Torched Forever
2015-01-31, 08:58 PM
Crafting a World One Step at a Time
Hello forum goers! I had the basic idea for a world (a huge clash between the fiends and what’s left of the humanoid races) but I am not especially good at building worlds. So I will try and build this world step by step with the help and guidance of you creative forum goers. Many thanks to those who provide input.
Some quick background before I start this, I am going for "Swords and Sorcery" style of world with magic being wielded mostly by non-humanoid races. Most humanoids gain access by making deals with one of the gods (clerics/paladins and warlocks), very few by unlocking a greater understanding of the universe (wizards), and some by harnessing the magic bound into the land from thousands of years of magic (ranger, druid, sorcerer). Magic as such is generally feared (or craved by some) and has lead to superstition giving the setting a dash of darkness. Oh, and this is meant for 5th edition D&D.
Basically, I will post a portion of the world and edit/expand on the raw ideas based on your input. Once I feel an area is sufficiently refined I will move onto the next one. First up is the overview of the world.
Step One: Overview
Planes
First and foremost the planes. Instead of the one hundred and one planes that preexist in the DMG this world will have 5. The Haven of the Blessed, the Material Plane, the Forges of the Fiends, and the Abyss of the Dead are the 4 major planes with the Transitive Plane acting as both the Astral and Ethereal Planes. The Haven is where great heroes are transported instants before their deaths, the Forges is the native world of the fiends, the Abyss is underworld where the dead's’ spirits go, and the Transitive Plane is a vast space full of void that defies all our concepts of physics and geometry. Transportation between the planes is almost nonexistent except by the gods. The only major instance of transportation is between the Forges and the Material Plane through a huge vertical hole that the fiends have built on.
Gods
Next the gods, there are 8 dark “lords” of evil and the 3 “ladies” of the resistance. The gods are extremely powerful shape shifting figures. However, they cannot interfere on their own and rely on their followers to bring them into the world. The Eight Lords are very powerful embodiments of each of the domains and are the patron gods of a group of creatures. I would greatly appreciate any input/suggestions on the names of the gods as the current ones are temporary. The Eight Lords are The Taker (Death, Devils), The Schemer (Knowledge, Demons), The Birther (Life/Unlife, Undead), The Scorcher (Light/Flame, Dragons), The Ravener (Nature, Beasts), The Tempest (Tempest, Aberrations), The Deceiver (Trickery, Shape shifters/Generic Fiends), and The Destroyer (War, Giants). The Three Ladies are gods that were created out of humanoid philosophy. The Lady of Resolve embodies both mental and physical strength in the fight against evil. Her followers go face-to-face with the enemy without blinking. The Lady of Change embodies both the forces of change (fire) and flexibility (water). Her followers believe that to fight evil one must be ever flexible and use change to their advantage. Finally, The Lady of Freedom is the goddess of freedom. Her followers fight to stop the tyranny of the Eight Lords.
Material World
The final section for this initial step is the world of the Material Plane. Yes, it exists on a spherical planet orbiting the sun nothing unusual there. The world consists of a vast continent (think Europe + Asia + Africa) surrounded by an endless sea. The southern regions are full of temperate plains and forests. While the north is mostly wasteland and mountains. On the far east of the continent is a small area perpetually frozen by elven magic. It is very secluded due to high mountains bordering its north and south, the ocean to the east, and a heavily defended forest to the west. Cities are highly focused area of population surrounded by giant walls to protect the population. Only a few of these cities exist with the only other civilization fiend or small villages/forts created by adventurers.
Any input will be very much appreciated.
Hello forum goers! I had the basic idea for a world (a huge clash between the fiends and what’s left of the humanoid races) but I am not especially good at building worlds. So I will try and build this world step by step with the help and guidance of you creative forum goers. Many thanks to those who provide input.
Some quick background before I start this, I am going for "Swords and Sorcery" style of world with magic being wielded mostly by non-humanoid races. Most humanoids gain access by making deals with one of the gods (clerics/paladins and warlocks), very few by unlocking a greater understanding of the universe (wizards), and some by harnessing the magic bound into the land from thousands of years of magic (ranger, druid, sorcerer). Magic as such is generally feared (or craved by some) and has lead to superstition giving the setting a dash of darkness. Oh, and this is meant for 5th edition D&D.
Basically, I will post a portion of the world and edit/expand on the raw ideas based on your input. Once I feel an area is sufficiently refined I will move onto the next one. First up is the overview of the world.
Step One: Overview
Planes
First and foremost the planes. Instead of the one hundred and one planes that preexist in the DMG this world will have 5. The Haven of the Blessed, the Material Plane, the Forges of the Fiends, and the Abyss of the Dead are the 4 major planes with the Transitive Plane acting as both the Astral and Ethereal Planes. The Haven is where great heroes are transported instants before their deaths, the Forges is the native world of the fiends, the Abyss is underworld where the dead's’ spirits go, and the Transitive Plane is a vast space full of void that defies all our concepts of physics and geometry. Transportation between the planes is almost nonexistent except by the gods. The only major instance of transportation is between the Forges and the Material Plane through a huge vertical hole that the fiends have built on.
Gods
Next the gods, there are 8 dark “lords” of evil and the 3 “ladies” of the resistance. The gods are extremely powerful shape shifting figures. However, they cannot interfere on their own and rely on their followers to bring them into the world. The Eight Lords are very powerful embodiments of each of the domains and are the patron gods of a group of creatures. I would greatly appreciate any input/suggestions on the names of the gods as the current ones are temporary. The Eight Lords are The Taker (Death, Devils), The Schemer (Knowledge, Demons), The Birther (Life/Unlife, Undead), The Scorcher (Light/Flame, Dragons), The Ravener (Nature, Beasts), The Tempest (Tempest, Aberrations), The Deceiver (Trickery, Shape shifters/Generic Fiends), and The Destroyer (War, Giants). The Three Ladies are gods that were created out of humanoid philosophy. The Lady of Resolve embodies both mental and physical strength in the fight against evil. Her followers go face-to-face with the enemy without blinking. The Lady of Change embodies both the forces of change (fire) and flexibility (water). Her followers believe that to fight evil one must be ever flexible and use change to their advantage. Finally, The Lady of Freedom is the goddess of freedom. Her followers fight to stop the tyranny of the Eight Lords.
Material World
The final section for this initial step is the world of the Material Plane. Yes, it exists on a spherical planet orbiting the sun nothing unusual there. The world consists of a vast continent (think Europe + Asia + Africa) surrounded by an endless sea. The southern regions are full of temperate plains and forests. While the north is mostly wasteland and mountains. On the far east of the continent is a small area perpetually frozen by elven magic. It is very secluded due to high mountains bordering its north and south, the ocean to the east, and a heavily defended forest to the west. Cities are highly focused area of population surrounded by giant walls to protect the population. Only a few of these cities exist with the only other civilization fiend or small villages/forts created by adventurers.
Any input will be very much appreciated.