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View Full Version : Awesome Homebrew Idea - Virdaan



Jane_Smith
2009-06-25, 06:40 PM
Im looking for help for this project on a homebrew setting. Im looking for anyone who has/helped with such a project before and knows what needs to be done, etc to see it threw. This is my first real attempt at it. x.x

My idea is rather extensive, ive been tossing it back and forth for a year now wondering if i should even attempt to put time into it..

The world, in ancient times, was a normal place like most other rpgs - humans, elves, dwarves, gnomes, halflings, all that exsisted in a highely magical soceities, and so forth. However, something very, very unplanned and wrong happened.

In their constant bickering, the gods started to fight each other once again, as they did constantly, but things went out of control, even for their own laws were concerned. Things got more and more brutal, until, at least the unthinkabl happen; the god of nature itself was slain, and its essence didnt go to another god. The world, its balance no longer governed or kept dorment, was sent into chaos.

As the body of the fallen god fell upon earth, the unexpected happened. He took root. This god soon became a grove, then a forest... then a rampant jungle in a matter of hours. His roots spreading threwout the surface of the world without heed. In a day, this forest had consumed an entire continent. In a week, entire countries. And, in months? The world. And it never stopped growing.

The world was being strangled by a mass of roots, vines and tree trunks. Entire cities were destroyed and turned into overgrown ruins by nightfall. People tried to fight it with fire, but to no avail, the trees seemingly resilient to the touch of flames, and magical fires only caused billowing smoke that strangled entire regions, doing no real damage to these forests and only surviving to weaken those trapped within it. Creatures such as horses and the like slowly died off, unable to keep up with the new terrain. Soon the entire surface of the world became nearly uninhabitable as canopy's begin to form, multiple layers that kept the light from touching the earth. Forced to go up, the people of the world wre focused primarily with surviving, making themselves nomadic to continue climb and settle in higher canopy teirs for light, and a source of food.

It took some time, but the world finally adapted to this change. Skylines of towering trees covered the world, some miles high. Weaves of canopy's of the alien, unnatural trees linked together and created balcony's of solid wood people could live on. The trees even produced both sap and fruits that were edible to much of the world, not to mention the unnatural beasts that were born from this ecosystem, such as giant lizards who could scale the bark of the trees easily, entire swarms of colossal spiders that covered regions in webs, and the like. Basically, in over a span of 5,000 years the entire world is now one giant jungle/forest.

War of course happened, but without the ability to use seige weapons of any value or minerals to create steal, the people had to make wooden weapons, the basics such as spears, javelins, thorn-whips, and the like. With only leathers and wood at their disposal in great amounts, people had to adapt. Some of the oldest trees around the world actually produce a wood called "Ironwood", which is constructed and used much like steel except for its lighter weight. When this new resource at hand, the people could make weapons of old, such as daggers, longswords, scimitars, and the like with sharpened ironwood. Not to mention suits of armor of the stuff - but considering nearly everyone lives in teirs and canopy's of trees, plate isnt exactly a smart type of armor to wear when mobility is required for daily survival.

While it is not entirely necessary to live in the upper teirs of the world, its better then the alternative. Entire clans of dwarves and gnomes, some trapped underground for generations, begin to grow insane, and all the dead wood and timber from the upper teirs, not to mention filth and wastes, and many dead creatures, litter the lower teirs. The rot, the constant darkness, and cavern-like style of the twisting dark house dangerous creatures, both natural and unnatural, and are better left alone.

For now, druids hold a place of honor and respect to civilized sections of the teirs. While in the past druids who could grow crops, heal the woods and defend civilization from harvesting were once the guardians of the balance and honored, they are now considered vile abominations trying to destroy the last pockets of sentient life in the world. Increasing the "Growth" of the world-wild is considered a mockery and a taboo. However, those in the past who were called 'blighter', who would actually dispoil nature, destroy entire swaths of woodlands, and stun the growth of the world now protect entire societies, stunning the rampant growth of the region so people can live in peace without worrying when they will wake up next with vines covering their bodies. These druids, called the Guides, manipulate and keep a balance of the new environment, not just by helping people survive, but also altering the woodlands to produce more food, etching out hollow trunks to hold fresh water, and more.

This, is the world of Virdaan.

Anxe
2009-06-25, 09:45 PM
Looks to me like you've already gotten an awesome setting there. What did you want help with?

mikeejimbo
2009-06-25, 09:49 PM
I'd like to see some groups of tree dwarves and tree gnomes. They'd have adapted at least somewhat, though they'd probably live in the lower layers. I think the tree dwarves would be great Ironwood Crafters.

Though I'm biased toward dwarves.

But yeah, great setting. Very interesting and elaborate.

kopout
2009-06-25, 09:55 PM
A community world builder? I'll what and see where this goes.

dragonfan6490
2009-06-25, 09:58 PM
This seems like a really interesting campaign setting, very well thought out and put together. I always enjoy your work.

Vadin
2009-06-25, 10:37 PM
I also wonder what exactly you would like help with.

Also, have you seen Cataclysm of Green (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=73059)?

Godskook
2009-06-25, 10:38 PM
Sounds cool.

Some random thoughts I had:
I suggest giving societal dominance to goblins, halflings, kobolds, and other small humanoids. These creatures, with greater numbers, lighter frames, and more agile bodies, found the changing environment easier to adapt to than dwarves, humans, and even Elves. Needing less aid from the druids, these cultures are more likely to view these events as a judgment for past wrongs of the larger races. They are able to inhabit areas far closer to the canopy where clean air is readily available and where heavier races can not follow, and this allows them great bonuses in warfare and community.

Necromancy, what was once the primary study of arcane casters has now fallen more to nature casters, such as druids and rangers, some of whom see this new development as proof that death and nature go hand in hand. These necromancers, contrary to the trend of most, strive to the lower levels, where death is easy to find. There are said to be entire tribes who have forsaken the light and formed necromantic pacts so that they could live among the filth of the forest floor(Dwarves, maybe?).

Wizards and Archivists have become guardians or horders of knowledge, desperate to cling to dying knowledge before it is swallowed by the trees.

Lappy9000
2009-06-26, 12:33 AM
Interesting. I was sorta reminded of the introduction to the Samurai Jack origin when Aku lands on earth. Is this a community effort, or do you just want a hand? If it's the former, a small build team is the way to go, otherwise the project will stagnate.

Nevertheless, you've got some cool ideas; go for it! :smallcool:

Jane_Smith
2009-06-26, 07:29 PM
Well, truth be told I have no $@!$!!!% clue how to build a world. I kinda need help with it all. I even try to start thinking about it and my brain hurts just from all the ideas. xD

I suppose id have to do these;
1: Make new statistics for races. Everything is going to need some kinda balance/climb, or something, they would have to have in order to survive.

2: Classes will have to be tweaked a bit to be useful - as someone above stated, necromantic-abilities for druids sounds neat.

3: Monsters. I cant just slap woodling on everything, sadly.

4: Spells. No doubt, new spells have been invented to take use of wood over other things - spells such as Transmute Stone to Lava, etc is utterly useless now that 99% of stone is neigh impossible to reach and isnt worth the effort. Dimensional door could work like teleport via plants, and so on.

5: Prestige classes for new organizations, clans, races, etc.

6: Gear. This will need a huge upgrade - no doubt in the time the world has been rampant people have had to adept new items for survival. Clawed-gauntlets/spike boots to aid in climbing, so on. Not to mention items like some special alchemical acid that burns threw trees easily and so forth and not cause fires.

7: World info. More detailed history, how each race is doing in the world (like halflings/kobolds/etc having the "upper ground" advantage now, etc), and societies/deities/etc. No doubt with the death of a nature god, and him not passing his portfolio and basically making the world like "the elemental plane of plant" would have really warped and twisted the outer planes a bit.

Origomar
2009-06-26, 07:42 PM
Rangers will now destroy everything lol.

Jane_Smith
2009-06-26, 07:44 PM
Oh, and that reminds me... a tree-spire like environment will be, frankly, a bitch for combat... its almost like flying rules for combat half the time, you got enemys below/above each other, fighting on the same level, so on.

sigurd
2009-06-26, 07:52 PM
My .02 Ignore at will

You have only half the story. The god of nature, apparently slain, by bickering immortals fell to earth and now forest and jungle cover the globe. Trees spontaneously tear up any remaining open ground and farming has gone from something that happens in a season to something that happens over lunch time.

Too much of a good thing.

Okay, What are the extents of the change. - Does it affect the seas?
Are there settlements on floating islands? After all there is now no shortage of wood.

What is the nature of the wood? - This is a big question - Is it wood like on earth or does it crumble to dust when its worked? If it has mass and structure, did it pull that out of the dead god or out of nowhere or ????? If it vanishes like a bad dream or ectoplasm what is it good for?

The growth that has gone on - and goes on. - Does it deplete the soil and drain the ambient water?

What happens in the winter? Do things get safer if the plants finally slow down? Does the green biomass alter the seasons?

If the forest is now turbocharged what is life like in the upper branches? - Do trees produce tonnes of fruit? Has this changed the population balance?

What has happened physically to the surface of the earth? Is the earth now covered with 200' of fallen tree? Can anything survive\grow in these regions.

You mention buried dwarves etc.... Is the new plant layer thicker and more difficult to pierce than miles of rock? Even if the tree was tremendous could a work party not burn\cut its way up through the center and leave the tree standing to protect the exit? Seems a magnificent tree would actually be the best choice for an exit.

Were races spontaneously created - I think it would be cool if there were a few races that sprung from the mind of the dying nature god.

What of normally inedible trees - pines and such? Perhaps a breed of goblinoid that can survive on sap?

What of the Fae? Fire Elementals? Forest creatures - are they in their glory?

Is the nature god's pantheon now the most powerful on the globe? Is this harming the other gods?

Is the spirit of the nature god truly gone - does it haunt\taint\bless the state of the planet\plane?


You could probably use a lot of the Midnight setting for this world.
You'd get more help if you OGL'd it outright so people would be able to expect to use their contributions.
You might start out and design it as a troubled plane and then expand it as you had more info.


Thats all I can think of off the top of my head. I like the idea.

unosarta
2009-06-26, 07:56 PM
One thing I like to do, and am doing when I am making my own campaign setting right now, is to give each races a problem. You see, the basis for every story is a problem, and how the characters overcome those problems. Since Dungeons and Dragons is very similar to storytelling, I like to think of Races as a problem [not necesarily the only one for the character mind you, but it does help flesh out the character and create less Mary Sue's, and god knows we all need less Mary Sue's], and the Class choice and actions are how the character overcomes these problems. So, for instance, in my campaign setting, Dwarves are all VERY sexist. they live in a desert, and view Fighting as the only good thing in life. because dwarves think that females aren't as good at fighting, they believe that females are worse than males. So a male character might treat all females as lower than him. but the best part about having faults in a character [the races are just trying to create faults to help get character builders minds going] is that with a fault, the character has room to develop. So, if said male dwarf, were to say, have his life saved by a female party member, it allows him to change his way of thinking, by either having more respect for females, or by being resentful of his party member. So, that is all I have to say on races. :smallbiggrin:

Jane_Smith
2009-06-26, 08:56 PM
Does it affect the seas?
Are there settlements on floating islands? After all there is now no shortage of wood.

I would say yes, for under-water plant life. Seaweed that stretch's up to the top of the water, choking out nearly all life below. As for the floating island ideas, possibly. Some trees act like spires/towers/mountains on their own. If you have ever played world of warcraft - Teldrassil comes to mind.


What is the nature of the wood? - This is a big question - Is it wood like on earth or does it crumble to dust when its worked? If it has mass and structure, did it pull that out of the dead god or out of nowhere or ????? If it vanishes like a bad dream or ectoplasm what is it good for?

It is wood like earth. Its sturdy, it regrows rapidly if cutt down. A fully hewn, a mile high tree can fully regrow in two months. Growth seems to slow significantly at higher levels as both weight and gravity, not to mention climate, takes factors. Some dead trees literally crush themselves from their own weight when they rot... imagine domino's. This causes destruction on a unbelievable scale...

It did not come out of the dead god like blood veins or an actual 'root' system - its his essence. The very 'portfolio' of nature went to the world itself. Putting all natural aspects, mainly the plant and animal domains, rampant and over-drive mode. Collosal beasts stalk the lower tiers, treants the size of a ****ing football stadium claim 'grove' canopys as their own, and so forth.


The growth that has gone on - and goes on. - Does it deplete the soil and drain the ambient water?

No, ironically. Due to ALL aspects of nature being put into hyper-drive, air production of the trees is unbelievable, clean air can be found at altitudes people in the past would suffocate completely at.

Also, the aspects of the sea, sky, etc have been altered. Like a rain forest, flash flooding in the lower-tiers is a constant threat. While people in the mid-tiers do not actually experience the rain (instead they get trickles of water/waterfalls/drizzles), the people on the upper teirs suffer devsating storms as the tiers can sway, break away/snap, or just from the constantly lightning. Due to these year-round storms, and the massive root systems covering the surface of the world, oceans grow larger and deeper from the excess water. Not even the trees can absorb it all.


What happens in the winter? Do things get safer if the plants finally slow down? Does the green biomass alter the seasons?

Winter, especially in the upper tiers, is deadly as hell. Slick, frost-coated surfaces, brittle canopy's, ice sickles all over the place...Slip even one time and it will most likely be your last time. People in the mid-level tiers have an easier time. Not only is year-round warm to fair weather, snow does not drift so far down the canopy's and leaves them, for the most part, safe. People in the lower tier are hardly effected by the winter - the cold never reaches this far down in the humid, rot/bog-like regions, except for a light chill now and then.


If the forest is now turbocharged what is life like in the upper branches? - Do trees produce tonnes of fruit? Has this changed the population balance?

Most of the trees do produce fruits, and some have edible, incredibly sweet sap that many races can even make into types of meed. Their are just as much poisonous substances out their to, but even harvester would likely be able to recognized them easily enough. The people in the lowest tiers/canopys have the worst time of all, however. Fruits and the like rarely grow that low, and the massive amounts of vines, moss, bog-water, rot, etc, usually make anything that grows that low dangerous to eat. The people in the lower tiers are likely forced to cannibalism, hunting the colossal creatures that roam the bogs (such as black dragons, spiders, etc). Picture lower tiers like the underdark... and you get the basic idea.


What has happened physically to the surface of the earth? Is the earth now covered with 200' of fallen tree? Can anything survive\grow in these regions.

The surface of the earth is now a tight weave of miles upon miles of roots. It is covered in several hundred feet of fallen tree limbs, shedded bark, giant dead leaves, murky water that's traveled for miles to rest here, and flooded swamp-like regions. It is impossible to make farmland, or any large soceity in these regions. Some of the much LARGER tree trunks have been known to be hollowed out to house entire small cities or settlements, but that's about it, and their not common due to the shortage of food in such areas. Herd animals kept inside such a 'complex' could be kept for food, but again, not enough to feed any large population.


You mention buried dwarves etc.... Is the new plant layer thicker and more difficult to pierce than miles of rock? Even if the tree was tremendous could a work party not burn\cut its way up through the center and leave the tree standing to protect the exit? Seems a magnificent tree would actually be the best choice for an exit.

Well, i figured many dwarven societies, such as the grey dwarves, drow, mountain dwarves, etc? Some might have been captured underground when the tree-roots begun to block their exits, cause collapses in their tunnels, etc. It is possible they could have mustered the manpower to dig their way out - however the roots of the 'world trees' are very durable, and without the aid of death magic/slow magic/disease/etc to slow the growth, the roots regenerate nearly like trolls, not to mention their resilience towards fire. Any 'tunnel' they carved threw a root would seal in a matter of hours or a day or so.


Were races spontaneously created - I think it would be cool if there were a few races that sprung from the mind of the dying nature god.

Already had ideas for that - those 'aspects of nature' things from Races of the Wild might have been created. Sentinent creatures randomly born in groves/etc in the forests...

I also wanted to make a plant-based doppelganger/changeling plant species that could take root near a settlement, 'scan' or 'sample' the dna/pheromones in the air and grow into a mimic/copy of that race.. or even turn into the species its plant-form devours. The plant-creature in Mass Effect comes to mind, that pops out clones.


What of normally inedible trees - pines and such? Perhaps a breed of goblinoid that can survive on sap?

I could imagine entire 'deadland' areas were the dominate species of trees provide no fruits or edible substances for many of the races. Possibly to keep them from overwhelming 'edible' areas, druidic caretakers might burn/destroy/rot/cutt down these massive trees. Much like pulling weeds out of the garden, and may have to constantly war/fight off vermin-like creatures that can survive in such areas.


What of the Fae? Fire Elementals? Forest creatures - are they in their glory?

Yes. Utterly in their glorly. Considering a single, massive oak can actually be attuned to a -colony- of dryads and their guardians, nymphs of the sea/lower tier lakes or mid-tier 'lakes' would be highely common. Not to mention pixie infestations >.>... -tosses a stick and hears one sqeek-. This is a 999% nature world, thus nature-based anything is dominant. Elementals, Fey, Plants, and Undead will probably be the top enemy's anyone will face, other then say vermin, animals, goblins, etc. I highly doubt constructs such as iron golems will exsist anymore - they have no place to move or be useful. Mid/high tiers they will fall to their deaths, and lower tiers they can hardly move around due to the rough terrain and bog-like landscape, drop offs, etc.

Also, another reason constructs of many types will no longer exsist is just due to resources, again. Iron, Mithril, Adamantine, etc golems are forgotten relics - Wickermen, Fleshgolems, and Sap Golems, etc roam the reachs now i suppose.


Is the nature god's pantheon now the most powerful on the globe? Is this harming the other gods?

Yes, it is. The globe is effectively 'now' the nature gods pantheon. All other gods attuned the mortal realm are 'cursed' per say, as it slowly taints/takes over them. All gods now have a nature theme - some destroy it, some control it, some inspire it. Like, a sample idea is Pelor - he may gain the Sun and Plant domain, and his clerics actually tend small gardens of healing herbs, etc, and cultivate what canopys they can to the best of their abilities.


Is the spirit of the nature god truly gone - does it haunt\taint\bless the state of the planet\plane?

No god truely 'dies'. His skeleton, is still very much still sentinent. He his bond to his place of death, and can grant no powers to any of his old followers. But he still has power, and can 'feel' the world around him, he simply cant influence much other then the crator of his demise - i thought about making this a catchy old-world refrence, like from Deities and Demigods, the "World Tree" that 'grew' over him, and he is in its base, under the roots? This so called "World tree" might be SEVERAL miles high and dwarf any other tree in the world, and may be visible from miles. Might even have some of that nature-race (Stated above, born of the wilds), or elves/dryads/etc guarding it, so he can 'rest' in death peacefully.



You could probably use a lot of the Midnight setting for this world.
You'd get more help if you OGL'd it outright so people would be able to expect to use their contributions.

I have midnight, i might consider classes like Channeler to replace wizards/sorcerers/druids... But id have to fix it up, i disliked the channeler's low amount of spells per day they could toss out (seriously, level 20 and at max they can toss out 10-12 fireballs and their out of the fight? pfft.)

... OGL'd? I have no idea what that means. THIS IS WHY I NEED HELP! ; ;