Brave New World

I had already written about four or five different versions of this column, as I struggled with the direction of the campaign. I even considered taking a break from playing D&D and playing Exalted or D20 Past.

However, I stuck out the campaign my group had decided on. The TPK came about for a variety of reasons, none of which I think truly pertain to this column. I’ll answer any questions anyone has, however. Since the world I was working on died with the PCs, I had a new crisis to deal with.

What’s next?

Options

I looked at Exalted, D20 Past Age of Adventure, the region around Sasserine from Dragon Magazine, Gazetteer of the Known Realms, Secrets of Sarlona, and several other campaign options. I had a lot of ideas, but not a clear direction. The Secrets of Sarlona helped me focus.

I have always liked the psionic races, especially the xeph (a much better rogue race than the halfing). I also like shifters (descendents of lycanthropes and humans detailed in Eberron) and I have a player who likes half-giants.

Sarlona has them all. The book is an interesting read and gave me a lot of ideas.

As an aside, I want to mention that Wizards really isn’t that great at creating setting books for DMs. While Secrets of Sarlona is a great read it is missing critically important pieces for a DM like useful and detailed maps, fine details, and campaign ideas. The huge, broad ideas are there, but unlike a Dragon or Dungeon short campaign model, Sarlona mostly avoids the fine points.

In Wizard's defense, Sarlona is a whole continent. How detailed can you get at that level? But I look at Goodman Games' Gazetteer of the Known Realms and I see the differences.

Sarlona did help me decide on what to do next however.

Us Versus Them

The zern from Monster Manual IV are truly creepy villains that experiment on other life forms and generally make life hell for other people. I think that a world in which the zern rule a vast empire and humanity has fragmented into small tribes and clans (like in Sarlona) is very appealing. Well, not appealing really but definitely interesting. And creepy.

The choice for the PCs is clear. They can simply allow the status quo to continue and adventure just for gold and levels. Or, they can risk the wrath of the zern and try to reclaim humanity’s and her allies’ lost glory.

Right away, I’m giving the players the option to get away from the loot and level system of D&D or to simply embrace it. I want to give them the choices and then develop things in the direction they want to go.

Races and Classes

In addition to humans, I want to use some of the psionic races but not psionic powers. My solution is to simply say that psionics are powerful feats, driven by race or wild talent. That’s all, just one more edge in the fight against the zern.

The half-giants and half-ogres (presented in Sarlona) fled to the human empire centuries ago, fleeing some disaster in their homeland. While some giants came as raiders and bandits, others joined the empire and became citizens. When the zern struck down the human empire, they hurt the half-giants as well.

I also wanted a Jedi or gunslinger-like class as an option. I considered the knight or the soulborn but neither class would appeal to my players.

The warblade, however, from the Tome of Battle, would work well. Again, none of my players may choose to take the class, but the option is out there, beckoning would be heroes to take up the mantle of hero and bring the fight to the zern.

I plan on some changes to the arcane classes, but I haven’t decided exactly on what those changes will be. I’ll get back to that idea.

Several of my players like druids and shamanism, so I know I need to do something special with that class as well. Again, as an option, many druids find the zern the worst affront against nature ever found and their meddling with the natural order an abomination. Special feats to combat aberrations will be made available to the druids.

The shifters will be part of this druidic crusade along with centaurs (a race one of my players has considered playing before). Of course both races are the results of zern crossbreeding experiments (yuck) that are now races in their own right. Even though things turned out well for both races eventually, the shifters and centaurs still resent their creators and their meddling.

World Building

One of my players likes to map and frankly I like that idea as well. I’m going to draw up a world map complete with hexes. The PCs will wander from hex to hex, literally drawing in the details of the world as they go.

I plan to throw in settlements at which the PCs can trade, but that are also filled with intrigue. Zern spies, zealous rebels, passionate warblades and more can all provide adventure options for the PCs.

Stronghold building will also be an option for the PCs. Of course, taking on a leadership role like that exposes the characters to closer scrutiny by the zern.

Big Secret

So why haven’t the zern finished off the humans? Are they keeping them at the tribal level for a reason? What do the mighty zern fear might be hiding somewhere in the human’s lands?

I’ll have to think about that one! The nine swords may be part of what the zern fear. Hmm….

Next Month

I’m just getting started with this world. I’ve got a starting location to build, an adventure to write, rules to decide on, and some map making to finish. I can hardly wait to get started.

Charlie