Campaign World Ideas #1

Initial Random Ideas

So I have been brainstorming a good bit for my world.. I am far from the stage where I will assign name to things.. so everything will still be kind of vague right now.  I decided to build my ideas from the top down (at least in general terms).  Or, in another way, take a look at it from far away, and then zoom in.  I will be breaking down these first few ideas posts into:

• Cosmology (realms, planes, etc)
  
• Theology (gods and religions)
  
• Geography (landscape, continents, etc)
  
• Sociology (the races and people)
  

and besides... when I use big words, it makes me sound smart. :)

This is meant to be a "classic" Dungeons and Dragons world, full of all the normal D&D paraphernalia.  I will be using all of the classes and races from the Player's Handbook and the upcoming Player's Handbook II.  (However, I am not using the background material on those races) I am not using the Forgotten Realms stuff, and I probably won't incorporate the Power books until all of them are out.  So pretty much this is a "core book" campaign world.   Lucky for me, the "core" 4e is pretty diverse.

I will be building off of the "points of light" ideas put forth in the DMG... and a world that was once grandiose.. but now has been lost.  Having ruins everywhere of a once great society is a device used by lots of worlds.. Pathfinder, Iron Kingdoms, and they are very cool.   My goal I think, is to figure out what the ancient society was... so these ruins can carry a similar idea or style amongst them as they are discovered by the players...that's not to say there aren't dwarven or elven ruins scattered out there as well...I am sure there are.

I am actually kind of excited to use the Drow.  They have never been really big in my previous campaigns, but I am starting to develop some cool ideas for them.. possibly even making these dark elves into the aforementioned "great civilization" that is now lost.. what drove them into the Underdark to abandon the great cities and castles they had on the surface?  Not sure if this is the way I am headed.. just an idea.  Another idea is to make the lost society a combination fo the Tieflings and the Devas.  Basically, the Tieflings and Devas were the chosen people of the gods (some dark, some light) and their civilization was a grand thing to behold.. but then fell into utter ruin as they warred with each other.  the other races rose out of this and now the Devas and Tieflings are rare and few.  Actually.. I think I am liking that one better...

When it comes to gods... I am not using the D&D pantheon.  The great demon and devil lords I will be using...Orkus, etc.. but they are just that, demon lords, not gods.  The only god from the pantheon I am using is Tiamat. (and I have some ideas for her.. but that's for the Theology post) My plan is to simplify the gods down to a manageable number, while still remaining interesting and diverse.

The cosmology is actually seeming to be the easiest part.  I am going to be utilizing the 4e model of the planes.  I have yet to purchase the Manual of the Planes (worth buying?) but right now the model in the 4e DMG serves my purpose.  I don't think my players will be partaking in any extraplanar travel within the first 10 levels or so... there is plenty of time for this to take shape.

Shouldn't be long before I have the Cosmology/Threology posts up..