Brave New World

In this column I discuss world building for roleplaying games, mostly D&D 3.5. Not a commercial world, but one I use when I'm running a game. I welcome comments, suggestions, and stories about the worlds created by other GMs.

I'm starting a new world with this column. If you want to know what happened to Darkness Falls, read the next paragraph. Otherwise, you can skip it and go to the next one that talks about the World of Krarvell.

I wrapped up Darkness Falls in May. The PCs defeated the Lord of Blades and had already stopped Tiamat's plot. I learned a lot from that campaign but I was ready to stop. Too many extra rules (psionics, incarnum) and difficult to grasp kingdoms and situations.

Before starting the World of Krarvell, I thought long and hard about what had worked and not worked in previous D&D campaigns. I also created a simple, short list of what I was looking for in my world building and campaign. These four goals are:

1. Have fun.
2. Enjoy great adventures.
3. Create a kick-ass world.
4. Get to Epic levels.

Pretty much in that order. The social aspect of getting together trumps the rest for instance. I call my goal list the Zero Rule of Dungeoncraft: Don't forget the goals you set for your campaign.

Next, I thought about everything that hadn't worked in previous campaigns.

Here's another list:

1. Changing the sacred cows.
2. Changing the core rules.
3. Making overly complicated worlds.
4. Adding in complicated rule systems (psionics, incarnum, Tome of Magic, Book of Nine Swords, etc.).

Sacred cows include things like drow are evil and live underground. Red dragons are evil and sit on treasure. Eberron changed the sacred cows and it didn't work well for some of my players. Ditto with changing rules or requiring a player to read ten pages of text to play the game. Add huge, complicated new rule systems turn me from a DM into a rules lawyer. Not my thing.

Finally, I went back to the Dungeoncraft articles of old from my trusty subscription to Dragon Magazine. I started with the basics. What would my hook be?

Dragons

Keeping the foundation of the core rules, I decided my hook would be dragons. Dragons once ruled the world and had kingdoms, but now the other races rule things. The how and why the dragons lost power are secrets in the world that the PCs can uncover.

Serendipitously, Wizards is putting out Dragon Magic, a hardcover rulebook covering this very topic. I must add it to my hoard. Also, Big Red, the colossal red dragon mini will be winging his way toward me soon. He will replace that frozen turkey I planned on using.

Other than the dragon theme, I'm sticking with the established roleplaying background assumed by the core rules, including the gods. Players won't need anything but the Player's Handbook 3.5 if they don't want other books.

So Why Play in the World of Krarvell

So why make my own world? Why not use Greyhawk?

Two good questions. And I have one good answer. Secrets.

Dungeoncraft always encouraged adding secrets to the campaign. Unraveling these secrets is a major part of the enjoyment of the game for players.

And if I make my own world, I get to create my own secrets.

If my players want to learn my secrets, they can't buy my world (although now that I think about it I would sell it to them if they really wanted it). And I'm not unveiling secrets here until they learn them first, so they have to play if they want to uncover the secrets of Krarvell.

Where to Start?

As Dungeoncraft suggested, I started with a home base. I created a wandering tribal camp called Caravan. I also created the lands surrounding it.

After writing up the basics, I created a cheat sheet for my players to use. I've included the sheet below. I did change a couple of the core rules, but only enough to fix a few things I really had a problem with.

The Player's Cheat Sheet: Roleplaying

Campaign Concept

Dragons and draconic monsters dominate the world of Krarvell. Many noble families have draconic or half-dragon sons and daughters. Dire animals and dinosaurs are common, all being prey for the dragons. Krarvell is a slightly warmer world with rich forests and plains.

Although dragons are common, they prefer gathering treasure and eating. Man and other humanoid races, not dragons, control the major kingdoms. The basic defaults and roleplaying background found in the core rulebooks are built right into the setting.

Dragonblood creatures are a major feature in the world. The old dragon gods (Races of the Dragon) including Bahamut are worshipped and respected and others like Tiamat are feared. Dragon shamans (Player's Handbook II) are common. Dragonblood, draconic creatures, and spellscales (Races of the Dragon) are common. Most sorcerers are descended from dragons and may have draconic feats (Races of the Dragon).

Caravan, Traveling Hamlet of

Your PCs are subjects of King Deraks and the Kingdom of Naramis. You live with the Cartographer's Caravan, eclectic explorers and adventurers who travel the lands mapping, learning about cultures, and forging bonds between various settlements and races. They travel in wagons, on horseback, or other fast means of travel. The leader carries a Daern's instant fortress that serves as a central library and stronghold.

The current leader is Mathias, a male human dragon shaman and expert. He concentrates his study on geography and history. An elected seven-member Council of Caravan aids him.

Caravan is currently encamped on the Dragon Plains just west of Naramis in the spellscale kingdom of Draconia. They have been exploring the Anvil, a collection of barren hills and valleys infested with orcs and ogres and worse, for years.

The Anvil

The Anvil is home to dangerous and violent orc and ogre tribes. The spellscales have never driven them out and the terrain is terrible. Dungeons built during the Age of Dragons and lost in the Dragonfall Wars can be found here. The best known is the Whelming, found under the ruins of a former spellscale village.

Black Forest

Elves once lived there, but are now gone. Some legends say wild, barbaric elves live deep in the wood. Another legend states a green dragon lairs there. Neither dragon nor elf has been seen in decades by anyone living, however.

Spiders are common in the Black Forest and something large and dangerous hunts animals and men who venture beneath the wood's leaves. Ancient dungeons from the Age of Dragons can be found here. Stonewood is a known kobold lair built beneath trees and brush petrified during one of the Dragonfall Wars.

Dragon Plains

These plains surround Caravan. Tunnels riddle the earth in many spots and goblins and worse monsters use them as lairs.

Gennal River

Halfling riverboats ply this river. A terrible eyestealer monster dwells in the Gennal River on the Draconian side. Naramis can't send troops after it and the spellscales can't be bothered. The halflings bribe it to secure safe passage south to Yrevoth and Anbegriffon.

Yrevoth, Small Town

A spellscale town of Yrevoth on the Gennal River to the south. It lies on the Draconian side of the river and is the last stop before Anbegriffon, the great city capitol of Naramis.

In spring and summer the spellscales are friendly and sociable. Magic items are made here and ancient lore is carefully kept. During autumn and winter, however, they become insular, prone to violence, and paranoid. Visitors usually stay away during those seasons.

A cunning and dangerous master thief smuggles terrible things and creatures across the border and into Naramis. Rumors place his hideout in the Foreign Quarter (read slums or sewers) of the spellscale town.

Races and Classes

Dwarves. Most dwarves hail from the Asgrim Mountains north of Naramis. Their clans fight orcs, frost giants, and white dragons.

Gnomes. Gnomes typically come from the Copper Hills that are part of Naramis.

Elves and Half-Elves. Most elves hail from the Charivar Woods, which is surrounded by the Asgrim Mountains. They practice powerful magic and war with the orcs in the foothills. Half-elves may live with elves or in Naramis with men.

Halflings. Halflings wander throughout the plains of Naramis and boat on the Gennal River.

Half-Orcs and Man. Civilized men hail from Naramis itself. Tribal humans and half-orcs live in the foothills of the Asgrim mountains. Others hail from the hot deserts or jungles to the south across the Circe Sea. Half-orcs are also found in the Anvil.

Spellscales and Other Dragonblood Races. Most spellscales hail from the ancient kingdom of Draconia. Over two thousand years old, the kingdom is in a twilight phase but is still powerful in magic. They boast of the Underwater Pyramids of Lake Charn, one of the seven wonders of the world. Draconic creatures can be found anywhere and dragonborn are created in game not at the start.

Bards, Monks, and Rogues. Bards and rogues can be found anywhere. Monks hail from far off lands.

Clerics. Human clerics follow Heironeous, Pelor, or Kord. Any cleric may follow Bahamut. Other races usually revere their racial deity from the PHB.

Dragon Shamans. Dragon shamans come from all races. In the Dragon Plains area most dragon shamans choose bronze or green dragons as a base for their powers.

Barbarians, Druids, and Rangers. Druid and rangers usually replace gaining an animal follower, instead getting another class feature from the PHB II. Most druids have a different power than wildshaping because of this. Druids normally don't take spontaneous casting of summon spells and switch that power out as well. Barbarians are normally half-orc or human.

Duskblades. Gnomes and elves are commonly duskblades. Many gnome duskblades fight with the gnome hooked hammer.

Fighters, Knights, and Paladins. Most knights and paladins hail from Naramis and many are half-elves, half-orcs, or humans. Fighters learn their trade as soldiers, mercenaries, marines, or militia. Paladins don't normally have a favored mount, taking the PHB II class feature instead.

Sorcerers and Wizards. As already mentioned, many sorcerers have draconic feats. Most casters don't have familiars, instead taking the class feature substitutions in the PHB II. Even generalist wizards may choose a favored school and take one of the immediate class features.

The Player's Cheat Sheet: Rules

Seven Rule Changes to the Player's Handbook

1. See the DM to determine ability scores. Powerful iconic forces influence new PCs.
2. Hit points are maximum at odd levels and half of maximum at even levels.
3. Turn Undead becomes Destroy Undead (Complete Divine).
4. Each class 50% more skill points per level (2 becomes 3, 4 becomes 6 etc.).
5. Gods clerics can follow include Bahamut (see below), Heironeous, Kord, or Pelor. See the DM for specific racial deities if needed.
6. Multiclassing and taking a prestige class require in game events. Clear with the DM first before planning out these choices.
7. Clear polymorph spells with the DM before choosing them.

Rule Additions

In addition to the rules in the Player's Handbook, a few other rules are standard in the World of Krarvell and add to the draconic flavor:

1. The races of dragonborn and spellscales (Races of the Dragon).
2. The draconic template can be added to a race (Races of the Dragon).
3. The base class of dragon shaman (Player's Handbook II).
4. Bahamut (Races of the Dragon) can be chosen as a god.
5. Many sorcerers have draconic feats (Races of the Dragon).

In addition, some additional rules from the Player's Handbook II are standard

• The base classes of duskblade and knight.
• Alternate class abilities may be chosen.
• General, divine, and metamagic feats.
• Spells.

Rule Options

Check with the DM before using a race, class, feat, or equipment or following a deity from any of the following books if not listed above. Spells from these books other than the PHB II must be found in game and cannot be chosen at character creation or while leveling.

• Arms and Equipment Guide.
• Book of Exalted Deeds.
• Complete Adventurer, Complete Arcane, Complete Divine, and Complete Warrior.
• Draconomicon.
• Epic Level Handbook (updated to 3.5).
• Miniatures Handbook.
• Player's Handbook II.
• Races of Destiny, Races of the Dragon, Races of Stone, and Races of the Wild.
• Stronghold Builder's Guidebook.

I'll introduce the player characters, the method of generating ability scores, and recap their first adventures. I'll also include several of the NPCs they encounter who make the world of Krarvell come alive. I'll also document the work I've begun on the next area that the PCs are likely to explore and post some of it here.

Big Red is CR 26 so I must get the PCs to Epic levels,

Charli