Valderia Ho! - Myrmos

Throughout the Valderian Empire there is a great diversity of soldiers and warriors ranging from simple militia and professional soldiers, but few evoke the cold, brutal spirit of war as the Myrmo. These professional soldiers make a living for themselves as heavy fighting line breakers, the sort of fighter that brings fear to their enemies.

Wrapped in thick plated armor and wielding mighty weapons or fighting with two weapons at once, the Myrmo are at home wading through the carnage of battle as they free once soul after the next from the shackles of their flesh. These mythic warriors have a reputation for being un-killable, shielded from death by their legendary armor and even said to lack compassion or even any soul at all. The mythology surrounding the Myrmo is enhanced by the lengths to which individual Myrmo go to build their image and reputation.

Myrmo helmets and armor often make a point to remove all humanity from their visage. Empty sockets, featureless face shields, monstrous visages and even entirely themed suits of armor make these very flesh and blood combatants seem to be otherworldly and inhuman. One popular trend, among the seafaring people of the Valderia, is to adopt maritime themes in armor decorations. Fish, sea shells, sea monsters and other beings of the see are often emblazoned on these Myrmo, only adding to their fearful appearance. 

Valderian lords often boast and draw status from how many Myrmo they employ, taking the killer reputations of their hired brutes as their own.  A house with many Myrmo in its employ is a force to be reckoned with and sends a message to those who would oppose it that to do so militarily would be a costly endeavor. 

Design Notes: The concept of the Myrmo was not built into the story of Valderia from the beginning. Rather, it developed from the design sketches of trying to come up with fantastic armor that looked to be drawn from a combination of Earth's Renaissance period and other terrestrial armors from other parts of history. As I conceptualized heavily armored warriors from the Empire, themes and ideas formed until i had this odd blend of Roman gladiator and armored knight. 

Valderia Ho! - Thinking More on Fantasy Armor

For the Valderia project, the continent of Moran is pretty well fleshed out both in style and content. The central Empire of the setting, Valderia, is decidedly inspired by Renaissance Europe with elements of Spanish, Italian and even a little Swiss and French influence in there in terms of clothing style and arms and armor. It's northern neighboring "cold war" enemy, The Lyndermarke, are not quite as well developed stylistically.

My original thought for the Lyndermarkes were a stalwart, stern race of northmen, but not Vikings. I wanted them to wear plated armor, wield long swords and heavy axes into battle. I wanted them to feel a bit less refined than the dueling, militaristic Valderians and provide a cultural counterpoint that seemed a bit more early Renaissance. I once described them as...

They are broad men, standing a head taller than those of the seven realms of Valderia. They have fair skin, wear the skins of beasts over their plated mail. Long stout blades are their weapon of choice and thick-hafted spears.

This evolved into a concept of armored coats being worn over their legs rather than fitted mail under which they would wear warm breaches to stave off the cold of their home. Drawing on their tradition of proving their warrior prowess by hunting monsters and great beasts, I thought horns and antler adornments might also fit well with the concept. Two-handed swords and solidly made bardich type axes seemed appropriate for their heavy warriors. I also decided to go with crossbowmen and half-armored spear men for their medium troops. The illustrations below show some of the brainstorming I have been doing.

Insignia for 15mm Scifi Factions

A while back I had written a couple of posts on a proposed faction for my 15mm gaming universe.  This was the Galactic Trade Authority or GTA. Not being a master of graphics, even simple stuff, I threw together a very basic insignia for them which is shown below. 

A buddy of mine from the Clear Horizon blog started doing insignia for various scifi gamers and I asked him to do a few for me. The first he did was a revision of the GTA symbol with a more alien look to it. The end result makes for a much more difficult to paint symbol, but a simplified version can be used on troopers with the complex version used on flags.

         

I also had him do some for my mercenary unit the Manheim Friekompanie. This unit symbol is decidedly Prussian as the unit's commander claim German ancestry (as if it matters far in the future). I had him do a full and simplified version.

The last of them I had him do was a symbol for a Japanese mega corporation that I had created back in my cyberpunk days.

       

Valderia Ho! - Character Background Packages

While going through some files, I found that I had never posted the finished work that I had done for the various cultural backgrounds that I had intended to use in deference to character races in the mostly human Valderian campaign setting. Each of these represents a combination of abilities and skills that are most befitting the folk of the various regions of the Valderian Empire - 

Valderian Character Background Packages 

Take a look and tell me what you think.

-Eli

Building a Setting - GTA Tracker Teams

Though the majority of the Galactic Trade Authority activities are conducted within the confines of specific star systems, there is an arm of the GTA that is tasked with extending its authority on an interstellar level.

When a violator of GTA laws passes beyond the reach of local system authorities, the authority activates a Tracker Team. These specialist teams are made up of hand-picked, specially trained Nalween and occasionally other species. They operate with the best equipment that the Nalween fortunes and influence can attain, having their own ships, their own facilities and a network of contacts and support that extends throughout known space. Tracker teams have absolute authority over all other GTA facilities, personnel and material in any system. 

These teams will follow violators onto worlds outside GTA or even Galactic Council jurisdiction. Capture for trial and justice is the highest order of business and Tracker Team members will go to any length, short of direct violation of galactic law, to bring in their marks. Tracker Teams do not collect bounties. They do not take bribes. They do not compromise, negotiate, or otherwise bend in the course of their duties.

The reputation of the GTA Trackers, as their individual members are known, is such that many perpetrators will willingly turn themselves in once confronted by a team. In other cases, they will flee as long as they can until they can either slip their pursuers, convince them of their own demise or in some cases turn themselves over to some other authority, knowing that the GTA must concede authority to local and regional authorities when there is conflict. In particularly sensitive cases, the GTA may petition to have offenders remanded to their own custody, but this is usually only invoked when the offenses span multiple systems or there is reason to question the ethics of the authority being petitioned.

"N" is for...

Nega Zone

One of my favorite genres is Pulp Science Fiction. As amazing as fantasy is to game in, so is this type of science  fiction fun. Really they are almost the same thing with their exotic locations, strange powers, colorful races and fantastic adventures lurking around every corner.

For my own gaming in this setting I created a setting called the Nega Zone. I'm sure it's not an original name but it certainly sets the tone nicely. The Nega Zone is a place where the usual laws that govern the universe are not in play. This is a place where rocket packs are real and amazonian beauties can survive in harsh environments in just a foil bikini and a bubble helmet. Rockets replace starships and gravitic impeller drives replace wings and propellers. Laser swords and energy whips are practical here and your best friend might just be a huge bipedal sheep dog.

Though the setting is not fully developed, I would love to run both miniatures games and role-playing games in it. It's an excuse to use all sorts of wild ideas and to buy small numbers of miniatures of all kinds. It also allows me to do quite a bit of conversion and modelling work if I get that far. I have a few miniatures that would make suitable denizens such as some of Reaper Miniatures' reptilian faction for their Warlord game. I also have some Warhammer Fantasy plastic orcs that i converted to some sort of strange beastmen (below).



Future additions will include all sorts of aliens and heroes. I'd also like to accumulate some suitable freaky monsters and some robots to fill out the crew. Unless i do some sort of insanely big tabletop game i don't foresee the need for many of any given faction.

Building a Setting - The Galactic Trade Authority

For a while now, I have been trying to come up with a good setting in which I can use all the different 15mm scifi miniatures I've accumulated. I've got a million different humans and aliens in various numbers and state of combat readiness. I'd like to come up with a use for them all but some of them are either too few or duplicates on a theme that I really cannot find a unique place for.

To make use of some of these figures, I have created an organization that can make use of these odds and ends and still have them have an overall effect on the setting. Enter, the Galactic Trade Authority (GTA).

The GTA is an organization created originally by the Nalween Mercantile Houses as a way to protect their own warehouses and later those of other species (for a price). Functioning primarily as a for hire organization but with a mind on maintaining and promoting free trade throughout the galaxy, the Nalween offered armed protection, escort, interdiction and recovery services as well as general security. As time passed and more and more species came to trust the implacable Nalween, the Galactic Council took notice.

After several sessions, investigatory committees and more than a few long nights of deliberation, the council came to the conclusion that the Nalween's private ventures be made official and their methods and tactics expanded on a galactic level. This organization would become the Galactic Trade Authority with the Nalween placed at it's head and given and official office. However, there were to be a few provisions made to this new arrangement.

In an effort to assuage any fears of monopoly or some sort of fascist invasion, the council decided that each species would be allowed the option to provide its own GTA agents on their own worlds. Also, worlds officially shared by multiple species would be allowed the same concession. Worlds with no official ownership or who were held by a species incapable of maintaining their own GTA office could have one designated by the GTA or have another species' GTA provide for them. GTA operations would be maintained by their parent species, armed and equipped from their own resources, all confirmed, scrutinized and certified by the Nalween and their agents.

Under this new measure, GTA operatives would very greatly in equipment but would generally be supporting their own people. All would wear the orange and white of the original Nalween GTA so as to be instantly recognizable. All GTA would operate only on their respective worlds or vessels registered to worlds they policed and technically only within designated trade zones surrounding civilian space port facilities. Normal planetary defense and police duties would continue as they always had as would off-planet operations.

What Miniatures to Use?
For my first few GTA teams, I have picked two groups from my miniatures collection. For my human GTA, I decided to use my Control Battalion minis from Khurasan Miniatures and for an alien unit of GTA, I decided to go with the Ygs from Critical Mass Games. Both have a look, that to me fits nicely with my idea for the GTA and both have armor that will allow me to come up with a nice orange and white color combo.

-Eli

Valderia Ho! - Building a Humanocentric Fantasy Setting

While Moran exists in a pretty typical fantasy world with all the trappings, Valderia itself is a place that is very humanocentric. The empire was forged by humans who settled on the content from across the seas and who carved out first a niche and then a domain for themselves over thousands of years. To this end, both the Valderian and Lynderman humans of the continent of Moran see their hard-earned lands as theirs and give little consideration to other species who would take it.

Moran has even greater reason for it's very human habitation than most of the campaign world as its earlier elven inhabitants abandoned it unknown eons ago and the dwarves seem content to remain nestled in the under realms. Sure, orcs, bugbears, goblins and hobs all litter the landscape, but you will rarely find pointed ears or a beard among the human populations and there is not a fuzzy foot to be found anywhere. But where does this leave players?

Sure part of the appeal of playing in a fantasy setting is the unique opportunity to play something other than man, so when most of the options are removed, what is left. the answer in the Valderian campaign is greater detail of human culture and an accentuation of stereotype and national flare. This is to say that a human from he continent of Moran is more defined by where he is from than what he is. While Valderians are arrogant blue blooded and aloof, Caravossans are boisterous, rowdy and tough. the rustic folk of Tortionne are a stark contrast to the bravos of Capron.

In the Valderian campaign, human region will be given attribute modifiers, bonus languages, and skills as well as possible special abilities based on its national character, effectively making each a distinct "race" in the setting. These, along with the orcs (discussed another time), allow for a mostly human setting with enough non-human spice to punctuate that thematic point nicely.

Here is what I have so far. This is by no means final, but shows you the direction I'm headed.

Valderia

Reputation: Nobles

+1 INT, +2 CHA, -1 STR, -1 CON, -1 WIS

Automatic Languages: Valderian, Spesian

Bonus Languages: Lynderthal, Dwarvish, Orc, Hobgoblin, Cantolli, Laventine, Elvish, Trade Tongue

Bonus Skills: diplomacy, horsemanship

Tortionne

Reputation: Rubes

+1 STR, +1 CON, -1 INT, -1 DEX

Automatic Languages: Spesian

Bonus Languages: Valderian, Orc, Laventine

Capron

Reputation: Bravos

+1 STR, +2 DEX, -2 WIS, -1 INT

Automatic Languages:  Spesian

Bonus Languages: Valderian, Laventine

Bonus Skills: weapon finesse, con

Ilsetres

Reputation: Artistes

+1 DEX, +2 CHA, -1 STR, -1 CON, -1 WIS

Automatic Languages: Laventine

Bonus Languages: Valderian, Spesian, Cantolli, Trade Tongue

Bonus Skills: weapon finesse, etiquette

Carvossa

Reputation: Pirates

+2 DEX, +2 CON, -2 WIS, -2 CHA

Automatic Languages: Spesian

Bonus Languages: Laventine, Trade Tongue, Sea Cant

Bonus Skills: wailing, navigation

Vospesia

+1 CHA, +2 WIS, -2 STR, -1 DEX

Reputation: Traders

Automatic Languages: Spesian, Trade Tongue

Bonus Languages: Cantolli, Valderian, Laventine, Lynderthal

Bonus Skills: negotiate, appraise

Lotressa

Reputation: Fighters

+2 STR, +1 CON, +1 DEX -2 INT, -1 CHA, -1 WIS

Automatic Languages: Cantolli

Bonus Languages: Spesian, Lynderthal

Valderia Ho! - Getting to Know Moran Part 3

Following up on the home life of the Valderian Empire, I'd like to now shed some light on the predominant religion of the empire. Once again, these beliefs and customs do not extend into The Lyndermarkes nor due they comprise the entirety of all beliefs and practices throughout the eastern parts of Moran. There are certainly numerous cults and minor faiths found here and there, especially in The Baronies which were not always part of the Valderian Empire.

The Divinities

The human lands of continent of Moran is dominated by two prevailing religions, that of the baronies and that of the markes. The faiths are The Valderian faith, which is based around a seemingly endless collection of divinities and the religion of The Lyndermarkes. 

The religion of the realm has no name of its own and is simply known as the Valderian faith. It includes a dozen or so central deities and countless minor demigods referred to as divinities. Most holy men of this religion do not dedicate themselves to a particular god or goddess but instead preach the religion as a whole, observing holidays and rituals as befits the time of year or occasion.

Tolerance is not a strong point of the Valderian way and clerics of this faith are reluctant to give any consideration to the beliefs of others. This is not to say that Valderian clerics are enemies of other faiths or that they have any ill will toward other faiths just that they have no place in their cosmology for others. It has been said that the Valderian way reflects the complicated society in which the people live in. The Valderian faith is presided over by a maternal sea goddess, Mystrael, who rules the various facets of the Valderian world through the divinities, who represent the various key elements of the world. Divinities such as Ephimae, goddess of winds are prayed to for calm sailing weather while others like Demesna are asked for a rich harvest. Beneath such deities are countless minor deities of place, function and occasion. These saints are associated with nearly every element of day to day life and are called on for everything from good marks in school to finding the right boy to take to the country dance.

Most houses have private altars to their favorite or patron demigod saints as well as numerous icons for the more prominent deities of the faith. Children are blessed before these altars. Marriages and funerals are conducted in temples with full ceremony and it is not considered proper to conduct these events without the proper facilities and rituals performed by the proper holy men. Even in the rural areas there are temples devoted to the faith at which all important observances are carried out.

Those who cross the Valderian way are frowned on and often outcast from their families and polite society but that is usually the extent of any punishment meted out by the clerics of the faith. Severe transgressions against the faith are dealt with by the church itself and punishments, in these instances can range from expulsion from the realm, imprisonment, or even death. Though it is believed that they will do so, clerics of the Valderian way do not often wait for their gods to punish transgressors.

The relationship between the Valderian faith and the states of the realm is a tenuous one. Few princes and noble and not even The King will outright defy the church but few of them truly feel they are beholden to it either. Nobles and merchants often do their expected duties in the eyes of the church while carrying on a secular existence that is more detached from the teaching and beliefs of their faith. They are, however, careful to keep any inappropriate behaviors or actions either where they can be excused or where the church cannot prove anything with any surety.

The main interaction between the clerics and nobility of Valderia is in the sanctifying of their ranks and any important proclamations, dedications, or other pronouncements. Without the official recognition of the clerics of Valderia, no noble can be certain that the common folk will accept such rulings. In many cases such recognitions of state affairs are assured by generous donations to the local temples or by the promise of favors to clerics or their causes.

The center for Valderian religion is in the capital city of Daletres where the original shrine to Mystrael can still be found at the pinnacle of the modern altar in the Grand Temple of Mystrael. All cities in the baronies have a primary temple dedicated to Mystrael. These are either stand alone or part of a greater temple complex such as in Daletres where the temple complex is nearly its own township. Whether a part of a complex or also stand alone, there will then be numerous temples to other divinities with those most important to the city or barony being more grand than the others.

Off the coast of Lotressa there is a chain of islands known as the Entrails of Parassadore. These islands have been sacred ever since High Diviner Arnesto Ilcaba had a vision of The Great Divinity of The Sea, Parassadore. Since then the islands have been considered clerical lands and comprise a vast expanse of gardens, orchards and monasteries.  Here the Sea Diviners have amassed the wealth of Valderian knowledge and insights into huge libraries. It is also here that the empire’s most advanced and well-crafted ships are built. The islands are also home to a navigator’s college where those willing to pay for the education can learn all the greatest secrets of sea navigation. Parassadorian are much sought after far and wide, even in Lyndermarkes.

Valderia Ho! - Getting to Know Moran Part 2

Today I'd like to share some general information on the humans of the Valderian Empire. 

For the most part, the Kingdom of Valderia and the Seven Baronies all share a common culture, with the exception of the Barony of Karrmarke in the north which is culturally more like the Lyndermarkes. Each barony has it's own local character and customs, but the predominant culture reflect those norms exported from Valderia over the centuries of conquest and consolidation that have brought them all together. The Lynderrmarkes have their own distinct culture.

We will begin with home life and the character of the people of Valderia.

Home Life

Valderians are known for their love of life and their origin as merchants and traders has left them for a taste for the finer things. Cities and towns in Valderia are famous for their numerous open-air eateries, balconies and enclosed patios. Nearly every family home is built around a center garden patio where most meals and social gatherings are conducted. More well-to-do Valderians may have several of these, themed in different ways even having secreted patios accessible by hidden doors and passages. Such patios are known as “lover’s gardens” and are often used to carry on affairs that the rest of the family or community should not be privy to.

Household life in Valderia is known for its verve and the peoples’ zest for life does not stop at the portal to their homes. Patriarchal and fraternal in nature with fathers, brothers, uncles and sons taking up the pinnacle positions in the household. Despite this, it is wrong to assume that the women of Valderia are without power. No man alive in Valderia willingly invites the vengeance of an angry woman. In fact, Valderian women are known for their long-memories for transgressions against them and the ends to which they will go to meet out their revenge. But for the most part families of this land live harmoniously if not a bit raucous.

The average Valderian family consists of a mother and father and their 3-4 children. If alive, the parents of the father will live with him as will his unmarried sisters. It is not uncommon for a father’s bachelor brothers to live under his roof, but this is only until they can set out on their own, something that is greatly encouraged. Wealthier families tend to have fewer children, having learned long ago that too many heirs can make for a short life of any nobleman or merchant. Servants are employed by most upper class households with servants being paid a monthly wage or indentured for a predetermined period, often as recompense for some debt owed by themselves or their family. A typical household with servants will have two to three servants for every adult member of the household and an additional servant for every child in the house.

Outside the cities of this land, the rural people of Valderia live in a fashion similar to their urban brethren. Farmsteads are arranged around an open, cobbled courtyard, usually with a decorative but none-too-functional gate which is more often used as a trellis for grapes or berries. Servants are not employed by rural families as they often have extended families that are more than capable of fulfilling the needs of any individual household. Once again, fathers and their wives live under the same roof as their closest relations. Rural Valderians often have anywhere from 4-10 children per couple. One difference, in rural areas, is the tendency for married siblings and children to remain in or close to their family homes. It is not uncommon to add new buildings or rooms to existing enclaves when a brother or sister is married or has children. This ensures that the family stays close and maximizes the available labor of the family as a whole.

Villages in the outlying areas are collections of craftsmen and small mercantile families who provide services to their rural farming neighbors. These villages are also focal points for social gatherings among the rural folk as well as the locations for public markets. Public postings and any national business are also conducted in these villages and public posting boards display any communications from the state or local authorities. Villages do not maintain militias but all have some form of alarm system that can quickly communicate emergencies across a large area. Every farm and villa is expected to lend a hand to the common good when these alarms go off.

Valderia Ho! - Getting to Know Moran

In the last post regarding my possible Valderian campaig, I showed off the map (above) and provided a few general notes on the continent. I'd like to now start a small mini-series within the main series filling in the specifics of the Valderian Empire as well as a bit of info on the continent of Moran.

Overview

The Empire of Valderia is an imperialistic nation that occupies the vast majority of the continent Moran on which it is found. Born from the wealthy merchant state of the same name, The Kingdom of Valderia now controls either directly, or through treaty, all of the neighboring human states. These states comprise the Seven Baronies, the three Markes of the Lyndemarke, as well as the settlement frontier of Westholde. Though not an official state, there is also a region of military holdings, mercenary camps and warlords known as The Marchlands.

All the people of the baronies, with the exception of those from Karmarke, share a common ethnic heritage though there are four distinct sub-groups: Valdar, Spesian, Laventine and Cantolli. These four “tribal” groups are distinguished by linguistic character and minor cultural differences determined by their region. Nearly all folk of the baronies speak their own regional dialect as well as that of neighboring regions. The Laventine people of the Barony of Isletres are the most distinct of the peoples, having a refined culture of grace and gentility that exceeds the pomp and courtly corpulence of Valderia. All nobles of the baronies speak Valdar as a requirement of courtly manner.

Westholde and The Marchlands are a hodgepodge of languages, dialects and jargon. The islands of Carascossa are technically part of the Barony of Carvossa and therefore Spesian even though their population is a rough mix of all peoples.

Lyndermanne or “Markers”, as they are often referred to with some disdain, are a distinct group of hearty men hailing from the north. They speak a different family of languages than those from the Baronies. Even the men of Karmarke still speak Lynderthal even though most of the nobility of that barony now speaks Cantolli and Valdar. It should be noted that Lynderthal varies little from group to group due to strict social and religious strictures on language and its use.

To the west of these lands is a region populated by various humanoid tribes, clans and even kingdoms. Orcs, bugbears, hobgoblins and goblins all have their regional territories though there are few formal borders or recognized boundaries other than traditional territorial considerations.

Hope you enjoyed this first peak at the makeup of the Valderian Empire and its neighbors.

Take care,

-Eli

Valderia Ho! - A Good Places To Start

The map below shows a brief and simple map of the continent of Moran where can be found the Valderian Empire, or Valderia as it's more commonly called, and it's immediate neighbors. This map really only exists for background purposes, providing a map of possible places from which the player's characters might hail from.

I assume that most of the players will be playing Valderian humans from either Valderia itself of one of the seven baronies that fill out the empire. Alternately, they might choose to be of The Lyndemarkes as a foreign fortune-seeker or perhaps one of the simpler folk of the Westholde seeking a fortune he did not find in that land of promise. I hope at least one of the players will decide to make an orc character.

Most orcs on Moran are found outside the empire. in Winterskarre, Blackholde, and in the uncivilized Westholde. They live as savage tribesmen and small nations of unified tribes and clans but there are still tens of thousands of them living within Valderian society. Most of the latter are the descendants of those clans and tribes that were conquered, destroyed or who capitulated to human expansion and consolidation.

There are also dwarves in Moran, but they are content to remain in their underground kingdoms for the most part and only really deal with the surface world for trade and occasionally politics. Still it is possible that a rare dwarf might set out for adventure alongside humans. Half-orcs do not exist. Neither orcs, nor humans will have them.

Moran has no native elves, halflings, or gnomes. These races do not even visit Moran in any measurable numbers as any of their population centers are far across the sea with much nearer trade ports available to them.

Hope you enjoyed this peak at the world from when the players shall come. I will share more of my plans in some future posts, including some information on the state of those usual of fantasy RPG suspects, the humanoids.

Take care,

-Eli

Age of Stone and Bone - Prehistoric Fantasy

For a long time now I have wanted to create a fantasy RPG campaign set in a still evolving fantasy world. In this world the familiar fantasy tropes would still be there but in a less refined, earlier interpretation placed along side familiar concepts from our own prehistoric world, much as most fantasy settings are set along familiar medieval/dark ages concepts. It would be a savage, primal world full of primitive monsters, some familiar, other unique to this evolving world.

One of the themes I wanted to play with was the mixing of earthly evolutionary concepts and fantastic elements. Just as the animals and beings of our world evolved from earlier creatures, so to have the creatures and being found in this setting. Different ages have come and gone, with the natural magical energies of the world altering the creatures beyond natural evolution. To this end, many of the more magical creatures began as relatively mundane creatures who were then fused with other creatures, given new abilities, or new forms.

Overall, I have many of the basic concepts worked out, though the specifics still need refining and systems developed. I've gone ahead and shared some of the concepts below -

MAGIC

Magic is an elemental force, just like earth, wind, fire, etc.. It flows and blows through the world. In some places it collects and pools or is locked into other elements. It changes those is stays in contact with for long periods of time and can transform the mundane into the magical.

In many respects the quest for magical energies and their mastery mirrors the real world "quest for fire" when our early ancestors sought to control what, to them, was a very magical and special force that is now taken for granted, much in the same way that magic is often taken for granted in fantasy settings.

Very few of the races of this world have learned how to manipulate magical energies in way that would seem familiar to a traditional fantasy world dweller. There are no spell books, scrolls or tomes. Most magic that is used comes in the form of talismans, magically imbued creature parts that have either been preserved or that retain their magical abilities for a limited time once removed from the parent creature.

DEITIES AND RELIGION

The Age of Stone and Bone is a world before gods and extra-planar beings meddling in the world. That is not to say it is without religion, but what there is takes the form of early forms of ancestral worship, totemism, animism, folk energies, or cults. All of these draw from a subconscious focus of the magical energies of the world, coalescing them into powerful foci.

Spirits of the land and of place may manifest through these powers, coming into being through the mingling of belief, magical and elemental energies. Belief in the power of one's great heroes may draw their spiritual energies into a form that can grant some manner of protection or blessing upon people. These same mingling energies might create a place where "things" happen - a healing grove, a cursed pool, etc..

In the more settled regions, where there are enough people believing the same thing, the world is seeing the beginnings of more conventional religion. These cults are bringing the first true gods into being or tapping into existing powers drawn into this world through sheer power of desire.

DRAGONS

Why do dragons get special mention? Well, that is because dragons are central to the history of this setting. Not only are they part of the historical background and plot of the world, they are also one of the greatest examples of the magical evolution of the world as well as one of the few species to master magic.

Just as in our world, dinosaurs once walked this world. Unlike our world, they did not disappear to such a degree. While most of them died out or were pushed to remote places in the world, some transformed into the great dragons, amassing profound power and skill with magic. At the high point of their evolution, dragons ruled over an age of reptiles where lizard men and other saurian species terrorized one another as well as the developing mammals.

It is the dragons that are responsible for the creation of the elves and dwarfs and it their absence that has allowed mankind to expand throughout the world.

A PRIMAL, SAVAGE WORLD

A general theme for this setting is that all things are somehow less refined and more savage and primal. Dire versions of animals are common and even monsters are somehow more "prehistoric' in their depiction. Their horns may be more massive. They may have tusks or horns they normally do not have. Coats are shaggier and bodies bulkier for the most part.

But the world is primal and savage in other ways. It is a cold world with little in the way to allow the races here a leg up. Agriculture is only possible in the warmest parts of the world with most vegetable food being taken from naturally occurring sources.

METAL

Essential to this world remaining stone age is a lack of suitable metal in the world. it is not without metal, but there is so little of it that creating weapons, armor and technology out of it is hard. Only this world's dwarfs have it in enough abundance to use it regularly (more on that later).

Metal will most often be encountered in charms, talismans and as part of those things that take special note in this world. Somebody with metal decorations is likely powerful or potent in some manner perhaps magically or politically.

STONE AGED MASTERY

Though this world is savage and primitive in many respects, it is also a fantasy world and as such there has been plenty of time for its inhabitants to develop and master their environments. The diversity in this world stretches across the spectrum from small bands of hunters and gatherers to massive stone age city states taking advantage of fortunate environments to build stable societies.

One of the best ways to envision this development is to take all stone-age technologies we know of and imagine what they could achieve given time. Massive stone cities built on the backs of men and beast. Other places might be sprawling adobe towns or even villages built from bone or wood. Taking advantage of their environments to aid in defending themselves might lead to exotic habitation on cliff sides and in the trees.

Weapons and protection will also benefit from this mastery. Wicker, wood, even bone can prove of value when your opponents are armed only with stone and bone weapons. I envision many of the fantasy standards done with these stone age technologies. Perhaps a suit of interlocking bone plates or stone halberds.

As you can see this is a world that cannot simply be cookie-cuttered into just any set of rules. There will need to be tweaks and adjustments made to get things to play the way I envision them working in the world. It seems to me that many of the class roles might need to be broadened or even done away with to allow for characters that are entertaining to play but still present themselves in a way consistent with the setting.


In a future blog post, I'll go over how I see the development of the intelligent races of this setting.

Hope you enjoyed a look at my idea for my Age of Stone and Bone campaign setting.

Take care,

-Eli

"Do You Speak Common?"Interpretting Common Language in RPGs

Just about every role-playing game has some form of common language. This is generally done for the convenience of the game and in many cases, such as D&D doesn't even veil it with any sort of thematic guise. But are common languages really a cheat? For me this is a yes and a no.

The real world is and has been full of them in the past and present. Known as pidgins or jargon, these languages usually take the form of simplified versions of language, often combining words from several distinct languages to form a medium by which people of different languages can communicate. North America alone was home to dozens of jargon. One of my favorite words, "skookum" comes from the local Chinook jargon.

Common tongues have not and do not necessarily have to be simplified languages. In many cases they are root languages or languages of status that are used by a culture at large to communicate across national boundaries in a way to bind people together or to lord over them. Latin is an example of such a language, having been used by the Romans to bind their empire together under one common cultural umbrella. No matter what province you were from, if you spoke Latin, you knew you were part of a greater empire and would likely find somebody you could talk to no matter where you went.

Today, we see the same thing happening with English and Spanish. Both languages have spread far and wide because of the early colonial efforts of their parent cultures. In more modern times they continue to be used as common tongue and even trade languages because so many people have bothered to or naturally speak them.

In an RPG setting where you usually have so many languages about it makes perfect sense, from a game design standpoint, to have some sort of common tongue. This can be making things too easy for your adventurers and the presence of a common tongue can very quickly invalidate the need for those languages in the first place, but a lot of the power of common tongues comes from how they are used or abused.

Common tongues do not have to be all encompassing. Just like the dozens of jargon and pidgins found in North American native culture, RPG commons can have a regional basis. A jargon in the west of  a campaign setting may not be used in the south or the highlands or the coastal regions, etc.. Travellers crossing between regions may find their common tongue of limited use or even useless.

Another way to handle common tongue is not to have a common tongue at all but to groups languages into linguistic families, much like we have in our own world. Individual nations or cultures may have their own specific dialects or distinct languages within these linguistic groups, but people of a common linguistic group may find some common ground for communication in the basic roots and common sounds and ideas within their particular group. To use the above example, the people of the west may all speak one form or another of a language even though there are at least five distinct nations there. Those along the coast speak another language distinct from the western people and the highlanders have their own strange language with a dozen dialects depending on what valley you hail from.

This can also be done with non-human languages. Tolkien had Black Speak, the language that all of the evil creatures of Mordor seemed to share. In my own games, I have the goblin tongue, which is a common name given to the language group that most humanoids speak. Different tribes and regional groups may speak variations, but they share the same root. Elves in my games are treated similarly with sylvan elves having a more rustic dialect than the high elves which is still removed from their original tongue spoken only by a very small group of elves living in the elven homeland.

Mechanically speaking, a GM may have to tweak the language system of whatever rules set he is using to allow for the increased variety in languages and players will have to work a little harder to keep track of their languages. The end result can be quite interesting though, as local color and dialectal differences may cause some trouble for the unsuspecting adventurer. A deal made by an orc of the Brackish Pool may not hold as much water when interpreted by his cousins of the Rabid Weasel clan.

Make sure you check your tense when conjugating your trollish verbs and don't forget that there is no gender tense in southern Drakkish like there is in the other Drakkish nation.

Take care,

-Eli

[Labyrinth Lord] Elwyren - PC Races II

Now that I have had some time to play with my new world of Elwyren, I have been able to define the specific changes to some of the ordinary races that usually haunt the classic fantasy worlds. Even though most of my new gaming group is new players or players coming back to the hobby after a long time away, I didn't think that changing up the races would be too hard on them. Besides the reskinning of the halfling, gnome and half-orc into new races, I modified humans, dwarves and elves to be a bit more unique in this setting.

Presented here are the descriptions of these races as they are in my game world, along with the specific game mechanics I have come up with for them. Some of this material is reposted from part one of my post on Elwyren races, but I've included here again to cut down on the need to flip back and forth between posts.

Human

The humans of Elwyren are the newest of the races, having only arrived in the world in the last few thousand years. The humans of this world all come from the same root culture, having divided into variations on the basic people depending on region. In most cases they can communicate on a common linguistic level even if they may not speak each other’s distinct dialect of their original language.

 

Humans have gained an innate magical sense when their ancestors pasted through the veil between worlds and entered Elwyren. This allows them to sense the presence of magic in an area, even if they cannot determine its exact location. With practice and experience they can refine this ability to allow them to determine the general and then later the precise location of magic.

Game Mechanics: Detect Magic 2 in 6. This ability allows them to automatically sense magic in an area but not it's specific location. It is an innate sense and will be triggered by the presence of magic items and spells or innately magical creatures within a 30' radius. The die roll is to allow them to pinpoint specific sources of magic or to filter out the magical energies of their own spells or magic items.

 

Elf

Elves have lived in the land of Elwyren almost as long as the beast folk and have developed a kinship with the natural forces of the land nearly as deep. The elves are a diverse people, having long adapted to a number of regions. Though they often have their own tribal or place names, they are often referred to by the type of terrain they dwell in – wood, desert, mountain, etc.

 

Elves have long memories and a sort of magical link to those who have preceded them. In fact, elves speak with their ancestors in a sort of memory recall that gives them a subconscious access to centuries of experience. Because of this elves often seem to have a supernatural sense of intuition as these ancient memories provide them with insight on current situations. This same long memory allows all elves to speak the same language, though local accents and minor dialects still exist.

Game Mechanics: In additional to their normal elfin abilities, the elves of Elwyren can draw upon the experience of their ancestors. This is done unconsciously and is an innate part of the elves' spiritual being. Once per encounter or event, the elf may choose to re-roll the results of a single die roll. This can be done for any roll whether or not the initial roll was a success but the elf must accept the second roll.

 

 

Dwarf

The dwarven people are a gregarious, but also stoic people with a strong sense of kinship and honor. They are robust, dwelling in areas strong in natural resources and are rather industrious beings. Valiant warriors with an indomitable will, dwarfs have long held a status as heroes of the land. Dwarves are very fond of heirlooms and traditions and it is not uncommon for a young or inexperienced dwarf to be found wielding a weapon which might seem, to others outside of dwarven society, beyond his status.

Game Mechanics: The starting primary weapon of a Elwyren dwarf adventurer is a magical weapon of  +1.

Pechi (Mouselings)

One of the beast folk races left in the world, the pechi appear to be anthropomorphized mice, standing anywhere from 2-3 feet tall. They are homey and shy, but friendly. Pechi are found throughout the land in small enclaves with a very tight community structure. They live in underground burrows often finished and outfitted inside as others might do with a surface dwelling.

Game Mechanics: Pechi are treated as halflings with the additional ability of a natural ability to climb and escape snares and holds. Pechi use their natural claws, ill-suited for combat, to aid in climbing and gain a +25% bonus instead of the normal halfling penalty. The mouselings also possess a 3 in 6 chance of being able to wiggle, squirm and disjoint their bodies out of any snare, gripping trap, hold or bindings.

 

Hurgeons (Hedgers)

Another of the beast folk races and the second most common after the Pechi, the hurgeons are a simple, reclusive folk who can be found in wild forests or even among the hedge rows of more civilized areas. They are robust, quick-thinking and hardy and very resistant to many forms of magic and poison. Unlike pechi who tend to freely mingle with other races, hurgeons do tend to keep to value their privacy, but will mingle when needed or when visitors call.

Game Mechanics: Herbalism - hurgeons are masters of herbal medicine, healing and apothecary arts. With this the hurgeon gains the ability to brew minor, non-magical mixtures, unguents, and ointments with a 25% chance of proficiency increasing by +5% per level of experience. These mixtures take a full hour to complete per dose and may have one of the following effects -

• heal 1d6-2 points of damage.
• neutralize poison
• sleep poison (for weapons)

Hafgir

Strangely similar to humans, but a race of their own, the hafgir are brawny, bristly beings standing from 6-8 ft tall with a very hard exterior. Their corded bodies ripple with raw physical power, their angular features making them look severe even though they may not be. Excessive body hair, wild head and facial hair, gives them a slightly bestial appearance, even though they are not in any way an animal hybrid. The hafgir are actually descended from an ancient race of giants. Hafgir tend to be slightly less intelligent and slower witted than other races.

Game Mechanics: Earth healing - the hafgir are able to draw on an ancient connection with their world and use it to heal their injuries. A hafgir, rooted in place with his bare feet on raw stone may heal 1d6+2 per level worth of hit points damage once per day.

 

 

Quick and Dirty City Gazeteer Maps

As I am going into my second week with a nagging cold, I haven't had much energy or focus to sculpt or paint, never mind a lack of stability due to being worn out and coughing all the time. Because of this, I've been trying to do up a few bits and pieces for my Labyrinth Lord campaign which is supposed to be kicking back in gear following the holidays here. This has mostly entailed me going through various resources and printing out the bits I'd like to have at hand but I've also been cobbling together some play aids. It's amazing what you can do with a few maps pulled off the Internet and a little cut and paste.

The first few things I did were simple flash map style, gazetteer blurbs for different districts in the "home town" of our mostly sandbox campaign. A good, solid starting place with a little detail serves well to keep players grounded in the setting and also adds a bit of attachment as this place develops and grows. To make these maps, I just took three maps of blank city maps, gave them names and wrote a couple of paragraphs of flavor text on each. These were then printed out and put into the campaign notebook. I have left them blank for now and will number and detail as needed, keeping with the whole sandbox style of play.

So far I have done three -

High Ward - wealthy district.

Merchant's Quarter - center of trade and commerce.

Blackwytch Quarter - bad area of town.

They're nothing overly special, but I think they will prove to be a simple and effective tool for letting the players interact with the game world a bit more. This will be especially useful as none of my players are overly experienced gamers.

Fraggles

Fraggles as portrayed in the Jim Hensen series are small, whimsical creatures with a very gregarious nature. They are imaginative, tricky, curious and inventive. Fraggle culture has produced adventurers, explorers, painters, storytellers and artists.

Interpreting these diminutive creatures for D&D type games is a bit tricky. They are obviously not the evil and menacing humanoids that populate most dungeons, though I suppose they could be bent to work as such. Evil fraggles, aside, the obvious way to use them is as a demi-human race or perhaps NPC encounter throughout your campaign.

I see fraggles as a sort of faerie folk. Certainly Fraggle Rock shares many characteristics with faerie realms - small size, inter-dimensional connection with the human world. Throughout the series, fraggles are shown to have a bent for things mystical, including a natural talent for lucid dreaming as well as the ability to share their dreams with other fraggles.

Fraggles might certainly prove useful in campaigns as contacts and adventure hooks for an adventuring party. They are small and the exploratory ways gets them in all sorts of trouble stumbling on many things. Fraggles have even made dedicated efforts to explore the world outside of their rock so in the greater scope of a fantasy RPG world it is not absurd to entertain the possibility of small fraggle communities outside of Fraggle Rock.

Of course, a more wicked GM might choose to tweak fraggles and make them into a sort of dark version of Jim Hensen's creatures or perhaps just mimic the concept using an existing fantasy monster like kobolds or goblins. Certainly a dark Fraggle Rock with semi-mystical goblins would create something akin to another Jim Hensen project, "Labyrinth".

Fraggle

No. Enc.: 1d6 (4d10x10)
Alignment: Lawful (Good tendencies)
Movement: 120' (40')

Armor Class: 6
Hit Dice: 1d4 hp
Attacks: One weapon - usually thrown stones, walking sticks, frying pans or other mundane items.
Damage: By weapon - usually 1d4-1
Special Attacks: None
Save: F3
Morale: 6
Hoard Class: None, though fraggles do often accumulate an interesting item here and there in their adventures.

Retro Robot Ideas

The other day while sitting in Starbucks I looked at a faux retro poster they had on the wall that featured a tall, antique espresso machine and i struck me that the machine really looked like some sort of retro robot. I was unable to find the original Starbucks art for it but I went looking online and found a few that looked like something else.

DRONES OF THE EARLY IMPERIUM

Old Imperium Doom Drone

One of the earliest of the old Imperium's automated destroyer drones. Equipped with a pair of Phase 1 death ray emitters and an anti-gravity skirt for mobility it was made even more deadly by the inclusion of a stun rod and heat ray (shown on the left in their standby positions). It can be immediately recognized as Old Imperium by the inclusion of the regal Blood Hawk emblem atop its chassis.

Late Imperium Doom Drone

In the last days of the Old Imperium, the level of advancement in the Doom Drones had increased to the point where these drones were able to operate nearly completely autonomously across Imperial Space. The version above took advantage of recent advances in force field technology in the form of a pair of force shield arms that could be deployed for pinpoint deflection of ranged and melee attacks. This version does lack the secondary armaments of earlier drones and sports only a pair of smaller, but more powerful late model death ray emitters.

DRONES OF THE NEW IMPERIUM

Mark VI Searcher Drone

With the New Imperium intent on hunting down and destroying the last vestiges of the Independence League, the need for small, agile drones has led to the creation of the Mark VI. Using the latest in anti-gravity, the Mark VI is capable of flight at any altitude. It is equipped with a rapid fire pulse cannon favored by New Imperium designers.

Trigon Drones

Trigon drones have become a common site in contested zones. Scattered by seeder ships, they fall to the ground forming clusters and swarms that sweep from one region to another destroying any life forms they come in contact with. Typically armed only with pulse cannons, the trigons constructed by the Togar warriors of Vulsa include a self-detonating spike defense initiated when the trigon is disabled or destroyed.