Campaign by committee (ramble)

[blackspeeker]

So our group is about to start up a new campaign (more than likely it will be pathfinder) and our most regular cm wants to try something different when making this homebrew campaign. He pitched it to us like we would be controlling an elder entity and we would each take a turn in the creation of the cosmology, similar to The Giants crayons of time.
I am aware that design by committee isn't the best way to do anything without a unified vision but our group seems to be all on board with it, so I am pretty positive we wont create a hideous monster.

So I guess playgrounders my question to you is what fun off the wall quirky things would you throw into this, and you can think as big or small as you want (DM actually tells us we are thinking to small when throwing out ideas such as races to put in so I'm trying to think big things to do in the universe but finding myself still thinking to small)

Some of my ideas for my turn have been that dwarves who dwell underground are linked by a hivemind that is caused by an intelligent fungus, maybe it has complete control or just influences them, I dunno...

So I don't know if my point got lost inthis, so once again what's your opinion on designing a campaign setting by committee and what crazy/quirky things would you throw into a campaign if you could? Remember no idea is too stupid/big/small.

[Need_A_Life]

Gotta mention this.

Cooperative setting creation is something I can only recommend. Players all the sudden know (and care about) details about the game world. It also feels like different people designed things.
A particular type of government might be inherently superior or inferior if a single person creates the setting, based on personal bias. It's much more unlikely that an entire group feels that way.

Oh, also, it's fun to be a devotee of a God you've portrayed (or even better: One of the other players portrayed).

As for where to get ideas?

• I'd steal the Lintha from Exalted. Demonic pirates are awesome. Mix with Armada from China Mieville's "The Scar."
• I'd make a viking-esque kingdom borrowing equally from actual historical texts and Game of Thrones portrayal of the North. Don't care for the Wall, but an analogue of "taking the black" would definitely survive.
• I'd steal Zilargo from the Eberron setting. Not just what you'll find in the sourcebook, but raid the (almost ancient) "No Love for the Gnomes" thread on WotCs site.
• I would make sure to leave "avatars" to safeguard the world, in the style of Denarians in The Dresden Files. Taking up a coin would invest a mortal with part of my power that they could use to protect the world. Of course, people might object occasionally... (I could probably tie this to "taking the black," making the Watch a form of support network for these guys).
• Oh, and I'd claim to be the creator of magic. Just because

And probably a thousand other things I can't remember at the moment (or simply assume will be there anyway).

[blackspeeker]

Thanks for the link, its cool that there is such a comprehensive set of rules. And I do love the eberron gnomes, I could glean some stuff as you suggested, also I considered the avatar idea, and I think the DM has implied (or maybe I inferred) we would be playing devotees of the entities we are controlling.

[Geostationary]

Depending on how high-concept you want to get, you could also look towards a system like Nobilis for ideas. If you're not familiar, you play personifications of different concepts and things, such as "Love", "Steel", "Lipton Instant Noodles", and the like- which means you get to define what those mean and what makes them them. Basically, you can define cosmic constants or stack the laws of the universe in your favor, such as making it explicitly possible to, say, drop kick a mountain if it's dramatically appropriate and certain conditions are met. The universe could literally run on the Rule of Cool, amongst other things.