WeaselGuy
2014-12-30, 07:45 AM
I'm in the process of developing a campaign setting and am interested in feedback to see if I'm taking this in a favorable direction.
The basic geographical layout is 2 continents seperated by an ocean populated with numerous small islands.
One continent is populated by dwarves and orcs to the forested and mountainous north, gnomes, warforged, goblins and kobolds in the desert central region, with a nomadic human tribe that travels across the desert, and humans and halflings in the south.
On the other continent, elves reign supreme, with their holdings covering nearly 75% of the continent. A small contingent of humans maintain an area in the south, with a large island of half-elves off the southeast coast. These half-elves have become the largest standing navy in this part of the world, and regularly defend their elven allies to the north from the predations of the island pirates in the center of the ocean between the two continents.
The central islands are comprised of tribal races and criminal outcasts, namely gnoll and bugbear pirate fleets and human/drow cartels. There is also a cluster of rocky islands where the various flights of dragons live without animosity towards each other, but considerable distrust of any non-dragon.
So, now that the geographical representation is set forth, I bring up the general gist of the campaign:
Very Minimal Spellcasting -
Gnome and Warforged Artificers: primary source of magical goods
Kobold and Goblin Warmages: the most blasting to be seen. Encounters with the Gnomes and Artificers have resulted in the desolation around the central region.
Elf and Dragon Wizards: Each race is relatively isolationist in nature, with less than 1% of each population being a spellcaster. They keep these talents hidden until a time of great need.
Dwarf and Human Clerics: The leaders of each settlement are clerics, but not of particularly high level.
With regards to player characters, I'm going to rule out any full casting class. If my players want to be spell casters, they will need to be Rangers, Paladins, Bards, Duskblades, Hexblades, Assassins and other similar classes. I don't really want this to be a case of who knows the best spell, so much as who knows the best tactics. I would encourage either naval based characters, or mounted combat characters, depending on the direction the group wants to take.
With regards to race choice, I'm flexible in that department, but exotic races, it will be unlikely to meet more than 1 other representative of that race during the campaign, or there may be a negative stigma based on the location or origin of your character.
So, yeah. That's what I've got so far. I know a lot of min/maxers would lament the loss of high-end spellcasters, but I feel they tend to overshadow, and anybody who understands this predicament invariably shows up with a caster on their character sheet, and the next thing you know, you have a cleric, a druid, 2 wizards and a fighter in your party, and the fighter is wondering why he only deals 9 damage in a round and everyone else is doing 50+ (possible exaggerated, but not by much).
The basic geographical layout is 2 continents seperated by an ocean populated with numerous small islands.
One continent is populated by dwarves and orcs to the forested and mountainous north, gnomes, warforged, goblins and kobolds in the desert central region, with a nomadic human tribe that travels across the desert, and humans and halflings in the south.
On the other continent, elves reign supreme, with their holdings covering nearly 75% of the continent. A small contingent of humans maintain an area in the south, with a large island of half-elves off the southeast coast. These half-elves have become the largest standing navy in this part of the world, and regularly defend their elven allies to the north from the predations of the island pirates in the center of the ocean between the two continents.
The central islands are comprised of tribal races and criminal outcasts, namely gnoll and bugbear pirate fleets and human/drow cartels. There is also a cluster of rocky islands where the various flights of dragons live without animosity towards each other, but considerable distrust of any non-dragon.
So, now that the geographical representation is set forth, I bring up the general gist of the campaign:
Very Minimal Spellcasting -
Gnome and Warforged Artificers: primary source of magical goods
Kobold and Goblin Warmages: the most blasting to be seen. Encounters with the Gnomes and Artificers have resulted in the desolation around the central region.
Elf and Dragon Wizards: Each race is relatively isolationist in nature, with less than 1% of each population being a spellcaster. They keep these talents hidden until a time of great need.
Dwarf and Human Clerics: The leaders of each settlement are clerics, but not of particularly high level.
With regards to player characters, I'm going to rule out any full casting class. If my players want to be spell casters, they will need to be Rangers, Paladins, Bards, Duskblades, Hexblades, Assassins and other similar classes. I don't really want this to be a case of who knows the best spell, so much as who knows the best tactics. I would encourage either naval based characters, or mounted combat characters, depending on the direction the group wants to take.
With regards to race choice, I'm flexible in that department, but exotic races, it will be unlikely to meet more than 1 other representative of that race during the campaign, or there may be a negative stigma based on the location or origin of your character.
So, yeah. That's what I've got so far. I know a lot of min/maxers would lament the loss of high-end spellcasters, but I feel they tend to overshadow, and anybody who understands this predicament invariably shows up with a caster on their character sheet, and the next thing you know, you have a cleric, a druid, 2 wizards and a fighter in your party, and the fighter is wondering why he only deals 9 damage in a round and everyone else is doing 50+ (possible exaggerated, but not by much).