(i love these and didn't see one up, don't know if there are rules to posting one)
Worldbuilding Thread
Some worldbuilding resources:
On designing cultures:
http://www.frathwiki.com/Dr._Zahir%27s_Ethnographical_Questionnaire
Random generators:
http://donjon.bin.sh/
Mapmaking tutorials:
http://www.cartographersguild.com/forumdisplay.php?f=48
Free 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
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/wiki/books/europe#wiki_middle_ages
https://www.reddit.com/r/worldbuilding
Questions:
>What are the most prominent social issues in your world right now?
>What different positions do the public hold on those issues?
>Which side do you sympathise with the most and how do you prevent bias?
>How do those issues affect the daily life and/or politics of your world?
Hard Mode and Dante Must Die Mode questions available upon request.
>>46460367
I just realized the map is a fucking dragon
>>46460415
Real Dragons Have Curves
>>46460367
>>What are the most prominent social issues in your world right now?
Is it really ok for the god-kings to just sit on their thrones, dwidling their thumbs and let a democratically chosen council rule the country while they themselves random get up from their toilets, before they start becoming one with the object, and instead shit on the council table and call it a degree. In a more serious tone: Is it truly fine that there are nigh omnipotent, yet oddly benign, tyrants that manipulate everything that is happening in the world.
>>What different positions do the public hold on those issues?
Some don't give a monkey's because they are content with the fact that they don't have to go into the wilderness to fight 50ft long snakes because the king's armies keep them safe, while the more philosophic and anarchistic parts are greatly against it, though their efforts are usually muted by the kings either publicly or in silenceso guess it pays that one of the kings is an assassin able to appear anywhere he wishes
>>Which side do you sympathise with the most and how do you prevent bias?
Well i sympathize with the less worried people because their lives are constantly interrupted by people trying to rouse rebellion only to become stains on the street when the king they are trying to overthrow comes and wipes them out of existence, but they still do have a point: the kings are tyrants by mandate of the gods and they don't care for the common folk for they are too busy making sure that history repeats itself.
>>How do those issues affect the daily life and/or politics of your world?
Assassinations, random rebellions and terrorist attacks that occur on a monthly basis for the common folk. For the political side there is the fact that if the king says B when the council decided A then there's nothing they can do. Also any opposition is dealt with harshly.
I've been brainstorming an Age of Sail on the Astral Plane campaign setting, and the biggest thing I haven't been able to figure out is how religion and gods work. The entire impetus for the setting is "we accidentally ruined our world, so we invaded Heaven", but I'm not sure if having gods around is tonally compatible with swashbuckling and glorious conquest and such.
Should dieties all be long dead and vanished? Should they be a present and active force in the world?
>>46460367
>>What are the most prominent social issues in your world right now?
I'm not gonna lie, it's a civil war that's about slavery, but, possibly more than that, the threat such instability poses to the nation, and now the fact that the rebellion is literally backed by a warlord who's the chosen champion of an evil god of war.
>>What different positions do the public hold on those issues?
The general population (ie: Not slaveholders) takes a moral stance against slavery, seeing it as tyrannical and abuse of wealth to create unchallenged dynasties and eventually absorb or enslave everyone else.
Slaveholders themselves see it as a variant on employment, and some take great pains that their slaves be treated fairly, if not leave. Some even see themselves as parents to their slaves, raising orphans as servants and employing or releasing them after they've served their price and upkeep.
However, nearly nobody in said nation trust the surrounding nations (and for good reason), fearing that if they were to destabilize themselves or transfer into a period of non-slavery, there would be a panic that the enemy could take advantage of. That's kind of been shot since the war started, and a lot of non-holding and non-soldiering families have fled to them safety of a neutral trade city.
After hearing who the rebels got to fight besides them (warlord of a band of vicious mercs, champion of a god that glories in battle and conquest) a lot of people have either switched to the loyalist side, broken rank to save themselves, or went from neutral to fleeing.
>>Which side do you sympathise with the most and how do you prevent bias?
I'd tentatively say the rebels, if only that I know the warlord isn't as evil as he's presented to be (his god is).
>>How do those issues affect the daily life and/or politics of your world?
The orcs have banded with the loyalists, as they see the warlord as a threat to them and if he wins they believe he'll steamroll them next.
(Cont)
>>46461259
If the deities are still around and are the natives, then powerlevels are gonna go through the roof, and all your swashbucklers will have deity-level power to matchbasically One Piece thenor a pirate-themed campaign of Exalted
So either they're all dead, or they can't interfere too much, if you want to keep your characters about human powerlevel
>>46461324
I've been leaning towards dead and vanished. You know, with the usual chained god in a black hole, and what have you.
I intend to useD&D4Esince it handles big set-piece battles well, so the power levels are going to get pretty high regardless. Maybe there are demigods around. Apotheosized mortals and angels and demons who served long dead masters.
>>46461302
The former high prince, technical leader of the rebels is coordinating a strike on the capital in three days with the warlord.
Resident cities are clearing out, crime is rampant even under martial law, the whole nation is either fleeing or tearing itself apart.
People have turned to crime and banditry, slaves are killing their masters, the mercenaries are looting everything they touch.
The neutral trade city is actually tending towards the loyalists, because the rebels made multiple assassination attempts within their city limits that resulted in massive property damage and even some deaths.
Paladins from the north are sending shock troops to a stronghold in the mountains overlooking the land, for when the warlord decides to inevitably betray his allies.
>>46460367
>What are the most prominent social issues in your world right now?
The impending Third Great War between the Allied Powers and the Central Powers. Barring that, getting the economy to recover from the 2nd Great War.
>What different positions do the public hold on those issues?
Russia is slightly busy dealing with a civil war. The Central Powers are siding with Egypt against Israel while the Allies are siding with Israel to spite the Central Powers. The rest of Africa is watching like vultures, Asia doesn't give much of a fuck though Japan is starting to trade with Germany.
>>Which side do you sympathise with the most and how do you prevent bias?
Don't really sympathize. I keep impartial by using opposing rolls to decide fights.
>How do those issues affect the daily life and/or politics of your world?
The populace of the main combatants from the first two wars are tired of all the death and poverty.
I'm thinking of remaking my world's mapfor the third timeand I'm not sure what projection to use.
I'd prefer something rectangular, so I assume my first two maps fit a Mercator projection.
>>46460367
http://www.clanwebsite.org/games/rpg/Dawn_of_Worlds_game_1_0Final.pdf
I guess its mostly poop
>>46460367
>What are the most prominent social issues in your world right now?
The ongoing Divine level disasters that appear on an almost monthly basis that can't be fixed even by the gods of highest dominion, who can't be fucking bothered anymore anyway and went to sleep 8 ages ago.
>What different positions do the public hold on those issues?
Most of them don't even know they exist before they get brutally murdered by the fallout or learn the truth about how bad it really is, only shortly before being eaten by a horrible monster. Those in the know are hard pressed to support the efforts to solve these issues else they won't get the same when they're getting their shit pushed in, but none the less they engage in saber-rattling and squabble among themselves and other races.
>Which side do you sympathize with the most and how do you prevent bias?
The monsters. It's hard to be biased toward the humans, they're so fucking weak and petty, and all the other races have their own issues, most of them not even really sentient.
>How do those issues affect the daily life and/or politics of your world?
see above, everyone toes the line when it comes time to deal with the new apocalypse and listens to when the organizations in charge of managing Renowned and above individuals, objects, and locations.
>>46463205
Or would this be equirectangular?
I don't know map projections.
>>46463205
>projections
I will not stand for this blasphemy.
The world is flat, sir.
>>46463205
A note on national boundaries: they tend to form in areas which are already natural barriers, such as rivers. So, the Orange Empire and Purple Theocracy would likely find their respective influences terminating at that river, there, especially if one side or the other has built fortifications to control such a valuable trade conduit. Likewise, the Green Republic would probably see little to stop them from pushing into the gap between them and the Oranges, and would have a strategic cause to do so.
>>46466011
>World is flat
That map clearly shows the world is curved. Those kooky Dakotans were rejecting that Earth is a sphere not that it is flat.
>>46466011
So, whichever way you travel, if you go far enough you'll eventually reach a featureless sunless flat expanse that stretches beyond the world forever? Plateau of Leng, here I come.
>tfw you find a picture that perfectly clicks with a nation you had written out
Anyone have this happen to them?
>>46467334
Nice Atlantis, bro.
And yeah, this one did that for me.
>>46467334
This one went a long way in helping me really nail the feel for the Kingdom of Chalon.
Sleepy hamlets and comfy towns bathed in glorious weather is the name of the game for this kingdom, they're not the "Good Kingdom" by any stretch of the word, but they're certainly the one you'd want to settle down in when the road stops calling to you.
>>46467334
This one fits the capital of the Draconic Kingdom pretty well. It even has a "portal" up on a hill.
The only thing wrong is the complete lack of stars. Even during a full moon, the stars should be brilliant this far north.
How do you guys handle history and/or timelines?
>>46470549
Have like, five major unmovable events on the timeline; the Empire collapsed here, the lands were unified there, the republic gained independence then, shit like that.
Leave everything else to the players. Let the players know they're the ones making history and they will love you for it.
>>46470549
I'm not going to try to set numerical dates for events in my setting's history. I have no idea how long the big "War Against Evil" took, nor how long it took to kill all the Orcs.
The moment my players enter the setting is the beginning of the "Era of Gods", so all events would get retroactive dates from that point; like how Star Wars dates everything based on the Battle of Yavin IV. "Gods" showing up is enough of an epoch.
Anyone know any good sci-fi settings with a predominant raygun gothic/retro-futuristic theme?
>>46470929
wouldn't that just be numerical dates in the form of AD/BC?
i.e. 50 BWAE (50 yr before war against evil) vs. 50 BC
>>46471230
Chronologically, the "Era of Gods" is the setting's fourth age.
First was the "Era of Peace", whereliterally fuck-all happened because the plane was uninhabited; then the "Era of Dragons", where the forces of Good and the forces of Evil fought and "Good" won; third, the "Era of Man", during which the setting's nations were founded and prospered.
What are your angels like?
What else does my setting need for continents?
So far I have:
>Mainland with mostly everything; magic-enriched boreal forests, paddy fields, snow-topped mountains, tropical islands, wine country, prairies, and valley-dwelling littlefolk
>Arid southern desert filled with chitin-covered monsters and sand worms
>Tropical rainforest with dinosaurs and a perpetual hurricane
>Magically-dead not!Australia
>>46460367
Based on OP's image, I still need some kind of magic lake and generic landmarks.
How do people get around in your setting?
>>46470549
Some general important points, otherwise leave it muddy.
>>46472652
I don't have any, really. Whatever servitors deities have don't leave gan.
Although I guess demons count? They are psychic entities, and don't have physical form. How creatures visualize them varies wildly.
>>46460367
>What are the most prominent social issues in your world right now?
So if Not!Charles V Hapsburg is dead, and he was the literal reincarnation of the Sun Deity who made the earth, does that mean we don't have to tithe to his church anymore? And if he's dead, which one of his many, many, multitudinous incestual retard relatives gets to be the God Emperor now? Also why did half of the Empire get conquered by a Talking Goddamn Dragon? I didn't know they could do that.
>What different positions do the public hold on those issues?
Human Nobles: I have 1/19,000ths a drop of blood in common with the God Emperor. Now is my chance to rule!
Elves: There's like, four of us left in the world Why the fuck should we care? Let's get back to saving our dead culture.
Goblins: Whoever wins, we're still slaves.Throw off your chains Comrades! Let the Revolution BEGIN!!!
Mages: Shit, I didn't want to build some shithead noble's vacation home over and over again for the rest of my life. Still, beats serving in the levies.
Adventurers: Wooo! Paying work!!!!
Church: I hate schisms. Goddamn. Oops.
Peasants: *sobbing* Why are we being raped by literally everything!?
>Which side do you sympathise with the most and how do you prevent bias?
The peasants. Read anything on the Thirty Years' War. You'll understand.
>How do those issues affect the daily life and/or politics of your world?
Everybody's getting fucked over by everyone else basically for 100 years. Maybe the PCs will fix it. Most likely not. Probably just pour gasoline on it so it'll burn faster.
Building a world based around the Age of Discovery with the map I made being the equivalent of the Americas. The PCs are going to be native not!mayans investigating who these new comers are and what they want.
I'm working on where to put which civilizations and cultures.
Does this work or not /tg/?
I'm basing a fantasy horror world with huge Black Metal themes and I've got a couple of ideas but I'd like to hear some feedback
The world is pretty much frozen over, because a council of extremely powerful Vampire Wizards literally killed the Sun. I'm wondering if this is too much or cool? Part of me likes it, part of me thinks it's too much and I'd love some feedback and some other things to brainstorm.
>>46473681
Sounds like a cool start to me. Where are you going from there?
>>46471059
Fallout, just set it before the war (you have invent lots of things, but there is pretty good base) or make old world things big part of story.
>>46473714
Tone is gonna be pretty grimdark, and that vampire shit happened so long ago in the timeline that most people nowadays don't remember it, and the records are kind of murky. (Essentially the vampire wizards are still around, sort of like a secret society thing.)
I'm trying to base most of the societies off of actual societies irl that have survived in frozen lands, and most civilizations currently are pretty well off, with the exception of some countries that the VWs didn't want around anymore.
The Black Metal idea is pretty well projected, there's a city-state that's ran by a huge, intelligent dire wolf and his master. I thought having the ocean not being water but actually the blood of a God that the VWs killed off in order to freeze the world over, but walking the line of metal and edgy is pretty damn hard, and the last thing I want is edge.
>>46473764
Darkstalkers handles it pretty well- its OVA is fantastic, in my opinion.
Humans, or at least regular humans, can't really thrive in the dark. So it stands to reason that their bodies would change to become less human- even though, should they see a human like the ones that were born before the sun was blotted out, they would likely recognize it as humanoid, as a sort of angelic figure, a noble precursor.
A single human of this kind, perhaps a living time capsule with the knowledge of the old world and its fantastical inventions (though expecting to meet people far surpassing him/her) would basically become a hero figure for whole nations, if not the world.
Blood seas make sense if drinking it sustains people but has some sort of side-effect (perhaps the echoes of the god's mind still lie within it, holding the key to restoring the world.
All of this hope seems pretty noble rather than grim, but I think it could be the barrier between compelling tragedy and apathy you need.
>>46473841
>A single human of this kind, perhaps a living time capsule with the knowledge of the old world and its fantastical inventions (though expecting to meet people far surpassing him/her) would basically become a hero figure for whole nations, if not the world.
I love this idea. I want to give *just* enough hope to where something is compelling, but at the end of the day it's still a dark tale, and this is a pretty solid idea. Thanks anon.
>>46473903
He'd have to constantly hide his identity from the vampires, and he might secretly look down on the people that adore him, as none of them truly understand him and his world of memories.
This could make him paranoid and angsty at times, but at the end of the day, they're counting on him, and something in him won't let himself let them down.
>>46461324
You know perhaps the dieties can't physically interact with the creatures of the world? Like interacting with mortals makes them pretty much ghosts. That said their primary means of interaction and ruling people is some Clash of the Titans/Jason and the Argonauts divine third party trickery. hurling lightning bolts, sending storms, bringing statues to life and what not. No diety can physically stomp on someone, nor can they magic them away.
>>46460367
>>What are the most prominent social issues in your world right now?
Well that would depend on the current year we are talking about. As my setting purpose is for writing stories about I have no real "current year", atleast not at this moment.
For the primary state, the Empire of the Holy Tetrarchy, most social issues throughout its long history boils down to wether or not certain people (tribes, ethnicities etc) should be allowed the possibility to gain citizenship (and beyond that be allowed to hold certain offices) and how much tolerance should be allowed for other religions than the tetrarchial one. Of these two categories the former one was the primary one for the first centuries due to massive geopolitial expansion. It was however for the most part led to rest when the the first non nualtan emperor, Hasdrubal I, was elected. Since then no ethnic barriers really exist for holding an office and the wide majority of people groups under Imperial dominion can achieve citizenship.
>>What different positions do the public hold on those issues?
The support for more religious freedom is generally larger in the eastern areas of the empire, especially in the province of Sandarmark from which the messianic Gullveig-religion (understood by most tetrarchial priests as a heretical cult) come from. This cult/religion is in general seen as a danger to the state and as such have been persecuted throughout the history of the empire. In fact the conquest of Sandarmark was the empires first holy war.
>>Which side do you sympathise with the most and how do you prevent bias?
My sympathies varies depending on which period we are talking about, as I try to not make any social conflict a clear cut good or bad. However one of my favorite emperors was a strident follower of the Gullveig cult/religion which eventually lead to his downfall.
>>46474738
Cont.
>>How do those issues affect the daily life and/or politics of your world?
Well they have had a big political influence as they've shaped the history of the empire and how it deals with the outside world. The allowance for non-nualtan people to gain citizenship etc have lead to a shift in power away from the founding people similar to how italy and italians became less and less relevant throughout the roman empire's history.
The religious conflicts have, not surprisingly, led to alot of civil unrest and persecutions that have fractured the loyality of the people in certain areas of the empire which have even lead to a couple of severe uprisings that have seriously threaten the future of the empire. Naturally the reaction to these uprisings have been even more persecutions which have only served to widen the gap between the opposing sides. Many ecumenical councils have been arrange to try and solve and mend the different religious viewpoints but only a few have ever been successful. Basically picture yourself a mixture of the pagan roman empire's relationship with the jews and the christian eastern roman/byzantine empire's many struggles between different christian viewpoints and sects.
>>46472652
They're the natives to the nebulous plane of existence where Faith is given material form and falls like crystal rain on the Fields of Belief.
Demons and Devils are also natives to this plane.
>>46472652
Offspring of the Sun and Moon sent to various parts of the world to "save humanity" from all kind of darker nature, fiendish, and elemental deities that ruled the world and made the Sun and Moon sad.
Groups of seven angels were sent to various trouble spots to wage war. They all failed and were defeated.
Except for one group, where one of the angels made a deal with the local bad guys, which included getting one of their own to sacrifice themselves. This got them a truce, and their own territory, and now they play the long game: amass followers and empowring them by teaching their followers agriculture, engineering, technology, magic, literacy, and how to work together.
>>46472652
Manifestations of good, coming forth from great sacrifices or belief. They manifest from animals, statues, and even the faithful. They are born with their name and purpose.
>>46460367
>What are the most prominent social issues in your world right now?
That would likely be slavery and the gap between the rich and poor. All of the major states have some form of slavery and the rich is always more powerful than the poor.
>What different positions do the public hold on those issues?
For the major states the majority citizens prefer the status quo as it promotes their own interests. For the smaller states like the those of the Federation of Commonwealths their citizens are torn between independence, allying with the Empire of Gedask or joining the Empire of Sha'hara. This is further complicated by subversive propaganda and social/cultural manipulation by both empires to promote their own interests.
>Which side do you sympathise with the most and how do you prevent bias?
My favorite faction is Sha'hara but I don't necessarily sympathize with it. I try to even out bias by spreading out ideas between all the major factions and using the smaller ones for niche interests/ideas. Like Sha'hara is the scientifically and economically progressive state but is also a tyrannical police state at its core. Gedask is HFY! but is rife with inefficiency and competing political factions. Xuande is peaceful and socialist as fuck but only because of insular views and religious faith making them slow to accept other view points and condescending. Luwasati..., they're high-elf nazis; they have hot women though, is set aside for 1984 like stuff and truly believe they will save the world from some great disaster to come. Minor factions like not!singapore/hongkong and the Alwara which are a mishmash of nobility and degeneracy.
>How do those issues affect the daily life and/or politics of your world?
Simply put: the average person's existence is concerned with not being enslaved and getting ahead to owning a lot of slaves/underlings. Also, to paraphrase, factions don't have permanent friends, just permanent interests.
Hard and Dante Must Die modes requested.
The most pressing issue I'm working in with my setting is commerce. The major continent has a huge land locked ocean/great lake, so the trade routes are basically ruled by the sea elves on the outer ocean, a seafaring empire in the central ocean, not-Arabian Nights through the southern land bridge, and nomadic Orc tribes to the North. Everyone wants a pretty hefty cut of any caravans that come through, except the Orcs who just fuck up any invaders. There is also travel through the deep roads, and while nothing particularly more dangerous than what's on the surface lives there, the entrances are all controlled by the Dwarves or the Deep Elves, who both levy their own tax on trade.
>Hard and Dante Must Die modes requested
As soon as I get home!
>What are the most prominent social issues in your world right now?
Constant conflict with the Elves, who are ultra mary-sues that can do most everything better than the other races. They have massive amounts of knowledge that is centuries past everyone else and are constantly being hounded to share with the world, but they refuse due to their supremacist culture.
>What different positions do the public hold on those issues?
Most races harbor general dislike for the elves, but nobody acts on their feelings due to the fact that elves can BTFO their nation in a matter of weeks. They are, naturally, hated most by dwarves, who are disgusted b their massive egos.
>Which side do you sympathise with the most and how do you prevent bias?
I sympathize with the Saytr nation the most, who share an archipelago continent with the elves and are constantly getting into skirmishes over land disputes. They lose more islands every year. I prevent bias by portraying the eleven settlements as utopian. The elves are justified in their supremacy with how high the quality of life is.
>How do those issues affect the daily life and/or politics of your world?
With the elves keeping mostly to themselves, there are no issues with them unless someone else tries to start shit. If a single race does get cocky and tries to take the elven secrets for themselves, it would be a complete bloodbath.
Does this sound a bit too generic to you?
>>46480535
>Elf Supremacist circlejerk
>Elves being more advanced than the other races
>>46480535
When you can describe one of your races as "ultra mary-sues", you should probably rethink that race.
You haven't explained "why" your Elves have advanced knowledge, and "what" that knowledge is. Do they know how to harness electricity and make computers, or something? Is the rest of the world stuck in the bronze age to justify a technology gap?
Am I a faggot for wanting to take a traditional sword and sorcery world and slowly develop it into a world reminiscent of FF6 with different RPG groups playing in different stages of development?
>>46480731
Probably not.
Most of the thought I've put into my magic item system is how it could develop into airships and magic guns. I'm trying to future-proof.
>>46480783
While I want to do traditional dungeon delving fantasy, it really should be a relatively short period in world history.
new and improved since last time (but still missing a continent to the West)
>look mom, I posted it again!
>>46480535
it sounds boring as all fuck.
>>46480727
Well to explain that, I'd have to explain the world really quickly. Essentially, the planet is a hub for many others through the power of Worldgates that link racial home worlds to this one. Elves were the second race to come through their portal, and their arrival was hundreds of years before any other. They're so advanced because they've had hundreds of years to study the planet's inherent magic. (All of the race's home worlds did not radiate arcane energy, and magic was believed no to exist before the gates were opened.) They developed a kind of "crystal magic" that allowed crystals to grow from seeds like plants using the light of the sun. Thy built nigh impenetrable fortresses and otherwise impossibly sharp weapons to defend themselves. Unlike all races other than the dragons, all elves are born with an affinity for spellcasting, whereas magic for other races required study and concentration to develop and only 10% of the other races were born with that same affinity.
>>46481000
Sounds like generic Elf wanking.
>our fortresses are invincible and our crystal swords are the sharpest ever because fuck you we magic n sheet
The problem is that they're not strong because they've mastered metallurgy or gunpowder, but because of plot armor.
>>46481083
The unfair advantage over everyone is an intended plot point. The elves are pretty much blamed for every problem in the world like with /pol/ and their happy merchants.
It still unfinished, of course. How would you portray them?
>>46481196
My Elves are almost-mortal Fae.
Their long lives have made them lazy and complacent, and in the wild their technology has never evolved beyond Native American-tier.
They have a strong grasp on Druidic magic, so the Elves that live near my southern coastal civilization have integrated and opened fantastic vineyards. This Druidism has stalled the progress of metalworking and the like, as they don't burn the large amounts of wood to smelt anything. If they have worked metal, they probably bought it from a traveling Dwarf.
Magic should limit technological progress, not strengthen it. Why learn proper crop cycles when you can just magic your fields into fertility? Why go through the trial and error process of developing firearms when Magic Missile is so much easier?
I don't like the Tolkien-esq "Angelic Holier-Than-Thou Mary Sue" representation of Elves.
>>46460367
>What are the most prominent social issues in your world right now?
the Ahigbeni Empire expanding rapidly into overseas territories & taking a ton of slaves from conquered lands. slave trade is running rampant up in the North, and even professional "liberators" who kidnap large groups of slaves to sell them off to another slaveholder exist. even nations that don't practice slavery and never did so are affected by this because they are forced to either trade with the Ahigbeni or the League (another slave-holding empire) and thus become hosts to runaways, pirates (also mostly runaway naval slaves) or "liberator" hideouts.
then there's the fact that 3 different nations are slowly fortifying colonial empires in the Western Continent of Ida, either by exploiting the economical weakness of the small Idanian duchies/kingdoms and making one-sided deals with them (Ombria, Valis) or by crushing them underfoot with an infinitely superior army (Ahigbeni). both of these created a massive influx of refugees in the Old World.
>What different positions do the public hold on those issues?
too many to count. even in as small a nation as Ven Val, there's several: one faction wants to remove kebab from their city because they hate Those Filthy Barbarians, their opposition wants to hunt down the "liberators" and put them on trial for tricking innocent people, another faction wants to use the refugees & runaways as a low pay workforce, yet *another* faction *is* actually using "liberated" slaves as a low pay workforce, and then there's the fact that a refugee mob boss from Ida holds an official and respected position in government.
>Which side do you sympathise with the most and how do you prevent bias?
the MC of the story I'm writing is a former "liberator" who wants to atone for his sins but instead keeps fucking up and getting his friends killed. take a guess.
>>46481348
That's why I thought mine was a bit to generic. Perhaps they need to be taken down a peg without completely changing it? Perhaps their isolation has caused them to argue amongst one another over social issues due them not having to worry about war or famine or whatnot.
As far as technology goes, humans have at least one advantage over elves in that the've advanced to the industrialization era, humans share a contient with the dwarves and through commerce adided by their vast railroad system have a wealth of lumber, crops, rifles, and ore. They're considered the only race that can stand up to the elves.
>>46481511
You should just make the crystals they use have their growth accelerated by magic. The Elves all live in Fortress of Solitude-tier crystal palaces, the construction of which makes conventional siege weapons ineffective.
Their weapons, though sharp, are basically shaped diamond. It's hard and durable, but can't be shaped as well as steel. They basically just use diamond-tipped spears and arrows.
>>46481583
That sounds like a good idea. The elves, while well-vesed in magic, haven't a clue as far as the sciences go. They can't into metallurgy because everything is essentially fletched from crystal. Ships are their only form of transportation, making them a decent sea power but still slow as fuck on land. So basically fantasy Britain.
>>46481766
You should always have knowledge be derived from the group's circumstances.
My Dwarves have a great grasp on mathematics, physics, and stonemasonry, simply because they live underground and keep excellent records of how much ore they mine. Their knowledge arose from building large underground homes and tunnels, as to prevent cave-ins.
Likewise, the Dwarves mastered metallurgy due to having access to geothermal forges. They're actually able to work some of the setting's stronger metals simply because magma is so much hotter than a charcoal furnace.
Myskeletonsare great sailors due to trial and error. Every time they crash a ship, theywalk back to shore along the seabedand learn from their mistakes.
>>46460367
>What are the most prominent social issues in your world right now?
A few months ago a barbarian from the north swooped into the capitol with an army, killed the king, and took the throne, too fast for anyone to realize what was happening. He basically sits on the throne and fucks bitches instead of ruling with any kind of an iron fist.
>What different positions do the public hold on those issues?
The nobles are finally gathing a coalition to oust the usurper and put the dead king's TOTALLY LEGITIMATE NOT BASTARD daughter on the throne (this is where the PCs come in). If the majority of the nobles wanted something, they could always convince to old dynasty to give it to them - this barbarian just does as he pleases.
The commoners, however, are kind of enjoying this. The occupying force pretty much only enforces laws against murder and theft and the like, so prostitution is legal for the first time in centuries, and taxation has gotten a lot less complicated, since the throne can't be bothered to deal with businesses, so the economy is booming.
The Temple got raided of course, but all in all the usurper has been pretty hands-off.
>Which side do you sympathise with the most and how do you prevent bias?
I tend to side with the nobles because they're the questgivers, and I've used several of them before and made them sympathetic, but I think there's a decent chance my players will switch sides once they see that the population is actually prospering under this new rule. Could go either wayas long as the players defeat the evil wizard that is the power behind the throne. Otherwise the world is fucked.
>How do those issues affect the daily life and/or politics of your world?
As I said, average dude is just happy that there are less vice taxes.
>>46472652
Human sun-god angels:
>FEAR NOT
>delivers its message without realizing it has blinded or killed everyone in the room with its radience/eldritch form
Elf pantheon angels:
>talking animals sacred to the god, sometimes giant and/or glowing
Dwarf pantheon gods:
>glowy rocks, burning bushes on the mountain, messages carved into the living stone, very Moses
The standard D&D angels like planetars and solars nly come in when shit gets outer-planar
I made this from picture of water stains at work + paint, any programs to export this too in order to improve it?
Too many islands?
>>46482669
>gif
>>46480859
I don't know whether I love or hate the different fonts.
On one hand, it's great for emphasizing certain words and names, and I can still read the text clearly.
On the other hand, it's bordering on obnoxious.
>>46482716
>Less than 256 colours and used paint and various photos
:D
Any idea where i can turn a 2d pic into a globe?
>>46467334
I had it happen with a diety. I'm still getting over it.
>What are the most prominent social issues in your world right now?
Right now is a civil unrest that is slowing down the economy of neighbooring kingdoms and is slowly killing all the novelty that were on a position of power, while the goverment is not exactly good they demonize them too much.
>What different positions do the public hold on those issues?
Usually the public is in favor of the populist figure that has the facade of a friend of the people
>Which side do you sympathise with the most and how do you prevent bias?
The Novelty, they haven't done any bad and are just scapegoats.
>How do those issues affect the daily life and/or politics of your world?
Affects the trade routes, the prices go up and many people are moving out to the more simple towns.
>>46482807
http://www.giss.nasa.gov/tools/gprojector/
>>46483080
Love you
Thanks anon
>>46482732
it's supposed to be propaganda, so maybe that's fine?
>>46483080
>>46483139
Tbh, this link should be added to the OP.
>>46460367
>>What are the most prominent social issues in your world right now?
The Empire has become increasingly weak, letting the barbarians without and the more radical parts of the Church of Scale and Sword (in D&D terms Lawful Neutral Paladins) walk all over them.
>>What different positions do the public hold on those issues?
There's a mix of trying to ignore it and blowing up buildings in protest.
>>Which side do you sympathise with the most and how do you prevent bias?
There's no "side". The Crystal Empress is a weakling, even she knows that. The only ones I consider "wrong" are assholes killing people in an attempt to make things better. Somehow.
>>How do those issues affect the daily life and/or politics of your world?
Daily life? Not so much, beyond more stringent security laws and a whole deal of nervousness among the Witch Conclave since casters try to stay as far away from battle as possible. Shit gets you killed and tends to make the side you blew up hold a grudge for an unreasonably long amount of time.
Where can I go for help if I just want to make a city, not a whole map of a world/continent?
>>46483624
This gets posted a lot.
>>46483832
Thank you based anon
>>46483624
One way would be go this way. Super simple and vague.
>>46474738
>plutocratic oligarchy
>>46484331
>The nouveau riche like to flash their wealth.
> Not expecting a state run by those tacky uppity bastards to take whatever opportunity to rub peoples' faces in the fact that they got serious dough.
How bad is this map? It's supposed to be around a kingdom in the far north where trade and commerce are valued due to people's isolation. The yellow around the large lake is supposed to be full of golden flowers that give it it's color because some mad ancient people decided to erect a giant middle finger to the god of Logic who proceeded to pummel them and their cities out of the world with a hexagon shaped hammer and then turned all the people into a giant octopus that haunts the lake in the middle.'And for those who lurk weekend /tesg/, no i didn't think of dwemers before writing this down
>>46484910
And the map would also be a good thing to post with this, no?
>>46484910
>>46484940
Some of those rivers are kinda strange, where do they come from? But that can be explained by magical shenanigans because of the god did it
>>46486796
>rivers splitting
>rivers flowing towards mountains
No kidding.
>>46484331
>I've miscarriaged
lost
>>46484940
why would the road right below where it says golden lands end there instead of a having a bridge like every other river, or continuing south to the existing bridge?
>>46460367
Do you guys think it's possible for multiple sentient species to evolve simultaneously on a world without being separated by some vast expanse e.g. a great sea?
Most worlds with "fantasy" races seem to justify them with "the gods did it" or something similar, but if I'm making a setting that doesn't have magic or divine influences, is it possible to justify having more than one dominant species on a planet, building civilizations and competing and trading?
Pic mostly unrelated, a random DF world I was playing with a while ago.
>>46487577
By the way, thought you guys might get a kick out of this. It's a dwarven fortress founded on an island in the middle of an evil ocean full of zombie sperm whales. The glacier to the north is evil, too, and I've heard it rains elf blood up there.
>>46484940
Aside from the geographic weirdness of a single massive lake feeding rivers that radiate out in all directions without a source, the thing where some parts of the map are done in hexes while most is more "natural" looks weird and jarring.
>>46484940
Is there more to the world, specifically to the West? If not, the "Merchants' Sea" wouldn't be that important for actual trade. If anything, I'd say the rivers and the edge of the Lake of the Mad God (I assume near the center is more filled with tentacled horrors) would be the main trade routes, with a hub near the mouth of each river to disperse goods coming in downriver.
>>46487850
did you not actually read his post? it's meant to be weird and jarring because a god hit it with a hex hammer
>>46488024
Just because "a god did it" doesn't mean it's going to stay like that.
Erosion and earthquakes would smooth it out fairly quickly.
>>46460367
>What are the most prominent social issues in your world right now?
The one that's most prevalent in the current time (there are many that basically persist throughout the world's entire history):
For a while, the world seemed big enough that most members of every race could avoid other races if they wanted, everyone had "living space", and you could basically choose if you wanted to live somewhere with large racial minorities. But they've been artificially confined to the two known continents for about 500 years, and the races are starting to but heads on a larger scale than ever before.
>What different positions do the public hold on those issues?
Most people don't hate individuals of another race, but see their ethno-national interests as colliding, "it's either you or us" type thing. Some societies are more insular, like the Dark Elves wanting revenge for a lot of land "stolen" by Humans and Orcs, or Dwarves wanting everyone to fuck off so they can get back to tinkering.
>Which side do you sympathise with the most and how do you prevent bias?
I don't side with anyone. I created all of these positions, I can see the subjective merit in all of them and understand why people believe them. Do people actually side with one side or another in their custom settings?
>How do those issues affect the daily life and/or politics of your world?
Imagine modern identity politics, only slightly less aneurism-inducing and everyone is aware that coexistence beyond a point is impossible due to being different species and having radically different cultures.
I'll take the Hard and Dante Must Die questions, I guess.
>>46461259
Why not make them kinda like Chinese deities, where they usually don't give a fuck about anything but occasionally fuck with mortals cause they feel like it?
Like, maybe when people "invaded", the gods were just like "fucking fine, whatever, don't talk to me or my pantheon ever again". Maybe you can have lesser astral entities wandering the world, they used to be the gods' lieutenants/pets before the gods no longer bothered to keep them in check. They aren't as strong as the gods, but this is their home turf.
>>46467334
Is that supposed to be not!Tenochtitlan?
If I want to write a setting I do not know where to start. Ideas are not the problem. How to start?
>>46488398
Start small, work your way up.
'Okay, so I have this small mountain valley.
What's in the valley? What's nearby?'
Go.
>>46488440
>>46488398
You need to work top-down and bottom-up.
>What technology level do you want?
>Magic, yes/no?
>What's the scale? One planet +/- some planes, or a solar system?
>What lives there?
>>46488361
It's the main city for my setting's merchant republic, I dunno where it's originally from.
>>46470549
I mapped out the entire history of the universe, but made clear that it was written in-setting and the exact truth of it can and should be called into question. There can be common misconceptions, there can be changing interpretations, there can be generations-long coverups, there can unverifiable legends, lots of things can muddy the historical record. What is understood or known about a certain Goblin king could be different depending on when a given campaign takes place.
I know a lot of people don't like this because they want the players to be the instigators of future history. That's cool, I just typically have the players in a more small scale role if they're even participating in a large, world-shifting event. Instead of being kings or generals, they're minor nobles and commanders of small units of soldiers. Maybe they're agents of the Emperor, or doing work for some shadowy organization. You can only have so many movies about Patton or Caesar or JFK, but think of how many stories you can have about the people serving under them.
Sup lads, I've been working on geographic locations and I need some advice.
To be more specific, I need a name for the Not!Mediterranean of the setting; roughly spherical, the sea is an ancient impact crater from an attempted extermination of the planet a long, long time ago. Nowadays, it has the same function as the Mediterranean, being a major conduit for shipping between most of the major power players of the continent.
It is said that weird things lurk within the deepest depths of the sea, and at times one might find the waters to foam and bubble as though gases from some ancient submerged source were released.
>>46472652
Lesser Astral beings, get hired out by gods as free agents/mercenaries. Sometimes a god will keep a more powerful angel in retainer, this is an archangel, and they will often alter their form to more fit the god they serve.
There was a civil war in the lower Astral realm, about half the angels were cast out and had to build their own synthetic plane. This is Hell, and they are demons. They do provide services for payment, but they rarely do business with the gods, and if they do they never give them a fair price.
>>46468889
Here's my shitty rushed attempt at shopping in some more stars.
>>46488693
How is this?
>>46489203
I think you did better than I. Hopefully the OP sees it.
>>46489229
What overlay did you use for yours? idk which looks better.
>>46489275
I literally just made a separate layer out of the sky, googled an image of a starry sky and pasted it in, then fucked around with opacity and a little color balance. Nothing that fancy.
>>46472652
Tall, dark, brooding, and obsessed with vampire slayers.
How is religion supposed to work when gods are clearly real?
>>46489527
Non-interventionist gods.
You could go the Dune route and have the various religions spiral out of their creator's control, propelled by the actions of its followers and sheer fanatical inertia.
>>46489527
>God A lives in Place A
>God A is the God of Being Awesome
>The people of Place A worship God A
>God B is the world's true creator
>The people of Place B worship God B
>The people of Place B think the people of Place A are in the wrong
>war were declared
>>46483080
>http://www.giss.nasa.gov/tools/gprojector/
This shit is awesome.
>>46489527
Religion functioned just fine before the idea that maybe the supernatural wasn't real really started to spread. You could have the power of the gods be less prominent but very much real, or you could make a more alien setting where the gods are actively doing things in the world and pursuing their own aims like any temporal ruler would, only they're fucking gods. With this, you'd have to go the more "superbeings" route with what gods are, as the "sentient concept" idea of a polytheistic deity doesn't really mesh with a temporal rulerunless you want shit to get really weird.
>>46487577
Provided those species aren't fighting for the same resources, nor is one of the species the others prey, I believe it absolutely possible to have two species evolve to sentience in close proximity. Otherwise one would out-hunt the other into starvation or oblivion before diplomacy is possible. The idea that the two species would evolve sentience at the same rate or in the same fashion is highly unlikely though, but this is a fantasy world so why not. For example: Merfolk eat fish while goron eat rocks and neither interferes with the others diet.
Not only oceans but any difficult to cross terrain can isolate groups enough to allow for great diversity from one location to the next. Beyond water you should keep in mind mountains, marshes, deserts, and distance. The varied habitat, weather and whatnot, from these divides could create diversity enough to excuse any human-like races that aren't quite humans such as elves, halflings and dwarves. Or birdpeople and lizardmen if the common ancestor was reptilian instead.
Lastly, even though this is an ethics nightmare, you could have one intelligent race design many servitor races. What happens from there to make the entire world filled with the varied races is up to you.
>>46489527
The same way politics work now I'd assume. You vote with prayer for the god who you think will do the best for you. Clerics campaign for their own gods and make ridiculous promises to get more blood and prayer flowing to their chosen deity. People are still constantly pissed all the time but now they were promised nirvana AND lower taxes so it becomes perfectly reasonable to shout at the heavens after getting a parking ticket.
>>46489773
>The same way politics work now I'd assume. You vote with prayer for the god who you think will do the best for you.
blessed be God Emperor Trump!
>>46489527
Who said anything about the gods being obviously real?
Make that shit nebulous; prayers are answered but it's never specified from whom, angels and demons speak in incomprehensible tongues or at best never discuss their overlords, these are some of the many things you can do in a setting to supply a party with deities to worship and holy fonts to power their divine spells, but never actually up and say the god is real.
The best thing about making deities nebulous is you get to play with the full gamut of alignments within a church, as well as heresies and the age-old accusation of "my god is better than your god" or "my god is real, you're worshiping a demon."
I was always interested in worldbuilding, but I have no clue on how to design maps, and the sheer amount of questions that go into creating a setting is pretty intimidating.
Besides the obvious links in the OP post, how can I get into worldbuilding?
>>46490523
>how can I get into worldbuilding?
Start with like, one country.
Just one country, really focus on that motherfucker.
When you're done with making that country a living, breathing world with NPCs and potential quests, take a step back and wonder what sort of countries that country interacts with.
>>46490581
Maybe if you're only worldbuilding for a game you're running.
>>46490523
Answer these first: >>46488482
"Discover" things, don't force things into your world.
>>46490716
>Maybe if you're only worldbuilding for a game you're running.
Isn't that why we're all worldbuilding, though? For our groups?
>>46491053
Some people are worldbuilding for novels or webcomics, others are worldbuildingfor fun.
>>46491070
Wouldn't it be better for your novel or webcomic if you ran a campaign or two within the setting to work out the kinks and really get into the world's mindset?
Likewise, is it not the greatest pleasure to craft a setting you love, and then watch your players giggle with glee as they run about it like whimsical retarded children?
>>46491104
A well-made setting generates stories dynamically.I don't have any friends anyway.
>>46460367
I like this thread
![tumblr_m3d1xmb9aX1rso2eyo1_500[1].jpg](https://i.imgur.com/RnFHSBV.jpg "tumblr_m3d1xmb9aX1rso2eyo1_500[1].jpg")
>>46460367
>What are the most prominent social issues in your world right now?
YES. I have one issue that I would very much appreciate help on:
I want to do a Country/Nation where the Kingdom has essentially criminalized "Arcane Magics".
The idea is that Arcane Magics (due to them being a deliberation of using ones SOUL to directly manipulate the world around you) are horrendously dangerous to peoples souls and a great matter of public concern and safety.
So within this country everything from: Casting magic missiles, creating enchanted items, the transmutation of items, even certain alchemies are all fucking illegal.
With that in mind the only "schools" of magic left within this kingdom are those associated or belonging to "Natural magics" or "Miracles/Divine Magics".
Druids & Shamans, Priests, Clerics & Paladins are all not only allowed to continue their practices, but have become ENCOURAGED and given incentives to "spread their wholesome magics to help secure and protect the stifled casters within the kingdom and provide them a safe alternative."
Miracles had been prevented from being institutionalized as the churches saw it as a "casualization" of their divine texts and practices, but now they're being given loads of dosh to build temples, copy sacred texts and spread miracles.
Natural Magics were HEAVILY Stifled by Arcane Institutions as they had been previously seen as primitive and demeaning as their magics rely on their souls holding a symbiotic relationship with natural sources of magic (given off by elementals and non-sapient organisms). PREVIOUSLY Arcane Arcadia had socially humiliated them into only practicing their Druid Craft in private enclaves or as tutors with apprentices; producing SCORES of Hedgemages with impartial or uncompleted schooling.
Now the kingdom is building them parks, erecting elemental monoliths, allowing them to document and spread their knowledge in texts.
So what happens? How would this basically pla out?
![latest[1].png](https://i.imgur.com/wQbEd4z.png "latest[1].png")
>>46491451
Sorry to readers/fellow world builders, that came out a little long-winded, but I would greatly appreciate help either way.
>>46491104
>Likewise, is it not the greatest pleasure to craft a setting you love, and then watch your players giggle with glee as they run about it like whimsical retarded children?
Thing is, I'd like to think I'm a pretty good worldbuilder, but I'm an awful DM, and I legitimately think my main setting is too complicated to systematize into a game that's not a slog to play. I've ran some semi-free form games with friends, but they were just for the lulz and didn't really get into the details of the setting. My eventual plan is just to post every setting detail I make onto a wiki and just let anyone on /tg/ use it, they might actually get something out of it. I just love the act of worldbuilding though, and imagining what kinds of games I could run. Right now I'm creating an alchemical system that I know will probably never be used and I couldn't be happier.
>>46491669
>but they were just for the lulz and didn't really get into the details of the setting.
Anon... That's kind of the point.
The details of a setting are there for padding should a player ever venture into that, they're not just supposed to "be there."
>>46491735
You're describing creating a setting from the bottom-up. Only going with one approach leads to your world being shallow.
What's the point of having a world of your own if it's not fleshed out?
>>46491451
Seems to me that this is an opportunity for the church to gain a much greater role in government.
I have a race of small, insular druids, whose goddess has an entire magical grove dedicated to them.
How do I justify members of this race as adventurers without going full 'you were an outcast/rejected because you were speshul' route?
My first impulse is to have them keep notes on the outside world to check and see if it's safe to leave/as a litmus test for the world.
>>46491735
I disagree, like >>46491804 alludes to I tend to do a lot of top-down fleshing out. My point is that, even on the rare games I do run, 99% of what I make doesn't get used, to the point that it really could be any setting. Think of how little of Tolkien's world was in LOTR. I'd need a fucking Silmarillion of a game to really show off my setting, but most players don't want to play anything more than a Hobbit. That's fine, I get why, it just sucks as someone who's primarily building shit because it's fun to not be able to use most of it. Plus, again, I'm a shit DM.
>>46492126
Maybe some of them get wanderlust like the Doctor
>>46491804
Because a world of one is a very lonely world.
What's the point in creation if only you know it exists?
>>46491804
Missing the point. That anon wasn't saying not to have a fleshed out world but that your players aren't supposed to be cracking the double helix. They're supposed to be having fun in a world with verisimilitude. Sometimes that means they overstep in some areas of knowledge more than others which makes it good to have something like an alchemy system or inn keeper's family tree pre-planned but not everything you think of will be used 100% of the time.
>>46491451
>Witch lynchings
>mages go FTSIO
>mages make Mahokistan
>race war now!
>Deus Vult vs. Aloha Snackbar
>>we wuz wizurds n shiet vs. Church of WeDindu
>>46460367
>What are the most prominent social issues in your world right now?
It's a fairly low fantasy setting that has been held in a state of socio-economic stasis around an early renaisance level for some thousands of years by the religious and political elite. Scientific knowledge has slowly crept forwards towards 19th to 21st century levels, but mass production is nonexistent. Recently, a small decadent city-state facing subjugation by its neighbors went full techno-magical industrial revolution mode and is upsetting the balance of world power and invading its rivals. So basically, there are small factions that want to follow in the footsteps of this rising industrial power, and far more numerous groups seeking to maintain the traditional structure of society.
>What different positions do the public hold on those issues?
The commoners aren't too interested in the socio-economic effects of industrialization. Most people aren't even really aware of the efforts that have been made behind the scense to preserve the status quo. They are, however, quite disturbed by the idea of armies of mechanical undead sent forth by an expansionist Nero-meets-Yawgmoth sort of ruler, so most of the people are on the side of traditionalism. The upper nobility take a similar position out of simple self-interest. The lower nobility and merchant classes are much more receptive to the message of the Machine Prince, and see this unrest as a chance to increase their own power.
>Which side do you sympathise with the most and how do you prevent bias?
I made a conscious effort to split the characters and aesthetic themes I like between the two factions so I pay attention to both sides.
>How do those issues affect the daily life and/or politics of your world?
The largest and most populated continent in the setting is plunging headlong into a mix of the Thirty Years War and the Napoleonic conquests. I'd say it's a pretty big deal.
>>46492332
Can you translate that out of /pol/ynesian?
>>46492253
This is exactly what I was trying to say, the world should have exactly as much in it as you'd need to provide the best experience for your party whenever you meet up.
If you're playing in Not!France it doesn't pay to split hairs over the caste system in Not!Greece, you should be focusing on the going-ons of Not!France and the particular aspects of society that the players are invested in (this is why it pays to expect a backstory from your players at least one week before the first session.) Have a player that's really into the gods? Better shape up your cosmology! Got a girl that wants to play a noblewoman? Invent a lineage or three.
Sure you should have the basics worked out, but as any DM knows the prettier the sandbox the more you're going to get fucking pissed when your player-babies shit in it. These worlds ain't for laminating and hanging up as a pretty picture, they're for playing.
![56711057[1].jpg](https://i.imgur.com/uLENtgM.jpg "56711057[1].jpg")
>>46492332
>Witch lynchings
>mages go FTSIO
>mages make Mahokistan
>race war now!
>Deus Vult vs. Aloha Snackbar
>we wuz wizurds n shiet vs. Church of WeDindu
Oh god, Anon you're right.
>>46492422
I speak /pol/ynesian, I can translate.
>the kingdom, or angry mobs, conduct lynchings of known arcanists
>arcanists leave the country en masse to avoid persecution
>the mages set up their own country nearby, where arcane magic is encouraged and everyone hates the original country
>the two countries - and faiths - inevitably go to war, ending in either the annihilation of the new country, the toppling of the original one's government, or the repealing of the arcane magic ban
Is it considered poor form to use real life bible quotes for your settings religion?
>>46493171
Depends. Bible quotes tend to be poetic, so it should be fine if you leave off the "John 11:19" bit.
>>46493217
The one from the end of Pulp Fiction is the one I had in mind. It seemed really fitting given my settings religion. Or religions I guess. There is a Pantheon of Gods. So.... I guess its one religion with different Temples devoted to different aspects of life.
>>46493617
People will recognize that one even if they don't read the bible, though. Since it's in Pulp Fiction.
>>46493653
Well its not like I'd use it word for word.
Also I don't think the Bible is copy right... is it?
>>46493653
He could look for the same quote in a different edition of the Bible, differing translations and all that.
>>46493678
If you steal a quote from the bible and don't cite your sources properly, you get struck down by a bolt of lightning. True facts.
>>46493678
>I don't think the Bible is copy right
I've got bad news for you. It is copyrighted. God himself will smite you if you use it without permission. You need to write to the Holy See and ask the pope if God says it's okay to use his content. And of course you need to properly cite him in the MLA format, or you'll be struck by lightning.
>>46493737
MLA format is the true divine writ. That's why English Teachers are so anal about it.
>>46493737
>>46493926
Never change, /tg/
>>46493617
>>46493653
I can't believe people still don't know this, but the verse from Pulp Fiction isn't actually in the Bible. The writers wrote it in biblical style to give Jules something badass to say that wouldn't piss people off. And it is badass, don't get me wrong, but it isn't Biblical.
If you do want to write something in biblical style, it isn't hard. Just say shit like "thee" and "lo" a lot, capitalize every letter in an important proper noun, never put the subject and the object next to eachother if there are more clauses modifying the subject, shit like that.
>sayeth the BEAST, as IT with twisted finger beckoned forth, "Lo, I am the end of all things."
>"Let he who would dare shed a single drop of blood along this road know that I am placed as ward upon it."
>And so it was that Isaac made his way to the court of Solon.
Not that these are good, but the style itself isn't difficult. Making quotes that resonate with the listener is no easier or harder than normal.
>>46494374
Ezekiel 25:17
And I will execute great vengeance upon them with furious anger; and they shall know that I am the LORD, when I lay my vengeance upon them.
So yeah, part of it is.
In any case he still shouldn't use that quote because it's easily recognizable.
>>46494374
I love writing fictional scriptures or religious texts. Especially when it's almost like a historical account. You can do such weird things with the style.
>And so came the fourth day in Synoch, and buzzards swarmed the wastes, growing fat on the battle-dead.
>The Arbitrix came forth once more, rod-in-hand, to do battle with the Malichates.
>The Malichites did refuse to sortie and remained camped-in-tent, offering sacrifice to MAL.
>Golden-rod thrust forth, sayeth the Arbitrix, "Lo, gaze upon the buzzards and delight. We are not the sole victors of this war. Let us celebrate the death of the men-beyond-words."
>Yet the mist of time was open to ZON, who saw the folly of the Arbitrix.
>In a booming head-voice sayeth ZON toward the Arbitirix, "Thou shalt not celebrate, for thy doom approacheth like a crashing flood."
>Toward Praxos-beyond-Synoch gazeth ZON, and His spirit leapt forth through a place above the air.
>And in His grasp was the spirit of the Arbitrix, taken forth by will alone.
>"Behold," said ZON, "thine blood is scattered to the dust."
>And the Arbitrix saw the women and children of Praxos laid low by men-of-sea, and a dark mist blew to Synoch-beyond-Praxos.
>And so it came to pass that the Arbitrix ordered retreat, and Synoch prepared for the coming siege.
>>46495047
>>46494374
Thanks for the notes fampai
>>46489527
If the gods are real you could end up with a landscape slightly similar to the religious landscape prior to universal monotheistic deities. Gods still often had vestiges of local association to a mountain or sea or region and while followers might attribute a god to having universal dominion (It's not like Zeus was said to own land only where Greeks dwelt), the orthopraxy of faith was firmly rooted in the local, the provincial, the ethnic group or nation. It's an era of orthopraxy (right conduct and behavior) over orthodoxy (right belief) - failure to participate in your nation's rituals and festivals is more troublesome than failure to believe that Zeus really did turn into a swan and rape the mother of Castor and Pollux to produce Helen.
Going with the older judaic business of "you will worship no other gods but me" not because he is the only god but because he refuses to share the Hebrew's tabernacle with other gods.
Again, religion is not the modern conception of orthodox belief and faith but rather the earlier conception of a kind of fealty - you pledge yourself to worship, observe the tenets of and celebrate a god like you would pledge some of your produce or your martial service to a king. Conversion is forsaking fealty to one god/gods for another. Perhaps the number and fervency of worship ties into the potency or relevance of a deity. And/or the gods have a greater physical connection to this world in the form of shrines, idols, temples, natural things like rivers and mountains.
>>46495047
Right? It's fun as hell to write in this style, everything just sounds more important. Here's some excerpts from the Draconic Cult's creation myth:
>The Inevitable Force, the Shadow, pervaded the goings-on of life, so HE need make it his own. HE battled with it for 1,000 years, and wrapped it in coils around the length of a tree trunk. Thus was born NYARLATHOTEP, the Slithering Shadow, the Lower Chaos. All ends stem from the same pit, and the Naga guard the gates.
>Death was HIS, but life remained resistant. So HE gathered one of every creature that walketh of the earth, and made it one, imprinting it with HIMSELF. From this mass rose PRAVAHA, the Unbiased, the Way-it-goes. HE decreed that life shall begin and end in an orderly way, and the Hydra are testament to this truth.
>But though life and death were in harmony, the growing things multiplied in unexpected propensity. None were in violation of PRAVAHA’s word, and NYARLATHOTEP could not engage in wanton slaughter. Something was needed that could. So DAROCTHE reached into the fire, one hand from that within the world, another from that suspended in the heavens, and gave it form and purpose. And in HIS fist rested SIRRUSH, the Annihilator, the Recycler-of-dead-things. The world is a pyre, and the Dragons saw that it does not sit inert.
>And with the sea and earth tamed, the winds still roared in defiance over the whole of the earth. This would not do. So DAROCTHE seized a great storm and wrapped it in a knot within HIS hand. Out of it sprung DAI KONRAN, the Maelstrom, the Gust-that-brings-ruin. The storms did not cease but became willful, and the Otachi are their arbiters.
>But at once, DAROCTHE noticed that there was such a thing as what was not under any domain of creation or existence. In this thought, HE described MUTOTH, the Naught, the Space-between-things. SHE was an accident and filled with no spirit, and the Protoss hungered for it.
Alright, done sleeping now.
>>46487177
>>46486796
River splitting and going towards the mountains is me with a horribly shaky hand and being a dumbfuck.
>>46487303
Because the bridge was destroyed back in yore and now people just raft down the river
>>46487893
Yes, there is lands to the west of this place, and the rivers are used from the big city near the lake and by the smaller cities near the rivers as trade routes. And yes, the center of the big lake is a nono because tentacle horrors.
>>46488169
That....is a good point, but i still like the alien nature of it. Either i will just handwave it or need to think of an explanation that isn't completely dumb
>>46495280
This concept of fealty to a god and orthopraxy over orthodoxy is readily apparent when you take the example of God-Kings. People like the Pharaohs of Egypt, for example. They were said to be gods on earth, and they were venerated as such. Everyone fell behind them and they had great monuments built in their name.
Yet somehow, some of these pharaohs ended up getting betrayed, manipulated, and even assassinated. Why? Because most didn't actually believe he was a god, they just acted like it because of the Egyptian concept of ma'at - which prescribed that everyone should act with honor and truth, avoid conflict, and uphold the law. The pharaoh was seen as the upholder of ma'at, the natural order of things. Thus everyone followed what he said because it kept things from falling into chaos. But if there was a bad pharaoh who upset ma'at - for example, Akhenaten - he was promptly disposed of.
This concept can also be seen in the Chinese civilization, where the emperor is venerated as the "Son of Heaven", who upholds the order of creation - but when the emperor performs poorly and the nation suffers, he is said to have lost heaven's mandate, his divine right to rule, and is thereafter deposed.
To put it simply, religion is deeply tied to politics in ancient cultures, and in a world where the gods are actually real, it'd be even moreso. Because then, human rulers who claims their right to rule is divine are actually correct... or horribly, horribly wrong, depending on the circumstance. So people's perception of their leader and their relationship with their god(s) becomes paramount. You don't want to rally behind someone the gods cursed, do you?
I'm studying the Coriolis effect and other phenomenon that dictate climate, but I could use a second pair of eyes. Latitude wise this is meant to largely take the place of Eurasia from maybe Denmark and the steppe down to the Arabian desert and Sahara. I have not done the big island yet, but the rest has the general feel. Only did one river system thus far.
The tricolor shading is a vague sense of latitude - the far north corresponding to Denmark and the Baltics and southernmost forests of Russia, the far south corresponding to Ethiopia and the Sahel.The southernmost strip is the tropic of cancer/trade winds - desert, dry, warm. The southernmost reaches could be sub-tropical and Savannah-esque, maybe even jungly in the south-east. The two arrows (can remove the layer) are to remind myself the prevailing winds. As I understand it the blue arrow would bring a lot of moisture from coming via the ocean (and so the big island might be Britain-style humid, while the forested region sheltered by the mountains and the Fjord-y peninsula would be wet too. While the red arrow, the trade winds, wouldn't bring much moisture - but if the east is entirely ocean it would benefit from a monsoon effect?
I am not going to worry myself about the intricacies of areas further away from where I set my plot(s) as per the conversation >>46492478 but I do want to fill out the world beforehand. I will probably do another continental mass to add to this and situate it to the west or south. As the flipped mediterranean will likely be a cradle or conduit of civilization and interaction I'd like to make sure the other continent is far enough removed from it to be its own sphere - both for trade purposes (fabulous XYZ of the far west/south) and political/cultural (So not-Troy and not-Franks aren't elbow to elbow with not-Chinese and not-Africans).
I'm probably going overly autistic in trying to capture the climate properly, I'd just rather avoid silly pulp fantasy climate abberations.
Tell us about 1(or more) of the really fucked up/degenerate things in your setting.
alsobamp
>>46499198Dragons prefer taking virgins as tribute not because they're tastier or inherently more valuable than a non-virgin, but because when a virgin is deflowered by a dragon any children that should come from their copulation will be dragonborn.
>>46499198
>For Your Safety Keep This Door Closed
but what about the big savings?
>>46499198One of major nations of the world is catpeopleNo, not khajit catpeoplePic related
>>46499198
Genetically engineered race of (loli) catgirls
>>46499899Do some humans trade virgins in exchange for some of the Dragonborn later to use as troops?/spoiler]
>>46500182
It's a ruse, Anon.
>>46500349Is there an illicit trade in catnip?
>>46500349
You monster. Where do I sign up to play?
>>46500349
could be worse
so much worse
>>46499198I draw smut of important political figures of the setting on the back side of worksheets to keep myself entertained during boring uni classes
>>46499899I have a similar thing, except the stolen virgins become Drakiana, Mothers of Monsters, corrupted by the pure sin of the Dragon.
>>46500527
Dragonborn are considered property of the State and used primarily for administration and official duties, including military where they function as officers.
First-generation Dragonborn, the ones born from the human mother, are known as the "Frilled" and often have plumage and vestigial wings, which many wear as cloaks (like pic related). Although the Frilled are fertile, their children ("standard" dragonborn) are not, meaning Frilled are seen as valuable and the standards are used as disposable troops in a manner similar to Landsknecht.
Most people don't know about the virgin-fucking = Dragonborn thing, but they do know that Dragons with a lot of virgins tend to produce a lot of soldiers, burghers and administrators, meaning their lands are generally better protected, better served and more prosperous. Most Chromatics demand the virgins as tribute, but many Metallics do exactly what you say; work out an agreement that the lands will give so many virgins to them per year, and in exchange those dragonborn will be used to help their lands.
There's really a lot going on with the Dragonborn, since there are strict laws in place within the Empire detailing how many Frilled any one Dragon-Elector may keep, which is tied to their human population (1 Frilled for every 100/300/500 humans) and it was these laws that caused a Dragon-Elector to start converting his human population into Giants/Half-Giants (a "loophole" in the law) which eventually saw his duchy collapse into revolution and form the Republic of Vandorme.
So yeah, big tough Germanic lizard-dragons.
>>46499198
>Humans are descended from Beastmen
>Beastmen are basically anthropomorphic animals
>Humans and Beastmen can interbreed, and the Half-Human-Half-Beastmen offspring are basically >>46500349
>I felt pressured into including a little girl option, so if a female Elf becomes an immortal or a vampire before they turn 100 they can stay as a little girl forever
>>46500527
>illicit
It's legal, but discouraged, since alcohol is more toxic to them (especially stuff their closest neighbors -dwarves- make - that shit's almost 200 proof).
>>46503661
>>46500349
here and it's kinda funny, since in my setting humans and other beastmen too have the same roots.they cannot interbreed, though.
>>46503905
Mine can only interbreed because Humans arose from a genetic experiment, so they're a mix of Elves and Beastmen. It justifies Humans being able to make Half-Elves and Half-Beastmen while not being able to make Half-Dwarves or Three-quarterlings.
>>46499198
Um, the not!Persian/not!Gypsy fusion culture of humans has a "festival of love", one of the big attractions of which is basically a Sex Pile. I guess that counts as degenerate?
Honestly, there's not a lot in my setting that's magical realm-y. There are monsters that could conceivably rape someone, you could conceivably impregnate someone with magic, virginity/deflowering has mystic aspects and can be used as fuel for certain rituals, but that's all fairly rooted in real-world traditions. I don't know, I guess I never had any desire to put any of that type of stuff in any prominence. Granted, a mage could still probably enact most any magical realm fantasy you'd find on /tg/, but no culture practices that kind of shit widely. Unless you count the Sex Pile.
Why does no one ever consider humans "beastmen"? They're basically "ascended" apes, yeah?
In my setting, I had all of the most of the powerful "beast races" (Jackalfolk, Eaglefolk, Catfolk, Snakefolk, Shrimpfolk, Ratfolk, Humans) originate on one continent, and the Myrish races (pic related) on a continent to themselves (until some Shrimpfolk and Humans migrated there, but that's another story). I just always thought it was weird that humans were in a category all to themselves.
>>46489527
Different people have different intepretations of them. Or just that the gods don't give a fuck about mortals
>>46505494
because in my setting B all beastmen were created by demons who messed around with their genes to artificially evolve humanoid servant species with human-level intelligence. for some reason, they thought these beastmen would be loyal to them. they were wrong.
>>46504886
That's basically what Fourthlings (~humans but with pointier ears) from Edge Chronicles are, a mix of 100+ goblin and troll tribes that produced human-looking and human-acting people. I dig that kinda worldbuilding.
>>46505494
Beastmen were the "Greater Beast" races created in my world's genesis. "Lesser Beasts", like cows, cats, bears, and birds still exist.
>Humans = a cross between Elves and Apemen
>Halflings = Monkeyfolk Beastmen who evolved in a secluded valley. They're short, dextrous, and they still have their tails
>Dwarves = Molefolk Beastmen who evolved while secluded underground. Big noses, big hands, and they can see in the dark
>Orcs (and later Goblins) = Swinefolk Beastmen. Later became Goblins through divine intervention
>>46489527
By the virtue of fear and reverence. Would you not worship and honor a god who has been known to devastate entire civilizations just because they didn't follow HIS logic.
>>46499198
O-okay, um...
Orcs still have a lot of bestial traits, including a yearly estrus cycle at the beginning of spring. However, depending on the particular orc woman, they might enter estrus AFTER the males have left with the herds. Due to sheer chance (and maybe a tiny bit of magical realm), the settlement where this happens most frequently due to some genetic quirk is right near a human town. Occasionally, you'll get desperate orc women walking into human bars. Oh, and orcish pheromones hit humans like a brick to the face, and the women likely won't be in a state to think once they're getting what they want. Fortunately for the population, Illia's bane (a pink-and-black flower, the leaves of which temporarily sterilize any male who eats them) is fairly common around the settlement.
>>46505494
In my setting humans don't consider themselves beastmen because "beastman" is a slur they apply to other races.The creation myth also differs from culture to culture, and pretty much only two living beings in whole setting know how it really was.
>>46499198
The Cult of Baphomet the Horned King seeks to undo civilization by corrupting it and making terrible creatures.
This involved beastiality between cultists and possessed domesticated/farm animals to birth terrible Beastmen into the world.
>>46484940
Alright, i've made some changes to the map and now tell me if it still is horrid:
>There is now a river that flows into the Lake of the Mad God, the rest flow out
>"Corroded" the sharp edges off the lake itself
>The fields stay as they are, they are supposed to be unnatural and illogical
>Rivers stopped splitting and no longer flow towards mountains
>Put bridges where they are supposed to be
Only slight changes, but i hope they work.
Also for the history of some places to clear things up: Golden Lands are the ancient civilizations middle finger to the god of Logic as to prove that the god's logic is false and/or can be easily broken (in this case creating unnaturally shaped areas where the harsh winter never bites). Gough's lair is the home of the resident giant dragon who sleeps most of his days away. The fortresses at the Bleak Tundra are there to watch the orcish empire from the south. The city in the big lake is accessed via boats or walking once the lake freezes during winter. Wendigo woods are self explanatory. Fire Expanse is the aftermath of angry forest elves going haywire and burning their home forest with ever burning flames.
>>46507153
Check the spelling on your lake.
>>46507297
Well he is now the god of weekly subscriptions then.
Does anyone know what happened to that one anon that was making the map with a kingdom called Astoria? They had really good original character art and a lot of the nations were based off of france and germany and whatnot.
Just wondering if you're out there.
>>46496606
i like that world. you might be going a little too autistic with climates and such.
>>46460367
Can I get the hard mode and dante must die mode questions?
I'm curious.
I'm filling the questionnaire for my setting out from boredom. It feels kind of weird since many questions dont really have answers due to the unconventational nature of the world. I wonder if I should just brainstorm something to the unanswered questions or just accept that at the current time they just dont have answers.
>>46508509
elaborate please.and yes, you should brainstorm something if you can. never hurts and helps you get deeper insight into your own creation.
>>46508578
Not sure how much I can elaborate at the current time.Its getting very late over here, thats why.But basically, the entire world was covered by a single city. Then the disaster(tm) happened and now there is only one small city left, that used to be a section of the world-city. Rest of the world is mystically changed to have different geography too so old maps are not useful anymore either. The thing is, all that happened just about 100 years ago and pretty much everyone from that time has already died. The only remaining city has only recently managed to make a self sustaining society out of itself, instead of just scavenging stuff from the ruins and wilderness. The setting itself is mainly focused on explorers going on adventures to the great unknown to find things that could help the survival of the remaining city.
But you are right, I should brainstorm answers anyway, its only right thing to do since it shows respect for the creation I love so much.
>>46508509
>I'm filling the questionnaire for my setting out from boredom.
Wait, wait, what Questionnaire? I could go for a Questionnaire- where is this question thingy?
I could super go for some question and answering marathongs.
>>46508986
In the OP, friend.
http://www.frathwiki.com/Dr._Zahir%27s_Ethnographical_Questionnaire
Hey /wbg/
Who is the greatest warrior in your setting?
>>46509064
I am. Fite me.
>tfw developing world
>tfw making serious progress
>tfw get hit with inspiration for another world
>tfw going to have to create that world after I finish this one
Every time.At least the new world idea will appeal to a lot more roleplayers.
>>46509021
>In the OP, friend.
>http://www.frathwiki.com/Dr._Zahir%27s_Ethnographical_Questionnaire
Thanks friend, excuse my ignorance.
Also
>Marathongs
Damn I'm drowsy.
>>46509064
the Red Sisters Ira & Surana, known for being about half a foot taller than basically everyone and built like a truck. back in the day, they mutinied by literally ripping their captain in half (because of a "disagreement" over how they were supposed to engage in an upcoming battle) and assumed control of her vessel uncontested. being far better naval tacticians than their late captain also helped win the battle, after which they were properly made co-captains. what followed was decades of military success for at least one of them (Surana retired from seafaring after 9 years and died to food poisoning about 6 years later)
>>46509064
Probably Dragon Knight. He is the most legendary of current Magi Knights who excel in melee and is usage of magic. He is known for having a helmet that breathes fire and flaming sword, that is where his name comes from.
Magi Knights are possible most deadly of all combatants in Southern Kingdoms. With sword arm and magic they have carved bloody path through their enemies.
>>46509116
What's the new idea? Even if it's just in the conceptual stage I'd love to hear about it.
>>46473353
I'm liking the map, anon. If either of those continents has a not!Patagonian Steppe, you could place not!Tehuelches in there. And there's a lot of things you could do with not!Tehuelches. They could be marauding nomads and savages who, after the apparition of your not!Conquistadors adopted the horse and went full Mongol on everyone. They could also be elves, tall and proud yet also primitive assholes.
Hell, you could just grab what the Spanish thought when they first saw the Tehuelches and make them into a race of giants.
>>46473353
holy fugg that is pretty
i just made my map on inkarnate :(
>>46507925
Oh fuck, I'm so sorry. I legitimately forgot about this. Here (not that they're actually any 'harder'):
>What aspects of your world have you drawn from other fantasy universes, whether staple or unique?
>What differs between your usage of those aspects and the original author's?
>Why did you choose to include those aspects in your world?
---
>Which, if any, real-world or fantasy cultures did you draw your architecture style from?
>What materials are commonly used in building, and why?
>What are the differences between lower- and upper-class structures?
>Generally speaking, how dense is the population in the average settlement?
>>46510099
It is really early concepts... as in, I just came up with the idea of it today. I know it is a fantasy world. This is an entire planet, whereas my current world is just one area on a continent.
This world has moon elves, sun elves, humans, and "beastmen" so far. Beastmen in this world are shapeshifters, that choose to align themselves with this world's version of a zodiac animal God. You take on that beast into your soul, get some animalistic traits, and can transform into that animal. Any other race can probably become a beastmen, but you kind of forsake your old race if you do so. I'd like two more races, however. Maybe goblins of some kind, but they'd be sea-faring merchants instead of evil people living in caves.
That's about it, really.
>>46510850
>What aspects of your world have you drawn from other fantasy universes, whether staple or unique?
The standard orcs/elves/dwarves fantasy races, though I do have a couple unique races of my own.
As for other elements, far too many to count, such as demons in peoples' souls to grant magic powers, or zombies able to increase their strength by %'s but hurt themselves in doing so, etc.
Though I was disappointed that one of my nations that I thought was somewhat unique turned out to be pretty much Dominions Ulm in multiple ways, but with a more roman feel.
>What differs between your usage of those aspects and the original author's?
For the zombie part, nothing really, I suppose where the power comes from is different. As for the demons, I made the quite different from the original source by making them commonplace and such, but at its most basic it's still "demons in soul = magic"
>Why did you choose to include those aspects in your world?
Honestly, I didn't have a world yet, I just took a bunch of themes I thought were cool, and said to myself, "How can I make these all work together?"
>>46510891
Sea-faring Goblin traders.
Obligatory reference:
http://shabazik.deviantart.com/art/Vanolose-Bourgeois-336749298
http://shabazik.deviantart.com/art/I-am-the-Walrus-191944333
>>46510891
Nomadic merchant goblins are always cooler than the Tolkien-esque smaller-than-orcs CE punchingbags many settings have.
>>46507153
good fixes, the water next to the compass that was formerly the source of the northermost river looks strange now though
>>46473353
Anon the map looks great and all, but you really need to learn more about how plate tectonics affect mountains
>remake world map to include everything
>5000 by 2500, 19 mg
>tfw haven't even labeled nations, towns, borders, and added shit like the compass rose yet
>>46512997
bost it
>>46513049
Halved its size.
I don't care about plate tectonics, this isn't a map of a planet.
>>46503905
>>46504886
>tfw there are 2 others who have beastmen directly related to humans
>tfw mine can all interbreed as its the actual main species
>tfw a related pic of them would likely get me banned
Walp
>mfw humans are what happens when a dragon fucks a catfolk.
How do you guys do modern fantasy? I don't like the 'magical curtain' thing, where magic is gone or hidden and then suddenly it reappears or whatever, because it just seems kinda cheap. I'd prefer to have magic and fantastical races and shit always be around, but unless I just handwave stuff away ('Oh yeah, WW1 still happens, it's just with zombies' or things of that nature) I think it would alienate the reader too much.
I'unno how popular modern fantasy is in these threads, but I thought I'd ask.
>>46514063
>>46514244
I've been trying to think how my medieval fantasy would develop into a modern one.
The mortal races would probably gain control of the wilds once gunpowder is finally developed, and alchemical silver-tipped or cold iron-tipped bullets are used to kill the dangerous magic shit.
>>46514244
Keep it hidden and subtle. It's always been there. The Thule Society really WAS fucking around with magic. Hitler nearly won by reanimating the corpses littering the battlefield, it's just propaganda that tells us he didn't, and a silver/cold iron bombing run was the only thing that stopped him. It's known at the higher levels, but everyone assumes nobody ELSE knows, and tries to keep it as secret as possible...until someone goes ahead and fucks everything. Some Palestinian terrorist decides to send in a dragon to firebomb the Gaza Strip as a group of American tourists/relief aids are visiting, and enough video is caught that everyone goes "Holy shit, it's a dragon!" and starts looking more closely. Yes, the masquerade slowly breaking is an old trope and not exactly what you want, but unless you want to COMPLETELY fuck up history you're gonna need to do it this way.
>>46514283
What's there to explain? A cat is fine too, and a catfolk is even better.
Those were the original races in the setting, catfolk and dragons, it was inevitable they'd bump uglies.Coincidentally, catfolk are the best at hunting and killing dragons out of anyone in the lore, kitty got some hunting skills.
They also have a fondness for Humanity that's equal part parental love and headpats.
>>46514441
>What's there to explain?
Catfolk + dragons = humans?
>>46514519
What else would a dragon fucking a Catfolk produce? Dragons are already giant fire-breathing lizard-cats so I thought, "hey, wait a minute, dragons are here, Catfolk are here, maybe if they fuck hard enough they'll make humans!"
It just works, my man. You'd be SHOCKED at how many plot holes this solves.
>>46514665
Cat + Lizard = human
I don't think that's how genetics works.
>>46514665
Well, if the nail fits and all that I guess
>>46514722
>Hairy bipeds with a love of shiny things and lording over people
>Hairless quadrupeds with a love of shiny things and lording over people
>They bang
>Out comes a kinda hairy biped with a love of shiny things and lording over people
IT
JUST
WORKS
>>46514785
You better give your Humans monkey tails and claws, then. Dragons and Cats have both.
>>46505494
>Why does no one ever consider humans "beastmen"? They're basically "ascended" apes, yeah?
But that's what I did, senpai.
>>46514828
Why would I do that? Monkey tails and claws are kinda silly.
I mean sure, if you've got a suggestion for a better origin story for humanity than I'm all ears, but so far this nails so many things for the setting that I'm honestly too dumb to articulate them.
>>46514918
It's just that catpeople have long, furry tails and retractable claws, and dragons have claws and (usually) long tails, so a mix would have them too.
You should just give your Humans monkey tails and proper fingernails to compensate.
It's like how my Halflings are Monkeyfolk, and they never evolved away their super-useful prehensile tail.
>>46514946
That actually makes an awful lot of sense, anon.
I'm going to use it for my proto-men that live in the East, real Sun Wukong grade shit.
Question is, how did the humans of the West lose their tails and claws? The Catfolk thing is canonically why humans are vulnerable to lycanthropy, but what suppressed their genes?
And god dammit, now I have an excuse as to why my Eastern humans revere dragons and cats, because they CAME from dragons and cats.
>>46515024
Maybe the west went on exodus, and as they did they evolved away their tails and claws? Long walks and wandering means they don't need their tails anymore, and claws become useless as they learn to make axes and spears.
>>46472652
Four angels currently roam the world, three of which hate humanity because in the setting, Angels existed in the same world as humans in the Glittering Peak, which was eventually ransacked by humans. The only four survivors have grown incredibly powerful, almost on a godlike scale.
Doa, the Angel of Death, strikes at every individual human, beast, and plant at their weakest moment(Basically the explanation for death), to watch humanities arrogant pride wither away before granting them peace.
Faurn, the Angel of the Wilds, regrettably accepted defeat and secluded to find purpose amongst the worlds beasts. Sometimes, however, destruction of her people scars her mind, and she must enact revenge. If there is ever a time that a human settlement is destroyed by wild creatures, it is said that it was she who sent them.
Brix, the Angel of Rage, is actually a patron to Knights. He represents the retribution and punishment in the world, and is mistaken by many as a figure of Justice.
Finally, the weakest angel is Gliss, the angel of mercy. Centuries after the Glittering Peak was destroyed, and the last human who partook in the it's raping had passed, he let go of any grudges, and sought to help humanity become a better race. While years ago, he had the power to enact vengeance upon humanity, he refused to take a single life, even in self defense. He is a patron to medical professionals, peace-speakers, and pacifists alike.
>>46515024
Maybe short tails became the "fashionable" thing, or the Westerners just stopped using their tails for everything because it was unhygienic or some bullshit. Over time, Humans grew shorter and shorter tails until they stopped growing them at all.
>>46460367
So, I've seen this Clichéa map a dozen times, but looking at it this time sparked an idea. I want feedback on it. It's... kinda worldbuilding related.
You, one of the PCs, live in the land of Clichéa, the Realm of Banality. You're a tortured dark elf who longs to do good, or a red-bearded, scottish-accented dorf fighter, or whatever. It doesn't really matter.
One thing's for sure, though - you're a standard race and a standard class and have a standard backstory. It's a pretty good life, and you always know what to expect.
Except, unbeknownst to you (or the rest of your party, which you met at the tavern), the Dark Lord sorcerer just tried out a new incantation and accidentally opened a rift to other planes. In rush these new creatures and peoples and cultures and technologies and ideas, which pollute the purity of your homeland.
You and your party must adventure forth, to defend Clichéa from the unwelcome hordes of decidedly non-cliché NPCs. Can you travel to the dark tower and close the portal, once and for all?
Can monotheism be exciting?
>>46516113
Of course it can.
My favorite is having a monotheistic god that HATES you unconditionally.
>>46516113
Just swap out a pagan pantheon for pantheon of saints battling it out as to who is the bottom bitch of the one true pimp god. Same shit really.
>>46480859
I like the way you used different fonts and stuff but for the love of god change the water, my eyes are bleeding over here
A question to the ones who like making maps.
Have you ever tried making your maps using tools for games, like the picture, or do you just do regular mapping?
>>46482669
upgrade to paint.net and you can use layers and labels and all that fun stuff. also supports transparency and zoom
>>46517608
I usually use GIMP or Inkarnate when I'm messing with maps but using game tools can be fun, too. Pic related >>46487577
I make maps in Minecraft too sometimes, as autistic as that is.
>>46517861
That is actually pretty neat idea of using Cities: Skylines as modern map maker. I could see benefits of using it for some city building.
>>46516113
Monotheism > Polytheism
The Church of the Silver Flame is monotheistic in Eberron and they're one of the coolest organizations in an already good setting.
Been playing around in paint a bit trying to make a decent outline for a continent. My setting will be based on two continents where one is starting to settle on the new one, but the new one is just as advanced (although feral) and fighting back. I had this for one of the continents, is this alright? I think it looks great.
>>46510850
>>What aspects of your world have you drawn from other fantasy universes, whether staple or unique?
Magic as a direct function of willpower, I guess, since that's how my magic particle works. Racial/cultural archetypes/dynamics are put in for better flavor and give multiple PC options if used as a game setting.
>>What differs between your usage of those aspects and the original author's?
Magic-will in a Greyhawk book I read once was like positive thinking. In The Will and the Word fuck if I know, friends of mine made me aware of it and its something like willpower gives you magic or some shit. The Covenant books may have similar will-magic but my memory is fuzzy. Mine's set up for less mystical hokey-pokey and is supposed to be treated as a science with predictable and repeatable results.
>>Why did you choose to include those aspects in your world?
Building a workable world while using its-magic-lol annoys me. Iirc even Xanth had its own internal logic.
---
>>46519238
>>Which, if any, real-world or fantasy cultures did you draw your architecture style from?
Mishmash of styles dependent on materials and embellished for race/culture reasons. Core is roman, gothic, incan, mayan, chinese/japanese, okinawan, islander and spanish colonial.
>>What materials are commonly used in building, and why?
Local stone and wood. Because cheap and plentiful. Cement is also used for complex structures as well as fusing via magic. Metal is more for supporting/bolstering key elements and decorative than as an integral stressed part of the overall structure.
>>What are the differences between lower- and upper-class structures?
In general, lower-class structures are more functional and made with cheaper locally sourced materials and built strictly on a budget for functional completion. Upper-class structures would have more costly and imported materials and are built to a higher, more personal standard of beauty and aesthetic. These also have more superfluous features like swimming pools, redundant baths and toilets, guest rooms and such.
>>Generally speaking, how dense is the population in the average settlement?
Not sure yet. I'm guessing a small town in Sha'hara would be around 300 people of 10 to 15 families. The capital city Seshara may be 300,000 with the surrounding region up to a million due to advances in magic and farming.
posted it in gurps gen, the first draft of my setting for "tacticool magical girls". >>46510351
Talking with my player, the first session will be the jailbreak, followed by a timeskip to after things are established. Still working out how to get a disgraced scientist involved with the A-team people, though. She'd end up serving as their business manager, face to the outside world, and let them sleep on her couch.
>>46519079
If that canvas is a global scale then it looks like it'll have big water problems in the middle. Also, its fuck huge on a globe.
>>46519574
Yeah, there's supposed to be a big scary sea in the middle that has kept the two continents separated for a long long time.
And yeah, it's a big resolution but that's mostly so I can make it an already quite detailed world map. Could easily halve it in size without giving that up, but I like big maps. Here's the map with the other continent on it, and the water coloured.
