The world thrown into Chaos over a Chess Game? [Campaign Setting]

[Corncracker]

As odd as the title is, inevitably thats what happens. One guy who loves a challange, and another guy who has a bit of a winning complex, play a chess game. When neither one can win, they make a Game with some very unique rules that involve the lives of anyone the wish to involve. A game where the board is the entire world, and the players will get swept up in the flow of the game between two men fighting for victory. As of now, both of these two are the main villains of the campaign.

Here is the Basic plot and rules of the Game. I'll post up the Profiles of the Two Villians later, as made by Giants Guide to Making a Villain.

Any Ideas for rules to add, rule fixes, and such like that are greatly appreciated.

The Plot and Rules of the Game

The plot of this Campaign begins rather simply. The Grey Elf Strengal (The Self proclaimed “Mind of Death”) and the Human man named Tora met in a Chess tournament. Strengal had went in hopes of finally finding a person who was able to challenge his mind, which in the end is the only thing he craved for in the world, a challenge. Tora, however, was obsessed with coming out on top. He has quite a victory complex, and came to this tournament not for a challenge, but for a win.
The two played against each other in the last round. Strengal grew excited as he found a match for his intellect. Tora, however, was quite the opposite. It had been so long since he lost at anything, since he even came close to loosing for that matter. In the end, the match ended in a Stale mate. Even after the tournament, they played game after game for a week, however neither of them could win. Strengal then suggested another game of strategy, one to decide the winner of their match. The two agreed to settle this with one last game, a game of massive proportions.

The Rules of the Game
1. The main portion of the Game is to start 5 years from the day of they agreed to play.

2. During these 5 years, each person will gather any number of people they can to join their side. These people will be told the rules of the Game.

3. All who know who Join one of their sides is to where a specific symbol. This symbol will represent the side they are on, and must carry it on their person at all times. The symbol must not be hidden in any form of secret comparment. This includes hidden spaces in clothing or other items. It need not be in plain sight, however it must be easy to find if one were to physically search their person (In example, the back of an unhidden pendant, in your pocket). If the team leader finds out one the ones he entrusted the rules with was ever without the symbol, he is to be put to death by the team leader.

4. You may not seek the Help of anyone you personally knew before the rules were set up.

5. You may not seek the help of any relatives.

6. The Number of allies you are allowed to gather before the end of five years is 12. It may be less, but cannot exceed.

7. After the Five years, you may continue to Gain allies, no longer being limited to 12.

8. Allies are only people who you have told about the rules of the game and have agreed to join your side.

9. Any who are not your allies cannot be ordered to attack either one of us directly.

10. If either player runs out of Allies, he is forced to reveal himself by wearing a red sash across his chest with the emblem he has chosen to identify his team.

11. Asside from Gathering Allies, no other actions toward achieving victory may be taken during the 5 year period. You may plan ahead as much as you would like, however you may not act on those plans past gaining your 12 allies.

12. The winner will be the one who manages to kill the other.

[thehothead]

Killing each other over a chess game seems kinda... extreme. Pretty good idea anyway's.

[DracoDei]

Eh... you are forgetting this is D&D... not only are people that insane on a regular basis, but if they are only playing to the FIRST death and have a pre-paid account with a church for a Raise Dead... :smallwink:

To Corncracker:
You have given the outlines but how does the party get involved in this? You described them both as villains, so guess they are trying to stop the collateral damage rather than being on one side or the other?

[thehothead]

You bring up a valid point.

[Corncracker]

It rather depends on the party. I plan to have them slowly discover these guys with different symbols, trying to make a connection. Possibly they will be used and guided by the two the eliminate the others allies for them. IF they are evil, however, I see no problem with allowing them to join one side. Hell, if they want the party can even split up and join different sides. I have no problems with players turning on eachother for this.

Though yes, most likely it will be to stop the collateral damage and bring down both guys.

And also, Strengal, made using Giants villain Workshop guideline.

Strengal Torsonia: The mind of Death

Driving emotions:
Emotion 1: Competitive
Emotion 2: Disgust

Past
Growing up in Grey Elf society, Strengal grew up very knowledgeable. His father being a general taught his son the art of Strategy, and Strengal grew to love learning such things. He began formulating his own battle strategies, and looking them over with his father. Impressed by his sons work, he put many of these strategies to use. Over time though, Strengal began growing board. He started playing games that involved strategies, though it wasn’t a challenge any more. He left his home in search of someone who could give him a challenge. Though he could defeat anyone in a game of wits or strategy. Eventually, he began feeling extremely board, and no longer caring about the world. He had grown to love a challenge, however was disappointed when he could no longer find one. However, upon playing a new strategy game invented, Chess, he played in the last round of the tournament introducing it a very tactical human. He was skilled and gave Strengal the challenge he sought. For a week straight the two played round after round, trying to find the victory. However each and every match ended in a stale mate. The two agreed to settle their difference’s in a far more strategic game of their design to decide who the real winner is.

Scale of the threat
While the game he is involved doesn’t sound like much at first, the entire world is in danger. While the world will not end, this game will cause much chaos and death throughout the planet.

Goal
The Goal is simply to win the game, which offers him the greatest challenge of his life. Please see the Rules of the game to figure out how he intends to win. The Rules of the game will be posted above.

Obstacles
The game he is involved in has many obstacles. One of which is his opponent, who will likely try to thwart him at every step of the way, others will be converting people to his side.

Resources
In the beginning of the game he started, the only resource’s available to Strengal was his Strategic mind and powerful magic. At the start of the campaign, however, his resources increase to the Followers he has gathered before the Game begins. They are the following.

- An expert thief, who has a way with masking his true identity. Strengal had learned of his identity however, and in exchange for silence, the Thief agreed to join Strengal’s side in this game.

- A powerful Grey Guard of Heronious. In this world, Heronious is the only Church to have Grey Guards, and only recently have they come up, and even so their existence is kept in Secrecy from all except a select few high up in the Church ranks. Learning of the game, he knew he couldn’t beat Strengal when he was approached by him. Strengal managed to learn of the Grey Guards existence with the help of a thief, and told the Grey Guard if he helped him win the game, after words he would allow the Grey Guard to take his life without a fight. The reason being this game is the only thing he lived for anymore, and after it was over he would like to leave the world at the height of his excitement, win or loose.
- A Goliath of a wiped out Clan. The giants killed them all, and he seeks to avenge his clan. Strengal offers him the chance to do so, on the condition the Goliath joins his side in a little Game. The Goliath accepts the terms.
- Several more people, however these are the only three I will list for the Moment.

Player interferance
If the players were to interfere with his original strategies, before they learn about the game, he would use them to systematically eliminate his enemies force’s without there knowledge.
If they ever learn of their game, however, he would attempt to make them join his side. Now if they don’t, however, he intends to either continue tricking them into helping, or have them eliminated so they will not interfere any more.

Boundaries:
He cares not for the lives of others at all. All he cares about is the competition. He will never break any of the rules set in place of the game. In addition, he intends to keep himself out of the view all that he can, so avoids rash movements that may reveal either the game to anyone who isn’t suppose to know.

Look: Coming soon.
Theme Song: Coming Soon.

[Corncracker]

First off I give you My little rulings on Spells for this world. I don't even want to deal with Wizard Cheese, so I'm minimizing it. Altered one spell to not last so long, and Flat out Banned a few others. Any Ideas on how to effectively nerf the banned spells so I can put them back in without worry, Ideas would be nice.

Spell Alterations

Alter Self: Duration will be reduced from 10 min/Level to 1/min per level

Banned Spells

Unobtainable – Celerity, Shivering Touch, Polymorph, Polymorph any object, Greater Celerity, Shape Change, Gate

And now spells you can't get for story reasons (Though they will be available at certain points)

Obtainable later under, Story Relevant
These spells are ones that come from legendary Magicians. They are only learnable when found. Wizards may place them in a spell book, while class’s that don’t require a spell book and are limited in spells may learn the spell next time they have an available spell slot.

Tasha’s Spell book - Tasha’s Hideous Laughter (2nd Level), Wail of the Banshee (9th Level).

Bigby’s Spell book Bigby’s Interposing Hand (5th Level), Bigby’s Forceful Hand (6th Level), Bigby’s Grasping Hand (7th Level), Bigby’s Clenched Fist (8th Level), Bigby’s Crushing Hand (9th Level).

Mordenkainen’s Spell book – Mordenkainen’s Private Sanctum (5th Level), Mordenkainen’s Lucubration (6th Level), Mordenkainen’s Magnificent Mansion, (7th Level), Mordenkainen’s Sword (7th Level), Mordenkainen’s Disjunction (9th Level)

ANd next update for now, the World Description.

The World of Kunark
(Shaped like the real world, I suck at maps)

Eltorda
(Canada, including Alaska)(Much of this area is designed around the book Frostburn. Characters who are dwarves, elves, halve elves, or gnomes may come choose to come from Eltords, and if they do they use the Frostburn variants on the races. Other frostburn races are also available to choose from)

Weather, Climate, Terrain, Culture
The Northern Lands of Eltorda are an Icy mountain range. Year around the peaks of the Eltorda Mountains are covered in snow and ice. The Mountain rages, which cover most of the northern area of Eltorda, (Approxamatly half) the Glacier Dwarves live as Eltorda’s dominant Culture. They live like most Dwarves, however the Favor the use of Blue Ice over Steel. The coastal Dwarven Cities in the north make teams of miners to go out and dig blue Ice out of the Glaciers, as it is just as strong as steel but lighter. Virtually all their weapons and armor are made from Blue Ice.
However the mountains thin along the east and west coast, and in these flatter areas of snow villages of Half Elves, Halflings, Gnomes, and humans can be found. While the land is under the rule of the Dwarves, they happily give these other races places to live, allowing them to make their own laws, Even if the Dwarven Council of Eltorda has the final say, the live in peace working together. While not often, these people will be employed to help out the Dwarven Mining teams in either the Caves or the Glacier Mining.
Elves, on the other hand, live just south of the mountains outside the Dwarven rule. Outcast from their holmes many years ago, they now try to live peacefully in small clans in the snow covered forests. They tend to avoid others, living their lives quitley alone.
Finally in the mountains lies the Neanderthals. They are roaming clans, who have agreed to leave coexist with the Dwarves. They offer protection service’s to towns and Mining teams in exchange for food and other such things. While small in number and not very friendly, they manage to pull through.

Alihandra
(The United States and Mexico areas)

Weather, Climate, Terrain, Culture
With the snow plains fading out, Alihandra is large country, the northern part of which consists of Vast forests. While being mostly empty in the northern areas due to the cold, down south of the northern boarder the lands begin to warm. And that is where the heart of the community of elves thrive. Allowing no other race’s into their forest the elves practice the arts. Tension has always existed with the Dwarven Nation to the north, however they keep their distance and avoid contact.
Though as the forest begins to thins farther south, Towns of other races such as humans, half elves, Gnomes and such begins sprouting. Since the elves had no Care for outside their Forest nation, this group managed to form their own country. Living throughout the rest of the Alihandra region, they live a peaceful and carefree life under the Watchful eye of their king.

Sahalla
(This Area uses the Sandstorm Book. All Races originating from Sahalla use the racial Variants of Sandstorm.)

By the time you reach the southern ends of the Alihandra region, however, not much can be found. The Grasslands turn into abandoned planes. No one really knows why, but a vast desert region exists on the vast desert that scales the entirety of Sahalla. Very little can survive in these deserts, however there are those who have made this their home.
Most who live in the desert are nomads, constantly in search of shelter and water. The Badlands Dwarves tend to be the main supplier, helping all survive with their intuit skills at hunting for water. Covered in vast ruins, this land is hardly suitable for most life.

Guardia
(Europe)

Guardia is a large Human Country. The lands of Guardia are lush plains, littered with villages of happy men and women. While mostly human, many halflings and half elves have maid their homes here under the rule of humans.

Trodain
(Asian Area)

A nation ruled by a Tyrant. The second human nation of is a rather balanced area geographicly. Hills in some areas, mountains in others. Forests scattered about. While the humans live happily, there are a group of people who are continually battered by the emperor of the region and his armies. The Half Orcs and Half Elves are treated like Garbage. As of now, no one has been able to stop their oppression.

Orgoth
The Nation of Swamps. As the forests of the southern Trodain Region fade out, swamps begin growing and replacing them. Very few know what lies within the depths of Orgoth, though some say that a legendary wizard once lived there, and Casters have been known to travel into this lands murky depths to find his tomb, in hopes of learning the secret magic he once possessed.