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2021-10-03, 03:23 PM
This is a campaign setting I’ve been working on and had the opportunity to play as a DM in two different campaigns.
Index
Basic postulates/schtick
Summary of History
Geography
Gods, pantheons and other powers
Magic and the supernatural
Races of the setting
Deviations from the rules as written
My personal list of approved content for my campaigns and setting NPCs
So you want to make an adventurer
Detailled Timeline
(https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=25219015&postcount=2)
Setting-Specific Races and Templates (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=25219017&postcount=3)
Basic postulates/schtick
Magic is abundant. Spellcasters create new spells as they need, and a handful of people in the world can craft epic spells. With proper skill and funding, magic can do anything and that includes changing race using the rules from Savage Species.
Deities are actively involved in politics and many demigods live on the material plane.
The rest works more or less as it should. The GM interprets the rules as if they were self-consistent, which rules out: drown-healing, kobolds taking epic feats, monks using the fighter bonus feats ACF for feats they don’t qualify for, shuffling elf proficiencies, stacking contingencies, traps that don’t target creatures, etc. Optimized builds are possible within the rules as intended.
In this campaign setting, anything that a player can do in D&D can also be done by NPC (as individuals). Many NPC achieved epic levels, divine ranks and so on. The setting more or less acknowledges three degrees of power:
The vast majority are ordinary mortal people. They possess no divine rank and cannot exceed level 20.
Epic-level characters with no divine rank. They are the great heroes or villains of history, legends and fairy tales. Some of them killed gods. In-universe, leveling up higher than level 20 has additional requirements than experience points.
People with divine ranks, or gods. In this setting, most gods are symbiotically linked to their worshippers by granting divine magic in exchange for worship. They have a portfolio (eg. love) and an extrasensory perception of its important events, but their power level is on the weak end of what is described in Deities & Demigods. Since their divine abilities make most fights superfluous, they don’t gain xp. They don't have utter mastery of their portfolio: it's possible to win a war against a god of war, and mortal scholars are not entirely sure why.
Some entities fall out of these categories: Elder Evils, paragons, vestiges, etc. Oral traditions mention a God above gods ("the Great Unknown"), but some people jokingly reply that the Great Unknown could have its god too.
Summary of History
The history of the world unfolded in three ages:
First age (prehistory): a civilization of gods (the Saromeans) lived on the Material Plane. As their power grew, they became more ambitious. A god created humans and bestowed on them the gift of Determination. Three other gods created dwarves, elves and gnomes with the gift of Pride. This is the age when dragons came to this setting from another plane. The Great Unknown intervened exactly twice in history: first to create the Saromeans, then to create eleven Elder Evils who killed the Saromeans. None of the gods were left alive, but the mortal races were.
Second age (tribal history): the blood of dead Saromeans transformed the ecosystem, and allowed some mortals to achieve epic levels or godhood. The gods of this age fed on the worship of mortals and sought to increase the availability of their sustenance. To this end, they built great cities and created many new races, such as goblins and orcs. This is the longest period of history and the period when the ancestors of modern halflings travelled here from another plane.
Third age (imperial history): this is the age when tribalism began to be regarded as primitive. New rulers calling themselves emperors claim authority over the whole world. A new pantheon emerged whose members don’t need worship to sustain their divinity. The campaign setting is more developed around the year 1,023 of the third age.
Each age is characterized by a different source of divine power. Divination magic reveals that there will be a fourth age soon, though the exact time of the change is unknown. A few races claim to come from the sixty-sixth age, as does the demon prince Cyrus, but they claim that all stars in the sky will have died out.
Geography
The main continent is very linear and reaches from the north pole to the south pole, both of which are inhabited. From north to south, the main territories are the Empire of Jade, the Lower North Empire, the Empire of the First Plains, the Stone Empire and Iron Empire, Irtub’s Empire, the Southern Cross, the Valley of the Gods, the Wet Lands, the Republic of Abraxis, and the Wendigo Kingdom. Five of these places are trading partners in a coalition called the Union. Irtub’s Empire is the most recent member.
The Empire of Jade (known as Empire of Torper by outsiders who don’t know better) is located on the geographic north pole (though it isn’t cold) and mostly inhabited by humans with epicanthic folds. The emperor or empress is the Child of Heavens served by an army of eunuchs and twelve major clans (some of which are based on the Legend of the Five Rings clans). The imperial families and the samurai caste speak secret languages that are not allowed to be taught to peasants and outsiders. In general, the upper class respects divine spellcasters, is neutral toward psionic characters and looks down upon arcane spellcasters: many clans consider wizards to practice "foreigner magic" and the wu jen tradition is considered a remnant of tribal practices from the second age. After many centuries of isolationism, the empire recently conquered four of its neighbors: the Ivory Kingdom, the Naga Kingdom, the Panda Island, and the Vanara Forest. These vassal states are allowed some degree of trade with the Lower North Empire, but black powder and "dark magic" are forbidden both in the mainland and the vassal states. The Empire of Jade connects to the Lower North Empire through many chains of islands and a single land route (so small as to be omitted from most maps). On the opposite end of the Empire of Jade, the Unbowed Tribes (yobanjin) live as independent entities, yet to be vassalized or conquered. Many in the First Plains refer to the Empire of Jade’s capital as Torper and to its emperor as Tobit Paugée; most inhabitants in the Empire of Jade are not familiar with these names.
The Lower North Empire is a vast coastal realm made of a peninsula and many isles. It has a temperate climate and trades with many underwater realms. This empire has sizable elvish, human, lizardfolk, minotaur and orcish populations. It is a member of the Union. Neighbors include an independent yak-folk kingdom and some enclaved vasharan city-states.
The Empire of the First Plains has a temperate climate and a fertile ground for agriculture. Most of its territory is occupied by a gigantic mixed forest. At the height of the Saromean empire, its great cities were located in the First Plains. This is also where humans, gnomes, elves and dwarves were created, although dwarves and gnomes moved south in the first age and never returned to the north. This empire is a member of the Union.
The Stone Empire is a realm where dwarves make up the majority of the population. Its citizens are xenophobic, selfish, and greedy. They enjoy fortresses, magma traps, and levers. Their traditional attire is the great kilt. The empire spans the western half of White Mount, a gigantic mountain. It is a member of the Union.
The Iron Empire is a realm where gnomes make up the majority of the population. The empire controls the eastern half of White Mount. It is famous for its culinary arts, gunpowder, and siege engines. It allegedly abolished private property and social classes, but remains a member of the Union.
Irtub’s Empire is a landlocked desert realm ruled by a divine maharajah. When a new maharajah is crowned, they change their name to Irtub, which is also the name of the Empire’s main god. The desert that Irtub’s Empire controls is dubbed the Great Desert and passes through the equator. The north side of Irtub’s Empire borders the White Mount, the west side borders the dwarvish khaganate, the east side borders the elvish khaganate and the south side borders the Southern Cross. In the year 1,012 of the third age, Irtub’s Empire made a lasting peace deal with the Union. In 1,023, many would consider it a de facto member, though it has its own coinage.
The Southern Cross is the region that separates Irtub’s Empire from the Valley of the Gods. This place is the homeland of crucians (a race of turtle-men) and is also inhabited by some sphinxes
The Valley of the Gods is a desert realm populated by many clans and tribes of monstrous humanoids. Braxats, gnolls, harpies, harssaf, kreen, lamia, medusas, scorpionfolk, ssurans and wemics can be found here. During the first age, this valley was the place where the Great Unknown created the Saromeans, and the place where dragons breached into the material plane from the Plane of Shadow. In the third age, some of the regional clans and tribes formed a group called the Western Confederacy. As of 1,023, the Western Confederacy’s members includes the majority of harssaf clans on the plane and a few tohr-kreen tribes.
The Wet Lands are a region consisting of prairies, lakes, deserts and badlands. Some of the lakes are rather large. Inhabitants of the Wet Lands include firbolg, sharakim and southern vasharan. The Western Confederacy has been scouting the Wet Lands since the 990’s with zik-trin’ak warriors and zik-trin’ta scouts.
The Republic of Abraxis is a wealthy realm that extends from the steppes just south of the Wet Lands’ southernmost lake to the frozen plateau where the south pole is located. Thus, the Republic of Abraxis is at the geographic antipode from the Empire of Jade. To the west of the Republic, just outside its zone of control, there is a second plateau topped by a hot spring called Monkeys’ Lake. The heat from the spring made the Monkeys’ Lake’s plateau warm enough for a small tropical forest. Many tropical primates live around Monkeys’ Lake, such as blood apes and cloaked apes. About two months of travel to the west of the Monkeys’ Lake, there is an unnamed temperate forest inhabited by dinosaurs and pterrans.
North of the south pole, but in the other direction than most of the continent, the Wendigo Kingdom is an unforgiving frozen tundra that never trades with other realms. Only feys and troglodytes are extended the courtesy of a visit; explorers of other races have never seen this place with their own eyes, but some have tried divination magic with worrying results. Rumors talk of hovering humanoids with burnt stumps where their feet should be, men and women who shed their skin to reveal animalistic forms, vampiric troglodytes whose horrible stink causes deadly diseases, and worse.
Gods, pantheons and other powers
The major powers of the world are as follows:
Ambul’s Pantheon: This pantheon has three goddesses and over four male gods. Ambul (LN) became the first deity of the third age as goddess of life and death. The Guardian (N) is a goddess of meteorology and luck from the second age. Other gods are Ambul’s children: Prage (LE, god of sex), Bulessia (NG, goddess of change), Sabiel (LG, god of nobility), Fabio (LN, god of heavy artillery), Goiregrin (CN, god of theater and poetry), and others. Ambul and her children are spellfire wielders.
Galar’s Pantheon: This pantheon has merely three gods: Galar (N, god of epic levels and seals) who is a retired elder evil, Hullatoine (LE, undead god of the sun), and Xin (N, undead god of children). Hullatoine and Xin are sons of Ambul but were not part of Ambul’s pantheon because they were not born with divinity, though they are still spellfire wielders. A solar goddess and a lunar god were also part of Galar’s pantheon but are rumored to be dead; they were credited with teaching truename magic to mortals.
Irtub’s Pantheon: This pantheon has five gods: Irtub (LN, god of selfishness) who may be a former vestige, three hagunemnon goddesses of pact magic known as Rashema (N), Rua (CN) and Rysa (CN), and Avalen (LN, god of war), the latter of which is actually an anaxim.
Empire of Jade’s Pantheon: largely the same as the Rokugani pantheon after Daigotsu ascended as Champion of Jigoku. The main gods are the Ten Kami, the Seven Gods of Fortune and the elemental dragons. The elemental dragons include a Jade Dragon (secretly a benevolent aspect of Hullatoine) and an Obsidian Dragon (LN, secretly a herald of the former).
The Five Emperors: the Five Emperors are the sons and daughters of Sabiel (son of Ambul), and four of them are confirmed spellfire wielders. They are quasi-deities and can't die of old age themselves. Their descendants (house Paugée) did not inherit divine powers, but some are spellfire wielders.
The Forty-Two Planar Paragons: the planar paragons are 42 rulers from Amanauris. Planar paragon is a title; it does not denote the paragon template, though some possess the template. With some exceptions, they each rule over a different race (such as air elementals, angels, or yugoloths). Planar paragons have the power to grant divine spells if they choose to. Among these 42 rulers, noteworthy planar paragons include Abaddon (CE, fallen solar with an army of demons), Black Death (LE, devil lord of slaughters), Cyrus (CE, demon prince of time and allegedly a dragon), Dorac the Archangel (LG, lesser god of angels), Pizna (CE, princess of succubi), Sotla (NE, humanoid necromancer), Uriel the Dark Archon (LG, throne archon lord), and Us (NG, humanoid abjurer and sworn enemy of Sotla).
The Twelve Founders: Legendland, the first city of the second age, was built on the ruins of the Saromean empire’s capital. In folklore, the energies of this place are said to have attracted the twelve greatest men and women of history, and their thousands of followers. Many people consider the Twelve Founders a myth, a metaphor for achieving impossible perfection in a craft. But myth or not, Legendland is a real city. Soldiers who guard the city gates don’t allow foreigners within its walls (entry is technically allowed at a fee but the fee is so high that it dissuades all visitors) and don’t discuss the inner workings of the city. Outside of the city, there is a trading centre which doubles as a pilgrimage site. Many leylines converge on Legendland, and every year its youth travel the world as a rite of passage, but the city is guarded against divination and teleportation.
Other powers: other important powers include Barduk Aether (CN, non-deity who can shape myths into reality), the Dweller at the Threshold (N, vestige), Seth (LG, dead god of good), Tostan (NE, leader of an Athar/ur-priest cult) who is the only currently mortal son of Ambul, and Xeral-Tabec (N, dead god of war, son of another dead god named Lucius).
Magic and the supernatural
The inhabitants of this campaign setting have access to many sources of unnatural abilities. These sources vary from the magical (handled by the Spellcraft skill) to the non-magical (such as psionics).
These sources of magic have at least a few users:
Arcane magic: magic that channels creative energies. The bottom of both oceans has gates that connect to the plane of Amanauris. Raw liquid magic enters the material plane through these oceanic gates and permeates the ecosystem. To regain their daily allotment of spells, an arcane spellcaster must typically rest 8 hours to accumulate enough liquid magic for their spells. Ambient magic "snowballs" whenever a spell is cast. Places with no ecosystem may develop into dead magic zones, where no spell can be prepared or cast and where accessing other planes becomes nigh-impossible (entering a zone does not discharge spell slots or prepared spells, but they become unusable from lack of energy).
Chaos magic: this is a lost tradition that never achieved significance. This form of magic shouldn’t exist according to classical theories and most scholars still doubt its existence. In the first age, one vasharan woman discovered chaos magic. It consumed her, but she had the time to teach her discovery to an elf ur-priest. Chaos magic was passed through the ages but there were never more than ten practitioners in the world at any given time. Those who follow this path risk no less than their immortal soul. A few chaos mages in the third age believe that the Multiverse and the souls were themselves provoked by chaos magic. As all chaos spells are temporary, these chaos mages believe that a soul lost to chaos magic merely reverted to its original inert state. They believe that other souls are also destined to be temporary.
Divine magic: the magic of faith. Some claim that everyone possesses a window to their soul on Anima (the setting’s version of the astral plane). When someone dies, this is the window by which the soul leaves the body and enters Anima. The window of a living person cannot be interacted with, but is what divine spellcasters use to regain their spells. If a divine spellcaster has a patron god, their divine magic comes from their god (the window to the god's soul emits raw divine energy that reaches the window to the worshipper’s soul). The patron deity discloses divine spells for the caster to choose from, and provides divine energy to cast them (archivists only receive divine energy). A deity can grant less than a daily allotment of spells, or even refuse to grant any spell to a worshipper, but cannot revoke a spell that has already been granted. Some divine spellcasters worship many gods. In this case, each patron deity decides on their own terms if the spellcaster is worth the investment. Divine spellcasters who worship no god in particular instead draw on the ambient energies of Anima. They answer to no one for their divine spells, but need a general description of the spells they wish to prepare. All divine magic requires an access to Anima (the astral plane) to draw divine energy, and enough raw magic in the environment to "snowball" the effect. Dead magic zones prevent divine magic, just as they prevent arcane magic.
Incarnum: this is the magic of souls. No pronounciation or waiving of hand is required to use it, because souls communicate empathically. A meldshaper draws souls from the Bastion of Soul and binds them to their body, producing what the common folk nickname heavy magic (from the incorrect assumption that soulmelds have a weight). A meldshaper retains their soulmelds in a naturally-occuring dead magic zone (not in an antimagic field), but cannot meld new soulmelds in these places since dead magic zones restrict access to other planes.
Infusions: infusions (such as those possessed by an artificer) function like arcane magic, and typically require 8 hours of rest as well. Infusions don’t work in dead magic zones.
Pact magic: two traditions of pact magic are known, but both involve binding entities outside of the Multiverse as we know it. One tradition binds vestiges; the other tradition binds spirits. Unlike soulmelds, vestiges and spirits constantly draw energy from their surroundings and a binder loses all granted abilities in a dead magic zone (though they don’t lose the pact early). Pacts cannot be performed there, either.
Shadow magic: a lesser-known form of magic (most characters aren't actually aware that there is a Plane of Shadow). This category is similar to arcane magic, but distinct. A shadowcaster's shadow becomes like an organ to them. When the shadowcaster rests for 8 hours, their shadow draws liquid magic from the Plane of Shadow. On the Material Plane (or any plane coexistent with the Plane of Shadow), shadow magic works even in a dead magic zone unless the zone exists on both planes. On the Plane of Shadow (and non-coexistent planes that connect to the Plane of Shadow indirectly), shadow magic works like arcane magic and requires ambient magic. Shadow magic doesn't work on planes that are fully cut off from the rest of the planes, but few planes really are.
Shadow Weave magic: unlike Abeir-Toril, the setting contains enough magic in its ecosystem to cast spells without a Weave or Shadow Weave, so the notion of "Shadow Weave" magic seems strange. Instead, the feat "Shadow Weave magic" is refluffed as a Goju secret lore to weave the power of Nothing into their magic. Coincidentally, this magic is compatible with magic drawn from the Shadow Weave on Abeir-Toril. This is not to be confused with shadow magic, which draws from the Plane of Shadow.
Spellfire: raw liquid magic, unshaped by spells and components. While all arcane and divine spellcasters need liquid magic to fuel their spells, it takes a special gift to wield its pure form, spellfire. This gift is inheritable; according to folk beliefs, it indicates descent from the First Lich, whose name (Vralroth) is almost forgotten. Some members of house Paugée wield spellfire while others don’t (the probability seems to be affected by birth order). While the Paugée were not the only family to wield spellfire, this gift is unheard of in non-noble families.
Truename magic: an ancient type of magic (rediscovered by two gods in the second age) which does not draw energy from anywhere and does not connect to other planes. On one hand, it ignores natural dead magic zones (but not antimagic fields). On the other hand, truename magic is considered a silly tradition because it requires a lifetime of study to master and the results are not as impressive as other forms of magic. Worshippers of Seth (a dead god), nezumi shamans and allegedly the Kolat cling to truename magic and keep this old tradition alive from master to apprentice (truespeak cannot be self-learned).
These unnatural abilities are not considered "magical" (they are not handled by the Spellcraft skill). They work in natural dead magic zones, but not in antimagic fields:
Life sensitivity: one person in a million is sensitive to the flows of positive energy that permeate the Multiverse. These people use their life force to produce effects broadly similar to psionics: extrasensory perception, lightning, telekinesis, etc. In life-sensitive people, their vital energy becomes influenced by their emotions. As a creative force, positive energy is difficult but powerful. Anger and hatred sway positive energy into a destructive force, which wrecks the user’s own body.
Mutant abilities: a few mythical heroes were born with a strange power that draws from their own body (but not their vital energy). Mutant abilities don't fit in the other categories and tend to be accompanied by a deformity or two. Mutant heroes outperform their non-mutant peers in non-magical prowesses, and develop many strange abilities, but always lack talent for proper magic or psionics. Mutants have no conscious control over which abilities will develop, and cannot teach non-mutants to become mutants.
Psionics: the power of the mind. This power source is considered just as versatile as magic (due to psionic artificers and spell-to-power erudites). Standard magic/psionic transparency tends to apply (counterspells, dispels and psionic/spell resistance are interchangeable). Powers that interact with power points and powers known (Apopsi, Assimilate, Metaconcert, Psychic Surgery, etc.) don't affect spellcasters. Also, a dead magic zone is not necessarily a dead psionic zone although they tend to overlap.
Sublime Way: during the early years of the second age, dwarves, elves and gnomes each created three schools of martial arts which became collectively known as the Nine Swords. Their proud and pragmatic cultures value flashy combat maneuvers to perform from memory, in contrast to humans’ preference for combat styles which allow more flexibility. Exchange of maneuvers and styles between individuals of different races was encouraged by two human gods, Lucius and his son Xeral-Tabec. Nowadays, previous racial preferences were relegated to tendencies: there are many human warblades, and many elvish fighters.
Subpsionics: the power of the subconscious mind. Many Saromeans of the first age had psionic abilities. While this divine race was incapable of feeling positive emotions, they could feel fear, and felt it when they realized that their extinction was coming. Their death did not fully disperse their psionic energy as the elder evils had hoped. Unlike regular manifesters who draw power from their own conscious mind, subpsionic manifesters use their subconscious mind to draw power from the Saromeans’ primal fear and anger toward their creator and toward the elder evils. The vasharans were the mortal race closest to Saromeans and the first mortals to develop subpsionics. Despite their resentment for other races, vasharans could only keep subpsionics a racial secret for a couple generations. By the end of the second age, any race could learn subpsionics (although few would willingly tap into the nightmares of dead gods as a source of power).
Void: often considered a fifth element, Void (or Akasha) is that which holds elements together. A few races are intimately tied to the Void and have the power to change their own fate through Determination. These races, that is to say "osroth" humans, kitsu, and Shinomen nagas, are the races of the Void. Some other races, such as most feys, require the Void in order to exist but do not hold the power to control it. They are races from the Void.
These things are abilities, items or cosmological assumptions of the setting:
Alchemy: this is the science of understanding, deconstructing and reconstructing matter. Most forms of alchemy create items (mundane or magical) or modify creatures. Common forms of alchemy include the Craft (alchemy) skill, potion-brewing, or life-shaping.
Alignment: even commoners of simple mind know that chaos and law, good and evil objectively exist. Detecting people’s alignment is one of the first tricks taught to young divine spellcasters. Having a chaotic or evil aura is considered shameful in many and most cultures respectively, so many characters follow moral guidelines to stop themselves from being outright chaotic or evil. The Multiverse seems to keep track of a person’s true alignment even if they perform actions in a dead magic zone or ward themselves against Divination. It appears that souls retain their alignment even after death. Outsiders from Amanauris can almost only harvest souls sharing the same alignment as them, and this is part of their ecosystem. Other souls can only be taken with restrictions (usually the soul’s consent prior to death).
Astrology: for aeons, many scholars studied the pattern of stars in the sky. The position of the stars at the time of someone’s birth can reveal their personal truename and other information. By studying the stars, some astrologers can predict the birth of a person with specific birthmarks (see below). Stars and constellations are also associated with a number of spells, though no unified theory can fully explain the mysteries of astrology.
Birthmarks: most birthmarks are ordinary and meaningless, though some citizens of the Stone Empire are born with strange birthmarks that grant magical powers. This phenomenon may be related to a local overuse of magic seals, because magical birthmarks are very rare elsewhere. Some astrologers can predict the occurence of specific birthmarks, magical or not.
Blood magic: trace amounts of raw liquid magic can be found anywhere in the ecosystem. In the second age, some mortal tribes learned to draw arcane magic from blood. This ability might have been discovered by vasharans first but it soon passed to other races. The group most gifted at blood magic was the Isawa tribe, which existed prior to the Empire of Jade. Blood magic always had an affinity with the taint of evil (see Taint, below), but the Isawa tribe was protected by the power of seven demigods (the Seven Gods of Fortune). After the Empire of Jade was founded, the Seven Gods of Fortune stretched their power over too large an area. For a thousand years, blood magic (maho) was reviled because it tainted its users (see Taint, below). There are also weaker but safer forms of blood magic.
Crossbreeding: wizards (and wizard class variants) with access to the transmutation school can use rituals to merge two or more creatures (potentially including themselves) into a hybrid creatures with traits from each progenitors (unlike alchemy, which modifies one creature at a time). Hybrids with the same racial traits breed true. When a crossbreeding ritual is performed on progenitors that cannot mate without magic (such as owls and bears), the hybrid is a new species and cannot mate with its progenitors.
Earthblood: many gods of the second age died from being deprived of worshippers. Their blood produced bloodnodes and earthflows. A few gods also produce a bloodnode after suffering a major injury, even if they survive. These places could overlap with a dead magic zone in rare cases.
Elder Evils: near the end of the first age, the God above gods created eleven elder evils. Their task was to kill the Saromeans. When they were finished, each turned to their own purposes. The elder evil Galar became a deity, others slept until they would be needed again, and others yet plan to end the Saromean legacy forever by killing the gods of the second and third age. They do not hate mortal races but still have no desire to protect them (except Korozales, who sought to protect her mortal lover until his betrayal). There are also other elder evils not created by the God above gods, and which do hate mortals.
Elements: the elements are believed to be the primal forces of magic. At the beginning of the second age, mortal races other than dragons adopted a system of five magical elements (Air, Fire, Metal, Water and Wood). This was an accepted tradition until plane-travelling halflings imported a new system of four magical elements (Air, Earth, Fire, Water). The Empire of Jade adopted the halfling elements and added Void and Taint as the fifth and sixth elements, respectively. Alchemists believe that the magical elements represent the "pure forms" of matter (solid, liquid, gas, etc.), but that matter is composed of "pure substances" such as specific metals. There is a global undertaking to discover the pure substances and rank them by melting point and density.
Energies: during the first age, dragons believed in a confusing taxonomy of magic based on colors. Dragons have a broader visible spectrum than humans so the name of some colors is untranslatable from draconic. After interacting with Saromeans for thousands of years and witnessing the rise of humanity, dragons reconsidered their old taxonomy. Since the second age, they believe in five primal energies (acid, cold, electricity, fire and sound), working together to create all arcane magic.
Familiars: to the common folk, a familiar is the first thing (short of casting spells) that indicates that someone is an arcane caster. Indeed, many arcane casters develop an empathic link with a wild animal, and from then on it becomes their familiar. The exchange of raw magic between master and familiar provides the former with physical qualities and the latter with a sapient mind. Some casters learn this ability later in life, while others (such as most dragons) apparently never do. Familiars are an unconscious display of arcane magic, far from the sophistication of arcane spells. Even some warlocks have a familiar despite their inability to cast proper spells.
Fate and luck: commoners believe in fate and luck to an extent: they think some parts of the future are predetermined and other parts whimsical. They also hope to benefit from that whimsicality. Some spells seem to predict the future, but these predictions are often incomplete if not outright mistaken. Some people believe that the future and past are distinct from the present, and would describe them almost as places. Notably, Cyrus the demon prince of time issued propaganda claiming that he is a time-traveller from the sixty-sixth age. This was long believed to be an outrageous lie until giths and mind flayers emerged in the third age and gave credence to Cyrus’s claims.
Leylines and nodes: when liquid magic crosses the ecosystem, it does so in an ordered fashion. Flows of liquid magic form leylines, and pools of magic provoke earth nodes, evil nodes and sometimes shadow nodes (shadow nodes only appear in areas where shadow weave magic is used). A leyline or node may never be a dead magic zone (but may be a dead psionic zone). These nodes are not related to bloodnodes created by earthblood, though their area can overlap.
Paragons: a paragon is an individual who exemplifies the best qualities of his species. Some are people who take levels in a paragon class, while others possess the paragon template (either obtaining it as an adult or inheriting it from two paragon parents). A few times in history, a great hero was born with the paragon template from two normal parents. While alive, this bloodline founder passes on the paragon template to all descendants. When the bloodline founder dies, further descendants cease to inherit the template. As of the third age, the last recorded bloodline founder was Urmul Naazghul from the Empire of Jade. Naazghul was the third child of the samurai Urmul and a part-dragon mother.
Planes: the people of this setting generally know three planes: Divinosis (a material plane), Anima (an astral plane not connected to the Great Wheel) and Amanauris (a plane that provides raw liquid magic and is inhabited by many races of elementals and outsiders). A few scholars are aware that Divinosis is coexistent and coterminous with Ethera (an ethereal plane) and the Plane of Shadow, both of which connect with other cosmologies. The Empire of Jade knows a few other planes (which they call spirit realms) that lie beyond the ethereal plane, including a plane of dream. Finally, Divinosis connects to many demiplanes which can only be accessed by specific locations and which to date remain largely unexplored by mortals: Akar (an endless sea); the Century Cubes (Extra-dimensional World of 1001 Century Cubes, home to Irtub’s pantheon and allegedly to the Great Unknown); the City of 14119 retainers (home to Ambul’s pantheon); Jeremy’s 4th-dimensional Dumpsite (home to Galar’s pantheon as of the third age); and possibly others. There are also countless regular demiplanes which can be accessed from any location, of course.
Seals: some two-dimensional forms can store and release liquid magic. Many of these forms are known, and both traditions of pact magic require seals to function. Wizards, wu jen and archivists also use seals to write down their spells. Other seals are the result of an active spell (like symbol of death) and others yet place magical enhancements on items without requiring experience points or spellcasting knowledge. Each arcane caster also knows one seal unique to them known as their wizen sigil (idea taken from Of Sages and Sorcerers by Alfred E. Bonnabel IV). The caster can perfectly scribe their wizen sigil, and other characters can attempt to copy it with a Forgery check. A caster has a 5% chance by (real, not effective) caster level to receive a mental ping when their wizen sigil is used by someone else, but they do not automatically know where or by whom.
Sethite magic: this ability is reserved to some divine casters with Seth (LG dead god of good) as their patron deity. It replaces their ability to prepare or cast divine spells. Instead, they can produce spell-like effects on the fly using divine energy (which has a chance of failure). Sethite magic is quite rare, even for the clerics of Seth. (Note: I didn’t write a full subsystem yet. It’s only a plot device for now.)
Souls and afterlife: Souls normally have three possible states: their mortal form, the outsider (or petitioner) form they adopt after the death of their mortal form, or dormancy (when both forms are dead or don’t yet exist). When a mortal dies, their inert soul passes to Anima within a few rounds (see Planes, above). At best, a greater god will notice the soul of a faithful worshipper and make them a petitioner who retains partial memories (but not the experience) of their former life. Other strong-willed souls refuse to accept their death and manage to return as free-willed undead or deathless. But it is more likely that the soul will not be reclaimed and will linger on Anima for many years. Outsiders from Amanauris can harvest lost souls of their alignment to make more of their kind. These souls turned outsiders retain only the alignment and personality of their mortal existence, but not memory or experience. The mortal form may still be resurrected if the soul agrees to it, but this kills the outsider form (resurrecting a dead outsider kills their mortal form too, if applicable). The choice to be resurrected depends on the soul's personality and which form it "prefers". When making that choice, the soul compares the memories of the mortal and outsider forms; but these forms have distinct memories for all other purposes. Animating an undead functions as a forced resurrection: the soul is forcefully pulled from whichever form it occupies (killing that form) and trapped in its undead state (a process akin to slavery). Until that undead is destroyed, the other form cannot be resurrected. Every so often, a young outsider from Amanauris dies because a necromancer animates a skeleton or other undead. As a security measure, older outsiders don’t attempt to discover their mortal identity, in case this knowledge falls in their enemies’ hands.
Spells, incantations and invocations: the most common form of magic is spellcasting. A spell can be thought of as a device which uses raw magic or divine energy as its fuel. Arcane spellcasters accumulate raw magic when they sleep and divine spellcasters accumulate divine energy when they pray. After accumulating, prepared casters visualize the seal for each spell and fuel each of them with raw magic or divine energy as appropriate. Spontaneous casters have the seals imprinted in their body and mind, so they fuel their spells at the time of casting. At the moment of casting, a spell reveals its verbal and somatic components (mantras and hand seals) as sudden fits of inspiration. Therefore, spell components are instructed by the spell and only serve as catalysts for the spell’s effect; spellcasters can learn to avoid some of them. Though the actual hand seals do not change, divine spells (using divine energy) only need an approximate rendering of them and arcane spells (using raw magic) need a precise rendering, which explains arcane spell failure chance. Incantations are similar to spells but far simpler to use: accumulation, visualization and casting are performed at the same time. Both spells and incantations can be scribed down (as seals) and taught to others. Invocations combine the accumulation and casting phases but have no visualization phase, because there are no seals for them. Instead, invocations are grafted on the caster’s soul by another entity (such as a dragon, fiend, or fey lord). This makes invocations impossible to write down.
Taint: the taint of evil is an infection of the body and soul which manifests itself as corruption and depravity. In the Empire of Jade, taint has existed in some form for a thousand years and is considered a sixth element (albeit one which should be avoided). But the true nature of taint is as a spiritual link with evil-aligned planes. Taint is gained from interacting with tainted items or places, using taint abilities, casting or being targeted by a maho spell (see Blood magic, above), or failing a binding check with a spirit (but not with a vestige). Of course, most evil characters do not become tainted. Despite also connecting to evil planes, corrupt spells and spells with the Evil descriptor do not have the correct composure to provoke taint (ie. they lack a blood component). Monsters with the Evil or Shadowlands subtype have an innate taint score and do not accrue taint; this is also the case for undead from an evil race (such as ghouls or zombies), whether or not the individual is evil. They have no symptoms and thus no extra feats. Undead from a good or neutral race (such as ghosts) begin play with no taint score and suffer the normal consequences for accruing taint. Unique undead (like liches) use their alignment at creation.
Technology: in d20 modern terms, most cultures of the third age are progress level 2 (middle age). The Empire of Jade, the Iron Empire and the Republic of Abraxis are progress level 3 (age of reason). Cutting-edge technology from these places, while extremely expensive, could reach progress level 4 (industrial age). The first age varied between progress level 0 and 1 but never developed metallurgy, while the second age varied between 1 and 2. Many anomalies exist but their workings are lost: Dantalion’s empire in the second age was progress level 4, a few extraterrestrial civilizations are progress level 6 (fusion age), and some illithid artifacts appear to be progress level 9 (age of singularity). Occasionally, advanced devices can be magical (eg. +1 musket) but they are no more or less likely to be than other devices. So this is not a magitech setting. The availability of magic significantly reduces the necessity for advanced technology.
Utterances and recitations: truenamers produce effects by speaking directly to the Multiverse, using the true name of things. Sadly, the intricacies of Truespeak make the language hard to pronounce and impossible to write down, because Truespeak was never intended for mortals. Therefore, all utterances and recitations must be spoken from memory (or through magic items that can speak). Mute characters cannot speak utterances or recitations.
Index
Basic postulates/schtick
Summary of History
Geography
Gods, pantheons and other powers
Magic and the supernatural
Races of the setting
Deviations from the rules as written
My personal list of approved content for my campaigns and setting NPCs
So you want to make an adventurer
Detailled Timeline
(https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=25219015&postcount=2)
Setting-Specific Races and Templates (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=25219017&postcount=3)
Basic postulates/schtick
Magic is abundant. Spellcasters create new spells as they need, and a handful of people in the world can craft epic spells. With proper skill and funding, magic can do anything and that includes changing race using the rules from Savage Species.
Deities are actively involved in politics and many demigods live on the material plane.
The rest works more or less as it should. The GM interprets the rules as if they were self-consistent, which rules out: drown-healing, kobolds taking epic feats, monks using the fighter bonus feats ACF for feats they don’t qualify for, shuffling elf proficiencies, stacking contingencies, traps that don’t target creatures, etc. Optimized builds are possible within the rules as intended.
In this campaign setting, anything that a player can do in D&D can also be done by NPC (as individuals). Many NPC achieved epic levels, divine ranks and so on. The setting more or less acknowledges three degrees of power:
The vast majority are ordinary mortal people. They possess no divine rank and cannot exceed level 20.
Epic-level characters with no divine rank. They are the great heroes or villains of history, legends and fairy tales. Some of them killed gods. In-universe, leveling up higher than level 20 has additional requirements than experience points.
People with divine ranks, or gods. In this setting, most gods are symbiotically linked to their worshippers by granting divine magic in exchange for worship. They have a portfolio (eg. love) and an extrasensory perception of its important events, but their power level is on the weak end of what is described in Deities & Demigods. Since their divine abilities make most fights superfluous, they don’t gain xp. They don't have utter mastery of their portfolio: it's possible to win a war against a god of war, and mortal scholars are not entirely sure why.
Some entities fall out of these categories: Elder Evils, paragons, vestiges, etc. Oral traditions mention a God above gods ("the Great Unknown"), but some people jokingly reply that the Great Unknown could have its god too.
Summary of History
The history of the world unfolded in three ages:
First age (prehistory): a civilization of gods (the Saromeans) lived on the Material Plane. As their power grew, they became more ambitious. A god created humans and bestowed on them the gift of Determination. Three other gods created dwarves, elves and gnomes with the gift of Pride. This is the age when dragons came to this setting from another plane. The Great Unknown intervened exactly twice in history: first to create the Saromeans, then to create eleven Elder Evils who killed the Saromeans. None of the gods were left alive, but the mortal races were.
Second age (tribal history): the blood of dead Saromeans transformed the ecosystem, and allowed some mortals to achieve epic levels or godhood. The gods of this age fed on the worship of mortals and sought to increase the availability of their sustenance. To this end, they built great cities and created many new races, such as goblins and orcs. This is the longest period of history and the period when the ancestors of modern halflings travelled here from another plane.
Third age (imperial history): this is the age when tribalism began to be regarded as primitive. New rulers calling themselves emperors claim authority over the whole world. A new pantheon emerged whose members don’t need worship to sustain their divinity. The campaign setting is more developed around the year 1,023 of the third age.
Each age is characterized by a different source of divine power. Divination magic reveals that there will be a fourth age soon, though the exact time of the change is unknown. A few races claim to come from the sixty-sixth age, as does the demon prince Cyrus, but they claim that all stars in the sky will have died out.
Geography
The main continent is very linear and reaches from the north pole to the south pole, both of which are inhabited. From north to south, the main territories are the Empire of Jade, the Lower North Empire, the Empire of the First Plains, the Stone Empire and Iron Empire, Irtub’s Empire, the Southern Cross, the Valley of the Gods, the Wet Lands, the Republic of Abraxis, and the Wendigo Kingdom. Five of these places are trading partners in a coalition called the Union. Irtub’s Empire is the most recent member.
The Empire of Jade (known as Empire of Torper by outsiders who don’t know better) is located on the geographic north pole (though it isn’t cold) and mostly inhabited by humans with epicanthic folds. The emperor or empress is the Child of Heavens served by an army of eunuchs and twelve major clans (some of which are based on the Legend of the Five Rings clans). The imperial families and the samurai caste speak secret languages that are not allowed to be taught to peasants and outsiders. In general, the upper class respects divine spellcasters, is neutral toward psionic characters and looks down upon arcane spellcasters: many clans consider wizards to practice "foreigner magic" and the wu jen tradition is considered a remnant of tribal practices from the second age. After many centuries of isolationism, the empire recently conquered four of its neighbors: the Ivory Kingdom, the Naga Kingdom, the Panda Island, and the Vanara Forest. These vassal states are allowed some degree of trade with the Lower North Empire, but black powder and "dark magic" are forbidden both in the mainland and the vassal states. The Empire of Jade connects to the Lower North Empire through many chains of islands and a single land route (so small as to be omitted from most maps). On the opposite end of the Empire of Jade, the Unbowed Tribes (yobanjin) live as independent entities, yet to be vassalized or conquered. Many in the First Plains refer to the Empire of Jade’s capital as Torper and to its emperor as Tobit Paugée; most inhabitants in the Empire of Jade are not familiar with these names.
The Lower North Empire is a vast coastal realm made of a peninsula and many isles. It has a temperate climate and trades with many underwater realms. This empire has sizable elvish, human, lizardfolk, minotaur and orcish populations. It is a member of the Union. Neighbors include an independent yak-folk kingdom and some enclaved vasharan city-states.
The Empire of the First Plains has a temperate climate and a fertile ground for agriculture. Most of its territory is occupied by a gigantic mixed forest. At the height of the Saromean empire, its great cities were located in the First Plains. This is also where humans, gnomes, elves and dwarves were created, although dwarves and gnomes moved south in the first age and never returned to the north. This empire is a member of the Union.
The Stone Empire is a realm where dwarves make up the majority of the population. Its citizens are xenophobic, selfish, and greedy. They enjoy fortresses, magma traps, and levers. Their traditional attire is the great kilt. The empire spans the western half of White Mount, a gigantic mountain. It is a member of the Union.
The Iron Empire is a realm where gnomes make up the majority of the population. The empire controls the eastern half of White Mount. It is famous for its culinary arts, gunpowder, and siege engines. It allegedly abolished private property and social classes, but remains a member of the Union.
Irtub’s Empire is a landlocked desert realm ruled by a divine maharajah. When a new maharajah is crowned, they change their name to Irtub, which is also the name of the Empire’s main god. The desert that Irtub’s Empire controls is dubbed the Great Desert and passes through the equator. The north side of Irtub’s Empire borders the White Mount, the west side borders the dwarvish khaganate, the east side borders the elvish khaganate and the south side borders the Southern Cross. In the year 1,012 of the third age, Irtub’s Empire made a lasting peace deal with the Union. In 1,023, many would consider it a de facto member, though it has its own coinage.
The Southern Cross is the region that separates Irtub’s Empire from the Valley of the Gods. This place is the homeland of crucians (a race of turtle-men) and is also inhabited by some sphinxes
The Valley of the Gods is a desert realm populated by many clans and tribes of monstrous humanoids. Braxats, gnolls, harpies, harssaf, kreen, lamia, medusas, scorpionfolk, ssurans and wemics can be found here. During the first age, this valley was the place where the Great Unknown created the Saromeans, and the place where dragons breached into the material plane from the Plane of Shadow. In the third age, some of the regional clans and tribes formed a group called the Western Confederacy. As of 1,023, the Western Confederacy’s members includes the majority of harssaf clans on the plane and a few tohr-kreen tribes.
The Wet Lands are a region consisting of prairies, lakes, deserts and badlands. Some of the lakes are rather large. Inhabitants of the Wet Lands include firbolg, sharakim and southern vasharan. The Western Confederacy has been scouting the Wet Lands since the 990’s with zik-trin’ak warriors and zik-trin’ta scouts.
The Republic of Abraxis is a wealthy realm that extends from the steppes just south of the Wet Lands’ southernmost lake to the frozen plateau where the south pole is located. Thus, the Republic of Abraxis is at the geographic antipode from the Empire of Jade. To the west of the Republic, just outside its zone of control, there is a second plateau topped by a hot spring called Monkeys’ Lake. The heat from the spring made the Monkeys’ Lake’s plateau warm enough for a small tropical forest. Many tropical primates live around Monkeys’ Lake, such as blood apes and cloaked apes. About two months of travel to the west of the Monkeys’ Lake, there is an unnamed temperate forest inhabited by dinosaurs and pterrans.
North of the south pole, but in the other direction than most of the continent, the Wendigo Kingdom is an unforgiving frozen tundra that never trades with other realms. Only feys and troglodytes are extended the courtesy of a visit; explorers of other races have never seen this place with their own eyes, but some have tried divination magic with worrying results. Rumors talk of hovering humanoids with burnt stumps where their feet should be, men and women who shed their skin to reveal animalistic forms, vampiric troglodytes whose horrible stink causes deadly diseases, and worse.
Gods, pantheons and other powers
The major powers of the world are as follows:
Ambul’s Pantheon: This pantheon has three goddesses and over four male gods. Ambul (LN) became the first deity of the third age as goddess of life and death. The Guardian (N) is a goddess of meteorology and luck from the second age. Other gods are Ambul’s children: Prage (LE, god of sex), Bulessia (NG, goddess of change), Sabiel (LG, god of nobility), Fabio (LN, god of heavy artillery), Goiregrin (CN, god of theater and poetry), and others. Ambul and her children are spellfire wielders.
Galar’s Pantheon: This pantheon has merely three gods: Galar (N, god of epic levels and seals) who is a retired elder evil, Hullatoine (LE, undead god of the sun), and Xin (N, undead god of children). Hullatoine and Xin are sons of Ambul but were not part of Ambul’s pantheon because they were not born with divinity, though they are still spellfire wielders. A solar goddess and a lunar god were also part of Galar’s pantheon but are rumored to be dead; they were credited with teaching truename magic to mortals.
Irtub’s Pantheon: This pantheon has five gods: Irtub (LN, god of selfishness) who may be a former vestige, three hagunemnon goddesses of pact magic known as Rashema (N), Rua (CN) and Rysa (CN), and Avalen (LN, god of war), the latter of which is actually an anaxim.
Empire of Jade’s Pantheon: largely the same as the Rokugani pantheon after Daigotsu ascended as Champion of Jigoku. The main gods are the Ten Kami, the Seven Gods of Fortune and the elemental dragons. The elemental dragons include a Jade Dragon (secretly a benevolent aspect of Hullatoine) and an Obsidian Dragon (LN, secretly a herald of the former).
The Five Emperors: the Five Emperors are the sons and daughters of Sabiel (son of Ambul), and four of them are confirmed spellfire wielders. They are quasi-deities and can't die of old age themselves. Their descendants (house Paugée) did not inherit divine powers, but some are spellfire wielders.
The Forty-Two Planar Paragons: the planar paragons are 42 rulers from Amanauris. Planar paragon is a title; it does not denote the paragon template, though some possess the template. With some exceptions, they each rule over a different race (such as air elementals, angels, or yugoloths). Planar paragons have the power to grant divine spells if they choose to. Among these 42 rulers, noteworthy planar paragons include Abaddon (CE, fallen solar with an army of demons), Black Death (LE, devil lord of slaughters), Cyrus (CE, demon prince of time and allegedly a dragon), Dorac the Archangel (LG, lesser god of angels), Pizna (CE, princess of succubi), Sotla (NE, humanoid necromancer), Uriel the Dark Archon (LG, throne archon lord), and Us (NG, humanoid abjurer and sworn enemy of Sotla).
The Twelve Founders: Legendland, the first city of the second age, was built on the ruins of the Saromean empire’s capital. In folklore, the energies of this place are said to have attracted the twelve greatest men and women of history, and their thousands of followers. Many people consider the Twelve Founders a myth, a metaphor for achieving impossible perfection in a craft. But myth or not, Legendland is a real city. Soldiers who guard the city gates don’t allow foreigners within its walls (entry is technically allowed at a fee but the fee is so high that it dissuades all visitors) and don’t discuss the inner workings of the city. Outside of the city, there is a trading centre which doubles as a pilgrimage site. Many leylines converge on Legendland, and every year its youth travel the world as a rite of passage, but the city is guarded against divination and teleportation.
Other powers: other important powers include Barduk Aether (CN, non-deity who can shape myths into reality), the Dweller at the Threshold (N, vestige), Seth (LG, dead god of good), Tostan (NE, leader of an Athar/ur-priest cult) who is the only currently mortal son of Ambul, and Xeral-Tabec (N, dead god of war, son of another dead god named Lucius).
Magic and the supernatural
The inhabitants of this campaign setting have access to many sources of unnatural abilities. These sources vary from the magical (handled by the Spellcraft skill) to the non-magical (such as psionics).
These sources of magic have at least a few users:
Arcane magic: magic that channels creative energies. The bottom of both oceans has gates that connect to the plane of Amanauris. Raw liquid magic enters the material plane through these oceanic gates and permeates the ecosystem. To regain their daily allotment of spells, an arcane spellcaster must typically rest 8 hours to accumulate enough liquid magic for their spells. Ambient magic "snowballs" whenever a spell is cast. Places with no ecosystem may develop into dead magic zones, where no spell can be prepared or cast and where accessing other planes becomes nigh-impossible (entering a zone does not discharge spell slots or prepared spells, but they become unusable from lack of energy).
Chaos magic: this is a lost tradition that never achieved significance. This form of magic shouldn’t exist according to classical theories and most scholars still doubt its existence. In the first age, one vasharan woman discovered chaos magic. It consumed her, but she had the time to teach her discovery to an elf ur-priest. Chaos magic was passed through the ages but there were never more than ten practitioners in the world at any given time. Those who follow this path risk no less than their immortal soul. A few chaos mages in the third age believe that the Multiverse and the souls were themselves provoked by chaos magic. As all chaos spells are temporary, these chaos mages believe that a soul lost to chaos magic merely reverted to its original inert state. They believe that other souls are also destined to be temporary.
Divine magic: the magic of faith. Some claim that everyone possesses a window to their soul on Anima (the setting’s version of the astral plane). When someone dies, this is the window by which the soul leaves the body and enters Anima. The window of a living person cannot be interacted with, but is what divine spellcasters use to regain their spells. If a divine spellcaster has a patron god, their divine magic comes from their god (the window to the god's soul emits raw divine energy that reaches the window to the worshipper’s soul). The patron deity discloses divine spells for the caster to choose from, and provides divine energy to cast them (archivists only receive divine energy). A deity can grant less than a daily allotment of spells, or even refuse to grant any spell to a worshipper, but cannot revoke a spell that has already been granted. Some divine spellcasters worship many gods. In this case, each patron deity decides on their own terms if the spellcaster is worth the investment. Divine spellcasters who worship no god in particular instead draw on the ambient energies of Anima. They answer to no one for their divine spells, but need a general description of the spells they wish to prepare. All divine magic requires an access to Anima (the astral plane) to draw divine energy, and enough raw magic in the environment to "snowball" the effect. Dead magic zones prevent divine magic, just as they prevent arcane magic.
Incarnum: this is the magic of souls. No pronounciation or waiving of hand is required to use it, because souls communicate empathically. A meldshaper draws souls from the Bastion of Soul and binds them to their body, producing what the common folk nickname heavy magic (from the incorrect assumption that soulmelds have a weight). A meldshaper retains their soulmelds in a naturally-occuring dead magic zone (not in an antimagic field), but cannot meld new soulmelds in these places since dead magic zones restrict access to other planes.
Infusions: infusions (such as those possessed by an artificer) function like arcane magic, and typically require 8 hours of rest as well. Infusions don’t work in dead magic zones.
Pact magic: two traditions of pact magic are known, but both involve binding entities outside of the Multiverse as we know it. One tradition binds vestiges; the other tradition binds spirits. Unlike soulmelds, vestiges and spirits constantly draw energy from their surroundings and a binder loses all granted abilities in a dead magic zone (though they don’t lose the pact early). Pacts cannot be performed there, either.
Shadow magic: a lesser-known form of magic (most characters aren't actually aware that there is a Plane of Shadow). This category is similar to arcane magic, but distinct. A shadowcaster's shadow becomes like an organ to them. When the shadowcaster rests for 8 hours, their shadow draws liquid magic from the Plane of Shadow. On the Material Plane (or any plane coexistent with the Plane of Shadow), shadow magic works even in a dead magic zone unless the zone exists on both planes. On the Plane of Shadow (and non-coexistent planes that connect to the Plane of Shadow indirectly), shadow magic works like arcane magic and requires ambient magic. Shadow magic doesn't work on planes that are fully cut off from the rest of the planes, but few planes really are.
Shadow Weave magic: unlike Abeir-Toril, the setting contains enough magic in its ecosystem to cast spells without a Weave or Shadow Weave, so the notion of "Shadow Weave" magic seems strange. Instead, the feat "Shadow Weave magic" is refluffed as a Goju secret lore to weave the power of Nothing into their magic. Coincidentally, this magic is compatible with magic drawn from the Shadow Weave on Abeir-Toril. This is not to be confused with shadow magic, which draws from the Plane of Shadow.
Spellfire: raw liquid magic, unshaped by spells and components. While all arcane and divine spellcasters need liquid magic to fuel their spells, it takes a special gift to wield its pure form, spellfire. This gift is inheritable; according to folk beliefs, it indicates descent from the First Lich, whose name (Vralroth) is almost forgotten. Some members of house Paugée wield spellfire while others don’t (the probability seems to be affected by birth order). While the Paugée were not the only family to wield spellfire, this gift is unheard of in non-noble families.
Truename magic: an ancient type of magic (rediscovered by two gods in the second age) which does not draw energy from anywhere and does not connect to other planes. On one hand, it ignores natural dead magic zones (but not antimagic fields). On the other hand, truename magic is considered a silly tradition because it requires a lifetime of study to master and the results are not as impressive as other forms of magic. Worshippers of Seth (a dead god), nezumi shamans and allegedly the Kolat cling to truename magic and keep this old tradition alive from master to apprentice (truespeak cannot be self-learned).
These unnatural abilities are not considered "magical" (they are not handled by the Spellcraft skill). They work in natural dead magic zones, but not in antimagic fields:
Life sensitivity: one person in a million is sensitive to the flows of positive energy that permeate the Multiverse. These people use their life force to produce effects broadly similar to psionics: extrasensory perception, lightning, telekinesis, etc. In life-sensitive people, their vital energy becomes influenced by their emotions. As a creative force, positive energy is difficult but powerful. Anger and hatred sway positive energy into a destructive force, which wrecks the user’s own body.
Mutant abilities: a few mythical heroes were born with a strange power that draws from their own body (but not their vital energy). Mutant abilities don't fit in the other categories and tend to be accompanied by a deformity or two. Mutant heroes outperform their non-mutant peers in non-magical prowesses, and develop many strange abilities, but always lack talent for proper magic or psionics. Mutants have no conscious control over which abilities will develop, and cannot teach non-mutants to become mutants.
Psionics: the power of the mind. This power source is considered just as versatile as magic (due to psionic artificers and spell-to-power erudites). Standard magic/psionic transparency tends to apply (counterspells, dispels and psionic/spell resistance are interchangeable). Powers that interact with power points and powers known (Apopsi, Assimilate, Metaconcert, Psychic Surgery, etc.) don't affect spellcasters. Also, a dead magic zone is not necessarily a dead psionic zone although they tend to overlap.
Sublime Way: during the early years of the second age, dwarves, elves and gnomes each created three schools of martial arts which became collectively known as the Nine Swords. Their proud and pragmatic cultures value flashy combat maneuvers to perform from memory, in contrast to humans’ preference for combat styles which allow more flexibility. Exchange of maneuvers and styles between individuals of different races was encouraged by two human gods, Lucius and his son Xeral-Tabec. Nowadays, previous racial preferences were relegated to tendencies: there are many human warblades, and many elvish fighters.
Subpsionics: the power of the subconscious mind. Many Saromeans of the first age had psionic abilities. While this divine race was incapable of feeling positive emotions, they could feel fear, and felt it when they realized that their extinction was coming. Their death did not fully disperse their psionic energy as the elder evils had hoped. Unlike regular manifesters who draw power from their own conscious mind, subpsionic manifesters use their subconscious mind to draw power from the Saromeans’ primal fear and anger toward their creator and toward the elder evils. The vasharans were the mortal race closest to Saromeans and the first mortals to develop subpsionics. Despite their resentment for other races, vasharans could only keep subpsionics a racial secret for a couple generations. By the end of the second age, any race could learn subpsionics (although few would willingly tap into the nightmares of dead gods as a source of power).
Void: often considered a fifth element, Void (or Akasha) is that which holds elements together. A few races are intimately tied to the Void and have the power to change their own fate through Determination. These races, that is to say "osroth" humans, kitsu, and Shinomen nagas, are the races of the Void. Some other races, such as most feys, require the Void in order to exist but do not hold the power to control it. They are races from the Void.
These things are abilities, items or cosmological assumptions of the setting:
Alchemy: this is the science of understanding, deconstructing and reconstructing matter. Most forms of alchemy create items (mundane or magical) or modify creatures. Common forms of alchemy include the Craft (alchemy) skill, potion-brewing, or life-shaping.
Alignment: even commoners of simple mind know that chaos and law, good and evil objectively exist. Detecting people’s alignment is one of the first tricks taught to young divine spellcasters. Having a chaotic or evil aura is considered shameful in many and most cultures respectively, so many characters follow moral guidelines to stop themselves from being outright chaotic or evil. The Multiverse seems to keep track of a person’s true alignment even if they perform actions in a dead magic zone or ward themselves against Divination. It appears that souls retain their alignment even after death. Outsiders from Amanauris can almost only harvest souls sharing the same alignment as them, and this is part of their ecosystem. Other souls can only be taken with restrictions (usually the soul’s consent prior to death).
Astrology: for aeons, many scholars studied the pattern of stars in the sky. The position of the stars at the time of someone’s birth can reveal their personal truename and other information. By studying the stars, some astrologers can predict the birth of a person with specific birthmarks (see below). Stars and constellations are also associated with a number of spells, though no unified theory can fully explain the mysteries of astrology.
Birthmarks: most birthmarks are ordinary and meaningless, though some citizens of the Stone Empire are born with strange birthmarks that grant magical powers. This phenomenon may be related to a local overuse of magic seals, because magical birthmarks are very rare elsewhere. Some astrologers can predict the occurence of specific birthmarks, magical or not.
Blood magic: trace amounts of raw liquid magic can be found anywhere in the ecosystem. In the second age, some mortal tribes learned to draw arcane magic from blood. This ability might have been discovered by vasharans first but it soon passed to other races. The group most gifted at blood magic was the Isawa tribe, which existed prior to the Empire of Jade. Blood magic always had an affinity with the taint of evil (see Taint, below), but the Isawa tribe was protected by the power of seven demigods (the Seven Gods of Fortune). After the Empire of Jade was founded, the Seven Gods of Fortune stretched their power over too large an area. For a thousand years, blood magic (maho) was reviled because it tainted its users (see Taint, below). There are also weaker but safer forms of blood magic.
Crossbreeding: wizards (and wizard class variants) with access to the transmutation school can use rituals to merge two or more creatures (potentially including themselves) into a hybrid creatures with traits from each progenitors (unlike alchemy, which modifies one creature at a time). Hybrids with the same racial traits breed true. When a crossbreeding ritual is performed on progenitors that cannot mate without magic (such as owls and bears), the hybrid is a new species and cannot mate with its progenitors.
Earthblood: many gods of the second age died from being deprived of worshippers. Their blood produced bloodnodes and earthflows. A few gods also produce a bloodnode after suffering a major injury, even if they survive. These places could overlap with a dead magic zone in rare cases.
Elder Evils: near the end of the first age, the God above gods created eleven elder evils. Their task was to kill the Saromeans. When they were finished, each turned to their own purposes. The elder evil Galar became a deity, others slept until they would be needed again, and others yet plan to end the Saromean legacy forever by killing the gods of the second and third age. They do not hate mortal races but still have no desire to protect them (except Korozales, who sought to protect her mortal lover until his betrayal). There are also other elder evils not created by the God above gods, and which do hate mortals.
Elements: the elements are believed to be the primal forces of magic. At the beginning of the second age, mortal races other than dragons adopted a system of five magical elements (Air, Fire, Metal, Water and Wood). This was an accepted tradition until plane-travelling halflings imported a new system of four magical elements (Air, Earth, Fire, Water). The Empire of Jade adopted the halfling elements and added Void and Taint as the fifth and sixth elements, respectively. Alchemists believe that the magical elements represent the "pure forms" of matter (solid, liquid, gas, etc.), but that matter is composed of "pure substances" such as specific metals. There is a global undertaking to discover the pure substances and rank them by melting point and density.
Energies: during the first age, dragons believed in a confusing taxonomy of magic based on colors. Dragons have a broader visible spectrum than humans so the name of some colors is untranslatable from draconic. After interacting with Saromeans for thousands of years and witnessing the rise of humanity, dragons reconsidered their old taxonomy. Since the second age, they believe in five primal energies (acid, cold, electricity, fire and sound), working together to create all arcane magic.
Familiars: to the common folk, a familiar is the first thing (short of casting spells) that indicates that someone is an arcane caster. Indeed, many arcane casters develop an empathic link with a wild animal, and from then on it becomes their familiar. The exchange of raw magic between master and familiar provides the former with physical qualities and the latter with a sapient mind. Some casters learn this ability later in life, while others (such as most dragons) apparently never do. Familiars are an unconscious display of arcane magic, far from the sophistication of arcane spells. Even some warlocks have a familiar despite their inability to cast proper spells.
Fate and luck: commoners believe in fate and luck to an extent: they think some parts of the future are predetermined and other parts whimsical. They also hope to benefit from that whimsicality. Some spells seem to predict the future, but these predictions are often incomplete if not outright mistaken. Some people believe that the future and past are distinct from the present, and would describe them almost as places. Notably, Cyrus the demon prince of time issued propaganda claiming that he is a time-traveller from the sixty-sixth age. This was long believed to be an outrageous lie until giths and mind flayers emerged in the third age and gave credence to Cyrus’s claims.
Leylines and nodes: when liquid magic crosses the ecosystem, it does so in an ordered fashion. Flows of liquid magic form leylines, and pools of magic provoke earth nodes, evil nodes and sometimes shadow nodes (shadow nodes only appear in areas where shadow weave magic is used). A leyline or node may never be a dead magic zone (but may be a dead psionic zone). These nodes are not related to bloodnodes created by earthblood, though their area can overlap.
Paragons: a paragon is an individual who exemplifies the best qualities of his species. Some are people who take levels in a paragon class, while others possess the paragon template (either obtaining it as an adult or inheriting it from two paragon parents). A few times in history, a great hero was born with the paragon template from two normal parents. While alive, this bloodline founder passes on the paragon template to all descendants. When the bloodline founder dies, further descendants cease to inherit the template. As of the third age, the last recorded bloodline founder was Urmul Naazghul from the Empire of Jade. Naazghul was the third child of the samurai Urmul and a part-dragon mother.
Planes: the people of this setting generally know three planes: Divinosis (a material plane), Anima (an astral plane not connected to the Great Wheel) and Amanauris (a plane that provides raw liquid magic and is inhabited by many races of elementals and outsiders). A few scholars are aware that Divinosis is coexistent and coterminous with Ethera (an ethereal plane) and the Plane of Shadow, both of which connect with other cosmologies. The Empire of Jade knows a few other planes (which they call spirit realms) that lie beyond the ethereal plane, including a plane of dream. Finally, Divinosis connects to many demiplanes which can only be accessed by specific locations and which to date remain largely unexplored by mortals: Akar (an endless sea); the Century Cubes (Extra-dimensional World of 1001 Century Cubes, home to Irtub’s pantheon and allegedly to the Great Unknown); the City of 14119 retainers (home to Ambul’s pantheon); Jeremy’s 4th-dimensional Dumpsite (home to Galar’s pantheon as of the third age); and possibly others. There are also countless regular demiplanes which can be accessed from any location, of course.
Seals: some two-dimensional forms can store and release liquid magic. Many of these forms are known, and both traditions of pact magic require seals to function. Wizards, wu jen and archivists also use seals to write down their spells. Other seals are the result of an active spell (like symbol of death) and others yet place magical enhancements on items without requiring experience points or spellcasting knowledge. Each arcane caster also knows one seal unique to them known as their wizen sigil (idea taken from Of Sages and Sorcerers by Alfred E. Bonnabel IV). The caster can perfectly scribe their wizen sigil, and other characters can attempt to copy it with a Forgery check. A caster has a 5% chance by (real, not effective) caster level to receive a mental ping when their wizen sigil is used by someone else, but they do not automatically know where or by whom.
Sethite magic: this ability is reserved to some divine casters with Seth (LG dead god of good) as their patron deity. It replaces their ability to prepare or cast divine spells. Instead, they can produce spell-like effects on the fly using divine energy (which has a chance of failure). Sethite magic is quite rare, even for the clerics of Seth. (Note: I didn’t write a full subsystem yet. It’s only a plot device for now.)
Souls and afterlife: Souls normally have three possible states: their mortal form, the outsider (or petitioner) form they adopt after the death of their mortal form, or dormancy (when both forms are dead or don’t yet exist). When a mortal dies, their inert soul passes to Anima within a few rounds (see Planes, above). At best, a greater god will notice the soul of a faithful worshipper and make them a petitioner who retains partial memories (but not the experience) of their former life. Other strong-willed souls refuse to accept their death and manage to return as free-willed undead or deathless. But it is more likely that the soul will not be reclaimed and will linger on Anima for many years. Outsiders from Amanauris can harvest lost souls of their alignment to make more of their kind. These souls turned outsiders retain only the alignment and personality of their mortal existence, but not memory or experience. The mortal form may still be resurrected if the soul agrees to it, but this kills the outsider form (resurrecting a dead outsider kills their mortal form too, if applicable). The choice to be resurrected depends on the soul's personality and which form it "prefers". When making that choice, the soul compares the memories of the mortal and outsider forms; but these forms have distinct memories for all other purposes. Animating an undead functions as a forced resurrection: the soul is forcefully pulled from whichever form it occupies (killing that form) and trapped in its undead state (a process akin to slavery). Until that undead is destroyed, the other form cannot be resurrected. Every so often, a young outsider from Amanauris dies because a necromancer animates a skeleton or other undead. As a security measure, older outsiders don’t attempt to discover their mortal identity, in case this knowledge falls in their enemies’ hands.
Spells, incantations and invocations: the most common form of magic is spellcasting. A spell can be thought of as a device which uses raw magic or divine energy as its fuel. Arcane spellcasters accumulate raw magic when they sleep and divine spellcasters accumulate divine energy when they pray. After accumulating, prepared casters visualize the seal for each spell and fuel each of them with raw magic or divine energy as appropriate. Spontaneous casters have the seals imprinted in their body and mind, so they fuel their spells at the time of casting. At the moment of casting, a spell reveals its verbal and somatic components (mantras and hand seals) as sudden fits of inspiration. Therefore, spell components are instructed by the spell and only serve as catalysts for the spell’s effect; spellcasters can learn to avoid some of them. Though the actual hand seals do not change, divine spells (using divine energy) only need an approximate rendering of them and arcane spells (using raw magic) need a precise rendering, which explains arcane spell failure chance. Incantations are similar to spells but far simpler to use: accumulation, visualization and casting are performed at the same time. Both spells and incantations can be scribed down (as seals) and taught to others. Invocations combine the accumulation and casting phases but have no visualization phase, because there are no seals for them. Instead, invocations are grafted on the caster’s soul by another entity (such as a dragon, fiend, or fey lord). This makes invocations impossible to write down.
Taint: the taint of evil is an infection of the body and soul which manifests itself as corruption and depravity. In the Empire of Jade, taint has existed in some form for a thousand years and is considered a sixth element (albeit one which should be avoided). But the true nature of taint is as a spiritual link with evil-aligned planes. Taint is gained from interacting with tainted items or places, using taint abilities, casting or being targeted by a maho spell (see Blood magic, above), or failing a binding check with a spirit (but not with a vestige). Of course, most evil characters do not become tainted. Despite also connecting to evil planes, corrupt spells and spells with the Evil descriptor do not have the correct composure to provoke taint (ie. they lack a blood component). Monsters with the Evil or Shadowlands subtype have an innate taint score and do not accrue taint; this is also the case for undead from an evil race (such as ghouls or zombies), whether or not the individual is evil. They have no symptoms and thus no extra feats. Undead from a good or neutral race (such as ghosts) begin play with no taint score and suffer the normal consequences for accruing taint. Unique undead (like liches) use their alignment at creation.
Technology: in d20 modern terms, most cultures of the third age are progress level 2 (middle age). The Empire of Jade, the Iron Empire and the Republic of Abraxis are progress level 3 (age of reason). Cutting-edge technology from these places, while extremely expensive, could reach progress level 4 (industrial age). The first age varied between progress level 0 and 1 but never developed metallurgy, while the second age varied between 1 and 2. Many anomalies exist but their workings are lost: Dantalion’s empire in the second age was progress level 4, a few extraterrestrial civilizations are progress level 6 (fusion age), and some illithid artifacts appear to be progress level 9 (age of singularity). Occasionally, advanced devices can be magical (eg. +1 musket) but they are no more or less likely to be than other devices. So this is not a magitech setting. The availability of magic significantly reduces the necessity for advanced technology.
Utterances and recitations: truenamers produce effects by speaking directly to the Multiverse, using the true name of things. Sadly, the intricacies of Truespeak make the language hard to pronounce and impossible to write down, because Truespeak was never intended for mortals. Therefore, all utterances and recitations must be spoken from memory (or through magic items that can speak). Mute characters cannot speak utterances or recitations.