DiceyUK
2015-03-05, 11:02 AM
Welcome
About two years ago, I set out to create a world in which I could run every fantasy game that would pass my table.
I wanted everyone's input, however minor, to have a lasting effect on the world. Not only that but I wanted varied enough environments that I could run almost any kind of adventure.
The world is intended for complete autonomy and little in the way of stat progression. It is intended for a an extremely rules-light homebrew system, so there'll be almost nothing mechanical involved.
I have tons of notes that I'm not willing to type up in one go, so I will be periodically revisiting this thread to add pieces.
Everything I write here is subject to change over time (for example, the earth-like nature of my world may change to some other kind of geography).
World Concept
The original plan was to have an earth-like planet with extrapolated natural features - for ex., near-glassed sand at the equator, ocean water evaporating too, air freezes at the north/south poles, mountains approach exiting the atmosphere etc.
This world would be inhabited by tons of different races, largely at peace with one-another despite high-tensions.
I also toyed with the idea of different planes of existence being parallel to one-another in a 4th dimension - with gods themselves being some form of 4th (or some variation of '3.5') dimension beings. In one campaign, we focused on the interaction between planes (possibly more on this at a later date, but it involved portals between different pieces of fractured worlds, time variations, energy amplification and tons of magical hanwavery).
Planes of Existence
Gods in my world tie heavily into the Planes of Existence. As such, I feel it's important to explain the Planes. I imagine the world as a solar system. In that solar system, each planet is it's own Plane of Existence. At the same time, each planet has numerous other planets parallel to itself in the 4th dimension. 'Planet' is a bad word to use when I've already included the sun and moon as Planes in my notes. I suppose 'Celestial Body' is the correct term - but from now on I'll likely refer to them all as 'Planes'.
In my world, the Planes have an 'Amplification' effect between those in parallel. For example, the 'Earth' (for lack of another name) is in parallel with Elysium, Limbo, ('Earth'), 'Hell', Wastes and Void and as such they all have varying effects on one-another.
The amplification supposedly only applies to god-like power, but I imagine this to be due to mortal powers being to weak to have a noticeable effect. Also, it works from top-to-bottom - meaning that the effect cascades down the list getting more powerful and trawls up the list getting less powerful.
So for example, a great and powerful magic was used in the wastes, it would have some effect in 'Hell' (once again for lack of a better name) and maybe a tiny effect on 'Earth', but would dissipate by the time it reaches Limbo. However, it'd have massive effects on the Void, chaotic as it is already.
The equivalent of Heaven in my setting. The righteous mortals are ascended to Elysium by their favoring gods upon death. Only the gods of good and their mortal underlings are permitted to reside in Elysium - Evil gods and Evil mortal souls are regularly exiled. Exile from Elysium means to have your Mind and Body destroyed, and your spirit resurrected as a mortal. This process is intended as a trial of the exiled's true morality. At the end of their lives, if mortals are neither claimed by 'Hell' or by Elysium, they souls default to Limbo.
An empty Plane, in which only the mind and spirit remain, the body dispersed for recycling in the overworld. Here, interaction is minimal, and it's impossible to make physical contact with other beings. Souls are left here to loose their hope and willpower and eventually cease to exist. Considered by the gods to be a humane way of culling souls, as the process allows it's victims time to come to terms with their demise, this plane has been left alone for many centuries - but the gods simply choose to ignore it's true purpose...
TBC
Gods
Origin is the original god. A remnant of a fallen, collapsed, or otherwise ended world. A past universe that no-longer exists. Canonically, this universe could be any setting, any game, ever.
The Oldest (or 'First') Son of Origin was created because Origin wanted to build a new universe. However, due to Origin's lack of self-sacrifice, the Oldest was born of the Origin's most negative parts - evil, destruction, inconsideration etc. Shortly after attempting to construct a new world with his son, the Origin learned of the Oldest's destructive tendencies - razing what had taken unknown eons to build in the blink of an eye.
The Middle (or 'Second') Son of Origin was created as a solution to the Oldest's evil. Origin gave of himself the powers of creation, compassion, creativity etc. Now weakened, Origin took one thing from his Oldest Son - the power to kill his bretheren, in fear that himself or his newborn son would be undone at the hand of the Oldest's evil.
During the tiring eons that followed, the Origin could do nothing as he watched the Second's creations fall to ruin at the will of the Oldest. A bitter rivalry grew between the Sons, a rivalry that would weigh heavy on the Origin.
The Youngest (or 'Third') Son of Origin was finally born as a last-ditch effort to create a world safe from the Oldest's evil The Youngest's body would be impenetrable to the Oldest's destruction, so the Origin built a space, where the Youngest's consciousness would be and instructed the Second to create within the safety of the Youngest's mind.
The Origin unravelled his own being as he shaped his last child - until all his power was gone. All that remained of the Origin was a faint spark of a consciousness, echoing in the void.
Ever since, the Oldest and Second have worked in silence, the Second working on the world within the Youngest's dreams, and the Oldest on tainting the pure nature of his brothers' world with tiny seeds of evil.
About two years ago, I set out to create a world in which I could run every fantasy game that would pass my table.
I wanted everyone's input, however minor, to have a lasting effect on the world. Not only that but I wanted varied enough environments that I could run almost any kind of adventure.
The world is intended for complete autonomy and little in the way of stat progression. It is intended for a an extremely rules-light homebrew system, so there'll be almost nothing mechanical involved.
I have tons of notes that I'm not willing to type up in one go, so I will be periodically revisiting this thread to add pieces.
Everything I write here is subject to change over time (for example, the earth-like nature of my world may change to some other kind of geography).
World Concept
The original plan was to have an earth-like planet with extrapolated natural features - for ex., near-glassed sand at the equator, ocean water evaporating too, air freezes at the north/south poles, mountains approach exiting the atmosphere etc.
This world would be inhabited by tons of different races, largely at peace with one-another despite high-tensions.
I also toyed with the idea of different planes of existence being parallel to one-another in a 4th dimension - with gods themselves being some form of 4th (or some variation of '3.5') dimension beings. In one campaign, we focused on the interaction between planes (possibly more on this at a later date, but it involved portals between different pieces of fractured worlds, time variations, energy amplification and tons of magical hanwavery).
Planes of Existence
Gods in my world tie heavily into the Planes of Existence. As such, I feel it's important to explain the Planes. I imagine the world as a solar system. In that solar system, each planet is it's own Plane of Existence. At the same time, each planet has numerous other planets parallel to itself in the 4th dimension. 'Planet' is a bad word to use when I've already included the sun and moon as Planes in my notes. I suppose 'Celestial Body' is the correct term - but from now on I'll likely refer to them all as 'Planes'.
In my world, the Planes have an 'Amplification' effect between those in parallel. For example, the 'Earth' (for lack of another name) is in parallel with Elysium, Limbo, ('Earth'), 'Hell', Wastes and Void and as such they all have varying effects on one-another.
The amplification supposedly only applies to god-like power, but I imagine this to be due to mortal powers being to weak to have a noticeable effect. Also, it works from top-to-bottom - meaning that the effect cascades down the list getting more powerful and trawls up the list getting less powerful.
So for example, a great and powerful magic was used in the wastes, it would have some effect in 'Hell' (once again for lack of a better name) and maybe a tiny effect on 'Earth', but would dissipate by the time it reaches Limbo. However, it'd have massive effects on the Void, chaotic as it is already.
The equivalent of Heaven in my setting. The righteous mortals are ascended to Elysium by their favoring gods upon death. Only the gods of good and their mortal underlings are permitted to reside in Elysium - Evil gods and Evil mortal souls are regularly exiled. Exile from Elysium means to have your Mind and Body destroyed, and your spirit resurrected as a mortal. This process is intended as a trial of the exiled's true morality. At the end of their lives, if mortals are neither claimed by 'Hell' or by Elysium, they souls default to Limbo.
An empty Plane, in which only the mind and spirit remain, the body dispersed for recycling in the overworld. Here, interaction is minimal, and it's impossible to make physical contact with other beings. Souls are left here to loose their hope and willpower and eventually cease to exist. Considered by the gods to be a humane way of culling souls, as the process allows it's victims time to come to terms with their demise, this plane has been left alone for many centuries - but the gods simply choose to ignore it's true purpose...
TBC
Gods
Origin is the original god. A remnant of a fallen, collapsed, or otherwise ended world. A past universe that no-longer exists. Canonically, this universe could be any setting, any game, ever.
The Oldest (or 'First') Son of Origin was created because Origin wanted to build a new universe. However, due to Origin's lack of self-sacrifice, the Oldest was born of the Origin's most negative parts - evil, destruction, inconsideration etc. Shortly after attempting to construct a new world with his son, the Origin learned of the Oldest's destructive tendencies - razing what had taken unknown eons to build in the blink of an eye.
The Middle (or 'Second') Son of Origin was created as a solution to the Oldest's evil. Origin gave of himself the powers of creation, compassion, creativity etc. Now weakened, Origin took one thing from his Oldest Son - the power to kill his bretheren, in fear that himself or his newborn son would be undone at the hand of the Oldest's evil.
During the tiring eons that followed, the Origin could do nothing as he watched the Second's creations fall to ruin at the will of the Oldest. A bitter rivalry grew between the Sons, a rivalry that would weigh heavy on the Origin.
The Youngest (or 'Third') Son of Origin was finally born as a last-ditch effort to create a world safe from the Oldest's evil The Youngest's body would be impenetrable to the Oldest's destruction, so the Origin built a space, where the Youngest's consciousness would be and instructed the Second to create within the safety of the Youngest's mind.
The Origin unravelled his own being as he shaped his last child - until all his power was gone. All that remained of the Origin was a faint spark of a consciousness, echoing in the void.
Ever since, the Oldest and Second have worked in silence, the Second working on the world within the Youngest's dreams, and the Oldest on tainting the pure nature of his brothers' world with tiny seeds of evil.