Help a GM make a badass setting

[Kon Owens]

GITP. I have thrown myself upon your mercy several times to help me with Character builds, and I come to you now with something of much greater importance.

I am about to DM 5E for the first time, and my players are going to drive me insane.

Here is the situation: Up until a week ago, one of my players had been planing to run a D&D 5E game. He had a mental break down under the stress of trying to "build a world that his players wanted to play in"... and then not understanding what that actually meant and ignored all our ideas and built a Magic the Gathering clone with way to much thought and way to little thought at the same time.

Shockingly, this was his first time trying to DM. Anyway, things got heated, and he broke, throwing in the towel before he even started. As I was helping him a great deal in setting up his world and being a sounding board, I was particularly miffed that he turned the brunt of his frustration on me for pointing out the plot holes and weaknesses in his world building, and that I was apparently being "to nice" by being sportive and not calling his setting a bundle of plagiarized garbage... which it unfortunately came very close to being.

However, this very same player came to me tonight and suggested that I run a D&D 5E game for him and my other friends, simply because he found a Hombrew race that he thinks is adorable and he wants to play. Despite everything that he has done over the past few weeks and his quite recent collapse into the "I give up, I wont GM, everyone's picking on me, I didn't sign up to be scrutinized".

Now, while this may seem like I'm bitching about a problem player, it more than that. I believe the guy has talent, and can build a darn good world. If he put his mind to it, then he could be a Fantastic GM! But... he doesn't listen. And he threw all the ideas we gave him out the window, and then was confused when we confronted him. So I want to show him how to run a good game. And for that, I would like help.

We had proposed this game as the one we wanted to play: a game set in something similar to the warring states of Japan, kinda like Sengoku Basara. Multiple factions, fighting for control of a country, where anyone can rise up and take control of the turmoil and unite the lands under them. Multiple faction, pulled from the playable races and the sentient monsters, duking it out on the battle lines, while trying to survive in a standard D&D world. Spread over a fair sized landmass, when eventually united under the rule of the players or one of the other factions, they could turn and set their sights on other lands across the seas, where new adventures waited, and the only thing stopping them would be the ends of the earth (think the waterfall form the chronicles of Narnia).

Now, the promblem player is laying as the hombrew race that I mentioned before [Link here (http://imgur.com/a/SW1jw)]. This is what he sent me, and honestly, I don't hate the idea of a mouse-like race. Reminds me of Redwall, which I had joked about. And they thought was funny. So, why not? Their faction will be Redwall, the Nation of short mouse-folk who are being oppressed by the larger races on all sides. As for those larger races... that's where you guys come in.

What factions should I use? What monstrous races would be good as 'civilized' and cohesive units? Any suggestions for leaders of enemy factions? The punier and hammier the better, as I want to run a fun game that is aware of what it is: a game. I am open to all suggestions, as I want to show my problem player a great game, a game he could have run had he stuck to his guns and listened a little more.

Thanks in advance, you guys are awesome.

[Inevitability]

Perhaps this thread would be better suited to the Worldbuilding forum? I suggest asking a mod to move it.

But as for my suggestions:

-When you said 'japan-like', I thought 'mountains'. What if high above the clouds, on the peaks of the greatest mountains on the continent or perhaps even the world, where a simple human would die from lack of oxygen, an empire lies? Its inhabitants could be anything from Warforged to undead to air genasi.

-How about a nation of elves using Living Spells (shouldn't be too hard to homebrew some up) ruled over by a gigantic living spell that was cast only once, with the purpose of (insert plot point here).

-A nation of dwarves who fight much like guerrillas. They live in hidden strongholds below the earth or inside mountains, use tunnels to quickly move around and undermine enemy fortresses, and prefer ranged combat to melee. It'd be a nice twist on the standard dwarf archetypes.

[KorvinStarmast]

It's hard not to suggest porting in (3.5e) Catfolk whose mentor/patron is a Rakshasa and his family ...

Another faction as rivals for the rodent people are the Aarakocra, who can fly about as eagles do and pounce upon them, due to (story line/plot hook X).

They could run the best gambling town (sorta like a Japanese Vegas) called the --- wait for it -- Aarakocrabana.

I'll get my coat. :smallbiggrin:

[EvilAnagram]

I suppose a warring states Japan setting would be very fun. I would learn a bit about the Sengoku Jidai.

An important and often overlooked aspect of the period is that it was not completely dominated by samurai. Samurai represented the established nobility of Japan at the time, but they employed ninja and often had to contend with vicious colonies of warrior monks who were unwilling to submit to samurai rule or give up lands.

Having the different races represent different warring clans would be cool, but maybe the Redwall clan is a group of ninja or monks who aren't vying for the shogunate, but rather vying for survival. Maybe they're a smaller clan on the path to Kyoto who don't want to be run over by the Hobgolins to the North or the Humans to the East. Maybe relations with those halfling monks have turned sour, and they have to contend with highly trained raiders coming down from the mountains. Maybe the gnomish ninja are the servants of an Elven daimyo.

[Shining Wrath]

So, dropping sentient mouse folk into medieval Japan is our starting point.

I propose at least some undersea foes, as traveling between islands ought to be important. Merrow might fit the bill. And pirates. And a race of simple fisher folk - maybe halflings.

At least one nation of weretigers, who are inclined to be sympathetic to the mousefolk (being noble) despite the strong temptation to bat them about before dinner.

When I think oppressive militaristic folk, I think hobgoblins. Refluff them to evil Samurai - code of honor, but it's the sort of honor where members of other races know their place, OR ELSE.

And high on the peaks live giants, storm and cloud. For the most part they stay out of the affairs of lesser creatures, but when total war breaks out, they may take sides.

Hags everywhere. Shapeshifting evil creatures (oni) are very Japanese-feeling to me.

[Kidbuu51]

I am making a setting myself, and I've been doing so for a year and a half. I find if I take to much to time on it, I go nuts, so just take your time. Secondly don't focus on your players for a setting, its your creation so you make a world you would enjoy, ask your players though what kind of game they want to play and base adventures in your setting around that.