Post by DM-Delfon on Dec 27, 2014 19:30:39 GMT -5
So I want to try out something new here on Vethedar. A game where anyone who takes part has a Player Character, and these characters can fill the roles of NPC's if they want. They can also make their own NPC characters, locations, dungeons, quests, and whatnot. Before things are posted into the actual game, they should be discussed with the collective of creators here in the discussion area. This game will be free form in nature, but I want it based loosely on the Dungeons and Dragons 3.5 edition rule set, just to keep things in perspective. Since everyone is a DM, and everyone has at least 1 character, it should be interesting.
The world itself is set partially in a massive city. Basically a palace encircled by several layers of walls. Each wall as you get closer to the center is larger, and more heavily defended. The farther from the castle you are, the poorer things are. The outer layer is quite rough unless you're on the main streets during the day. The exterior wall of the city has very little guard presence. Just a man or two posted to warn the unwary about exiting the city, and to keep children from wandering to their deaths. (see The Outside World below)
The inner walls are much better defended, mostly to stop people moving into the inner circles of the city. If you want to move deeper into the city, you have to pay. Everybody born of the city has an arcane marking on the back of both their hands, this marking shows your status within the city. Which districts you are allowed in, and which organizations you have joined and what rank you have attained in those organizations. Hiding these markings is a crime, and anyone who has attempted to alter their marking has disappeared without a trace within a day. The markings can be enchanted by specific casters that work for the government. People often get light spells, and some people also get telepathic communication between linked markings. Maybe your layer sets the level of spells that can be tied to your marking?
How many rings should the city be composed of? In my head it's either 5, 7 or 10. I have no idea why, that's just what popped into my head when I asked the question. Maybe we number them from the outside as layer 1 to the inside as some higher number, and we have no idea how many layers the city consists of. I actually like that a lot, thoughts? What should the fee be to elevate yourself? The outer layer to the 2nd layer is 1000gp, and each new elevation after that is more expensive. Maybe use the formula current layer squared times 1000gp? Could also do special advancements to enter particular layers, like a quest or something.
Once you have permission to enter the next section of the city, you can come and go as you see fit between these sections. Although most of the outer layer inhabitants that elevate their station never return to the slums of the outer layer. Because this is an elevation of status, I also see the world using a caste system. Anyone with access to inner layers is higher rank than anyone from an outer layer. So someone from layer 5 (the palace in a 5 layer city) might as well be the king if they're in the outer layer. Although I wouldn't go flaunting my status if I was alone in a dark alley in the outer layer...
The Outside World
Leaving the confines of the city transports you 'somewhere' this 'somewhere' could be some place wild, or a dungeon, or some place dangerous. The 'somewhere' is never immediately deadly, like into a lava flow, or thousands of feet in the sky. Once you've been 'somewhere' you can choose to leave the city and go back to any 'somewhere' you've been before. If you're traveling with a group, while exiting the city you can align your markings to all go to the same 'somewhere.' Many people adventure to gather the resources to elevate themselves.
Treat exiting the city as a random dungeon generator, you can do basically anything with this. Why the city is like this, who knows, but figuring that out could be one hell of a quest line.
Please reply with your own ideas to flesh out the world. I want to make this place into a very active board.
I will be making boards later for in game interaction, and another thread for keeping track of all the characters.
For now, here are some of my own character ideas:
A simple caster (Wizard based) that is also a weapon smith / armour smith. I want him to become the go to guy for creating weapons and armour for all the players. Later, I want him to be able to create magical armour. I see him starting in Layer 1, and working hard to get into a safer layer. I then see him still working in layer 1 to try and help elevate others. When he can afford to elevate himself, he does so. Mostly just so he has access to better paying clientele.
A tavern bruiser thug to cause trouble in the local drinking holes. Maybe try to establish/join a thieves guild or mob style organization.
Anywho... Thoughts?
The world itself is set partially in a massive city. Basically a palace encircled by several layers of walls. Each wall as you get closer to the center is larger, and more heavily defended. The farther from the castle you are, the poorer things are. The outer layer is quite rough unless you're on the main streets during the day. The exterior wall of the city has very little guard presence. Just a man or two posted to warn the unwary about exiting the city, and to keep children from wandering to their deaths. (see The Outside World below)
The inner walls are much better defended, mostly to stop people moving into the inner circles of the city. If you want to move deeper into the city, you have to pay. Everybody born of the city has an arcane marking on the back of both their hands, this marking shows your status within the city. Which districts you are allowed in, and which organizations you have joined and what rank you have attained in those organizations. Hiding these markings is a crime, and anyone who has attempted to alter their marking has disappeared without a trace within a day. The markings can be enchanted by specific casters that work for the government. People often get light spells, and some people also get telepathic communication between linked markings. Maybe your layer sets the level of spells that can be tied to your marking?
How many rings should the city be composed of? In my head it's either 5, 7 or 10. I have no idea why, that's just what popped into my head when I asked the question. Maybe we number them from the outside as layer 1 to the inside as some higher number, and we have no idea how many layers the city consists of. I actually like that a lot, thoughts? What should the fee be to elevate yourself? The outer layer to the 2nd layer is 1000gp, and each new elevation after that is more expensive. Maybe use the formula current layer squared times 1000gp? Could also do special advancements to enter particular layers, like a quest or something.
Once you have permission to enter the next section of the city, you can come and go as you see fit between these sections. Although most of the outer layer inhabitants that elevate their station never return to the slums of the outer layer. Because this is an elevation of status, I also see the world using a caste system. Anyone with access to inner layers is higher rank than anyone from an outer layer. So someone from layer 5 (the palace in a 5 layer city) might as well be the king if they're in the outer layer. Although I wouldn't go flaunting my status if I was alone in a dark alley in the outer layer...
The Outside World
Leaving the confines of the city transports you 'somewhere' this 'somewhere' could be some place wild, or a dungeon, or some place dangerous. The 'somewhere' is never immediately deadly, like into a lava flow, or thousands of feet in the sky. Once you've been 'somewhere' you can choose to leave the city and go back to any 'somewhere' you've been before. If you're traveling with a group, while exiting the city you can align your markings to all go to the same 'somewhere.' Many people adventure to gather the resources to elevate themselves.
Treat exiting the city as a random dungeon generator, you can do basically anything with this. Why the city is like this, who knows, but figuring that out could be one hell of a quest line.
Please reply with your own ideas to flesh out the world. I want to make this place into a very active board.
I will be making boards later for in game interaction, and another thread for keeping track of all the characters.
For now, here are some of my own character ideas:
A simple caster (Wizard based) that is also a weapon smith / armour smith. I want him to become the go to guy for creating weapons and armour for all the players. Later, I want him to be able to create magical armour. I see him starting in Layer 1, and working hard to get into a safer layer. I then see him still working in layer 1 to try and help elevate others. When he can afford to elevate himself, he does so. Mostly just so he has access to better paying clientele.
A tavern bruiser thug to cause trouble in the local drinking holes. Maybe try to establish/join a thieves guild or mob style organization.
Anywho... Thoughts?