Interest check in small DnD 3.5 Homebrew setting. (Closed)

[Inkidu]

I'm busy scraping out a 3.5 campaign, and instead of using my first home-brew setting Long-Reach, I'm working on something a little more traditional fantasy. So I need three to four fairly active posters and maybe a co-DM. I've never run a game on forums and this is kind of the test for that. I'm going to try and set up a schedule for certain days and times (like a traditional game might run) to help facilitate playing, but it's probably going to be a while because I'll have to work it around school when I start back up. Okay, disclaimers done... onto the fun part.

Setting: Like I said this is home-brew. It's going to be written kind of like a travel guide or log. Oh, and it's on the same planet as my other setting, but it's a much, much earlier time period. Ignore this, it's me taking a rare prideful moment.

It takes place on one continent called Boras.

The first thing one notices about Boras is the overpowering humidity that rolls in from its green seas. Most of the northern parts of the continent are rocky and turbulent with such famous landmarks as the Cape of Omen. The great jungle city of the elves, Tabor-Shak lies here guarded by darkest jungles. To the west are the Stormlands and the magnificently sorrowful Bantover, City of Eternal Rain. It is an imposing human city-state.

To the east lies the Aboreal Mountains eastern outpost of the dwarves, but beyond that lie the dunes collectively known as the Desert of the Frozen Sun. A frigid but snowless place that freezes men to the quick sure enough. In the south lies the Basin a grand system of towering cliffs, rivers, and waterfalls that make up the bulk of human lands and the largest human empire. The Saratova Empire, a great tribe of people with many small settlements and a few large, tiered cities. It is a newly forged empire of only fifty years, but it has much it wishes to prove under its brash but cunning empress.

That's a very, very brief rundown of the general topography and some of the major players and cities.

Races: Any race in the player's handbook is ok, but try and stay away from halflings and gnomes if you can... I'm not quite sure how I want them to fit in. Most races will probably get a retooling of their stats and/or abilities so check here if you please.

Humans: Unchanged. Though the southern ones tend to have dark complexions while those from other regions like Bantover tend to run the course of fair to tanned.

Elves: They lose the -2 to their constitution, but also lose that secret door sense and whatnot to compensate. (Justified in that these elves don't deal with so much ancient stonework and live in tree houses and therefor are much hardier. Favored class is changed to Sorcerer. They're darker-skinned and the ears tend to be on the prominent side. (Almost but not quite batty, you couldn't hide them under hair.)

Dwarves: Remain unchanged though they're not so European as they are wild people who live in mountain dens, impressive mountain dens of unparallelled stonework and metalwork.

Half-Elves: Are like elves, with less prominent ears (you could hide them under thick enough hair) They lose the +2 to gather info and diplomacy, but gain it (+2) to bluff and hide checks. (Justified in that they don't get along with everyone because of their parentage, but can fool some people some of the time because of their parentage).

Half-Orcs remain the same (But they will most likely be calledu something else)

Gnomes and Halfings: TBA.

Because Gary managed to make me stretch the width and scope of my knowledge of folklore (which is nerdishly obscene already) I'm going to add another race. Modified fairy template.

Ochin'aque: Boras is still a very dark and primordial place, and in its farthest depths and in its oppressive rainforests lie the Ochin'aque, or spirit-people. They are a people given over to certain affinities. An Ochin'aque tends to lean toward an element of nature or life and finds itself drawn to it. These affinities run the gauntlet from fire, air, wood, or water to things like ink or souls. The chaotic little folk are not given to any order or government, but they do have their god-queen and king. Lo'ba and Qu'il.

They stand about eight inches tall on average with pointed ears and wild appearances. They like to pain their bodies with certain colors. The whole race has a bit of a short-man complex that can change in severity depending on the being in question.

They tend to have names that consist of two syllables and sound like...

Male: Xi'cotl, Raj'pa, Rosh'bl, Ci'tix

Female: Qu'uq, Pin'lix, Osh'pa, Gir'rixt

Actual stats are like the fairies linked above except they're considered tiny.

They still have -2 con, but the charisma bonus can be changed to either +2 wis or int depending on what affinity they take.
Depending on their affinity they can take either charm person for their first spell-like ability or talk to spirits for their second.
In order to make up for what I see as some imbalance in such customization they lose the +4 to hide and move silently and only get a +2 to those skills instead.

Any other races will have to be run by me.

Classes remain the same as in the book, but might go through some name changes. Any additional classes will have to be run by me first. I'm tempted to let warlock in their, but only one person. I'll have to think on it.

Role up character sheets.
Clarification for point-buy: Start with base scores of 10 (like pathfinder) and then buy with 36 points

PMs of interest should contain a character sheet and the title: Boras.

I tend to play a little loose with the rules especially where the rule of cool is overwhelming, but I tend to be fair I think.

EDIT: Most certainly you can post character ideas, questions, suggestions, and whatnot in this thread as well. Cheers!

EDIT: Changed it to point-buy.

[Videospirit]

Is there anything you have to say on the following topics: Starting level/wealth? Flaws? Alternate Class Features/Racial Substitution levels? HP calculation? Extent of Erotic Content you expect the roleplay to have?

Also, would you prefer the party to know each other from before the campaign starts up?

[Inkidu]

Starting level: 1
Wealth: Will be variable. I tend not to hand out a lot of gold as a DM in general.
Flaws: Role play it.

Besides name changes no real class change.

Run any non-core race by me first, and any race sub levels too I suppose.

HP is calculated the standard way, but take max plus con bonus for every level. (Just so I can beat up on you more).

I set mine for NC-E just because rape might be a graphic element of the story even if PCs co not participate.

Depends on what you play or what region you come from, and what others want.

i.e. two guards from one city might no each other, but an elven wizard and a human fighter probably aren't.

[Inkidu]

I'm very cautious about giving away any story information, but since this is a homebrew I know I need to give out some background so any perspective people can start developing back stories. I'll try to keep it too a few bullet points to quickly give you a feel for the general custom, look, religion, etc.
It took me a long time to write up.

Humans: You could come from Bantover. A lush marble port city on the edge of temperate grassy planes. It iis nearlly always raining.

A matriarchal society where men achieve limited status in anything but the military or if a man is lucky enough to be born with the talent, be admitted into the Conclave of Wizards.

A free and proud city-state before the rise of the Saratova Empire it was the premiere port city for the whole continent. It has a powerful navy and respectable army. The look is kind of like that of Carthage.

They worship Pertalote the lawful good goddess of the moon, tides, and hunters. Favored weapon is any bow.

Humans might also hail from Saratova:

A new empire filled with optimism and pride. They are ruled by a great chief, and many of the tribes still exist.

They have the largest military force on the continent, but no really organization for wizards (though clerics and sorcerers can happen)

They are a wide variety of micro-cultures struggling to fit in as one cohesive nation. The look is like that of Mali from about the 1300s.

They worship Alor neutral good God of the Sky. Favored weapon is the spear.

For monks: Boras has only recently become home to any organized school of martial discipline. A cluster of monasteries founded in the foothills between the Basin and the Stormlands is home to the Hidden-Lotus School. A school founded in another continent, but whose students have come because of the freer transport Saratova allows over Bantover. (You'd probably be a first generation student)

Humans can also have home in several smaller tribes that don't wish or have yet to be conquered by Saratova. These are where barbarians come from. (Kind of a wild card for people who don't like any of the other options). Think tribal South America/Africa fusion. They tend to worship the neutral goddess of the earth Almatta. Favored weapon the sling. (Because it throws rocks, rocks are also favored weapons)

Elves lay claim to the jungles. They are an old race, but recent political shifts regarding the treatment of humans and anti-traditionalist sentiments have caused a disillusioned sect in elven society. Great halls in thick canopies ancient and old.

Elves have their own version of barbarians (thanks to Cryorage). There is an ancient remnant of the once feuding elven tribes. Each one had an animal, and they devoted themselves to becoming like that animal. For a long time these tribes warred with one another, but when humans arrived and the great elven chieftan Baz'rah Mountain-Jumper united the elves into their current empire. Fewer than ten of the original forty tribes did not join the empire or left after the humans had been repelled. They now live in the deepest parts of the jungles where elves dare not tread.

They shun society and the empire for what they see as the purist form of elf existence. They live still waring with the other ancient tribes, still maintaining pagan customs. They do not observe modern elven religions preferring their spirit animals to any god.



They worship the Valernti the Weaver and her husband Marat the Huntsman. Favored weapons: Kukuri and the Glaive respectively.

Naming convention: Something that sounds like:

Men: Abutu, Bara'an, Cospis, etc.

Women: Varanta, Bas'le, Otsi.

Mostly though there is a surname that is a compound or trade name: The Smith, Falling Leaves, Rushing Panther, etc.

Dwarves: The dwarves or Clan-Men are the stocky wild and proud people that live in any mountain in Boras. They tend to be reclusive from other species, but are master artificers and builders. Beards are a symbol of pride amongst the men and the wilder the braiding the better. They tend to have a magpie-like penchant for shiny things (which are often woven in the braid). Hair is the same for women.

They don't have any central form of government to speak of. They simply follow the person with the most clout for their city. It's almost like an elected dictatorship. Magic is not unheard of, but is typically rarer. Sorcerers are often called chanters among dwarves.

They worship Almatta and Krag'Gosherath, an ancient dragon said to have raped the earth impregnating it with all things valuable. Yes dwarves are nuts.

Druids can come from the elves or the wild-man lands.

Other Major Deities:

Abadon: Chaotic good god of the Four Winds. Patron god of sailors and the lost. Has a large but unorganized following of wandering clerics who seek to bring their master's teachings of piece and ease to the world. Typically speak celestial and the language of the air elementals as bonus languages. Favored weapon scimitar.

Lutani: Chaotic evil goddess of storms. A counter-cult to that of Abadon, who is her twin brother. Favored weapon is the spiked chain.

Minor deities include:

Talisand: Neutral god of roads, merchants, and travelers. Fav. Wep. Staff (quarter or otherwise)
Balraka: Lawful Evil god of demons and dark magic
Oruntag: Lawful good god of the oceans. Trident

Bercilak: The green rover neutral god of the jungles. Great axe.

More to follow.

EDIT: Guys, I'm really plastic when forming this kind of stuff just so if my potential players have cool concepts. Major nations can possibly be added, large cults, religious orders, pilgrims, gods, etc. Just come to me with it, and we'll try and make it work. You could even technically come from another continent, but you'd have to talk to me first.

[Inkidu]

Don't want to say this prematurely, and I don't want to make Videospirit feel obligated or anything. As it stands now though we have:

Human Cleric, played by Videospirit.

[swordwind]

I'll give this a shot with an Elven Fighter. I'll work something up over the course of the day

[Inkidu]

I'll give this a shot with an Elven Fighter. I'll work something up over the course of the day

Thank you, and please PM or post here with any questions regarding the elves of the game. Like, ages reach maturity in my game at about sixty and start the old age process at 115.

[Inkidu]

You know, Videospirit, I've got no qualms about DMing this game with just one adventure. I pretty much am going to tailor make every encounter. So, if you're up for going solo until other adventurers show up it would be good practice for actually knowing how to direct a game on the forums.

[Muse]

Oi, Inkidu!  May I join? 

Elf Paragon going sorcerer? 

[Gary Stargazer]

Hey Inkidu, if you think you can run this while in our other game that's cool, I will throw my hat in as well if you're interested in having me.

I don't like to play standard races but I think a fairy bard or sorcerer would be pretty fun if you will allow it. They arn't too terribly powerful and we can change anything you didn't like about them.

http://www.dandwiki.com/wiki/Faeries_%283.5e_Race%29

[DRoux]

I like how the half-elves look in this setting. Any chance you're looking for a skill monkey?

[Inkidu]

Muse: Talking to you via PM.

Gary: Give me a while to look into that.

DRoux: What kind of skill monkey?

[Gary Stargazer]

Certainly, like I said. In the end I only care about playing the char, I could give a hoot less what stats are like. If I may be picky though, the only thing I really want is to keep the size, and possibly the flight because ... well a 6 - 10 inch fairy is going to have trouble keeping up with people on foot if it can't fly. XD

[DRoux]

Half-elf rogue for me. Normally I'd go with a halfling or an elf as a rogue, but since you've changed the half-elf's racial bonuses a tad bit, I'll try one out.

[Inkidu]

Half-elf rogue for me. Normally I'd go with a halfling or an elf as a rogue, but since you've changed the half-elf's racial bonuses a tad bit, I'll try one out.

Okay produce a sheet, 48 point buy, and any gold and or items on your person will be... mitigated to you if the story requires.

Gold will be the average for your class.

EDIT Sorry 48, like I said you'll probably bring things up to 10 and then have thirty six. That's the point behind that.

[Inkidu]

Certainly, like I said. In the end I only care about playing the char, I could give a hoot less what stats are like. If I may be picky though, the only thing I really want is to keep the size, and possibly the flight because ... well a 6 - 10 inch fairy is going to have trouble keeping up with people on foot if it can't fly. XD

Er.. the page you linked mentions six foot tall fey pre-Shakespearian. They're considered a medium sized character.

[Inkidu]

I added a "fairy" race to the main post. Please tell me if it's too nerfed or too buffed. I tried to equal it out as much as possible.

Gary, could you possibly do a druid?

[Inerrant Lust]

If you still want a 'Co-DM', I might be willing; this setting looks interesting but I can't quite think of a character I really want to try. At least until I learn more about the setting. :P

Perhaps one of them jungle elf types. ::)

[Gary Stargazer]

Hum... you want to hear something rather sad? I've been playing D&D since I was 12 and I don't think I have ever played a druid. It's not that I think they are a bad class, they just never really stood out. Oh but what the heck!

Alright, I know druids are kind of like a mixture of clerics and rangers if I recall correctly, I will do some studying on them and write up a char, I will be happy to give it a shot. >:3

Oh and yes, I'm fine with the changes you made there on the top of the page, incidentally I meant to send you the link where it showed them as tiny size, not the one i sent, but one half dozen or the other. I will go with what you have wrote up.

[Muse]

I.M.H.O. Druids are the most complex and diverse class in the 3.5 core books, and in most of the expansions, too.  I'm quite fond of them. 

[Gary Stargazer]

I need to ask since my char will be getting it eventually. What kind of rules do you want to put into place about wild shape?

At 4th lv a medium char can go between small and medium with it.
Since my char has the size rank of "tiny" would you want it to be tiny and diminutive?
then at 6th go between Fine and small
8th fine to medium.

Medium size things can eventually wild shape up to critters at huge size, so I would imagine the cut off for something that started at tiny would be medium or large.

[cryorage]

Hey muse was tellin me you were lookin for another player to play a heavy hitter.  Ide like to toss my hat into the ring for that.  question is do you want a physical fighter damager or a magic sorcerer type?

[Muse]

I'm doing a sorceress, Cryo.  I think he needs physicality. 

[cryorage]

ok got it.  Elven Barbarian.  should be a fun rp experiance.  specialy if i can get away with bein smaller than average ie between 5' and 5'6.  should be funny sein a tiny terror tearin up the field of battle.  any way lemme know if that concept works and ill pm the build i have.

[Inkidu]

ok got it.  Elven Barbarian.  should be a fun rp experiance.  specialy if i can get away with bein smaller than average ie between 5' and 5'6.  should be funny sein a tiny terror tearin up the field of battle.  any way lemme know if that concept works and ill pm the build i have.

Er, don't hate me but elves don't have barbarians. They have a long, long tradition of stylized fighting and things, plus of all the races in Boras they're the most civilized (that being a relative term, but still). I was thinking ranger, paladin, fighter. Half-elf maybe could do it. Being a fringe anyway.