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Lord Tataraus
2007-09-09, 01:36 PM
So I'm making a world with an interesting interaction between the planes. First off, each plane is a flat disc with the material plane being the biggest (except for the abyss and celestial plane). There are four "moons" which are the elemental planes and two "suns" which are the positive and negative energy planes. Day and night is the result of the positive and negative energy planes (respectively) pulsing. The seasons are the result of two of the moons' influence in an area (each moon influences one half of the material plane) so there are four seasons due to the various overlaps (the moons rotate, so thats the reason for seasons changing). Because the planes effect the material plane so much, spells (both divine and arcane) are effected by the time of day/night as well as season. Spells with a descriptor which is linked to a plane effecting your area gain an effective +2CL while the opposite descriptor gains a -4CL. The bonuses and penalties are as follows:

Day: positive energy +2CL, negative energy -4CL
Night: negative energy +2CL, positive energy -4CL
Dawn/Dusk: no bonuses or penalties

Winter (Water/Earth): cold and sonic +2CL, fire -4CL
Spring (Water/Air): cold and electricity +2CL, sonic -4CL
Summer (Fire/Air): fire and electricity +2CL, cold -4CL
Fall (Earth/Fire): fire and sonic +2CL, electricity -4CL

In addition, there are certain locations that have a special bond with an elemental plane or energy plane that give a constant +2CL bonus (does not stack with the above bonuses). A caster can sacrifice spells to open up a temporary "bridge" between the bonded plane and the material plane to allow movement between them. Basically, this is so low level PCs and NPCs can cross between the planes and there is inter-planar trade.

So my main question is: are the bonuses too powerful? should I use acid instead of sonic as the Earth element? and what do you think of the leyline bridges? (note that the leylines are rare and there is no more than four of each, and at least one of each is heavily guarded for trade purposes so no destructive outsider can wreck havoc)

Thanks

brian c
2007-09-09, 07:21 PM
This belongs in Homebrew, not general gaming.

Aside from that, it looks very nice, but I think Acid works better than Sonic for the earth element.

DraPrime
2007-09-09, 07:46 PM
So with a big enough rocket I could travel to another plane? Cool. I would just need to convince my DM that gunpowder should be allowed.

Karsh
2007-09-09, 08:39 PM
That's not so much a rocket as it is a cannon you're planning, there.

Lord Tataraus
2007-09-09, 09:42 PM
If you notice the word "moons" is in quotes, meaning from the material plane they look like moons, but you can physically go there in such a manner as a rocket. Anyway, its so much easier than that since you can just cross a "bridge" (its more like a gate/portal) to the plane with just a first level spell or pay a toll at a leyline. The elemental planes are all habitable (except fire) and have there own cities of elemental based as well as more normal creatures. I guess acid would work better for an earth element, but sonic is some much cooler. As for if this should be in the homebrew forum, I wondered if I should put it there, but decided I'm just asking some balance and flavor questions, so I decided against it. The thread can be moved later.

F.H. Zebedee
2007-09-09, 10:04 PM
Very cool concept. Has a sort of middle ages feel to it, with the four elements. If'n I was you, I might try to somehow emphasize the four humors/personality types somehow, and use those to further Four Out the world, connecting them to the planes.

I must say, I'm also impressed with the sort of SpellJammer feel, without becoming as silly as they did. Space travel and a medieval feel? Yummy.