of the mutation would not be allowed till the next level is reached

for instance, lets say some character takes the first level in the class, there is some restriction limiting the number of points spendable per level, and also per mutation. they may spend as many of their points as they can, or save some... lets say that this character decides to spend some mutation points on gaining the leaper and darkvision mutations (or their equivalent). then, over the course of the next level, they will have to live with the side affects of both mutations without the benefits, until they can master them, the following level. the sideaffects for this purpose should be written in to each mutation's description. for darkvision, it might be an extreme aversion to light, causing near blindness for the entire duration of the level... for leaper, they may be severely hampered in their movements as the muscles of their legs are being rewired and strengthened... perhaps subjecting them to sudden twinges of pain that render their legs immobile.

Owrtho

2009-03-01, 03:03 PM

As far as the mutations are concerned, if the smog race/template comes with some, I'd say they should perhaps be given a small list to choose 1 or 2 from which they would automatically have mastered (having grown up with it instead of gained it). Also they should be resistant to further mutation (or maybe just much harder for them to get mutation points from normal smog exposure). As for appearance, I think they should look mostly human (or if a template like whatever race they're from) but with a sickly white look and in some parts a light grayish collor matching the smog. Also I keep thinking of them as having some kind of vent type things on them that act similar to gills for fish (but without covering flaps) but more noticeable (maybe on the neck, chest or back). Though I don't see them as filtering out all the smog (as they would need it to function normally) though maybe changing the ratio of it (maybe even filtering out normal air).

With the mutations and drawbacks, I think there should be some permanent drawbacks. Example, Darkvision gives permanent light sensitivity, though before you master it it causes blindness in brightly lit areas and you have to roll in dark areas to see if it acts as dark vision or only grants as much visibility as low light vision would. Leaper would have what you mentioned but after mastering it might have a small speed reduction (due to legs better suited for jumping than running or walking).

And in another note, it seems to me that more modern cities would lend better to the atmosphere under the smog. Maybe similar to how in the Shannara books the world goes through cycles of technology and magic. Just something about the image of bleak sky scrapers dimly visible through the smog, and paved roads seem more oppressive. Especially as almost no one would know how the stuff works or be able to reproduce it. Also that would mean that those few artifacts saved would require salvaged parts from the smog (as the current tech level would be unable to reproduce it and they don't want to risk damaging it with improperly applied magic (not knowing how it works). Also the smog could have a mildly corrosive effect on things not properly treated thus causing much of the lost technology to no longer work (meaning you might find a no longer working car, but you could still try looking for working parts in it, and some would be cleaned and repaired if someone knew what they were supposed to look like and how they went together).

Also I think a smog scavenger class should be made. It would focus on navigating the smog (might replace ranger in the smog like the scout replaces it in the city) and using items found there.

Owrtho

Jangoose

2009-03-01, 05:50 PM

I think that after the other limitations, there are already enough penalties... especially if you have to take class levels to receive any substantial beneficial mutations.

besides, you still need to take drawbacks to pay for the mutations, you would get a maximum of one free point per level with the class, the rest would have to come from the standard drawbacks... which are permanent anyways...

mr.fizzypop

2009-03-02, 06:01 PM

Wait...I'm confused, can you only gain mutations by leveling? and if so is that for all classes and races?

Vadin

2009-03-02, 06:06 PM

We can figure out the mechanics of everything later. For now, the setting and the fluff is what's mostly important.

Another_Poet

2009-03-03, 01:50 PM

I've been reading everything above with interest. I have some ideas to add, but first I just wanted to say that I'm not a huge fan of the beneficial mutations thing. Especially not giving people points they can spend to cherry-pick from a list of cool abilities as they level. If it was totally up to me I would have the mutation thing be more akin to lycanthropy - i.e. 90%+ of the time if you get mutated you become some uncontrollable beast (but an aberration rather than a wolf/animal) that ends up turning against the party. Only very rarely would you find a way to control your mutation and use it as a beneficial template, and even in those cases you don't get to choose what you turn into. It's determined by a dice roll - one person may be a destrachan, another an ooze. Gross and very dangerous.

But, of course, it's not up to me. So I'll just add that as my vote and see where it goes.

Now, on to something I've been putting a lot of thought into:

FACTIONS

The Undelvers

Vampires and their spawn roam freely through the smog as mentioned above. After all, they are immune to it and it blocks out the sun. The people frozen in the smog are poisoned; and the people living in the highlands are so concentrated and so heavily fortified that it's dangerous to come out at night and look for fresh blood.

So what's a vampire to do? Find a mutually beneficial arrangement, that's what.

Because up on the surface there are a few human mages who see an opportunity for great power. Millions of frozen bodies, that no one cares about, just waiting to be turned into minions. But these mages, let's call them the Callers of the Claret King, cannot just go down there and pick tem up - that's dangerous work, and any guides they might hire would leave them to die in the smog if they knew what they were after.

The vampires, therefore, do the collecting. They heap piles of frozen living people onto carts or whatever they can find, and haul them up the mountains. At the edge of the smog, an unspeakable barter takes place.

Twice a month they meet with the Callers. Under the New Moon they come out at night, up onto the mountains, bringing their human cargo with them. The smog-frozen awake, rejoicing to be alive again - only to be fed upon en masse by the vampires. The Callers post security and make sure no other people know about the vampires. The vampires can do as they please with their vicitims, but usually they kill them instead of turning them unto spawn. After all, blood is scarce enough without additional competition.

Under the new moon, however, the vampires heap their cargo just below the smog line. The Callers must come in their smog suits and collect their prey. They mercilessly slaughter these frozen people, then bring them back out into the highlands and reanimate them as necromantic servants and soldiers. This alternation between meeting in the Callers' home ground and the Vampires' home ground ensures that neither side has the upper hand.

Together, the vampires and callers call their coalition the Undelvers. They bring people back from the deep to fill their nefarious agenda. Neither side likes the others--the vampires especially resent working for these inferior creatures--but the alliance holds as long as it can be kept secret and safe.

Operation Breath of Life
Then there are the humans who bring back frozen people for good reasons, i.e. to cure them and let them live once again. But the question I had to ask myself is: Why? What possible reason would people have to risk the lives of people they know, for the gambling chance of saving people they don't know?

Some might do it out of simple compassion. But the movement did not become popular, nor did it receive official sanctions, until the full effects of the smog became evident.

Even for people who escaped to the highlands and never went back, the trace amounts of smog in the mountain air have caused a serious problem: sterility. Fully 30% of humans are unable to reproduce, and this number is rising. Of those who can reproduce, 25% give birth to stillborn or premature infants who do not live long.

Thus, the populations of the highlands are quickly shrinking. It should be noted that the dwarves have no such sterility problems, but the other races all do. The elves are the most effected, suffering nearly an 80% miscarriage rate without the pure forest air they are accustomed to.

The humans frozen beneath the smog, therefore, represent humanity's last hope at survival. If enough of them can be brought back to life in the highlands they can contribute to the breeding population and carry on the species. Massive efforts are coordinated between various mountain colonies and city states, sending skyships and expeditions on foot to retrieve people frozen in the smog. Collectively these efforts are known as Operation: Breath of Life.

There is strong and vocal opposition to this operation, however. Humans brought back from the smog, or Rets, have an even higher sterility rate than fresh-air humans, or Highlanders. Rets are estimated to have a 50% sterility rate and the same high miscarriage/stillborn rate as other humans. Since only half of the people who are saved can actually contribute to carrying on the species, but 100% of them take up food and other precious resources, many people despise the Rets as no-good freeloaders. Some people feel so much hatred toward the Rets that they form mobs and throw sterile Rets off of cliffs back into the smog. Non-sterile rets, officers of the law, Breath of Life workers and various social outcasts are indiscriminately thrown off "into the stink" right alongside the sterile ones.

A shakey compromise has been reached between Breath of Life supporters and the so-called Survivors who oppose them. The compromise centres around the practice of triage when rescuing people from the smog. The now famous magic researcher, Dr. Arc Steelhawk, developed a simple cantraip variously known as Arc's Scope of Certainty, Detect Fertility, "the How's-your-Father" or simply "the Triage Spell." With this 0th level spell a Breath of Life worker can touch a person (forzen or healthy) and immediately know if they are able to reproduce. This spell is far cheaper and easier to learn than the experimental series of spells that would reverse the sterilisation process, and so fertile frozen people are plucked from the smog and brought home while their infertile friends and neighbours are left to remain in the poison, frozen forever. Daughters are taken without their parents, husbands without their wives, lovers without their partners, only to be resuscitated and told of their new duty to the human race.

Needless to say, many Rets mourn for their abandoned partners or families. The Breath of Life groups are specifically instructed not to share their detailed records of delve spots with the public, for fear that fertile Rets would go back to the smog in search of their families. That would be too great a loss for society, and they must never be told how to reach the places they were gathered from. Some are simply told their families were already dead when found.

Not all Breath of Lifers approve of this way of doing business, and some will secretly contact coalitions of Rets to share top-secret information and help them locate their frozen families. But neither individual informants nor the impoverished Rets have the means to gear up and go on smog walks, so they frequently turn to hired adventurers to track down their family and bring them to the surface...

Of course, the two separate groups of "rescuers," each with their own agenda, do not fail to cross paths. The Callers of the Claret King have found that Breath of Life workers, far better supplied and more numerous than vampires, often beat them to troves of "meat." They have discovered it is most efficacious to plant necromancers among the Breath of Life workers, who can then slit the throats of fresh Rets and reanimate them and try to get away with them. When these double-agents are successful, it means more soldiers for the Claret King's Army. When they fail, it means massive public debacles that give the Breath of Lifers a reputation as necromongers. In either case, the Callers benefit.

While the public may be duped into thinking Operation Breath of Life creates zombies, well placed public officials can see that there is something deeper at work here. They may call in specialists to investigate these necromantic incidents, small teams of hired swords and mages who can keep a low profile...

If accepted into the setting's canon, this setup would give rise to two different human starting packages, each with unique benefits.

Highlanders get the usual human bonus feat and extra skill points. In addition they get +2 to all diplomacy checks versus other humans. Highlanders have a 30% sterility rate.

Rets get the bonus feat, but have been frozen so long their skills are rusty. They do not get bonus skill points. Instead, they get lowlight vision. In addition, if they are exposed to the Smog they have a chance at staying un-frozen for a short time, because they have built up a slight immunity toward it. The mechanic for this immunity follows the mechanic for starvation, drowing, thirst, etc:
-When first exposed a Ret makes a DC 10 Constitution check (not fort save). On a success they stay conscious and can move normally.
-Each hour they remain exposed to smog they must make an additional Constitution check. the DC increases by 1 every hour. On a failure, they immediately freeze from exposure to the smog and can not be revived until someone (or something) carries them out into fresh air.

Rets take a -2 penalty to diplomacy checks vs. all highlanders.

If anyone is wondering, the term Ret is variously explained to be short for "the Retaken" "the Returned Ones" or "Returners."

Owrtho

2009-03-03, 02:41 PM

Sounds intriguing. Though I'll point out that the smog doesn't seem to be an instant freeze as you description of a Rets resistance makes it seem. I am of the impression that it is more like drowning (but harder to hold your breath, and colder).

Also, I take it that Rets would be considered to be above the smog touched race in social standing? Also what would the smog touched races affiliation with the two groups be?

As for the mutation issue, I think it would likely be random (without proper treatment/magic use), however it isn't like lycanthropy which can be toggled on and off, it would be permanent and unable to be disabled. Thus it wouldn't do to make it turn a character into a savage beast (unless they suffered bouts of insanity as a defect), else they would sorta lose their character (due to there not being times when they weren't a savage beast). As said before however beneficial mutations would not likely be looked at as great from the viewpoint of the one with it (after all very few would appreciate a tentacle growing from their head even if it is useful).

Owrtho

Vadin

2009-03-03, 03:44 PM

@Another Poet: *applause* Yes, yes, and very yes. This smells like a breakthrough. A few notes, though-
Callers of the Claret King- How does the name "Crimson Kings" sound instead? And in addition to pure 'mages', their ranks could have any number of Blood Knights or Red Knights, well-armored soldiers who are often low-ranking Highlander nobles, second-sons and illegitimate children seeking to find a way to gather power for themselves, as their family's wealth will be closed off to them.
The Undelvers- What about Ductors? Sounds like Doctor (the blood thing), short for Abductor, also means Leader (as in someone who is actually leading you along a path). Undelvers sounds a bit too much like Underdark mixed with Elves. Whatever it is, it looks great except for the name. Alternating Vampire feasts/dark sacrifices to evil gods in the name of power is quite nice for evil things.

From the Operation: Breath of Life part, I'm getting the feeling that much of society was left intact. This works quite well. The world hasn't fallen, but it is barely holding on (and those who are holding on are keeping those old power structures around as long as they possibly can).

Mutations. An aberration/lycanthrope parallel has been brought up that leads my mind down an interesting path- what if aberrations are immune to the Smog? This would let things like Illithids still be very villainous villains down below, as they'd be free to move around, and it would fill the world up with a lot of monsters. They'd probably proliferate in the first year or two, but not be able to get too far, as they world as a whole seems fairly mountainous. When their populations peaked, they'd have devoured most everything around them, both animals and plants, leaving huge stretches of land looking very dead. Coming upon these Deadlands would be horrifying to an adventurer- almost nothing goes in, and even less comes out. One does not venture into a valley filled with starving abominations and expect an easy fight out.

This could also tie the smoglings in. They're aberrations themselves, but they hate the hordes of aberrations that fill some places. While the smoglings are mutated and less-than-friendly, on the whole, they at least manage their resources. But what are their resources? The villages and towns. The people that are frozen there. The rescuers, the vampires, the illithids, the aberrations. They jump on anything that comes close enough and make sure it's dead and devour it, sparing nothing. Every part of their prey must be put to use. Savages, yes? Well, sort of. They live in homes just like they did before, though now in some of the fancier homes, and they oftentimes dedicate themselves to study of magic. It's one of the only ways they can get fresh food and water safely.

Another_Poet

2009-03-03, 05:24 PM

As for the mutation issue, I think it would likely be random (without proper treatment/magic use), however it isn't like lycanthropy which can be toggled on and off, it would be permanent and unable to be disabled. Thus it wouldn't do to make it turn a character into a savage beast (unless they suffered bouts of insanity as a defect), else they would sorta lose their character

Yes, that's exactly the point. I think it should be game over for many of the people that it happens to. Like lycanthropy, it would offer a save or control check to avoid flying off the handle. Unlike lycanthropy, your new form would be permanent. You make the save/check to see if you keep your mind. If you succeed you are in aberration form but retain sanity. If you fail you lose your mind and attack the party. Even if you pass and keep your mind, the party may not realize it and you would probably be killed on sight.

Now, I know what folks are thinking. Why add another save-or-lose effect to D&D? Aren't save-or-lose's broken enough already?

Well very true. But this setting already has a save or lose: if you get a suit leak or otherwise breathe in the smog, you lose. Normally you would be frozen. But there is a chance you'll instead mutate, which acts as a safety net - it gives you the opportunity for a new save, and if you succeed you get to stay in the game (with new aberration powers).

The only tricky part would be making random aberration charts to roll on for various levels. So that you turn into an aberration that is appropriate for your ECL.

Also, I take it that Rets would be considered to be above the smog touched race in social standing? Also what would the smog touched races affiliation with the two groups be?

If we have smoglings/smog-touched, then yes. I personally favour having no smoglings for the reasons some posters stated above. It removes much of the coolness of the setting if there is a whole race of people who can walk through the smog with impunity.

I would prefer if the people who live in the smog do so at great risk. The "Lowwalkers" who were mentioned above are perfect. They still have to wear suits, they have to carry a potion of Last Resort and they have to keep an eye out for bad beasties at all times.

But their life is pretty good. They are ruled by no government and can live in the nicest mansions beneath the smog. Assuming they have developed a way to purify the food they find, they are uber rangers with access to unlimited luxuries and ancient technology. They might even have sealed off and de-smogged some select buildings.

In any case, wether we go with he lowwalkers or the "smog-touched" idea, these folks who live below the smog are perfect for the classic "outsider" role. They're useful as traders, guides and informants. They're dangerous as lawless rebels who may attack others exploring beneath the smog. They probably dislike the crowded mountains and revel in freedom. They walk past frozen people every day and may have very little sympathy for the Rets, but at the same time a deep dislike of the Highlanders. They're just outside the order altogether. They're the Fremen of the smog world.

Those who end up in the highlands for whatever reason (emergency, visit family, conduct trade etc) might find a lot of friendly faces among the Rets, because the Rets would value the Lowwalkers' knowledge of the smoglands. Many Rets might even become Lowwalkers in an effort to escape persecution.

As said before however beneficial mutations would not likely be looked at as great from the viewpoint of the one with it (after all very few would appreciate a tentacle growing from their head even if it is useful).

Right but they'd be considered great by players looking to squeeze a little extra power out of their characters. And there's nothing wrong with that in and of itself but then you have the classic situation where something that is supposed to be rare & feared in the game setting is something that 90% of all your "heroes" just so happen to have.

I think smog works best as a game over threat and that sets a very special "danger" feel to the world that is lost when it comes with a platter of cool abilities that make players want to jump into it. Or if there are ways to be immune to it.

@Vadin:
I'm not really attached to the Callers of the Claret King. I wanted something with aliteration and a little mystique to it. At first I thought maybe "Phieran's Favoured Few" (Phieran being an evil god of slaughter from Faerun I think) but that seems a little too obscure. Crimson something sounds great too.

Undelvers I like, however. To me it is both the perfect opposite of the PCs (PCs will do delving, so the undelvers are a natural antithesis) and it sounds a lot like Undead, which is perfect for a necromancy cult. We can change the name if others don't like it, but Ductors feels a little too scifi for me. Plus we wants something that "verbs" well:

"Why did you send ships to firebomb White Plume colony? What did the people there ever do to deserve this?"

"Undelving."

"Enough said."

About political structure:
I think that many of the original governments may have survived with a colony or two, but due to the isolated nature of the mountain ranges it would be hard to maintain control over all of their former citizens.

I picture a lot of the colonies of refugees finding themselves alone on a mountain with few or no members of the old government, and forming their own councils. In fact, many of the colonies in this setting could be democratic (albeit the kind of corrupt, militant democracy that often forms in the wake of a disaster). That would be a nice breath of fresh air, pun intended, for a fantasy setting. You could have a variety of evil governments to fight against, from fascist regimes who were voted in and now won't surrender power, oppressing their people with secret police, to populist governments from very intolerant areas who turn Rets into second class citizens. The seats of the surviving monarchies/aristocracies could fall anywhere between useless backwaters where broken knights reminisce of their past Golden Age to aggressive mini-empires seeking to regain dominance over all the democratic "peasant" colonies.

Ironically some of the best colonies might be some of the more moderate monarchies, as they have had continuous leadership and less chaos due to the lack of power vaccuum.

This campaign setting is fertile ground for good stuff.

One last note on Aberrations...
I dunno about all aberrations being immune to smog. I'd do it on a case by case basis, or only have aberrations that mutated from the smog be able to handle it. I think if ilithids were immune to the smog they would soon be the world's only superpower. Coming out of the smog to feed would be no problem for them.

ap

Edit: Vadin's vision of smoglings as savage cannibals has a good feel to me, and if that's what we mean by smogglings/smog-touched then I'm all aboard. It's ghouls for the smog generation. Basically it's another of the possible mutations that can happen, and just as likely to leave you mindless as turning into a digester. Sweet.

Jangoose

2009-03-03, 06:57 PM

I think when you guys are talking about mutations, you are failing to take into account that for every "beneficial" mutation anyone ever gets, they have to take at least one drawback mutation... its not like its just the roleplaying side of this that is balancing it out...

many of the drawbacks are actually rather severe...

i like the lycanthrope type thing though... one way is to make it so that if you do contract the smog-touched template (or are born with it) or whatever, then, you can start taking levels in the class that allows you to gain beneficial mutations.

otherwise, you can only gain drawback mutations

drawback mutations are given out randomly, as they are not voluntary

beneficial mutations are not given out randomly, as they can only be gained by the smog touched who have taken levels in said class, in which case they are already assumed to have a small measure of control over the changes occurring in their bodies...

remember... there are no handouts... all mutations are payed for with drawbacks... and when we were suggesting additional mutation points it was because we were considering devoting and entire class to mutation accumulation... in which case the loss of other possible class features is penalty enough to justify one or two additional mutation points...

BRC

2009-03-03, 07:11 PM

More Nifty Stuff, first, to explain the Lowalkers, and make adventuring in the smog possible at low levels
Hirelythe's Mercy

When the fog first descended, only those who were lucky enough to have access to rare magical items (Such as Necklaces of Adaptation) were able to venture into it. However, that changed. About three years after the fog descended, a group (with amulets) of Scavengers was fleeing a band of ghouls when they stumbled upon what seemed to be a miracle. A Grove with almost no smog, instead it was covered with a plant that bloomed with small purple flowers. They found evidence of habitation, packets of seeds, and a journal. The Journal described the way to grow, care for, and use the plant, whose flowers purified the fog into clean, breathable air. The Journal was signed "Hirelythe", but despite their searching, nobody was ever found near or in the grove, tracks led to the edge but stopped there.
The Plant, named Hirelythe's Mercy, is hardy and grows quickly. It doesn't need much sunlight, but does require alot of care. It can grow in water, but requires another mixture (Called the Elixer) that is easy to make, but must be applied in very careful amounts, so all Mercy must be carefully cultivated, it will not simply run wild.

The Mercy is not, in of itself, immune to the smog, though it's flowers purify it. A sufficiently large concentration of Mercy can become self-sustaining, purifying enough air for it's own use. Plucked flowers and leaves suspend in water can purify air for a time. A standard back-tank full of such a mixture lasts for about 2-hours. Larger tanks last longer, as do tanks that have been enchanted with magics that preserve the Mercy.

Lowwalker settlements are usually centered around a "Safe Zone" that is mainly sealed off except for a vent. At the mouth of this vent is a garden of Hirelythe's Mercy, more than enough to be self-sustaining, and positioned such that air must pass over and through the plant, keeping the smog out.
Crushed Hirelythe's Mercy seeds are the primary ingredient in Last Resort.

May come up with more details about the Lowwalker's later.

Vadin

2009-03-03, 07:17 PM

Before we start going on with mutation points and the specifics thereof, remember: the game should be a function of the story (within reasons), we shouldn't force ourselves into making a thousand new things for System A when we could do half as much in System B and accomplish the same thing but have it be more balanced just because we know System A a little better. This can be an opportunity to familiarize ourselves with things we don't normally use.

And no, this is not 'lets use 4e instead of 3.5'. That would be my personal preference, but if, when we get the setting more fleshed out and start seeing some mechanical needs that can't be fulfilled in either system without significant work, we can look at different systems, see what they do, and see which one(s) fit the setting. Who knows, we might end up making this as a Risus variant, or Changeling, or something else entirely.

But yeah! Mutations- beneficial? My vote is that they be treated like a disease. Characters with the disease gain penalties, then more penalties with a few good points, then even more penalties and a small good thing.
For example,
1) Cough = loss of CON.
2a) Weak lungs = Can't hold breath
2b) Narrow breathing passages = Airborne poison resistance
3a) Asthmatic = Penalty to Fortitude and CON
3b) Filtering lungs = Additional airborne poison resistance
One good thing that is largely outweighed by the bad.

A point for discussion now: Smoglings (people who live without suits in the Smog and likely have extreme mutations).
Would any society accept them? If so, which ones (let's start coming up with some names and rough geographies)? If not, why?
On average, what are they like if encountered in the Smog? If they are encountered out of it?
Are they like they are because they're born in the Smog and they grow up in it, or are the mutations hereditary, or both in varying amounts? How common would beneficial mutations be? Can these people be considered aberrations? Just how mutated are they, and what does 'mutation' mean in this sense? Are all mutations physical (ie, non-magical, though possibly similar to magic- electric eel vs. shocking grasp, for example), or are some magical?
If they aren't all entirely mindless savages, why haven't they taken over the world? If they are all entirely mindless savages (little more than angry and active zombies), how common and how dangerous are they?

Things to consider. Please answer; just because someone before you answers doesn't mean you shouldn't voice an opinion, too!

EDIT: Mercy flowers = very cool.

Owrtho

2009-03-03, 09:23 PM

Alright, my thoughts on things.
First, mutations: There should be maybe a 1 in 100 chance of getting a beneficial mutation randomly. However, there could be a group (or multiple groups with the same goal due to disjointed communities) that has focused on studying the smog. From it has sprung a dark subgroup that have perverted the knowledge gained for easy power, learning to manipulate the mutations caused and gain beneficial one much more easily. This group would have known members often exiled or imprisoned (one reason being using innocent unrelated people as test subjects), but would be the main group behind the mutation class (which could be people either part of the group or that contact with them as willing test subjects).
Smog touched would be much less common among extreme mutationists.

Now that flower: Rather than having some easy to make formula to grow it, I'd suggest the much easier explanation of them needing carbon dioxide. After all, normal plants change carbon dioxide into oxygen, so I'd expect it to make smog (and carbon dioxide) into oxygen but still require creatures to change it into carbon dioxide, thus making it have a symbiotic relationship with the creatures that live around it (though there could be a formula to make a fluid that would do that on its own allowing for small groups to maintain large numbers of flowers)

For the lowwalkers, not much to say but that there could be a number of travelers among them.

And finally the smog touched: I'm thinking the best idea may be a template (based on my visualization of them). They not have many communities or villages of their own. This would be because they would be children of normal people. My thoughts are that they would be children of those who have been exposed to smog and very rare. For example Rets would have maybe at most a 10% chance of producing one while normal people would have at most a 3% chance (on average). They would look mostly normal but be quite pail (with some parts being gray to match the smog and being of a slightly more twisted look), and would seem rather emancipated all the time. They would be quite sensitive to light, and have better hearing than most (and when in the smog would gain blindsense from hearing). However, due to the lack of food in the smog (plants dying from lack of light, most animals being dangerous aberrant), they would usually require being around towns where they would work and get food. They would also be unable to survive outside the smog for long and as such many would live on the borders to communities entering only for work and rations. Also goods and equipment would often require going to the communities. They would be low in numbers due to about an 80% to 90% sterility rate as well (though those that aren't sterile would have over 50% chance to produce a smog touched if with a normal person and 95% if with another smog touched). In communities they would often be loners, treated like scum and vagabonds though usually able to find work only because of their ability to enter the smog unharmed (often causing them to works as scavengers and guides). They would mostly try to hide distinguishing features (I tend to imagine them having vents as stated above), but would usually have modified scavenging suits if staying in town for any prolonged time (might only be able to survive around a half hour outside the smog without aid).
However, I'd also expect there to be a darker side to them. Sometimes they would be abandoned young deep in the smog, or get lost and become unable to find a community to live by. Others would loose their parents and be left on their own. Whatever the reason, some began feeding on those frozen by the smog. This had unforeseen consequences. First, they were not poisoned or hurt, but instead it caused a different kind of change in them than normal smog mutations. In these cases the results are quite predictable. The begin to act more savagely. A hatred grows for those outside the smog. Their nails grow into dangerous claws and their teeth lengthen and sharpen allowing them to more easily eat living things (or at least the frozen people). Oddly enough it also increases their fertility, and as such less than 60% are sterile (this unfortunately means it is possible to find small packs of them). While not beyond reason, they have such hatred of those not smog touched that they might as well be savage ghuls or undead for all the good trying to talk to them will do. They will often try to convert other smog touched to their way, but are not against killing them if they take action against them (though they usually leave them alone when attacking in hope of adding to their low ranks). They are often considered a threat and frequent attempts are made to exterminate them if they try living near communities. More often however they lurk around frequented salvage sites and attack the people, either eating them mid combat of wounding them and removing their protection from the smog to eat them later at their leisure.

Owrtho

BRC

2009-03-03, 09:34 PM

Now that flower: Rather than having some easy to make formula to grow it, I'd suggest the much easier explanation of them needing carbon dioxide. After all, normal plants change carbon dioxide into oxygen, so I'd expect it to make smog (and carbon dioxide) into oxygen but still require creatures to change it into carbon dioxide, thus making it have a symbiotic relationship with the creatures that live around it (though there could be a formula to make a fluid that would do that on its own allowing for small groups to maintain large numbers of flowers)

Presumably, They WOULD need carbon dioxide, they are plants after all. I was just trying to think of a way you could have a plant hardy and fast growing enough to be used in the manner described above, that for some reason didn't just grow wild everywhere and get rid of all the smog.

Owrtho

2009-03-03, 09:44 PM

My thought was that there isn't carbon dioxide in the smog. As such it would make oxygen and require something else to convert it.

Owrtho

mr.fizzypop

2009-03-03, 09:52 PM

@Vadin:
I'm not really attached to the Callers of the Claret King. I wanted something with aliteration and a little mystique to it. At first I thought maybe "Phieran's Favoured Few" (Phieran being an evil god of slaughter from Faerun I think) but that seems a little too obscure. Crimson something sounds great too.

Undelvers I like, however. To me it is both the perfect opposite of the PCs (PCs will do delving, so the undelvers are a natural antithesis) and it sounds a lot like Undead, which is perfect for a necromancy cult. We can change the name if others don't like it, but Ductors feels a little too scifi for me. Plus we wants something that "verbs" well:

I agree completely. But I like Vadin's "Crimson King" idea.
Also maybe instead of "undelvers" it could be "underdelvers"?

I also have realized, none of us have posted an idea for why the smog is their in the first place. I think we should not give a explanation, and leave it to the individual DM to decide.

BRC

2009-03-03, 09:54 PM

I agree completely. But I like Vadin's "Crimson King" idea.
Also maybe instead of "undelvers" it could be "underdelvers"?

I also have realized, none of us have posted an idea for why the smog is their in the first place. I think we should not give a explanation, and leave it to the individual DM to decide.
Agreed. Or do what Paranoia does with it's backstory, present several potential theories saying "None of these are necessarily correct, they are just here if you reallly, really feel that this question MUST be answered"

Another_Poet

2009-03-04, 12:43 PM

@fizzypop: I didn't mean "undelvers" to be shorthand for "underdelvers"; all delving by definition goes under something, so that'd be redundant. I meant it to be un-delving. Both in the sense of not delving (these guys actually wait on the mountains for the vampires to bring the stuff up) and in the sense of de-delving (since they're actually hauling out people who have been under for a looong time. They're un-delving them.

BRC - Hirelythe's mercy is pure gold. Spooky, awesome. I feel like I'm looking through that door with the tiny window in the medical compound in 28 days Later.

The only thing I'd maybe change is that there were tracks found leading to the edge of the safe zone... that makes it a little less mysterious what happened to Hirelythe. I'd just say no evidence was found of what happened to the person.

About mutation:
It seems that the mutation idea is here to stay so I won't fight it any longer. So I'll just make one request...

Can we please stick with "smoglings" and stop using "smog-touched"?

Smog-touched sounds extraplanar. Smoglings sounds like actual slang.

:)

Anyway I'm starting to like the idea of a mutant class you can take levels in to gain beneficial mutations. I also like the idea that most mutants (read: NPC mutants) are are cannibalistic and crazy. So here is a proposed mechanic.

SMOG, STERILILITY, MUTATION, AND OTHER FUN

SMOG EXPOSURE:
If you are exposed to smog, you have 10d6 minutes to find fresh air. If you do not find it, you are frozen (no save). A frozen creature acts exactly like an unconscious creature except that they do not require food, water or air and their hit points are stable. A frozen creature who is carried out of the smog and exposed to fresh air will resuscitate in 1d4 minutes. Frozen creatures are "paused" and do not age.

Any ongoing natural effects (such as poison, disease, etc) are "paused" along with the frozen creature and do not resume doing damage unless the creature is brought to fresh air and resuscitated. Once the creature is resuscitated they become active again as well.

Onoing magical effects are not frozen and expire at the end of their normal duration regardless of whether a creature is frozen or resuscitated.

IF YOU EAT A FROZEN BEING:
While frozen, a creature has a high concentration of smog dissolved in its blood. Creatures that eat a frozen being or drink its blood (including undead creatures like vampires) must make a fortitude save against death (DC 20 + eaten creature's Con score). Even on a successful save the creature falls to exactly 0 hit points and is stable but disabled (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/conditionSummary.htm#disabled) and cannot regain hit points by any means for 48 hours. For the first 24 hours the creature also acts as if it is under the effects of a Symbol of Pain spell (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/symbolofpain.htm).

STERILITY CHANCE
If a creature is frozen for more than one hour there is a 50% chance that the creature is permanently sterile (i.e. cannot reproduce). This sterility chance applies to all creature types except dwarves (who are immune) and elves (who have an 80% chance instead). The creature must roll for sterility even if they succeeded on a previous roll to avoid sterility. This roll should be made secretly by the DM so the character does not know the result.

This smog-induced sterility cannot be cured by any means short of a Wish or Miracle spell. Experimental magic is being developed by Dr. Steelhawk to treat the sterility, but has so far met with failure (and many dead patients).

Characters who are already sterile do not make this roll.

BECOMING A RET
At the player's option, a human character with the "Highlander" subrace can, upon being successfully resuscitated from being frozen, change to the "Ret" subrace. The character must immediately drop skill ranks to meet the reduced number of skill points, and then gains the Ret abilities instead.

MUTATION CHANCE
Any creature who is frozen for more than 1 hour per HD must make a fortitude saving throw (DC 1). On a success the creature remains frozen and unmutated; no further rolls are needed. On a failure the creature rises up as a mutant.

To determine the nature of the mutation, roll randomly on the chart below.
[chart not made yet]
[ chart will include minor detrimental mutations, but will also include "Transform into Aberration." All mutants gain the Smogling template.]

A creature who has mutated cannot get rid of the mutation by any means short of a Wish or Miracle spell. If polymorphed or shapechanged in any way the creature retains its mutation, or a close approximation thereof in its new form. Creatures who have mutated must still roll for sterility chance based on their original race.

Note: the procedure aboved is only used for PCs and NPCs who are "in the spotlight" of a game. In general, a creature who mutates is 99% likely to have a fatal mutation (such as ruined lungs, a sealed stomach, cancer, or the like). Mutation is very rare and only a few creatures survive the process.

Why is the Fort Save only DC 1?

Because with a DC of 1, virtually no creature can fail their saving throw unless they roll a natural 1. That means that only 5% of people frozen in smog mutate. 5% of almost all the people in the world (plus 5% of all animals, magical beasts, etc) is still a huge number of mutants, but it's a low enough percentage to still be rare.

The reason it is not a straight 5% chance roll on a d100 is because players cannot voluntarily fail a D100 roll, but they can voluntarily fail a saving throw. Some players will want their character to mutate so they can take levels as a mutant. Voluntarily failing this DC 1 Fort save allows them to do so. It's all about player choice.

I think we could make "smogling template" the one and only prerequisite for the "mutant" class and then everything would work.

Also isn't there a prestige class from Lords of Madness or something that lets you start gaining the powers/body parts of aberrations? We could probably use that as a basis.

BRC

2009-03-04, 12:57 PM

BRC - Hirelythe's mercy is pure gold. Spooky, awesome. I feel like I'm looking through that door with the tiny window in the medical compound in 28 days Later.

Okay, basic signs of occupation were found in Hirelythe's grove (as it's known), but no tracks leading out, or any indication as to who Hirelythe was or what happened to them.

I wonder how Hirelythe is imagined within the setting. Nobody knows if Hirelythe was male or female, or His/her race. Wizards probably imagine Hirelythe as a wizard, testing various chemicals and using powerful magic to create the flower. Druids probably think of Hirelythe as a druid, ect.
Heck, maybe some Lowalkers are a Cult dedicated to Hirelythe, cultivating the Mercy in an attempt to clear the smog from large swathes of the lowlands.

Owrtho

2009-03-04, 01:43 PM

Another_Poet

2009-03-04, 02:15 PM

Alright, in response to Another_Poet. Well, First, I'd say that I think that there should be a difference between those who are mutated and those born that way. As such I was using smog touched as the people who are born with the condition and require being in the smog for survival.

Ah, I see. I guess I am just not a fan of the idea that there are people who are born in the smog and are immune to it / depend on it. Or rather, the only living beings I feel should have that ability are those who have been mutated by the smog.

I guess I would propose this compromise. I would suggest that one of the more prevalent mutations (like 71-100 on the d100 mutation table or something) is a continuous craving to eat the flesh of your own species. Not a dependency on cannibalism, just a craving for it. Some people would give in to it while others would manage to keep their craving in check.

This gives us two special types of smoglings - ie two types of mutants - who don't look mutated. Type A, which I'll randomly dub the ghouligans, eat human flesh (or elf, dwarf etc). These are the horrible insane smoglings that we've been talking about for a while now. Then you have Type B, which I'll randomly call the Ringers (as in "dead ringers" = look just like us) who manage to stifle their cannibalistic urges. These would take the place of the plane-touched you've described. They're in many ways normal people, but they're a little "off" mentally and socially, and they're technically mutants so they are immune to the smog. They usually stay away from other people (in order to control their urges to eat them) so, even though they aren't technically dependent on the smog, they rarely leave it.

That gets us down to one template instead of two, a single mutation chart covering all the concepts given here, and a reason for why Ringers (or whatever we call them) are rare so you can't just roll up a party of PCs who are smog-immune. It's something you would only gain in-game, normally, unless DM allows otherwise.

I'm not attached to the names, just using them as placeholders to explain the concept. Would this work?

Also, here is one question I don't think we've asked yet:

How long has it been since the smog first appeared?

Was it hundreds of years ago? Only 20 years ago? What do you think is best?

My suggestion would be make it about as long ago as WWII is in the real world - about 70 years past. Thus, only the elderly can remember a time without smog and only the very elderly were actually old enough during the disaster to do something important. This gives us the flexibility to have occasional NPCs who lived through the smogpocalypse, but not so many that they're common. It also puts us in the timeline "sweet spot" where people have had time to develop some methods of adaptation and organise into colonies but the world is nowhere near recovering economically.

just thoughts... I'd love to hear more ideas.

ap

BRC

2009-03-04, 02:33 PM

A question. If a person has been frozen by the smog, how are they unfrozen? Does merely taking them out of the smog unfreeze them, or do you need to do a ritual or shove some special mixture down their throat to unfreeze them?

Another_Poet

2009-03-04, 03:04 PM

I like the idea thatjust fresh air will do it.

However I think it'd be cool if the longer a person is frozen, the more traumatic their resuscitation is.

Think of the cylons coming out of the rebirth tanks on Battlestar. It seems unpleasant at best. That might be for someonwe who's been frozen a few months.

People who've been frozen for 70 years and get picked up by Operation Breath of Life would go through total system shock, screaming fits, seizures, etc.

Owrtho

2009-03-04, 03:39 PM

I dono, I realy think it makes sense for some to be born imune but dependant. Though as stated it should have some sever down sides to it (so that not everyone will want to be one). However, it could be done as its own race (sorta htat no mater what race they are from, they have more in common with each other than with it). Then there would be a template and the race.

Also, I like your idea of it being around 70 years. It works well in having the people who remember things from befor, but most having been raised with it that way.

On another note, just how is the 'alive' is the smog. For example in Gyo (http://www.onemanga.com/Gyo/1/01/) the gas actualy coordinated (and quite disturbing) when it has a system to work in but otherwise seems like a normal toxic gas. Also it could be a good thing to read to get some ideas from

Back to the smog touched/smogling issue, I do like your idea, it just seems kinda odd that if people can be mutated and survive, a yet unborn/unconcieved child cant be as well. Hence the reason to acount for that and make it so that there is a noted way it works with noted penalties. Also being mutated shouldn't automaticly make you immune to the smog. That should instead be a specific mutation (but of increasing likely hood for each past mutation). I'll leave this post at this for now.

Owrtho

Vadin

2009-03-04, 08:37 PM

Mutations and being a smogling: So! You're a smogling? What does that mean? Well, it means a lot of changes! The good news? You might be immune to the smog! The bad news? You might go a little crazy! But that's fine, right? Mostly! There's a chance you also have a mutation. This could be anything from a second head to a funny-colored patch of skin on your leg, so no need to worry- chances are it's harmless. But what if it isn't? And what if you want more? No need to worry, now that you've got one, getting more should be easy! Clearly, your body is very receptive to Smog-induced mutations, so how do you try and get more? Smog, of course! Go on, drink it in, live in it, roll in it, rub it on, lick it off, breathe it! Spend time in it, be active, and make your body grow! If you're a child, this should be easy. You're doing it all the time! If you aren't young, though, there's really only one way to do it- hurt yourself. Get cuts, stretch your muscles, chop off an arm, anything to make your body repair itself! Every time your body tries to regrow, there's a chance a mutation will show up with it! And the more you get, the bigger they get! That second head might be followed by another arm, then a few extra arms, then a big tail, and maybe even wings! Exciting, right? Yeah! Now go on, smogling, and make yourself the best you can be!

So what do you need to be able to exploit mutations? You need to be a smogling who can breathe in the smog without penalty.

To breathe in the smog, you need to be a smogling, but not all smoglings can breathe it in. Smoglings are just as often crazy as they are able to breathe the smog, but the two are unrelated and do not apply to everyone who is exposed to smog. Children born IN the smog breathe it in right as they're born, and they're often very receptive to it. There are smoglings who can't breathe normal air, and they're often smoglings who first inhaled the gas as children.

mr.fizzypop

2009-03-04, 08:58 PM

How long has it been since the smog first appeared?

According to the first post it was 500 years.

Anyway, I was thinking of another form a smog-touched. It wouldn't be a playable race, and would be more of a MM thing. I'd call it an unborn, it's pretty much a smog-touched baby. Sometimes when a child is born a smog-born, it stays a baby. It grows a incredible craving for meat, of any kind. They become semi-intelligent, and highly muscular and agile. Usually they are killed shortly after they are discovered to be an unborn, but some escape. Maybe even form colonies.

But this is just an idea, I just want to know what you guys think of it.

Owrtho

2009-03-04, 09:22 PM

I think it would be entertaining if some spots of smog gained a consciousness (not that it would notmaly mean much, but in still air it could cause a curren, and could do stuff like the gas in Gyo if it had the tools). Also Vadin, that was rather funny.

Owrtho

Vadin

2009-03-04, 09:34 PM

I tried. I've been playing a lot of Fallout lately.

kopout

2009-03-04, 09:37 PM

The 500 years thing is because we have elves and dwarfs and I want them to be at the "sweat spot". Aberration = immunity don't know maybe.

Edit: 500 years means there are like 8th generation Smoglings who I'm thinking are their own player race as centuries of seclusion and inter breading have distroyed old Race boundaries among the PHB races and built up a new one. I'm going to move the have the life span of a half -orc due to generations of exposure.

Another_Poet

2009-03-04, 09:45 PM

Owthro, I think you have a good point. And I think it can fit well with what we've already got.

Remember, all mutants acquire the smogling template. Mutant = smogling; being a smogling itself is a form of mutation, although many mutants will have other things too (third arm, etc.).

Under the smog/smogling/mutation rules I suggested, it states that "Creatures who have mutated must still roll for sterility chance based on their original race."

This means that not all mutants are sterile, which means that some mutants can reproduce!

Thus, I propose that if two mutants reproduce their babies are born with the smogling template. This makes it possible to have a whole culture of mutants who have never been out of the smog. They were born down there and lived down there their whole lives. They probably think non-smoglings are weak and pathetic. Or at least weird.

If a smogling mates with a non-smogling then their baby has a 50% chance of being born with the smogling template.

This provides for birth smoglings and still keeps the streamlined "one chart, one template" structure.

@fizzy: I love the unborn idea. Great monster!

Mutations and being a smogling: So! You're a smogling? What does that mean? Well, it means a lot of changes! The good news? You might be immune to the smog! The bad news? You might go a little crazy! But that's fine, right? Mostly! There's a chance you also have a mutation

I would just point out that, technically, as it stands both the smogling template and going "a little crazy" are mutations in and of themselves. So it should really read "there's a chance you also have [I]some noticeable mutations"

But I laughed like crazy at your post. Good stuff.

I could almost picture it being on a poster or pamphlet given out by Operation Breath of Life.

Also, your post makes me thing that we should add a clause like "smoglings who remain in the smog for over a year are at risk of developing additional mutations. They are not subject to fatal mutations, however." Just to make it clear that mutation doesn't stop after a single roll on the chart.

Also it sounds like I should add Smog Dependency to the list of possible mutations on the mutation chart.

Okay here is our hierarchy of smog victims now:

Highlanders: never succumbed to smog, or got lucky and were resuscitated very quickly (less than 1 hour).
Rets: succumbed but were resuscitated more than an hour later. Higher sterility rate than highlanders, no mutations.
Lowwalker: Highlander or Ret who ekes out a living in the smog.
Smogling: Succumbed and was not resuscitated, but rose up as a mutant. Looks like a normal person, but is immune to smog. Comes in many varieties (see below)
Mutant: Smogling who has physically mutated, retaining its basic appearance but having some extra appendage, discolouration, or other strange growths. Generally sane and quite resourceful. Some manage to put their new bodies to good use (i.e. take levels in Mutant).
Ringer: Smogling who has cannibalistic cravings, but controls them. Mostly sane. Looks like a normal person.
Ghouligan: Smogling who has uncontrollable cannibalistic cravings and feasts on the flesh of its own kind. Largely insane. Often has warped, pale appearance due to malnourishment.
Aberration: Smogling who has completely lost its original form due to mutation. Often appear as freakish monsters. Might retain original personality, though often unable to speak, but may go completely berserk.
The Frozen/the Downed: People who have succumbed to the smog and neither risen as mutants nor been rescued and resuscitated. They are frozen in time, and completely at the mercy of whoever/whatever happens upon them. Although they do not make a good food source, they may be stepped on, robbed, or mistreated in any number of ways.

Let me know if I am missing any. ("Unborn" and the like would probably go under "aberration.")

ap

Vadin

2009-03-04, 10:04 PM

I would just point out that, technically, as it stands both the smogling template and going "a little crazy" are mutations in and of themselves. So it should really read "there's a chance you also have some noticeable mutations"

I was also proposing in that post that chances of Mutation, Smog-Safety, and Sanity should all be independent of each other.

Owrtho

2009-03-04, 10:42 PM

Just to point it out, I'd place Lowwalker above Rets, mainly as they would be more likely to me seen as a continuing and more beneficial part of society than the Rets. They would likely kinda take the place of the traveling traders and such that carry news from other places as well as in some cases maintaining their own communities and providing an oasis to those deep in the smog (if you're lucky enough to find some).
On the whole though it looks good. We just might finally be getting somewhere. (at least somewhere further than we were before if nothing else)

Owrtho

BRC

2009-03-04, 10:43 PM

Let's talk about Lowalkers.

Thieves, Vagabonds, Outcasts, Criminals, Adrenaline Junkies, and all of the above. The Lowalkers are those who, for some reason or another, reject the safety and comfort of the highlands in exchange for eking out a life in the smog. Lowalkers almost always live together in protected enclaves, usually reclaimed structures that have been sealed airtight, with only mercy-covered vent's leading outside. With few exceptions, most low walkers are fairly open to outsiders, especially other lowalkers. However, it's traditional for those who travel in the smog to carry gifts for the Lowalker communities they pass through, or to provide some service. Food is usually considered appropriate tribute, though for lowalker enclaves close to the highlands you can just give money, and for those in more dangerous areas weapons will be much more appreciated.
However, some Lowalker communities are not so benevolent. Smog Bandits, as they are known, occasionally exist. Either driven by simple greed or desperation, these ruthless groups attack travelers, raid the highlands, and occasionally even attack other lowalker enclaves. However, when Lowalkers hear of these groups, several enclaves will often band together to eliminate them. Highland nations will occasionally try to eliminate a particularly troublesome gang of smog bandits, but these efforts rarely succeed as the highland forces are unused to fighting , or tracking, in the smog.
Necessity is the mother of invention, and Lowalkers have alot of necessity. They have created a series of technological and magical advancements, mostly focused on the smog. For example, Smogsight, a spell that enhances the target's eyes, allowing them to see clearly through the smog, or pumps that can be used to clear the smog from a room temporarily in order to seal it. This technology is almost nonexistant in the highlands where it has no use.

mr.fizzypop

2009-03-04, 11:10 PM

They have created a series of technological and magical advancements, mostly focused on the smog.

I think we should make a list of known protection used against the smog. Here's what I know off my head:

-Smog-walker suit
-Hirelythe's Mercy
-"Last Resort"

We should also create a list of smog-like spells, such as the smogsight spell BRC suggested.

I think we should call all of this "Smog Tech"

BRC

2009-03-04, 11:17 PM

I think we should make a list of known protection used against the smog. Here's what I know off my head:

-Smog-walker suit
-Hirelythe's Mercy
-"Last Resort"

We should also create a list of smog-like spells, such as the smogsight spell BRC suggested.

I think we should call all of this "Smog Tech"
Don't forget any magic items that protect against inhaled poisons (like the Amulet of Adaptation), though those are expensive, more so than the DMG listed price because items that can give complete and permanent smog protection (You don't have to worry about getting lost and having your smogwalker suit run out of Hirelythe's Mercy or magically stored air or whatever) will be in fairly high demand.

kopout

2009-03-05, 07:15 PM

ok about the hereditary Smoglings (or "gens" as they have been in the Smog for many generations) I have a base starting setup for them

The Gens
* –2 Charisma, -1 Constitution
* Aberration
* Medium: As Medium creatures, Gens have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size.
* Gen base land speed is 30 feet.
* Smog dependent
* Sterility Rate 25%
* 6 free mutations at the start of play. 3 positive and 3 negative. You can use one positive to get rid of Smog dependent but you still have to take the negative to go with it .
* Automatic Languages: Smogian. Bonus Languages: Draconic, Giant, Common .
* Favored Class: Mutant. A multiclass Gen's mutant class does not count when determining whether he takes an experience point penalty.
* Level Adjustment: +0.

Aging: as half -orc

So yeah, what do you think? Is it balanced? Also, about the languages I kind of invented Smogian as a smog dwellers variant of common and made common a bonus language because the aren't going to encounter many Highlanders and Low walkers probably all speak at lest a little Smogian.

mr.fizzypop

2009-03-05, 08:37 PM

Also, about the languages I kind of invented Smogian as a smog dwellers variant of common and made common a bonus language because the aren't going to encounter many Highlanders and Low walkers probably all speak at lest a little Smogian.

Well since the people below the smog are not an organized civilzization I doubt they have a generic, universal language.

I suggest using modified highlander languages. Or maybe smogian could be used to describe the many simpe languages, used by small groups beneath the smog? Then by knowing Smogian, you actually know a dozen smaller languages. It be much harder to learn, so it'll take more than one rank to gain it through the "Speak Language" skill.

kopout

2009-03-05, 08:46 PM

sounds good to me

kopout

2009-03-05, 09:57 PM

Raciest dwarves . They think there better than every body else because they are immune to sterility. They think they have been selected by some god or another to rule the world.

mr.fizzypop

2009-03-05, 10:42 PM

Maybe dwarves are slowly dieing off from something else.

Like flesh-eating beard lice.

Another_Poet

2009-03-05, 11:41 PM

The Gens
* –2 Charisma, -1 Constitution
* Aberration
* Medium: As Medium creatures, Gens have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size.
* Gen base land speed is 30 feet.
* Smog dependent
* Sterility Rate 25%
* 6 free mutations at the start of play. 3 positive and 3 negative. You can use one positive to get rid of Smog dependent but you still have to take the negative to go with it .
* Automatic Languages: Smogian. Bonus Languages: Draconic, Giant, Common .
* Favored Class: Mutant. A multiclass Gen's mutant class does not count when determining whether he takes an experience point penalty.
* Level Adjustment: +0.

Aging: as half -orc

Well not to be too critical but I see a few problems.

First off I thought we were planning on treating Smogling as a template. In that case the size, speed, sterility rate, languages, and favoured class(es) would be determined by the base creature's race, and could very from smogling to smogling.

Secondly it's a pretty general convention to only give ability score adjustements in +2 or -2 increments. -1 to Constitution would be a bit unusual.

And last of all I thought the only way to gain beneficial mutations (other than smog immunity) was by taking levels in a mutant class. Being a smogling may come with bad mutations but no good ones; only by leveling as a mutant do you gain helpful mutations.

On the other hand I strongly agree with the idea of racist dwarves. The dwarves would really be struggling to keep their tunnels sealed and de-smogged, and probably suffer a lot of accidents (even losses of whole communities at once). Plus they would be highly dependent on trade with the highlanders to get food supplies. However, they would have a strong fear of the highlanders as unstable. They probably would never let non-dwarves into their communities and would keep interactions with the other races limited to what is necessary for trade. Tensions between the races could be quite high.

Okay here are some ideas on other aspects of the setting...

ELVES

When the smog came, many elves sensed it before it arrived. Their druids and arcanists heard of its approach long before it engulfed the land. However, many elves chose to remain in their forest communities and accept their fate. They would rather die with their ancestral trees than be parted from the land. These now-frozen elves were the lucky ones.

The elves who made it to the mountains were few in number. Their skills in cultivating plants provided them with enough food to get by, but they quickly found that food was the least of their worries.

Stranded on the treeless mountaintops, the elves felt their connexion to the green world sever. Looking down over the poison-choked land tested their belief in the goodness of nature. Then the dreams began.

Dreaming is a strange thing for elves. It isn't supposed to happen, not as such. And nightmares should never happen during trance. But that is what trance is now: hours of repetitive, heart-stopping nightmares from which an elf cannot awake.

The elves believe that the nightmares, like their high sterility rate, are caused by trace amounts of smog in the air. The elven system is particularly sensitive to this pollution and reacts violently.

Of course, the nightmares are only one of the problems plaguing the elves. Far more urgently, they face extinction as elf child after elf child is miscarried or stillborn.

This crumbled way of life provokes different responses from different elves. Suicides are not uncommon. Some elves walk off into the smog, saying that they can hear their frozen brethren calling from amidst the old trees. Among those who remain there is a growing hatred of half-elves, who represent the wasting of precious elf genes on other races.

The elves have focused their remaining numbers on the arcane arts, and have made it clear they wish to be left alone. Most non-elf nations are afraid to even send traders, after the unimaginable magic that was unleashed on past intruders. The skies above the elven mountains are devoid of skyships.

Elves would be the same as the PHB entry, with the following exception:
-80% chance of sterility
-Must trance 2 hours longer than normal in order to be fully rested.
-Have a chance of sensing the approach of aberrations and creatures with the Smogling template. Any time such a creature is lurking nearby, an elf may make a Wis check (DC 10 + creature's HD). On a success the elf has a premonition that some sort of aberrant creature is nearby, and the general direction of the creature, but no other information. If there are multiple creatures in a group, make a single check using the highest HD creature as the basis for the DC. On a success the elf can tell how many creatures are nearby.

DAMANIA and STROUT

Two of the human nations that have survived from the old world are Damania and Strout. Pre-smog they were neighbouring nations, with Strout occupying a fertile river valley surrounded by mountains and Damania occupying the coastal plains to the south.

The two countries had long been rivals, and were at war when the smog first appeared. It hit Damania first, since the plains have a much lower elevation than the mountains. The king received word of the smog and marshaled his forces on the great highway that led into the border mountains. With his finest knights spearheading a train of refugees 30 miles long, he headed for enemy territory.

The Battle of Euboro
When the Damanians reached Euboro, the Strout border-fortress, their story of poisonous fog was thought to be a military ploy. The Strouts closed the gates and prepared for a siege.

Euboro had never fallen to an enemy force in its 400 years of service. Coinsisting of triple terraces of battlements high above either side of a narrow mountain pass, it offers both a bottleneck and a height advantage to the defenders. An artificial tunnel with 40 gates is the only point of access to Strout territory. The Damanians, however, had no choice but to attack.

The battle lasted five days, with the smog crawling up the Damanian's flank as they fought. Their king put together a special brigade of mountaineers whom he sent to scale a 3,000 foot sheer bluff by cover of darkness. One tenth of the climbers died during the ascension, but just before morning the survivors managed to line up over a thousand spears and pennants along the mountain ridge above Euboro. The Strouts, thinking there was an actual military force above them, sent most of their troops up the mountain trails to intercept.

Only then did the Damanians break through, though at great cost. Many of the finest knights, and the king himself, were killed that day. But the refugees pushed through, and claimed the mountains above Euboro for their territory just as the smog surrounded it. Damania has four major "islands" and, to this day, the southernmost is known as Euboro.

King Mortegaard
Damania's ruler is King Mortegaard. He was only 14 at the time of ther Battle of Euboro, but he fought bravely beside his father for all give days and nights. When his father was beheaded during the final push, he is said to have trampled over the body so as not to break his charge. His coronation was performed on the field with a bloody sword and his father's dented, still-sweaty crown. He wears that crown even today, and has never had it fixed.

Mortegaard has been a pillar for the Damanian people, and has managed to hold them together through the crisis of the past 70 years. However, he is now 82 years old and in ailing health. It is expected that his death will throw the country into chaos.

The Senate of Strout
After the defeat at Euboro the Strout people learned that the smog was very real. They had no hope of retaking their mountain fortress so they retreated to the opposite side of their valley, the north, and the various highlands there. Even today, the Strout colonies lie to the north of the Damanian colonies, across a wide empty sea of smog which was once Strout's fertile homeland.

With their ruler and most of their better leaders dead, the barons of Strout formed a ruling council to handle government "until after the crisis." They call this council the Senate of Strout, but it is not so democratic as its name implies. The Senate is basically a club for lords who would be killing each other for the kingship, if they didn't need each other so badly. They have never been able to settle the matter of the succession and certify a new queen or king, so they manage a tentative balance of power and pass laws by voting amongst themselves. Membership is only open to nobility and even nobleman must present extensive credentials and be vouched by seven Senators before being accepted.

The War Continues
The Senate is known for its infighting and inefficient rule, and Damania is undoubtedly the better run of the two countries, but Strout has nearly twice as much usable highland and a larger population. Hostilities between the two countries have never ceased, although they were dampened by the smog crisis.

Although officially under an armistice right now, Strout and Damania remain prepared for battle at any moment. Their skyships patrol an imaginary border above the smog between them, and any traffic coming or going between the two nations without the proper credentials is in danger of being blown "into the stink."

King Mortegaard was an early proponent of Operation Breath of Life and continues to support it with generous funding to this day. Many people believe that the Senate of Strout fanned the flames of anti-Ret sentiment simply to counter Mortegaard's pet project. In any case, the Survivor movement is certainly quite popular in over-crowded Strout.

BRC

2009-03-06, 09:12 AM

Owrtho

2009-03-06, 01:59 PM

Re: Racist Dwarves: Maybe one of the reasons they are struggling is that there is no sunlight in their tunnels, so they can't grow Hirelythe's mercy to purify the air, instead they need to rely on airlocks and if they want to go out they need to either buy live Mercy plants from the highlanders, or use expensive, hard to find magical items.

Or, you know, make an entrance on the top of the mountain their caves are in above the smog. Anyways, when I read the part about the airlocks, it made my think of the adults warning the kids to close and lock the doors.

On the elves, I like most of that, but I also think there should be some elves who have gone mad and come to believe the smog is something to be praised and tried to embrace it as a new part of nature (and gone into it back to their trees). Mind first they would have learned some control over it so they wouldn't immediately freeze, but likely many would have begun to become smoglings (though maybe of a different breed given the manner of doing so). Perhaps they could to an extent replace the Drow as the "dark elves," but without any actual evil implications (more just crazy and degenerate, at least in the other elves opinions).

As for other things, considering there are boats that travel on the smog, I would expect some of the better made lowwalker settlements would have built air tight towers to reach above the smog so that they can a. be drop supplies and the like, b. have ships stop there and allow people to board/get off, and/or c. allow fresh air in the event they don't have Hirelythe's mercy.

Also, I think we should stat up something similar to those leg things from Gyo. Would make the smog seem that much more sinister and give the implication it might actually have some type of will (not sure what though).

Owrtho

BRC

2009-03-06, 02:04 PM

I actually have an idea concerning Better Made lowalker communities, but no time to type it up now. Question, how high exactly does the Smog rise?

kopout

2009-03-06, 06:08 PM

Well not to be too critical but I see a few problems.

First off I thought we were planning on treating Smogling as a template. In that case the size, speed, sterility rate, languages, and favoured class(es) would be determined by the base creature's race, and could very from smogling to smogling.

Gens aren't really a template any more. The started out as an acquired template and sub set of Smoglings , then it became inherited and allowed inter racial breading, now it is more of a race in and of itself . We could compromise that they get one or more bloodline feets that represent that they descend mainly from, say kobolds or giants or humans or half-orcs or whatever and would vary greatly from one individual to another.

Secondly it's a pretty general convention to only give ability score adjustements in +2 or -2 increments. -1 to Constitution would be a bit unusual.

I just kind of felt sorry for them you know ? They don't deserve a -2 penalty . What did they ever do to you? I'll change it if it really bothers you,

And last of all I thought the only way to gain beneficial mutations (other than smog immunity) was by taking levels in a mutant class. Being a smogling may come with bad mutations but no good ones; only by leveling as a mutant do you gain helpful mutations.

Okay, I kind of like the idea but it is totally negotiable.

Mortegaard has been a pillar for the Damanian people, and has managed to hold them together through the crisis of the past 70 years. However, he is now 82 years old and in ailing health. It is expected that his death will throw the country into chaos.

it's been 500 hundred years so that the elves and dwarves are in the "sweat spot" (or at lest close to it) and the other races have adapted significantly. Of coarse Mortegaard can be an undead or something

mr.fizzypop

2009-03-06, 08:22 PM

it's been 500 hundred years so that the elves and dwarves are in the "sweat spot" (or at lest close to it) and the other races have adapted significantly. Of coarse Mortegaard can be an undead or something

I think we should take a vote on either 500 years or 70 years.

Also I had the idea that maybe the smog originated form the ocean. Taking down coastal areas first(like Damania).

@Another_Poet I love your elves idea, it really changes the fair, wise, stereotyped elves into something more deep and depressing.

kopout

2009-03-06, 08:55 PM

I think we should take a vote on either 500 years or 70 years.

Also I had the idea that maybe the smog originated form the ocean. Taking down coastal areas first(like Damania).

@Another_Poet I love your elves idea, it really changes the fair, wise, stereotyped elves into something more deep and depressing.

We could also try to meet half way, like 230 years. But if not voting is the best solution.

mr.fizzypop

2009-03-06, 09:22 PM

230 years would stil not work because part of the point is whether Mortegaard is still alive.

kopout

2009-03-06, 09:29 PM

unless the royal family are elves

mr.fizzypop

2009-03-06, 10:13 PM

but that wouldn't really work in a human nation

kopout

2009-03-06, 10:21 PM

half elves? it's what sets them apart and makes them "fit to rule"

Vadin

2009-03-06, 11:06 PM

Do we want the Smog to be World War II, or the Fall of Rome?
Both were huge and shook the world and changed a LOT of things and left a LOT of people dead, but one is remembered by old people and the other is ancient history.

Owrtho

2009-03-07, 02:02 AM

I'd say 70 years is better. Mainly as in 500 years there would likely already be a lot of study done on the smog and likely a number of magical ways to manipulate it (and similar things). The smog would still be "history" to a lot of the populace, but it would be recent enough that things hadn't' fully adapted.

On the other hand, what it in the smog would be much better developed after 500 years than 70. So it is somewhat of a toss up.

Also from the ocean? Lol. Just make me think of a similar thing which I have already mentioned a few times.

Also smog height should be determined.

Owrtho

mr.fizzypop

2009-03-07, 06:29 PM

I think it should be longer than 70 years, and just enough that there is few humans who can remember, and most elves.

kopout

2009-03-07, 07:31 PM

On the other hand, what it in the smog would be much better developed after 500 years than 70. So it is somewhat of a toss up.

That is the main reason I push for 500 or 230 years. If it's 230 years Mortegaard would have to be a half-elf but if Another_poet is wiling to do that I could live with 230. If not my vote is for 500.

Also smog height should be determined.

I have little knoledge of topography and I don't want to assign an arbitrary number. Some where below the tree line probably .

mr.fizzypop

2009-03-08, 11:37 AM

The smog height all depends on how much highlands we want. If we want a decent amount, maybe "islands" the size of France or Germany it'd be about 500 meters. Or if we wanted land to be scarce, maybe the size of England or smaller, we could have it at 1000 meters. I'm pretty sure the average treeline is at 1500 meters, but I'm not too sure. At least it leaves us a bit of trees above the smog.

Owrtho

2009-03-08, 03:43 PM

I'd have thought the smog should cover the trees. Also I'd think that the largest amounts areas of highlands should only be enough for about 1 large city. I feel it should be sorta like in Wind Waker where most are their own communities (though likely with larger areas of land and some closer together).

Edit: Realized you meant the height at which trees stopped growing, and I agree it should be below that.

Owrtho

mr.fizzypop

2009-03-08, 04:09 PM

I agree it should be like Windwaker but in order to have to be pretty high up, above the treeline. But since this is our own world it can be what ever we want. How about the smog level at 1000m and the tree level at 1200m. Then we could have the average "island" height at around 1100m to 1300m.

Another_Poet

2009-03-09, 12:55 PM

I put in my vote for 70 years (obviously). I think that makes the threat seem more real and immediate and the world below the smog will still be unexplored and scary.

I think that puts the vote at 3 votes for 70 years and 2 for 230-500 but I could be wrong. Anyone else want to weigh in?

Elevation
I like the idea that smog rises 1000 metres above sea level and treeline is 1200 metres. That gives a narrow band of tree land around the edgesof many islands.

Remember that not all non-mountains are at the same elevation. We could have entire huge areas that are 900m above sea level, thus allowing towers to be built to poke out of the smog. I love that idea, nice idea Owrthro.

I'd also like to throw an idea out there:
What about making Plants one of the most common monster types? It was stated in the original post that plants also succumbed to the smog, but if they have the same mutation rate as oher living beings there'd be a huge population of mutant smog plants. Hirelythe's mercy could be one of the only beneficial ones, with most of them being carnivorous or poisonous or acting as natural traps. Few settings use plant enemies much at all, but consider what we could do with mutant trees, plants and fungi.

This would also make the smog-accepting elves much scarier, as their druids could form large cavalcades of mobile plants.

I think that criminalising plants would also be a good reason to write out druids as a viable class option for PCs. In this world, no sane person reveres nature. The few druids who are left walk the smog and are considered dangerous. It builds flavour and gets rid of a balance issue at the same time.

We could offer a shapeshifter class instead. There are plenty homebrewed on these forums.

Continuing making up history... stop me if I'm doing too much...

ADALANTICA AND THE FIRST SKYSHIP

The Fall of Til
In the pre-smog world, there was a small coastal nation to the northeast of Strout. The nation was known as Til, and was home to a mixed population of humans and gnomes. Backed by nearly impassable mountains and sheltered by numerous barrier reefs, it was hard to access even for friendly traders and withstood invasion more because of its location than because of its military prowess. The people of Til were known for their scholar monks, their fine art and their several arcane colleges.

The Tilians conducted their most sensitive research in a secret compound high in their mountains. The compound consisted of a number of bunkers and research facilities within a natural cave, and was dubbed Adalantica. No one but the highest government officials knew of its existence.

When the smog came, the Tilians had nowhere to go. They couldn't hope to scale their wall of mountains quickly enough to escape, though some tried. Others took to boats hoping to find a clear place. They departed in all directions, and most of the ships were never seen again (lowwalkers have found some of them wrecked on the shore). A few important people managed to escape with magic, but for all intents and purposes Til has been erased from the map.

The Height Flight Few
Not so with Adalantica, however. A year after the disaster, a swarm of desperate refugees on treeless colonies decided to strike out for the Tilian mountains looming above the smog to the east. Equipped with primitive early smogsuits, they marched for two weeks to reach the foothills and then climbed for 4 more weeks to get above the smog.

About 30 people survived the expedition, and found themselves rapelling into a gorge to get shelter from the wind. When they spotted a bronze door on a ledge they wasted no time. Without so much as a hallo! they battered down the door and rushed into the corridor. When they found gnomes experimenting with smoking machines and strange chemicals they thought they had found the perpetrators of the smog. They slaughtered nearly all of the researchers and took the last 3 captive.

The gnomes tried to cover the nature of their work but they couldn't hide the huge metal hulk that was obviously a ship of some sort. Consisting of a metal trawler-type design with four huge upright pillars running through it, it was Til's prototype skyship.

The humans forced the gnomes to work around the clock to finish it. They ate through the researcher's food supply and, some say, feasted on the bodies of the dead gnomes to prolong their rations.

When the ship was done and a test flight had been completed, the humans threw the three gnome prisoners overboard. They reasoned that no one else would ever find the remote research outpost, and they made a pact never to tell anyone how they got the ship. They wanted to be hailed as heroes, not butcherers.

From there the skyship has a rocky history. It appeared over several colonies, even stopping at some, before being pinned down with magic at a trade centre loosely controlled by Damania. There it was seized by the army and scholars were sent to look it over. The crew of the ship were taken prisoner but most escaped into a lowwalker community, including several who had taken notes on how the ship worked and was piloted. Over the next 4 years, several colonies obtained skyship technology.

This ship has come to be called the Height Flight I and its original pilots the Height Flight Few.

The Research Continues...
While the prototype was dismantled and studied, one researcher found a leather-clad journal wedged into an engine compartment. One of the original gnome builders had put it there, glamoured to be invisible, while working as a prisoner at Adalantica. Her journal details how the gnome researchers were attacked, and makes allusions to the existence of the research facility itself.

Damania was only able to track down 5 of the original crew and interrogate them about the journal. 2 of them wouldn't talk and were put to death, one died in torture, but two spilled everything. They gave the best directions they could on how to reach Adalantica.

Thus the research compound was re-discovered. It was become a sort of colony in its own right. Many of the machines there were smashed, but researchers continue to reverse-engineer them. The libraries, probably the only ones from the pre-smog days, still haven't been fully examined; they are just too extensive. A college has been built across the gorge from Adalantica, which is open internationally and run by representatives from four nations. Dr. Steelhawk maintains his own laboratiories there and oversees the continuing analysis of the ruined labs.

There is a remaining problem however. Of the two prisoners who gave directions, one gave very clear directions to Adalantica which he insisted was the only lab. The other had a harder time giving directions, but reported at least three separate compounds, each with their own entrances in the mountains. Many people believe this informant was delusional because of the interrogation techniques used. Ater all, no other research stations have been found despite thorough searches. But the hidden diary found on the protoype also speaks of the facilities in the plural at times....

Perhaps an intrepid team of mountaineers could discover something, where aerial reconnaisance has failed....

My Idea for Skyships

I'm going to suggest that skyships are a mishmash of arcane and natural technology, using Plasma Fields to stay aloft.

The idea of plasma flight is a real-world theory. Small plasma-lifted aerial craft are currently being developed, though making them work is decades in the future.

The idea is that, with an adequate power source on board, a ship's hull could be completely covered with a cushion of plasma, created by sending heat or electricity through the hull. (Plasma is basically just a bunch of positively charged particles that loose their electrons.) When the energy is increased to one area of the plasma field it pushes against the normal air around it. So if you energise the bottom of the hull, it creates lift. Energise the back end and you go forward. Et cetera.

One of the problems in the real world is that the energy sources needed to do this are too heavy to be lifted by the plamsa field they can create. In a world with magic, lighter motors are easily possible.

So I suggest that skyships are lifted by Til columns, named after the dead country that invented them. A til column is a long cylinder, usually at least six feet in diameter, that is stuck onto the side of a ship. Inside the cylinder is a dynamo, basically a magnet on an axel. The dynamo is enchanted to be spun rapidly by numerous 0th level spells - mage hand, most likely. Enough mage hands working in concert can get it going very fast, though they need some buildup time.

The dynamo produces electricity with is conducted to electrodes on the bottom of the column. The bottom is semi-spherical in shape, and becomes covered with a field of plasma. The bottom or sides can be charged to provide lift, thrust, steering and breaks. Although the energy source is magical (the mage hands), the rest is all mehcanical. It's a mundane magnet on a mundane axel with mundane connectors to the mundane metal shell. Mundane controls can be adjusted on board the ship to adjust with electrodes are connected, thus changing pitch, speed, bearing etc.

The advantage of this is that permanent at-will 0th level spells cost less to enchant than any high-voltage electrical spell. So for relatively little XP cost and material cost you can get the same amount of electricity or more. The only downside is the long start-up time for a Til column that was turned off. In general a Til column would be kept running at all times, even while the ship is docked, especially on military vessels.

A ship would need at least two Til columns: one in front or one in back. Small cheap ships could be built like this for general salvaging work, but they'd be very vulnerable to tipping over in strong storms or aerial combat. Remember, the bottom of a Til column only pushes in 180 degrees; if the ship capsizes there is no way to right it. It will crash.

Larger civlian vessels would have three columns, one in front and two in back for stability. Military ships would almost always have 4 or more, and be able to stay in the air if one of their columns is destroyed.

If anything touches the bottom of an active Til column it would suffer extreme heat and electrical damage. It would also destabilise the column and cause the ship to momentarily buck, faulter or even flip over. Thus, ships in close ship-to-ship combat have to be careful not to bump the bottoms of each other's columns. There is a fine art to setting your ship down on top of an enemy ship to blast it with "hot" Tils without flipping over.

hehe.... just ideas.

BRC

2009-03-09, 01:19 PM

An idea I had, judge it as you will
Reclamation Incorporated

Reclamation Inc started as a simple salvaging company working out of the highlands. That is, until they stumbled upon the jackpot. An old wizards tower full of magic items, most notably, several Necklaces of Adaptation. This windfall started a chain of events that led to Reclamation Inc, the biggest salvage company in the world.
Reclamation Incorporated has a large number of well-fortified enclaves in the lowlands, some of them are even “Open-Sky” Enclaves, surrounded by airtight walls that stretch above the smog. As the name implies, they make money by recovering things from the wastelands and selling them in the highlands. Or at least they used to, nowadays they make a good deal of money by selling smog-related gear and services to smaller salvaging companies, and by buying things recovered by lowalkers. Reclamation Inc controls a large number of Airships, and handles a good deal of trade that has nothing to do with the smog. In fact, Reclamation Incoprorated Company scrip is the currency of choice for most travelers, as it’s accepted almost anywhere except some very remote lowalker or very proud highland communities. Reclamation Inc Enclaves are generally the best defended, largest, and most secure in the lowlands, some of them are the size of towns, as opposed to most lowwalker enclaves which may have a hundred people at most. Well-guarded and equipped “Reclaimer” caravans often travel the lowlands, visiting various enclaves where they trade survival goods for salvaged valuables.
However, Reclamation Inc is not all sunshine. Rumors have it that they work with mutants and groups of Smog Bandits, sending them after salvaging companies and lowwalker settlements that refuse to work with the company. Indeed, groups openly wearing the Reclamation Inc symbol seem to have considerably better luck concerning being attacked in the smog. The company claims this is because bandits and mutant groups simply fear retribution from the well-equipped and trained Reclamation Inc security division, but many people don’t buy that.

Owrtho

2009-03-09, 01:45 PM

Sounds intriguing. However, I'd actually only thought of airships as being ships that would sail on the smog (not actually capably of flying above it). Otherwise I like the idea.

Also the plant idea sounds fun (though they should likely mutate more slowly than animals, and most should be stationary I'd think).

That said, I'd suggest we discuss what the scavengers and salvagers would be like. It seems like they would play an important role in the culture, but little about their jobs and the like (including societal status) has been discussed.

Edit: And I'm nijad by a post on what I was just pointing out hasn't been discussed... However, in response, I'd say that I expect many salvaging groups would work with non-hostile mutants (though I doubt that is the issue that you were talking about, so moving on). Also using Inc. in the name sounds out of place. Otherwise seems good.

Owrtho

BRC

2009-03-09, 01:55 PM

Yeah, non hostile mutants often work with people in the Lowlands. Heck, in Lowalker communities they are probably greatly respected and valued for their ability to go into the smog. Enclaves probably employ smog-dependant mutants as gatekeepers who stand guard outside the enclave itself.

kopout

2009-03-09, 03:40 PM

I put in my vote for 70 years (obviously). I think that makes the threat seem more real and immediate and the world below the smog will still be unexplored and scary.

It can still be scary after 500 years. And it can defiantly be unexplored. justs look at the deep ocean, or even the shallower parts, there is a lot of unexplored territory and sharks are defiantly something to be afraid of. you can go down in a diving sute but the vast majority is still mysterious and deadly.

I think that puts the vote at 3 votes for 70 years and 2 for 230-500 but I could be wrong. Anyone else want to weigh in?

I thought it was 2 to 2 I don't know which way Vadian is going (or Owrtho for that mater) Owrtho is probably in your camp but I don't know what the others think.

Vadin

2009-03-09, 03:52 PM

70 years definitely. It makes the terror a lot fresher.

Owrtho

2009-03-09, 03:59 PM

I'd say I prefer 70 to 100 years (as people can live for about 120 years you could still have people who were in their late teen when it happened which would likely be considered an adult). However, looking at it from another viewpoint, due to the existents of the Rets, there would still easily be many who lived before the smog came even after a few hundred years (especially if the retrieval of them didn't start until more recently). So while I would prefer the recent time period, I wouldn't be put off by the latter.

Owrtho

BRC

2009-03-09, 04:07 PM

I vote 70 years. It just makes things more interesting,innovations are just now arising concerning the smog, societies have settled in and gotten used to the way things work now, but there is still that fear of the smog. Society has only recently gotten used to surviving despite the smog, so actually venturing into it is a scary proposition. 500 years is just far too long. I imagine when people say they are going to venture into the smog others respond with "Gasp, are you sure. It's really dangerous" not "Oh, okay". After 500 years people will have gotten used to it. Areas around the highlands will be patrolled by people in smogsuits with clean air stations every so often. Most places will have been stripped of any good loot. After 70 years smog adventuring will have been established enough that there is a system for it, but once you get out there people will still be more or less making it up as they go along.

Another_Poet

2009-03-09, 04:12 PM

I love the Reclamation Inc idea! It reminds me of Pinkertons. I think people could call Reclamation Inc muscle "Rinks" for short.

I'm not put off by having Inc in the name. This setting has an early modern feel to me. We have airships, mutation, democracies/republics, failing aristocracies, sealed domes in the smog, skyscrapers above the smog, company credit being used instead fo money, and all sorts of modern contrivances. The crowded nature of the highland colonies also lends a very early industrial sense, at least in my mind.

I think skating gleefully back and forth between medieval and modern is the way to go here.

mr.fizzypop

2009-03-09, 04:20 PM

First off Another_Poet, great skyship ideas!

Secondly, I vote between 70-100 years, but it can be varied in some cases. Maybe it took several years to get to the height it is now?

Thirdly, I think their should be two sides to the "Adalantica and the First Skyship" story. The one Another_Poet told, from the perspective of the gnomes, and another from the perspective of the humans. Since the journal is most likely not open to the public, the story could be twisted both ways, without any proof of each.

Fourth, I think the gnomes since gnomes are now more technologically advanced than the other races, other than the Skyships, maybe they can have experimental "gun" technology but might have a good chance of backfire(like the arquebus in 2E). Also replace the plus in constitution to wisdom.

Fifth, I think Reclamation Incorporated should have high taxes on all their products, since they have a monopoly. So independent scavenging missions should be common, but still dangerous. Something a PC might get hired to help with?

BRC

2009-03-09, 04:29 PM

No, "Rink" should refer to Reclamation Inc. Employees in general (Shopkeepers, managers, laborers, airship crews, ect), and as shorthand for the company itself, for example: "I'm sorry, but it will cost you. The Rink's keep driving up the price of leather"
Reclamation Inc. muscle should be called "Reckers" (Pronounced Wreckers), as in "No way, If I buy that from you I'll have Wreckers on my doorstep within a week".

Also, Reclamation Inc doesn't do much in the way of salvage anymore. Mostly, what they do is sell Hirelythe's mercy and smogsuits to would-be scavengers for a fee. Provide them with a guide for which areas are likely to have good stuff and which are likely to be dangerous for another fee. Sell them a card that will get them help from lowwalker communities for a third fee. Then maybe sell them some insurance for all of it for a truly outrageous fee, and transport them to a Reclamation inc enclave near their destination for another fee. When and if the Salvagers get back, they will buy any recovered goods off them, which they will then sell to other merchants in the highlands. Rumors of Wreckers causing trouble for groups that don't adhere to this system are denied by the company. So technically most salvage expeditions are "Independent". It's just that every step of the process that is not actually going out and getting the stuff is handled by Reclamation Inc or something they control.

Owrtho

2009-03-09, 05:12 PM

Well, I'd say that the best salvagers are likely the mutants. Also, even if societies see them as useful, there should probably be a good bit of discrimination against them in most places (if only because they remind people of the smog). However, I'd also think the smog dependent ones should have some discrimination against those that can't breathe the smog. They may even feel some superiority (at least those that grow up with others of their kind or less dependent on the communities). After all, they can move and live just fine in the majority of the land. They have easy access to all the lost things there with out a need for any clunky gear. They can get along just fine without those dirty clear breathers (random idea for slang derogatory term for those that cant breathe in the smog among those that can). Also, there should be some areas or groups that even R inc. won't mess with lightly lest it feel like too much of an overpowered controlling group (not that it shouldn't a little, but it can be kinda lame if they can control anything and everything without much difficulty).

Owrtho

BRC

2009-03-09, 05:33 PM

Oh certianly, there are plenty of organizations they can't control. For example, Governments.While they can bribe, blackmail, and threaten low-ranking government officials or police to look the other way when a gang of Wreckers beats up a shopkeeper who buys scavenged goods from people other than them, they know what will happen if they bump heads with a major government. And remember, while they have well-trained security forces, they can't send those to threaten people. Most "Wreckers" are just thugs. Their general way of handling somebody they they don't like is to send some Wreckers to threaten them. If that dosn't work, the Wreckers beat them up or smash their stuff or somthing. If that dosn't work, or the person is too tough to be beat up, they will spread rumors about the person, or bribe local government officials into making trouble for that person. Or they may simply try to buy that person out. But those are pretty much their only means of control. Also, it's a big organization. Just saying you are from Reclamation Inc dosn't mean you can walk in and steal things unless the company has explicitally told you to and has already made the approrpriate bribes, and if an employee starts flaunting their power in ways that are bad for buisness, the higher ups will just cut them off. Plus, somtimes things just arn't worth it. If the PC's decide they don't want to deal with the Rinks, they may get some Wreckers to beat them up (Not kill, Wrecker's are very careful not to kill people, just hurt them.) But if they win they probably won't run into any other trouble unless they start doing enough buisness to seriously threaten Reclamation Inc assets in the area.
In short, think of them like the Robber Barons or the Trusts. Only instead of the Steel Trust, it's the Scavenge Trust.

Jangoose

2009-03-09, 07:42 PM

i personally don't like inc in the name either... i think industrialization is fine, and the concept as a whole is awesome, but the name just doesn't sound right...

i am also voting for 70 - 100 years

other than that, everything sounds great... i am working on some basic class ability outlines and stuff, but probably can't post much till next weekend.

also... we should come up with some more non-magical gadget type things, it just seems like they would be perfect for this setting on the fringes of modern tech. ideas?

either way... as far as i can tell, these are the class ideas we have so far (plus some of mine)

Mutant: smoglings who have learned to access their natural affinity for the smog to gain beneficial mutations

Windrider: Skyship captains who gain knowledge of how to modify their skyships to be the very best in addition to being top knotch pilots...

Corruptor: Mages or Ex Druids who have turned towards use of the smog. Gain a supplemental spell-list in addition to some scr/wiz spells. Including a large number of mutation-esque transmutations, paralysis, poison, gas, mind & body control, and smog survival spells

Lowlander Tracker: Ultimate Smog Ranger probably limited (if any) spells, but higher potential for gadget / tech usage

Smogwalker: Warlock Variant in which the inherent powers of a person are corrupted by the smog. gaining control over smog (being able to move it and even attack with it [their eldritch blast]), although not create it (perhaps they would have to bring some smog with them out of the smog?? that could be interesting). Also would gain various smog themed bonuses, and possibly culminating in the character becoming a smogling.

Underlord: The heavy tank of the lowlands... powerful fighting, and the heaviest of breathingtank / armors. plus smog related abilities

Wrecker: The classic thug, with a "Reclamation" twist, gaining contacts in the organization, and increasing influence and intimidation abilities. (plus good non-lethal combat techniques)

Purger: Agents of one of the only major surviving churches, specializing in the hunting down and exterminating of mutants and other corruptions of the smog.

what do you guys think?

BRC

2009-03-09, 07:50 PM

If the name really bugs you, we could change it to "The Reclaimers Guild" or "The Reclaimers Union"

For the above classes/PRC's
Mutant is too generic a term, let's call the class "Changed One" or "Smogblooded". Same with "Wrecker", since it refers to all the thugs R Inc employs (as well as their security forces). Maybe something like "Company Enforcer" (or Guild Enforcer, or Union Enforcer depending on which name we pick), or "Wrecker Captain"

Vadin

2009-03-09, 08:32 PM

For those of us who are more inclined towards 4th Edition:

Mutant: smoglings who have learned to access their natural affinity for the smog to gain beneficial mutations
Any class, Spellscarred multiclassing and paragon path from Eberron

Windrider: Skyship captains who gain knowledge of how to modify their skyships to be the very best in addition to being top notch pilots...
Bard or Artificer (Almost any Leader)

Corruptor: Mages or Ex Druids who have turned towards use of the smog. Gain a supplemental spell-list in addition to some scr/wiz spells. Including a large number of mutation-esque transmutations, paralysis, poison, gas, mind & body control, and smog survival spells
Dark Pact Warlock from Eberron or Wizard with a few different powers (Dark Warlock or almost any reflavored and slightly reworked Controller)

Lowlander Tracker: Ultimate Smog Ranger probably limited (if any) spells, but higher potential for gadget / tech usage
Ranger (Any Martial Striker)

Smogwalker: Warlock Variant in which the inherent powers of a person are corrupted by the smog. gaining control over smog (being able to move it and even attack with it [their eldritch blast]), although not create it (perhaps they would have to bring some smog with them out of the smog?? that could be interesting). Also would gain various smog themed bonuses, and possibly culminating in the character becoming a smogling.
Fey Pact Warlock (they can use the smog to alter peoples' minds) (Almost any Striker with a few Controller powers)

Underlord: The heavy tank of the lowlands... powerful fighting, and the heaviest of breathingtank / armors. plus smog related abilities
Fighter or Barbarian (Defender)

Wrecker: The classic thug, with a "Reclamation" twist, gaining contacts in the organization, and increasing influence and intimidation abilities. (plus good non-lethal combat techniques)
Barbarian or Brutal Scoundrel Rogue (Defender or Striker)

Purger: Agents of one of the only major surviving churches, specializing in the hunting down and exterminating of mutants and other corruptions of the smog.
Paladin or Cleric (Any Role)

Benefit to using 4e: It's all mechanically balanced, and we can make a few new powers for classes to have them fit better into the setting. That's not to say we can't also have things in 3.5 (like Vote Up A Campaign Setting- same stuff, two sets of rules so more people can use it).

All that aside, great class layouts. It gives a good feel for what sort of jobs adventurers would do on missions into the Smog.

Owrtho

2009-03-09, 08:56 PM

Well, I also think scavenger or salvager should be a class (focus on smog survival and finding/use of things found in the smog environment).

Also, seems like there could be some smog powered technology (sorta like steam powered but uses the smog). Could be quite entertaining (specially constructs)
maybe sorta like this. If you want the source, it is from Gyo (http://www.onemanga.com/Gyo/1/01/) (realize I've mentioned it a few times but it really does strike me as being akin to this setting even if different in some key ways).
http://img42.onemanga.com/mangas/00000871/000041051/04.jpg

Owrtho

mr.fizzypop

2009-03-09, 10:20 PM

@Daverick

Your classes are nice ideas but some don't really work as base classes. Windrider and corrupter would work best as prestige classes(maybe corrupter could be a spellcaster version of the Blackguard). Lowland Tracker, Purger, and Wrecker would work better as base class variants(such as Lowland Tracker as a Variant of the Ranger).

The rest seem fine since they're completely original and smog-based.

Jangoose

2009-03-09, 11:35 PM

i was intending to do most of them as prestige classes from the beginning... i should have specified... as a matter of fact I was intending to do pretty much all but maybe the tracker as prestige classes...

Another_Poet

2009-03-10, 10:03 AM

Thirdly, I think their should be two sides to the "Adalantica and the First Skyship" story. The one Another_Poet told, from the perspective of the gnomes, and another from the perspective of the humans. Since the journal is most likely not open to the public, the story could be twisted both ways, without any proof of each.

Fizzy, I strongly support this!

BRC, I love Rink and Reckers. Perfect.

Daverick, Windrider seems like a bad class idea to me. It's the same reason dragonrider isn't a class in normal D&D. Having a huge flying combat craft is something that should not happen at low or maybe even mid levels, and at high levels its something everyone should be able to do. Getting the most out of a skyship would ideally be a combo of having a high Pilot skill and buying the right equipment/armour/weapons/features for the ship.

Lowland Tracker could probably be combined with Salvager.

Purger seems like it would be a major setting choice. Do the churches of this world really train paramilitary groups or secret agents? Do they really hate smoglings and mutants? Why don't they just use their influence to get regular knights/adventurers/armies to do this for them, instead of training their own Purgers? Do all the churches agree on this? If not, do the others have some sort of anti-purgers?

I think that with the right flavour it could be good. I like all your other classes too.

More random mind-ponderings...

Esther Colony and Thief City
A New Nation, a New Way
To the west of the now-abandoned Damanian lands, a number of duchies and fiefdoms held sway over a wide expanse of plains. To the north and west the
mountains divided them from elven lands. None of them individually had as much power as Damania and they warred among themselves too much to ever present a unified front. Mostly human and halfling, these nations had a reputation as iron-fisted despotisms, ruled by warlords or hereditary lords. They were big on serfdom and small on industry, living a mostly agrarian lifestyle. The halflings were the only group likely to move from place to place, often acting as tinkers and traders between baronies.

When the smog came, the relatively flat land made it easy for people to migrate ahead of it. A swell of refugees pushed north toward the mountains. They found waystations and guard houses abandoned as they crossed through the intervening lands. Eventually they ascended the Pepoto Highlands to the cathedral city of Morromore. Nearly 600,000 refugees crammed onto the highland moore, hoping to be safe from the acending smog.

Sadly, those who had been so quick to flee their homeland dallied in this seeming place of refuge. Their complacence was fueled by the numerous merchants (many of them halflings) who virtually took over Morromore, setting up bars, brothels, spiritual services, snake oil peddlers and armourers literally overnight. By the time most of the residents realised the smog was covering their highland, the roads were misty and the city was lost.

Those who did have the wisdom (or fear) to push on went even higher in the mountains, where they reached the large dormant volcano known as Esther. The volcano forms a 9-mile wide, 12-mile long oval shaped valley filled with fertile soil, sulfur-scented but drinkable water, hot geysers and a temperate rainforest.

On this mountain solace converged the humans and halflings of the south and the elves of the western forests, not to mention some of the dwarves from the other mountains. Their first years were terrible, partly because of the horrendous natural predators in the rainforest (read: dinosaurs) and partly because of the infighting. Many of the humans blamed the halflings for what happened at Morromore, whether the halflings were traders or not. The dwarves derided the sickly elves as weak and useless.

Things became desperate. Sheltered from the smog, these people thought they might be the last living creatures in the world. Yet they were tearing each other apart. If not for the actions of Augustina Sinlittle they might not have survived.

Augustina, a half-halfling, half-gnome with a loud voice and a winning smile, started out as a circus performer (pre-smog) and dinosaur hunter (post-smog). She built a name by defending the races from predation and even taming some dinos whom she gave to a bard friend as a traveling menagerie. Between her reputation of bravery and her uplifting performances cracking raptors with whips in the spotlight, the people came to love her. And she used her popularity as a soapbox for her ideals.

It's strange that her idea came to be accepted. Derived from her gnomish upbringing, the idea that every household had a say in government was radical to the ungoverned halflings, the clannish dwarves, the monarchist humans and the tradition-bound elves. But she was able to bring together representatives from 70 of the volcano's families (spanning all the races) for an emergency meeting to decide how to go about cultivating enough food for everyone. There she partnered with a cleric of ______ to draft the first charter of Esther Mountain Free Hope Territory, or Esther Colony in common parlance. Despite fits of faction violence in the beginning, this union eventually took off.

As the first true republic, Esther managed to balance (not solve) its internal differences and survive to the present day. Its model of government, with a General Council of all families once per year and two sessions of a Special Council (elected by the General Council) to do lawmaking and appoint officials, has spread to many other colonies. It is generally opposed by the old aristocratic families, so works best in areas where they are outnumbered and under-armed. Some nobles refuse to acknowledge the Councils at all, while others grudgingly participate in the hopes of getting at least some advantage from the situation.

The First Salvage
As one of the most diverse and well-supplied colonies, Esther was among the first to begin under-smog exploration. Halfling-designed suits were the gear of choice among early explorers, who consisted largely of elven arcanists and human soldiers of fortune.

Two important areas were charted that are still considered iconic among salvagers and lowwalkers today: Refugee Road and Thief City.

Refugee Road is the nickname for the route from Morromore into the mountains around Esther. This route was the last push for the 600,000 or so refugees who stayed too long in Morromore. Thousands and thousands of them still lie along the highway, some huddled with families and others collapsed mid-jog. It is a ghastly sight.

Thief City is the new name for Morromore itself gained from the large number of looters in early exploration days. Standing at an elevation of 1060 metres above sea level, it almost escaped the smog and was one of the last places in Pepoto to be blanketed. It has always been known for its tall buildings: it sports five cathedrals to five separate deities, lookout towers at all three corners of the city, a castle with twin keeps on the central hill, and numerous 4- or 5-story houses. It was something to behold in its glory day.

Now it is something quite different. The first wave of explorers stripped the city of its valuables and carried them back to Esther. They also discovered the first ghouligans. As one of the highest concentrations of smog victims, Morromore and Refugee Road also have the highest number of mutants, and the cannibals who most commonly result from mutation are fierce in the area. Numerous efforts have been made to kill off the ghouligans but there always seem to be more. Entering Pepoto Smogland at all is an invitation for dozens, sometimes hundreds to come howling for dinner.

Because of this threat, the second wave of explorers - who wanted to go even deeper into smog country - built numerous defensive structures in Thief City to serve as base camps. Some are simple affairs, but towers became most popular. Smog explorers would typically use the stone walls of an existing building as a basis and then erect a tower built from the beams of surrounding houses. A common tactic was to have several gates at different levels on the tower, so that ghouligan break-ins could be contained on multiple levels. Explorers developed grappling crossbows which were kept at the top of the towers to make emergency ziplines in the event of a total breach. They were quite resourceful, though some met their grisly fate regardless.

Those looting days are long over now, as the third and most recent wave of explorers - those who finally had skyship backing - found a different sort of tower to their liking. By using dwarven-made metal trusses they are able to build towers tall enough to reach the top of the smog. These towers support small platforms where skyships can dock, unload supplies, and switch personnel in or out of the smog. For many years there was only one such platform, paid for by Esther Colony and shared by all explorers. Then the Rink bought the platform and started charging fees, earning no friendship by doing so. Several incidents ensued of explorers being turned away from Rink Tower only to be killed by monsters before they could hike to safety, and the non-Rink salvagers decided to build towers of their own.

Of course, Rink tried to stop this; it even went so far as to threaten its competitors. Then one day a single pair of bolt-cutters were found hanging on the 18th floor of Rink Tower. The message was clear: you stop us, we sabotage you. The salvagers' towers went up without further violence, but many people believe this incident is what caused Reclamation Inc to form the Reckers and become such a high-security outfit.

So now Thief City stands as a multi-layerd city. Every fourth or fifth building has been completely torn down to provide wood. The bases of wooden and metal towers rise up into smog-obscured heights. Desolate cathedrals no longer serve as worship places, but as massive holding pens for the smog victims who were cleared from some of the streets.

There are few lowwalkers here as a rule; the ghouligans are too much of a threat. No one uses the place except as a depot for excursions into the less plundered lowlands. It isn't really all that far south of Esther, but avoiding the rough mountain terrain above Refugee Road and the cannibal hordes is well worth the price of docking at one of the towers there. Newb explorers are sometimes taken to Thief City in batches for training runs.

There are rumoured to be some lowwalkers in the area, but not the upstanding citizen types. These are the ones who have managed to permanently frighten the ghouligans, or make a deal with them. Supposedly they are the lowest of the low, selling out explorers to the cannibals or trolling the highway for smog victims who would do well in brothels. Thief City may no longer be full of thieves as such, but it has certainly earned its name.

mr.fizzypop

2009-03-10, 04:45 PM

That's great, we're actually getting a world together here. One only problem however. If the height of the smog will be 1000 meters, that would mean any tower at about sea level would have to be 1000+ meters(at least 3000 feet)

That's taller than any building today.

Maybe we could change the smog height to 1000 feet(300 meters), so the smog height is tall but possible to build a tower larger than it.

The only problem is that would leave a lot of land without smog(pretty much all but the coast), so I think we have a problem here. Any solutions?

BRC

2009-03-10, 04:48 PM

Thats great, we're actully getting a world together here. The only problem however. If the heght of the smog will be 1000 meters, that would mean any tower at about sea level would have to be 1000+ meters or over 3000 feet. That's taller than any building today.

Maybe we could change the smog height to 1000 feet(300 meters), so the smog height is tall but is possible to build a tower taller than it.

The only problem is that would leave a lot of land without smog(pretty much all but the coast), so I think we have a problem here.

Well the answer to that is that such towers arn't built near the coast. Most of these towers are built in areas near the highland that are already pretty far above sea level.

mr.fizzypop

2009-03-10, 04:59 PM

Hmmm that might work. Since the average skyscraper is between 200 and 300 meters, that leaves a bit of area for towers. And after a bit of researching on google, the interrior of a continent is 500m at least. So we don't really have a problem anymore. And the towers don't need to be too high. They'd only need tall skyscrapers at lowlands.

kopout

2009-03-10, 09:06 PM

you win this round Another_Poet we will do 70 years.

Jangoose

2009-03-10, 09:37 PM

@Another_Poet:

ok... firstly i want to stress that windrider was intended to be a prestige class, and so would be higher level, and thus not over-powerful... second... they could gain all manner of bonuses to their ships etc. including complex weaponry, hull plating, propulsion, etc. BUT: they would also gain bonuses as a pilot and captain. the ability to rally their crew and provide numerous morale bonuses etc. would be valulable, and there would likely be a leadership-esque bonus granted (or possibly an improved leadership if leadership were to be a prerequisite), allowing for better trained followers as crew...

also... dragonrider IS a class in D&D, from draconomicon pg 124...

i agree about the salvager/lowland tracker merge

about the purgers, i think that they need not be organized, and could hypothetically just be free-lance agents, although i think that in the setting, the purgers are a perfect path for religion to take. Not all religions would be this way, in fact, i would likely think that it would probably work best being just one church of particularly extremist worshipers.

BRC

2009-03-10, 10:33 PM

For Windrider, you could probably just modify the Legendary Captain class from Stormwrack.

Edit: The "Company Enforcer" Class NEEDS a class feature called "Fell down some stairs". I have no idea what it does, but it fits too well. At first level they should get the class feature "Rough 'em up", which lets them deal Nonlethal damage with bludgeoning weapons at no penalty. Maybe later they will get "Cut themself shaving", which does the same thing for slashing weapons. But I dunno, were probably not at the actually stating things out stage.

Owrtho

2009-03-10, 11:33 PM

Alright, that city inspired me to write up the history of one that ended up rather worse off.

Salvin and Grey Tower

The Rise and Fall of Septel City
One of the many tragedies that came with the smog was that of the Septel Range. An area of a few hundred square miles with many cities and towns. The area was so called for a group of seven spires that formed a regular heptagon about 25 miles in diameter with a mountain in the center. Aside from those and a few other spires scattered throughout the whole land was fairly level. When the smog came however the people found it encroaching from all side and fled toward the central mountain where the highest elevation was to be found. The mountain had steep cliff sides. Fortunately for the many worn out from the escape from the smog however, there was a network of caves granting easy access to the top where there was a wide open plateau.

When the refugees reached the plateau, they soon realized the need to work together as many had been lost on the way. They quickly set to work building Septel City, and in under two weeks (with the help of arcane arts), the city was flourishing. However, the steep cliffs and the sense of security they granted would be the cities downfall. For while it took over half a year, the smog rose steadily. For the plateau on which the built the city was at an elevation of only 900 meters, and though when they saw the smog only a few feet below the cliff side they began erecting a wall, it was already too late. In less than a moth since they had noted the imminent threat the smog over took the construction of the city wall, as rapid as it was, and began flowing over the top. In under a week after that the city was all but still, most having succumbed to being frozen in the smog. The wall a mere 15 meters from being tall enough to have blocked out the smog at its final height.

Salvin and the Beginnings of Grey Tower
This would have been the end of the story for Septel City if it were not for an elven druid named Salvin. Salvin was one of the first elves to succumb to the belief that the smog was a good thing that should be studied and benefited from. It took only a week after he first saw it for him to fall to such a belief. However, his ideas were ridiculed and he was forced to pursue his studies in secret.

Salvin seemed to have an affinity with the smog, and he quickly adapted his druidic magic to work with it. Yet left alone to his studies he soon found himself needing things to test it on. He started with animals, combining his ability to polymorph others with the usage of the smog and soon was able to keep them living when exposed. He quickly adapted this for himself and began to come and go from the smog as he pleased. However he found his real breakthrough when he started experimenting on the yet unborn. He learned in the course of a month how to get 80% success when exposing the unborn to the smog, making them develop resistant to its effects. Only a week after that he was even able to remove a defect in which the mutated children were unable to live without the smog.

Now sure of his belief that the smog was a good thing, he tried taking his findings to the other druids and magic users of Septel City. Yet again they ridiculed him ignoring his findings and saying they were fine as they were in the city, that there was no need and if he wanted to work with the smog he should find a way to dispel it. This was the final insult to Salvin. If they hated his precious smog now, perhaps they would change their mind when all their children relied upon it to live. Then they would come to see he was right.

It was then he began sneaking around at night, using his abilities and small vials of smog to turn the unborn of the city into smog dependent mutants. He then realized however that they would need someone who would know what was going on when they were born to save them before they suffocated though, and he couldn't keep an eye on all the pregnant women at once. Thus he gathered what orphans and street urchins he could that were willing to help him for just food and formed a group of 23 mutant children who could live both in and out of the smog and would blend in with normal people. They were his eyes and ears throughout the city.

Yet even Salvin failed to realize how high the smog would rise, and thus when the city was busy building its wall, it was all he could do to make sure none of the yet unborn children would die if their parents were frozen in the smog (an easier feat than saving all of the parents too). Thus after the smog overreached the wall, the city came to be populated by around a hundred smogling children. A far cry from its previous population of almost 1000, but a start.

Over the first 40 years, Salvin raised the smoglings. They grew without knowing a life outside the city and the name Septel City was soon forgotten. The population grew to almost 500, a massive number for a mutant population, but it was aided by Salvin and his strange affinity for the Smog. It was a few weeks into the 41st year since the smog had overtaken the city that Salvin finally went mad. He abandoned the city taking only a few trusted smoglings with him and went to conquer other neighboring lands (an event the city came to call the fall of Salvin). He soon began making smogflesh golems from those caught in the initial escape from the smog to Septel City and began laying siege on those areas outside it.

With his leaving those that remained in the city saw the world outside it for the first time. Always it had been hidden by the huge wall, and few ventured deep into the caves below. In the early time without Salvin to see to the production of food most of the people frozen by the smog inside the city were eaten as the only readily accessible food supply. They did however soon begin exploring outside the city and hunting the mutated animals while looking for safe plants as well. It was then they came to call the city as Grey Tower, for even in the smog it could be seen for up to 30 miles away as a grey spire reaching toward the sky.

The Siege of Salvin and Modern Grey Tower
23 years after he left, Salvin had managed to make many enemies. The communities he lay siege to could do little in defense, but before long Rink began to take notice of him. Many of the communities he attacked had begun supplying them well, but what really caused them to see him as a problem was the Seven Forts. So called were the towers he had built atop each of the seven spires around Grey Tower.

Each of the Seven Forts was armed ballistas using a magnetic ammo specially made to be attracted to the Til columns in the sky ships. With these any shot that got close to a skyship would be almost guarantied to hit one of the Til columns. His policy of firing on any ship that came in range tended to rather upset Rink who found it would be a good deal more efficient to cut right past them instead of being forced to circle all the way around. It also earned the area the title of a dead zone.

The area below the smog was just as dangerous. Salvin had thousands of ghouligans, smogflesh golems, and monstrous mutants holding the land outside of the Seven Forts. He had also for the past 22 years been laying siege to the Grey Tower itself. However, all troops he sent there were of humanoid form, equipped in smog suits that he took from those lowwalkers and highlanders he killed.

It was during this time that Grey Tower restarted construction on the Wall. However, instead of leaving it open to the top, they noted the strange ships occasionally seen in the distance and through scrying fond them often filled with those strange suits of armor that the fallen Salvin often equipped his troops with. Thus they began bringing the wall to a point, building a partial roof over the Grey Tower and making but a single tall spire stick out above the smog that they might place lookouts.

After the fall of Salvin, things had become harder in Grey Tower as well. The once steady population growth had ceased and the population was barely kept stable. A number came to be addicted to eating the meat of non mutated creatures, not realizing they had become ghouligans due to the only non mutated being the many smogflesh golems in Salvin's armies.

It was but 17 years after the that Grey Tower invented the Smog Skimmers. These were vehicles similar to a dirigible. They have a hard top (called the Caciual) similar to a flattened Capsized boat filled with a hot air or other light gasses (this portion was often painted grey to match the smog). Underneath is suspended a boat like cabin from which one can steer the vessel, which was propelled through various means. Armaments are mounted on the sides that they can aim at both the ground and rotated to aim into the air above. The Caciual floats atop the smog barely exposed while allowing the cabin to remain fully submerged. They are quite fast, cheep, and safe though skyships remain preferred by most due to the issue of being in the smog while in the cabin. The smog skimmers were made to be able to sneak past the Seven forts undetected while still being able to assault ground troops effectively and even take out the skyships.

After the Grey Tower captured the first of the Seven Towers they too began producing the anti-skyship ammo and it became standard to carry some on all smog skimmers. Thus despite their slowly winning the battle against the fallen Salvin, no notice was made by the outside world for they continued believing the skyships his.

It was not until the 23th year after the fall of Salvin that Rink managed to hire some adventurers who made it into his fort and confronted him. There they managed to defeat him in combat though he vanished in the end and his body was never found. Unfortunately for them, they fell for his trick when during the battle he mentioned he had trapped a city in the center of his domain for years. Thus they went to tell the city of its new freedom from the wicked Salvin's tyranny, and were quickly shot down by Grey Tower as more of his many troops that wore matching armor (which was their smog gear).

It was not until a few months later when contact was successfully made between Grey Tower and the outside world. They had, with Salvin's disappearance, easily taken the remaining towers of the Seven Forts, and had made easy work of his remaining troops. However even after learning of Salvin's trick with the smog gear, they are still wary of all who wear it. And those outside are wary of them as mutants. Despite this they have peaceful, if strained, relations with their bordering countries and have entered into an agreement with Rink that they won't fire upon any skyships so long as it doesn't pass between any two of the Seven forts. In exchange Rink can exchange supplies and raw material at the First Fort (the name they have come to call the first fort captured from the fallen Salvin) for finished goods and the lost smog suits that were sent against them by Salvin.

It is from the First Fort that the goods and any of the few passengers are transported by smog skimmer back to the city. Many that go are smoglings and the occasional adventurer looking for something. Most feel uncomfortable in the smog with that many smoglings about, particularly when more than a few can be seen openly eying them in hunger and almost all with some hostility due to their smog gear. The laws of Grey Tower are few. Most come as second nature to the populace after 15 years of siege and war. There is no set governing group, but order is maintained by those with the strength to do so. The populace however has few problems due to a certain camaraderie they feel with each other, though outsiders are often advised to make a big friend quickly and stay with them until they become accepted by most of the rest of the city.

They are one of the few small cities that Rink treads lightly around as well. They fear the possible retribution of hundreds of smog skimmers traveling out to hunt down their skyships. Thus more than a few who hope to hide from rink or at least lay low for awhile are attracted to the area. It should also be noted that the anti-skyship ammo's production is a closely guarded secret, and while Rink would like it for themselves, they cooperate in preventing it from being found for they wish to keep it from other more than they want it themselves.

Note: the smogflesh golems mentioned are made by taking a person (or creature) frozen by the smog, and applying enchantments to make them a golem, though it doesn't kill them or free them from the smog (unless their given orders to leave the smog long enough to recover at which point they can overcome the enchantment with some effort).

Owrtho

BRC

2009-03-11, 10:27 AM

Woah. Very very nifty. Anyway, here's a city idea I had, largely inspired by Another Poet mentioning the Pinkertons. I apologize for the horrible grammar.
Cloudscarp (Need a better name, I'm horrible at thinking up names)

Cloudscarp was one of the luckier cities. It was already very close to 1000m above sea level before the smog arrived, the entire city is built around a hill, so only the lowlying districts got swallowed by the Smog. After the Smog arrived, these districts were quickly looted of anything valuable, and the city was simply built on top, with the old buildings acting as pillars supporting a newly-built city above. The result of this is a considerable “Undertown”, which is home to many mutants and the occasional group of lowalkers. There are some hostile mutants down there , but not many. The non-hostile mutants stop them before they incite the residents of the Overtown into attacking en-masse. This system has worked pretty well so far.
While the city is technically under the rule of a Duke, the nobles, having noticed the fate of other such systems, are very afraid of being overthrown, and recognize how fragile their power is. Therefore, much of the city is essentially self-governing, operating on a sort of rough democracy. If a major issue needs to be decided, community leaders will call a town-hall style meeting followed by a simple ballot vote. These votes are unofficial, but since they tend to be done in fairly small numbers (By neighborhood usually), corruption is rare. When there are at most 200 people voting, any major tampering is difficult to conceal.
The city’s location (about equidistant from several former cities that are now completely smog-covered), makes it a vital port for skyships, and before long many warehouses and skydocks were built on the roofs of the undertown, as a large number of independent businessmen decided to get a piece of the pie. People without money flocked to the docks as well, getting jobs as Longshoremen, loading and unloading the skyships.
Greenie and the Elmen
As might be expected, Reclamation Inc soon moved in. However, they never bothered to actually buy many skydocks, instead they simply relied on the high competition, and fear, to ensure the other dock operators would keep their fees low. However, low dock fee’s meant low salaries for the Longshoremen. This system was working just fine for the Rinks, until the arrival of “Greenie” Moscone.
“Greenie” Moscone was a half-orc longshoreman. Because of his race, most people assumed him to be stupid, an impression Greenie cultivated. Most Longshoreman were barely scraping by, and Greenie decided he wasn’t going to take it. Fairly clever, and possessing considerable force of personality, Greenie organized the Longshoremen in secret, the Rinks and other airdock owners never saw it coming. One morning, the Longshoremen simply refused to work. Instead of carrying cargo, they carried signs, and each dock owner received a letter outlining their demands, signed by the elected leaders of the Longshoreman’s Union (or the “Elmen” as they came to be known), including chairman Greenie Moscone. It looked like most of the dockowners were going to concede to the union, and therefore raise their docking fees, of course, the Rinks did not approve.
Elmen versus Reckers
Negotiations with the individual dockowners was a lengthy process, but it seemed to be going well. However, Rink took the time to make preparations, they brought a large number of Reckers to Cloudscarp, including the infamous Barry the Eyeblacker, an infamous Recker rumored to have been a smog bandit from the city of thieves. Barry and his Reckers attacked the striking longshoremen in an attempt to break the strike. Their plan was to take the longshoremen by surprise and shatter their spirit. But Greenie had expected the Rinks to pull something like this, and the Elmen were ready. The ensuing battle was brutal, and actually left several people dead. In the end, the Reckers, outnumbered by the Elmen, were forced to pull back. Reclamation Inc realized they could not rely on independent dockowners for low fees, and simply purchased the southern half of the skydocks, while a group of independent dockowners ceded to the union’s demands for the northern part. The Rinks staffed their docks by shipping people in, signing them to long-term contracts that prevented unionization. Many of these workers are people with minor mutations (so the Elmen probably wouldn’t accept them anyway). An equilibrium was thus established, though skirmishes between Elmen and Reckers are still common, especially along the street that seperates the northern and southern halves of the docks. Officially Dockland street, it has been renamed “Dentist’s Alley” (Because you can almost always find some teeth on the ground there).
The rest of the city is in a sort of paradox , the Elmen (many of whom aren’t really longshoreman anymore, just thugs there to fight the Reckers) tend to be rabidly anti-Rink, and essentially act as anti-reckers, threatening shopkeepers who buy from the Rinks, and protecting those who buy from independent shopowners from the Reckers. Meanwhile, the Reckers try to protect Rink-loyal merchants from bands of Elmen. The city government is too timid to interfere in these conflicts, so they pretty much go on unhindered, but the Elmen and the Reckers both follow a strict series of rules that prevent collateral damage.

Owrtho

2009-03-11, 02:55 PM

Sounds good. Rather like the idea of building atop the smog filled city sections.

Also, I'd suggest a few years after 70 years, as in, at least 75, but maybe up into 80 or so. Mainly as I found the time I had to work with in my city history kinda constrained. That said, Maybe we should also start figuring out where some of the notable places are in relation to each other. They all seem to be in the area Rink works in, but any relations with outside areas is unknown (as in known outside areas, not that outside areas haven't been mentioned). Though that might just be because none are near each other, I do feel we should try making some neighboring communities.

Owrtho

kopout

2009-03-11, 04:39 PM

@Owrtho do you mind if the citizens of Salvin and the Gens are one in the same? they have been altered eather by generations of accumulated mutations or a mad druid to live in the fog and be a true breding race all there own despite what the ancestors may have been like. This is what I had originally intended for Smoglings before they grew into what they are now. We will call them Salvians rather than gens if you think thats better.

Owrtho

2009-03-11, 05:27 PM

Well, I'll point out that Salvin was the druid, the city is Grey Tower. That aside there is no reason they couldn't be Gens. Most likely there would be natural ones in other areas, but they are likely the largest group. Though if Salvians is going to be the common name for them, it is likely that it would be about an 80 years after the smog came (since based on my dates, its into the 71st year since the smog came before they made contact with the outside). That said, it is also unlikely that they would be named for Salvin as while he did cause them to be, they had no need for differentiation before the outside contact and they lived for about 15 years with him as an enemy. They might be called Greys however in reference to Grey tower (though that might only be in the case of those from there, as in, "Rink seems to be a little uptight on security" "Yah, I heard they're having some trouble with a group of Greys"). We can come up with a general name later though.

Owrtho

kopout

2009-03-11, 06:59 PM

Grays... it suites them. Also, I 'm in favor of 80 years.

BRC

2009-03-14, 05:19 PM

somebody should draw a map of the area.

Owrtho

2009-03-14, 07:29 PM

Well, I thought I'd post some more specific info about Grey Tower. It consists mainly of structure, government, and its relationship with Reclamation Inc.

Reclamation Inc. had long found the area known as the Seven Forts to be a thorn in their side. It caused all their Skyships that traveled through the area to take a rather large detour or be shot down. As such Rink began hiring parties to kill the one in command of the Seven Forts (reward to be paid in full upon return).

Thus when they heard the one in control of the towers to be vanquished they were quite pleased (even more so at the demise of the party who did so before they could return for the promised reward). Yet they found the Seven Forts continued to shoot down all Skyships in range, and heard they had been taken by a isolated city at their center. Rink refused to let this continue and so after hearing that people were permitted to enter the strange city from the ground, decided to send a group of five delegates in charge of gathering information on the city under the pretense of forming a treaty.

Things didn't work out as expected however. As the Rink delegates approached the city, they were immediately struck by its ominous appearance, that of a single large grey tower, imposing itself on the more pale grey background of the smog. It seemed so imposing that it took them a minute to realize that the entire city was under the smog except for a small point reaching out the top. This had not been expected at all.

When they reached the bare of the mountain on which it sat, they quickly realized any plan to overtake the city by means of an army were futile. The reasons were two. First, none of the guards at the base of the mountain used any smog gear. Rather they all seemed to have the rare mutation some who have been afflicted by the smog gain to breathe it without difficulty. Second, as they entered into the cave network necessary to reach the city, they were struck by the fact it seemed to have been developed in a military manner to repel siege, with hundreds, maybe even thousands, of sturdy gates in its 500 meter height (note the Septel Range had been at an elevation of about 400 meters above sea level. The mountain is about 500 meters tall, causing the plateau on top to be at an elevation of about 900 meters. Grey Tower then extends the remaining 100 meters to the surface of the smog).

When they finally reached the city they were rather shocked. The city extended 23 stories to the surface of the smog (the average height being about 4 meters including the ceilings thickness). The first 4 stories seemed rather luxuriously built, being the remains of Septel City (as the top of the mountain is only about half a mile in diameter, and the population had been about 4000 they had built the city in layers). The remaining 19 stories of the city were built in a much more utilitarian manner however (Even though it was not needed at the time due to the much reduced population, the denizens of Grey Tower had built the city up to the surface of the smog. The main reason being so that if the caves in the mountain were ever lost, they could retreat higher up. As such each layer after the 5th can be sealed from the lower layers). The Rink delegates had a rather hard time taking in this massive fortress. Any upper layer (referring to those above the 5th), could see about two layers up or down. There were even wide streets on each layer that could accommodate carts. They were however struck by the relative lack of population in Grey Tower.

They soon began asking where they could find the leader of Grey Tower and were shocked to hear there was none. Rather, the city was run in such a manner that whoever had the most power in an area could do as they wished with repercussions only occurring if someone else chose to take action against them. With this the delegates hope of sneaking in assassins to cause political turmoil was crushed. In a city were murder was only illegal if the one killed had someone able to get revenge for them, any outsider who Rink might hire would stand little chance. Particularly given the lack of any clear targets. Thus it was decided they would have to actually make a treaty that would be honored.

With some work the delegates managed to find a handful of Grey Tower citizens who together had control of the majority of the city. With them they began working on a treaty that would please both parties. The delegates' moral however had taken a rather steep fall however. Particularly with the accidental discovery of the smog skimmers docked at the top level (which caused them to realize that the threat of the Seven Forts could be extended if Grey Tower so chose), and the disappearance of one of their member (the only clue the remaining four could find were some blood stains and the gnawed on bones of an arm in a nearby ally to which the blood stains led before disappearing).

As such the treaty formed was rather in favor of Grey Tower. The terms came out as follows: Grey Tower will not fire upon any skyships that do not enter into the area bound by the Seven Forts without provocation.
Grey Tower will allow skyships to dock at the First Fort to trade goods or allow passengers to board or depart.
Any Grey Tower scavenging party (a party in which the majority of members are from Grey Tower) will be treated as if from Reclamation Inc.
Reclamation Inc. will accept Grey Tower coin.
Reclamation Inc. will install docks for smog skimmers on all their skyship docks that are in the smog with a daily use fee not exceeding one Grey Tower coin or the equivalent.

Upon finishing negotiations, the delegates decided it was best to make a quick return to Rink Headquarters. When they returned and gave their report they were first criticized for the poor outcome of the treaty, but after some debate it was decided that the outcome was about as good as could be hoped for. As such Rink choose to honor the treaty though does their best to avoid it when they can, causing frequent, though minor disputes between Rink and Grey Tower to be common.

Miscellanies Info
Due to the number of buildings in Grey Tower (and the manner of governing), all one needs to due to get a home is move into either an empty one, or force the occupants from an occupied one and move into it. However the latter option is much more likely to have negative repercussions and as such is rarely taken.

In the time since the treaty with Rink, a number of people who have come to Grey Tower, and some small sectors of mostly non mutated people have developed. However, even in such sectors about 2 in 7 are smoglings as the citizens of Grey Tower have a strong distrust for clear breathers (their term for those who can breathe the smog), and want to keep an eye on them so that they can't try to plot in secret against them (though so far no group has been dumb enough to try it).

Some smog free accommodations have been made in Grey Tower, however all are designed so that they can be flooded with smog if the one chooses. As such it is recommended that those who can't handle the smog dot rely on such areas until the gain acceptance the sector they are staying in or have someone standing guard that they might prevent it or at least warn the rest to get into their smog gear.

Grey Tower coin is the only accepted currency of Grey Tower. However, even in the city it is rather rare. This is due to most trading being done bay barter or force. Most citizens have at least a few coins of it though. Most places outside of Grey Tower accept it though. This in part due to Rink, who honored the treaty that smog skimmer docking only costs 1 Grey Tower coin a day, but then made it so the exchange rate between it and their credit was rather high. It is also due mainly to other communities refusal to accept other groups currency, and the way that one holding a Grey Tower coin tends to find they can almost feel the taint of the smog upon it (this feature make the coin rather hard to counterfeit).

Rink usually avoids sending wreckers for any Grey Tower scavenging party of those that do business with them (at least they don't in regards to doing business with them). They don't however find this a huge issue as most Grey Tower scavenging parties take their finds back to Grey Tower where any trading with the outside is done through the First Fort which Rink has all but monopolized for business.

It is usually suggested that one look into the current situation between Rink and Grey Tower before riding a skyship through that area lest a dispute cause the ship to be shot down.

Most non-smoglings who live in Grey Tower do so to avoid Rink (normally having need to lay low for a prolonged period).

I also agree with the need of a map.

Owrtho

kopout

2009-03-14, 09:56 PM

Based on the info I have (not much ) I have pieced together a map(sort of ) I don't have a scanner or any skill at pain so I am going to describe it to you.
1Til was a small coastal nation to the northeast of Strout
2To the west of the now-abandoned Damanian lands, a number of duchies and fiefdoms held sway over a wide expanse of plains. To the north and west the mountains separated them from elven lands
3 the north branch of these mountains contains the Pepoto Highlands and the large dormant volcano known as Esther
4 the city of cloudscrape is on a hill
5 the gray tower is on a mountain

using this data I constructed a map in my head

the area is dominated by an apilation type mountain range it is shaped something like a crescent moon at the west end it curves out making a large coastal plain home to the duchies and fiefdoms before curving sharply south to meet the sea and divide them from Elvin lands in the north of these coastal plains is the Pepoto highland and north of that the Esther volcano. In the east the mounts taper more gently to the sea as the cost curves north. hear is Strout and to its north Damia in the mountains. Nestled in where the mountains meet the sea is Til and the cities of Gray Tower and Cloudsrape are on the north side of the mountains.

feel free to ask questions if I didn't explain it well.

mr.fizzypop

2009-03-15, 09:52 AM

the area is dominated by an apilation type mountain range it is shaped something like a crescent moon at the west end it curves out making a large coastal plain home to the duchies and fiefdoms before curving sharply south to meet the sea and divide them from Elvin lands in the north of these coastal plains is the Pepoto highland and north of that the Esther volcano. In the east the mounts taper more gently to the sea as the cost curves north. hear is Strout and to its north Damia in the mountains. Nestled in where the mountains meet the sea is Til and the cities of Gray Tower and Cloudsrape are on the north side of the mountains.

I made an ascii map of it just so I could visualize it. It might be a little hard to read since I'm not the best ascii artist.

~~•••••••••••••••oooooooooooooooo••••••••••••••••• ••••
~~~•••••• C ••••••oooo Elves ooooo••••••••••••••••••••••
~~~•• G ••∆∆∆∆∆∆•••ooooooo•••••••••••••••••••••••••••
~~~•••••∆∆∆∆∆∆∆∆∆∆∆∆∆∆•••••••••••••••••••••••••••• •
~~~~••••∆∆∆∆∆∆∆∆∆∆∆∆∆∆∆∆∆∆∆∆∆∆∆∆•••••••••••••••
~~~~~• T ••∆∆∆∆∆∆∆∆∆∆∆ E ∆∆∆∆∆∆∆∆∆∆∆∆∆∆∆•••••••
~~~~~~~•••∆∆∆∆∆∆••••••••••••∆∆∆∆∆∆∆∆∆∆∆∆∆∆∆∆∆∆
~~~~~~~~•• D ∆∆•••• highlands ••••••••••••∆∆∆∆∆∆∆∆∆
~~~~~~~~••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••∆∆∆∆∆∆∆∆
~~~~~~~~•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••∆∆∆∆∆ ∆
~~~~~~~~••• S ••• coastal ••••••••••••••••••∆∆∆∆∆∆∆∆
~~~~~~~•••••••••••• plains ••••••••••••••••∆∆∆∆∆∆∆∆∆
~~~~~~~••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••∆∆∆∆∆∆∆∆∆∆∆∆
~~~~~~••••••••••••••••••••••••••••∆∆∆∆∆∆∆∆∆∆∆∆∆∆∆

Key:
~ = water
o = forest
∆ = mountains
• = land

Cities:
D = Damania
S = Strout
E = Esther
T = Til
C = Cloudscrape
G = Gray tower

I probably messed up a bit, your description was kinda vague in some parts. Please Edit/Critic, this was the best I could do at this point, I'll try to post a photoshop map soon.

kopout

2009-03-15, 08:17 PM

h=highland
l=land
c= coastal plain
^=mountain
~=ocean
C=Cloudsrape
T=Til
G=gray tower
E=Ester
D = Damania
S = Strout
E = Esther
f=forest

llllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll lllllllllllllllllllllllllllll~~~~~~~~~
llllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll lllllllllllllllllllllllllll~~~~~~~~~~
lllllllllhhhhhllllllllhhhhhlllllllllllllllllllllll llllllllllllllll~~~~~~~~~
lllllhhhhhhGhhhhhhhhhhllllllllllllllllllllllllllll llllll~~~~~~~~~~
hhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhlllll^^lllllllllllllllllllllll l~~~~~~~~~~
^^^^hhhh^^hhhhhChhh^^^^^^hhlllllllllllllllll~~~~~~ ~~~~
^^^^^^h^^^^^^^hhhh^^^^^^^^^llllll^^^^l~~~~~~~~~~
^^^^^^^^E^^^^^hhh^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ll~~~~~~~~~~~
^^fff^^^^^hhhhhhhhhlllllllllllllllll^^^^^^^Tl~~~~~ ~~~~~~
ffffffffff^^^hhhhhhhlllllllllllllllllllll^^D^^lll^ ^l~~~~~~~~~~~
fffffffff^^^^hhhhhllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll lllllllllll~~~~~~~~~~~
ffffffffff^^^llllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll^^^ lllllllllllllllll~~~~~~~~~~~
ffffffff^^^^lllllllllllllllllllllllllllll^^^^^llll llSlllllllllll~~~~~~~~~~~
fffffffff^^^llllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll lllllllllllllllllllll~~~~~~~~~~~
ffff~~~^^lllll~~~~~lllllllllllll~~~~~llllllllll~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~
f~~~~~~~~~~~~~~lllll~~~~~~~~~~~ll~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

color version shortly.
Edit: now in color!

BRC

2009-03-15, 11:14 PM

Another_Poet

2009-03-16, 12:54 PM

Okay guys. Here are some maps.

If any of you are versed in prehistoric geology you will recognise the map as North America during the Cretaceous period. I grabbed it as a good random map, and blended away underwater Florida and underwater Baja California to make it less recognisable. I also moved some mountains.

Mine is a little different than the ASCII posted above. One of those had the ocean to the west and one had Damania and Strout reversed (Strout should be north of Damania). So here is my take on it.

THE PRE SMOG WORLD

http://img4.imageshack.us/img4/2523/smogmappresmog.jpg

THE CURRENT WORLD

http://img25.imageshack.us/img25/2905/smogmappostsmog.jpg

A blank map if you want it
http://img22.imageshack.us/img22/6241/smogmap01.jpg

A couple of notes...

1) If you don't like the split continent/inland sea deal, we can delete one or more of the other continents and increase the size of the eastern one. Or we can increase the size of all of them and increase the amount of ocean between them. Whatever. I just felt the shape of the eastern area matched the general shape we've been talking about so far.

2) The almost-connecting peninsulae just north of Septel/Grey Tower explain why the Rink wants to be able to pass through Grey Tower so much - they stand near the narrowest ocean crossing to the next landmass.

3) Feel free to play with this map. Eventually we'll need to draw our own anyway.

4) I'm picturing the scale being in medieval terms. Let's say that pre-smog Damania is about the size of Wales. Pre-smog Strout would be about the size of Scotland. Til was tiny, a little Cornwall hidden behind its Himalayas. That means the distance from Morromore to Esther is actually walkable, though not easily. In other words I'm picturing distance as relatively small in modern global terms; the whole map I've supplied is slightly smaller than real-world Europe.

edit: About the "more than 70 years" thing.
Sure, I've extended it out a little bit to 74 years on the map above. I worry about going too much further though. Remember, however many years we choose, we have to add at least 15 or so to get the age of any NPC with useful memories of the disaster and maybe 20 years or so to get an NPC with useful memories of the pre-Smog world. With 74 years that means our Disaster survivors are pushing 80 (just like WWII survivors today) and our Pre-Smog survivors are in their mid 80's or older (just like those who can recall the Great Depression today).

If we say it was 80 years ago then it changes things. Disaster survivors have to be in their mid-90s, an age hardly anyone lives to even with the best modern medicine, let alone in medieval or early industrial times. And you would effectively have zero humans who can recall the pre-smog world with any detail.

If it's possible, I'd say it might be better to shave years off the Grey Tower timeline rather than add years to the whole world's timeline. Like would it really make a difference if they fought Salvin for 16 years instead of 20? etc.

But Grey Tower isn't my invention so I don't want to seize the reins. Let me know what you think.

BRC

2009-03-16, 01:28 PM

Note: The City is named Cloudscrape. As in, before the smog, it's high altitude made people say the City is Scraping the Clouds.

mr.fizzypop

2009-03-16, 02:33 PM

Big question. Between the Skyships, and the generally industrial-era culture we've got going (Crowded cities, powerful corporations, unions, ecetera) we have to pick ourselves a tech level. Will there be steampunk. How about gunpowder?

Although steampunk is cool, I'm kinda opposed to it in DnD. I think we're going a little far with the unions and corporations, but thats just my opinion. I was thinking the gnomes could have experimental gunpowder weaponry, such as hand cannons, but are dangerously explosive.

BRC

2009-03-16, 02:37 PM

Although steampunk is cool, I'm kinda opposed to it in DnD. I think we're going a little far with the unions and corporations, but thats just my opinion. I was thinking the gnomes could have experimental gunpowder weaponry, such as hand cannons, but are dangerously explosive.
Okay, that works. The cultural aspects of industrialization work with the setting, and can work independently of any actual industrial technology. It's not like we have to be super-realistic here.

Another_Poet

2009-03-16, 02:41 PM

Okay guys I have some new stuff to put up. It seems like we're starting to riff on each other's ideas and I just want to say, all the mention I've seen so far of the stuff I posted has my full approval and total support.

In like spirit, I'm going to propose a bit of fluff for Rink (including where "incorporated" comes from), but I respect the fact that I didn't invent the Rink. If its original author (sorry I forget who) dislikes it, I'll gladly scrap it.

The First Corporation

Reclamation Inc is known far and wide for its near-monopoly on a number of crucial goods. Almost everyone has to purchase something from "the Rink" on a regular basis, and some despise the giant of industry. But few people know that the Rink is, on paper at least, a church - nor do most people understand the contribution that the Rink made to modern industry and commerce.

It all started long before the smog, when caravan travel was still possible. Early in human history, religion was largely local; each tribe or nation worshipped its own pantheon of gods from the region, often the spirits of local mountains, lakes or rivers. The elves and the dwarves, living in seclusion, also kept their own private pantheons that were not meant for outsiders. In this era, temples were local or at most tribal affairs and were largely integrated into the government of their local region.

But some 400 years ago there was an unusual time of peace and prosperity across the world. This peacetime was attributed to several military innovations that solidified borders and made land-grabbing more difficult. It also had to do with the increased use of magic to cultivate land and assist in handcrafts, which made even the poorest areas more viable trading partners. (It was during this time that the nation of Strout unified and became a major power in world trade.) For all these reasons, an era of relative peace fell over the land for 81 years.

Roads were widened and extended and trade caravans become a regular sight. Many towns enjoyed goods that would have been considered lavish or unattainable only a few generations before. Contact increased between neighbours.

Religious ideas also spread. While land deities remained local affairs, deities of more universal concepts - the sun, the moon, the wind, love, bravery, etc. - had appeal across national borders. For the first time, missionaries struck out to form temples in foreign lands far from the places where their gods and doctrines were birthed.

The administrative structure of the temples grew exponentially, with far more bureaucracy needed to prevent corruption and fragmentation. Additionally, the advent of foreign churches made some rulers uneasy. They feared that new religions would herald a weakening of the traditional, state-supported local temples. And in some cases they were right.

By the end of the Eighty Years Peace, many temples had gotten into a mess of taxes, tax exemptions, allegiance issues and sectarianism that reached momentous proportions. Believers found these material issues to hold back their churches from their spiritual missions, while non-believers found the whole thing disgusting.

5 years before the end of the Eighty Years Peace, three nations came up with a special designation for international churches. They allowed such churches to draft a charter detailing their mission, organisational structure, and nation of origin. These charters wouild then be certified as the "body" (or corpus) of the institution. By "incorporating" the churches were pinned to their stated mission and structure, forcing some accountability and giving civil authorities a means by which to judge fraudulent churches - any church straying from its chartered purpose could have its charter revoked and be effectively dissolved. The churches also got some benefit from incorporating, however, as they now had a legal basis for expanding to new countries and they had a way to pressure local branches to stay within the overall organisation, rather than splitting off. After all, if a local church broke off to form its own sect it was no longer covered by the charter and was subject to legal sanctions.

[Some of the above is ripped from real-world Catholic history.]

Ironically, this stable form of church governance led to the first religious crusade only 5 years later, which ended to the 80 Years' Peace and racked the land with war. Nonetheless the first international entities had been born. The practice of incorporating remained a strictly ecclesiastical consderation for much of history.

However, in the early days after the smog an early salvager named Rell Detrand (Half-elf Exp8/Rogue3/Ftr1/Adept2) began to seek a broader market for his reclaimed goods. His local colony, a western Strout mountain town, went through heavy-handed cycles of shortage and surplus. Since Detrand had no way of controlling what goods he found under the smog, he was often victim to months-long dry spells in which he risked his life for goods and equipment that wouldn't sell for more than a few silvers topside.

He banded together with a sometimes-lowwalker named Dark Jim, (dwarf Barb1/Ftr1/Rogue1/Ranger8) so called because he smeared soot on his face and suit for added camouflage when out on expeditions. Dark Jim had done some salvage work in the eastern end of the Strout colonies and had kept meticulous records of his sales and prices. By comparing books Detrand and Dark found that the shortages did not happen at the same time in each colony. They realised that if they could start an inter-colony trade network they could send goods wherever the price was high and keep stable, year-round profits. They put all their money into two early skyships, and thus D & D Reclamation Outfit was born. [pun intended]

Their enterprise worked well as long as they stayed within Strout territory. But 6 years later when they first sent shipments of goods (simultaneously) to Cloudscarp and Damania's Euboro Colony, they met with disastrous (and costly) results. Cloudscarpers locked down the Reclamation ship, spending nearly 6 weeks debating what tariffs or taxes should be applied to foreign trading vessels in the cash-strapped town. Local salvagers were up in arms over the intrusion, despite the supplies being desperately needed.

In Euboro the outcome was even worse. Seeing a heavy skyship flying Strout flags approach, the Damanians seized all goods and the ship itself. Since the ship had been bought on credit (one of the first full-size non-military skycraft), the loss nearly ruined Reclamation.

At this time there is some debate as to what happened. What's known for sure is that both Reclamation founders disappeared for 3 months. According to official Reclamation logs, the pair got back to their roots by going on a major salvage operation. They hoped to find something big enough to pay off their creditors, and they did, in a way. Lost in a chain of foothills, they followed old records to reach an oracular compound near the cave-shrine of Osomanda, the Money God. They entered as tomb-raiders, intending to break open its treasury and rob the place of votive offerings. Instead, Dark fell gravely ill with a disease explained only as "a hunger that could never be filled." Rell blockaded the temple against roving monsters and tried to nurse his friend back to health. Weeks went by, and no food would nourish Dark. In deperation, Rell appealed to the money god. He prayed for his friend's recovery. And then he received a vision.

Give your gift of wealth to me, and I will hear your prayer, said the two-armed but four-handed Money God.

"But I have no wealth to sacrifice," cried Detrand. "All the money here has been plundered from your own vaults." He began to weep openly.

That is of no consequence, said Osomanda, For you have a better gift to give: your own destiny. Serve loyally as my priest, and you will have more riches than you can ever spend. Repayment will be easy.

The terms were simple. Detrand made three promises:
1. To leave all the wealth of the temple untouched, and to leave immediately after Dark was healed.
2. To collapse the cliff above the temple, hiding its location.
3. To found a church of Osomanda before the next full moon, and tend it faithfully for all his life.

Detrand made the pact, and he found his friend healthy within 7 hours. They set off to follow the god's orders, but found the promises were not easily kept. A smog hydra had taken up residence outside the temple, waiting for the prey within. Unwilling to break his promise Detrand hooked together three rebreather tanks and held them over his head. He ran outside the temple and held the tank up, screaming for the hydra to come get him. The hyrda lunged and snapped and Detrand threw the tank in its mouth. As the beast clamped down its jaws compressed oxygen raced out toward its poisoned fire breath, and the beast's head exploded in a massive jet of fire. The force of the explosion cracked the rock lintel over the temple door and collapsed the cliff, and the two explorers ran clear, keeping their promise.

The third promise proved the most challenging. Not really understanding how temples work, Detrand tried to raise money for a temple building. He had hoped to at least get the foundation and first course of wall-stones done, so that he could hold a service there by the next full moon. As the full moon neared he got nervous; he didn't think he could finish in time. A governor's agent gave him a desist order, stating that no temple could be built unless its church had a charter. Panicked, Detrand went to the governor's office and inquired about the charter.

It was then that he learned that the charter would give him free passage to almost all nations and colonies. Dumbstruck, he worked a full night and day without rest to perfect the language of his charter. He paid the filing fee with his last coins, and pounded the certified document to a wooden post beside his temple foundation just as the full moon rose.

Thus was born Reclamation, Incorporated, the first and only church whose sole tenet is that making money is the highest good. A sort of hedonism-lite doctrine, mixed with minimal worship and guarantee of this-world luxury for all loyal members, the church is a church in name only. Many people believe that Detrand and Dark spent their missing three months working as bandits to afford the bribes needed to charter an obviously fraudulent church. The church has employees rather than worshippers and managers and franchisers rather than priest and monks. Most people don't even know that the Rink has official church status, because the only temple it maintains is the small one built by Detrand in his home colony. It is called the Temple of the Reclamation of the Old Gods and features nothing but a prayer area, a golden statue of Osamanda and a pool into which monetary sacrifices can be thrown by anyone asking for a blessing.

The fact that corporate status is so perfectly suited to merchant operations has not been lost on other entrepeneurs, and in the decades since the Rink was founded the definition of "corporate charter" has been expanded to include many non-religious bodies. Many of Rink's competitors have corporate status with no pretense at religion, and Operation: Breath of Life waited to receive its corporate status before it would run its famous second retrieval mission (it had launched a single trial mission beforehand, to prove its idea was viable.)

Despite the fact that the Rink could now file for purely secular corporate status, the ageing Detrand still insists, if asked respectfully, that he is a loyal follower of Osamanda and that his vision and subsequent divine providence were the greatest events of his life. He makes an annual sacrifice of gold which he dumps into the ocean via skyship.

Whether Detrand is truly religious and his fortune can be credited to divine origins, or is simply a shrewd actor, we may never know. The only person who could probably say for sure is Dark Jim, and he was lost in a skyship explosion 10 years ago. The fact is though that the Rink is responsible for more business innovation, and nets more profit, than entire guilds of its competitors rolled together. If there is not a supernatural component to their work, then Detrand must simply be a genius.

Another_Poet

2009-03-16, 02:49 PM

I agree about the tech level. Pre-steam era. Experimental gunpower is fine.

I would suggest a hand cannon is an Exotic Weapon, two handed, weight 15 lbs, damage 2d8 (med) 2d6 (small), 2 full rounds to reload, requires fire source to light each time you fire. Can reload in just 1 full round but incur a 20% chanceof backfire (deals 2d4 fire damage to wielder but otherwise functions normally). Bludgeoning damage, 20 x 2 crit, 30' range increment. Gnomes and half-elves treat as a martial weapon (gnomes because they invented it, half-elves because they need something to make the poor guys worth playing, come up with a flavour reason for why half-elves adopted it).

For the record, I like "Gens" for the grey tower folk. But Greys will work.

What colour is the smog? I kept picturing green.

Also, how far out does it obscure vision? I figured partial concealment at 60' and total concealment at 120'. Double in highlands where it is thin. The idea that people could see Grey Tower for miles away seemed odd to me, specially since people in the air couldn't spot the dirigible things beneath them. It seems like you wouldn't be able to see Grey Tower at all once you get away from the base of it.

ap

Another_Poet

2009-03-16, 04:06 PM

Here is something darker.

SMOG TAIL

As reports of violence came in from Refugee Road, Esther colony held a council meeting and determined to try to establish peace beyond their outskirts. They appointed a paladin, nicknamed Sarissa (female human (Ret) Pal8) to head a small force of militia to keep peace along the road and try to establish safe places for salvagers. This was before Rink Tower and even before Hirelythe's mercy, so the job was a tough one.

Although her early trips into the smog mostly focused on beating back the Ghouligans, determining what sorts of creatures stalked the fog, and rescuing luckless salvagers, something else disturbed Sarissa on a deep level.

She began to take special interest in the smog victims along the road. They had already been in a bad state when she first walked the road, but she noticed they were getting worse. Many showed signs of having been recently trampled to death, even run over by wagons and she could tell the salvagers treated them as little more than roadbumps. In fact, the most famous story of Sarissa's life is probably the tale of her encounter with two young lowwalkers on board a heavy wagon. She saw the wagon swerve and hit a smog victim, apparently on purpose, and she rode down the wagon and flagged them aside. When she asked the boys why they had hit the victim, one shrugged and the other said "he was worth 5 points." Sarissa ordered her men to bind the two and lay them on the ground. She told them that if they were able to suvive being run over, they would be allowed to go free. She then ran their wagon over them, and a number of her soldiers ran over them on foot as well. One died from injuries on the spot, and the other made a run for the highlands in his damaged suit. He did not make it.

A now badly-flailed corpse, rumoured to be that of the boy who ran away, hangs from a crossroads stone on the Refugee road. It is tradition for every person who walks by to kick, punch or slash the corpse for good luck. There's no way of knowing if the corpse really is the boy in question, but all accounts agree that Sarissa did not lose her paladin powers for the incident.

What was most disturbing to Sarissa however was that she believed some smog victims were going missing. She made an exhaustive tally of all victims and their approximate locations on a 2-mile stretch of road. She returned a month later and checked each one, and found that indeed 13 of them had disappeared. 12 of the thirteen were female. Her quest began.

Numerous such tallies revealed that everywhere along Refugee Road, more male bodies than female were lying about. And more bodies, mostly female disappeared each month. Sarissa came up with the disturbing theory that attractive smog victims were being carried off for some perverted use. Since she was a Ret herself, this was devastating to her on a personal level.

However, none of her inquiries in Esther or in Thief City revealed anything definitive. She spent 3 years trying to track the missing bodies, a difficult task in a smogland crawling with looters and mutants. Eventually she found a number of hideouts deep in the tickets to the west of Refugee Road. Although she carried out raids against the smog bandits there, the only proof she ever found of kidnapping was a single 14 year old girl chained up in one of the compounds. This girl reported being treated well, but had foggy memories of her stay at the compound.

Eventually Sarissa was killed while assailing a major bandit cave that she was sure was a brothel of some kind. When she was killed her allies were forced to pull back and abandon the raid, and eventually their milita disbanded. One of her old allies however, Micah Rummerstone (Male Halfling Rogue 6) continued the investigation his paladin friend had started.

The two didn't always get along when Sarissa was alive, but after her death Micah took an almost obsessive interest in finishing her quest. Lacking official support for hunting smog bandits, he focused on what he did best - scouring the lowlife hangouts and black markets of Esther. And he hit on pay dirt.

It turns out that the kidnapped woman (as well as some men and even children) were being marketed as "smog tail". Savvy pimps covered their real product with whole inventories of actual lizard tails, supposedly cut off of smog mutants, which they sold as good luck charms and ingredients in flim-flam medicines. If anyone official-looking came asking, that's what smog tail was.

But to their paying customers, smog tail was time spent with smog victims. The tail comes in two varieties: Rets who have been dragged out of the smog, woken up, and forced to serve in underground brothels (often falsely promised their freedom if they work long enough and with a smile) ; and intercourse with still-unconscious smog victims. There are numerous variations offered to thrill-seeking perverts, from being sent into a smog-filled room to do the deed quickly enough to not pass out, to being given a freshly-awoken Ret who is still going through the seizures of waking up. Most commonly however, smog victims are put in special rebreather helmets that keep them pumped full of smog while their "clients" are at no risk.

The existence of this disgusting trade enraged Micah, but most people did not believe him. The rumours of secret brothels selling "smog tail" have spread all over the world, but most believe it to be a mere legend. After all, no proof has ever been found. Those who buy into the idea are considered conspiracy theorists. The legend of Smog Tail has become kind of a racist joke amongst the Survivors movement (remember that's pro-highlander, anti-ret, anti-Breath of Life). They often joke that if every Ret would pay their debt to society with a few years working as Smog Tail, they might be worth having around.

Micah eventually vanished from Esther. Some say he must've been taken captive himself, to protect the Smog Tail industry. However, a few travelers report that they have seen him in other colonies, trying to gather together enough volunteers to storm the secret brothels.

If you get his old friends drunk enough, they may name names as to which public officials are clients. Those officials may well be the ones keeping the industry hush-hush...

If the above is too dark, we can leave it out. Sadly I think it is exactly what would happen if thousands of unconscious people were lying about the countryside.

Now for something simply mysterious, not dark:

THE BOIL

When the people of Til tried to flee the smog via ship, almost all perished within the first days. They wound up sailing into the smog, passing out, and then wrecking and drowning in their dreamless sleep.

This meant that for early smog explorers, it was always considered a great boon to find a wrecked Til ship. The ships were typically outfitted for many months of voyage, along with all the weapons, tools and valuables that would be needed to settle anew in some distant land. Most of the ships probably sank. Others have been found wrecked on the shores below Cloudscrape or the northern continent. Some luckless souls however set sail to the south, right into the rising smog bank, and some of their ships have washed up on the shore of what used to be Damania.

One such ship was found with no supplies. At first the explorers thought someone had beaten them to it, but they could see that all the barrels and crates were intact - simply empty. Explorers would've carried them off whole. Could it be that the ship's inhabitants had actually survived at sea long enough to run out of provisions?

The explorers split into two factions. Some thought it was best to take the remaining smog victims off the ship (there weren't many left - most had washed overboard) and make a beeline for civilisation. They wanted to wake up the Tilians and see how they had done it.

The majority of the group, however, wanted to push on and look for a more surefire payoff of actual treasure. The two teams split up.

Two months later the treasure seekers made it back home. A nervous moment in the lives of all smog-explorers, they made for the tavern to inquire about all their friends and rivals. It was discovered that the Tilian-retrieving team had never come back.

Worried, some of the treasure-seekers formed a rescue party to go search for them. They never found any sign of their friends and can only assume they were eaten--perhaps by trees, as they had to cross a very nasty stretch of mutated woods.

The real discovery was just beginning, however. A Tilian expatriate who had moved to Damania long before the Smog was intrigued by the story of the ship. He contacted a gnome friend who had been something of an oceanographer back when there were still sailable oceans. The two got directions from the treasure-seeking team, put their case to several colleges and guilds, and finally received a grant to hire a skyship to take them to the wreck.

It took some time to find, but eventually they located the ship. It was as the treasure-seekers had reported: full of empty crates and barrels. A thorough search revealed no log; it may have been washed overboard at some point. But the oceanographer calculated the currents in the area, making a wild guess at the bearing of the ship based on how it had hit the reef. He did his best to adjust the traditional currents of the area for the windless smog that now ruled the seas, and their skyship took off over the ocean.

Two weeks of methodical searching over a wide area eventually got them a stroke of good luck. They encountered a break in the smog! They could see all the way down to the ocean's surface, blue and beautiful as it had been once upon a time.

They barely spent any time there at all. First one, then another of the crew took off their masks below smog level and proved that the air was clean. But as they neared the surface of the ocean--thinking they might try some fishing--they saw that it began to boil and heave. Steam arose from the sea and they could feel the heat wave coming off the water! Something was boiling the very ocean itself beneath the surface. Not all the time, but intermittently. Fearing for their lives they took to high altitude, marked the spot on their chart, and went home.

What they discovered has become known as the Boil. It is a 65-mile long streak of smog free zone. All of it is over the ocean, nearly 200 miles from shore, and 17 miles wide at its widest point.

After the Boil was scouted by government forces and proved to be real--and continual--it was hailed as the greatest discovery of the Smog Era. There was talk about floating cities, great convoys of ships linked together. Medals were given to the original discoverers.

However, the discovery proved more dangerous than first thought. Many anomalies have been reported by skyships in the area. Sudden winding-down of Til columns, erratic plasma field behaviour, all-out ship failure, magical effects of unknown origin, and even entire ships vanishing in the blink of an eye. Some people theorise that a monster lives in the steam, grabbing at skyships that fly over. Others that the area has chaotic magical properties than wreak havoc on technology. The most recent and popular theory is that the area has some kind of confusion effect, and all the reported anomalies are in the minds of the observers.

The truth is no one knows. It's unclear why the sea boils, or if the boiling is the cause of the lack of smog in the area. The supposed magical effects are either witnessed from afar or else claim the lives of the witnesses.

What is known is that 17 ships (15 skyships, 2 experimental naval craft that were dropped down) have disappeared without a trace. Captains and aeronauts from over 45 ships recount stories of various hair-raising phantasms and mysterious effects. Yet fresh edible fish can be pulled from the water in the area, making it one of the world's most vital resources. Even the aboleths who appear at times are worth braving to bring home a haul of fish. And many ships spend a month or more in the area of the Boil without reporting any problems.

As of right now, the rights to the territory are debated. Several nations claim right of first discovery, others refer to old treaties about international waters, and a group of Tilian-descended intelligentsia think the area should be used to form a new Til. Despite all the hubbub back in the colonies, no shots have been exchanged above the Boil itself. No colony can afford a protracted air battle over the middle of the ocean, and just the risk of being there at all is costly enough. Most of the fishers in the area (or Boil Barons as they are called) stick close to a military vessel of their nation. Boil Barons are famous for backing up each other over national interests, even dumping whole hauls of fish to be able to bring aboard crews of failing skyships. The Boil Barons stick together and see the Boil Smog-Free Zone as their personal turf, mostly because they're the only ones brave enough to claim it.

The operations in the Boil are becoming more intense, with flying fish-smoker ships, tavern and brothel ships, and sky trawlers with detachable gondolas that can be transferred to skyfreighters for transport home. A typical Boil Baron's tour consists of taking one ship (freighter) to the boil, working on board a second ship (trawler) upon arrival, and living on board a third ship (a dedicated living quarters ship) so the trawlers can stay in service 24/7. The shift changes occur like clockwork, unless the anomalies or some fierce winds are kicking up.

[I'm picturing this being something like the spice-mining ships on Dune.]

Another_Poet

2009-03-16, 04:11 PM

@ BRC: I'll correct Cloudscrape's name on the next iteration of the map.

Owrtho

2009-03-16, 04:22 PM

mr.fizzypop

2009-03-16, 04:54 PM

The city lay sleeping. A thick purple haze shrouding every thing. In the streets people stood like statues, frozen as the fled some unknown terror. They weren't dead, not exactly, but they weren't alive ether. No birds chirped nor trees grew, they had suffered the same fate.

The smog's purple guys.

We could vote on it, but according to the first post it's purple.

BRC

2009-03-16, 06:54 PM

I vote for the general technology level to be equivilant to the Renissance. Gunpowder does exist, and people know about firearms. Cannons are used onboard skyships and fortressses, but handheld firearms are innacurate, expensive, and dangerous. Though certain elite millitary groups that can afford really well made firearms will use them, most people stick with crossbows.

Another_Poet

2009-03-16, 08:15 PM

Well, in the case of the time thing, one fact Another_Poet seems to be overlooking is that even if those who avoided the smog would be around 80 to 90 years old, there are still those saved by operation breath of life, who could physically be in their mid 20s. [/quote[

Yeah but that's true no matter what the timeframe. I thought the reason ~70 yrs was so popular was because it allowed some highlanders to have lived through the original disaster and through all the changes since. But I could be wrong.

[quote=Owrth]
I agree with the low visibility in the smog as well. As for why you can see Grey Tower from a distance though, it is simple. Unless we are saying that it is completely dark under the smog, there must be some light shining through. The area around Grey Tower is mostly flat. Thus the light coming down is mostly unblocked (aside from the smog). Grey Tower reaches all the way to the surface of the smog and as such is notable as a shadow at a distance (even if it is indistinct and you might not notice it if not aware of it). The smog skimmers on the other hand are coloured on top to match the smog (and it is common for wisps of it to be blown over the top). Also there is not a light source beneath them to outline them to those above. It is also not that they can't be spotted but that it is hard to do so. It works similar to most other camouflage.

This makes sense and thanks for the explanation. Being able to see a vague dim rectangle looming above you seems OK even in total concealment.

The smog's purple guys.

We could vote on it, but according to the first post it's purple.

Works for me. Purple ahoy!

I vote for the general technology level to be equivilant to the Renissance. Gunpowder does exist, and people know about firearms. Cannons are used onboard skyships and fortressses, but handheld firearms are innacurate, expensive, and dangerous. Though certain elite millitary groups that can afford really well made firearms will use them, most people stick with crossbows.

I agree that primitive cannons could exist (so like 1400's technology). I would vote for only the arquebus ("cannon on a stick") for personal firearms, no muskets/blunderbutts/rifles/pistols.

As far as cannons on board skyships, I think it would have to be limited to a very few. Not just for weight considerations, though that's an issue, but for balance reasons. If a 15-pound cannon fires off one side of the ship, someone has to calculate the exact amount of extra energy to shoot to the opposite side of all plasma fields. Failing to do so may result in serious rocking, men overboard, even a total capsize. The math has to be done by hand and the mundane, hand-set controls to change the plasma field have to be switched at the exact right second. Very risky.

Thus most skyships would carry several forward-facing cannons, usually two (1 on the port side of the bow and 1 on the starboard side of the bow). By firing straight ahead, the ship remains fairly stable and even a poor Til adjustment is unlikely to be a disaster.

This would certainly impact the nature of aerial combat. A skyship, like a modern fighter plane would optimally attack with its nose facing the enemy ship's rear (get in their 6 o'clock). That way you can cannon them but they can't cannon you. Against fixed targets like colony fortresses, the skyship would have to make a single daring charge, firing cannons ahead, dropping spells or primitive bombs while passing over, and maybe firing arrows while running away. A fortress would almost always outgun a skyship and, even though land-based fortifications are immobile, they would be a force to be reckoned with.

Of course some captains would be total geniuses, intuitively setting their Til adjustments and letting them fire cannons to the sides or many cannons at once. Sounds like a good ability for the sky captain PrC.

ap

BRC

2009-03-16, 08:33 PM

Some Low walker enclaves probably have light field cannons for defense. Big fortresses like those around cities, or the major reclamation Inc Open Sky Enclaves may have batteries boasting very powerful guns indeed. Maybe up to Six or Eight pounders.
Also, I decided to write up a lexicon of Slang terms that arose in the Age of Smog. I couldn't think of that many though.

Flex: Good, fine. Originated as people in the smog Flexing their fingers to show they had not yet succumbed to the smog’s effects.
Freeze: Bad, problematic.
Rink: Either the company/church Reclamation Incorporated, or one of it’s employees.
Recker: A thug unofficially employed by Reclamation incorporated for a variety of purposes.
Red Recker: An official member of the Reclamation Incorporated security division. So named for their rust-red uniforms.
Bulk: Large, unwieldy salvage good mainly for it’s raw materials.
Shine: Small, valuable salvage, especially magic items.
King Rink: Rell Detrand.
Lowbie: Derogatory term for a Low walker.
Chew: A Smog Victim (A shortened version of "Statue")

Also, I just noticed, with the ages given, we could easily say that Rell Detrand is a few years from retirement as the head of Reclamation Inc. So all the major Franchisers, Vice Presidents, ect are probably starting to maneuver for the throne of the Salvage King.

Also, alot of metalworks will have rusted and corroded during the Age of Smog, so there is probably a good industry in taking this bulky salvage, melting it down, and reforging it.

kopout

2009-03-16, 08:53 PM

have we decided who's map we are using ? I personally vote for Another_Poet's

BRC

2009-03-16, 09:08 PM

have we decided who's map we are using ? I personally vote for Another_Poet's
As do I, with one minor change. Cloudscrape is supposed to be in a crucial trading position in terms of salvage (explaining it's large port). I would imagine it more to the south, maybe on a little piece of highland unnatatched to the main bulk, so that sky captains would do salvage runs into the lowlands, then stop off in Cloudscrape, sell their cargo, and head back down south for another run. Then the cargo gets shipped to the other cities in the highlands.

Another_Poet

2009-03-16, 09:15 PM

BRC

2009-03-16, 09:20 PM

Here, maybe in one of these two locations

http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w27/bloddyredcommie/Cloudscrape.png

mr.fizzypop

2009-03-16, 09:59 PM

Although I also agree with Another_Poet's map, I actually was working on a photoshop map based on Kopout's ascii map. I was going to post it when its done but I think Another_Poet's map is better. Do you guys still want me to post it?

Another_Poet

2009-03-16, 10:12 PM

BRC

2009-03-16, 10:52 PM

If it's done you may as well post it so we can all see the pretty shiny :)

Bear in mind I hardly think my map is beautiful, but I think that (once revised) it gets all the spatial relationships right. So if someone wants to do a redux that doesn't look like a 1970's high school visual aid, please do!

Of the two Cloudscrape sitings I prefer the southmost, as that spreads us out over the world more. We have a lot of space to fill. Plus that way it isn't in Damania, so we have hints of another pre-smog nation.

Yeah. Let's make some more nations for the southern highlands (and of course, we assume that these mountains are dotted with smaller settlements). In that location, Cloudscrape likely acts as a dispersal point for trade between the two highland areas. Smaller Skyships congregate there and sell cargo, which is loaded onto larger long-distance haulers before being taken up to the northern highlands. Those same haulers also come back, carrying goods that are split up and dispersed by those smaller skyships to other southern highlands settlements.

Another_Poet

2009-03-17, 09:49 AM

Yeah. Let's make some more nations for the southern highlands (and of course, we assume that these mountains are dotted with smaller settlements). In that location, Cloudscrape likely acts as a dispersal point for trade between the two highland areas. Smaller Skyships congregate there and sell cargo, which is loaded onto larger long-distance haulers before being taken up to the northern highlands. Those same haulers also come back, carrying goods that are split up and dispersed by those smaller skyships to other southern highlands settlements.

Yes and perfect.

kopout

2009-03-17, 02:44 PM

@ Another_poet could you add in the political bounders for the pre smog world ( just the countries you alredy have)

Another_Poet

2009-03-17, 03:23 PM

Well, I probably won't add boundaries. The map is unfortunately small and I'm working on paintbrush here. It's a chore just making sure all the place names go somewhere legible and un-crowded.

I will say however that the boundaries are pretty logical. The mountains between Damania and Strout are their border, and mountains belong to Strout.

The mountains east of Strout are the border between Strout and Til, and the mountains themselves belong to Til. But those are serious Everest-type mountains, no one lives there escept maybe some hermits and mystics. Think of them as the highest parts of the Himalayas that even the Tibetans and Nepalese don't go to unless they are on a retreator pilgrimage or something.

The elfwood is as big or small as you want it to be, and probably needs a new name. I suspect the elves kept a nice expanse of wilderness between themselves and Strout as a buffer zone.

The river between Damania and the (as yet unnamed) feudal/warlord area is their border, and the river itself is considered international.

The Pepoto Highlands (now Pepoto Smoglands) are the northernmost boundary of the feudal/warlord region, and belong to said region. The mountains north of there (wherhe Esther is) were essentially no man's land, except for a few trade routes to elf territory, because of the mighty beasts of the region.

Some other country or region of small states should be south of the feudal/warlord country. The border between the two would probably be about as far south as Cloudscrape. And Cloudscrape itself was probably a major trade centre because it occupies a highly fortified position between three nations/regions.

So you can see that's about as specific as I've gotten. I left borders out both because, like I said, they're a pain to drawn and because they're not super-important since they all disappeared or moved 74 years ago. Nations might not even agree where their old borders were, simply makingup lines wherever it is politically advantageous.

ap

Owrtho

2009-03-17, 03:34 PM

Alright, I figured I'd note a few things in reguards to Grey Tower. I have decided to change the timeline of it. Instead of 50 years before the fall of Salvin followed by 5 years before Salvin's seige followed by 15 years before Salvin's defeat, I'm changing it to 40 years, 1 year, and 22 years respectively (this assumes we go with 74 years after the smog).
Also I'd note that Septel City was built after the smog. The area it was in was the Septel range which was an expance of plains around the mountain that was occupied by around 20 or so small kingdoms and city states. When the smog came they all fled to the only highland around (which unfortunatly was not high enough) and built Septel City there.

I also agree that it seems a good idea to have highlanders who remember the pre smog world.

Owrtho

mr.fizzypop

2009-03-17, 04:12 PM

Here's the map I made. If you guys like it, I could make one of Another_Poets map. Its kinda big though.

http://i679.photobucket.com/albums/vv157/mrfizzypop/smogmap.jpg

mr.fizzypop

2009-03-17, 04:17 PM

Oh yah I forgot to post this:

http://i679.photobucket.com/albums/vv157/mrfizzypop/smogbanner.jpg

Its a banner for this thread, what do you think?

BRC

2009-03-17, 05:31 PM

Hey Hey Hey, A New City/Adventure Hook!

New Ossia

Long before the age of smog, a wizard named Ossius founded a university, a place dedicated to the gathering and expansion of knowledge. For generations, what became known as the University of Ossia continued that tradition. It was the center of study, both magical and non. The greatest intellectuals in every field gathered at Ossia to study, debate, write, and experiment. The great Ossian library was considered by some to be the greatest structure built by mortal hands. It was a massive, labyrinthine structure. It was constantly being expanded as new tomes were gathered and written. The architect for each new addition was chosen by contest, which the greatest architects in the land would enter. Thus, it was a masterwork of a building. The university continued to flourish. That is, until the age of Smog.
For years, people had been suspicious of the Ossians, feeling their experiments would go too far. When the smog arose from the sea, many people blamed it on the Ossians. The Scholars themselves remained unaware of this. Some experimented with ways to hold back the smog, while others prepared to move the university itself. However, none of them foresaw what happened. As the smog appeared in the countryside, people fleeing it got angry. A massive mob descended on the university. Though some of the Ossians were powerful wizards, they were not prepared for conflict. The mob broke down the doors to the library and stormed in, throwing torches at the shelves. About an hour after the first fires were started, the smog rolled over the university, freezing scholars and the rioters, many of whom are still frozen in their acts of destruction. Some scholars who saw the mob coming had grabbed what they could and fled into the mountains. It was here that they raised New Ossia. Soon, others who had fled the smog gathered around the university, and it grew into a city.
New Ossia and the Great Reconstruction
Today, New Ossia is once again a center of learning and knowledge. Those scholars who escaped used magic to carve a great city out of the mountain. Compared to most cities in the Age of Smog, New Ossia is fairly affluent. It’s not as populated as most cities of it’s size, so the people have more space to live, the city is clean, the citizens tend to be educated. Wizards, Archivists, Artists, Poets, Writers, Historians, Scientists, Adventurers, Merchants, all these and more flock to the Scholar’s city to make a living for themselves. It’s a city of opportunity, provided you have enough money and education to be of use to somebody. Unlike Cloudscrape there is little manual labor that needs doing, so the poor and uneducated rarely find work in New Ossia.
One of the big projects is the Great Reconstruction. The University Administration (Which doubles as the city government), pays good money for people to recover things from the ruins of the Ossian University. Many tomes were lost to the flames, and today people try to re-discover that knowledge, but the fires couldn’t get everywhere, and amidst the ruins of the university, tomes, notebooks, laboratories, ect remain to be discovered. Not to mention the many magic items that the University had. Going into the ruins can mean great money for Salvagers who can return with a backpack full of books. Reclamation Inc soon got wind of this, and have set themselves up as the primary supplier for people seeking to take part in the Great Restoration.
However, the ruins are dangerous. The Area is saturated with magic. Living Spells (MMIII I believe) have been known to roam the ruins, unfired spells or traps may lurk behind every rock. Construct guardians, released from their vaults by the rioters, may wander the area. And, of course, Mutants and Smog Bandits have been known to make camp in the Ossian ruins, waiting for salvagers to bypass all the traps before pouncing on them for the kill, hoping they uncovered some valuable magic item. Not to mention other Salvaging groups. The stakes are high in Ossia, and some groups find it easier to kill than to find their own salvage. Plus, rogue wizards and necromancers appear in Ossia, seeking the lost knowledge to enhance their dark magics.

kopout

2009-03-18, 07:28 PM

@mr.fizzypop
I endorse your banner

Owrtho

2009-03-18, 07:39 PM

I like the idea for Ossia. Sounds like it works well in the world so far.

Owrtho

kopout

2009-03-18, 09:01 PM

Some other country or region of small states should be south of the feudal/warlord country. The border between the two would probably be about as far south as Cloudscrape. And Cloudscrape itself was probably a major trade center because it occupies a highly fortified position between three nations/regions.

I'm thinking the mountains to the south of Cloudscrape would be a logical place for a set region. How about a system of prince domes belonging to various races. That is , you have a princedom belonging to goblinodes a few for humans and some for dwarfs and small hunter gatherer tribes of Troglodites and Trolls and even Grimlocks out int the less inhabited regions. These countries where never all that prosperous due to being secluded in the high mountains (kind of like the Transylvania alps) but are now centers of trade due to are ship travel and the natural harbors they have.

Mike_the_Mystic

2009-03-18, 10:05 PM

I'd like to enter the fray as well, and firstly by doing some stuff with dwarves.

Wrathhammer and the First Smog

Of all the dwarven cities least prepared for the smog, Wrathhammer was the worst. The city, which was located at the base of a migthy peak to the south, had not closed its great mithril doors in three hundred and seventy two years. Nor were they well maintenanced. When the smog began to roll in, the dwarves were already recieving human refugees. The deadly mist began creeping closer to the majestic city, and at the urge of the people, the city guards began to close the gates. But try as they might, the mighty doors wouldn't budge. In spite of this, the dwarves stubbornly pushed, even as the smog encircled them. The vents that let in fresh air and let out smoke from the furnaces and blacksmiths were choked with the poison, and one by one, the great districts of a once-famous city fell silent. Today it is a testament of the suddeness of the Smog, as well as the stubborness of the dwarves. Even today, seventy of the original 188 dwarves who attempted to push the gates closed remain. The rest were either mutated, or scavenged. Inside is a whole host of beasties and satue-like citizens and refugees, in their final poses before the smog overcame them...

The Dwarven Dictatorship: Rise of the Mountain Lord

As the lower cities were lost to the Smog, the Upper Cities of the peaks began to close off all tunnels leading down to their ill-prepared bretheren. The Dwarves were quick to enact marshal law and quickly consolidated power in the hands of an assembly of all the surviving Upper Cities.

Led by a Dictator, named Mjolr Stormsoul, the assembly swiftly enacted the first decree: All Upper Cities were to be united under the banner of Dwarvenkind. While the fiericely independant dwarves would spit on such a decree under normal circumstances, the horrors of the Smog sent such inhibitions packing. Under the leadership of Stormsoul, the new Dwarven Government kept strict control on dissedents and anarchists, crushing any resistance and keeping relative peace.

In order for that to happen, the Church of Valdir Ironhammer, the Hero-God of the dwarves, indoctrinated the populace with the belief that the Dwarves were blessed as being the most populace race to survive the smog, and that in the coming century they would rise to power. While the first half was true, as the dwarves had many more upper cities and settlements, and thus more survivers, they were hardly the most powerful.

Most of their army was taken, kept in the lowlands to keep off goblins and gnolls, among other things. However they did have one stroke of good luck: Many Gnomish inventors and alchemists were in the Upper Cities, allowing for many great technological advancements, such as the ingenius pressure gate system, allowing for both safety, as well as the ability to retrieve many much-needed supplies, as well as weapons and armor. Another greatly useful invention was the Air-Mask, a mask that was attatched to a pneumatic pump that allowed for air to be filtered and breathed in, ableit at a slow pace. But in those dark times, anything was a good thing.

For the first few decades, the dwarves didn't allow any other race or nation into their cities, for fear of contamination or mutation. However in the last few years, they have practiced healthy trade with the other new-found nations of the world post-smog. And while they hold tenuous treaties with Reclamaiton, Inc., They themselves go on salvaging missions to retrieve weapons and other useful things.

This has allowed for the invention of a weapon that could revolutionize warfare: a crude, enchanted, hand-held tube that, when a rune is pressed, fires a scattering of small slinger's stones that can, if it actually works, inflict multiple wounds on enemies. It is called a Blunsbluss, after gnomish tinkerer Garfield Blunsbluss, who successfully built, tested, and sadly gave his life using the weapon.

With this knowlege, and their unitedness and proud heritage, the dwarves could fulfill their fear-driven promises of becoming the most powerful new nation to live in the post-smog world...

tsuuga

2009-03-18, 11:22 PM

Is this pretty much what people have in mind for a map?
http://uithtw.blu.livefilestore.com/y1pVmiBU5EYrCapO1MCnhOfNYSrvkXg_8CfDxQXDC8o1ZdDoAv lnGUHX8roEZ-cIF-3wATtUmTY6f8-V3oPUXirrw/SMOG%20closeup.jpg
Larger version (http://uithtw.blu.livefilestore.com/y1pVlD1hCEw_Xt4y8_orTNjJgn9yOH7fjQn-8MKF1WeeA_0VnN5QqOdutpACt-nBRpRhAFB9QhABWGVubI6b7ivaA/SMOG%20copy.jpg)
Based on Another_Poet's map. Lots of extra islands thrown in to put things on. It's pretty easy to take them out or put them in.

I'm psyched to see another community world-building project running. Too bad I'm going out of town so soon.

BRC

2009-03-19, 02:01 PM

Somthing I scraped up.
The Circle of Ossia

We were unprepared, and ages of learning were lost to the flames. We shall not make that mistake again.
The Circle of Ossia is a semi-secret society dedicated to protecting the university and the library. Within New Ossia they are an official secret police force, but their influence and agents shave spread throughout the highlands. They are dedicated to preventing another event like the Great Fire. They operate in secret, hunting down those who oppose science, those who fear knowledge, and those whose line of thinking is similar to those who participated in the mob. They find them, and hunt them down. Officially, they don’t operate outside New Ossia or it’s satellite campuses and are more concerned with general law enforcement. However a lot of incidents, especially concerning outspoken politicians or members of the clergy that have a history of opposing scientific research, have been blamed on the circle. The original mob was led by some very charismatic conservative clerics, so those are the primary targets of the Circle.
PC’s may become involved with the Circle of Ossia in one of many ways. They may be knowingly or unknowingly hired by the Circle to get information or carry out an assassination. If they associate with the wrong people, they may find themselves as the circle’s targets.

Owrtho

2009-03-19, 02:18 PM

BRC

2009-03-19, 02:24 PM

@tsuuga the map looks good (though I'm not the most knowledgable on the terrain so there may be many errors I'm missing), I did think it might be worth mentioning though that Grey Tower is actualy below the smog (though it is the only named city that is such so far).

@BRC The Circle seems like it could be an interesting thing to work into the setting. Though I wonder if they learned from their most obvious mistake of not having fireproofed the facillity and the works within.

Owrtho
The new library was definetally designed with angry torch-wielding mobs in mind. But that's the University Administration's job. The Circle is more about finding and removing the people who might light those torches in the first place.

Edit: Also, the previous library did have some fireproofing, but that was more along the lines of "Oops, bob dropped a candle". The systems they had were nowhere near prepared for a mob (note, not all the mob members were commoners. Alot of people joined in, some of them rather high level) Hurling hundreds of torches at the stacks, dumping oil and alchemists fire and hard alcohol all over the books, and beating up university staff trying to put the fires out. The New library, while it looks benign, is practically a fortress. A couple triggerable Wall of Stone spells to beef up the defenses, once somebody sounds the alarm traps everywhere go active, specially designed spells that cut off the oxygen to areas of the library, extinguishing flames while leaving the books unharmed (And causing anyone in that area to suffocate, but people are replaceable, knowledge is not). Specially trained always-ready kill teams. Tastefully arranged statues that come to life and kill people, you know, the usual.

mr.fizzypop

2009-03-19, 05:24 PM

I'm finding this kinda humerus that this is all taking place in prehistoric
Canada. I'm actually going to Quebec soon so I'm going to be on the look out for "land marks".

kopout

2009-03-19, 07:42 PM

@tsuuga
thief city should be below the smog. Other than that there are minor nonresistances in distance and elevation. Talk to Another_poet , He knows these things (having made the map )

BRC

2009-03-19, 09:26 PM

Note to Mapmakers. Here is the current List O' Places
Northern Highlands
Esther
City of Thieves (Under Smog)
Grey Tower (Under Smog)
Damania
Strout
Adalantica
Southern Highlands
Cloudscrape
New Ossia
Ossian Ruins (Under Smog)
Other
The Boil (In Ocean)

mr.fizzypop

2009-03-20, 05:38 PM

I thinking we should change what the smogwalker suit looks like. It's been said before that they look like an early diving suit, and I think that would just be kind of impracticable, especially in combat, or when picking something up. I was thinking of instead making an air-tight, all leather outfit with an air tank in the back. The most common version is leather but can be found as other armor. The head piece would look sorta like the Raider Waste Hound helmet from Fallout 3. With two goggles for seeing. Heres a picture of the helmet for all those who haven't play'd Fallout:

http://i679.photobucket.com/albums/vv157/mrfizzypop/raiderhood.jpg

What do you think?

Slist

2009-03-20, 06:41 PM

I found this thread last night, and I just have to say that I love it! I stayed up late to read the whole thing just so that I could contribute and maybe DM/PC a game like this. I love all the ideas that have come through so far. :smallbiggrin:

Now for my own contribution:
I kinda like the looks of the mask mr. fizzypop has, but I would really prefer something closer to a modern day gas-mask. It just seems more practical, since they have a similar function.

Also, how long should these masks last? I'm getting the feeling that it's starting to head towards filtering, which would make them last as long as the mask would hold up. It's a good system, but honestly I also like the idea of the mask having to be "fueled" by something (Main ingredient is "Mercy" perhaps?). Therefore, you would have another product that Reclamation Incorporated monopolizes on, the players would have to have a sort of sense of urgency ("Byorn! We only have a day's worth of mask fuel left, we gotta turn back!"), and the Lowbies would have to surface every once in a while to get some more fuel (Or make their own, which would probably be more likely.)

Anyway, there's my two cents for now. :smallbiggrin:

BRC

2009-03-20, 08:39 PM

mr.fizzypop

2009-03-21, 07:35 AM

How I imagined it, it's not just a mask. Its a full body suit. We still need to decide whether the smog paralyzes you through breathing or exposure.

Owrtho

2009-03-21, 01:58 PM

I'd expect mainly breathing, but long enough exposure could likely do it too. But that would probably take a few weeks of staying in the smog with only a breathing device and nothing to keep it from exposed skin.

Owrtho

Slist

2009-03-21, 02:19 PM

@ mr.fizzypop
I would expect that a full body suit would be available, but it would only prevent exposure and wouldn't aid the mask at all. While the mask would be sold separately and also be more expensive.

@ Owrtho
I agree completely.

BRC

2009-03-21, 03:30 PM

A modern looking gas-mask dosn't really work with the feel we have I think. Masks may be available, but they would still connect to back-tanks.

Slist

2009-03-21, 08:52 PM

Hmmm... I see your point. Alright then, I'm all for a back tank connected to the mask. The back tank would, of course, contain Mercy.

And on that note, what kind of plant is Mercy? Is it just your typical flower? A vine? A bush? And how long would one last in a back tank? How would the back tank be designed? (I'm thinking the Mercy is inside of it, and a mixture of water and "Elixir" as well.)

From the description, it sounds like it's just a flower, but I could be wrong. Someone else said a "branch" of it, which implies that it would be a bush, though. Also, I believe the original description had something in it about how long the plant would last suspended in water (I'll look that up and edit this post.)EDIT:Description says it lasts two hours in a back tank, and longer with magical protection, sound good. The back tank would probably just be some glass attached to the back (which raises another question, how big is it and how much does it weigh?)with leather straps in resemblance to a backpack. Or maybe a vial containing an amount of Mercy attached to the belt while an actual backpack is worn, so as to be able to carry as much loot back to the Highlands as possible.

BRC

2009-03-21, 09:26 PM

Slist

2009-03-21, 09:37 PM

That would be really cool, I could use some art in the compendium thread I made. :P

Thurbane

2009-03-21, 10:21 PM

A modern looking gas-mask dosn't really work with the feel we have I think. Masks may be available, but they would still connect to back-tanks.
Maybe something like the masks from Drow of the Underdark?

http://www.wizards.com/dnd/images/DrowUnderdark_Gallery/104457.jpg

BRC

2009-03-21, 10:21 PM

It's not much, if somebody wants to pretty these up that would be great.
Anyway, A sample armored smog suit (Well, helmet and backpack anyway), with the parts labled. The Full Reclamation Incorporated logo, and the abbreviated one (For badges, stamps, ect), and a little cross-section ish drawing of a Hirelyth's Mercy flower.

http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w27/bloddyredcommie/Smog.png
Edit: The font for the logo is Eras Demi ITC, if you want to know.

Slist

2009-03-21, 11:38 PM

Slist

2009-03-22, 12:45 AM

I just thought of something, someone mentioned "Last Resort" as having some severe side effects. What are they, or have we even decided that Last Resort should stay?

In my opinion, the drawback should be constitution damage. Perhaps it would continue to cause constitution damage until the user reached safety?

BRC

2009-03-22, 10:04 AM

The drawbacks should be pretty severe. As in "If you take this, you better get to safety quickly, or else your ghoul food". How about 1d6 Con damage, 1d6 Str Damage, and 1d6 Dex Damage. DC 25 fort save for half, kicks in an hour after you take the potion. Also, they are Nauseated for 1d4 minutes, and after that are sickened so long as the damage remains. The damage fades after 24 hours of rest, or can be fixed with a restoration spell.
Of course, All that happens an hour after ingestion, you are fine until then.

Hmm, Idea. Somebody (Maybe a rabid pro-highlander who was exiled from the highlands) has figured out how to create smog-immune people by exposing them to repeating ingestions of Last Resort. Of course, most of the people don't survive treatment, so they need to kidnap large numbers of highlanders. Subject them to the treatment, then dominate or brainwash them.

Slist

2009-03-22, 12:50 PM

I added the drawbacks to The Compendium. (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?p=5908601#post5908601)

I also like that idea, might be good for an adventure chain.

An idea of my own here, how is time marked? I understand that the usual stuff is the same (seconds, minutes, hours, days, weeks), but does the world progress in a 12 month cycle? What are the name of those months? What are the names of the Days of the week?

I was also thinking that perhaps people call this the "Smog Era", and so in a journal you might find:

{Month} 21st {Day of Week}, Year 73 of the Smog Era.

How about it?

EDIT: Here is what I have on Last Resort.

Last Resort
Creation
After the first few Lowwalkers began living under the Smog, they found that their visits had to be annoyingly short. As it turned out, Smogsuits lasted only for short periods of time, and if you found that yours had suddenly ran out of mercy, it was a sprint for your life back to the closest enclave (which may even be hostile if you were too far out.). Luckily, a certain (allegedly gnome) Lowwalker (who somehow managed to remain anonymous) devised a potion from crushed Mercy Seeds. After studying it for some time, he dubbed it "Last Resort" and sent it to his fellow Lowwalkers, and the potion eventually made it's way into any store that sold equipment for expeditions, especially in "hotspots".

Use
Last Resort magically (and temporarily) alters a creature's biology to become immune to the Smog. The creature has no need for a smogsuit, it can breath naturally and is in no danger of sterility or paralysis. Outside appearance is unaffected, and the feeling is often described in a positive way, most commonly, "the tingles".
There are drawbacks, though. Such an undertaking puts tremendous strain on the consumer's anatomy.
DrawbacksThe drawbacks of the Last Resort function much the same way as a poison.

Ingested DC 25 (half damage)
Initial Damage: 0
Secondary Damage (One Hour after Ingestion): 1d6 Str, Con, and Dex Damage*. Nauseated for 1d4 minutes, sickened until ability damage is restored (takes effect after Nauseated wears off.)

*Damage fades after 24 hours.

mr.fizzypop

2009-03-22, 01:59 PM

If we do have new months and days of the week, we should have them sound somewhat like the actual months/days of the week we know. As for the number of months we could do something like what they have in LotR. I'm pretty sure the elves calender has 15 months. But one of them is the last day of the year and another is the first. So technically there's 13.

Edit: Or maybe there's one month for each season? It'll make remembering their names easier.

Owrtho

2009-03-22, 02:53 PM

Maybe the smog has some kind of tides similar to the ocean. If so, months might match that.

Owrtho

mr.fizzypop

2009-03-22, 04:39 PM

I don't know, I think the smog should remain at a permanent height. Or else it would complicate things too much.

Owrtho

2009-03-22, 06:15 PM

Well I didn't mean a huge height change. But something like that could lead to some interesting thoughts. And as noted it might affect the months.

Owrtho

mr.fizzypop

2009-03-22, 07:49 PM

BRC

2009-03-22, 08:36 PM

Slist

2009-03-22, 09:55 PM

Well if it has such a little height change, its not really important enough to affect the months. Maybe the rise and fall of the smog causes changes in climate. And if we do have smog tides, we'd need to answer some questions:

-Would it be because of the moons gravity, like the ocean?
-Would we have spring and neap tides?
-Would this month system be accepted by all? What about the dwarves who rarely see the smog underground?

Also, I got inspired by BRC to do a smog art work of my own. It's my idea for a smog-suit. It's not labeled, but it's pretty self explanatory.

http://i679.photobucket.com/albums/vv157/mrfizzypop/smogsuit-1.jpg

My personal opinion in relation to those answers:
- Yes, either moon's gravity or whatever created the Smog.
- Definitely. :P
- Probably not, Dwarves would probably stick with the pre-smog season-cycle year.

Also, I LOVE that pic. That is going into the compendium's entry on Smogsuits.

EDIT: My entry on smogsuits, what do you think?

Smogsuits
http://i41.tinypic.com/zl3dlc.jpg"Modern Smogsuit" by mr. fizzypop
The First Smogsuits
There were smogsuits before the invention of those used in the current time of the setting, but these were extremely primitive and hardly served their purpose at all. They consisted of Full-Plate sealed up with spare leather to protect from exposure, and a collection of tied rags to serve as a mask. All these simple tools succeeded in doing was postponing paralysis while sterilization still occurred. Somewhat ironically, the creation of these dangerous smogsuits allowed for discovery of the airship, which was a major cause in the invention of a more useful smogsuit.

The Modern Smogsuit
After the invention of Airships, the world was content to idly exist in the highlands for only a shot amount of time. There were those that wished to go under the Smog. To see their families, to visit their homes, and to recover their possessions. Gnomes quickly set about their workshops, vigorously pursuing this task. It seemed impossible, until one gnome had the idea of incorporating Hirelythe's Mercy. This was an instant breakthrough. The modern smogsuit was born, and adventurers (who, up to this point, were out of work) clamored for the opportunity of delving into the depths of the smog. The gnome in question, is now a successful CEO of Reclamation Incorporated.

How They Work
This, and the rest of Smogsuit lore and stat is still largely being debated.

BRC

2009-03-22, 10:28 PM

Looks pretty good, but change something. CEO is chief Executive Officer, AKA the head of the company. Make the gnome in question a Vice President of Research and Development for Reclamation Incorporated.

Also, you can have technological developments NOT done by gnomes you know. AP had attributed the Airship to gnomes, and Last Resort makes sense because of Gnome's connection to alchemy, but lets break the pattern a little.

Slist

2009-03-22, 10:35 PM

Heh, I don't know too much about business. I wouldn't have made her CEO if I knew what it actually meant. O.o

Editing the entry as we speak....

Or post.

...whatever.

Edit: Modified entry, changed her into an elf and the word "gnomes" is now "inventors".

The Modern Smogsuit
After the invention of Airships, the world was content to live above-ground for only a shot amount of time. There were those that wished to go under the Smog. To see their families, to visit their homes, and to recover their possessions. Inventors quickly set about their workshops, vigorously pursuing this task. It seemed impossible, until one strange elf had the idea of incorporating Hirelythe's Mercy. This was an instant breakthrough. The modern smogsuit was born, and adventurers (who, up to this point, were out of work) clamored for the opportunity of delving into the depths of the smog. The elf in question is now the Head of Research and Development in Reclamation Incorporated.

BRC

2009-03-22, 10:37 PM

No problem.
Also, though the compendium mentions everybodies favorite monopolistic salvaging company, you don't actually have an entry on it.

Slist

2009-03-22, 10:39 PM

Yeah, my life is kind of busy right now. I'm working on the entry for government and race relations. Reclamation Inc should have a place right after all that.

Owrtho

2009-03-22, 10:54 PM

Also, you can have technological developments NOT done by gnomes you know. AP had attributed the Airship to gnomes, and Last Resort makes sense because of Gnome's connection to alchemy, but lets break the pattern a little.

Didn't I have the smog skimmers made by the smoglings (mainly human and half elf derived)?

Anyways, with smog tides:
-caused either by the moon or some subterranean thing I think (or a combination).
-yes on spring and neap tides.
-they would use old calendar
-there would likely be climate change and smog level wouldn't change more than a few meters (between highest and lowest if even one meter)
-probably would be a city somewhere that has a foot or so of smog on the ground when smog is at high tide
-tides would be in about monthly cycles (cuz the months are based off them)

Owrtho

BRC

2009-03-22, 10:58 PM

Didn't I have the smog skimmers made by the smoglings (mainly human and half elf derived)?

Anyways, with smog tides:
-caused either by the moon or some subterranean thing I think (or a combination).
-yes on spring and neap tides.
-they would use old calendar
-there would likely be climate change and smog level wouldn't change more than a few meters (between highest and lowest if even one meter)
-probably would be a city somewhere that has a foot or so of smog on the ground when smog is at high tide
-tides would be in about monthly cycles (cuz the months are based off them)

Owrtho
Maybe some of the lower sections of Cloudscrape. Cloudscrape is built right on the smog line anyway (Actually, part of the old city is smogged), so the poorer districts of town may get partially smogged up during the high tide.

Masterclick

2009-03-22, 11:35 PM

Uh; I'm nor sure if this has been mentioned somewhere; but in the Compendium you mention Half-Orcs; but I didn't see any mention of what the Orcs would be doing. I personally don't see the Orcs as being cultured enough to survive for that long in a crowded area without ticking off some large group and getting eradicated.

Slist

2009-03-22, 11:44 PM

Well, the compendium is a recent creation (in fact, the whole Campaign Setting is.) and right now I'm having trouble getting it all together. You have a good idea, though I think Half-Orcs would've integrated into Highlander society while pure Orcs would now be rare (all frozen, maybe? They're primitive and probably wouldn't have had the sense to escape. Perhaps they are living underground, like the dwarves.). Anyway, I'll take that into consideration when I write the Orc/Half-Orc entry.

BRC

2009-03-22, 11:59 PM

I had some ideas concerning Orcs, goblinoids Ect. I'll type them up tommorow.

BRC

2009-03-23, 08:18 PM

Here ya go
Orcs in the Age of Smog

Before the Smog, most orcs lived in scattered communities in the lowlands. They were, for the most part, unable to escape into any highlands and, with nobody to collect them, remain frozen to this day. However, some orcish clans were already living in or near the highlands, and were able to flee there when the smog arrived. Many of them we wiped out by the smog refugees, however, some were able to remain hidden as scattered groups. Though, of course, there are exceptions, the remaining orcs can usually be found in one of two sitations. Either scraping out a living as bandits, mainly in all-orc groups in the highlands, and mixed groups in the lowlands. In the highlands, they inhabit the mostly uncivilized areas that don’t have cities and are too rocky or steep for step-farms. Otherhave found protection working for some powerful groups. Many orcs work as Reckers, and some join up with other organizations. In the last few years, a growing orcish and half-orcish community has appeared in Cloudscrape. Because Greenie Moscone (The half-orc leader of the Cloudscrape Longshoreman’s Union) has great influence in the city, these orcs find welcome amongst the longshoremen, where their strength is appreciated, both for moving cargo, and for skirmishing with Reckers.

Slist

2009-03-23, 08:27 PM

Thanks, you just wrote a whole entry for me. ;D

While on the subject, what is the Halfling's situation? I already wrote an entry that essentially says their culture was wiped out and they now lead an apathetic existence among the highlanders (I have yet to actually put this entry IN the compendium.), but is that really good enough? =\

Szilard

2009-03-23, 08:42 PM

Sounds good for now.

I'm going to read this entire thread later, but is there anything you need ideas for now?

kopout

2009-03-23, 08:50 PM

I also have a plan for and goblinoids and some others that I will post tomorrow.

Slist

2009-03-23, 09:01 PM

mr.fizzypop

2009-03-23, 09:05 PM

I think it's wrong and a little racist to have deep backgrounds for the elves and humans, yet leave halflings without anything. They definitely need more than being almost completely wiped out and not caring about the current situation. We could have a all new twist on what we know about halflings.

I was thinking maybe they blame all the other races for the smog, and have decided to form a society beneath the smog. They could be the primary growers of Hirelyths Mercy. They would never take off their smog suits, even when above the smog. They would also have perfected the smog suit.

Or maybe another group of them have created a league of sky pirates, known for their mischief, and deadly effectiveness?

I'm sure someone else can make this sound much better, but it should be something more than being near-extinct and apathetic.

BRC

2009-03-23, 09:09 PM

I was looking around the forums when BAM! These two ideas hit me:
(They're about smogsuits. ;D)

1. How do people identify each other in the Smog? From what I can tell, the smogsuits cover all facial features and it would be fairly difficult to speak coherently with all that masking and tubing. (Perhaps people would graft symbols onto their smogsuits, instantly identifying them. Smog bandits would probably take advantage of this in the same way pirates use to hoist a friendly flag to get close. Also, perhaps some sort of "microphone" would be placed beside the mouth inside the mask and the sound would project as if the person were speaking unobstructed, thank you magic!)

2. Spellcasters. How well do they do in smogsuits? It would look like they are at LEAST medium leather armor (and that's being rather conservative). I was thinking that there would be three different kinds of smogsuits:

"Full Plate", for Fighters. It would have a high armor check penalty, but would function as Full Plate AC-wise. (Reinforced with steel, essentially. Little maneuverability, and very noisy.)

"Leather", for Rangers, Rogues, Scouts, etc. This is what has been depicted so far. Good armor, low check penalty, but still some Arcane Spell-Failure.

"Arcane", for Spellcasters. Made out of some sort of synthetic material that is very flexible. Low check penalty (if any), no Arcane SPell-Failure, and minimal to zero AC bonus.
I was actually thinking about the Caster problem. Basically, because inhilation is more imporant than exposure, smogsuits don't have to be very thick. Therefore, Smogsuits can be made that are no more inhibiting than normal clothing, though they cover the entire body. I had some artwork for this, I'll put it up later. Anyway, that's the smogsuit of choice for casters and monks.
Second, communication. I would assume that most people who go into the smog know how to use sign language, and because you can breathe smog for at least 6 minutes safely, if you must communicate in-battle, you can open up your helmet. Or at least get to the point where you can talk and others can hear. Though magic "Radios" may often be used.

In terms of identification, most Smogsuits are fairly unique, atleast within a given group, as the different components are made by different people, often by hand. The exception is Reclamation Inc. Employees, whose smogsuits are probably near-identical. Within a group, it's simply a matter of some quick paint for a symbol or color scheme and people know who you are. The same things could work for factional affilations (For example, each lowalker enclave probably has a symbol that they put on their smogsuits).
Edit: Also, I assumed that every type of armor (Leather, studded leather, chainmail, scalemail, splint mail, banded mail, ect) would be available in Smogsuit form.

Owrtho

2009-03-23, 09:22 PM

I'd thonk all levels of armor are available as smog suits as well, but that the lighter ones are more expencive and more easily damaged (which come to think of it we should probably figure out rules for leaks in the smog suit and making/patching them).

Owrtho

Masterclick

2009-03-23, 09:53 PM

Oh; one more thing I wanted to ask you guys about is do the Air-ships float on the smog or in the air? I could see that, if the ships floated on smog there could be a group of religious-fanatics who think that the smog is actually the gods' blessing and was meant to lift them up into the heavens. This would probably lead to them researching ways to lift the smog level.

BRC

2009-03-23, 09:55 PM

Graymayre

2009-03-23, 10:00 PM

I'm just jumping in for a suggestion. I haven't read the rest of the replies, so I may just be repeating someone, or saying something that completely contradicts what has already been decided about it:

What if the smog is sentient?

Slist

2009-03-23, 10:06 PM

Graymayre

2009-03-23, 10:08 PM

This has actually been suggested before, but no one payed it any mind. It would be interesting, but what could it do? The smog level doesn't rise, and I don't think it would be fair to make it attack a player directly. =\

anyone in the fog without protection is frozen right? Perhaps their soul (or maybe their mind) is taken to another plane where the smog's sentience lives.

Owrtho

2009-03-23, 10:38 PM

First, just thought I'd note smog skimmers actualy hang from the surface of the smog. They were made by smoglings who required the smog to live. However there are most likely some made to sit atop it.
As for sentient smog, I have mentioned it a few time. As for what it could do, well, on its own, nothing. But with simple presure valve controled robots, it could be epic. If you want the details of it atleast skim through Gyo (http://www.onemanga.com/Gyo/1/01/) if not reading it in full. That is what the smog could do if sentient (though slightly different, but basics of how epic it could be without being overpowered as it can't act on its own).

Owrtho

BRC

2009-03-23, 11:35 PM

Maybe Have Smog Elementals, portions of intelligent smog that can move around like Air elementals. Also they can, by diving into an exposed person's mouth, paralyze them very quickly (rather than after the normal 10d6 minutes)

Another_Poet

2009-03-24, 02:19 PM

Hi guys. It's been a while but here I am.

On the map, it looks great, but Thief City should be closer to Esther. Maybe 20 miles due south. For a sense of scale remember the Boil is 60-odd miles long.

I love Ossia, the Ossian Circle, Wraithhammer and Stormsoul, and the orcs. If I left anyone out it's by accident - everything I've read sounds great.

It makes me laugh to think that Stormsoul could be a Hitler-esque charismatic dictator with a Cha of like 12. He'd be way more powerful of a speaker than almost any dwarf :)

I have an idea for a second dwarven area just across the strait from Greytower. I'll post more in the next couple of days.

Please remember that we do have a background for halflings. Or at least for some of them. In the feudal kingdoms west of Damania, the halflings served as a free-roving "tinker" class who passed from one region to another. Basically somewhere between gypsies and traders. Maybe not the most original thing in the world but I've always loved the idea of halflings as gypsies. When the smog came the people in that region blamed the halflings, mostly because they are outsiders and known as fortunetellers and witches. Humans'll blame outsiders for anything that goes wrong. The halflings in that region would've been wiped out in Esther if it hadn't been for the tenuous democracy that was instituted. Now they are a healthy minority in Esther, but many of them (given their roguish nature) still live their lives as lowwalkers. Most of the explorers who charted Thief City were halflings, and the crusade against smog tail is being led by a halfling rogue.

I love the smogsuit image that Fizzy posted. Some ideas on smogsuit construction:

SMOGSUITS
There are three things a smogsuit has to do: not leak (ever), stand up to severe beatings from weapons, and stand up to normal abuse such as scraping on things, being dropped, etc.

The earliest smogsuits probably were all-metal diver suits, and were not good for combat, but modern smogsuits have evolved a lot. I'm picturing three layers made of three materials. Depending on how many of the layers you're willing to scrimp on, you can get the things to be quite flexible.

Base Layer: - cost 50 gp Every smogsuit has this. It is a layer of thin, pliable, airtight material called goldbeater's skin. This is a real-world material that was used to make blimp envelopes before the age of plastic. It's basically the lining of goat or sheep organs, treated with special chemicals. It's a stretchy membrane thinner than leather and not as tough (hardness 2, 2 hp), but fairly durable all things considered. This is the actual airtight layer. It would be skin-tight except at the head, where some kind of frame would give the person some breathing room in front of their face. Uncomfortable for sure.

Armour Layer - variable cost: If you want metal protectives, a breastplate or any other metal components on your body, this is considered the Armour Layer. In the past it was a heavy full-body metal suit. Nowadays it is basically masterwork armour. Basically, pay the cost of the masterwork metal armour of your choice and add it to the cost of your suit. This determines how much protection you have over your base layer. (The armour has to be masterwork to make sure it is smooth enough not to catch on or rip the base layer).

Soft Layer - 30+ gp: The outer layer is a layer of leather or cloth. This is basically to protect the armour layer and any exposed base layer from scratching or denting. If you have purchased an armour layer, you pay a flat 30 gp to add a Soft Layer which does not affect your AC. If you have no armour layer (such as a mage) then you can instead add a masterwork suit of non-metal armour (including studded leather) to replace the soft layer.

The AC of the smogsuit is equal to the AC of the best pice of armour built into it. Adding armour to both the Armour Layer and the Sot Layer does not work; the two would not stack. You only add one suit of armour to any smogsuit.

Any suits of armour (metal or non-metal) that are incorporated into a smogsuit are specially integrated into the smogsuit. Separating the armour from the smogsuit requires a DC 15 Craft (Armour) check and destroys the Base Layer.

THE BREATHER
The helmet of a smogsuit has a special valve to attach a breather. The breather consistso of a leather-wrapped, copper-framed goldbeater skin tube which runs to a multi-tank backpack. A backpack typically has three tanks.

Primary Tank: A compressed air tank. Relatively recent technology. Made of bronze, contains 2 hrs worth of air. Easy to use, reliable. Often nicknamed "the sky."

Auxiliary Tank: A tank containing magically treated Hirelythe's Mercy. This tank holds a much longer supply of air than the primary, but the "air" is actually smog-laden local air that is brought in through a vent and mixed with the Mercy. Depending on how well you care for your tank you can get this to last a long time or not long at all - because it takes finesse to maintain, it is considered less reliable by newby explorers but indispensible by veterans. Often nicknamed "the huffer."

Emergency Dose: A tiny tank containing a single dose of Potion of Last Resort is housed in between the other two tanks. If the explorer is out of air, they can press a small pump lever which atomises the potion in a puff of smog and shoots it directly into the explorer's breathing tube. Since the explorer's best bet is to then ditch all of the heavy smogsuit gear and run like mad, this dose is often nicknamed "the stripper."

A standard breather includes your choice of 2 skies, 2 huffers or 1 of each, plus 1 stripper. The whole package costs 50 gp. The breather can't accomodate extra tanks, but you can buy them at cost and haul them along by hand, switching them out as needed.

SMOGSUIT COST:

Smogsuit cost (with metal armour*)=
50 gp breather + 50 gp base layer + masterwork armour cost + 30 gp

Smogsuit cost (non-metal armour*)=
50 gp breather + 50 gp base layer + masterwork armour cost

Smogsuit cost (unarmoured Magesuit)=
130 gp (50 gp breather + 50 gp base layer + 30 gp)

*Studded leather always counts as non-metal when calculating smogsuit cost.

A note on costs: These things are expesnive, and that's as it should be. A smogsuit (other than a magesuit) can cost 300 - 2,000 gp dependingon the type of armour chosen, and that's more than 1st level characters have.

Our suggestion for DMs is to leave the cost as-is, but offer a free suit with Medium or Light armour to each 1st level character if you're running an under-smog campaign. If you are starting at higher levels or running a colonial campaign, let the characters buy suits with their wealth as normal.

A smogsuit is a finely designed and hand-crafted tool, and it will save your life in the stink. As any explorer will tell you, it's a bargain at twice the price!

-Esther smogsmith poster

OTHER SMOGSUIT STATS & RULES:
-A smog suit always adds 10% arcane spell failure chance to the spell failure rate of the masterwork armour it uses. (Yep, giving' fighters a leg up on wizards...)

-A smog suit increases the Armour Check Penalty of its masterwork armour by 1 (essentially negating the ACP reduction from masterwork quality).

-Smogsuits, including their breathers, weigh a grand total of 40 lbs (!) plus the weight of the armour. It is very common to enchant them to be lighter.

-A smog suit can be made with no armour built into it. This "magesuit" has -1 Armour Check Penalty, 10% arcane spell failure chance and weighs 40 lbs. (including breather).

-If an armoured smogsuit is successfully sundered, there is a 50% chance that the base layer is also sundered, exposing the wearer to smog. Any further attacks that land on the wearer also have a 50% chance of rupturing the base layer, if it is not ruptured already.

-An opponent can try to target the base layer of an armoured smogsuit rather than hacking through the armour first. To do this, make a normal sunder roll but increase the DC by 2 for every 1 point of AC the suit has. If the sunder hits, roll damage normally; the base layer has hardness 2 and 2 hp. If it is destroyed the suit is ruptured and the wearer is exposed to smog.

-As long as a smogsuit has a soft layer, you do not need to worry about it leaking because of everyday wear and tear. Assume that the soft layer, plus any daily maintenance, prevents this wear and tear.

I wasn't really a huge fan of smog tides but the way it's been put forward - just a metre or two in most areas, like a normal tide - sounds pretty good. I am picturing some "smog bridges" that are above smog at one time of the day and 3 metres below smog later on. Nice.

Sentience
I really don't like the idea that the smog is a sentient entity. It changes the whole setting. However, some people might believe it is. Air elementals might play with the smog, and appear to be living smog entitites if seen. Magicians could manipulate the smog, or make smog constructs to give this effect. Thus, some people have spotted the smog behaving as if it is sentient and the rumour has spread. But please, let's not have the whole world be covered in one living smogthulhu.

On months & days - for the love of the gods don't make up a new calendar. They're so hard to remember and they just bog down a setting. I just went through a big conversion table with Iron Kingdoms so I could use the real-world month and weekday names and still get the holidays spaced out right. Just use Jan, Feb, March etc and the 7 days we are all familiar with. If you want to make up a new climate/seasonal cycle, go for it.

mr.fizzypop

2009-03-24, 02:56 PM

I know we said before that there could be multiple answers to what the smog could be. I have one idea but I still haven't worked out everything though. What if another plane merged with the martial plane? But only partially. Like a ghost in the ethereal plane. So the smog is the air of another plane. If you lane shifted to the origin plane you would instantly be killed. So the "shadow" of it in the martial plane would almost kill you, or in other words, freeze you.

Well, it was just an idea, but I hope it could be the start of a long list.

Vadin

2009-03-24, 03:37 PM

First off, it's the material plane, not the the plane of swords and battle. That's one idea, and it's one that wizards in the setting might throw around, but I definitely think that the Smog shouldn't have any one real origin that we define (not yet, at least).

Another_Poet

2009-03-24, 04:00 PM

I agree with Vadin. I think it'd be nice to get a list going though.

Here's an example

THEORY: The halflings did it, with their wily ways and evil sorcery.
ACCEPTANCE: Once widely accepted in Esther, no longer accepted at all.
IN GAME KNLDG: A lot of bonded serfs were jealous of the halflings because of their roving lifestyle, or mistrusted them because of their strange culture. The halflings' reputation as thieves and fortunetellers didn't help either.
METAGAME KNLDG: This theory is false.

Slist

2009-03-24, 05:16 PM

Well, now that we have statted out the Smogsuits, what about the smoglings? (Or whichever was the monsters who went crazy and mutated.) It's looking like these fellas will be some of the main antagonists for the earlier levels, so I guess that it's kinda important...

Are they a separate monster now, or a template?

Vadin

2009-03-24, 05:53 PM

Template, up to a point. After enough mutations, smoglings are basically just a different kind of aberration. Once they're that far gone they can have their own statblocks like any other monster.

BRC

2009-03-24, 05:57 PM

THEORY: The Smog was created, either from mistake or malice, by the scientist-wizards at the Ossian university.
ACCEPTANCE: When the smog was first arriving, it was highly accepted as people sought somthing to blame.
IN GAME KNLDG: Alot of people were uncomfortable with the Ossian's experiments, or didn't appreciate their attitudes towards the uneducated. Throw in several charismatic anti-ossian clergymen and you get a big, library-burning riot. Today, some people still hold this theory to be true, but if they get into any positions of influence misfortune they tend to die. People blame the Circle of Ossia for this.
METAGAME KNLDG: The Circle DOES in fact hunt down people who agree with this theory, and it's got some stuff going for it, the Ossians DID do some pretty crazy experiments, and some of them were too curious for their own good. But did they make the smog? Well, who knows...

BRC

2009-03-24, 07:50 PM

Idea: Smogtech
Smog Tech refers to a wide variety of devices created by lowwalkers for the age of smog. Smogtech tends to be cobbled together from spare parts, and is usually difficult to operate without the proper training. Or, more acuratally, it will work just fine, but it will fall apart of somebody isn't monitoring the device and making adjustments. Thus, a skilled operator can make the device work more effectively, though this is more difficult. More expensive versions are easier to use. If an Operator fails their smogtech check, the machine begins to malfunction. Another check means they can identify the problem and shut off the machine, if they fail this second check, they are unable to prevent the machine from breaking. Because most smogcheck involves high pressures, this tends to involve things bursting and exploding.
The Smogtech skill (INT based, class skill for rogues and rangers)governs the use, repair, and construction of these devices.
Sample Smogtech Device, Air Compressor.
This bulky device is used to fill up compressed air tanks with clean air. It includes a chamber full of hirelythe's mercy, which filters the smog before it is compressed into the tank.
Successfully operating an Air Compressor requires a DC 10 Smogtech check, and it takes twenty minutes to fill a tank. By increasing the DC by 5, an operator can reduce the time to ten minutes per tank. By increasing DC by 5 again per minute of reduction, an operator can make the machine fill a tank in as little as 1 minute (By my math, that would be a DC 60 check). Air Compressors can also be used to power pressure-based smogtech.
In addition to an operator, using an Air Compressor requires one other person with a strength of at least 10. This person need not make a check, merely turn the crank and power the device.

EDIT: Sample Smogtech Device #2, Iron Ox.
The Iron Ox is a device favored greatly by those who specialize in large, raw material salvage work. It is, essentially, a tractor, and is usually hooked up to a cart. It's Operator/Pilot can make a DC 15 Smogtech check to let it move 50 ft/round with a strength of 18 (So it could drag up to 1500 lbs of cargo). Increasing the DC by 5 gives the Iron OX a +2 to strength. An additional +2 str can be gained by increasing the DC by 6, a third bonus increases the DC by 7, ect. The most this can reach is 30 strength.
Though it is ridden (Well, piloted) an Iron Ox is different from a mount. The Mounted Combat feat cannot be used with it, and operating one requires the pilot's full attention, so they cannot take any other actions (Though I suppose you could Ram with it)...
An Iron Ox is powered by four tanks of compressed smog (or Air), similar to those used on smogsuits. Each tank gives it 30 minutes of Runtime, so most operators bring a compressor with them.

Owrtho

2009-03-24, 07:57 PM

Good job on the smogsuits.

As for the tides, I agree with Another_Poet. I did suggest them, but it is mainly because I though the idea of some things like bridges and cave entrances covered by the smog when its at high tide would be fun (mind they would have to be near the surface of the smog at low tide and in the case of caves probably partially submerged, but still).

As for sentience (again I think I was the first to mention it), I think it would be rather bad to make the smog such in any notable way outside of possible smog constructs and air elementals (and maybe the occasional spell that does it). At most it would be fun if it could coordinate movement of pressure valves if forced through them as the gas in Gyo does. That mainly because it would only have an effect if a device made for that purpose were used (which few would be likely to make), and it would be fun to see some steam powered type construct powered by smog being pumped through it (but that could be done by a spell that make the smog in the golem sentient with out all smog being so).

For time, it would likely be easiest to use normal weeks, days, and years (though changing the seasons would likely be good). I agree most would find it just a hassle to keep track of even if I myself would like it (and if I ever DMed the setting, I don't think my players would really need another reason to hate me).

THEORY: Salvin made the smog.
ACCEPTANCE: A small group in Septel City (They all died when the smog overcame the wall). Gained some popularity again among the clearbreather societies he attacked after his fall.
IN GAME KNLDG: A spellcaster from the area around Grey Tower was known for having great control over the smog when he attacked the surrounding cities before he vanished. It seemed to go beyond what anyone else had heard of.
METAGAME KNLDG: Well, he did accept the smog awfully fast, and his ability to manipulate it was quite high even when he 'first' tried. It is possible he had some knowledge others didn't about its nature, though most likely he was just gifted.

Owrtho

Graymayre

2009-03-24, 08:23 PM

Has it been decided what happens to the minds or souls of people who are frozen in the smog?

If not, I put forth the theory that the Smog is a semi-omnipotent, pseudo-deity. Like many gods, its divine presence originates from some self-made plane. Unlike most deities, the smog is not capable of sustaining itself through others' prayers and worship. As such, it must take the souls of people frozen in the smog to sustain itself.

I thought I saw that people mentioned that some could partially control the smog, perhaps the smog is giving that person a limited divine control in exchange for some unknown service or reward.

mr.fizzypop

2009-03-24, 08:36 PM

THEORY: The smog is the air of another plane of existence.
ACCEPTANCE: It is one of the many arguable hypothesis's for the smog's existence, only accepted by some scholars.
IN GAME KNLDG: All tests and experiments to prove this hypothesis, have came up inconclusive , so it is not known whether this is the truth.
METAGAME KNLDG: It is completely up to the individual DM to use this or not, otherwise it is just a theory.

THEORY: The smog is the gods way of picking who is worthy and who is not. That only the spiritually chosen have survived, and the others are punished for their inadequacy.
ACCEPTANCE: Small groups of cultists and the mentally unstable or insane. Or sometimes egoistical Rets.
IN GAME KNLDG: When people fled the smog, the slow, and unfit, fell behind and were succumbed by the smog. So in a way the smog only let the athletic and fit survive.
METAGAME KNLDG: This theory is false.

@Graymayre I think the smog should not be sentient, or it should be up to the DM. As for the peoples minds, the smog should put them in a temporal stasis. Awakening is like awakening from coma. Every once and a while, people emerge with visions, but those too are forgotten eventually.

Slist

2009-03-24, 08:37 PM

I think we all agreed that the frozen state of smog victims is akin to unconsciousness (well, closer to stasis I suppose.), they don't think, they don't act, they don't age, but they are still alive.

BRC

2009-03-24, 08:47 PM

Agreed. Smog-control spells are probably just more refined wind control spells that now have new uses.

kopout

2009-03-24, 08:49 PM

I'm thinking the mountains to the south of Cloudscrape would be a logical place for a set region. How about a system of prince domes belonging to various races. That is , you have a princedom belonging to goblinodes a few for humans and some for dwarfs and small hunter gatherer tribes of Troglodites and Trolls and even Grimlocks out in the less inhabited regions. These countries where never all that prosperous due to being secluded in the high mountains (kind of like the Transylvania alps) but are now centers of trade due to are ship travel and the natural harbors they have.
alredy posted

and now to elaborate

the Highlands near Cloudscrape (southern highlands) where not of much interest to the low land countries in the pre-smog world they fought amoungts them selves constantly and even the largest was little larger than Rhode island or Luxembourg are in the real world. Much of the land was to rocky or steep for proper cites and this was a land of Lycanthrops, trolls, and grimlocks. almost as many cites where ruled by hobgoblins and there goblin underlings as where ruled by humans, kobold fortress/cites sat half submerged in the rock looking like stony puffballs. And very little has changed. The smog brought an influx of human refuges but Goblinond stats are still common and Monstrous humanoids still roam the slopes in tribal groupings . In fact the most notable change has been the rise of three major factions.

Iron Moon Protectorate

with the coming of the smog came refuges and with the refuges cam a strengthening of the humans. The hobgoblin run city of Iron Moon was given a shot at a major power play, realizing that the expanding human nations would push many of the Gobliniod nations out of existence the Ruler of Iron Moon sent a simple message to the other hobgoblin rulers "we must all hang together or we shall surly hang individually" he proposed an alliance , with Iron moon at the head obviously, of all the goblinoid stats in the region. A military alliance to protect them and there interests against " the growing human threat" The resulting entity is know as the "Iron Moon Protectorate" or IMP, and is one of the post smog worlds greatest success stories.

Grand Lake

In the midst of the southern highlands there was a dip, a sort of natural bowl in the land although the area around it was , like most of the high lands , above the smog the bowl itself wasn't. Roughly the size of lake eerie
it's shores are home to a number of small nations that recently discovered that the have a coastline. The Grand lake connects to many of the smog filled valleys forming a grate network of "smog ways" that intersect in the Grand lake itself . Because of this the Grand Lake has become a center of trade in southern Highlands, and all tit's bordering countries have become very rich. in the markets of the lake side city stats you can find (almost) any thing your looking for.

Borgo

Along one of the major passes into the southern highlands was the Kobold fortress of Borgo. Built on the steep sided mountain wall the largely underground fortress was long considered untakable, and still is, a fortress built by the Tu-kor clan is built to last through the ages. now that the pass has become a bay in the Smog sea the city of Borgo has become a trading center and the first stop of many on their way to the interior of the southern highlands. with this economic growth has come territorial expansion the underground "old city" is still largely a fortress at hart with all the trappings (and traps) of one and is almost entirely "kobolds only" the "new city " built literary on top of the old city is a ramshackle wooden city near the smog line and is home to many airship docks and the people who run them . Despite absurd docking fees and tariffs airships continue to dock at Borgo simply because the Borgo militia has "discouraged " and competition . Although this is never publicly acknowledged .

BRC

2009-03-24, 08:59 PM

Owrtho

2009-03-24, 09:47 PM

Sounds good. Though i am confused about why a smog lake would mean commerce. Unless smog skimmers are a dominant travel form in the region, the skyships can actually fly so don't rely on the smog for transportation.

Owrtho

kopout

2009-03-25, 07:54 PM

Interesting Cities.
Question, Reclamation Incorporated wouldn't mind trading with the Monstrous Humanoid nations of the southern highlands, but would they trade with Rink. Rink would probably use local agents or subsidiaries rather than deal directly though (For example, Reclamation Inc employees in the Iron Moon Protectorate would mainly be locally-recruited goblinoids.). They would definetally build up an influence in the grand lake. They can't beat the Borgo millitia, but they would prefer to pay cheaper docking fees (Especially if everybody else is paying high ones). It would probably be their style to cut a deal with the city government, maybe a set payment from the company every year, and in exchange Rink Skyships pay a substantially lower, or no, docking fee.

As to the locally-recruited goblinoids idea . That is good IMP dos not like "our kind " and human reps would be distrusted and in some areas killed on sight. The concept behind IMP is in part that every where else in the world Goblinoids and Kobold and such are treated as scum and at best tolerated , hear that treatment is given to PHB races.

As for the other, I'm sure that if they talked to the Don (the hereditary leader of Borgo) they could get a deal. they have far more money than scruples and in Borgo that will get you far.

Sounds good. Though i am confused about why a smog lake would mean commerce. Unless smog skimmers are a dominant travel form in the region, the skyships can actually fly so don't rely on the smog for transportation.

Owrtho

they are for two reasons

1 economy; a skyship takes a lot of money to build whereas a smogskimer barge is just a couple of air filled pontunes attached to a giant wooden crate.

2 turbulence; when you get up high enough to clear the highlands with any reasonable safety margin the air becomes rough

mr.fizzypop

2009-03-25, 08:49 PM

BRC

2009-03-25, 08:50 PM

they have far more money than scruples and in Borgo that will get you far.

Scruples are against company policy.
Edit: Everything is better with Sky Whales.

kopout

2009-03-25, 08:54 PM

@ mr.fizzypop

sky whales= cool . always

Owrtho

2009-03-25, 11:13 PM

Makes sense, though I'd suggest a few different types of smog skimmers were invented in the region. For one thing, the smog skimmers so far were invented by Grey Tower which has been placed in the far north, while these places are in the south (I'd also expect that skyships came to them later than in the northern area where they were invented).

Thus there are three kinds of smog skimmers like crafts I can see being made in the southern area.

1st smog huller: this is the closest to a smog skimmer. It has the floating portion with the majority hanging below. However, on the floating part is a small deck that a handful of crew uses while below it just carries the cargo.

2nd smog ferry: this looks similar to a ship, except the base is extremely large. It is used mainly for transport as the large base has trouble maneuvering in the rocky areas of the highland requiring it to move rather slowly to avoid damage. It can carry a number of people or cargo, but is more expensive to make than the huller so is thus used more for transporting things that need to stay above the smog (like people).

3rd smog strider: so called because of its resemblance to a water strider, it has a narrow base and four 'legs' that give it stability so it won't capsize. It is the type most commonly used for combat or fast transport. It can't carry as much as the other types, but due to the small amount of contact made with the smog it is easily able to avoid rocks and the like and can move quickly.

These would likely be the three main types of smog transport in the south, though they would be less common in the north where skyships have already dominated the main travel (though still fairly frequently found due to their less expensive building cost).

Also I agree, everything is better with sky whales.

Owrtho

BRC

2009-03-25, 11:17 PM

So the smog skimmer was invented up north, but it is mainly used down south?
Maybe we should move the grey tower to the southern highland area. Or maybe it's directly between the two highlands, thus explaining why Rink didn't like having to go around it so much.
Also, depending on how long you can stay smogged without long-term side effects, some people might travel long distance by smog skimmer. Stay in smog-paralysis for a week or two so you don't have to wait out the boring journey, or pay for food and board on the ship. When you get to your destination, they un-smog you and TA-DA! If you've already been smog-sterilized, it's probably a nice way to travel.

Another_Poet

2009-03-26, 01:06 AM

I think there should be other sorts of air transportation other than smog-skimmers and skyships. I was recently looking at the soar whales in the Arms and Equipment Guide and I think they'd be pretty cool. They'd be slower then skyships, but able to carry larger cargo and sustain attacks(as oposed to the skyships, that if you lose one til column, the whole thing goes down). Also depending on where you live, they can be pretty inexpensive. What do you think?

http://www.wizards.com/dnd/images/aeg_gallery/50066.jpg

First off I want to say I love kopout's explanation of why smog lakes with smog-skimmers would mean booming business. Good call man.

Secondly I want to respond to what I just quoted here. Skyships will not fall if you take out one Til column, except for civilian 2- or 3- column ships which shouldn't be fighting anyway. (And if an enemy nation sees one, standard policy is to board it and take its cargo, not shoot it down.)

Military skyships may hgave 4-8 columns and can run on just 3-5 in most cases. Plus, the only vulnerable part of a Til column is the "hot" tip at the bottom (the rest is heavily armoured). In order to take that out you need to attack from below the skyship - which means a) you are probably in the smog and b) you risk the skyship deliberately dropping on you to hit you with its hot Til columns, likely destroying your own ship.

Those skyships are well rigged. They are fast, well-armoured and can haul huge amounts of weight. They're moderately expensive, the military ones are very expensive, and you need expertly trained crew - so there are plenty of reasons why people would use skimmers or whales. But skyships are no sitting ducks.

ap

BRC

2009-03-26, 10:13 AM

So Sky-ships are for high speed shipping, things that need to get from Point A to point B very quickly, while Smog Skimmers are for shipping things at a more sedate pace. Like airplanes and ships.

Speaking of which, how much of a problem is Piracy? On one hand it would be lucrative, on the other hand, Rink would try very hard to stop it, and they would work their influence with various governments to achieve that end. On th other hand, governments trying to stop it never stopped piracy in the real world.

Owrtho

2009-03-26, 02:48 PM

Well, my thought was that the two places developed them separately, though moving Grey Tower to the south would probably work. Particularly as there are no nearby countries apparent in the north where it is currently. As for the relation of transport types, skyships are like planes, they travel quickly high up but are expensive. Smog ships (the skimmers that keep passengers above the smog) are like ships. However they can be just as fast as skyships (and in some cases faster due to the slightly thicker smog allowing for greater thrust), but need to be cautious in areas where the land comes close to the surface of the smog and would risk damaging it (also they have the issue of rough 'seas' to deal with when the winds can make the surface of the smog too turbulent and risk capsizing them). Smog skimmers (the ones from Grey Tower that keep passengers below the smog) are similar to submarines. They are used less frequently than other modes of transport due to people not wanting to be kept under the smog like that. They can go just as fast or faster than smog ships, and are more stable and generally impossible to capsize (due to being hung from above rather than balancing on a base). They do however still suffer from having to look out for the terrain under the smog when it is too close to the surface.

There are probably some who use smog skimmers for as noted to skip out on the travel time, but most would likely be distrustful of such travel. Near highlands skimmers and ships would move slowly for the most part to avoid hitting the ground, but in open areas could move fast.

As for piracy, I expect it would be a notable issue. It would probably be worse than it was in history due to almost all travel between cities requiring a ship or skimmer and the ability to hide out under the smog without too much trouble (well, it isn't as hard as hiding under the ocean). In some areas it would be almost unheard of however (around Rink headquarters, near Grey Tower, and other places that have high air power), but most places would likely have issues with it (and Rink would have trouble with it due to their notable shipping network).

Owrtho

BRC

2009-03-28, 01:51 AM

An Idea, I don't know what I think about it. it may be too over-the-top

Jimopolis
A Company Town.

Jimopolis is the most recently founded city, it’s also the smallest and, potentially, the most powerful. Jimopolis is an open-air enclave built in the near-highlands. Large walls and gardens of Hirelythe’s Mercy were used to keep the smog back. This construction started ten years ago, and five years ago, the city opened it’s doors. Built around a great castle, Jimopolis is the home of Reclamation Incorporated headquarters. Rell Detrand himself ordered it built in the memory of Dark Jim, his lost business partner. And the fact that the city (Although it’s a small city), was built in a mere five years (Although much of that was just repaired structures that were already there), in the smog itself is a testament to his wealth and power. The City is constantly under construction, being built and expanded. Most of this work is done around the Aerodrome, a massive tower that will be used as a dock for smogskimmers and skyships. The city itself is very safe, and many services are provided to it’s residents. Within The Company, a transfer to Jimopolis is highly sought after. Everybody in the city works for the company in one form or another. Either as Red Reckers (Ironically, this is the one city where there are absolutely zero Reckers.), grunt laborers, bureaucrats, or service industry personal serving the others. The Bureaucrats mostly live in the Castle Town, reclaimed buildings left over from before the smog came. The others mostly live in large-scale mass housing that was built after the walls went up. It’s a good steady job, and they can always use new hands to help load and unload cargo or work construction. However, once you leave the city problems start. The Company isn’t really liked, and while working for them is understandable within most circles (considering how many people they employ, it has to be ), going to Jimopolis is something that most people see as the ultimate declaration of allegiance. As selling out to the monolithic corporation and everything it stands for. People who go to Jimopolis and work for a few years often lie about it, saying they were living as a lowwalker, or that they found work hauling cargo for their uncle up in Strout or something. Saying you worked in Jimopolis is a good way to lose a few teeth.
As stated above, the city is built in the near-highlands, on a plateau of sorts that sits very close the smogline. Stone walls fifty feet high surround the city and keep the smog out. They were largely constructed by Wizards hired from New Ossia casting Wall of Stone spells. Immedietally inside the walls, is a ring of gardenspace. Orchards growing both food for the city (most food is shipped in though) and Hirelythe’s Mercy, except where this garden is broken by the Aerodrome. Inside that, is a ring of neighborhoods for the unskilled workers and the people who support them (Shopkeepers, Bartenders, all the people necessary to support a sizeable population comfortably). Inside that ring is the executive “Castle-town”, where the bureaucrats and managers live. The true executives live in the repaired castle at the very center of town , in lavish apartments where they are waited upon by serving staff. Additions to this castle include the sizeable office space needed to manage the corporation, and bureaucrats work and file throughout the night. Red uniformed security guards are a frequent sight, and the symbol on their badges is a constant reminder of who owns the city.

Je dit Viola

2009-03-28, 04:43 AM

I just read through from the beginning, and this sounds awesome.

I only have 3 (or 4?) comments:

1. What shade of purple is the smog? I'm thinking a dreary-purple, but exact hues are altered in different areas.

2. What happened to the vampires mentioned at the beginning? Should there be an elaborate back-story behind them, like the other cities/etc?

3. I think that there should be a sky-ship pirate mountain/island - it makes sense. With everyone using sky-ships to transport, eventually some people will take advantage of it, and bond together to make a pirate island.

and 4. Just a thought: I imagine there should be a high(er) Western mountain range (2000+ meters at highest, possibly more central american, Aztec-type feel, jungle to offset the height's coldness), in that the people who live on it weren't affected immediately by the fog itself, but by the sudden appearance of undead/abberations/mutations/etc towards their barbarious, 'uncivilized', nomadic, clan-style, mountainous lands. So, basically, they were on a mountain range and hardly ventured downwards towards 'smog level', only recently discovering there actually was a disaster. But their communities still really 'uncivilized'.

mr.fizzypop

2009-03-28, 11:23 AM

Well, as for the smog color, the banner has a light purple while the post-smog map fashions a darker version. I personally say a darker purple under the smog, since it blocks out much of the sun, and a lighter purple when your looking at it from above, because the smog is probably thinner at the top, and it receives direct sunlight.

Owrtho

2009-03-28, 01:12 PM

Well I like the Jimopolis city. Seem to work well. I expect that there would be some kind of large store of Rink goods there that would cause it to be a prime place for people to go buy stuff (sorta, if you can't find it there you can't find it anywhere as a Rink product), but, given the hostility toward it, not stay there.

Vampires seem to have had little talk due to most people working on how the map layout will be and how transport will work (as well as making notable cities).

There might be a pirate highland, though I'd find it more likely they would make their main base in the lowlands instead so that they wouldn't be as easily found. Might even make something like a giant smog skimmer with Hirelythe’s Mercy on the platform to clear the smog on which they would build their base (thus allowing it to be mobile and hidden in the smog (would likely have Til columns on the bottom too).

The giant mountain idea sounds intriguing, but I'd note that most of the undead, etc. don't leave the smog, and the mutation that makes those able to breathe it usually also make them dependent on it. They would however likely note the creatures trying to escape the smog.

Also, just something I noted, Hirelythe’s Mercy likely wouldn't work as a normal flower. It would instead require being either a tree of some kind or a climbing vine (the latter would probably work better). The reason being that it is their flowers that purify the smog. Thus smog will only be purified if it comes into contact with the flower. As the smog sinks, that means that the only place it would keep clear of the smog would be underneath it (though it could make a wall if there was a ceiling and walls would be required if the ceiling was too high). As such bushes or regular flowers of it would be relatively ineffective (only purifying a few inches of air on the ground). Vines however could grow flat on the ground or grow higher up and be used to make smog free areas. Natural "meadows" that it had purified would likely usually be groves of trees (though with the trees only barely coming close together overhead), with the vines growing all over the trees even branching between them and being all along the ground making it look like a field of flowers.

Owrtho

Szilard

2009-03-28, 01:12 PM

3. I think that there should be a sky-ship pirate mountain/island - it makes sense. With everyone using sky-ships to transport, eventually some people will take advantage of it, and bond together to make a pirate island.
Weird, I was just thinking about a sky-ship-city-thing. I second this idea.:smallsmile:

BRC

2009-03-28, 01:48 PM

Also, just something I noted, Hirelythe’s Mercy likely wouldn't work as a normal flower. It would instead require being either a tree of some kind or a climbing vine (the latter would probably work better). The reason being that it is their flowers that purify the smog. Thus smog will only be purified if it comes into contact with the flower. As the smog sinks, that means that the only place it would keep clear of the smog would be underneath it (though it could make a wall if there was a ceiling and walls would be required if the ceiling was too high). As such bushes or regular flowers of it would be relatively ineffective (only purifying a few inches of air on the ground). Vines however could grow flat on the ground or grow higher up and be used to make smog free areas. Natural "meadows" that it had purified would likely usually be groves of trees (though with the trees only barely coming close together overhead), with the vines growing all over the trees even branching between them and being all along the ground making it look like a field of flowers.

Owrtho

Okay, Flowering Vines sound good. So, rather than Jimopolis having a "Garden" of mercy, the walls are likely just coated in it, so that one leak dosn't doom the city.

Owrtho

2009-03-28, 02:40 PM

They would probably still have a perimiter garden (maybe around a few feet) so that if any leaked (and missed the flowers coating the wall) when it settled to the bottom it would be in a small garden of the flowers and taken care of.

Also I have plans for a pirate town that I'll try to post this weekend when I get the chance.

Owrtho

IcarusWings

2009-03-28, 04:42 PM

Greetings...

I am an (as of yet) unpublished fantasy author. And I'm asking for permission to possibly write a book based in this setting. There would obviously be a few alterations to change it into a setting for a book rather than a campaign. But I would try to do this idea justice.

Now on to my contributions(warning! wall of text as I'm posting all my ideas here and I don't know how to use spoiler blocks!)(I haven't worked out any details or elaborate descriptions as of yet).

1. Til blade: a weapon adapted from the Til column. It works on the same principle, knocking enemies back with a plasma sphere.

2. Til ram: something to do with siegecraft. Uses plasma spheres to blast the gate open.

3. Til mage/tinker: some form of prestige class which uses plasma spheres to create telekinesis.

4. On smogsuit breathers: maybe being able to substitute the "sky" tank with air that is so compressed that it is liquid or even solid. This would make it heavier but last longer as you can fit more in. The solid/liquid air would be superheated in the tube to turn it back into air.

5. Eria: inside a valley which was so ringed by mountains that, even though the valley itself was below smog level, the smog could not penetrate through the mountain wall and therefore the valley is only about 200 feet above sea level. the city of Eria sits.
There is a huge lake sitting in the centre of Eria, giving it's economy a huge boost(as it is extremely difficult to obtain water in the smog era). Also, the huge valley gives a sheltered space to build up a huge fleet without it being seen or attacked, making Eria the greatest aerial power in the known world(aside maybe from Grey Tower's smog skimmers[I think Grey Tower should be the only ones who have learned to put them to military use, thus giving them the pre-stated by someone advantage in the Rink treaty] although they might be called a smogial power as the smog skimmers are in the smog).

6. Athala: Due to a huge mountain range cutting them off from the rest off the continent, about a fifth of the continent is still smog free. But Athalans are a very conservative race and will allow no outsiders past there borders. As such, both Damania, Strout, Cloudscrape and Rink have declared open warfare against Athala.
(this is just a random idea, I'm not sure if it fits the feel of this setting).

7. Operation Reclamation(someone come up with a better name as this sounds to much like both operation breath of life and reclamation inc.): An order of gardeners and tinkers who are devoted to cultivating huge gardens of mercy in the smog-filled Til. They mostly wish to either reclaim their homeland or reclaim the lost knowledge in the libraries.

8. On water: as I see it, there are two ways to obtain drinking water in the smog-era(three if you include my idea for Eria), The clouds and the Boil(although boilwater would have to be purified as it's seawater). As clouds are a very unreliable source and the Boil is a very dangerous, this is what leads to Eria's economy being so huge.(Admittedly, there could easily be rivers in the mountains, but I think it enhances the apocalyptic feel of the setting to have water hard to obtain).

What do you think of my ideas?

Merlin

BRC

2009-03-28, 04:55 PM

I don't think the smog "Taints" Water in any way, once the water is taken out of the smog, it should be fine.

Concerning Operation Reclamation, I was thinking of somthing like that called the Cult of Hirelythe. A group that is dedicated to the cultivation of Hirelythe's mercy, both in the highlands and the lowlands. Most non-insane druids belong to the Cult of Hirelythe in some form.
Edit: concerning Alatha, I don't really like it. I mean, I can buy the mountains cutting off a small valley like Eira, but an entire kingdom? Plus, they don't add much to the setting because of their xenophobic tendancies. It would just be a place that is very difficult to go, and we already have that in the lowlands.

Owrtho

2009-03-28, 07:40 PM

Well, I think the smog should taint the water, but it would be a minor issue. First, leaving the water out of the smog for a day or two (less if you can have it aerated such as by a water wheel) would remove the taint. Secondly, given that breathing the smog takes 6 minutes for it to freeze you, even drinking tainted water would have little effect. All that would likely happen would be a low chance of causing sterility (though regular drinking would increase it some), and an extremely rare chance of causing minor smog mutation (which would take almost drinking smog tainted water exclusively since birth, though could happen from just bad luck).

Also, the reason why Grey Tower is able to be such an air power, even though the smog skimmers can be used similarly in military application by other countries, is because they are the only ones who can make (and they don't share it) a special ammo that they use on their skimmers which is attracted to Til columns allowing for long range accuracy (though they are also likely superior in their military usage of them outside that)

As for the pirates

The Reef
When the smog first came, piracy came to a near stop. There were no seas to sail above the smog, and travel was limited to slow movement on the ground. However, when skyships began becoming common, piracy was again able to surface. It was in these early days of smog piracy that Captain Rogers formed his crew.

Soon Captain Rogers was a name feared by all who had to regularly take to the smog for travel. People near ports would dread news of him being in the area. He soon managed to amass a large fortune. It was rivaled only by the bounty on his head. Rink was still in its early days, but it had managed to get all the communities who suffered from Captain Roger's piracy to agree on a combine bounty. This caused the captain and his crew to soon have some difficulty when it came to making port as anywhere they when they would be attacked by those after the price on his head. Even when they made bases in the smog they were soon found and swarmed requiring them to leave them. It was for this reason he decided on starting a venture that would secure his place in history.

Making contact with a number of other pirates he made agreements with them for their aid in his venture. He began to gather Til columns, wrecked skyships and other supplies. The place where the goods were to be taken was kept secret and regularly moved. Those who delivered them were told of the location by being warned of a reef where they had to drop off the goods. Captain Rogers also managed to buy a number of Grey Tower smog skimmers, though he failed at procuring any of their special anti skyship ammo. Lastly he began gathering a large amount of Hirelythe’s Mercy.

Using all this suplies he began construction on what seemed to be a massive skyship. Over a quarter mile in diameter, it used 127 Til columns and had the Caciual (the part that suspends them) of 63 Grey Tower smog skimmers to help suspend it. On this massive work he built a town and used the Hirelythe’s Mercy to purify the air in it. He built docks for smog skimmers and sky ships and placed a number of cannons on it. This town he oppened to all pirates and others on the run from the law. It came to be known as the Reef, due to word of its presence being spread in the same way as it had when the supplies were being dropped off to build it.

After being complete the Reef began going regularly to specific points so that those who sought its shelter could find it. However forward scouts would always be sent to check for a possible trap. Captain Rogers retired from piracy and became the govenor of the Reef, though he interfears little in what went on there. The reef is a place to escape the law, and one can get away with most anything as long as it doesn't threated the Reef as a whole, or personaly displease Captain Rogers and his ex-crew. In most cases however money can buy just about anything though, even special privlages.

When Reclemation zinc. heard of the Reef though, they put out a large reward for anyone who could show it too them. However, while a few tried to betray the town at first, the Reef was able to avoid all but one encounter which their arms won them, and all who tried betraying them soon found themselve in trouble with all the less scrupulous groups that like to use the Reef on occasion. After about the first year of people disapearing after saying they were going to colect on the reward, the number soon reduced to the rare person foolish enough to try. And those that do manage to survive long enough to contact Rink often end up on its bad side when the Reef fails to show at the expected location after a few months.

Owrtho