Unique Races Edition
Previous thread: >>48214768
On designing cultures:
http://www.frathwiki.com/Dr._Zahir%27s_Ethnographical_Questionnaire
Random name/terrain/stat generators:
http://donjon.bin.sh/
Mapmaking tutorials:
http://www.cartographersguild.com/forumdisplay.php?f=48
Free HTML5-based mapmaking toolset:
www.inkarnate.com
Random Magic Resources/Possible Inspiration:
http://www.darkshire.net/jhkim/rpg/magic/antiscience.html
http://www.buddhas-online.com/mudras.html
http://sacred-texts.com/index.htm
Conlanging:
http://www.zompist.com/resources/
Random (but useful) Links:
http://futurewarstories.blogspot.ca/
http://www.projectrho.com/public_html/rocket/
http://military-sf.com/
http://fantasynamegenerators.com/
http://donjon.bin.sh/
http://www.eyewitnesstohistory.com/index.html
http://kennethjorgensen.com/worldbuilding/resources
Describe one of your original races in just a paragraph or two. You should be able to describe their culture and appearance this quickly, even if they have a rich ethnography.
If your setting just has humans, describe their unique culture in a single paragraph.
>>48303964
All humans
>Merchant republic surrounded by nomads turned agrarians, fighting for influence
>Nomad tribes on demographic decline
>Forest dwelling raiders who hate central authority
>Feudal kingdoms who like chivalry, lineage and fight among themselves over past insults
>Colony of a fallen empire with delusion of grandeur taking insane measures to control occupied territory with terror
>Peaceful pig farmers who are so unimportant I haven't even started fleshing them out
>Xenophobic isolationist contry to far East, filled with mystery, spices, literacy, bureaucracy and secret police
>Earth magic master race
Ok, if we're talking about races: How many is too many? How many is too few? What's the sweet spot to get people interested? How many should be playable VS not (excluding monsters)?
>>48303706
I love world building in my spare time, and have the bones of some campaigns/worlds thought out. I have never dm'd before but I want to soon.
My friends and I play dnd 5e. How easy is it to re-skin into all sorts of different worlds? I don't want to have to learn a whole new system of force my friends to.
>>48304694
If it's sci-fi, then you probably gonna have one race per nation at least.
But in fantasy, when everyone is on the same planet, do you really need any at all?
>>48304697
DND is very easy to fluff, as long as everybody knows the rules. 5e is even easier, since it's simpler than other editions. In fact I'm not sure I've ever played a DND game in the original setting (but to be fair, I've only played maybe 5 campaigns total)
>>48304697
Doesn't D&D have lots of different campaign settings? I would think that it's pretty easy to adapt the system to whatever world you need.
However, I have never played D&D, so I don't know shit about the system.
>>48304694
I would say keep a small amount, maybe 6 to 9 playable ones and then its infinite with nonplayables.
>>48303964
A race of "battle sloths" - highly territorial tree dwelling heavyworlders, with barrel shaped bodies and too-long arms. They bond in extended family units, and the only way for them to integrate into human societies is to likewise bond with a group of humans. They solve disputes and entertain themselves with their only sport, a form of lock-based wrestling, and the greatest coup for race relations is when human martial artists manage to join their league.
>>48304694
My setting (with the battle sloths) is a space setting, and humans are one of only three species who enjoy our particular oxygen/nitrogen atmosphere. The other two are the Hause (battle sloths), who enjoy a heavier gravity and denser atmosphere, and the Ja, a clannish species of hive-dwelling lizard analogues, who prefer a dryer and more argon-rich atmosphere.
There are many other species, all of which have a role in interstellar politics, but those are the only ones humans spend much time with, and the only onesopen to characters.
>>48304697
DnD, especially 5e, is good enough for what it does, but for anything outside a dungeon crawling fantasy adventure, it flounders. You could put a LOT of work into making the system work, but youd be better off spending that energy learning a good backup system.
I'd reccomend something versatile and rules-light, particularly the Cortex system. You can pick up the pdf quick, learn it in the morning, and teach it as they play the first setting.
>>48303964
humans
>jungle dwelling nomabs with strong oral traditions, primarily regarding water
>sailing people with ports in a wide variety of locations, heavy cultural emphasis on sailing and fishing
>temperate region dwelling people with a wide variety of tribes, but a unifying concept of agriculture involving powerful beasts of burden
raptors
>extremely cold dwelling, dwindling culture based on keeping ancient secrets, very superstitious — even by setting standards, but make up for it with unique technology
>more temperate and primitive (compared to the former) collection of tribes, based on strength, tribes migrate during the colder months to regions more temperate — for resources, and for an opportunity for youth to test their mettle
how gay/10?
>>48304918
What, biologically, are the raptors? Dinosaurs? Birds?
>>48304936
They look much more like dromaeosaurids, with a unique difference of being able to rotate their forearm.
What would you guys say is the scariest thing about vampires?
>>48306540
Their stunning good looks.
>>48306540
I've always found their supernatural powers to be terrifying. Wall-walking, fading into mist, it's their defiance of all known laws of science that makes them scary for me.
>>48306540
Their habit of passing as human.
>>48304694
That depends on the style of game and your ability to make them interesting. Some people shut down when you initially present them to many choices, but don't mind actually meeting them in the game. In a sci-fi setting you can functionally have unlimited and operate more with a character based philosophy.
For me personally in a fantasy setting it's about 50 as a soft limit.
>>48303964
Grunters: Large and thickly built with large teeth and tusks that makes complex speech impossible. Thick mane of hair extends onto the back and shoulders.
They communicate through sign language, augmented by communication magic that is fairly common in their kind. Socially organize into tight communities based around these talented 'speakers'.
Humans: Masters of language, other races can speak, but they can weave magic using words and songs. They write stories and myths that empower and mold people into powerful archetypes. Speeches and laws create order on a broader scale than the other races can manage.
This is why the human subspecies have conquered a large amount of the globe.
Any more detailed the cultures vary from place to place, just like in real life.
In response to the person who was helping me with my gunpowder problem in the last thread, here's what I've got:
>Most of the world's metals were used up by the ancient world-spanning empire
I already had the idea that they'd used up the world's supply of a particular high-quality construction material, which is a large part of why their structures have persisted for millennia.
>As a result, most metal currently used is salvaged and recycled
Stuff like steel isn't made, it's found.
>Typically a town's blacksmith can do little more than basic repairs/sharpening tools
It's a tropical region, so heating is not essential to most peoples' lives. Blacksmiths' forges mainly run on dried grasses and leaves, since most of the trees in the region burn poorly.
>New weapons and armor tend to be imported from nearby Meride, who use volcanic vents to provide much greater heat
And this actually gives me a much more satisfying reason why they bought a different region; maybe that's the only local source of wood that burns good.
Meride artisans tend to press their logo into armor when selling to international merchants, but these tend to fade as the armor undergoes various repairs; as a result, a slang term for when something is brand new and shiny is "still stamped".
>>48307714
>using geothermal for forging
That's how it works in my setting. Dwarves in their mountains are the only ones to work with the high-temperature metals like Orichalcum and Adamantium due to the heat required.
Ask me a question about my (high fantasy) setting.
>>48308374
Explain the ferrets
>>48308374
SO CUUUUUTEEEEE!
>>48308374
How tall is considered "tall" for a human?
How old is the oldest person alive? What might they say is the biggest change in the world since they were born?
What's something considered typically "masculine"? Something considered typically "feminine"?*
What's something everyone believes is true, but isn't?*
What is the fastest form of travel over long distances? What is the most common, if different?
How much does the proverbial mud-farmer know about magic?
*If you're the person who posted the "ask me any question" thing toward the end of the last thread, you can skip these, since they're pretty much the same ones I asked there.
>>48308394
The ferrets are a kind of fae folk. Small forest critters sometimes just get up on two legs and start walking around, and will probably eventually join with others in some of their small and enclosed communities- ferrets, bunnies, foxes, squirrels, rats, badgers, hedgehogs, and so on are all possible members of this race.
>>48308438
Also, what the heck, I've got nothing to do today. Ask me questions about my setting.
>>48308374
How does magic work?
Is there an afterlife?
Are there any talking swords?
What is "natural", as far as druid stuff is concerned?
>>48304048
That's just Westeros with the serial number filed off.
>>48308451
Here's a summary of the key points in the setting. It's not 100% updated, but you get the gist.
>>48308487
I don't think Westeros has monopoly on such generic tropes.
>>48306540
Hundreds of years of experience at keeping secrets.
>>48308525
When I see all parts to make a monkey laid out on the table, I tend to jump to conclusions concerning where the parts came from.
>>48308561
Well, Martin wrote low fantasy heavy on "realism" and so do I. Just like he did, I'm having vast number of different cultures and when you distill it into a single sentence, there's going to be a lot of similarities.
However, this is superflous similiary. Aside of medieval-Europe standard, of course. Which I'm actually largely neglicting, while for ASOIaF it is primary setting.
>>48308438
>Tall
Tall is anything above average height, which is about 6 foot tall. So 6'2 is a little tall, and 6'4 and us would be really tall. Humans tend to measure their weight in cubits though, so humans average at 4 cubits.
>Old
Probably some edgy druid/wizard that's been around since the stone age. There are probably several wee folk that much older then him though.
>Masculine
It's the same as our world; wars and hard labor are generally seen as masculine, veils and housework is seen as womanly, etc. I fail to see why this needs to be asked.
>Everyone believes
That lizardfolk are related to dragons. They are not.
>Fastest form of travel
Once again, probably magical. Or actually divine, a God scooping you up and putting you back down where you need to go is fastest of all, but obviously doesn't happen unless a God needs you to do it. Probably sail boat otherwise.
>Mud farmer know about magic
This is actually a really good question, because they know quite a bit about magic. The exception is they don't cast traditional spells, but they still have folk magick.
Essentially only a few rare and select people (genetic) can cast Wizard spells. However pretty much anyone can cast folk magick, which is mostly based around luck and fate. For example a poor farmer is down on his luck, so he takes a bit of clay and draws a few symbols on it; probably the symbol for money and wealth, a symbol for a man, his family name, or maybe just a little doodle of himself, maybe he draws a sunrise for hope, and so on. Later, he casts this into a fire and buries it at the foot of his house, or attaches it to the bottom of his wagon, or carries it is in his coin purse.
Now the next time the farmer goes to make some money, mechanically speaking he gets his roll improved by +1 until it makes a difference.
Other forms of folk magick include minor curses, potions, and talismans of personal power, etc.
>>48308438
>How tall is considered "tall" for a human?
6 feet is usually the upper limit. Most Humans this tall have some Snow Elf or Dragon blood.
>How old is the oldest person alive? What might they say is the biggest change in the world since they were born?
Define "person". The oldest living beings are the two remaining Dragon Aspects, who were the first intelligent life created. They're only ~8,000 years old.
>What's something considered typically "masculine"? Something considered typically "feminine"?*
In terms of magic; damaging evocations and transmutation are masculine, while utility magic like abjuration and the healing arts are feminine.
>What's something everyone believes is true, but isn't?*That the Gods grant Clerics their power, or exist at all
>What is the fastest form of travel over long distances? What is the most common, if different?
Griffons are fairly fast, but only Elves, Half-Elves, and Halflings are light enough to ride them. Until airships are a thing, the fastest mode of transportation is river travel by boat.
>How much does the proverbial mud-farmer know about magic?
He knows that the smelly hippy that lives in town can do some weird shit that makes the crops grow better.
>>48308455
>Magic
Magic is ill defined as of right now. My setting isn't complete and I sometimes fail at high concepts like this, but what I will tell you is that basically magic comes in two forms; the more 'low' kind of magic involving luck and chance that basically everyone can do, and then the powerful spells that only Wizards can do.
>Afterlife
~Nobody Knows~
No actually nobody really knows because I'm tired of trying to think of how an afterlife would work. The managers of heaven keep a soul in long waiting lists and queues to go off to the afterlife, and that's where ghosts come from (grandpa died 3 years ago and stilll haunts his house because the bureaucrats in heaven are slow as fuck). One day they'll pass on and I haven't decided what happens after that.
>Talking swords
Oh yes, absolutely. Objects start talking for no reason sometimes in this world. But there is also a good chance it was the result of a meddling Wizard.
>What is 'natural'
You know I really hate this concept, but not the question, because I feel like its always done poorly in every fantasy setting. Even in real life people answer this question poorly.
Anything 'unnatural' is just made from natural things, it's kind of a misnomer. My setting doesn't even have druids, but I'm kind of considered making druids and wizards a combination class.
>>48308438
>How tall is considered "tall" for a human?
6 foot. not bizarrely tall, but tall.
>How old is the oldest person alive? What might they say is the biggest change in the world since they were born?
Human? Early Nineties. The Crimson Tide, the fall of the Southern Empire, and the third Unification. But that was about 50 years ago, so they aren't alone in that.
Including Elves. Lost track several hundred years ago. The arrival of humans in the continent, and the founding of their empire.
>What's something considered typically "masculine"?
soldiery. Particularly line infantry, as the 'auxiliary' roles are open to women too.
>Something considered typically "feminine"?*
Weaving. Other arts are considered at least someone coed, but weaving is the feminine art.
>What's something everyone believes is true, but isn't?*
that the Kateeth, Shadow Lords, and Norks are different humanoid species in the same way elves, grunters, and stonekin are. Their actually subspecies of humans.
>What is the fastest form of travel over long distances?
by sea, ships. Same with most common. By land, fastest is horseback, but most common aux cart caravans.
>How much does the proverbial mud-farmer know about magic?
low level magic is extremely common, even a typical mud-farmer knows a spell song or two that helps with their task.
They probably also know that elves weave magic into metal and grunters do it with their dances.
>>48308455
>How does magic work?
There are 3 types; "Elder Magic" the Creator-God performs, chaotic magic Dragons can perform, and formulaic magic mortals can learn.
>Is there an afterlife?
Souls are just a type of elemental spirit. Death is no different from a lucid dream, so expectations of the afterlife influence it greatly.
Resurrection and reincarnation is a thing in-setting, but most people don't want to come back.
>Are there any talking swords?
There's plenty of ways to make one.
Wizards/Artificers of the current era aren't skilled enough to make them, though. It would have to be forged by a demigod.
>What is "natural", as far as druid stuff is concerned?
The processes of "life" (like growth and conversion of food into energy/heat) produces "positive energy", while rot and decay produces "negative energy". This duality is the founding principle of any natural spellcaster, which allows for healing magic and resurrection.
>>48308637
>I fail to see why this needs to be asked.
Same reason any question about your setting needs to be asked. It's a reflection of the rules of society.
>>48303964
Hammak, the only race other than humans which exists in every mirror of the setting.
They appear pretty much exactly like the Mystics in The Dark Crystal, except with only two arms. This probably won't change, it's too ingrained into my mind. Hammak are most closely related to birds, although they are possibly the lone species of their own phylum. They have no feathers, only leftover pores on their grotesque and wrinkly backs that they cover in rags or fabrics. Hammak have very resilient internal organs and incredible digestive abilities, being immune to all but the strongest toxins in the highest doses. They can eat, drink, and smoke almost anything, and with enough experience, analyze and identify what they have just consumed. Their 600-year lifespans coupled with their slow movement makes them avoid combat.
The growth process of a Hammak is drawn-out and certainly not pretty. Because of this, Hammak are raised communally and lack families, instead they are family to their entire tribe. They are born as fat slugs and spend the first few years of their lives wiggling aimlessly with the others in dens of filth where the adults throw food to ferment and nourish the grubs. When they emerge, they are taught to work and communicate so that they can serve the tribe. Some Hammak leave their home around age 70, and most will return by the end of their long lives. They may end up among humans in guilds and universities to hone their skills, or in hidden refuges to live as hermits.
Culturally, Hammak are fond of smoking things using ornate devices. Invention and medicine are revered. It is more common in Hammak than in humans to practice alchemy, gematria, witchcraft, and the arcane. They usually dislike children because they've never had to deal with them.
Hammak archetypes include alchemists, witches, architects, drug dealers, gangsters, lorekeepers, inventors, secretaries, and surgeons.
Would silver be too common to be used as antimagic material?
I want something accessible, but no so accessible that you can just grab it out of your drawers at home or a shop in town, or anything. Modern-day setting, also. Working on urban fantasy.
>>48309325
Could have multiple tiers to anti-magic materials.
In my setting, magic is a form of radiation. Lead can be used to block it, but as a poisonous soft metal it's ineffective to use in construction. Iridium reflects it, and an Iridium/Platinum alloycalled Orichalcum in-settingreflects it to the point of bypassing magical resistances.
>>48303964
Prismals are humanoid magical creatures that are generally 3-4ft tall, have antenna, pastel-colored skin, and gastropod-like shells on their backs. They feed off of intangible things—mostly music and dreams. Nightmares taste bad to them, and the more complex music is the more delicious it is. A drum beat is a nice snack, but an orchestra is a feast. Consuming these things means actually making good dreams disappear and silencing music. For this reason, Prismals are often considered vermin among the other races.
The shells on their backs are said to contain all of their magic and memories, and when they die the shell is left behind, acting as a gravestone. Some have tried to make use of a Prismal shell’s vast magical potential, but were unsuccessful—in fact, the shell would attach itself to anyone who stepped too close and overload their brain with the Prismal’s memories, corrupting them. These “shell zombies” are rare, but often live for a long time.
Prismals tend to be loners because of the way they eat. A bunch of Prismals together means almost certainly that they’ll end up feeding on each other’s good dreams.made these guys a long time ago in high school, sorry for my autistic tumblr art
>>48308455
>How does magic work?
Force of will to tell the laws of physics "sit down, shut up, you can say your piece later." Intellect plays a part, mainly in figuring out the most efficient way to accomplish your goal--like thinking to use a lever to move a rock and the best place to put it versus just moving the rock.
>Is there an afterlife?
People believe they are subsumed into the world upon death. A farmer believes his essence becomes part of his farm, part of his collection of models, part of his family, etc. in some poorly-defined ethereal sense.
>Are there any talking swords?
Kind of, but it's just an illusion. They talk but they don't think any more than one of those plastic Power Rangers swords that make slashing/zapping sounds.
>What is "natural", as far as druid stuff is concerned?
There aren't druids, but groups obsessed with the "natural" tend to have no problem with technology; it comes from the earth, don't it? These groups tend to have more of a problem with magic, what with it literally breaking nature's laws.
>>48303964
S'fey. Hairless and lanky with webbed fingers and toes; they can hold their breath for over half an hour (longer with training). They tend to live on barges in warmer parts of the world's oceans, diving for salvage and other valuables.
>>48309597
>>48308438
And I'm the one who asked these, but
>How tall is considered "tall" for a human?
1.85m for men, 1.75m for women. The average for the region is 1.72m for men, 1.67m for women.
>How old is the oldest person alive? What might they say is the biggest change in the world since they were born?
In the world, 221; in the area, 108. In the last hundred years, private adventuring (as opposed to the state-run Service) has taken off as a career, and the mail system has been vastly improved.Unless she's anything like my granny, who despite being a small business owner in her lifetime, said the most revolutionary invention was the garbage disposal.
>What's something considered typically "masculine"? Something considered typically "feminine"?
The true "militaries" of the region are roughly 70% male; however, the Service (mentioned above) is almost 60% women.
Jobs which require classroom education (such as medicine and engineering) are more likely to be held by women; jobs which depend more exclusively on on-the-job training or apprenticeships are more likely to be held by men.
However, the more dramatic differences are in leisure, not work. Alcohol, for example, is masculine; other drugs (like the misleadingly-named eden root, which is a leaf) are feminine. Reading fiction is feminine, fighting/sparring is masculine--so much so that the concept of "foxy boxing" would never exist here, and Freeda Foreman would probably be a disappointment to her father.
>What's something everyone believes is true, but isn't?
Sleeping without a good circulation of air (say, an open window) will make you sick.
>What is the fastest form of travel over long distances? What is the most common, if different?
Galanier has a rudimentary rail system (inspired by the Bamboo Railroad) that travels nearly twice as fast as most ships. Unfortunately, it can only carry a few people at a time and only exists in Galanier. Otherwise, hybrid sail/electric ships.
>>48309325
Use electrum instead. That shit is cool as fuck.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electrum
>>48310020
>How much does the proverbial mud-farmer know about magic?
As much as I know about what makes my car go. I know which pedals to press, and I know roughly how an internal-combustion engine works, but pop open the hood and you lose me.
>>48310056
>Electrum
I had completely forgotten about this. It makes a lot more sense for my Dwarves to use that than Copper/Silver/Gold/Platinum the rest of the world uses.
>>48308748
>Objects start talking for no reason sometimes in this world.
That seems like it could be inconvenient.
"Hey, you're trying to snipe that guard? Good luck, buddy, I've seen your aim, I'm your freakin' bow. Don't you shush me!"
Druid could be college-aged wizards who won't shut up about how much better organic food is and who doesn't own any shirts that don't feature a cannabis leaf.
>>48303964
>a race of short-lived immature rat kids, under dictature and won't allow anyone in or out
>>48308633
I love what martin did with all the different cultures and ethnic groups. I always missed that level of detail in star wars and star trek.
>>48309578
that's neat and cute andwhere do you post your art
also
do shell zombies keep the personality of the victim or do they become a mix or just the prismal again?
what happens if a prismal shell gets cracked and leaks, if that can happen?
how often prismal shell tragedies happen?
So Worldbuilders thus far in my setting I have only created large and over arching concepts. Things like the races, the cosmology, the gods, how magic works, how religions work, etc.
But then I get caught on a snag even trying to go one step lower; like nations, important individuals, locations. How should I do this?
>>48311243
What helped for me was watching a bunch of Crash Course World History (and to a lesser extent, Crash Course Economics). It's got a lot of interesting insight into how cultures rise and develop.
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL8dPuuaLjXtNjasccl-WajpONGX3zoY4M
Something else that worked for me was to actually start smaller--cities and individuals. Then build outwards from there. Maybe come up with a venerated king and then figure out what societal ideals make him so good (like if he conquered a bunch of territory and the country values expansion).
>>48310458
Thanks!angeban.tumblr.com
There might be an old leftover defense mechanism from the shell, so it'll try to essentially take over, but since there's only memories and no actual brain in there it just melts the victim's own brain faculties. So though they're still alive and can eat, sleep, and still speak, what comes out of their mouth is usually a nonsense mix of their old memories and the original prismal's. Hence "zombie".
Not everyone who tampers with an old shell will have it react and attack them, but it happens enough that normal people will stay away if they find one.
Prismal shells are pretty durable (more like a tortoise shell than a snail's or anything), but if they do get cracked and start leaking it could be fatal. Since shells have both magic and memories stored in them, the leakage is basically a mixed form of them both and manifests in the physical world as apparitions that play out old memories. These apparitions will hover like a cloud around the prismal, basically making them relive their past over and over again until they either die or the crack is repaired.
>>48311243
What are you aiming for? Are you trying to establish a sense of verisimilitude? Are you trying to tie things together to make it a feasible RPG? Are you trying to put together a plausible plot? If you don't know your direction, it's easy to get caught in a snag.
>>48309578
can they eat just music or also sounds as well?
can they eat animal dreams?do they eat "dreams" aka life goals?
>>48311476
They can certainly eat sounds but it probably doesn't taste good. Might be like eating soil for humans. Again, generally more complex or pleasing-to-the-ear music is better.
If animals dream then they can.
No life goals though, those are more strictly human emotion based, and prismals don't tend to eat emotions. That's for other soul-sucking types of creatures.
>>48309578
>They feed off of intangible things
they can eat memories, beliefs, opinions and ideas?if yes no wonder they're considered vermin
>>48303964
Living on the delta of the Noeki River, the Sobki are a race of large humanoid crocodiles. Ruled by a Pharaoh and its harem of "wives", the Sobki control the south, past the Gobyetti Desert. Relations are strained with the northern kingdoms, due to the desire for exotic good the Sobki control, but lacking desired goods themselves. The Sobki have a good relationship with the nomadic Gnoll tribes the wander the desert, hunting and killing large earth elementals that inhabit it, mining ore, stone, and precious metals and gems from the corpses.
The name Sobki comes from their chief diety, Sobkesh, a large crocodile said to spend eternity warming itself on the sun. When a Sobki dies, its soul travels to Sobkesh, who judges it. If the soul is worthy, Sobkesh opens its maw, where a gate to the afterlife is held. If the soul is unworthy, Sobkesh slaps it away with its tail. The stars are said to be the tears of these souls, as they weep, trying to shed their sins. Sobki preserve their dead, as it is not unheard of for one of these souls to wander back to thier body, resurrecting themselves. These returned are both honored for returning to make ammends, but held with suspicion, due to their wicked life they must have led to be rejected by Sobkesh.
>>48311243
The best way is to do a combined top-down and bottom-up method.
You should make a character that lives in the setting, and plot out how their life would be like.
You guys alllowed to talk about Scifi stuff in here or is it only fantasy?
>>48312149
Sci-fi is welcome.
>Unique Races
So we should share are unique races? How about my modern fantasy game with some weird races?
Rate mapo and or ask questions about setting
>>48312149
/tg/ isn't the traditional games board or the fantasy board anon, it's the collaborative fiction and methods to achieve it board (also MTG)
>>48312594
>Rate mapo
REJOICE/10
>>48312594
6/10
Technically adept, but could use more contrast for labels.
I like the small landforms, but not the region as a whole.
Although the mountains with the single ridge and the forests meld very good, I would have preferred a style with more greebeling to invoke more little nooks to explore.
While moody, the coloring makes it look drab and boring.
It just doesn't awaken imagination and urge to explore.
>>48311534
>>48311535
>They feed off of intangible things
can they feed offmemes?your art blog is cute [/spoiler ]
>>48312477
You're free to do as you like, mein friend. Urban fantasy, unfortunately, is not a common genre for worldbuilding, but I'm in the same boat ad you are.
Please stay alive.
>>48313098
I'd be interesting is seeing more urban fantasy not set in the real world.
The only examples I can think of is the Alloy of Law trilogy.
Are there any historical kingdoms in which brothers legally came before sons in inheritance?
I feel like almost any monarch would just rewrite the laws to put his son in power, however in this case the monarch is also the religious figurehead who descends directly from their prophet who wrote the laws, so I guess it could work.
>>48315040
I wish there were some more creative urban fantasy setting earth weren't just "like earth except pointy ears lol"
I want to see underground dwarven urban complexes and shit
>>48315272
Plenty, though it was often a matter of circumstance (e.g. the dad dies when the son is too young). That's exactly what happened in Hamlet, after all, except for the "too young" bit.
>>48315453
Have you read Neverwhere?
What are some cool space phenomenon to have cool space aliens come from? Real outlandish, bizarre stuff, to make for bizarre life. I'm not very well-versed in sciency-stuff, so I'd appreciate the help.
>>48316161
What do you mean, space phenomena like stellar bodies and weather phenomena? cause generally you're not going to find much life coming from a white dwarf or a pulsar anon. Even if the lifeform has a non human composition, they're generally still going to have requirements to sustain life and boundaries within which they can survive.
Unless you're talking about Neutronium Golems.
>>48316321
Weather, atmospherics, anything really that is a particularly forgien concept to humans.
I have only the most basic, passing knowledge about white dwarfs and pulsar stars, but what really about them prohibits life from popping up?
>>48316321
>Neutronium golems as the obligatory warrior species
>>48316161
Schlock Mercenary had aliens made of dark matter that could only interact with normal matter via gravity manipulation. Hence they often crushed starships into tin cans.
There's also the phenomenon where a proton particle travelling at 0.98c hits the Earth's atmosphere every once in a while. Gives a big boom but not much else.
Maybe you can do something about black holes and the event horizon.
My take on orcs is that they come in generational cycles. If mass population calamity strikes they move back down the cycle.
>Red: They are small, weak, unintelligent, and basically animalistic. They're fully mature within a couple of years. They spread rapidly looking for a place to settle.
>Orange: In sufficient numbers oranges are born. They are slightly bigger and smarter, but more or less like Reds.
>Yellow: When the Oranges have sufficient food supply and population growth they begin to turn yellow. Bigger, smarter, longer lived, and better at tool use.
>Green: After a sufficient population boom there is a mass "greening" of the population in which all children born are green. They are big and strong, but not too bright.
>Blues: Smaller than greens, smarter, and more dexterous. They could be described as more skilled workers or perhaps in a pinch archers than bruisers.
>Indigo: The indigos are smarter, stronger, more dexterous, and longer lived than any previous generation of orcs. They take decades to mature. When they first emerge, they are a tiny minority with greens still making up 2/3-1/2 of the populace. In many ways they are comparable to elves.
>Violet: Violets are born in small numbers to indigos. Physically they are equal to them, but mentally stronger and with inherent magical capabilities on par with that of a young dragon. They take a century to reach young adulthood. By the time they are born greens are 25% of the population or less, with blues making up the majority and indigos having a large enough populace to have some sort of hierarchy.
Violets and Indigos are why elves hate orcs. They can't stand the rivalry.
>>48316454
For the most part, for a species to come from space phenomena in the way you're thinking, they'd need to survive in vacuum without much issue. Unless you plan on giving stars an atmosphere and the creatures some sort of chemical exchange system from which it can gather energy/grow and so forth, it'll be difficult for a creature, much less a species to survive. This isn't mentioning the different gravitational conditions and other extreme conditions found in stellar bodies. Some stars have extreme gravitational fields, other stars release massive pulses of radiation. Depending on what phenomena you go for, you need to adjust the race accordingly.
Take >>48316461's suggestion of a black hole for instance, for a creature to freely move in and out of a black hole's event horizon you basically need to either find a loophole around what we understand about black holes, or invent a new concept of astrophysics in order to handwave it.
The idea of Neutronium Golem Phalanxes is neat admittedly, even if it isn't very feasible.
>>48316161
Maybe Crash Course Astronomy will help.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0rHUDWjR5gg&list=PL8dPuuaLjXtPAJr1ysd5yGIyiSFuh0mIL
>>48316870
>Crash Course
whoa, this is highschool AP US History all over again.
>>48316956
It sums up a ton of shit in a relatively short amount of time. It ain't the most detailed presentation of physics, but it's at least fast and lacking in all the bells and whistles an hour-long documentary usually does
>>48316983
>but it's at least fast and lacking in all the bells and whistles an hour-long documentary usually does
Know any good hour+ long documentary/lectures/essays? Those are my jam
>>48311339
>John Green
ugh. A long time ago I tried to watch him, and found it pretty interesting for a while, but as the show went on his overt liberalism got more and more grating.
I wish there was a more neutral, non-apologist, comprehensive history channel on youtube, but thus far I have not been able to find any.
>>48309578
That's cool worldbuilding. It feels like it's from a trippy 70s fantasy movie. Nice art too!
>>48312594
What map-making tool did you use?
I'm trying to create a post-magic apocalypse setting, with magic tanks, and the remnants of all sort of crazy magitechnology.
any good systems for how to operate tanks? also, any good resources to learn in more detail about tanks?
>>48303964
The Fae of the Twilit Kingdom are one of the most eclectic races on the face of Creation. Their number include the diminutive and energetic Hyppen; masters of gems and magic, the towering Gren; fast friends to all the spirits who nurture the plants which feed their kin, and the flighty Peryion; second only to the Gryphons in their ability to navigate the maelstrom.
The Fae, despite their startling amount of physical diversity, are united both by their common heritage as Night's children and by their natural affinity for music. As the Fey have no spoken language and instead speak in ideas and concepts, they need do little more than wish their words be melodious.
I've been trying to come up with more than just three types of fae for the sake of variety (their shtick is supposed to how varied they are), but I'm running out of niches. Considering fire and water to finish them out, but I don't know what those would even be/do.
>>48317432
photoshop
>>48317414
There are channels that take specific periods and stuff. The Great War comes to mind.
Personally, I like Crash Course. Considering how fast I've forgotten everything that isn't English, maths and physics from high school, it has the perfect level of detail to get me into stuff again. I hope they start a Geography course soon.
>>48312594
Best map on /wbg/. Unlike the other anon, I think this map invites to exploration. I also think the map kind of tells a story in itself.
>coming up with reimaginings of classic horror monsters and how they fit into your world.
Fun times. Making everything a little spoopier to fit the theme of things is enjoyable.
Really I just love coming up with terrible monsters for fun, I have whole doc files of random red shirt monster men ready to throw at my party.
>tfw I spent ages on the lore and world-building of my setting
>tfw I dropped it in autism rage and other projects for two months
>tfw I'm whipping up a campaign in the setting and everything just clicks
Have you lads ever done this? Decide to revisit an old setting and realize all the pieces fit for a fun campaign, you just never saw it at the time due to tunnel-vision?
I´ve been working on a space setting recently and thougth that before I go into the political or cultural segments of it, I´d try to create more aliens.
Already trying to take inspiration from halo, mass effect, star wars, star trek, xcom and the like.
Do you guys know of any sites or guide lines for creating aliens?
>>48319262
Creating aliens is a far different process than creating races that inhabit the same planet. You're going to have to pick a planet and theorize how life would evolve on it.
Or you can just make your aliens <Distinct Skin Color> + <Distinct Physical Characteristic> Humans.
>>48319262
My advice is to boot up Stellaris, start up a human campaign, enter "observe" in the console and look at what races were created.
From there it's easy to spend all sorts of time theorizing how they came to be or what their homeworld's like.
Example: Divine Mandate Avians from an arid world with Natural Sociologist, Industrious and Repugnant that use wormhole technology and laser-based weaponry.
>>48318968
Oh, do you have a list? I'm doing much the same thing for my setting right now.
>>48303964
The Star Children (name pending) are sentient, flaming humanoid bundles of Positive energy that are so rare that you actually need to travel to the plane of positive energy to even see more than a dozen in a lifetime.
They are almost disgustingly optimistic and charismatic, and with their bodies being the way they are, and their innate magical powers, they tend to go a little nutty if they can't explode every once in a while.
What are some good occult symbols that don't look like swastikas? I looked paranormal symbols up and they all are either ugly or look like swastikas and I need something that good wholesome all-American paranormal agency can use.
>>48320059
Well, a good old pentagram always works.
Or maybe the triple goddess symbol?
>>48320059
What are you looking for, exactly?
If it's something like this, you can make them yourself.
>>48320085
>Well, a good old pentagram always works.
Too Satanic. Although the agency operated only during World War II before satanic panic we know and love.
>>48320234
Norse stuff is always good, 'specially valknuts.
>>48320227
I'm looking for something that would not look Nazi-esque and what can be comforably, recognizably and aesthetically attached to bald eagle.
This ruled most arrows like you posted for me. Because I don't think they look good and distinct from regular arrows enough.
>>48320234
>>48320272
Do you even know what you're looking for?
"Occult" is quite literally synonymous with Nazi Occultism and Satanism.
Else, you're just looking for hermeticism and other old magic systems.
>>48320059
Can't go wrong with the Pyramid and All-Seeing Eye. It's as American as apple pie and Masonic conspiracies.
>>48320517
Eye of Providence was always my fallback plan if I don't pick anything else I like.
Eye of Providence is good, but I feel it's a bit too cliche to be a symbol of a secret project.
>>48320573
Secret projects are pretty cliche to begin with.
>>48320576
YOUR MOM IS PRETTY CLICHE
>>48320573
Real American secret agencies tend to use outrageously cheesy and obvious symbolism.
How do you guys feel about settings based on Earth? That is, similar geography and climates, fantasy equivalents of real peoples hanging out where our versions do, etc. I feel like I'm being lazy when I do it, but I've become so invested in the stuff I've already done I'm not sure how I'd fix it.
>>48321848
I feel like basing your setting on Earth leaves it too open to personal beliefs and opinions leaking into it.
You have to be open-minded about your fantasy world; view all of your creations as delightfully flawed idiots.
>>48321848
If it's all about fun allusions and maybe some social commentary, I'd be all for it.
>>48321848
They generally don't interest me, it feels like less new stuff to discover.
>>48308717
Your fedora is showing
>>48322423
But it's true in-setting.
Clerics are powered by faith alone; the Gods they worship don't actually exist.
That's not to say there aren't Demigods and a Creator
>>48303706
I've always wanted to homebrew my own world. However, I don't really know where to start; its like the enormity of the project makes my head just stop working and no ideas will come.
What do.
>>48309325
I've read a setting where gold was used to block teleportation.
Can anybody point me to works where the universe is fundamentally unlike our one?
Like, Elder Scrolls has the two moons be the corpses of gods, other planets are more like pocket dimensions, and there is no outer space. Spelljammer has star systems encapsulated in crystal spheres that move around in phlogiston.
Stuff like that.
>>48322578
Most planes in good old Planescape.
>>48322578
>>48322827
Oh, Exalted...
Ever have simultaneous horror and a rose-tinted glow of past happiness at the same time? That picture does that for me.
>>48320576
It's not secret. It's obscure because they didn't get any results and were canned
Except they were all influenced by aliens, but that's another point.
>>48322918
For me that mixture is Warcraft.
>>48303964
So the Lizardfolk (i'll think of some fancy name later):
>cultureless,coldblooded bastards,eat everything,all follow a hive mind of some sort
>sleep in oceans during warmer parts of the year,wake up in colder months
>entire swarm march out of the hives and eat and destroy everything on their path
>they can swim and climb walls but fresh water is deadly to them
>mist follows them,when the mist is settled in one place the area is lost
>when spring comes lizards retreat to the oceans. Where mist was earlier,now there is only sea
how shit/10 ?
>>48312594
map is excellent.
>>48312777
i don't with the 6/10 score, but i agree that the labels could be brightened up. at the moment it looks like you've faded the labels to highlight the rendering on the map features, which is great looking, but isn't the primary purpose of the map.
>>48323042
>Kezan
RIP. I wish Undermine was a thing ingame.
Tieflings
> Pretty Common
> Demons and devils are much more relaxed. Have a Reasonable Daemonette feel to them. More than willing to work out a deal that increases the Net Evil, rather than a major power shift.
> Abyss is basically a Fiendish Enclave of Lawyers.
> General populace are Apathetic towards Fiend summoning.
> Tieflings are just a side-effect to all this fiendish magic. WARNING: Side-effects of devil summoning may cause offspring to have horns.
> Nobody Cares.
Elves
> Crazy AF.
> Worship the Fey Court as their Gods
> Whimsical. Whimsy for days.
> Basically the Kidnap your Baby and inundiate him with Fey magic at birth. Turning him into a Half-Elf.(Offspring of a human and an Elf will always be Elf in my campaign.)
> generally unstable personality of "You're my best friend OR I'LL FILL YOUR FACE-HOLES WITH KNIVES."
> Everyone distrusts them based on their generally Chaotic nature.
>>48316464
this hasn't got any replies but i actually like this a lot. i've always liked warhams fungus orks and this is like a more expanded version of that concept. the only thing i'm not sure about is the rainbow colouration, but that's just a personal taste thing.
>>48309578
this is the kind of thing i love seeing in worlbuilding threads. the endless rehashing of generic fantasy and "how many races is enough" questions that comes up multiple times per thread gets tiring sometimes.
hope to see more of your work here.
>>48320689
holy shit i did not know about this.
>>48323113
2/10
Lifecycle makes swordfodder their only purpose. Furthermore they explicitly have no culture. It makes no sense for a coldblooded creature to become active in winter. They actively remove more interesting material permanently from the setting via mist.
Weakness is more based in theme than in logic. But at least they have a motif going.
Depending on interpretation they could be killed by their own mist.
http://www.mizahar.com/lore/Symenestra
What you think of these guys? Not my content but probably my favourite race from any canon. Maybe I'm too edgelord
>>48323430
they are the generic evil race that everyone fears,no further explanation nor purpose,since the focus is not put on them
>>48323479
not the guy you are responding to but it does seem like the least interesting possible way to do a generic evil race. even the darkspawn from dragon age are more interesting than that.
>>48303964
>The Valis are said to have come from beyond the sea, on ships bigger than ten villae, commanded by a clairvoyant woman with eyes of gold. Their lives revolve around a cycle of hunting whales on the high seas and returning home to seek shelter from winter's storms - it's as if their whole society is indeed one single body seated in Ven Val, periodically reaching out with its arms to feed itself. It is said that their men live their lives in servitude and can only hope to be recognized as half-equal, but never superior... hyperbole, most certainly, but every Valis dignitary or diplomat I've ever met has been introduced to me as Lady So-and-So.
>Don't be so foolish as to call their gods "gods", in their mind there are no gods in this world anymore, only "Saints" left to guide the chosen people to the world beyond death. Trying to argue with them has proven to be... difficult. Their theology doesn't seem very developed and overly reliant on never doubting these unwritten dogmas. Perhaps a culture so dependant on its navy has no need for introspective minds, but obedient soldiers.inb4 autism
>>48322094
Not really. It's just I'm already using cultural counterparts, so why not have the land be similar too? Like, if I'm going to have a fantasy version of the crusades, I just have it in an area similar to the Middle East.
>>48324144
>if I'm going to have a fantasy version of the crusades, I just have it in an area similar to the Middle East
So what, you got orks going SAURON VULT and all that?
Still, could be fun.
But if you pretty much have cultural counterparts to everything, and then have it all take place on Earth, and then ignore it all to instead do serious worldbuilding, why make it take place on Earth anyway? Just do a mish-mash land like Pathfinder does
>>48317030
Have you watched The Inexplicable Universe? Hopefully it's still on Netflix.
>>48324623
It appears it is not.
>>48317647
Allright buddy, I'll try to pass on to you all I can about what I think you need to know about tanks, so you can develop your own concept in your fantasy setting. This is because I love tanks and war engines in general and dislike seeing the concept badly fleshed out.
First off, let's start with the name.
>Tank
This was a misnomer created to deceive the germans during World War I. The original name was Landships. See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_Willie
So instead, we will call them Armored Fighting Vehicles (AFV). You can call them whatever you want in your setting of course, most countries call them "Battle Wagons", see: Panzer Kampfwagen, Char de Combat, Carro de Combate, etc.
The 2nd thing you need to know, is that an AFV is built for a PURPOSE. The original British "tanks" were designed to survive enemy fire while advancing towards enemy trenches, firing on enemy machine gun nests and lobbing HE shells on enemy infantry. So, as it turns out, they designed a huge METAL BOX, and, understandably enough, equipped it with whatever weapons they had available that would fit. See: Vickers Machine Gun, Lewis Machine Gun, Ordnance QF 6-pdr.
So, whatever your AFV looks like, it has to accomplish the goal it was designed for, which usually involves balancing the most holy trinity of war engine design:
-Firepower
-Mobility
-Protection
Next we will examine a few iconic examples and judge them by their success at their intended and unintended roles.
>>48324809
If anyone is interested in funny sigils, try this thing.
http://sigilscribe.me/
>>48324809
Sturmgeschütz III
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sturmgesch%C3%BCtz_III
I'll start with the StuG III because it's an easy one.
This vehicle is based on an already available chassis (Panzer III) and designed to support the assaulting infantry, as it's name implies. One important concept was that the StuGs belonged to the Artillery, not the Panzer corps, so you can see how doctrine led to the creation of the war engine and not the other way around.
Since it was meant to be used on the attack, the first StuGs carried decent armor, a low silhouette to present a smaller target, and a big (for the time) 75mm short gun, useful for busting pillboxes, MG nests and the like. You'll note it doesn't carry a turret, this is because it was never meant to be used in the deep penetration phase of the assault, nor as a flanker or raider, like your usual (more versatile) turreted AFV would.
Now, after the Germans started facing T-34s and KV-1s in the Eastern Front, they realized they could easily strap a longer 75mm gun on the StuG, and thus transform it into a hybrid assault gun/tank destroyer, for which it's low silhouette, decent armor and good mobility were very helpful.
>>48317647
Here's some short videos on the VERY basic things about a tank. Might be helpful in looking for your own resources.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2KvoAtLJBKU
>>48324941
The iconic Medium Tank M4 Sherman
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M4_Sherman
This was the result of the US army developing a mass production "all rounder" with the best components they could afford. We can easily compare it to Gundam's GM or Crimson Skies' Devastator. It's a good design that far outlived it's best-by date, but kept on giving.
The purpose of this vehicle was to bring the 75mm gun, which fired a good HE shell and a (at first) good AP shell, in a mobile, reliable and well armored vehicle, in order to support the infantry on the attack and defense. When it was first deployed in North Africa, it made a HUGE impression on the Axis, since it had the good gun the M3 Lee had brought, with better armor and a fully revolving turret.
Production and Logistical concerns kept it practically unchanged in performance until about 1944 and Normandy, when the greater amounts of tougher German tanks meant it was upgunned with the 76mm gun, which fired a much improved AP shot at the expense of a worse HE shell. Even then, only a small proportion of the pool was upgraded, and the M4 kept soldiering on for many years in less developed armed forces, both with the original gun and in various improved guises.
>>48325119
By now, I hope you've understood how an AFV is really a "weapons system" and not just a moving thing that shoots.
The next thing I'd like you to look at is the Crew, which, unless your setting has automation or huge creatures in the role of an AFV, will be needed to operate the war engine.
There's at minimum 3 tasks that will need to be accomplished in an AFV for it to operate: Driving, Shooting and Commanding.
Keeping them separate is important to maximize performance, as the Germans found out when they gave their Panzers 5 man crews.
Having a distinct, separate commander in the vehicle is beneficial because he will be tasked with navigating, observing, picking up targets for the gunner and interacting with other friendly vehicles/infantry/HQ.
Having a distinct separate gunner is important because he can then concentrate on ranging, aiming and firing in the most efficient way possible, without the burden of loading the gun or commanding the tank.
Having a distinct driver is important because driving a vehicle over cross country terrain while keeping everyone inside uninjured, the vehicle unstuck, peeking out of a tiny viewport all the while being under fire is harder than it looks.
Having a separate loader depends on space constraints/if the AFV is equipped with an autoloader, and having a separate radio operator depends on the radio equipment carried.
That's it for now, if you have any more questions, do ask. Now I'll post something else because I need /tg/s help with something.
>>48308438
(1/2)
Late to this party, but:
>How tall is considered "tall" for a human?
There are a lot of different ethnic groups, so that's hard to answer. Since the main character I'm writing for is Eastern Patri (pseudo-Balkan/Gypsy people belonging to Renaissance Roman Empire), though, above average for them is around 5'9 or 5'10. They're a manlet race, though. Tallest a human can get is around 7', but that's a freak even among tall groups.
>How old is the oldest person alive?
Oldest human? Probably a Jiwenish (basically a cherry-pick of elements from medieval Chinese, Mongolian and Korean) sage or one of the Sivan (Plato's Republic by way of Hindu Indian) priest-kings, around 1000 years old. Exercise of the mind, especially for magic users, slows bodily aging. Oldest person, period, would probably be a cyclops, who'd still be wonderinghow the fuck he and his buddies lost the continent to the humans
>What's considered masculine? What's considered feminine?
Among Eastern Patri, fishing, sailing, trade and debate are considered masculine, whereas singing, gossiping, gardening and laundering are feminine. Writing, working clay and cooking are more or less unisex.
>>48325761
>What's something [most people] believe is true, but isn't?
Garnering favor from the gods through magic.no fedora though-- there are gods, they just don't play favorites. Magic is really a direct opposition to their natural law that keeps the universe together.
>Fastest form of travel? Most common?
Fastest by water is a conventional sailboat, fastest by land is depends on your environment. If you're going through rocks, you'll want a Patri ibex, if you're going through heavy forest, a Sivan jungle-claw (giant cassowary) is best, and if you're going by road, a horse is ideal. Ox or mule carts are definitely the most popular, though.
>How much does a mud-farmer know about magic?
Very little. Everyone capable of abstract thought can theoretically produce magical effects with enough discipline, but most people try to practice it the same way we practice superstitions-- good luck charms, prayers, whatever.
>>48324215
It wouldn't be on Earth. I'm saying the geography and distribution of peopke would be similar. But pretty much everything else would be different. Like, the world would be like Warhammer Fantasy's.
>>48325955
So sorta more like Strangereal?
>>4830843
>How tall is considered "tall" for a human?
Somewhere between 5' 8" and 6'. Some areas have naturally tall and robust people and one culture values height so they seek out tall partners.
> How old is the oldest person alive? What might they say is the biggest change in the world since they were born?
144 years old. He is actually a 'vampire', necromancer who has mastered life and death. Extending his life with other. Gradual advancements in technology and implementing runecraft into them.
>What's something considered typically "masculine"? Something considered typically "feminine"?*
Depends on culture. In north women do have more responsibilities than in some southern states. One city has an order of fighters that only take women. They have specialised in dagger fighting and in medicine. They serve the local oligarchy as bodyguards and personal healers. Very honourable position. I really didn't answer the question there.
>What's something everyone believes is true, but isn't?*
Omnipotency of magic or the fact that Orcish linen work is best. Magic is very limited and Orcish linens are ok quality.
>What is the fastest form of travel over long distances? What is the most common, if different?
By ship, but if dwarven then the underground railway. Dwarven railway is propelled by very careful usage of runemagic and primitive steam engine system. Really only usable in few places stations are but if you need carry something heavy at steady 3 mph that is your thing. Otherwise horses or oxcarts are the common.
>How much does the proverbial mud-farmer know about magic?
Not much at all. Closes thing probably is the local healer.Healeras usually dabble at magic to make healing slightly faster. Some even do it unconsciously.
In other news I am working at another world as first one had too many scale and other problems.
>>48325976
Yeah, I guess.
Elegan/tg/entlemen, please help me overcome my obstacle.
I'm fleshing out a space faring civilization that (currently) consists of 2 distinct creatures. The most glaring feature is that the smaller ones, backbone of their culture and overwhelming majority, are around 1.5m tall and 55kg in mass in average, while the other ones, mostly beasts of burden but also intellectuals and architects, are around 140m and 3Kt on average.
I have developed several bits of appearance and behavior that I may or may not use, but can't for the love of the Holy Emprah decide on what kind of relationship would allow such disparate creatures to coexist.
I've run it down to 3 options:
- Symbiotic Mutualism
The creatures are 2 distinct species that co-evolved in the same planet, taking advantage of their relationship. This could be either a Service-Resource relationship (I kill big predator and you give apples) or Service-Service (I kill big predator and you clean my fluffy hair) or something like that. The problem with this is that it's hard to imagine how they'd even survive next to each other, never mind what benefits would they give each other.
- Polyphenism
There is only 1 species, a special mechanism (pheromones, temperature, loud shouting) triggers individuals to grow to a massive scale, fulfilling a particular role in their shared society. This needs for issues of genders being locked away from growth, number of genders (2-3-4), sexual compatibility between sizes and the preservation of successful genes to be solved.
- Technological Enlightenment and Assimilation
This is the easiest and probably least interesting, in which there's 2 different species, and the larger species was uplifted by the smaller, FTL-capable species, to serve their purposes, giving them citizenry in exchange of military service.
I have some details already developed, like the involvement of a low gravity (0.8G) planet with a strong EM field and thick atmosphere, so ask if you're interested.
>map is functionally finished
>all of my ideas have slowly found their way into the map
>ran out of new locations to jam in between two other locations
>not satisfied with map size and need to triple/quadruple it somehow
>>48326739
Why do they need to be such different sizes?
I'm intrigued by making a sort of post-collapse space opera setting where there is no interplanetary governments anymore. Warp gates are crumbling relics that no one has the resources to recreate anymore. Humanity and Xeno alike crawl across the planets and stars like locusts, consuming all the resources they can salvage. With the collapse of the government there was also a splintering of the information web, the virtual plane turning into shattered realms of power parceled up by the ancient and rampant AI, corrupting any machine that tried to pierce through the veil.
But, there really wouldn't be much to worldbuild, everything would be made up on the spot, you know?
>>48326992
sounds cool already.
>>48326867
Just make regional maps faggot
>>48326867
World maps are best with only major geological formations, national borders, and a handful of the largest cities.
>>48326992
Remember to include random bits of pre-collapse derelict ships that are massive on a stellar scale, Homeworld style.
The ERP I'm running has skaven and demons both aiming to take down the same town, demons though corrupting the young king and skaven through enslaving the populace.
How do I implement a skaven-demon power struggle into the world without pushing it into my players' face(s)?
>>48327305
Along with isolated populations living on them, vying for control of areas such as hydroponics, water control and fusion reactors.
>>48327471
>ERP
>Not shoving things in your player's faces
Just include three way fights, skaven with demon prisoners, and posessed skaven.
>>48327529
That's probably the best way to do it, aye. It really depends on who gets the city first, the skaven or the demons.
The skaven have a 'friend' in the group who acts out of self interest, and generally ends up furthering the skaven agenda (Hint: sex) and the demons are much the same, whispering into the ear of the king 24/7.
Then there's a rogue faction of the kings' exiled brother, who wants to take the throne. Best scenario for the town itself would be half the group hanging, leaving the brother in charge as main antanogist.
>>48326978
Just for mental masturbatory purposes.
The big creatures could be smaller, from Zentradi to Imperium Titan size, but then it wouldn't be such a big deal, would it.
The idea came suddenly and I had to follow through with it, right now I'm finishing sketches for a character in a space battlesuit. Most of the weapons and sublight drives have been sorted already.
>>48327797
The uplift option sounds like it makes the most sense for how an alien empire can be populated with fucking kaiju
>>48308455
>How does magic work?
There are basically two forms of magic: Intrinsic Magic and Extrinsic Magic.
Intrinsic magic involves altering the properties of materials through a mix of alchemy, occult geometry, and trained application of the human will to achieve results that violate the laws of physics. As far as almost everyone knows, this is the only form of magic.
Extrinsic magic is any magic that taps into the various other dimension that are metaphysically close to the material world. Here you can get cool effects like scrying the future, necromancy, and just wrecking motherfuckers with fireballs. It also happens to have been suppressed for thousands of years by The Order (not!Jesuits) to the point where virtually nobody knows it even exits and the few people who practice it have generally stumbled upon it by accident and have no idea how they are doing what they do.
>Is there an afterlife?
Sorta. The souls of the dead pass to a shadowy, peaceful realm where most slowly fade away while dreaming. The souls of stronger-willed people may remain aware and persist longer or even indefinitely. Particularly strong collective belief can shape this realm and has given rise to several religiously defined afterlives within it, to which believers go and generally stand a better chance of persisting.
>Are there any talking swords?
No. Well, maybe if you're really high; the opium trade is booming lately.
>What is "natural", as far as druid stuff is concerned?
There aren't really any druids in the D&D sense, but generally anything that is of this world is cool with the spiritual authorities. Which was just about everything until the last few years in-setting, and is why The Order are freaking the fuck out over the prince of a minor city-state tapping into the primordial darkness beyond the world to fuel his war machines and reanimate the dead as soldiers.
The high-fantasy world is being overrun with undead. Civilization largely remains, but entire swathes of land are lost. I need a reason as to why a pointman-type character would go into infested areas alone to clean them out
>>48328459
The government pays them exorbitant amounts of money, food and sex to clear them out?
>>48328459
Deus Vult, that's why. Now grab a club and start whacking skellies.
>>48328459
The King has decreed that you gain title over any lands you reclaim from the undead.
>>48328459
>I need a reason as to why a pointman-type character would go into infested areas alone to clean them out
This is why. Or are you asking why one person would go alone? Well, because a MacGuffin makes that person invisible to zombies. Easy.
>>48328669
I'm using this. More or less.
"Once the demon plague is wiped out every soldier will get an acre of land."
>>48328972
One acre seems a bit cheap. That won't feed a family.
>>48329178
It won't? I thought an acre would be fine for substenance farming.
>>48329220
In a pre-GMO crop era, five acres is generally the minimum needed for a self-sufficient family farm.
>>48329220
If I'm not mistaken it will feed the guy, but he likely wants to have a wife and kids.
>>48329220
Standalone one acre might not feed a family so anon's statement could be held true, there are plenty of variables that can be toyed around with given how vague the statement is.
>>48329220
An acre is a bit smaller than an American running-and-throwing sport field.It doesn't significantly involve one's feet or a ball so I won't call it that.Bigger than the average suburban house, but definitely not for any kind of profitable farm. I'd say go for ten acres. That also makes it a bit easier to partition, since you can do it in squares.
>>48330084
Wut?
No, an acre is roughly four thousand square metres
>>48329220
Yeah, nothing says "Grand reward" like becoming an impoverished farmer.
>>48330265
4000 square meters = 63 meters long, 63 meters wide. Any number looks big when you square it.
Helpful hint for when you anons move out of your mommy's basement and look for a house or an apartment.
>>48330265
A running-and-throwing sport field is 100 yards by 53.3 yards. A yard is about .914 meters. A running-and-throwing sport field is ~4,455 square meters.
>>48328334
>>48308438
>How tall is considered "tall" for a human?
Six feet is considered quite tall for a commoner, but it's not uncommon for a nobleman to reach 6'6”. Millennia of eugenics among the aristocracy have lead to an alarming degree of class dimorphism that borders on speciation in some places.
>How old is the oldst person alive? What might they say is the biggest change in the world since they were born?
A couple of seers in the mountains of Leng are pushing 300. They would be troubled by the increasing global political influence of The Order, which had not yet reached their lands when they were young.
>What's something considered typically "masculine"? Something considered typically "feminine"?
Almost all traveling merchants are men. Almost all poisoners are women. But really, most men work in the trades/agriculture or are soldiers, and most women pursue lives of domesticity. Except among the high nobility of the Meridial League, where gender roles are all but nonexistent.
>What's something everyone believes is true, but isn't?
Most people believe that they live in the most advanced period of civilization, but they're wrong. Roughly seven thousand years ago, the world had reached the techno-magical industrial revolution and underwent a simultaneous French Revolution and WWI-WWII equivalent that wiped out the majority of the population, after which the remaining feudal establishment conspired with religious authorities to suppress further industrialization and re-write history to maintain the status-quo indefinitely.
>What is the fastest form of travel over long distances? What is the most common, if different?
Steamships are generally fastest. Sailing ships and (where possible) overland caravans are more common for the masses.
>How much does the proverbial mud-farmer know about magic?
Almost nothing. They know that it exists in a vague sense, but only just barely. Magic is the purview of the upper classes, and even among them is highly secretive.
>>48303706
Map-making questions:
>what is the largest nation in your world?
>what is the smallest?
>do you prefer maps with a few large empires or a large number of small states?
Hey guys, need some help with something
Trying to make a sci-fi setting in our distant future where humans have colonized other planets but due to distance and time dilation, contact between colonies and Earth is almost impossible which has lead to the colonies being completely self-sufficient with no outside help needed.
After a couple decades the colony becomes Earth-like with big ass cities and technological advancements out the ass, but here's the problem; I need a way to turn the place post-apocalypic. The setting I have in mind is that it's about 100 years after the apocalypse and civilization is beginning to restructure in various factions but I still need the presence of old, far more advanced technology to serve both as a threat to the new civilizations of the world and as a means to take over easily
So with all this in mind, how would the downfall of civilization with these criteria happen? I feel like nuclear apocalypse is too cliche, overused and unrealistic given the amount of time given.
Maybe a virus or disease? War just reducing people to primitives? Any help would be greatly appreciated
>>48331969
We spread ourselves too thin. Every time we wanted more of a resource we'd pack up an expedition and send a colony to a new planet to mine it. But we lost track and before we realized it the Earth was depleted and the infrastructure (ultrastructure?) to retrieve the stuff the colonies were producing fell apart, stranding them to wither and die alone in the big, empty galaxy we thought we could claim all for ourselves.
>>48331295
Time of POV here is the fall of Ignace, the most eventful period of the setting's history
>what is the largest nation in your world?
By land size, Ignace is the largest empire there ever was or will be. At one point it was the strongest empire there ever was or will be, but now that is vague and I can't answer what the strongest empire is right now because they have different advantages and disadvantages. Ignace being the "largest" is technical though, there are multiple factions inside of Ignace which individually hold more land and soldiers than the loyalists.
>what is the smallest?
At this point in history there are 60 to 70 nations with only a single town or less, there is a lot of competition for what the smallest is and it really depends at what point a settlement can be called a nation. If we're talking about "nation" as in a cultural group, vagabonds have the least land, however it's an adopted culture that disallows reproduction. Excluding vagabonds, it would be one of the many minor Dhorin tribes that go extinct during the fall of Ignace.
>do you prefer maps with a few large empires or a large number of small states?
Large number of small states alongside large empires
Why is finding decent speculative biology so hard?
>>48332415
I remember a history or discovery channel program about speculative biology of aliens that was pretty good, can't remember what its called, though
>>48332453
Based off Wayne Barlow's expedition.
The show was called alien planet.
Got both the book and the show on dvd.
Nothing much else in this genre except the future is wild.
But I'm more looking for alternate earths rather than aliens or speculative future zoology.
>>48332453
Alien Planet?
>>48332505
The only thing I know that did alternate Earths was a comic strip of Dresden Codakinb4 calling me shit for referencing Dresden Codak of all things
>>48332544
Dresden codak isn't very good anon.
>>48332617
I know. The ongoing storylines fail to properly communicate ideas, updates are done fucking never, Aaron Diaz is a tool and its entertainment value wore out long ago.Which is a shame, because I like the art and the current storyline's art deco aesthetics help scratch my 40s itch.
>>48332655
A lot of his earlier stuff was quite good, but he fell in love with his own stupid story and is now pretty much a joke.
>>48332415
Already checked out "After Man" by Dougal Dixon?
>>48333185
I think it's really bad but I can never get people to agree with me on that so I'll just plug all tomorrows as something that was done better.
Although I think aliens invading and redesigning humans is a huge cop-out.
>>48333240
I think a certain "badness" is required for sufficient entertainment factor of the subject at hand. If you were conservative and scientific you would only have mundane familiar looking creatures and then quickly get to "we can't possibly predict" as the timeframe advances.
trying to do a 40k deathworld that is just barely in the classification. reasons being it is temperate but orbits its star in conjunction with its moon so a night is 48 hours long because the moon blocks the star out. this would happen once a week..i also want the planet to be low gravity. so most of the life forms are very tall or flying...would that be enough for a deathworld classification you think?
>>48331969
depends on kind of what you want really...maybe you could do a really bad solar flare that was unexpected and fried a lot of the colonies tech? maybe a huge asteroid passed too close to the planet and destroyed a major production center of tech for the colony? maybe there was a brain drain and a lot of the colonies scientists and engineers died somehow leaving the rest to pick up the pieces.
>>48333357
>If you were conservative and scientific you would only have mundane familiar looking creatures
Stop.
You have no idea what your talking about.
>>48304694
I'm of the mindset that Too Many Races isn't possible as long as each one has something interesting about them, also if they're Sapient, Humanoid, and within a certain size range(2 to 12 feet or so) then they should be playable in some form or another(and as long as they fit the Sapient requirement then the other rules are more guidelines than actual restrictions)
World building is fun, don't get me wrong. I positively ADORE creating new little universes from scratch, watching my own version of genesis playing out in my dreams as I populate a earth with all kinds of bizarre animals. But it's all for naught and actually quite a bit useless if you don't have a good story go along with it.
>>48333451
You are right, but neither do you most likely.
If you get a vasectomy at 18, will that impact your testosterone levels noticeably? Im considering a world where society has become matriarchal inadvertantly ever since the government offered a welfare boost for getting your nuts snipped as a population control measure.
>>48333552
So?
>>48333562
Luckily there people who do who are making much better stuff then after man.
>>48331969
The colony has become Earth-like with multiple cities and sufficiently advanced technological developments. It is inherently self sufficient and self sustaining. This is after several decades.
A virus/disease is unlikely. Viruses and diseases work best in the grace period past initial contact, when immune systems haven't made an adaptation. If no adaptations are ever possible, it wouldn't make sense to remain on the planet, especially if technological developments permit people to leave, and development is sufficient to sustain entire cities.
You could make a slight stretch perhaps and say that finding the critical strain mutation to cripple the population took decades to occur, but that's pulling it really thin. Furthermore, a virus/disease strong enough to cripple an advanced society with that level of efficiency will basically be a death knell for whoever survivors. Children/older folks tend to die off first to disease, which doesn't really help matters at all.
War is plausible, but in essence it's about the same as a nuclear apocalypse. Really nuclear apocalypse is just War taken to a logical end with the extermination method being the nuclear warhead.
The "having old tech around" issue isn't much of an issue. Tech caches wouldn't be too uncommon to have lying around depending on how the populace goes about with the colonization process.
Assuming fertility ages and growth age remains about the same, a couple decades is generally only enough for 1 - 2 generations, which you might be able to use to set up a post apocalyptic scenario, especially if the initial colonization process was automation dependent rather than supporting a massive crew. (But this wouldn't make sense if you have big ass cities of course - on the other hand if you have a massive crew the other options are a bit less plausible as well.)
>>48333562
Because you have to be an expert on quantum mechanics to know when someone is using the word quantum wrong.
Or a gourmet chef to know when someone doesn't know how to cook.
Get over yourself.
Okay, I have a group of tribal humans living in a long defunct giant space station that they can keep the life support systems running with what little knowledge they have left.
My question is, what is the barest minimum you need for a space suit?
>>48333629
>>48331969
I suppose mental issues could become a key factor in society breaking down, assuming that colonists weren't strictly filtered via criteria to ensure that it couldn't occur. But the sort of mental issues that you'd need would need to hit critical people, folks that would normally be a key part of the infrastructure for instance.
If you're only a couple decades into the process and the 1st/2nd handover generation is still growing into maturity, it might be the best time for some sort of natural disaster to occur, but if you have big ass cities and wide geographic spread this is less likely to cripple civilization entirely. You'd need a major natural disaster like >>48333424 suggested, and even then, the more sophisticated the tech available, the less likely this is to occur. Generally for societies with resource constraints colonization/terraforming is a one shot deal, and not something people would do on a whim. You haven't mentioned what kind of terraforming tech, or really what tech levels you're working with, so it's hard to make any approximations.
An outside invasion is possible, but that generally would require either another colonist fleet or an alien presence, and both might be seen as Deus Ex Machina. The former would be slightly more believable than the latter depending on what circumstances you work in. Perhaps they're looking to cripple the existing society and reap the work that the first colonists wave did. Again this is a pretty far stretch.
It being a couple decades in, if they haven't explored the entire planet perhaps the "third party" could just be something on the planet that they never discovered on the initial run. But a self sufficient highly advanced society...again depending on the tech level this might not be something they would have missed.
If you've already got a time frame set "post apocalypse" at a century, have you considered what kind of populations you're working with? That would be pretty important.
>>48324809
>>48324941
>>48325035
>>48325119
>>48325250
Thanks so much! I've learned a lot and I"m really motivated to keep going with what I started.
I'm thinking of giving the players something similar to the M4 sherman since I want something decent and versatile. With an auto-loader since I would only have 3 players.
What I really am stuck on is, how do battles work as a team in a tank? I've only played standard high fantasy settings before. Any systems you could point me to?
>>48326992
It sounds kind of similar to the Cowboy Bebop setting. I remember someone posted a pdf detailing a bebop RPG in the past, but I didn't save it.
I've been building a geopolitical landscape for a pulp style action adventure story set in a pseudo mid 20th century earth setting that is also the developed future of a fantasy setting that I had previously created.
It's set in a pseudo Africa landscape called Aetropia and tells the tale of my archetypal man of action Nigel Renegade, a prodigal aristocrat genius and Olympian level athlete who dropped out of his nations most prestigious military academy just before graduating in order to explore the world and fulfill the Heroic ideal of man that he felt had become lost in modern civilization, assembling a motley crew of like minded individuals in his adventures. Nigel finds himself in Aetropia in pursuit of an infamously brutal black market trafficker and poacher who has been killing and butchering rare animals for the trophies their bodies yield at the behest of shadowy clients. His pursuit takes him deep into the jungle where he finds himself in a pseudo Nazi enclave that acts as the center of the criminal and black market underground, hosting a gathering of the worlds most renowned villainy, with eccentric occultists and mad scientists of various backgrounds having a field day of horrific, amoral experimentation on the estates grounds in the pursuit of power and immortality.
I was originally just going to set this story within a mid 20th century pseudo history of earth, but I reached a sudden revelation of how deeply interesting it was to me to create this world within the context of my entirely fantastical world that I had already built from a mythical era of pre history to a pseudo Renaissance era, incorporating my conception of magic and supranatural deities into this pulp adventure world.
The vision I have for this concept is to develop it into a grand scale theater of war epic, with Nigel eventually returning home to fulfill his abandoned duty as a high tanking official in his nations institution of military intelligence.
>>48333674
You'd need material that doesn't degrade easily so the seal won't break, something that can regulate temperature would be nice. A constant source of oxygen would also be pretty important. I suppose you could forego other functions if they aren't going for long treks outside.
But if they're on a space station to begin with then really the space suit shouldn't be a concern as long as they scavenge what's available. Otherwise trying to make a homemade space suit is probably beyond most people. This question also depends substantially on the tech level you're using.
>>48333552
Even if you have a good story to go with it, it doesn't necessarily make it useful or give it any further purpose.
>>48333767
So, effectively, a warm old-timey diving suit?
Certain parts of the ship lack oxygen or are completely open, so require suits, which I would think there would only be a handful of originals lying around after a couple of centuries
>>48332505
>Nothing much else in this genre except the future is wild.
to be fair, having a species of land-dwelling kraken would scare the piss out of more than a few PC'splus a race of tree-dwelling lemur-squid would probably be a decisive improvement over Elves
What if, instead of races, you only allowed players to pick between cultures or backgrounds? Would that be fair if you didn't want elves/dwarves/halflings/tieflings/dragonborn/warforged/gnomes clogging up your setting?
>>48333819
>handful of originals lying around after a couple of centuries
Well what's your reasoning for that? Safety equipment is generally the first thing to overstock on for any hazardous environment, after emergency supplies. Even on most hazardous work sites here on Earth you normally find plenty of extra hard hats, PPE, and whatnot, normally in excess of the actual workforce population.
I mean sure you could lose a massive amount out to vacuum or something, but making a space suit from scratch is pretty tough. Having a water leak in a diving suit gives you a small time frame to get back to safety, but vacuum doesn't give you as large of a time frame.
Most space suits have a pressure compensation system or something to regulate the amount of oxygen lost from leaks. This is pretty crucial, since having a completely sealed suit is realistically impossible as long as you have connections like seams, joints or o-rings. Without a leak compensation system I don't know how you'd even begin to address the depressurization problem.
>>48333924
So just play a setting with no races besides humans then. What is this even in response to?
>>48333966
I'm just wondering if that's an acceptable alternative to player races or if players really want the option to be a flavor of midget. I just cannot, when I'm worldbuilding, justify the presence of more than three dozen sentient races in one USA-sized region. It just boggles the mind, even considering deific intervention.
>>48334063
It's not really an alternative to player races though. It's almost like a different element of character creation. The two things aren't exclusive. You can still be a midget Arabic human if there were humans, and so forth.
Justification is a different matter entirely. There are plenty of ways to justify the presence of multiple sapient species if you were looking hard for one, depending on a large myriad of factors. On the other hand, there are plenty of justifications to never have any race besides humans.
Some people can't imagine any race besides humans can ever exist, so they can't incorporate it into worldbuilding. It's perfectly normal.
>>48334108
For the most part, I feel like player races are just excuses to have fantasy worldbuilding and some minor racial bonuses. Things like +2 Strength or whatever, I feel could be handled with Backgrounds and Origins like how the WH40k RPGs do it.
When I think of multiple species in one place, I just wonder how they could possibly have evolved in such close proximity to one another without interbreeding or exterminating one another. What about diseases? How does that affect a multi-sapient society? Do they have the same range of senses? And even when gods are involved, what does that say about the world's history?
>>48334222
Why are you presuming that a fantasy world is adherent to the narrow conception of Darwinian evolution?
>>48334293
Why wouldn't it?
>>48324215
>that map
Shit
It's definitely not an overwhelming overlap with my current setting but the few places that do overlap do so to an uncomfortable degree.
>>48334222
There are plenty of situations where species coexistence is plausible, especially if the different species aren't pidgeonholed into specific categories and specific behavioral traits.
Interbreeding is a genetic matter, and not necessarily a given just because two sapient races exist. The sapient portion itself doesn't necessarily mean that the two species are genetically compatible. Extermination is generally a behavioral issue stemming from social development of two species, as well as value concerns and necessity concerns, so that isn't necessarily a given as well.
Diseases and virology in general is a biological matter, so it's not necessarily a given that diseases which affect one species will affect another, nor is it a given that there won't be a disease that can affect both, depending on their genetic make up and immune system. So this is mostly world dependent. Consequently how it affects a multi-sapient society would depend on the nature of the virus, as well as the consequences of infection, transmission vectors, and so forth.
Generally if two species evolved at the same pace under the same conditions with the same environmental pros and cons so to speak, you could expect a roughly similar range of senses, but the natural biology of the races would have an effect on this, so this is dependent on the worldbuilder.
The world's history is largely dependent on the worldbuilder more than the species. Especially if their cultures aren't the same to begin with, or if they hold different value concepts.
I don't have an opinion as to the impact of player races on RPGs, but the overall scenario isn't particularly implausible as far as worldbuilding is concerned. Even for writing fiction, it could work, with a fair bit of work put in to it. No real guarantee whether it ends up being done well, but that's dependent on the author.
>>48334352
>Why wouldn't it?
because even IRL Earth isn't entirely.
>>48334440
lamarck pls go
>>48334476
Are you implying God didn't create the land, the seas, the sky, light, dark, the beasts of the air and the sea and the earth, and man?
>>48334476
OH for!
you do realize that for a very long time there were usually multiple species of Hominids running around and that our current condition of one surviving species is actually quite unusual. This was not by design nor was it some kind of "survival of the fittest" nonsense.
If the geography is such that it creates isolated environments then it doesn't matter how small or large an area is if the environment can support it, any number of species can exist in a single region. and when you account for agriculture, which means that now these communities are self-sustaining and are not even dependent on the environment anymore then things can go in any direction.
If you are so lacking in vision that you are utterly incapable of imagining anything except what's right in front of you, maybe a worldbuilding thread isn't the right place for you.
>>48334352
It's a fantasy landscape. It's supposed to be a realm of imagination.
>>48306731
How many playable out of 50, or is everything playable?
>>48334584
You said that evolution wasn't entirely guided by darwinism.
What does what you posted have to do with it.
There were lots of hominids once upon a time so darwin was wrong?
What?
>>48334630
>You said that evolution wasn't entirely guided by darwinism.
No, I'm arguing that there isn't only one narrow course of evolution, as in "there are countless ways life could've adapted to their environment and there is no singular evolutionary course it could've possibly taken."
I was not challenging the mechanic of Darwinian evolution, just that there are many avenues to achieving the end of adapting to one's environment with no one being "correct".
>>48334584
We're talking about typical D&D fantasy worlds where you have humans, elves, dwarves, halflings, gnomes, tieflings, dragonborn, warforged, rakshasas, orcs, goblins, gnolls, kobolds, genasi, dragons, drow, illithids, myconids, half-elves, half-orcs, bugbears, sahuagin, kuo-toa, tritons, and a whole host of other fantasy species all building empires, building towns, raiding, raping, pillaging, mining, lumberjacking, fishing, and dying within the same relatively small area of one single nation-state.
Not isolated examples of non-human homo sapiens surviving into the stone age.
>>48334612
Are you implying evolutionism isn't?
>>48334584
>that our current condition of one surviving species is actually quite unusual
>This was not by design nor was it some kind of "survival of the fittest" nonsense.
Yes, yes it was. If the others were fit to survive they'd still be around.
>>48334838
you realize some of those races are not actual species but humans that interbred with other species? pretty sure those don't count.
>>48303964
Remnants of an ancient neanderthal esque primal natured race that invade the civilized world from the desiccated ruins of their nomadic landscape of origin. The last of this race live deep beneath the earth in subterranean tunnels near their ancient dying Giant God.
Ok, /wbg/, I have designed the solar system of the world as well as the world itself, how would planetary rings affect the denizens of the world? It is going to be a high fantasy D&D esque world, at least in concept, so magic preventing the world from immediately dying would be implemented if needed.
Also, should I do gods as racial pantheons, or having multiple different depictions/aspects of similar gods? (thus having a smaller amount). I have thought of how the races would have come to be, as well as the fact that the core sort of fantasy races would be there (humans, dwarves, elves, halflings, orcs... etc) but not how any of their cultures would be yet.
>>48334838
But in a D&D world trying to expect Darwinian Evolution is even more nonsensical, it's like expecting D&D to adhere to reality's take on magic. The whole system just says fuck you to whatever tries to disprove it.
>>48334868
Only two of them. That's like saying ISIS only killed a couple hundred non-Muslims, they're not our enemies.
>>48334880
Also, I came up with the idea that Elves came from another planet by running across a magical bridge that goes across space, and nobody can ever seem to remember the trips that they take across it, but they are able to bring neat artifacts back. I feel as though I should somehow change it, but I am not sure how. (I actually want to have reasons for it other than gods screwing around with them)
>>48334882
But if you're worldbuilding a D&D setting why would you include the full kitchen sink of races if you didn't want to?
>>48334880
It doesn't necessarily have an effect on the denizens at all. The ring's density and the planet's size both plays a factor, but generally you don't get rings that will cause major tidal disturbances or anything. It might have an effect culturally I suppose?
Do gods however you want. Both systems work, though generally smaller numbers of Gods can be easier to work with.
>>48334880
>Rings
Well, they'd block out some of the galaxy. They could appear during the daytime. It's possible there might be more meteor showers than we get on Earth.
It depends on how unified the culture of the setting is. If you want all the races to have a common history, speaking a common language, it's probably better for the gods to be aspects of one another. If the races are more diverse and independent from one another, racial pantheons works.
