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View Full Version : Kalstara - A Post Fantasy Apocalypse World [Campaign World]



Tormsskull
2007-01-19, 04:51 PM
Hi everyone,

So I made this campaign a while back, and I really liked it, but I feel that it is lacking. That's why I come to you all for helpful suggestions/comments.

The Basics

The world of Kalstara, mostly water, 3 separate continents. The main continent, Luaron, is where the typical campaign inside Kalstara would take place. Luaron was composed of lush forests, vast plains, rugged hills, and small sections of dessert and swamp.

In past years, nations were established, wars raged, religions formed, and races were born. In the final day of the final war upon Luaron's surface, referred to as 'The Day the World Died", the world was over run by demons from an outer plane. A wizard of great power discovered the plane in his studies, thinking that unleashing the power of the plane would grant him supreme power in the land.

The demons he called forth were very simple beings, thin, humanoid-shaped, and bred for battle. Their jagged teeth and claws could pierce metal like bone, and crush flesh & bone like cloth. A solitary demon was easily defeated, but the demons poured out of the gate in the millions. They destroyed entire cities, countires, and eventually the entire world.

When the demons first arrived, many nations banded together to fight them off. Once they knew the situation was hopeless, the wizard responsible for opening the gate in the first place, created Longhope Bastion. Longhope Bastion was a tower made of entirely magic. The bastion was created with powerful wards that prevented any of the demons from entering it, but it required a static source of power. To meet this end, the wizard gave a container of his blood, which powered the bastion for years.

Having established Longhope Bastion the wizard gathered as many members of all sentinent races that he could, separating them into different levels in the bastion. After that he disappeared to establish additional bastions.

All in all there are 7 bastions set up around the world, each equipped with magical means to provide life, food, refreshment, relief, and entertainment for all of the occupants.

Two-hundred years have past sense the formation of the bastions. Being that people rarely venture outside into the world (the demons are still rampaging through the world), they rarely hear from other members of other bastions.

The containers of the wizard's blood that fuel the bastions are nearly empty, sending terror & fear through the people inside.

~~~~

Ok, so that's the basics. I am sure I am missing something, but basically what I want help on is specific choices that would complement this kind of a scenario. If there are any OGL classes/feats/skills/spells that you think would work perfect for this kind of a setting, or if anything pops into your head as being fitting for Kalstara, list it here.

Thanks.

ilovefire
2007-01-19, 06:28 PM
... first the cynical comment: So it's like fantasy fallout?

next: this is a great campaign idea! expand upon it!

cferejohn
2007-01-20, 12:39 AM
What do the demons want? Are they mindless killing machines or do they have a more nefarious purpose? Why do they kill? Is it for sustanance? If so their numbers may have dwindled as they consumed their food source; perhaps they are reduced to feeding on each other. Are the demons sophisticated enough to have enslaved some of the original inhabitants? Perhaps there are some other areas of the world that have been saved by powerful magic or divine intervention (you don't mention gods; are there any? D&D gods are usually fairly proactive, at least when it comes to hordes of demons spilling in through extra-dimensional gateways. Did they do anything when the world was overrun by demons? Perhaps they were all killed? Perhaps new gods have revealed themselves (or are just now revealing themselves) to the suvivors. A "messiah" appointed to lead people back into the lands would make a good plot here (better to make the messiah an NPC in my experience).

I've kicked around an idea like this myself, though in my case it is an undead apocolypse, but during the final days, the necromancer/lich (whatever) leading them was killed, but the "good guys" were already in full retreat, sealing themselves in caves and behind mountain passes. Leaderless (but with a number of vampires, mummys, et al trying to consolidate power) the undead fell on each other, so now, 200 years later in addition to intelligent undead hatching various schemes, there are vast wastelands where mindless (or semi-mindless) undead wander around, night-of-the-living-dead style. I've been told this is a bit like the Mournlands in Eberonn I guess, but I'm only slightly familiar with that.

Anyway, back to your scenario. It just seems like you have to account for the demons having receded to some degree or everyone in the bastions is going to be slaughtered the moment they walk out the door (hatch? whatever). If not, I don't see where, exactly, any adventures are going to happen. Also, it seems like they should have some sort of differentiation, or you're going to have a whole lot of very very similar combats.

Oh, and the unnamed wizard who started this whole mess? Is he dead? Better: vanished into legend, rumored that he will return at humanity's hour of greatest need. Perhaps his sacrifice (how much blood did these things take?) allowed him to ascend to godhood, and he is (unbeknownst to the characters), this new god who is appearing in dreams, naming messiahs, etc.

All right, I've dragged this one every which way. Feel free to use, ignore, expand, what have you.

Final nitpick:
"Their jagged teeth and claws could pierce metal like bone"

Bone is...pretty hard to pierce itself. Maybe like wood?

cferejohn
2007-01-20, 12:41 AM
... first the cynical comment: So it's like fantasy fallout?



No no, clearly it is like fantasy Morrow Project. :smallbiggrin:

Jack_of_Spades
2007-01-21, 01:11 AM
"Their jagged teeth and claws could pierce metal like bone, and crush flesh & bone like cloth."
So do they pierce metal like cloth too?

"They destroyed entire cities, countires, and eventually the entire world."
The world or just the continent, Luaon?

"Longhope Bastion was a tower made of entirely magic"
So it's a Mordenkainen's Magnificent Mansion spell times ten and permanent?
I think it'd work better if the towers already existed and were just modified. Like a king's keep that grew in size or an elven tree that grew gigantic. That way each tower has its own style and history instead of, "A wizard did it."

"Having established Longhope Bastion the wizard gathered as many members of all sentinent races that he could, separating them into different levels in the bastion."
Why? I thought the nations banded together? More likely, each race would usually group itself together without help. If it was forced they'd probably suspect foul play or favoritism for one group.

"they rarely hear from other members of other bastions."
SO...they al just forgot about hell? If I know people at all, they'd be venturing outside to try and fight back. People as a whole don't tend to hide forever; there's always someone who wants to fight.


It seems like a simple basis for a campaign, but not for a world. There needs to be an obtainable (good luck finding The One Wizard to Save/Screw Us All) source of power. Something like Dolomite Crystals, Fairy Wings(to have a dark feeling) or Demon's Blood that way people WANT to get out.

As it is, when the blood is gone, it's going to look like the end of Day of the Dead. Just running, screaming, and one group of heroes who want to flee to Canada.

Tormsskull
2007-01-22, 08:37 AM
First, thanks to everyone for the feedback. Now, to answer some of the questions / maybe spark more ideas:



What do the demons want? Are they mindless killing machines or do they have a more nefarious purpose? Why do they kill? Is it for sustanance? If so their numbers may have dwindled as they consumed their food source; perhaps they are reduced to feeding on each other. Are the demons sophisticated enough to have enslaved some of the original inhabitants? Perhaps there are some other areas of the world that have been saved by powerful magic or divine intervention (you don't mention gods; are there any? D&D gods are usually fairly proactive, at least when it comes to hordes of demons spilling in through extra-dimensional gateways. Did they do anything when the world was overrun by demons? Perhaps they were all killed? Perhaps new gods have revealed themselves (or are just now revealing themselves) to the suvivors. A "messiah" appointed to lead people back into the lands would make a good plot here (better to make the messiah an NPC in my experience).


The demons are animal-level intelligence, they kill because they are pure evil and that is their only motivating drive. They are not required to eat or drink but they do go into a sort of hibernation when nothing is occuring around them.

There is one part of the continent that was unaffected by the demons, it is an ancient grove where a god was reduced to just shy of god-powers and forced to dwell there. The near-god's name is Eteron, and he was mostly neutral before this whole event. Since everything has become so lopsidedly evil he has become good. He cannot leave his grove, but neither can the demons enter it.

The older gods are unable to directly affect their world, a pact they took in order to prevent the destruction of the world. They are able to reveal themselves in the dreams of their followers, but faith is at an all-time low due to the demons.

A messiah leading people to the promised land would be a good idea. Thanks!



Anyway, back to your scenario. It just seems like you have to account for the demons having receded to some degree or everyone in the bastions is going to be slaughtered the moment they walk out the door (hatch? whatever). If not, I don't see where, exactly, any adventures are going to happen. Also, it seems like they should have some sort of differentiation, or you're going to have a whole lot of very very similar combats.


They haven't necessarily receded, as there hasn't been anything killing them, but they don't hang out in the open. Their home world is a place of deep darkness and shadows, and thus they tend to find dark places to reside in Kalstara. The adventures typically revolve around stealth, finding covered places, and really good tactics.

As far as the demons, there are various kinds. Some of them are bipedal humanoids, some are canine, some are like small versions of flying dinosaurs, and there are a few rare other kinds but PCs probably wouldn't see them until later in the campaign.



Oh, and the unnamed wizard who started this whole mess? Is he dead? Better: vanished into legend, rumored that he will return at humanity's hour of greatest need. Perhaps his sacrifice (how much blood did these things take?) allowed him to ascend to godhood, and he is (unbeknownst to the characters), this new god who is appearing in dreams, naming messiahs, etc.


He's dead. He was basically despised by everyone in his final days, and one of his assistants killed him in his sleep. He left behind a lot of lore & knowledge about the creatures, since he had studied them so much, and had crafted several magical weapons to fight against the demons before he met his demise. Not everyone knows that he died, because there is little communication between the bastions.



Final nitpick:
"Their jagged teeth and claws could pierce metal like bone"

Bone is...pretty hard to pierce itself. Maybe like wood?


Yeah, I'll have to redo that line or think of a better way to say what I am trying to convey.



"They destroyed entire cities, countires, and eventually the entire world."
The world or just the continent, Luaon?


Just Luaon, I'll have to reword that as well. Trying to convey the despair that would be prevalent.



"Longhope Bastion was a tower made of entirely magic"
So it's a Mordenkainen's Magnificent Mansion spell times ten and permanent?
I think it'd work better if the towers already existed and were just modified. Like a king's keep that grew in size or an elven tree that grew gigantic. That way each tower has its own style and history instead of, "A wizard did it."


That's not a bad idea. Instead of having the wizard make the different bastions I could have him had traveled to various strongholds where people were defending off the demons and he gave them a portion of his blood that protected the stronghold like one of the bastions would have.



Having established Longhope Bastion the wizard gathered as many members of all sentinent races that he could, separating them into different levels in the bastion."
Why? I thought the nations banded together? More likely, each race would usually group itself together without help. If it was forced they'd probably suspect foul play or favoritism for one group.


Hmmm. The idea here is that the races are actually all working against a common enemy. Where before you had 'evil' humanoid races, most of them have coverted to a neutral. They were all forced to live together, and though there would have been inital conflicts, the choice was either coexist or die, and so most of them chose coexist.



"they rarely hear from other members of other bastions."
SO...they al just forgot about hell? If I know people at all, they'd be venturing outside to try and fight back. People as a whole don't tend to hide forever; there's always someone who wants to fight.


The bastions are a good ways from one another. Using the magic of their bastions, they can contact the other bastions to communicate, but each use of the bastions magic depletes a portion of the blood left by the wizard that powers the entire thing, thus they rarely use it for those purposes. Some people would have ventured outside and tried to fight back, those people were never heard from again...



It seems like a simple basis for a campaign, but not for a world. There needs to be an obtainable (good luck finding The One Wizard to Save/Screw Us All) source of power. Something like Dolomite Crystals, Fairy Wings(to have a dark feeling) or Demon's Blood that way people WANT to get out.


Well, this type of campaign/world revolves around the PCs starting at level 1. Once they attain some power, they will start to see how much they can mess with the demons before having to find cover. There is going to be something else that can be used to power the bastions, which the PCs will be sent out to do from time to time in-between their other activities. They will periodically learn of the destruction of other bastions who's blood was completely depleted and were quickly overrun by the demon hordes.

A good adventure that I had used previously was that the PCs discovered the protected grove just when it looked like they were going to be TPKed. Once there, they found a dozen or so acolytes who are servants of Eteron. Once they learn of Eteron's existence they ask to speak with him, the acolytes send them on a little task/quest to prove their worth, then they are admitted to see him.

Eteron tells them his tale of being cast down from the heavens, and then when questioned about the demons he can give them the location of the gate. With that information they had back to their home bastion and formulate a plan to seal the gate.