PDA

View Full Version : Need help with a new setting



Khoran
2007-04-29, 06:42 PM
I wasn’t sure whether to post this here or the Homebrew section, since I am not presenting the whole system for critique, I just need some help with a few game issues. And to give context, here are the cliff notes for the setting.

----
Through an ancient spell, our world has been changed drastically, to that of a D&D World! History and Technology have been altered to fit into a world that had magic, monsters and other such things, as well as dumbed down to try to fit better into a D&D world. I don’t feel like mentioning anything about the plot of the story, incase someone from my group happens to come to this forum without me knowing it, but what I can say is that the players will remember the real world and know that things aren’t right here.
----

However, I’ve got a few things bouncing around my head that I just can’t get control of. So, I’ve decided to turn to you all for some advice.

Player Races
Halflings, Orcs, Elves, Dwarves, so on and so forth. These all exist in my campaign setting and have –always- been there. However, the question is what if they players want to be one of those races? Obviously, before the change, they were humans and would prefer them to remain so, but at the same time I know someone would have their heart set on playing something other then a human and I don’t want to pigeon hole them. So how do you think I should handle this?

Religion, Divine Casters, ECT.
This is the one that’s really been bothering me, since the PCs are aware of the real world religions, since they retain the knowledge of the real world after the change. However, I don’t want the real world religions to be the “game world”, mainly because I don’t want to step on anyone’s toes when it comes to religion and I would be really uncomfortable making domains for real world deities and I’m probably going to use Standard Greyhawk gods and/or Forgotten Realms. The problem, however, comes up of Clerics and other divine casters sworn to a god. I feel a little bad making them pick a “game world” deity to follow, since the kind of person that would become a cleric during the change is someone who is deeply religious in the real world. However, as I said, I don’t want them being clerics of real world religions. How should I handle this?

… But my character plays D&D!
A minor thing that I just feel will come up, how do I deal with meta-gaming that people could claim would be in character because their character was someone who played D&D? Should I create Knowledge: Monsters skill for it, or just say “No, you can’t do that.”?

Thank you to anyone who helps, and if I got the section wrong for posting, I'm sorry.

Draz74
2007-04-29, 07:27 PM
Player Races
Halflings, Orcs, Elves, Dwarves, so on and so forth. These all exist in my campaign setting and have –always- been there. However, the question is what if they players want to be one of those races? Obviously, before the change, they were humans and would prefer them to remain so, but at the same time I know someone would have their heart set on playing something other then a human and I don’t want to pigeon hole them. So how do you think I should handle this?

Just say that, as technology, etc., warped and became "different," some humans (and their ancestors, retroactively) became demihumans.



Religion, Divine Casters, ECT.
This is the one that’s really been bothering me, since the PCs are aware of the real world religions, since they retain the knowledge of the real world after the change. However, I don’t want the real world religions to be the “game world”, mainly because I don’t want to step on anyone’s toes when it comes to religion and I would be really uncomfortable making domains for real world deities and I’m probably going to use Standard Greyhawk gods and/or Forgotten Realms. The problem, however, comes up of Clerics and other divine casters sworn to a god. I feel a little bad making them pick a “game world” deity to follow, since the kind of person that would become a cleric during the change is someone who is deeply religious in the real world. However, as I said, I don’t want them being clerics of real world religions. How should I handle this?

This one is tricky. Maybe the Grayhawk "deities" still admit to being subservient mediators to a higher power (whose identity will still be debated the way religion has been debated in the past)?



… But my character plays D&D!
A minor thing that I just feel will come up, how do I deal with meta-gaming that people could claim would be in character because their character was someone who played D&D? Should I create Knowledge: Monsters skill for it, or just say “No, you can’t do that.”?

I'm totally in favor of a Knowledge (RPGs) skill in this type of setting, because it would be hilarious.

dauphinous
2007-04-29, 08:22 PM
Race: The change also changed them in that respect. You don't have to spend hours and hours justifying it. Just say 'this is how it is. If you want to be a non-human, ok.' (a stupid justification most of the time, but it can work for something like this with no issue)

Religion: You are perfectly free to force people to not be a cleric/whatever of a specific god. You're the DM. You can set rules like that. Make them all just follow an ideal instead of a deity.

RPG knowledge: I am actually currently running a game where gamer geeks from our world have been sent to a game world. Their RPG knowledge mostly just adds some flavor to the game. Yes, they have some insider knowledge into how the system works, but all you have to do is alter a description a little here or an ability or two there, with the justification that the game rules are just fantasy, and *poof* it's not as useful as it seems. If you have no issue making up new monsters, that helps, too. You could also consider offering that the players can use their knowledge of the monsters, but only if they agree to only do it from memory and not actually crack open books for this, since the PC obviously won't have their books with them. Or you could just not worry about it. Them knowing the weaknesses of trolls or demons or whatever doesn't break the game. If it did, DMing would mean never playing again. :smallsmile:

Khoran
2007-04-29, 11:11 PM
Thanks you two, those are all some good ideas on how to do that stuff.

Also, for the Knowledge: RPG skill, I'm glad that you're able to find humor in it. Now; what I'm thinking is rather giving the people able to recite everything off the MM, you have a DC of 10+CR (rounding down) to identify the monster, and then for ever 5 you passed the DC by, more is revealed to you in order of importance. Does that sounds fair and balanced? Also, are there any out of combat uses you could think of for the skill?

LoopyZebra
2007-04-29, 11:21 PM
While the idea of knowledge RPG is funny, it undermines all of the other knowledges. Most others give monster info from a specific type at 10+CR anyways, so one that combines all trumps the others. It also implies the world IS a game world (like Erfworld), not a magically altered real world.

As for religions, make them priests of an ideal (as someone else stated), and let them add on the trappings of whomever they choose. Might still ruffle some feathers, though.

Khoran
2007-04-30, 12:36 AM
While the idea of knowledge RPG is funny, it undermines all of the other knowledges. Most others give monster info from a specific type at 10+CR anyways, so one that combines all trumps the others. It also implies the world IS a game world (like Erfworld), not a magically altered real world.
Point taken, thought I wanted this to be for the most part a humorous campaign and wanted to make the skill just as a joke. However, now that you mention it, it is a bit too powerful. Perhaps I will make it just so you are able to identify it and maybe one feature, like with a Troll how it will attempt to tear you open if it gets both claws in. Basically, stuff that would be common/semi-common knowledge in that world become incorperated in that skill.


As for religions, make them priests of an ideal (as someone else stated), and let them add on the trappings of whomever they choose. Might still ruffle some feathers, though.
I'm thinking that's what I'm going to do. I think I'm going to reach a middle ground between Unspecified/Ideal Cleric and Draz's suggestion for the Gods saying that there is a true god above them.

JackMage666
2007-04-30, 12:47 AM
Kinda sounds like Final Fantasy Tactics Advanced... I like the Knowledge (RPG), and allow it to encompass all the RPGs... Note, that you should alter some monsters a tad bit, just enough so the players don't always know what hit them (It couldn't do that in the game!?!) As for races... Allow them to will themselves to be what they want at the start of the game, when the magic is at it's most potent point. The magic will cool down, and the tranformation will be permanent (or until the original spell is fixed, as I assume is the campaign goal.)

As for Religions... The Dieties walking among people would serve that case... Just show the players these creatures awesome power, and have temples errected to worship them. If the world was drastically changed from a spell, then theres no reason Theology wouldn't as well... Of course, the players may still hold onto their beliefs, and then they can become Cause clerics, who baffle others when they talk of Christianity, Buddhism, whatever.