Looking for co-operation... (dnd3.5)

[freyathefairy]

So I'm working on a dnd 3.5 homebrew world and was wondering if some one would like to help me with some of the development.

Link:::http://www.dnd-wiki.org/wiki/Hersamo...mpaign_Setting)

Info:

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What genre is involved? Is it classic fantasy? Sci-fi? Steampunk?:
Classic fantasy.
What is the overall tone of the setting? Does it have a distinct theme? Basicaly it ment to be seen as the lands of opertuity so any thing could happen.
What are some of the basic details? Countries, cosmology, etc.
It's three islands called Geshi, Fer and Silvique and they each have there own customs and history but came together after joining to fight an invading force. I don't realy understand planes so that is one thing i will need help with but I have all ready worked out religion.
Why is your setting great? What unique ideas does it present?
What makes it interesting? The fact that anything can happen because each island is so different.

Map::

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[Grinner]

You'll need to give us a better sales pitch than that.

Answer these:

• What genre is involved? Is it classic fantasy? Sci-fi? Steampunk?
• What is the overall tone of the setting? Does it have a distinct theme?
• What are some of the basic details? Countries, cosmology, etc.
• Why is your setting great? What unique ideas does it present? What makes it interesting?

[freyathefairy]

You'll need to give us a better sales pitch than that.

Answer these:

• What genre is involved? Is it classic fantasy? Sci-fi? Steampunk?
• What is the overall tone of the setting? Does it have a distinct theme?
• What are some of the basic details? Countries, cosmology, etc.
• Why is your setting great? What unique ideas does it present? What makes it interesting?

added that in so if any one is intrested...

[Geordnet]

I don't know if I'd be able to work with you long-term, but I'd be happy to supply thoughts and ideas. (I've got too many of them! )


I guess I could help most if you have any specific questions on factual stuff, like how things work in the real world. For instance, Geography Climatology:

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The way you've placed those large expanses of desert and mountains has made for some interesting weather patterns. I've done my best to figure out how it all works, assuming the rules are anything like what they are on Earth.


First off, I think these lands lie in the Southern Hemisphere of their planet. (Either that, or their planet rotates backwards relative to magnetic or arbitrary north.) South is roughly between the "right" edge of the map and the direction the first hexsides clockwise from the "top" are going (leaning towards the latter). That would make the map oriented East-by-Southeast.

The reason it has to be the Southern Hemisphere is because of where the desert is in relation to the mountains and the forest, and the Coriolis Effect. It all comes down to the fact that the mountains need to block the Westerlies to cause the "rain shadow" effect, meaning the mountains are west of the desert. But if Geshi is west of Fer, that makes Silvique to the south... And hence, all three are south of the equator.

I actually got to this point by mapping out the convection cells, trade winds, and westerlies. I even went and did the deep sea currents:

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Legend:

• Cyan: prevailing winds
• Dark Blue: cold water currents (the ones off the west coast of Geshi are the strongest)
• Dark Red: warm water currents (the one passing Silvique is a lot weaker than the one passing Fer)
• Dark Green: inner sea currents (these aren't particularly strong)
• Yellow: straights (the currents here would vary drastically based on tide, and I'm not sure which direction they'd flow)

From this map, I'm able to infer a few things about the different lands:


Geshi is going to end up looking a lot like southern California. From the nearby coldwater current to the prevailing winds to the large mountain range to the volcanism, the conditions are nearly identical. Most of it is going to be pretty arid like the badlands, especially in the interior.

The most fertile ground will be on the southwest coast, where the winds bring rain and the currents bring fish. That port city would probably look a lot like Sacramento, and will probably be the fishing capitol of your entire (mapped) world.

The second-most habitable zones would be along the the southern and northeastern coasts. The currents around the northeastern coasts wouldn't be as bountiful, and the wind less moist, but in the balance I think it'd end up like Spain (north/east of Gibraltar). The best analogy I can think of for the southern coast would be Italy, Greece, or maybe Turkey.


Fer would have a climate similar to Australia mixed with both the north and south ends of Africa, I'd expect. Not all of it will be completely barren, though. For instance, everything south of the city printed in red should be more savannah/grassland than desert, with plenty of grasses and shrubs (even sparse trees).

That warm current off the east coast should be the second biggest fishing spot in Hersamo. And it's warm water, not cold, so the fish there will be completely different from the fish caught at Geshi (or off the west coast of Silvique, for that matter). The fish from here might even be seen as a luxury good, who knows?

Anyways, the lands north of ~30° S will all be dry, barren wastes; with the only possible exception being the westernmost peninsula where the straits with Geshi are the narrowest. Here, there might be enough moisture for a small trade port to exist. Maybe.


Finally, there's Silvaque. It seems to have the least variation, at least from what I can tell.

The majority of the mainland will probably resemble regions around the Mediterranean, with less deciduous trees and more stone pines, fig trees, Junipers, and other such plants (which can survive in dryer environments. Farther South, however, the lands will start to resemble more France or Britain.

The West Coast would probably be the most fertile lands in Silvaque, resembling more than anything else the "Old South" region of America. The currents off this coast would also provide good fishing grounds, although not as prosperous as those off Geshi or Fer.



At least, that's my best guess as for what to expect of these lands. Climate being as complex as it is, I wouldn't be that surprised if I were wrong.

But my real expertise is in the realm of military strategy, tactics, and logistics. My dad is a big military history buff, (and an ex-Army officer besides) so I'm probably in the best spot possible to be assessing any sort of military operation in a fantasy realm like this.

(I was going to analyze the strategic advantages of each land, but I think I've done enough for now...)

[Logic]

I like to be a brain-storming partner, and if nothing else, I am a good sounding board to refine your own ideas. Feel free to PM me any time. (I will read more of your campaign notes later tonight, as of this typing, I am on my lunch break at work.)

A couple of things you may want to consider: bolded text is primary question.

Who are the most famous people in the world? Are there movers and shakers? What do the common people think of these individuals? What do the commoner think of their own leaders, or those of the other nations?

What are the politics of the world? How do these regions interact with each other? Do the mages play an important role in politics? Do the churches of any particular deity influence nations in any way? How do these nations trade with each other? What are the exports of these regions? What are these regions known for?

[Geordnet]

What are the exports of these regions?

I can help give some ideas, at least.

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First, Silvique: its most obvious export is lumber, but there are several other things it might trade. For instance, those hills might be loaded with coal. The areas near the southwestern coast would have a very mild climate, and would be good for growing sugar, spices, or cotton. I expect fish from this region to be locally traded a lot as well. The northeastern coast/plains are where we're most likely to see traditional European farm animals like cows or pigs.

Geshi, being primarily mountains, probably survives on a diet consisting mostly of fish from the western coast. That coast is probably the "bread basket" region of Geshi, with rice or potatoes grown on terraces like in the Andes. The rest of the land would probably be more pastoral, ranching wooly animals like sheep, goats, or yak.

Finally, there's Fer. Being all desert, water is the lifeblood of Fer, and all the cities will situated on sources of it. Fish from the warmwater current would probably supply a lot of food, the the biggest source will probably be along a regularly-flooding river like the Nile. Just as in the Roman Empire, this food will probably be exported- along with luxuries like ivory and rare animals (elephants, lions etc). Other than that, there's unsurprisingly little of value in the desert.


Trade would probably occur mainly in a clockwise direction on the inner sea, following the main currents. This sea is likely shallower than the Mediterranean, so it's a good place for oysters and coral. And also the sea snails which gave the famous Royal Purple worn by kings and emperors.