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View Full Version : Subjective reality, my attempt at a campaign Setting



puppyavenger
2007-09-30, 07:10 PM
First of all uses the allegiance system from D20 modern

CREATION MYTH


In the beginning there was only the very basic building blocks of existence, waiting eager to become and when the Powers came they got there chance.

The Powers created a perfect world of raw existents, then created there servitors the dragons to guard and command it.

Then came the Fae Lords, ruling their realm of dreams and mutability through the faerie courts.

Then the Divinities, mastering the mountainsides and valleys through the giant hierarchy.

The Changer gained awareness in the deepest part of the sea and "freed" the land and creatures around it.

And finally the Watchers, fragments of existence that Liked being nothing and try to return the world to it's former state.

Remnants, pieces of creation that fell on there own and became separate life forms have there own patrons, occasionally even rising to the rank of power, but these are the great powers.

puppyavenger
2007-10-01, 01:56 PM
States of Reality

1. Mastered. These realms are the sanctums of the great Powers,
they completely obey the resident powers dictates. Reality is true here creation as the power intended, the only way to disrupt this reality is to effectively sever the ritual that joined it to the power, i.e. burning all life around a Fae court or destroying all the giant temples. If the place is the residence of a power however, as it usually is you must ALSO banish the power. Not the easiest thing in the world. These can only be controlled by great powers

2. Controlled. The second tier realms these are for example Fae vassals or dragon conquests, they are pretty much under the powers control but if a small group of another belief comes into the area there immediate vicinity can be influenced by there beliefs, This is the greatest that the risen can aspire to.

3. Commanded. The third tier realm, this is for example a newly conquered and partially assimilated territory. If a member of another belief is in the area he can override his immediate reality with his own version by it fades as soon as he leaves the area.
This is the highest that lesser can hope for

4. Claimed. The weakest level of control. This basically means that your system is default. Any other powers or their servants are free to mess with it or use their abilities.
This is the highest level that nomads can attain.

5. Default. An area with a complete absence of sapient beings is default. This is a typical D&D world area i.e. physics is pocked full of holes, This area becomes claimed as soon as sapient beings take up residence.

puppyavenger
2007-10-01, 07:35 PM
Okay let me explain the basic mechanics for reality.

Whenever a sapient creature believes something it causes a resonance with the nearby pieces of creation. The more people follow the belief or the more powerful the believers the more pieces resonate with it and it comes true in their area. If enough pieces resonate with it then a power is born, for example the lord-spirits of a small tribe. These creatures inevitably start out as nomads, epithermal spirits needing the constant stream of belief to survive and the souls of believers to gain power. If a lasting religion can be set up for the power than they eventually evolve to become a lesser, a somewhat more stable creature, they now have enough power to protest the powers of other beings provided the effects creators are not in the immediate area. If a great religion that stands the test of time and completely influences a culture can be set up than the creature may become a risen. A great god, able to stop weaker enemy champions from using their powers as well as blocking single heretics from using spells.

feghoot
2007-10-02, 02:29 PM
Sounds like fun. two questions though.

1) how much of this do the Players start out knowing?

2) have you checked out Mage: The Ascension (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mage:_The_Ascension)? It might give you some ideas.

puppyavenger
2007-10-02, 03:50 PM
Sounds like fun. two questions though.

1) how much of this do the Players start out knowing?

2) have you checked out Mage: The Ascension (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mage:_The_Ascension)? It might give you some ideas.

1. The players basicly choose a power to work for. The different factions have steorotypes of the others, so for example the dragons typicly consifer the Tren empire ( a risen power) convienitly located food with a few smart demegouges.
but ya they know that there system is real as the people in charge of it will be happy to provide evidense.
2. Thank youy I'll check it out.

puppyavenger
2007-10-21, 08:05 PM
The Formains

Status. Risen
Power. Hierarch (singular0
Creation. Originally the demons of a nomad tribe. The tribe believed that if they stayed in one place for to long the formains would find a tunnel into the world and devour them. Eventually the tribe was forced by a great storm to huddle in a cave for several weeks. As they found a tunnel the creatures quickly decimated the tribe, gaining the status of nomads for themselves. With their quickly expanding numbers and militant organisation the formains quickly conquered the surrounding tribes, gaining the status of a lesser power for themselves. With there always growing force of slaves there power expanded in all directions both vertical and horizontal, with great spires and tunnel networks sprawling over the land.
Magic Besides a few powers left from the original myths about them, all the “magic” of the formains comes from a resonating loop of energy in the hive mind focused through certain creatures (mechanically their psionic).
Caste breakdown. The undisputed ruler of the entire civilization is the Hierarch, The power of the formains, after that comes the Scion Queens, The five greatest Queens each granted control over a fifth of the territory, These are touched by the Hierarch and granted great powers.
Below them are the Queens of individual hives, they have absolute control within their hives through the hive mind. Below the Queens are their lieutenants the Myrmarchs. After them are the herders, thrallherd taskmasters in charge of keeping order among workers and leading new colonisation attempts. Below them are the warriors and workers and finally the slaves.
PC classes Scion Queens are clerics of the Hierarch (I don’t have the complete psionic) and queens replace sorcerer casting ability with telepath manifesting ability. Myrmarchs often have levels in physic warrior or psion. Taskmasters have herders (telepath/thrallherds) and some take levels in shaper or egoist. Warriors sometimes have levels in fighter (elite guard) or physic warrior (task leader). Workers sometimes have levels in expert as architects or planers.
Levels of organization. Expedition. When a hive has completely orders the surrounding area the queen will lay five special eggs each one a queen. So five expeditions are sent out to find suitable areas for hives. They include
(sometimes) 1 Myrmarchs
1 herder
2-4 taskmaster (sometimes a shaper)
if without Myrmarchs 1 lvl 1-5 phsy war warrior
if with 2 lvl 1-4 fighters warriors
10-25 warriors
1-2 lvl 2-5 expert workers
15-20 workers
They find a suitable location, dig a hive, subdue the local population and otherwise prepare for the coming of the queen

Fledgling hive. A newly created hive with a queen, it is a quickly growing construct spanning kilometres in all directions and quickly growing in all directions. They have low to mid number within the normal hive on the formain entry in the MM. One out of ten taskmasters is a herder.
Developed hive. A completely ordered hive, the size of a city in every direction, it is at this point that the Queen lays five royal eggs. It has the maximum numbers given in the MM. and possibly five expeditions herders are 1 in 10

more to come