Dungeons & Diverse

Johnnysaurus Rex

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So, per the general interest check thread I'd like to get a Diverse RP set up on the back of the Dungeons and Dragons format. It was also said in that thread there was interest in stepping away from the established settings in favor of a homebrew one that I've been using for about two or three years in the games of D&D I run. I'll do my best to detail this setting as part of this post while also laying some groundwork for how this Diverse might shake out adapting a TTRPG into Freeform RP.

The Setting
Myr is a world that was formed from the fractured remnants of planes by the gods after an unknown calamity. This effort taxed the gods so much they had to retreat from the material plane, leaving the denizens of Myr to fend for themselves. Millennia went by and the world endured many catastrophic events (An undead takeover, a war between giants and dragons, and centuries of uninterrupted night to name a few). This has lead to the history of Myr being an amalgamation of historical sources, oral tradition, and some information just being lost. With all these hardships a group of well intentioned individuals tried to siphon god like power from the Abyss and became the first devils, unfortunately releasing demons into the world until they were mostly pushed off the material plane.

The gods finally returned giving gifts to the world in order to try and bring things back to order. One god, for example, gave the gift of the Common language. The current time my players are playing in is a golden age coming off the heels of a conflict where groups of people previously treated as monsters (Orcs, goblins, etc.) have been able to assert themselves and gain the same opportunity as the other inhabitants of Myr.

Technology wise the world has what would appear to be anachronistic levels of development from the long history where civilizations rose and fell. Common amenities like plumbing and lighting are present in large cities and a robust education system keeps things from being feudal for most societies. Firearms aren't common, but not unheard of, having developed to breech-loading (one faction even posses Wild West style firearms). Some nations' tech is fueled by traditional means while others turn to magic to achieve similar results. Airships exist in a small number and are necessary to travel to a floating continent that travels the globe.

The highest observed technology comes from a previous civilization only known as "The Old World" with little being known about them due to structures or ruins seeming to phase in and out of existence with no observable regularity.

Myr is designed to be pretty diverse in terms of content, giving the players the tools to make just about any character concept work. There are a lot of cultural analogues to ones that exist in the real world and I'm not really too precious with the "canon" of the setting so you could have an entire idea for an organization or people and we can stick it in somewhere and make it work.



Myr is currently in a time of unprecedented sustained peace ever since the creator gods returned and the event known as the Ogrun Conflict (the uprising of "monster" races asserting themselves as sentient people) ended. This golden age has ushered in an advancement in society that led to the establishment of the largest amount of sustainable, sovereign nations in Myr's history. Some of these descriptions will be a bit meatier than other because the players in my home game have been there and I had to write more for them.

Aureus- Your almost bog standard fantasy nation. English/Germanic influences. The only nation whose standing army largely uses single shot firearms.

Degalia- Swamp and marshlands ruled by a theocracy that worships magic. French/Louisiana influences.

Orkesh- Nation formed after the Ogrun Conflict given to the previously oppressed peoples during the peace talks. Largest concentration of races like Orcs, Goblins, Cyclops, etc.

Faewyld- A pocket dimension on the material plane. While the exterior of the region has been mapped, entering the area of the Faewyld proves for it to be of near infinite size that, without a guide, is far too easy to be lost in. Border disputes have arisen over claims that the pocket dimension is slowly expanding and encroaching on the space around it.

Heksetr- The frigid North, travel overland is hazardous at best and certain death the rest of the time. Norse/Scottish influences. Most people use the underground network of tunnels and roads known as the Hollows, but that presents its own dangers. Ruled by the last living giant.

Vaswami- Coastal nation that holds art and knowledge in the highest regard. Vedic India influences. Maintain the largest existing archive/library.

Naruub- Land of the free cities. No unifying government with travel across the area being difficult due to the desert conditions. American West influences.

Rhan- Ancient Rome with dinosaurs. Ambitious, which leads to it being the biggest instigator of conflict in its region.

Espada- A continent comprised entirely of riverlands. No major roads are built since the most efficient means of travel is via boat. Mesoamerican influences

Osai- Massive floating islands that drift over the oceans of Myr. Edo Japanese Influences.

Theed- Egypt if it was an agricultural powerhouse. Theed's location on land and on the coast makes it the hub for reliable/safe trade between the East and West.

Sejong- Archipelago connected by massive bridges that allow for easy land travel between the islands. Korean influences.

Kala- Nomadic steppe people who travel in groups that are functionally mobile cities. Mongolian influences. Daimu is the only static city in the region and is used as a place for all nomadic groups to cycle back to now and again.

Xing- An industrial nation that has perfected the use of interchangeable parts to manufacture items faster than anyone else on Myr. Chinese influences. The only nation to culturally not lean into the worship of any deities.

Nyumbani- It's basically fantasy Wakanda. It's position central to the region has led it to be a mediator and the only power to keep Rhan in check.

Atlan- The domain of the underwater civilization of Atlan. Greek inspirations drawing heavily from Atlantis in mythology and pop culture. Take it upon themselves to protect their part of the sea making it the safest waters to reliably travel.

Delpar- Another desert region that is set apart by the northern part essentially being a sand sea. Arabian influences. To the South the capital city is based around an active volcano that, instead of molten rock, expends molten glass.

Ponawa- A vast jungle that isn't a landmass part of its continent, but actually a giant megafauna structure. Each plant in the region is all part of the same organism. Native American influences.

Byzar- A martial society in the midst of societal changes. Byzantine/Ottoman influences. While not warmongers it is not unheard of for the state to hire out their military as mercenaries.

Lapita- Important in securing the sea routes of the Strata Ocean. Polynesian influences. While not as large as other nations' navies they are by far the most effective.

Malandros- A fantasy take on cities like Rio de Janero and it's only city, Santos, is the largest in all of Myr per size and population density.

Nazagrad- Tsarist Russia if the ruling class were all undead. The living are by no means oppressed and as such is the only place on Myr where the to groups openly cohabitate.

Inuuk- Southern most nation that prides itself as explorers. Inuit influences. Have the largest navy in all of Myr and regularly patrol the Southern sea lanes.

Taiabo- A former penal colony that has set itself up as a tourist destination. Austrailian/Carribean influences. It's history as a land of criminals hosting the richest guests in the world has made it a large target for criminal activity.

Sumakk- The richest nation in the world. Mesopotamian influences. Home to the world's largest and most secure banking institution.

The Storm Wastes- A region that is known for its raging storms and harsh conditions. Very few willingly travel into the Storm Wastes. Basically Fantasy Mad Max.

The Dire Wood- Towering trees are only contested in majesty for the gigantic Direbeasts that roam the woods.

The Hollows- A series of nebulous caverns and tunnels deep below Myr. Holding untold dangers in its dark depths, but holding some of the worlds greatest remaining mysteries.


The Game
So the majority of my experience is with 5th edition D&D, but I've read up on 3.5, 4e, and Pathfinder enough to have a pretty decent sense for them. The reason I bring that up is even at my home game of D&D I play pretty fast and loose with some mechanical things in favor of building better characters and experiences for the players. With that in mind I don't think anyone has to have inherent game knowledge of D&D for this to work. We're not going to be tracking level, spell slots, or hit points in terms of playing this game. Just using our best judgement and playing the character we want.

The only thing I'm not certain on is what my role will be in this game. I could make a character and RP with the rest of you, but with me being the only one that has a first hand experience with the setting I feel like that gives me a bit of an advantage. I could try and just have my posts be to describe the situations, consequences of actions, and provide information for any questions you may have about the world. I'm aiming for a little bit of both, but we'll see how it goes because I've never really done anything like the latter before.

As far as template goes for characters I was thinking something simple along the lines of

Name: Character's full name or aliases
Race: What your character generally looks like. This would be the place to describe things like hair color, height, features, etc. By no means a list you have to use, but here are some things the setting has. You can ignore the D&D statblocks, but you'd be getting the abilities. Also the doc is a work in progress in some ways so the descriptions for each option are REALLY lacking.
Class: Again, no need to stick to the established stuff. For my home game we've used some homebrew classes too which makes the total selection:
  1. Alchemist- Someone who excels at brewing various potions, crafting explosives, and mutagenic tonics.​
  2. Artificer- Someone who use mechanical or magical inventions​
  3. Barbarian- Warriors who are driven by tradition and empowered by accessing a mental state of focus or intense emotion.​
  4. Bard- Arcane casters who use the arts (music, dance, spoken word, etc.) to weave magic.​
  5. Bloodborne- Someone who has undergone alchemical and magical alteration at the cost of their humanity to take on a more monstrous traits.​
  6. Cleric- Divine casters who are empowered by their faith in a deity or concept.​
  7. Druid- Primal casters who draw power from nature around them granting them ability to assume the form of animals.​
  8. Esper- Someone who has psionic powers including telepathy or telekinesis
  9. Fighter- Martial combatants who have honed their combat skills to an unmatched level.​
  10. Gunslinger- Someone who has perfected the use of firearms
  11. Magus- Someone who has blended the use of martial prowess and magical combat​
  12. Monk- Martial combatants who have learned to harness the power of their ki to enhance their abilities.​
  13. Paladin- Divine combatants who gain power from taking an Oath to a god, a kingdom, or a cause.​
  14. Sorcerer- Arcane casters born with magic innately within them, making spellcasting as second nature as breathing.​
  15. Scholar- Someone who uses their intellect and specialty in a field to support allies​
  16. Summoner- Someone who is an expert in summoning bonded creatures and can manifest a unique summon called an Eidolon.​
  17. Ranger- Primal combatants who exist at the edges of civilization and nature to keep the balance.​
  18. Rogue- Specialists who utilize guile and stealth to solve their problems.​
  19. Warlock- Arcane casters who gained their powers through making a Pact with another higher powered being.​
  20. Wizard- Arcane casters who collect magical skill through intense study and practice.​
(If anyone wants/needs me to give a description for the base classes as well I can do that)
Equipment: Your weapons, armor, or anything else of note your character has. If these items have a unique or magical property list it here.
Personality: How does your character typically act or are their any deeply held beliefs they commit to?
Background: What has your character been up to before the game started?

In terms of what sort of story we wanted to follow I was going to leave that to what seems to be the general interest of everyone here and see if answering any questions about the setting help inform that.


Deities and Higher Beings
Myr has a handful of beings that could be considered god or godlike. This has led to a lot of individuals worshiping them or gaining power from them. Beings such as Dragons, Genies, Faeries, and Devils fill this space. An undeniable difference though exists in the 12 gods that formed Myr. Even other beings that consider themselves gods would readily admit to not being in the same league.

Verquistis
Domain- Order, Knowledge

Ra’Qhal
Domain- Fire, Sky

Ophairis
Domain- Dreams, Art

Nakeer
Domain- Death, Peace

Einver
Domain- Power, Magic

Galadhor
Domain- Cold, Forge

Belleatriss
Domain- Love, Luck

Ioshade
Domain- War, Storm

Kerj
Domain- Nature, Beast

Hauth
Domain- Earth, Harvest

Aneptu
Domain- Commerce, Ocean

Pala
Domain- Moon, Vice
 
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Reyn

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Ok so all of this is amazing. A few questions though: for the Gemini race is there any individual personality between the twins or is it literally one consciousness with two bodies? (I ask because they sound really unique with a lot of potential and I'm probably going with this race for my character). Also is there going to be more information provided on each of the world's regions, nations etc. So we can build characters with backstories that fit into the world.

Also if we're taking suggestions for possible story focuses, if we're keeping with the idea of Myr just coming out of a major conflict we could have our party acting as bodyguards for diplomatic missions, foiling attempts to cause a break down in the peace.
 

Johnnysaurus Rex

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Per gemini I leave that up to the players. I could see it being on a spectrum where the twins act almost as one being or go out of their way to differentiate themselves while stilling having a sense of being one whole person. For example, a gemini pair of siblings would typically never implicitly disagree on their actions, possibly at most engaging in debates that mirror their own combined minds wrestling with a subject or choice (those conversations you'd have with yourself when really conflicted about something).

Or another pair could see themselves only as two halves of a whole and act in absolute hivemind with eachother.

I'll put out some basic info including location stuff, major pantheon, and some history stuff tonight at work. Glad you are enjoying the material.
 

Lavi

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Given the looseness of the what's allowed, I've been leaning on creating something new instead of adapting my Baldur's Gate character concept. So I wanted to adapt elements of my FF14 character into the setting, so I came up with the Rune Fencer class.

So far, it's a magic based class that combines runic spells with a specialized rapier to imbue the weapon with magical effects. These runes are drawn directly on the blade with a specialized solution carried by the fencer. Up to three (3) runes can be applied on the rapier at any time and can be reapplied in the field with some time spent, but have limited uses before they “burn out.”

In essence, the "spell casting" side is drawing runes onto the sword and the actual expenditure of magic is through the use of the sword in question. Once the runes expire, they have to be reapplied for more magic. Obviously, the user cannot be drawing two or more runes at the exact same time, so having multiple runes drawn is more like stockpiling to prepare ahead of time and is not very practical to draw more than one in the middle of a fight (unless there is a break in the action). The types of runes vary from elemental effects like fire and lightning to utility like producing bright light or detecting magical sources.

Thoughts on the idea?
 

Corbeau

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@Johnnysaurus Rex

I have the outline of my character and will share something with you in the next day. And given it's the fluff that I enjoy, the looseness of the character build is ideal for me :)
 

Johnnysaurus Rex

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Awesome! Would you all want me to make a dedicated character thread for profiles?
 

Lavi

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Yes, it would be best to prevent the profiles and discussion from getting buried in each other.
 

Reyn

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Yes, it would be best to prevent the profiles and discussion from getting buried in each other.

I agree with Lavi, dedicated thread for character profiles sounds best. I should have mine finished tonight as well.
 

Johnnysaurus Rex

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I'm very happy with what everyone has done with their characters! Just out of curiosity though did everyone pick the homebrew stuff because it seemed neat/new? I just don't want to have miscommunicated and have everyone miss out on the other 12 D&D classes I didn't mention.
 

Lavi

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I was jumping on homebrew primarily because I am not that familiar with the D&D classes and didn't want to feel like I had to follow the class guidelines.
 

Johnnysaurus Rex

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Alright. I think I will throw in the other classes just in case anyone else who may want to join in the future gets idea for what's out there.
 

Lavi

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Yeah, I think I got together all the main points for my character.
 

Johnnysaurus Rex

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So the suggestion I see is for the thread to be about bodyguarding someone? Anybody have anything they'd like to add or do?
 

Lavi

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I think being on a caravan gives the most leeway for our reasons to end up being in a group together.
 

Reyn

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I'm fine with the party meeting on a caravan, I'm just curious what the story will be? What are we doing?
 

Johnnysaurus Rex

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We could do it that you're all in the caravan for unique reasons and an inciting incident gets the three of you to work together. Or you could be a team guarding something in the caravan from the onset.
 

Reyn

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I would lean more towards option A, makes more sense given how different our characters and their motivations are.
 
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