RebelRogue
2012-05-20, 12:55 AM
For a while, I've been having this rough idea of a setting in my head. But I still need to solidify some things and I'm very open to inputs of all kinds - it's still a pretty rough idea on many levels at the moment. I basically want to use it as a backdrop for an IRL 3.5 game, probably around mid-level gestalt, at some point in the future.
The idea is basically a large metropolis, deep in a seemingly never-ending jungle. A few minor communities may be known outside of it, but the city is effectively the Known World here. Most citizens fear and distrust the outside world. The city has magitech elements comparable to Eberron or the average Final Fantasy game, so there's going to be pseudo-technological services available. Also magic is going to be needed to support such a large community with food and other commodities.
The city is run by an Orwellian-type party - perhaps with a Big Brother-like front figure, perhaps not. It's going to be far less effective than the 1984 counterpart; anything else would be too unplayable, IMO. Also, the idea of controlling people thought scarcity may clash with the premise of magitech, and there's no Eurasia/Eastasia to actually wage war on, so it's going to be a slightly different approach. Still, it tries to brainwash the masses into thinking they're perfect leaders. A psionic version of the Though Police (who pretty much seem like non-mystical psions in the novel anyway) exists in some form. At this point, I'm not even sure who (or indeed what) the top of the Party is or what their ultimate motives are. That's the sort of thing I'm looking for help on. Just like the London of Oceania the Party has one of more "ministries" (or just headquarter) that are the largest and scariest building(s) in the city - and of course the best fortified ones as well.
Always lurking above the wilderness horizon, is a massive, jet black cube/monolith. This large object seems to be located a few miles away from the city, but indeed, any one who actually tries to reach it will always get lost and never find it, or it will simply seem to never get closer. Of course, most citizens would consider the idea to visit it pure madness; just like we're told from an early age (and instinctively know) that it's a bad idea to look directly at the sun, nobody ever looks directly at it, and few dare speak of it. It's a horrifying mystery of everyday life that is universally repressed! Any kind of divination magic used on the thing results in nothing but madness. What is actually inside it? Eldritch horrors of some kind, and alien geometries I'm thinking. Maybe it will play an active role in the game (as a pseudo-divine power source at least - see below), maybe it's just an eerie, unexplained backdrop.
The city has a large underground complex, mostly run by dwarves and gnomes. This is also where most organized crime organizations are centered. You can get most things illegally down there if you know the right people. It is also the home of most of the more human-like monstrous races in the setting, like golinoids, orcs and kobolds. It's a dangerous place, difficult to navigate for the uninitiated.
A large number of more less secret organizations exist; I'm planning of all PCs belonging to one - they're all outsiders of one type or another. Obviously, some rebel groups opposing the Party are there. There's the crime organiztions mentioned above. Some have active contact with the wilderness outside (most traditional rangers and druids for instance), and some belong to a secret cult worshipping the Monolith (I'm thinking the leaders might be Entropomancers - most members will be lower level clerics or other divine classes drawing their powers from the Monolith).
So, that's a lot of ideas, but still it's just a pretty rough sketch. I'm still not sure exactly what races should and shouldn't be available. Some classes will be rarer than in the usual D&D setting, but I don't see why most shouldn't be available somehow. Also, I haven't given much thought to deities/pantheon yet. And I need names for everything too.
Any comments, ideas for further development or adventure seeds are welcome :smallsmile:
The idea is basically a large metropolis, deep in a seemingly never-ending jungle. A few minor communities may be known outside of it, but the city is effectively the Known World here. Most citizens fear and distrust the outside world. The city has magitech elements comparable to Eberron or the average Final Fantasy game, so there's going to be pseudo-technological services available. Also magic is going to be needed to support such a large community with food and other commodities.
The city is run by an Orwellian-type party - perhaps with a Big Brother-like front figure, perhaps not. It's going to be far less effective than the 1984 counterpart; anything else would be too unplayable, IMO. Also, the idea of controlling people thought scarcity may clash with the premise of magitech, and there's no Eurasia/Eastasia to actually wage war on, so it's going to be a slightly different approach. Still, it tries to brainwash the masses into thinking they're perfect leaders. A psionic version of the Though Police (who pretty much seem like non-mystical psions in the novel anyway) exists in some form. At this point, I'm not even sure who (or indeed what) the top of the Party is or what their ultimate motives are. That's the sort of thing I'm looking for help on. Just like the London of Oceania the Party has one of more "ministries" (or just headquarter) that are the largest and scariest building(s) in the city - and of course the best fortified ones as well.
Always lurking above the wilderness horizon, is a massive, jet black cube/monolith. This large object seems to be located a few miles away from the city, but indeed, any one who actually tries to reach it will always get lost and never find it, or it will simply seem to never get closer. Of course, most citizens would consider the idea to visit it pure madness; just like we're told from an early age (and instinctively know) that it's a bad idea to look directly at the sun, nobody ever looks directly at it, and few dare speak of it. It's a horrifying mystery of everyday life that is universally repressed! Any kind of divination magic used on the thing results in nothing but madness. What is actually inside it? Eldritch horrors of some kind, and alien geometries I'm thinking. Maybe it will play an active role in the game (as a pseudo-divine power source at least - see below), maybe it's just an eerie, unexplained backdrop.
The city has a large underground complex, mostly run by dwarves and gnomes. This is also where most organized crime organizations are centered. You can get most things illegally down there if you know the right people. It is also the home of most of the more human-like monstrous races in the setting, like golinoids, orcs and kobolds. It's a dangerous place, difficult to navigate for the uninitiated.
A large number of more less secret organizations exist; I'm planning of all PCs belonging to one - they're all outsiders of one type or another. Obviously, some rebel groups opposing the Party are there. There's the crime organiztions mentioned above. Some have active contact with the wilderness outside (most traditional rangers and druids for instance), and some belong to a secret cult worshipping the Monolith (I'm thinking the leaders might be Entropomancers - most members will be lower level clerics or other divine classes drawing their powers from the Monolith).
So, that's a lot of ideas, but still it's just a pretty rough sketch. I'm still not sure exactly what races should and shouldn't be available. Some classes will be rarer than in the usual D&D setting, but I don't see why most shouldn't be available somehow. Also, I haven't given much thought to deities/pantheon yet. And I need names for everything too.
Any comments, ideas for further development or adventure seeds are welcome :smallsmile: