/wbg/ - Worldbuilding General

>What are the largest militaries in your setting?

>What special magic, weapons, technology, or monsters are commonly used in war?

>>50001421
Never really contribute to worldbuilding general, but I always appreciate the linked tools and sources.

>>50001440
>What are the largest militaries in your setting?
Solaran.
>What special magic, weapons, technology, or monsters are commonly used in war?
People use guns. They're pretty special. Oh! And subastrals.
>>50001473
They suck.

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So I want to create a sort of semi-rare magical component that is common enough to be useful to every magic user but rare enough that they are valuable.

I'm going to make them Runes- semi-generic little tablets of clay with a magical rune drawn on them.

In order to enchant a magic item, make a new spell, magically 'lock' something, or summon a permanent magical creature you need to expend at least one rune.

But the question is; what do these runes come from? How are more of them created? I sort of want them to come from within spooky dungeons and as a reward for defeating powerful creatures and traps, so there has to be a reason they would be down there.

Sorry, let me just: >>50000000
>>50002201
It would be better to personalise your materials. I'm saying this as someone with pretty much your runes though, so what do I know.

>>50002201
That man is wearing a blanket.

>>50002201
A rare mineral mostly found high in the mountains, washed down by some rivers in form of thin sands. I think this is how gold is. Then dissolve it in sole concotion and make into a dye.

And discovery of native magic ore could make or break entire balance of power.

>>50001421
Fuck, magic don't real in my setting.

>>50002605
Get out my general.

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Guess I'll post this again. Is it normal to keep discovering themes in your texts as you read them? Such as Vatas being picked for fire, since fire is destructive regardless, but the other elements only being destructive through his corruption? Like it works really well and I didn't actively think about it when I wrote it.

>>50002920
usually you don't fully know the theme of your story until the first draft is finished, yeah

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>>50001440
>What are the largest militaries in your setting?

The largest dedicated military on Gethsemane is located in Helondish territories. This major supernation set out on making a military headstart for itself for what it believed would be a second colony war but lacked the technological core to properly build up to date designs.

Helonde bears similarities to N.Korea in that it is forever expecting a war to occur with either Dolmia or their Troan allies so maintain a chain of bloated military fortifications along its borders to the unaligned countries (the grey areas)

Unaligned countries are host to hundreds of piecemeal independent organisations, some funded by the major nations who basically employ them as another arm of their own military or hold no alliance and are fiercely independent. Xenophobic isolationism is rife in the Unaligned countries and most of the Habitats (domed off areas of civilization) in the territories are often in a state of petty skirmishes with each other.

The major nations only take real interest in the outcome of these skirmishes when rare Colony Tech is at stake but if so, no price is too much. This can be as small as gifting a mercenary band some better hardsuits to sending spec-ops to train or even join groups to ensure successes.

So for this particular region in the previous thread I was contemplating splitting a nation into city-states, which I went through. A 3 city-state league or confederation, they have an agreement to aid any in the defense of their state. There's still infighting because of the distinct cultural differences though, should be fun.
The Free City of Iuwine, the state of inventors and philosophers that like to fashion themselves as learned, free thinkers.
The Tarasians, steeped in mysticism and nature attuned. They're matriarchal hippies blessed with land that mostly makes them isolated.
Finally the Freimut Knights, while just a religious knightly order technically they became the ruling faction when during the last crusade there was unoccupied, lawless land that they brought law and order too while using the walled city as a base of operations to continue their crusades.

So its basically fedora tippers, hippie girls and DEUS VULT in one region with a pact to defend each other.

>>50001440
>What are the largest militaries in your setting?
The Infernal Legions, followed by the Celestial Hosts. The Infernal Legions control the largest territories and have the numbers, controlling hundreds of worlds, while the Celestial Hosts don't have the numbers, but have the strength of superior training and technology.

>What special magic, weapons, technology, or monsters are commonly used in war?
The Infernal Legion is an eclectic mash-up of the various species and technologies they have conquered and absorbed. The backbone to their army is the Legionnaire, a 8 foot tall mass of muscle and infernal iron, and the Gazer, a void-born horror with the ability to fire cold rays from their massive eye and grasp their prey in hooked talons. Specialists and support in the army are things like the Bile Legionnaires, large frog-like creatures with the ability to project their stomach acid that have been surgically altered and enhanced; Voidlings, small unstable creatures that can detonate themselves into an explosion; Juggernauts, massive armored beasts used as living battering rams and bulwarks; Void Seers, bizarre floating creatures with powerful magics; and Lords of the Pits, massive flaming creatures that strongly resemble Christian demons of myth.

The Celestial Hosts take a more unified approach, using hit and run tactics and drop deployment to descend on the battlefield. The standard armament is a Spear of Light, a weapon that can fire a short burst of intense heat as the Chorister charges into battle. For heavy firepower, the most common artillery piece is a Throne, a device constructed of floating, spinning rings that can generate an beam of intense heat and light.

>>50002201
What I did was similar to Ars Magica's Vis - an inherently magical substance used to boost spell power and make magic items.
I typically allow them to show up in two ways: harvesting from natural sources (the trees of a particular grove, the ores from under a leyline, the body of an animal marked in a certain way); or created by expending (typically magical) effort - the dreams of a child caught in a silver-dusted spider web, the focused infusion of spells into alchemical liquids, digging a massive complex around a ley-node and dropping trash and monsters in there until the sheer magic makes the ingredients I need...
and >>50002598 is pretty good too.

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>>50001440
>What are the largest militaries in your setting?
Hard to say, but its a toss up between the USSR and the JAAN (Japanese Alliance of Asian Nations). The UEA (United European Alliance) is strong in its own right but is bogged down by corperate beuracracy and rebels in Western Europe.
>What special magic, weapons, technology, or monsters are commonly used in war?
EXO suits mainly, although rail-cannons are beginning to be used by the JAAN. Other than that, minor augmentations (retinal enhancements and the like) are widespread among most major militaries. Finally, the use of drones and DNIs (direct neural interfaces) are used in the reconnaissance and special forces teams of the major world powers (Germany, Japan, America, Russia, ect...)

Pic related is a map of the setting.

>>50002997
I've always found it somewhat weird when an entire nation takes up a whole continent. But I do like your map. It reminds me of the one from Ace Combat.

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>>50001440
>What are the largest militaries in your setting?
Largest military? Or strongest?

Hmm. Largest would probably belong to the Badlands gangs, though they're not particularly coordinated and have only actually become a major power thanks to strong leadership from the latest to claim themselves King of the Bandits.

For most powerful, that's a tough one.
The Masonic Templars have a large number of well trained and disciplined soldiers and the aid of weaponized psychoactive drugs, as well as the benefit of calling on members of the Wasteland's most popular religion for militia.
Central has Frankenstiened super-soldiers stitched together from the most ideal parts available and outfitted with Old-World superscience weapons.

Boomtown's also got decent guns, but they spend most of their time using them against each other.

>What special magic, weapons, technology, or monsters are commonly used in war?
Considering the people with the best stuff are the most isolationist, war doesn't tend to feature more exotic stuff.

However, the Tinmen do have some homemade battlesuits, and Masonic missionaries have gas-grenades that can induce a variety of hallucinogenic effects to bolster their own side or hinder the enemy.

>>50004043
>Dat giant six-shooter
All of my want.

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>>50003641
>All of the middle east is Soviet
>The actual Soviet republics aren't Soviet
I'm going to be sick.

>>50004295
I didn't know I was on /his/

>>50004348
If you're going to use Earth, at least get some believable geopolitics.

>>50004431
>implying I'm the guy that posted the map

>>50004483
I've been duped

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>>50003661
Yeah, I should clarify that the dotted line borders are countries and states as and of themselves just amalgamated under the ruling of the major powers. I've not included the names on that map for clarity's sake.

Troa is the only truly singular country nation whereas all the others are a sum of their parts.

Here's some more nation fluff i'm fiddling around with.

"Ostra is currently trying to prevent its outward territories and islands from separating and with it complete Balkanisation of the countries. Most of this is due to a push from these territories for trade with Dolmia and Lorin which is forbidden under a post-colony war treaty."

"Astrudia rules its countries under a questionable monarchy based on who they believe was the colony vessels original pilot and rightful ruler. Now a mere nerve stem chilled and suspended in the middle of a re-purposed colony tray the now Astrudian queen rules her territories through several networked clones in her stead under technology closely guarded by Astrudian engineers. Despite the bizarre appearance of the queen and her offspring being common knowledge worldwide, Astrudians are very patriotic and proud of their 'royal family'."
totally not image related

Thoughts and ideas?

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>>50004222
Heh, yep.
A result of tech discrepancy.

See, they used to have battlesuits with much better guns, even some primitive beam weapons, but after the world blew itself to bits, the people left over in the backwater colonies couldn't really reproduce what the Old World used to make.

Mechanized suits were also used for heavy lifting and civilian work, so there were enough of them left over to get a working knowledge of how to make more. Beam & heavy weapons were less common, so the Tinmen make due by building oversized variants of their usual guns, since that's what they know how to make.
>>50003661
Don't be rude to Australia

>>50004745
Its so cute...

>>50004672
Oh so they are more like international alliances than anything else? Or something like that?

I like the idea of Ostra being on the edge of Balkanizing, though I think trade relations between Ostra and Dolmia should mainly be relegated to the eastern regions of the country. There is little reason why the many small colonized nations of Ostra would want to trade with western Dolmia.

The thing you have going with Astrudia is cool, but seeing how I don't know the entire theme/set up for the setting, it comes off a bit stilted and out of place. That may be just me though. It really depends on what kind of world yours is.

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>>50004950
The robot, or Australia?

>>50005006
The robot.

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>>50005159
Look up World War Robot on google images. More where that came from.

>>50001440
That would be the dominant kingdom of humans, Aranor. There army is certainly the largest due to them being the largest human kingdom, but all other races owe allegiance to them anyway should they call upon it. Apart from having a form of powderless muskets and cannons, Bound Wizards can also be called upon to fight (basically state alchemists from FMA).

>>50003641
Did GUSA get nuked or something?
How are they not in control of the entire world?

>>50007078
Isolationism senpai. The world takes place in an alternate cyberpunk future

>>50007098
When does it branch off? 60s?

>>50007133
Technically WWII, but the first major divergence happens in the 1950s.

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>>50007158
Please post a timeline of the setting, and what geopolitical fuckery you had to jump through to get a map that looks like it's straight out of 1984.

>>50007323
>to get a map that looks like it's straight out of 1984.
but that's the point

>>50007342
So then you have a 1984 future, and not a cyberpunk future? I'm confused.

>>50007373
>cyberpunk wasn't around in the 80s

>>50007464
Are you being purposefully obtuse.

>>50001440
Probably the pacification armies of the Demiurges sent out to bring worlds under the rule of the god-pretenders.

>>50001440
>What are the largest militaries in your setting?
The largest peacetime standing army belongs to Nordenmark, a second-tier kingdom that's in the process of transitioning into a fascist military state. Under full mobilization for war, the Cyrelian Empire fields the largest combined-arms military, while Saddath-Leng edges them out slightly in terms of sheer numbers of infantry.

>What special magic, weapons, technology, or monsters are commonly used in war?
The most commonly used weapons worldwide are single-shot cartridge firing smoothbore muskets, generally with large bayonets or halberd blade attachments, while elite units and the standard troops of the most technologically advanced nations have moved on to early bolt-action rifles. Aside from rare artisan-crafted pieces, automatic weapons are still only available as crew-served emplacements.

Special weapons vary enormously among the major powers. Cyrelia's armies are each anchored by a massive unique landship supported by a squadron of roughly WWI-equivalent tanks. Nordenmark has a corps of large power armor/light mechs that serve as super-heavy shock troops. Saddath-Leng makes wide use of poison gas and horrific self-igniting alchemical flame weapons. The Machine State uses mechanically reanimated corpses as the bulk of its army. The Meridial League city-states favor defensive tactics with walls, trenches, and fixed artillery emplacements.

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>>50001440
There are three nations with a large military

>The Holy Empire
They recently became the largest military force on the continent. The force consists of eight Herjazkruppin [Legions]. Each Herjazkrup has 13,312 men in them with specific roles, units, squads, and so on. The sheer discipline of the soldiers comes from two years of persistent training by the veterans of the military. Battlefield communication involves elaborate flag and banner waving. These bannermen are a separate entity from the military and actually come from the Church. They are trained in various forms of light magic, first aid, and self defense. The military grew so large after a continued pressure from eastern tribes and the rise of orcs in the south. The Empire never fights offensive wars, as they are forbidden inside the Holy Scripture [on a side note, >>50002920 you are doing well, keep up the good work]. Defensive wars are not though. This is how the Empire not only survives but expands as well.

>The United Emirates
For three centuries, the Emirates held a military unlike any other. They are very in tune with their mana, so magic in all forms is very common among their people. The history of each emirate is not very long, but each developed a unique style of preparing an army. After unification these unique forces melded together to create a force as deadly as it was diverse. The largest Emirate, Nasrin provided a force of almost 10,000 trained warrior mages to the overall military force of roughly 70,000. Unlike their neighbors, men and women are allowed to join if they can prove their skill. When they reached that peak force of 70,000, the Empire was still sitting with only four Herjazkruppin [~54,000 men]. It was not until a horrific event shattered centuries of peaceful unification and coexistence among the Emirates that their military fell below a force of 10,000 warrior mages. They resorted to desperate measure to bolster their military later on.

>>50001440
>What are the largest militaries in your setting?
"Largest" is too vague. The Kedran military is the most diverse, with War Mage artillery, a state-run Paladin order, and the Knights of Kedra. If united, the Dwarven Kingdom wins numerically; with most of their population able to militarize "for the Greater Good!".
The other nations are weak militarily, allied in some way with the Dwarves/Empire or relying heavily on the Adventurer's Guild.

>What special magic, weapons, technology, or monsters are commonly used in war?
"Used in war" also doesn't fit well, as there hasn't been a major war in centuries. Most conflict is Man vs Nature, often Undead or Chimera.
Alchemy is excellent at eliminating Undead, particularly utilizing Alchemical Silver and some Greek Fire. It helps that the nation with the world's foremost Alchemists is the one ruled by a state religion that condemns Necromancy.
Cities in the northern territories often have larger-than-normal ballistae for dealing with wyverns and flying chimera, and griffons have been bred since the Great War for use as mounts for scouts and messengers.

It's a "High Magic" setting, even if the power-levels are generally low. 90% of people will have some access to healing magics. We're one step from being post-scarcity, if any of the Wizards gave a shit.

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>>50009326
And finally

>The League
Spawning from just a single mage, the League quickly grew to almost 400 members before its discovery. They remained in the shadows for one very specific reason: they had discovered Necromancy. A spin off of an established school of magic in the Emirates, Summoning Magic, Necromancy was a complete perversion to the greater magical community. Light mages in the Empire, Head-Magus of the various Schools inside the Emirates, and the Druids among the Elves all looked on the new form of "magic" in disgust. The OG Necromancer wielded all the power of his newly founded School. Necromancy in this world is like a big pyramid scheme. You give up a part of your own power in exchange for the secrets of Necromancy. This meant it spread fast among mages desperate to obtain greater power in a society full of other magically inclined people. The League amassed a force of almost 10,000 mages before the Emirates reacted. When they moved to engage the League with a force of 25,000 mages they encountered a force of nearly 30,000 undead and familiars. Along with them were the thousands of necromancers that raised and enslaved the undead army. The war between them and the Emirates produced thousands of casualties... which are swiftly raised by the necromancers after each battle.

>>50001440
>What are the largest militaries in your setting?
The largest is under the control of a marauding demi-god who hasn't found the right kingdom to settle down in quite yet, the strongest is under a sorcerous Legatrix who uses ancient artifacts to observe her enemy's actions.
>What special magic, weapons, technology, or monsters are commonly used in war?
I've not thought out the magic system too much, Gae Bulg style barbed spears are quite often used by the richer warlords to destroy enemy shields before the charge, and thrown into ground in order to make some nice leg mincers for enemy cavalry.

What would you call a nation ruled by a Legate/Legatrix?

Give me some irl dog breeds that a nomadic tribe would keep

>>50002201
The runes are written in the blood of god. Without it's master, the force of creation is chaotic and formless. But as you give it form, you give it purpose and power.

Countless words of power have been lost and found throughout the ages, now sleeping in the tales of ancient ruins. Many an adventurer braves these graves of civilisation in search for these treasures because even if of no use for one self, spells and their fuel are traded for a high price.

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What kind of illustrations inspire you guys?
I like historic ones since that's my main inspiration.

>>50011079
All of them.

If you don't find random magazine ads inspiring, you're not human. More likely you just forget or don't realise how much they inspired you.

>>50001440
>>What are the largest militaries in your setting?
The theoretically largest military would be that of the Rybalian tribes but since they're very divided they've never mustered a very large force.
The current largest military belongs to the only organized kingdom in my setting(Bor), it numbers about 4000 well trained professional soldiers, as well as 500 mounted nobles with their respectable mounted companions(numbering anywhere from two or tree to over a hundred men).
There also may or may not be hidden legions of dark forces numbering in the tens of thousands.
>>What special magic, weapons, technology, or monsters are commonly used in war?
The world is rich in magical weapons and powers granted to chosen heroes and devout followers of the gods, or found as a leftover of the time of greater beings. Individuals or groups who have these things usually assume roles of leaders or champions of their people(as well as mandatory old sages).
Monsters and wild beasts are common in combat, fierce dogs and cats of Bor, water beasts of the Gorgomundians and many more.

>>50009749
Probably just wild dogs
Also Bankhar dogs are native to the steppe of Mongolia so might be worth looking into

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>tfw a friend asks me to help them with worldbuilding
>tfw he likes my lame ideas

>>50011334
I don't believe you.

>>50011334
>he doesn't care for your ideas, he wants your dick but is too shy to ask directly

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>>50011345
>tfw I want his dick more than he wants mine, probably.

>>50011364
Sorry this thread isn't for discussing the ins and outs of your faggotry.

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>>50011364
>probably
No baseless speculations, go and confirm the threory.

>>50001440
>>50011421
Oh wait what am I saying that's literally all this thread is.

>>50002187
pray provide better ones, my good fella

>>50001440
>What are the largest militaries in your setting?
in no particular order :
the army of Dalevande, it's an elven country they are pretty polyvalent and they are the best technologically, they have the best swords, bow etc.
the army of Atasia they are the strongest human country, reputed for their battlemages that can go on par with races that are more skilled in magic
The Orc Empire they are the largest army and the greatest warriors
Damelor country a race a created. Best way to describe them is that they are an amalgam between draenei and tieflings.
>What special magic, weapons, technology, or monsters are commonly used in war?
Hybrids. The best at it are the Orcs. They can make hybrids of orcs and trolls. In my setting, normal orcs are similar to TES orcs but hybrid orcs are hulkish like wow orcs. How it works is that basically you take a bit of troll DNA mixed with chemicals and potions, inject it inside a normal orc and he turn into a more hulkish orc that are hybrid orcs. Other races also have hybrids but most are from non sentient species, exept humans who have something similar but with ogre DNA instead (but they are less common than orc hybrids)

>>50011464
Most of them suck because they're excessive; they don't need to be there. You just cut them out. Like the culture thing, or those horrible worldbuilding blogs.

Mapmaking:
Fountain https://mavichist.wordpress.com/
Hexographer http://www.hexographer.com/free-version/
GIMP https://www.gimp.org/downloads/
Or for best results, use a pencil&paper. Inkarnate is an evil trap for newfags.

Possible Inspiration:
Threads on /tg/, /x/ (someone else confirm) and /his/.
libgen.io: for all your pirating needs (gutenberg.org, for all your free&legal needs). Check out the SFF thread on /lit/ if you want inspo.

>>50011783
>http://www.giss.nasa.gov/tools/gprojector/
And this, which hasn't been in the copypasta for nearly a year.

>>50001440
Depends on what's going on. Technically every dwarf is in the army and if the High King says so they can all mobilize. Actually doing this is another matter entirely, it has only been done once. Largest standing army is probably the normal human empire. But every country with an army has one around the same size.

It pretty much depends on the country. Each one specializes with specific units. For example Dwarfs have superior was machines, European humans have gunpowder and enhancing magic stuff, The Arabian empire can summon djin, etc. etc.

>>50011364
This vvvvvvv
>>50011423

Flirt and post results

>>50001440
>What are the largest militaries in your setting?
The dark elven theocracy has the single largest military. Combined, the armies of humans would be larger, but humans have been split into multiple kingdoms ever since the fall of the Ta'shaarian empire around a millenia ago, while the dark elves have a large unified empire.

>What special magic, weapons, technology, or monsters are commonly used in war?
Humans for the most part use "conventional" weapons. Swords, polearms, trebuchets, bows and crossbows. Gunpowder weapons do exist, but are quite primitive so they haven't phased out bows/crossbows and melee weapons yet ("pike and shot"-style tactics are common in the militaries that can afford a lot of firearms, though). Any self-respecting military also maintains an order of battle-mages. While few in numbers (mages in general are pretty rare, and the ones that are powerful enough to have real battlefield utility are even rarer and take a long time to train), could have a major impact on the result of the battle (nobody likes fireballs dropping on their soldiers).
Dwarves employ a variety of golems as guardians and war machines. These are constructs made from stone and iron and animated with magic, and largest of them are several times the size of a man and immensely strong. During its heyday, the sorcerers of the Ta'shaar empire created their own magical construcs for the imperial army, and the descendants of the empire still make use of similar constructs. They're inferior to the dwarven versions, but still quite powerful.
Dark elves make use of large amount of summoned creatures, as well as other monsters. Particularly common are the so-called abominations, highly resilient and nearly mindless creatures (which are actually the failed result of a program to create hybrids of elf and eldritch beings) that are used as disposable shocktroops. They are unleashed on the enemy and attack anything nearby without regard for self-preservation until killed.

Don't forget to add specialized counterspelling squads in decent armies

>What are the worst diseases to catch in your setting?

>What drugs are used recreationally?

>>50013356
>What are the worst diseases to catch in your setting?
Don't touch a cloyflower. If you do, you'll pine for it in your dreams, and then you'll do something really stupid like open your wife up to snatch up all the cloyflowers inside.
>What drugs are used recreationally?
Alcohol.

>>50013356
>What are the worst diseases to catch in your setting?
Probably rad sickness from The Haze, but since most people avoid the North and have no reason to go there, it's a limited phenomenon.

>What drugs are used recreationally?
All of them.
Pharmaceutical tech has actually advanced somewhat since the Old World fell, and New World plants induce some pretty interesting sensations.
The High Inquisitor of the Masonic Church has actually attempted to adopt the use of hallucinogenic incense into popular religious practice.

The drug runners in Boomtown also carry some fun stuff. Brothels owned by the Capulet Family feature opium lounges and smoking rooms, as well as private playrooms for the really hard stuff

>>50013356
>What are the worst diseases to catch in your setting?
Lurt, believed to be caused by a rare fungus from far southeast infecting food. Causes the vomiting of blood and black bile, slow bleeding from all orifices, high deliriousness, and can give the victim grey skin with black spots. Usually lethal within two weeks. It is spread through bodily fluids and is not known to have epidemics.
The Kisec Bug is also dreaded, although incredibly isolated and rare. It is caused by small isopods burrowing into the skin where they feed, reproduce, and grow. Large cysts form in their nests which rupture to leave craters in the flesh and disperse more isopods to other hosts or into the host's organs. Extremely lethal and painful.
Rift sickness only affects those that go through the effort of taking the risk to get it, traveling between realms. Not all rift travelers are affected and the severity and duration of rift sickness differs greatly between individuals. Its symptoms include intense psychosis, amnesia, dissociation, and hallucinations. People suffering from rift sickness have little concept of reality or time and can lose track of weeks or months thinking they are hours. Some victims can recover to slight functioning but remain insane, while most are doomed.

>What drugs are used recreationally?
The most common drug is alcohol, followed by Shedas Grass or "shed". Shedas grass is very easy to grow and is actually a pest plant because of its easy growth, and that grass is compressed and lightly burned then compacted further and further into a resin, which is usually squashed into "coins" for sale and use. Shed causes mild euphoria and dissociation, and numbs pain. It is highly addictive and long term use causes itchiness, rashes, and delusions.
Hashish is considered a merchant or noble's drug, while shed is rampant with the poor.
Rarer is the valk root, usually boiled into a tea. Causes euphoria, heightens imagination, and quickly puts the user to sleep.

>>50013356
>What are the worst diseases to catch in your setting?
Lycanthropy, probably.

>What drugs are used recreationally?
Alcohol. Super tobacco. Dried, powdered pixie, also known as fairy dust.
>What drugs are used recreationally?

Inspired by a thread earlier, I'm adding a Paladin order into my world that serve a fertility goddess. They act as midwives, bless crops, protect peasants, the whole shebang. I'm just drawing a blank as to what they should be called, I was thinking of maybe Daughters of _____ as they're mostly female but can't think of anything that seems good. The goddess' name is Leveny if that helps. Any suggestions?

>>50009749
Maybe some kind of herding dog, if they have any kind of livestock. If not, then probably more specialized hunting dogs, depending on what kind of food they hunt most.

For small-to-medium mammals, you want a hound (bloodhound, coonhound, greyhound, whippet). Curs help when hunting larger mammals.

For birds, then you want a retriever (to retrieve dead birds), a spaniel or a setter (to flush them out of brush cover), or a pointer (to find them). There are also water dogs for waterfoul.

If their prey lives in burrows, then they'd have terriers.

(I don't hunt, I'm just going off of Wikipedia.)

>>50011364
>>50011334
D'aww.

>>50014268

The Maternal Order of Leveny?

>>50014268
The Waiting Maidens of Leveny

Need some geography help.

What would happen if another island the size of Britain just rose up out of the middle of the Atlantic? In terms of weather and currents, of course.

>>50014444
Waste of a quadquad...

>>50014444
That depends where it would appear. If you look at the map of Atlantic ocean currents, you'll see a massive region of "stale" water where even Britain-sized island would not do much anything. If it had appeared in a middle of a current, that might cause some troubles, of course. Not that big ones, though, the current would just adjust itself to flow around it, probably along one side, and continue where it was going in the first place.

Also, you have a UK-sized landmass appearing out of nothing in the middle of the ocean, so maybe you should not take real-world climatology as too important to your world.

>>50014385
That actually sounds pretty solid, thanks ohana

>>50014268
How married are you to the "Daughters of" thing?

>>50014444
Back-of-the-envelope calculation:
The deepest points along the mid-Atlantic ridge are a bit over 7.5km deep. We'll call that 7km. (The specific location is important, since the ocean floor tends to have long patches of relatively flat ground with sharp descents, so the depth varies wildly. I'm just going with the deepest.)

Britain has a land area of 209,331 km^2, which I'm gonna call 210,000 even. So that's 1.575 million km^3 of water displaced, which is just over 0.1% of the ocean's total volume (1.35 billion cubic kilometers). So there would likely be an increase in sea level, but not much.

The much more significant aspect would be if the island were to interrupt the North Atlantic current. This carries warm water up to Europe and is responsible for its relatively warm, stable climate. Temperatures in Europe would drop dramatically, while the part of the Atlantic surrounding the new island would be pretty warm; the island itself would be very rainy and potentially prone to hurricanes. It'd also mess up the thermohaline circulation, which regulates the distribution of salt in the ocean. The region of the Atlantic is high in salt, which would stop being carried away by the deep-sea current that accompanies the gulf stream (at least, not as smoothly.) This would be bad news for sea life.

Eventually it would even out as the current readjusted, but the sudden dramatic changes in temperature and salinity could be catastrophic.

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>>50011423
Nah. Don't wanna ruin 4 years of friendship. Still wanna do good for him.

An idea that he responded pretty well to was the idea of a giant 'underchurch' that's being endlessly added onto by automatons devoted to finding the Holy Grail.

Of course, I don't want to make a giant megadungeon, even though those are fun to build.

The problem being is that I'm tearing my hair out trying to figure out where the Underchurch should surface, specifically looking for holy places that could make for some fun encounters.

My my only idea has been:
>A sacked holy city that's been long abandoned, lost in the woods and far off the roads traveled, effectively forgotten in recent history. The automaton Helmed Horrors/Skeletons/Constructs that guard it are so in disuse that ivy and plants started growing on them

Ugh. I don't know what's happened to me where I got so creatively buttfucked to the point where all I can think of is ruins, ruins, ruins.

>>50014458
>>50014494
>>50014633
Thanks! I had an idea about Avalon suddenly returning to the world and suddenly magic pagan bullshit everywhere, but I like to ground my fantasy, so the question about oceanic currents and weather and such.

Thanks again!

What would your idealized self-insert character be, /wbg/? I don't care how mary-sue it feels, I just need some ideas for reasonable/not-so-reasonable "player characters".
Don't worry about power level, the setting's elastic enough to allow for Werewolf Clerics, magical realm Lamia, and several flavors of chuuni.

>>50015005
Why not create conflict with other religious denominations deriving from the same root?

So for example, Muslims would want some of the same artefacts that Christians would because they're both Abrahamic religions.

So you could have them try to invade an actively inhabited Grand Temple that has an artefact that's both important to them and the people currently living there. Cue the Great Monk/Robot War

>>50015005
The above conversation makes it sound more like the problem is you're not getting buttfucked enough.

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>>50015392
Immortal 100+ year old Russian.
He's personally met and fought alongside Stalin, Lenin, Mao, Castro, all the greats.

Has an intimate knowledge of economics and political strategy as well as revolutionary tactics & weaponry.
Can fluently converse in most major languages and has an understanding of world culture and theology that would impress a college professor of the subject.

Grizzled, somewhat grumpy, but still a fun guy to be around or drink with. Doesn't give a flying fuck 90% of the time and even stays pretty cheery when in fuck shit up Russian Bear mode. (Exception: Do not talk about Yeltsin within 200 feet of him)

After the Soviet Union fell, he moved to the United States because he figured if he was going to live in a capitalist shithole, he may as well live in the biggest capitalist shithole.
Currently fucking with historians who try to interview him and plotting glorious revolution as a hobby on the side.

>>50015427
Oh, of course, that's the primary conflict of the game. There's the main church that's based primarily off of Catholicism (at least, when it comes to architecture and iconography) that has knightly orders going around and crusading, looking for the Holy Grail.

Meanwhile, there's the Underchurch. Way back, there was effectively a Unification instead of a Schism in the church, and these guys refused to integrate as one. They're based primarily around Orthodoxy, and they're also crusading, it's just that they're treated like a dangerous cult, and most people have forgotten about them. Their knights became helmed horrors/shield guardians/giant constructs, their worshipers became skeletons and different flavors of zombies, and the highest members of the church are either ageless or have went full Lich. They're looking for the Holy Grail too, with the undead endlessly digging around underground, sometimes rising up and emerging up at holy sites looking for it.

That's legitimately a good idea though. Maybe a temple that contains Caliburn (if we're going for knightly, arthurian-inspired shit), the favored weapon of a long dead, great, king is being sieged by the dead/automatons?

What's interesting is that:

A) If the players are moving through the Underchurch, they can march behind the dead, and eventually perform the mother of all sneak attacks and maybe take out some sort of mummybishop from behind the ranks, crippling the undead that are dependent on orders from a higher power.

B) The undead could enter through some super secret, long forgotten, burial chamber or tomb that only the heads of the Underchurch are aware of (due to everyone else who would know being dead). This could contain clues to get them closer to the Holy Grail.

>>50015474
Well played, anon.

Agreed.
The issue is that th

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>>50015655
Neato beans my dude.

What if the underchurch fellas started infiltrating catacombs and morgues and replacing the corpses there with sleeper agents?

That way, they'd have an army ready to call upon in all major holy sites as well as in large cities.

>>50015652
>Rockstars of the fantasy world
Doing it wrong anon

>>50015392
Probably some kind of rogue--more in the charlatan mold than the outright thief. Someone who know she stands no chance in a straight-up fight, so she prefers to outthink an opponent or else just plain make a break for it, if necessary. A pragmatist who doesn't worry about things like "honor" or "glory" when cornered and will happily throw dirt in your eyes if she has to. She's got a particular fondness for puzzles and codes and dabbles in illusion magic.

>>50015005
Pretty much any underground structure would need some kind of ventilation system; putting something close to a large body of water would be a good idea, since those tend to generate winds. Maybe there's an entrance by something like the Bay of Fundy, where it's a fundamentally different experience traversing the area at low tide than at high tide.

>Don't wanna ruin 4 years of friendship.
Okay, but if it just so happens that you casually graze each other's hands while reaching for something and it leads to a pause as you stare into one another's eyes and you laugh awkwardly but then start straight-up making out, you have to tell us.

>>50001421
Rate my setting

Deities gain and lose power for worship. When a new deity forms (usually from small groups that create them fictively at first, then give them true power through spreading faith) it pushes the influence of similar gods out from an area of the material plane that its worshippers are focused.

For instance, there's a region where, suddenly nobody seems to be dying right. All the sentient races keep coming back as skeletons, ghouls, vampires, or ghosts. This disturbs the local emperor but Clerics, Paladins, and their like have it under control. Those who worship death gods however come forth to confess that they can no longer reach their gods and their powers won't manifest.

This is because a great many former worshippers got disenfranchised with their gods' inability to compete with the gods of light, life, and good. They formed an enclave in a labrynthine dungeon deep beneath a mountain where they worship a budding God. To give it more power the high priests have formed a pact, becoming a Charnel Colossus to give it a vessel.

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So I've run into a bit of a snag in my fantasy setting.

I'm kind of going for a Celestial (in this case though, called Telestial) Bureaucracy sort of thing going on, a bit like Chinese myth. The idea is tiny spirits, godlings, mythical creatures and all other sorts of personified flora, fauna and phenomena keep the world working as intended. Many spirits (depicted as rats) catalog everything that goes in in the world.

However the problems rises up in the afterlife. Basically when you die, your soul drifts up to heaven. After going through many years stuck in legal limbo (leaving recently dead ghosts still around in the mortal world), there you'll be expected to work, pay taxes and so on to join the heavenly world. The concept of divine and karmic punishment happens here too; those who kill others are expected to pay many lengthy sentences of labor and wealth to pay for their misdeeds to the injured party.

The problem with this though is that I kind of want multiple religions to be in the setting. This very factual and monastic afterlife clashes with having a rich fantasy worlds with many different religions.

What could I do to preserve this idea but make it more diverse and varied? Maybe have the Afterlife be a bit like the Egyptian one, requiring a great journey to get there. Maybe once you 'serve your time' more or less you are free to leave heaven, or maybe not. Maybe other religions free you from the orderly afterlife by some sort of other means?

>>50002201

Here's a fun one. Magic crystals, that appear and grow randomly in the game world. They can be found growing on just about any surface, such as the ground, the side of a tree, the roof of a house. Their color corresponds to their magical potency and rarity.

Because of the demand for them, people collect the crystals and sell them when they find them, so a small supply of common crystals can be found in the average city market. Obviously, the rarest crystals are found in the hoards of the wealthy, or in remote caves & dungeons.

Their appearance is a palm sized translucent crystal, similar in shape to quartz, but boasting many fantastic colors and patterns. Using a crystal drains it and it turns to dust.

>>50015753
I don't want to make them too aggressive, but that works. That also explains why they've lasted as long as they have, and it could make for a fun encounter when they really throw their weight around later on in the campaign. Zombie apocalypses are a whole lot more fun with intelligent zombies in crusader gear.


>>50015801
I mean, they're all either zombies or constructs, so, it's not necessary for them, but it definitely makes sense from a gameplay and story perspective to have areas leading up to surface locations.

Hmm... Maybe some sort of ancient baptism pool in a coastal temple, that rises and lowers with the tide?

At really, really, really low tides the alcove that leads deep into the Underchurch is revealed. Plus, hell, everyone has high constitution in the party so they can handle some swimming.

...Hm. Now, the question is, what kind of spooky water-undead with holy themes can I include? Nuckelavee?

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Showed these maps a while ago, working on developing cultures now starting with languages.

1/3

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>>50015989

2/3

>>50015924
Gotta do something with Leviathan.

Maybe witches who were waterboarded? Fuck if I know

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>>50016004

3/3

>>50015867
Religion becomes membership of afterlife law firms and can give you rights and means to fight your karmic sentence. God judges could also work

>>50016041
Not that guy, but this is some 10/10 good shit right here.

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>>50016009
>Leviathan
???
In that case, I can include Sahuagin. Maybe Sea Hags flavored to be 'Drowned Witches'?

>>50016041

So if the Divine Bureaucracy is the 'standard' heaven, then all the other ones are like little offshoots that avoid it somehow? Through various Gods or other methods? I like it.

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>>50016129
The one from the Old Testament

>>50016191
Oh, I know what Leviathan is. I was vague, my bad. I was suggesting an Aboleth taking the place of it, since me and my friend have a mutual lovecraft boner. Sahuagin are natural henchmen to Aboleth too, but, they might be too 'out there'.

>>50016146
Yes, well you cant avoid the law, but the various religions wil use bureaucratic tactics to work with or trough the divine laws. A war cult could bring up the amount of countrymen a violent warrior saved by cleaving the skulls of invading troops, and ask for a shorter sentence. The religions would be targeting specific sins as if they were legal problems, exploiting definitions and loopholes.

>>50016224
>Mutual lovecraft boner

Godammit anon, you're making this too easy

Write a section of a book from your world on any subject

>We left the village of the northmen at dawn, or at least as close to in these lands of eternal darkness. The Jarl himself thanked us for our patronage and presented us with several weapons and armour, which the men took gladly. The Captain seemed to be wary of travelling further north, which at the time I did not think much of. However, when the lights of the village of the northmen had gone out of sight, and the cold had begun to set in I suddenly felt his concern. For the days we travelled it alternated between howling snowstorms and eerie quiet. The snowstorms brought us to a standstill as we all huddled around an oil lamp trying to keep warm. I had given up writing these days for my hands were too cold. On one of the days when it was quiet I could have sworn I heard some unearthly laughter coming from the banks of the river. When I asked one of the men (a northman whom had joined us on our journey) he just said “hyena” and gave me a dark look. I did not enquire further.

>But of all the days of hardship none could compare to just a few days before we arrived at our destination. It was a calm day, and I was assisting the men in tying some ropes when the captain rushed over to us and ordered quiet. I asked him what was happening but he said nothing and began snuffing out the lamps. Suddenly an unearthly thumping came to my ears, and the colour drained from the captain’s face. He froze on the spot, staring out into the tundra. I stared with him, as I saw several large creatures coming towards us. My first clue of what these were was the trumpeting. As they walked closer and closer the captain suddenly pulled be down out of sight of them. All the ship’s crew seemed to be hiding as well. Above us a lamp swung almost hypnotically. For what seemed like ages nothing happened, then suddenly a giant face appeared above us.

>>50017062
>The face could be considered human, but with some differences. For one thing, the forehead was more pronounced, while the chin was near non-existent. The nose, while not as grotesquely large as a troll’s, was still proportionally bigger than a normal human. It studies the swinging lamp with interest, and reaching out with an arm covered in animal skins it effortlessly tore if off the rope. The heat from it didn’t seem to bother it as it studied the light. Then a great sound of trumpeting sprang up from far off, and it let out a strange high pitched scream and seemed to run away from us. Curiousity got the better of me, I peered over the sides of the ship and saw it brandishing what I assumed to be a spear towards the mountains. Perhaps on of his hairy Oliphant heard was in danger?

>In any case, we left that place as fast as we could. After what seemed like many more countless days we arrived. Krome, the Dwarfish capital. Oh, to see it after this long night of horrors. To see such a beautiful place. The gates were higher than any other in our human cities, and as we sailed inside I saw buildings many yards’ high, great magma smelters and placed encrusted with jewels. I will write more tomorrow; I am weary from the journey and need rest. I hope this letter finds you well.

>-Salazar Tibesta

>From "The Travels of His Lordship the Duke of Warrow, Salazar Tibesta"

>>50015915

So the magic crystals just appear for no real reason then?

>>50017062
posting a random excerpt from my notes, I write them like books anyway

>A lot of sex. Funerals often bring a lot of travelers and friends of the family, due to generally being fun and raucous; in a good funeral festival, the drinks will pour non-stop, and the music and dancing will continue for days. Dancing between men and women in Dagonn-Kamyenn can get quite close and heated, as dancing is considered a sort of ‘socially appropriate’ form of sex. It is not uncommon for people to sneak off into a dark corner to themselves after these dances. In fact, deaths of the First Songstress and the Mynn always seem to come before a great baby boom, due to the truly massive festivals that are held in honor of their deaths.

>Relic Removal (Varysh Chakyavash — [Of the Deceased] Taking Belongings , in the Mynnlaw/Vartsalchya — literally ‘Beloved Items’ in the Mynnspeech. A ritual where songstresses gather and take items that were close to the deceased. Keep in mind that items and articles can range from clothing and jewelry to fingers, ears, and other body parts. The items taken are supposed to be the ones that were closest to the person, or the ones they used the most. Wearing items from the deceased is supposed to increase their connection to the Other Side, but in some sects the songstress give them to their Guiding Fire during their songs. (A note: you may hear of Navartsalchya, which is literally ‘Not Beloved Items’ or ‘Unbeloved Items’. This is equated with corpse looting, and is quite illegal, though unfortunately a law that is not easily enforceable.)

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Hey. WWI Atomic bomb guy from last thread.

Bored. Stricken with insomnia.
Gonna post some nonsense.

So as I previously covered here
>>49960166

And here
>>49960178

The basis of my setting is that the Atom bomb was invented in some alternate Earth's version of the Great War (WWI for Yanks) and proceeded to blow shit up in typical European fashion.
Their colonies escaped being bombed, but because their economies were so specialized towards supplying their mother countries, they collapsed into anarchy which has recently picked itself back up into a collection of city states, the most powerful of which have walled themselves off from the rest.

The fallout from whatever the Old World blew themselves up with has gradually been blowing over the sea and has reached the northern tip of the New World, resulting in some deformities and abominations.
See:
>>49960390
>>49965000

Tempted to just post a list of factions and stuff if only to share it and get interest

>>50019073
Go for it bro. Save the thread from extinction for a little while longer at least.

>>50019569
Aight mang

-Three Cities:
Boomtown: Like Vegas, but run by Ayn Rand
Central: 1984, but German. Also Frankenstein
Miracle: Stoner Mormons

-Lesser Cities:
Cragston: Company town of gilded age style mining co.
Waterhole: City located in the middle of a geyser field. Run by a Baron Harkonnen expy
Highlow: Dried up tourist town on the verge of bankruptcy
Diggerton: Town built around an archeological dig of Old World ruins. Run by Ancap Indiana Jones
The Bust: Largest slum in the wasteland located outside of Boomtown. Mostly consists of gambling addicts, druggos, and people who profit off of them. Also forced labour to pay off mafia debts.
Prospector's Gulch: Gold Rush town taken over by bandits
Grit: Middle of nowhere town that stubbornly refuses to die despite being under attack every other day.
Saltspit: built on salt mining and not much else. Their current leader has styled himself a king and has gradually lost his sanity. Named after the town of the same name from TOAIR
Thieving Guild HQ: Home of an Assassin/Thief's Guild that makes its business smuggling high quality goods out of the Three Cities. Has also expanded into a trading empire that dominates the southern half of the Wasteland.

-Others:
The Badlands: Rugged mountainous lands where the worst raiders live. Currently united under the "King of the Bandits".
Firstfolk Lands: Inhabited by the native inhabitants of the New World. They fuck about with drugs to see the future and pester towns around their borders. Also really, really good horsemen.

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setting map.
Made in Civ Mapmaker because It's what I have and I can't figure out how to use anything better.

>>50019881
Not a bad idea actually, quite a nice map anon.

Can we discuss Giants?

I'm perplexed about them and how I want to use them. I want them because I have dwarves, and dwarves were once maggots in the corpse of the first of the giants.

I also love the idea of Giants vs Dragons, a literal battle of titans in a lost age. The fall of the Reptile/Dragons, to the Mammal/Giants.

I also love the imagery of massive cyclopean ruins and artifacts, like a giant sword embedded into the ground. The problem is cyclopean ruins everywhere ruins its mystique.

How have you used giants in your worlds? Where do they come from and what happened to them?

>>50020429
>Giants vs Dragons
I once had a setting based entirely on this concept. At the Meta-physical/Spiritual level, the entire cosmos was a battle between the Concept of Giant vs Dragon. Only the most recent struggles in the mortal realm were actually between literal giants and dragons, however.

>Giants are solid, old, traditional, orderly
>Dragons are creative, fantastical, quick, and chaotic
>First it was Order vs Chaos
>Then the World Serpent vs the Gods
>Then the Titans against the Wyrms
>Then the Giants vs the Dragons

The created races (humans, elves, dwarves, etc) that served both sides have now inherited the world, until the next Giant/Dragon War comes along.

Why do you build worlds?

>>50020978
It's fun.

>inb4 >fun

>>50020429
Always hungry. They need a ton of food, and in the wild their technological limitations (big clunky hands, and constant malnutrition) prevent them from regularly securing high calorie meals.

As a result wild giants can pose a real risk to unsuspecting travelers, though this isn't through malice it is often perceived as such.

However within the civilized realms they're basically human trophies, their massive forms making wonderful laborers for the kind of immortalizing mega projects kings love so much, and the mere presence of a giant on the battlefield can demoralize non-professional troops (though keeping one fed on campaign is a bit of a logistics nightmare).

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>>50020978
To give me somewhere to go once this place goes up in flames and I'm stuck in the void.

>>50020969
I was thinking of doing something like that but I also like the idea of the victory of the mammal over the reptile as well. In this case it's less Chaos vs Law. It's more Chaos was first, and Law imposes itself over Chaos.

>>50020978
Because I'm an autistic retard that finds pleasure in creating things to fill the void in my soul

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>>50021049
What's the rate of caloric-intake between a regular human and a giant? How much more does a giant need? Like, if you upscale a 6ft tall human athlete/soldier to 16ft proportional, how do you calculate his actual dietary needs?

>>50020429
There's real giants, who were as big as mountains and who've all died. Their bodies and tools are geographical features.
Then there's "giants", very large human shaped insectoids who live in the western mountains and grow immense quantities of food on the sunny side of it.

>>50021225
Let's say that this 6ft tall soldier is very well built and well fed, depending on his genetics and body fat he can weigh anywhere from 170-210 pounds. On a campaign he would ideally consume 3500 calories a day. The giant, considering bone and muscle density upscaling, at a height of 16 feet would consume about 15-25 thousand calories a day.

>>50019881
neat

So how retarded would making an entire setting based on literal metaphors be?
And I don't mean the setting happens to be 'empathetic', such as it starting to rain when sad things happen. I mean that the rivers actually start running red with blood after especially gruesome battles, even if they didn't take place close enough for any of the actual blood spilled to enter the water.
The endgame enemy is a physical manifestation of a particular problem, like pollution, that the residents have to fight with weapons, or can fight metaphorically to drain it of power.

>>50023916
Sounds pretty retarded to me dude

>>50023916
The concept as a whole is good, but your execution of it (re: FernGully) is a waste.

>>50024020
Opinion noted.
>>50024140
That was just an example.
How about a death knight made manifest as the living symbol of a lust for power, and his idiotic, expendable minions being representatives of the tendency of people to follow monsters unwittingly?

>>50024164
Dude that's just allegory. That's boring and strained.

No; I meant your world-of-metaphors thing. Red rivers of blood, but extended to EVERYTHING. It would be a very interesting world, to play and GM in. For Big Bads, don't look to allegory -- make robber barons so beastly they are literal beasts, and conniving viper viziers, and the like.

Though I'm biased because my magic works by metaphor.

>>50024195
Well, I mean, I don't see how there's too terribly much of a difference there, but I already have a setting sort of to the description you made.
When I say that the Death Knight was made manifest as the living symbol for the lust for power, I mean that the lust for power would be so great that it actually made him in response to serve as the 'escape valve' for such desires.
Or the King, if he was considered a good king, would become a better king in response to his subject's desires, or a new king would be given mystical strength to rise up in response to an evil one. If a cruel king is hated enough, he might be killed by freak accident.

In the setting I have that already exists, werewolves are created by cannibal cults drawing upon the power of darkness to manifest their depraved hungers in a physical, magical way- the hunger and ferocity of a wolf, and the two-faced nature of a shapeshifter.

>>50001440

>What are the largest militaries in your setting?

The undead armies of Nubosia are the most feared. Basically, because they are undead.

The second most feared army would be the human nation of Krin-Loh, where every man practices with the lance since the day he can hold and throw one.

>What special magic, weapons, technology, or monsters are commonly used in war?

Dinosaurs are common in the setting. Flying ships are too, but not gunpowder, so its about boarding, ramming and shooting arrows.

Dwarves have unlocked an special gas that can be contained in clay canisters and used in bronze "mistweapons". These incluse net-throwers and harpoons. Massive harpoon throwers are used as siege weapons and anti-air artillery.

The gnome Doimon League are the only ones who make heavy use of magic in their army, with ice golems, many flying ships and whatever magic relic they can get their hands on.

>>50003012

More of this please. Is an sci-fi setting?

>>50024231
Yeah bitch, I know, and that kinda setting's boring to me. It's not a case of "it's been done"; it's a case of "I don't know how you'd do it well".

No one does straight-up "metaphor magic is real" bullshittery.

>>50024195
>>50024231
>>50024430
Just thought I let you know: what you are describing is essentially EVERY MYTHOLOGY EVER.
Mythology is a metaphorical way of speaking about real world things. And since fantasy as a genre is basically build on extending and elaborating mythological narratives and worlds, the thing that you were talking about is actually deep at the core of virtually all fantasy ever made. It's just that most people don't realize that. Hell, it's what MADE Tolkien's work. Like:
What the hell do you guys think is a Hobbit? Hobbit is a metaphor for status quo, for that kind of peaceful, complacent existence British middle class was so proud of in Tolkien's era. And what do you think Smaug is? It's a chaos and corruption embodied? He literally embodies human vices. And the whole story is a metaphor of getting out of your complacent comfort zone, facing the chaos and evil that lurks outside, conquer it with your wits and win treasure: that is a metaphor for any risk-taking venue you might ever undergo.

Fantasy and mythology IS metaphorical at it's basis. It's what makes it meaningful to us to begin with.

>>50024491
Just thought I let you know: 1 + 1 = 2.

>>50025242
Considering the previous discussion, people are confused about this and you behaving like an asshole is entirely unwarranted. Now fuck off.

>>50025269
>waaa stop being an asshole on 4chan!!!
>now fuck off

>>50025284
I really don't know what you are trying to achieve here. What ever it is, it seems pretty sad and pointless. But thanks for the bumps, I guess.

>>50025293
Just thought I let you know: this is an anonymous imageboard. An insult on your patronising ramblings is not an insult on you.

I want this thread bumped, just like anyone else. But, I prefer good content.

>>50025304
>But, I prefer good content.
Which is why you insult people for providing insight and very relevant comment on something they seem to be struggling to understand?
Sure thing, kid, sure thing.

>>50025313
>insight
If it is insight to tell us all that 1+1 = 2.
>struggling
You jumped in, assuming people were struggling. You even say "most people don't realize" this extremely well-known phenomenon, i.e. that we make connections between things and this is essentially the content of fictional works.

This is all fairly mediocre; nothing bad, nothing good. But it is blindingly obvious. There's nothing wrong with saying something is obvious, anon, and you shouldn't get so butthurt about it.
>relevant
I do not see how it was relevant at all. We were talking about worlds where metaphor was real, not worlds which contained metaphor.

It's very interesting to me that you think this is all insulting. It suggests you associate your ideas, and your posts, VERY strongly with yourself. This is unhealthy. But! At least you have descended to your own hated level.

>>50025357
First of all, it's not common knowledge. Second of all, how fucking insecure you have to be to actually perceive this as insulting? You really have to be mentally ill to react this way. Ever considered consulting a specialist on this subject? And if you don't see how what I stated is relevant to a person presenting his idea of a fantasy world based on literal embodiments of metaphors as a NOVEL concept that he is unsure whenever it works or not, and another person struggling to comprehend the difference between a metaphor and allegory, then that might be another cause of concern over your mental health.

Let's drop the act, kid: you are the second guy in the discussion (you were fairly unpleasant even when engaging the other), and you are so damn insecure this made you feel threatened, and you had the urge to insult me over it. That is sad and you should probably do something about that attitude. Now, once again: why don't you fuck off?

>>50025397
>it's not common knowledge
Is too.
>if I call him what he called me, I will surely regain my internet reputation
Nigga this'd better be a ruse or this is some legit insecurity. This is the stuff five year olds do.
>metaphor as novel
Deliberately, this is novel. Not too novel, no, see Pratchett and so on. But most, such as Tolkien, do not use metaphor in-universe. This should be pretty obvious, but apparently I am not so good at judging these things :^)
>allegory vs. metaphor
Allegory is "the big bad dude is pollution", mongoose, metaphor would be "court spies are literally shadows". I know you can see the difference.
>and you had the urge to insult me over it.
You weren't insulted but perhaps I can fix that for you, faggot.

>>50025463
There is so much wrong with this post... I'm not sure if it's worth engaging you though. You not only just proved to me that my original post was warranted and relevant to begin with, but also proved just how incredibly insecure and incapable of most basic and decent conversation you are...

>if I call him what he called me, I will surely regain my internet reputation
Dude, you are the one who started screaming about how I'm partonizing towards you. Jesus Fucking Christ. How is this not a sign of immense insecurity?

>Deliberately, this is novel.
You JUST stated that it's common sense? How is it novel now?

>But most, such as Tolkien, do not use metaphor in-universe.
Did you NOT JUST TELL ME THAT ADMITTING THAT TOLKIEN'S STORIES ARE METAPHORICAL IN NATURE IS JUST AS OBVIOUS AS STATING THAT 1+1=2?
What the actual FUCK?
Yes, apparently you are not very good at judging these things.

>Allegory is "the big bad dude is pollution", mongoose, metaphor would be "court spies are literally shadows".
Uh... no. Thanks for proving me right once again. The first case can be (depending on context) be both a metaphor and an allegory, but the second is definitely not a metaphor. It's actually a substitution.

>You weren't insulted but perhaps I can fix that for you, faggot.
And YOU have the audacity to tell others "this is the stuff a five years old do"?

>>50025552
>Dude, you are the one who started screaming about how I'm partonizing towards you
No, anon, you are the one who started screaming at all.
>you behaving like an asshole is ENTIRELY UNWARRANTED
>now fuck off
;)
>You JUST stated that it's common sense? How is it novel now?
Because you have no reading comprehension. I'm not sure if it's worth engaging with you if you can't be bothered to hold a conversation.
>Did you NOT JUST TELL ME THAT ADMITTING THAT TOLKIEN'S STORIES ARE METAPHORICAL IN NATURE IS JUST AS OBVIOUS AS STATING THAT 1+1=2?
Yep!

But, you see, this has nothing to do with whether they are *in-universe* metaphorical in nature. At least, I hope you see. You do not have a good track record with these things.
>The first case can be (depending on context) be both a metaphor and an allegory,
Crows and birds motherfucker.
>but the second is definitely not a metaphor. It's actually a substitution
Let's look at that:
>a simile states that A is like B, a metaphor states that A is B or substitutes B for A.
Huh...really makes you think...

But to be fair to you, I think it's just more likely you misunderstood my example. You've never heard of "shadowing" someone?

>And YOU have the audacity to tell others "this is the stuff a five years old do"?
Fag.

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>>50025313
Kek.

>>50025629
Yep, you were not worth engaging after all. Thanks for proving that you are JUST a complete asshole.

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Hot off the lazy meme presses.

>>50025691
Considering the previous discussion, you were confused about this and you behaving like an asshole was entirely unwarranted. Now fuck off.

Now that's dealt with: what is the single most common mistake people make in worldbuilding, in your opinion?

>>50026085
Wait, you actually expect anyone to take you seriously after what you just displayed?

I get shitposting and trolling, but this is a whole new level of delusion.

>>50026112
That's right anon, we must keep this thread full of "shitposting and trolling".

>>50026112
>>50026218
Jesus Christ shut the fuck up already

>>50026218
Except you are the one shitposting here. That is why I'm confused why you would ever think that anyone wants to seriously engage you. You had been shitposting here for solid three hours at least. Complete with posting smilies and "U FAG" instead of arguments. Hell, your last post was just literal repost of what I told you at the beggining of the discussion - you know the "I'm going to infuriate people by acting like a four years old" strategy?

So why the fuck would you ever expect anyone to come back and start discussing world-building seriously with you?
Again: there is fishing for "YOU's" by acting as insufferably as possible, and then there is the delusion of thinking that doing that is OK and won't make people not want to talk to you anymore...

>>50026250
You jumped into a conversation you knew nothing about and spread your shitty wisdom as if anyone needed to know. You then got worryingly butthurt when this was pointed out to you. You did not stop being worryingly butthurt, even when I tried to re-rail this thread, but instead doubled-down on the empty damage control. And now you've got people telling you to shut up, and you still won't.

I think you're mad because you've realised I wasn't trolling, that you were really being that retarded. Either way, it's pretty obvious this -- all of this -- is on you.

>>50026333
Anon you're responding to him too. If you really want to rerail the thread shut up and stop falling for his bait, that'll clear up the thread
>>50026085
anyway the main flaw I see in worldbuilding is uniqueness for the sake of being unique. I think people are afraid of making "another one of -those-" fantasy worlds, like Clichea or Eragon, but they take it too far and start making things worse or adding things in just so people don't accuse them of copying.

>>50020204
>>50023895
Thanks.

Requests for more information, or lore?
Or should I just post randomly for the helluvit?

>>50026918
Economics and trade

>>50026974
Alright.

So right now, there are two major centers of economic power in the Wasteland: the Thieving Guild & their allies, and Boomtown.

On the outskirts of Central, the Thieving Guild has built itself a cozy little nest. The Guild’s headquarters takes the form of a thriving centre of trade filled with bustling bazaars, crowded customs houses, and streetside auctions for goods of all shapes and sizes. It is here that caravan companies from across the wastes gather to buy, sell, and exchange goods. The Thieving Guild has grown rich and powerful off of trade tariffs, blackmail, and its many lucrative associates. The Guild itself operates a respectable mining operation and plantation using the labour of traded slaves and debtors alike, but a majority of resources are imported from afar. What attracts caravans to this city of commerce is its proximity to Central and its alluring technology, which the Guild has grown quite adept at smuggling out of the city. While appliances and trinkets fetch a goodly price on the markets, the major trade is in weapons, as the advanced firearms of Central are tactically invaluable. The Guild’s headquarters, in addition to serving as a defacto town hall, also serves a university of sorts for guild initiates, who are taught the fundamentals of commerce, exchange, and good business. Smugglers are also trained in the ways of subterfuge, stealth, and trickery for use against city authorities and rival trade companies alike. The Guild originated as an organization of pickpockets who banded together to exchange loot, information, and provide mutual protection from the victims of their crimes and eventually arose to the lofty position it holds today.

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cont.:

The Guild has stretched its tendrils quite far, dominating the southern half of the Wasteland and buying up rival caravan companies that won't comply with their strict regulations, as well as punishing any city with the audacity to trade with rivals with a slew of tariffs and blacklisting.

Expansion northward has been frustratingly slow, as the small, but resilient Northern caravan companies have banded together and allied with smaller northern settlements who fear subjugation by the powerful guild.

The Guild, however, is not against using dubious tactics, and has a highly trained staff of saboteurs, assassins, and spies on hand to cripple their competition.

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Boomtown: a sprawling glitzy city of lights with a seedy underbelly of organized crime. Officially, no one is permitted to enter from the outside. Unofficially, (relatively) safe passage inside the city is only an exorbitant bribe away. They say that money will get you anywhere in Boomtown, but by the same token, lack thereof is a one way ticket back into the desert, as mob families are prone to “evicting” those whose bank roll drops too low. Business is business, and folks who can’t afford to keep gambling are just taking up space for paying customers. One of the desert’s most squalid shantytowns; nicknamed The Bust by residents, squats in the shadow of Boomtown’s luxurious resorts. Its residents spend their humdrum days dreaming of one day experiencing the city’s pleasures, those who have doing everything in their power to get back in.

While Boomtown's isolationism may seem counter-intuitive, it's actually a lucrative scheme of the Montague family, who control much of the coastal land in Boomtown and, more importantly, the massive Old World pumps that supply water to the parabolic troughs which both power Boomtown and supply fresh water.
If Boomtown were to open its doors to foreign imports, this monopoly on water would be lost, and thus, the Montagues consistently buy off Boomtown's private police to keep the borders shut.

>>50024402
Yes. Literal Hell on earth. 50+ years in the future, mankind hit a golden age when discover AmmPars, a previously thought benign particle that was discovered to have unusual effects when exposed to the right stimuli. This cumulates into an overuse and eventual chain-reaction meltdown among a world-wide network of power plants, ripping holes in reality. Then comes the demons.

Humanity is forced to flee to what was once the undesirable parts of the world as the Infernal Legions take over. It isn't until 3 years after the catastrophe that things begin to change, when the arrival of the Celestrial Hosts bring opposition to the Legions. The arrival of "angels" renews faith in humanity and causes a combined military movement to push back, donning the name Knights Templar. Unfortunately, the Hosts are not divine protectors, viewing humanity as no more than a convenient resource for their war.

In addition to the Legions, the new world holds many dangers, insane demon cults, opportunist warlords, and mutant hordes lurk the ruins if the deserted and destroyed cities.

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>>50028649
Counter to the Montagues are the Caputlets (yeah, yeah, I know it's cheesy)

The Capulets are relatively small and new compared to their more established rivals, but have made a name for themselves by buying up the allegiance of most of Boomtowns’ smaller gangs and drug runners by promising greater mobility and respect than in the more rigidly hierarchal established syndicates. They control the flow of drugs, weapons, and slaves in and out of the city.
Naturally, their interests are opposed to the ruling Montagues, whose measures to keep foreign goods out hurt their business.

>>50015392
Terminator Wizard, because fuck you.

>>50015392
A kind, wizened old spellcaster who serves as the advisor to the good king and is pretty much the instructor of magic in the region. He is respected by the knights of the court, feared by evil, and loved by the realm's children as an uncle figure. He has a moral backbone of adamantine and is completely celibate, but has just enough of a trickster underpinning to be interesting.
He's set out to help the realm after a prophesy has come upon him, and if he fails to defeat the evil himself, he will return to warn the realm and gather a couple of teenagers with attitude to solve the problem.

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(WWI Atom Bomb guy again)

I could use some help fleshing out a culture that believes that the world is destroyed every day when the sun sets.

Currently have it established that their culture emphasizes impermanence and change because they're so nomadic. They tend to focus on the present over the past or future, and consider references to the past of future (like "before" or "later") to be bad luck.

Their creation story has it that the Sun is actually a giant eye that brought the world into existence by perceiving it. It used to be infinite and comprised the entire sky, but over time as people observed it and therefore enforced their limited perceptions onto it, it shrunk into a tiny ball. Now it punishes people who look at it by blinding them.

Because it no longer stretches on for infinity, it can no longer see everything at once, and needs to circle the earth.

Currently trying to figure out how to logically explain why they think the world gets destroyed after each day and recreated in the morning (because this could logically be proven wrong simply by staying up)

Also have no clue what the hell the moon is supposed to be to them.

>>50024402
Like a mix of Doom, Diablo and a bit of 40k. I like it.

>>50031336
And will eventually be a miniatures game.

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Does your world have any great philosophers? Individual thinkers who changed the course of civilizations?

Like Confucius, Plato, or the Buddha?

>>50031540
Philosophy's a Spook

Hey /tg/, looking for inspiration for an adult game im creating. Basic premise is that's the is a leading Nobel house that is annually sent tributes/volunteers by the other Nobel houses that must serve and be trained there for one year as a show of allegiance and respect.

Basically I'm trying to find a way to do an explicitly consensual slave training game but I'm unsure how to build a world around this premise.

Are there any other worlds/periods in time where people content voluntarily serving for a period of time?

>>50032652
I've never met a spook who studied philosophy.

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>>50033458
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alain_LeRoy_Locke
Here's one motherfucker

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>>50033458
Thomas Sowell.

Incidentally, the more philosophical a black man gets, the more he sounds like a racist old white guy.

>>50033699
Eh, it's sort of a requirement for a philosopher to be a crotchety old man.

Their power is in their beards.

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>>50033411
Are you trying to recreate fucking Gor?

>>50001440
>largest military
Fucking gnolls.

>special stuff
Let's see.

There are some knightly orders that have magical (flesh-warped) mounts that the elves gave them as curiosities and they then bred. The elves are somewhat bemused by this.

>>50033818
No I want it to be consensual, that is key

>>50034308
Oh right.

But if it's a tradition, how consensual can it really be? Wouldn't people be pressured to do so by political needs like alliances, or by their family?

>>50035074

>Wouldn't people be pressured to do so by political needs like alliances, or by their family?

Judging from every single human culture on earth, odds are good.

Gor by any other name is still Gor.

>>50035111
Anon should admit he's magical realming and join the rest of us.

a kingdom in my setting merged with several other regional powers (another, smaller kingdom, a small religious nation, a city-state, etc)

what powers would the nobility retain, most likely, assuming it's an equally represented union?

>>50035224

'merged' how? Conquest? League of Nations vs a regional superpower? Skulduggering (internal overthrow funded by foreign power)? Trade alliance + intermarriage = conglomeration?

Nobles/clergy/whatever from different states would retain different powers depending on what happened. If the 'kingdom' was the most powerful, the rules would be slanted to favour it's nobility - likely the most powerful in the other countries being granted some rights (noble titles from the kingdom), and lesser nobility/clergy getting shafted.

An 'equally represented union' is a weird beast in politics and very rare. The closest analogue would be that all countries would keep their own rules in their own borders, but have certain new rules of taxation and ARMY levies/payments/quartering imposed on top. Like an ultra-alliance rather than a single nation.

It'd also be very likely to have regional unrest.

>>50035299
exactly what i was looking for, i gave it very little thought because i've been hopping from area to area

thanks man

>>50035074
That is where's I'm getting stuck. I'm open to other ideas if any anons can think of a good premise.

>>50035111
I don't have anything against the silliness of gor but I want to avoid forced slavery

>>50035544
A harem? If a noble falls in love with a commoner, they can marry, but the commoner must agree to serve in his harem as a concubine for X amount of time before officially marrying to prove his/herself (depending on what you're into). Also adds an element of intrigue, as only one member of the harem can become the noble's official husband/wife

>>50035612
This is an interesting idea, it's still a little coerced since im sure the majority of people would rather ear not have to be in a harem so they can marry.

For the record all I'm into is consensual bdsm, there's nothing out there that is just cheek you smiley fun, it's all gotta be rapey.

Then again trying to find a premise for consensual submission is far trickier.

>>50035544

Slavery is definitionally nonconsensual. Even if it's 'by choice' like people who do bdsm consensual 'slavery' roleplaying in real life, it still has that element - people are getting stuff out of it because of that element of nonconsent, which humans are wired to interact with.

If you have a society with debt slavery, criminal slavery, time-based (contract?) slavery, whatever, it's a lesser form of it but it's still slavery. The basic idea that people are forced to do things they wouldn't want to do is present and the connotations of forced labour/forced sexual servitude/people owning slaves and treating them badly are similarly there inherently due to language and story-expectations.

Note that enforced order-following exists in other contexts, like the idea of a 'prisoner' or a 'soldier'. But pretending that 'voluntary' slavery doesn't have those connotations is going to make your setting less a setting and more wank-material full of unrealistic 2d people. Some people can take wank-material and make it a serious setting, like Charles Stross in Saturn's Children, but most of the time people can't.

>>50035414

Glad I was able to help.

>>50035670
So let's not call it slavery, call it submission or service.

>>50035653

>consensual bdsm

Right. If everyone has to do it, it's not consensual anymore. Modern consensual bdsm works because it's opt-in and sexually charged and largely private. Most of the 'groups' and whatever tend to only attract people who have made it to some degree a part of their lifestyle, they are already 'bought-in' to it. If it's part of a SOCIETY, it's to some degree mandatory. That's not consensual bdsm anymore.

What you might be looking for is a sexually-open society, or a 'debauched' one where sex and pleasure are more common and less-concealed than other societies in the human paradigm. More kinks, less hiding of stuff (although still enough, let's not go full furfaggot here, think silk curtain rather than locked door), more infidelity and drama and arts and so on. think Renaissance Venice. Likely a society with large trade revenue.

>>50035544
If in doubt make it religious. Have your primary diety own a blessed slave, then make it a huge honour for the church to train in the holy arts of submission.

>>50035653
Wait, you're having trouble finding consensual BDSM?

Because that's easy shit my dude, I can offer some stuff if you want.

>>50035797
All for it, happy to post it here or want me to PM you?

>>50035823
Do a pm bud.

>>50035683

Well the major problem i'm seeing with your initial concept is that it's incredibly unfocused. Ladies-in-Waiting is the concept you're looking for - nobles sent to provide 'service' but really make connections and learn about politics.

What you mean by 'slave training' though is.. unclear. On the one hand, you want to run a game where the players are effectively slaves in a hierarchical society with slavery, without it being a 'defeat slavery!' game, and okay. That's kinda wank material but if everyone's on board with that then it could be a fine game, of the social and political and wanking stripe. But if you want societal slavery to be fine and okay and good and acceptable to modern players, uh. That's only really going to work if all the players have a delusion that nonconsensual servitude can 'work' as an overall societal policy without people being ground in the gears even worse than they are in modern society.

>>50035839
Shoot me an email if you'd like

>>50035935
Yeah I get what you mean. I think getting the word slavery anywhere near it is going to make it pretty nonsensical. It might not matter to most people but I like having a premise that is at least somewhat logical.

The only thing I'm really trying to work out is why anyone would agree enthusiastically to submit/serve someone for about a year. Honestly I just want bdsm elements in a happier context.

>>50036084
Would a Steam work? Less concerned with anons spamming that

>>50013356
>What are the worst diseases to catch...

Vampirism. No teeth or sun problems. Just want to drink blood and fuck pussy. Can't become drunk either. Doesn't feel good, like revelry or anything. It feels like this distracting obsession that you can't break away from. The sex is good, and the blood, though disgusting, does give you physical prowess, but it ruins whatever life you had, because this is just what motivates you now. You killed your cat, make regular trips to the butcher, cheated on your wife, but you're still not sated. Eventually it gets so strong you can't control yourself at all. You attack small children as you walk by, grope random women, etc. That's the cliff, then you probably get taken to jail where you go completely mad and die within a few days, unless you're well fed, in which case you might be strong enough to break free. All the same, you're getting slain.

>What drugs are used recreationally?

Salt. A particular blue kind. It tastes like salt, and is used thusly by most. But when added to coffee, it has a strange effect. It grants a sort of twisted "mastery" of the mind. You can choose a thing and fixate on it totally, but TOO TOTALLY. Imagine a man drawing a bow for the first time with perfect form, and with utmost grace, loosing the arrow into a random direction, having forgotten about the target. Or a man standing guard unwavering and with utmost intensity, but so focused on watching for intruders that he does not know what to do when he sees one. Wizards love this stuff, and it is a great remedy for Dreamblindness. Wizards call it Tsalt to be hip.

>>50036106
Id be happy to but I can never work out how to use steam. My Skype is orlandocomplex if you have that.

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>>50036170
Aw, you'll get the hang of it.

Tadpoleon here.
I'll be the one with pic related as profile

>>50024231
I kind of have something like this. He is called White Wand, and he is vengeance itself, and also why there are no terrible monarchs. Enough vengefulness of a particular velocity will generate White Wand, who is one thing but exists simultaneously in all places where his existence is merited. He approaches in the night, standing at 10 feet, holding an 8 foot claymore all burning purly white called the White Wand. White Wand cuts through everything. All that's left is massive gash where the offender was when the White Wand came.

>>50035299
dunno if you're still here, gonna give you a basic synopsis of what i've thought of so far and what i don't know

--------------

[Big Kingdom] uses military force to secure nearby territories, i.e. scattered feudal kingdoms. hopes to consolidate nearby territories and offers lords privileges (what sort of privileges?)

years pass, the territories consolidate under [Big Kingdom] rule, begin to see themselves as members of said kingdom

[small kingdom] on the eastern border of [big kingdom] begins to push for territory, causing minor strife. the royal standing army (legit? who knows) is not called, leaving peasant levies and not!knights to fight back

eventually, intermarriages cause a loose alliance and the [small kingdom] is brought into the nascent confederation

years pass

[magical city state] experiences troubles as southern raiders begin to come north due to [natural and/or geopolitical disaster], pressuring the weakest targets on the south coast, aka the nonmilitary, nonkingdom [magical city state]

[magical city state] asks the confederation (mostly [big kingdom] standing royal army) to help, sends expeditionary force

military leaders/units are stationed in [magical city state], eventually asks to join the confederation--[big kingdom] agrees as they are the dominant power in the nascent imperial confederation

[religious nation-state] priests/leaders in [magical city state] communicate with [big kingdom] to revoke the ban on their religion in [big kingdom] territory (and by extension, the confederation)

the nation-state is brought into the confederation and over years the religion becomes fairly dominant

years pass (as stated in the note above) and the confederation begins to gobble up territory across the rest of the continent; it's practically siberia to the north, though, so it's mostly just claims on land

------------

sorry for long post, any gaps in logic or any ideas for something i missed out on? thanks

>>50036416

I actually have to leave to go to a game, but i'll write up something to respond to this later.

For now, i'd suggest you look at England - and their conquest/various troubles with Scotland and Ireland (and Wales, more rarely). The various /shenanigans/ they went through are excellent fodder, and there's a lot of detail on them.

The unification of the Holy Roman Empire, or Charlemagne's wars, all provide further detail on how horrifically byzantine expansionistic wars (and how horrendously brutal) they could become.

>>50036787
Fantastic, definitely not bloody enough ;)

thanks

>>50001440
>What are the largest militaries in your setting?
I'm still working on the species level, but right now I can say for certain it will be one of 2 options. Whichever human kingdom (or perhaps a confederacy or chunk of allied states) ends up being the most industrialized, or the campaign plot kickstarting "aliens". Though they'd be taking the more most powerful rather than more numerous route.

>What special magic, weapons, technology, or monsters are commonly used in war?
Well skyships are a thing, and you can absolutely bet they've been weaponized. The setting is kind of powder fantasy, bit industrialized, turn of the 20th century but with less coal more magic.

As of yet magic items come from taking that magical fuel and pumping it through metals forged in such a way that they geometries of their structure impart a will upon that magic juice. The insides of magi-guns aren't rifled. They're etched with various shapes and patterns.

The fun stuff happens when you hook up say, an industrial sized canister of magic into a weapon designed to used a personal cylinder. Guns don't stop firing, literally shitting out a beam of bullet until their barrels freeze, rust, and shatter.

Magical creatures are also used for war. Humans will use them to a mall extent though they will generally stick to the familiar. Dogs bread in such a way that they interact with the aether in some manner, mundane enough to handle. The setting villain alien baddies will of course have the warped remains of the civilizations that came before, gives a good excuse for monsters of the week.

>>50013356
>What are the worst diseases to catch?

Those who ignore the Worshipful Company of Lightmongers banning of Conflagration do so at their own risk.

Initially, those who are exposed to fire become enthralled by it, unable to take their eyes of it for any prolonged period of time. As time goes on their skin turns pallid and sallow, and the colour of their irises melts to a ashen black, flecked with a orange burn. Then the flame begins to slowly suck the heat out of the enthralled's body, turning them into a freezing husk that can no longer leave it's red heat lest they freeze to death in their boots.

Those who are lucky at this point starve to death. The unfortunate few who persist begin to hear the flame speaking to them, promising them ethereal delights in exchange for their service. At this point they become Charred, working to undermine the fabric of our great City from within as thralls to their enkindled masters.

>>50013356
Exposure to the planets atmosphere will quickly result in hyperoxia and death but worse than that would be to inhale spores and contract Lung Rot at which point you're as good as dead unless you can get a lung-transplant ASAP.

A dangerous mental disorder, "Gibson's Disease", was first found in patients that had undergone neuropathic fusion with a computer interface (usually a hardsuit one). While tests indicated a heightened reaction time, memory and general intelligence increase in non-combat situations, pilots began to wander in focus. First reported hallucinations of sensor huds in their vision and then experiencing phantom pains in relation to their suits hull being damaged. While initially dismissed as a natural mental feedback to the process it became clear that pilots outside of their hardsuits fluctuated between deeply miserable and manically neurotic.

The Gibson Project was terminated after the investigation into the death of two Astrudian pilots who had undergone the process. Details remain as classified information to this day.

>>50004431
well since it has japanese nations it's pretty clear that ww2 either didn't happen or had a substantially different outcome, so there's no reason to believe that the baltics and eastern europe should be a part of soviet.

>>50039049
He did say that WWII was where the historical divergence began technically so I don't think its beyond reason to assume that. Also, he did mention that Germany is a major world power so maybe they took over the baltics and eastern europe.

>>50004431
Anon who made the map here, what would be more believable geopolitics? If say, the Baltic states, Belarus, Ukraine, and Moldova fell to the Russians, would that be more believable?

>>50036416

>[Big Kingdom] uses military force to secure nearby territories, i.e. scattered feudal kingdoms. hopes to consolidate nearby territories and offers lords privileges (what sort of privileges?)

Take a leaf out of England's book - purges, followed by granting land inside Big Kingdom's borders to 'loyal' nobles from small kingdoms, and granting fiefs in the small kingdoms to english lords. Have this /not work/, and result in a weird mishmash where Big Kingdom had to put down several rebellions to make their territorial claims stick. Include a foreign-backed rebellion (The French) that starts a massive enmity between the Big Kingdom and another regional power they can't directly confront (due to geography, money disparity, military tactics that defeat Big Kingdom, allies). This is a great way to sell that empire-building is /hard/, if the first step with a vast 'power disparity' doesn't go well. It cements that the power of an empire is in it's organization and collective will rather than it's size, which you need to sell to make threats against the union, or the integrity of it, a real worry for npcs.

>years pass, the territories consolidate under [Big Kingdom] rule, begin to see themselves as members of said kingdom

For extra points, they have national pride in their region while also having national feeling towards the Big Kingdom, sorta how Scots were super-proud of their scottish identity and yet formed some of the most effective and motivated infantry for Great Britain for centuries.

>>50036416

>[small kingdom] on the eastern border of [big kingdom] begins to push for territory, causing minor strife. the royal standing army (legit? who knows) is not called, leaving peasant levies and not!knights to fight back

Why is the royal standing army (most nations have some form of standing army - even feudal monarchies have a very strong royal army that acts as a counterbalance for the power of the nobles, both that raised by holdings held by the royal family directly and one funded by tithes of food, money and men from nobles (even nobles paid taxes in most feudalistic monarchies, just not a lot of tax) which was usually an elite force that included an element of 'household guard/life guard' for the monarch) not involved in the war? Internal dissension between monarch and nobles? Perhaps the scattered feudal kingdoms were the ones invaded, and due to them being seen as 'rebellious', they were left to fend for themselves? Skulduggery? A chamberlain making a king look weak so he could try to usurp?

What is the composition of the small kingdom? How did they win vs even the regional forces of the larger kingdom? Do they have a martial tradition that is superior but not the organization to properly conquer the lands (and thus intermarriage began)? Did they have the organization, but lost to a local lord who was a military genius? Or did their military tech/style lose despite having the organization to press a claim and the kingdom only having local lords' forces in the area? If this is mid-high fantasy, did they lose to powerful individuals? Is the Lych Lord still tithed to by peasants so he doesn't rise and destroy them like he did the army of King Wallace the Great? A reason for their loss, a reason for their belligerence, and a reason for the stalemate that resulted in intermarriage, respect, and trade. Also, the final push factor (coup, royal marriage, strong trade ties, nobles pushing it) that joined the nations.

>>50039283
You'd need a lot more changes than just that to make that map start making any sense in a semi-realistic context.

>>50039422
Such as? You still haven't given any concrete advice.

>>50036416

>eventually, intermarriages cause a loose alliance and the [small kingdom] is brought into the nascent confederation

Is this a confederation or is the small kingdom coming under the rule of the larger one? Confederations are hard to hold together - direct rule is very different to Thebes forming the Boeotian League.

>years pass

The strength of the kingdom should fluctuate to indicate both why it didn't fall apart (strengthening) and why it didn't annex neighbours (weakening, troubled). Alternatively, write in some/roleplay some self-satisfied complacency amongst nobles of the empire - sorta like chinese bureaucracy in some eras.

>[magical city state] experiences troubles as southern raiders begin to come north due to [natural and/or geopolitical disaster], pressuring the weakest targets on the south coast, aka the nonmilitary, nonkingdom [magical city state]

If the natural/geopolitical disaster is big enough to swallow the kingdom/confederation, but the kingdom instead used the situation to annex some cities and treat the refugees/raiders as the real problem, it's a nice schadenfreude. Otherwise, i'd suggest making the 'raiders' a culture of raiding (vikings, mongols, normans, saracens, huns) that militarized, got organized, and only didn't immediately take the magic city due to luck and terrain barriers (they sail in ships unsuited to crossing the ocean and don't do so in numbers, say - their first raid was reflected by the Six Great Houses (of mage-nobility) with a powerful ritual spell, and the raiders hadn't encountered that kind of magic before, but quickly upped their sacrifice-based runic magic to ward them against magic of all kinds).

Or something like that. It doesn't have to be detailed, but another 'layer' on that scenario will help make the integration seem a bit more epic. Think about each 'step' in the history as something you could base a campaign on, and you'll have the right level of detail to hook player interest.

>>50039432
The U.S.S.R. somehow annexing all of the middle east and North Africa (But not its actual member states?)

The U.S. somehow annexing all of the Americas

Africa ever being united

Mongolia was more in the Soviets pockets than it was the Chinese

That's just a few, but surely you have to see how a world map with only 10 countries really doesn't work, especially considering you have a lot of countries that HATE eachother united (Remember the Soviet-Afghan relations?)

>>50036416

>[magical city state] asks the confederation (mostly [big kingdom] standing royal army) to help, sends expeditionary force

This is fine. Mutual interests etc, although i'd have the expeditionary force end up clashing with the city in some manner, not necessarily with weapons, but in terms of policy, arguments, even 'leaving for dead' on the battlefield, assassination etc.

>military leaders/units are stationed in [magical city state], eventually asks to join the confederation--[big kingdom] agrees as they are the dominant power in the nascent imperial confederation

If the confederation is fairly toothless, this is fine as is. If it's a strong imposition on member nations - then either the city was tricked/politicked into the joining, had light levies, and then the levies/duties were upped once it was too late to back out and now the Mage Corps is trained by the mage traditions of that city and their identity is partially lost, or - the raiders hit the city so hard that it mostly burned down and the survivors joined because it was that or die - or, internal civil war broke out in the magic city, and the expeditionary force (now a permanent institution) 'enforced order'. By the end of that, the surviving nobles signed over to the confederation, because the side that got supported was the side that agreed to do that.

Either way, it should be years after the Big Kingdom is supporting the Mage City against the raiders. Not a fast thing, a slow one, but one with an explosive finish.

>>50039479
>The U.S.S.R. somehow annexing all of the middle east and North Africa
Military take overs after a governmental restructuring of the USSR.
>The U.S. somehow annexing all of the Americas
Economic, not military take overs.
>Africa ever being united
An international alliance against the Russian force which they recognize as a major threat. Obviously some nations are more involved than others (especially the northern ones)
>Mongolia was more in the Soviets pockets than it was the Chinese
The first major divergence point was when the soviet Chinese lost the civil war, splitting the country in two. The PRC then conquered Mongolia as the USSR wasn't interested in the East and instead was looking westward.
> surely you have to see how a world map with only 10 countries really doesn't work
This isn't a map of 10 countries, but a map of 10 international alliances that make up the bulk of the world's superpowers. Most countries still exist, just under these alliances.

>>50036416

>[religious nation-state] priests/leaders in [magical city state] communicate with [big kingdom] to revoke the ban on their religion in [big kingdom] territory (and by extension, the confederation)

Why is the religion banned? Did they try to start a revolt? Does the Big Kingdom rely on some kind of state religion that they dispute?

Either way, a monarch with leanings to that religion, a hefty economic benefit to allowing the church in (preaches about supporting the government, say, or the religious nation has economic power), or a small religious war (doesn't have to be kingdom vs religious nation - can be someone else vs religious nation, allowing kingdom to 'save' them by decriminalizing religion and annexing, can even be a schism + religiopolitical civil war), all provide opportunities to justify the annexation.

>years pass (as stated in the note above) and the confederation begins to gobble up territory across the rest of the continent; it's practically siberia to the north, though, so it's mostly just claims on land

What we're leading to with all these reasonings and justifications is the creation of an imperial machine. Rome wasn't built in a day, but it went from a proud city state to a vast empire not through political will or manifest destiny but rather a slow slide of wars and disasters and taking advantage that trained it's leaders and populace to act in a manner that gave advantage as a nation.

Each annexation being less 'proud honourable war' and 'dirty political victory-by-any-means' ends up with a bureaucratic machine that stamps out soldiers and spends them miserly enough that they can afford to garrison, quell, and control conquered lands - and has absolutely no compunction and a lot of skill at annexing lands any time they show the slightest vulnerability at all.

>>50039567

The ability of an empire to form at all relies on organization and supply - never having the troughs and peaks of a normal monarchy or tribal society or city-state by instead having a high ratio of practicality and practice at the process of conquering and ruling. This is generally something that happens by chance, over time, although groups of exceptional individuals can kickstart it, or rev it up when it loses steam (although usually these 'exceptional individuals' are figureheads for a much larger societal machine, more rarely spark to tinder (aka the Khan)). By creating a series of situations (the sarmatian invasions, the punic wars, the Latin subjugation, the conquering of the ten tribes, William I's invasion of england, etc) where a civilization was placed not in a situation of a single war without clear outcome or with destruction followed by peace, but messy conquest with successful rulership, you create a similarity to existing historical empires which largely had that happen a few times to them by accident before they started doing it intentionally.

>>50039543
Then you should have stated they are alliances. You don't make a map that mixes both nations and alliances, because it's bloody confusing.

Also, the U.S.S.R. somehow annexing all of that is still absolutely absurd. And the U.S. would never be able to annex the Americas. Making big blotches on maps like that is just a way of saying "I have no idea how the fuck geopolitics work."

>>50039696
>You don't make a map that mixes both nations and alliances
Sorry for the confusion. How would you rather I make it though?
>the U.S.S.R. somehow annexing all of that is still absolutely absurd
What would be less absurd?
> And the U.S. would never be able to annex the Americas
I never said they would be annexed. They are a part of an american alliance, not the USA.
>Making big blotches on maps like that is just a way of saying "I have no idea how the fuck geopolitics work."
You sound mad and instead of giving constructive criticism you are just saying "this is bad because I said so". If you have some criticism to give by all means do so, but at least give ways it can be better instead of just saying "it's shit".

>>50039745

Honestly it just sounds like yet another 'all the us cold war propaganda was reeeaaaalll!!!' alternate history. That + 'huge alliances that act like single nations!' are both very 80s sci fi/alternate history concepts that are done to death. The whole push/pull 'blob at all costs' view isn't really relevant to modern geopolitics and is extremely bland as a setting.

>>50039831
>it just sounds like yet another 'all the us cold war propaganda was reeeaaaalll!!!' alternate history
Why did you get that feeling from it? Would renaming the USSR to the Russian Federation change that feeling you have?
>huge alliances that act like single nations!
I never once tried to imply that, what gave you that feeling?
> very 80s sci fi/alternate history concepts that have been done to death
I mean that was kinda what I was aiming for but that sounds like a personal problem moreso than anything else.
> extremely bland as a setting
Why do you feel that it is extremely bland?

Try explaining some of your reasoning/points because as it stands you aren't really making any real suggestions.

>>50039745
Make a map denoting each nation, and then make a sidebar stating alliances.

What would be less absurd for the U.S.S.R. is making /some/ of the middle eastern countries puppet states, and keeping its holdings in Europe (Including the Euro puppet states of Poland, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Romania, etc). There is absolutely no way the entire middle east would become pro-Soviet, considering even Kazakhstan and the other central Asian republics in the U.S.S.R. didn't really want to be part of the nation in the first place, and the middle east is known for extremely independent ethnic groups. That, and direct annexation was extremely against Soviet doctrine.

The Soviets had a lot of support in Central and South America, and there's no reason why all of those military juntas would suddenly jump in to being in NATO, with all the obligations and sanctions it brings. Also, Argentinians hate Chileans who hate Bolivians who hate Peruvians who hate Colombians who hate Venezuelans, etc.

Speaking of which, no NATO? Does that mean that the Mashall plan was never put in to action? Because without the Marshall Plan, it's likely that Europe would be one of the poorest continents on Earth, and extremely prone to Soviet Invasion/Coups.

Africa ever being stable enough to form an alliance is a joke. It's filled with constant civil wars, ethnic tensions, horrible borders, etc.

>>50039923

>europe
>poorest continent on earth

Even during WWII, one of the most shattering conflicts on the globe, during which fighting occurred all over europe, europe still had most of the world's money. Pull the other one, it has bells on.

>>50039909

Rehashing cold war propaganda (military expansion! endless war machine! evil corrupt, highly efficient russians!) with 'russian federation' instead of 'ussr' is something a lot of modern movies have done. Renaming it doesn't change that the trope is over-used and boring. It's an 'exciting idea' mostly to military fetishists buying into old paranoia which sadly covers a lot of gamers.

If a map shows things as all one colour, the assumption is that those nations are not in a military alliance, they are acting as a single unit. Also, all your descriptions of the 'alliances' were 'western descriptions of warsaw pac(lockstep evil empire)' not 'descriptions of NATO(nations agreeing to work together militarily in specific situations)'.

If you want to run a 'world descends into unprofitable wars because land has value for no reason' setting, sure, but generally people expect more some 40-odd-years since the 80s gaming era.

It's bland as a setting because it is only interesting if 'reds under the bed' has value to you. For most people, it doesn't. Huge fear of 'evil communist russians' isn't a big part of modern experience, and the pushback against the cold war means it lacks even the immediacy of history in the napoleonic war/wwii sense.

>>50040026
Germany's industry was destroyed, and Eastern Europe had no idea what to do with itself. Spain was doing pretty well, admittedly, as was Portugal and Britain.

Point being that the Marshall plan was pretty much necessary to help Europe recover in a reasonable amount of time and destroy Soviet influence.

Also, if he wants it to be 80s, that's fine, but I hate to say that it has absolutely no semblance to the 80s there. It's more like exaggerated 1950s-ish kind of stuff. By the 80s the largest worry wasn't that the U.S.S.R. would expand like a mad cunt, it was that the U.S.S.R. would engage in a war with N.A.T.O. and both sides would be devastated (Which, in cyberpunk fiction, usually leads to Japan taking the place of the Superpowers, since it ends up being relatively unharmed.)

Maybe off-topic and shilling, but if you aren't already watching Westworld, I'd recommend it. There's some interesting meta-commentary on world-creation.

>>50039923
Thank you for the suggestions. I will start editing the map to denote alliances.

As for the Middle East, leaving many Central Asian/Middle Eastern countries free sounds like a good idea. Having soviet influences in Southern America too is nice too. Would a North American alliance still be possible or is that out of the question?

As for NATO, originally my plan was for the US to withdraw from Europe after protests from major spending in Europe. I did however want the Germany economy to bloom, which would allow for them to assist the other European nations when the American aid left.

I will leave the African alliance out though.

>>50040026
>endless war machine! evil corrupt, highly efficient russians!
When did I ever imply or say that?
>world descends into unprofitable wars because land has value for no reason
That's not the point. The point was to create a cyberpunk setting.
>evil communist russians
You sound like you are just making assumptions/projections and being mad because someone made something that triggers your autism.

>>50040166
A North American alliance is highly unlikely.

>>50001440
>What are the largest militaries in your setting?
Probably the Nafrinan Legions, but they're likely evenly matched with a combined Terran war host.

>What special magic, weapons, technology, or monsters are commonly used in war?

Mages tend to be put in the back lines, they're used to ease logistical concerns and as doctors/surgeons.

>>50040336
Why is that?

>>50040075

I'm not talking about eighties realpolitik, i'm talking about eighties sci fi/alt. military history/gaming stuff. Which was very firmly rooted in 50s rhetoric, along with some other idiocy.

Germany had a significant amount of industrial knowledge, even with the losses sustained in the war - the attitude is more important to the industrialization of a country, and the occupation and east/west split did much more damage to the nation than the marshall plan did to revive it. That the 'marshall plan saved europe' is an 'american-style history' myth - it's widely taught in america but nowhere else, and not factually accurate. Most american historians also don't consider it to have 'saved europe' or whatever the fuck it is history teachers say happened in the US. 12bn is a drop in the bucket spread across european countries. It helped a bit in postwar years but it didn't affect that europe was a major exporter of manufactured goods and major importer of cheap raw materials from most of the world at that point, something which is only really changing now with chinese, asian, and african manufacturing booms.

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>>50002920
Update to this. New stuff here are notes for Chapter 4 as well as Chapter 5 and notes. Also more images!

Chapter 5 has the creation of plants, animals, and the first two intelligent races. Oh, and Druids.

I feel like a common theme in my text follow the pattern of:
Creation -> Blessing -> Fall from grace -> Curse

>>50040166

You implied super-russians that they conquered areas that stymied real-life soviet union, and that the world formed into super-alliances largely to counter these super-russians. If you say shit, it doesn't exist in a vacuum - you don't get to say 'oh the russians conquered everything but aren't good, it just happened accidentally', unless you actually spell that shit out.

Your setting is the opposite of cyberpunk. Cyberpunk is about the breaking down of national identity in the face of technological singularity (a low-tech one, not a high-tech singularity), the worship of money and destruction of humanity in the pursuit of it, and the fetishization of now-defunct ideas like nationalism, humanity, family in the shattered wreckage of a techno-utopia. You've got almost the opposite of cyberpunk.

Your lack of understanding of the implications of what you're saying indicate any criticism is pointless, though. If you're unaware of what you're implying with your statements and setting, to the point you accuse others of making shit up to insult you when receiving criticism about it, you are really unlikely to make something worth playing a game in.

>>50001440
>What are the largest militaries in your setting?
Right now its the Sanguine Crusade, an order of militant religious folk that worship the light giving bodies of the last of the old world mages that struck a deal with the gods to create safe places from the Eternal Night.

>What special magic, weapons, technology, or monsters are commonly used in war?
As there isn't really a war persay more a crusade to kill and destroy the source of the Eternal Night which are well, dungeons. But it comes in two flavors one using alchemically distilled substances found in the tissues of Dungeons that is injected into the body of those have magical potential. Its corrupting and dangerous as each spell slowly changes the caster into something...else. The worst are so far gone they're no longer even what could be called mortal. The second is used by the Crusade and is done by wounding ones body after the caster has gone through the 'paling' where they've drank the blood from one of the golden mage gods and have been filled with their light turning their skin the color of alabaster and eyes to opals. By inflicting a wound they're able to perform minor miracles such as creating light, fire and healing the wounded.

>>50040571
>You implied super-russians that they conquered areas that stymied real-life soviet union
No I did not. Do you see the other countries? I also implied super-americans and super-japanese as well. As well as super-germans. It's not just the russians.
>the world formed into super-alliances largely to counter these super-russians
I said nothing of the sort.
>implications of what you're saying indicate any criticism is pointless, though
So now you go to more assumptions and name-calling then?
> to the point you accuse others of making shit up
Because you are just jumping to assumptions that have no basis.
>you are really unlikely to make something worth playing a game in.
Excellent, you have now proved to everyone in the entire thread you are a fucking moron.

>>50039291
Just woke up to all these posts -- you're a hero, anon

diving in

>>50039672
I'll probably end up writing a great deal of this out but no idea how quickly

thanks man, definitely gonna try to use this sort of reasoning on other regions

>>50040486

I guess this is a personal qualm, but it bugs me that the font is stylized to be like old English/"medieval", but the diction/prose are very modern.

>>50040166
I don't know anon, there's a lot of 80s scifi that doesn't do what megasovietbloc anons setting does.

Twilight 2000, 2020, neuromancer, all have the world pretty much falling apart in an 80s fashion.

Also I'm no expert on post ww2 Europe (I jive more with the 80s and early 90s) so I'll take your word for the Marshall plan

>>50041585
Pissing blimey I meant to respond to >>50040475

page 10 save rave

>>50041517
It's not "very" modern, but yeah, I can't actually write old English. I feel writing in that has no real benefit.

>>50039909
>huge alliances that act like single nations!
>I never once tried to imply that, what gave you that feeling?
Not who you're talking to, but probably the whole appearing as mega nations on a map bit.

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>>50043735
Fuck you too.

It was good enough for Tolkien.

HAppynump

s

>>50045591
>>50046745
The fuck is this shit?

>>50032115
Yes, actually. Algek. He was the first one to decide to propose unifying the city-states to form a stronger and more prosperous state instead of needlessly fighting the other city-states. He was killed for his writings.

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>>50043735

k.

>>50048277
Something about old english is just so fascinating and beautiful. Don't know why.

>>50041585

It's not the only thing that was happening, but it was an extremely common trope/theme.

>>50040702

No worries, just take anything you can use, plunder it for your narrative victory.

>>50003641
Why is aussie and nz in an Asian alliance

>>50001440
>What are the largest militaries in your setting?
Depends on who you ask. The Ardenaï Empire is commonly feared, but its numbers are very few, as it's more a loose confederation of cities-states, Kingdoms, Duchies and other possessions united by the Hand of Tempests, a cult dedicated to the study of basically everything this world has to offer. The Hand considers that direct or indirect control of territory is the best way to conduct the experiments. Its control over territories of the Empire varies, from the Heartlands being entirely administered by the Ardenaï, to the outreaches of the Empire where the Mages only act as chancellors or advisors. Never the less, due to its sheer size, cunning and resources, the Empire is considered a powerful and unpredictable force that most have to account for.
Other people will argue that the Ardenaï are dragons papers, incapable of rising a standing armies and only pathetic schemers pushing papers.

>What special magic, weapons, technology, or monsters are commonly used in war?
The Ardenaï make heavy use of war and skirmishes to test the new spells and techniques they discover. Be it poison Elementals, temporary soul possession, rituals of Impregnation (making you basically a living tool of the Ardenaï, with powerful magic powers, cause in exchange of more or less losing your personality) - they are very creative. But their favourite schools of magic are lighting and frost.

>>50003641
>Space-filling Empires which make no sense
How about nope, especially about Africa. Please explain why all those 3000+ ethnicities decided to make a big coalition, and why Arabs are suddenly socialists.

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I could use some help with expanding my scifi/space opera setting that I am working on at the moment. I have based it off a Stellaris game so I could get some background for the setting.
Also here is a small summary of my setting so far. And it is only taking place (at the moment) in the east/south-east area of the galaxy. Now onto the setting itself:

The galaxy is in a cold place, especially when the empires in the "known regions" are arming themselves up in a cold war fasion. But even as tensions rise trade flursih and people explore. But recent pirate attacks on trade convoys, construction ships and science vessels have made the "neutral void" a dangerous place.

The Huxgan Empire, an empire made up of Huxgans, a mulluscoid species with a taste or both war, and trade have begun to build militariy stations in their home system of Vax, lead by the Overlord Xer Nex he is prepared to either attack or defend the Athanebians.

In the Athanebian Hierarchy exploration is theri main focus, besides preparing their defences against the Huxgan Empire. The Athanebian Hierarchy consists of long lived secluded reptiles. Although not hostile to outsiders, they generally prefer being left alone

The only Empire to not actively build up their aresenal is the Sirgogg Star Council. They are firm belivers of free speech and democracy, and they think there are still chances to decrease the ever growing tension

The Panuri Confederacy is an Empire with many mainor aliens inhabiting it besides the Punari themselves, for example; Humans from Sol have been uplifted and inegrated into the empire, a well as the Norbs from Galu.

And ther are rumours of other empires out in the "neutral void", pirates and outlaws have told of distant signals and lights, but nothing have yet to be confirmed by the Empires in the "known regions"

That is what I have for the setting so far, feel free to add ideas on what could be added more.

>>50051394
I guess you're right, they shouldn't be in there. I'll just make them not associated with the JAAN.
>>50051626
Who ever said the Arabs peacefully accepted Russian rule? Also, there are already African alliances and international treaties, so what's stopping the larger African nations from pushing a banner over the rest of the smaller/3rd world ones?

>>50053398
>so what's stopping the larger African nations from pushing a banner over the rest of the smaller/3rd world ones?
The other nations of the world. Muammar Gaddafi tried to unite Africa and nationalize the economy of Libya and he was killed for it. A united Africa would hold too much economic power and potential for growth for the rest of the world to allow it.

>>50052622
>Stellaris
Casuals GET OFF MY BOARD REEEE

Your setting needs more depth. Focus on the conflicts of your setting, the way things and ideas are pulled one way or the other; focus on plothooks, too.
>>50051626
Yeah you're right the British Empire makes no damn sense.

>>50053468
Would it be possible that the major African nations would band together to fight against the Russians though?

>>50053581
You could have a major coalition, but not a unified Africa. Lots would probably side with the Russians just to fuck the other dudes over. That's how it normally goes.

>>50053674
I see, that makes sense. Thank you for the advice.

>>50053530
Im kinda new to worldbuiling. I just thought to give it a shot after i played stellaris and thought "This might make for a cool setting". Got any ideas/examples for soem good plot hooks

>>50053700
Uh...In return for uplifting, humans were made into a tributary state. Puppet Presidents are given immortality and VR heaven in return for complacent support for the New Regime. The human masses have no such luxuries. Instead they cope with a technological revolution as the singularity sweeps past them. Some support the New Regime as saviours that will surely uplift them, others hate them and use bombing runs and terrorism to try and raise mankind in worldwide revolution.

That's just an example of the kind of stuff I mean, not an actual idea (I've no idea if it fits your setting or theme). Basically, I mean events in your setting that you would call "turning points" -- where the future could go either way. Conflicts your players could get caught up in, future history they could influence.

>>50053838
Ok I see. I will try and brainstorm some ideas then

>>50053398
>African alliances
Entirely different than a nonsensical Pan-African Union. It really reeks of lazy "I will put all the negros together to avoid having to label 50 independent countries"

>Arabs peacefully accepted Russian rule
Meh, the Middle-East lies outside the Russian sphere of influence. All I see is a weak excuse of Islamig Gommunism.

>>50053581
Assuming this follows the Cold War, various form of Communism were relatively popular in Africa during these days. At any rate it seems rather strange for a so-called socialist state to go full blob on regions that have relatively nothing with it, and that would cause a financial pressure on the Heartland.

>>50053468
>Muammar Gaddafi tried to unite Africa and nationalize the economy of Libya
More because he was going to level the city of Benghazi.

>>50052622
Each of your Empires needs a bit of depth and conflict will naturally.
What are their end goals ? Conquest ? Surviving ? Trade ? Research ?
How is the life of the average citizen in each of these empires ? Are there economical tensions ?
Are the leaders of the different empire opposed ideologically ?

>>50053989
>Meh, the Middle-East lies outside the Russian sphere of influence in this extremely accurate portrayal of reality as it is right now
Anon...

>What are their end goals ? Conquest ? Surviving ? Trade ? Research ? &c.
These are not so important. They're incidental -- they're the things you use as believable handwaves, to support the things that REALLY matter (i.e. conflicts and hooks).

>>50053867

protip, anyone even ironically using the terms 'ree' or 'filthy casual' is not worth listening to

You could use your Stellaris game as a setting but you'd essentially be using it as a framework - for map image, maybe race images, names, and some ideas - you'd need to build cultures and interactions that have enough 'meat' to them to build a campaign setting out of on your own - stellaris doesn't do that.

Basically, when the PCs rock up in a partially defunct trader using a Hui'Ganni drive system and psidar, to a partially terraformed asteroid acting as an illicit trade hub outside claimed stellar empire territory, you need to be able to chuck adjectives on the various aliens they encounter, add bits of colour like the Xenagarians hanging from hooks while they sip their 'mother's milk' from plastic sacs, Cenatari eyeing them up for a fight, etc, make it so when some Malari fleet crew get into a fight with humans from the Xeno Suns pirates, it's either a meaningless scuffle or something where knives are going to be pulled, whether this asteroid is one of like 500 or a fairly unique place, whether people are going to want to steal their ship or whether it's not really worth stealing, etc. Setting cues aren't things you generally lay out in huge detail beforehand, but if you know them, people intuit them from your descriptions and add a lot of context to the world. Some GMs naturally do this without thinking about it, but for everyone else it pays to actually do the design so you have something for people to intuit/to answer questions from.

>>50054032
>protip, anyone even ironically using the terms 'ree' or 'filthy casual' is not worth listening to
Do not listen to this man he is a namefag and a casual.

>>50054031
Syria is not really a thing of sphere of influence, rather Putin trying to save one of his few allies. The US has a reputation of removing leaders favourable to Russia whenever they can, so Putin don't want it to happen in Syria.

The Russians are not interested in the Arabian peninsula and North Africa, even as a way to circle Europe. They would rather focus on Baltic States, Ukraine or Moldova, maybe Serbia.

>>50054095
Anon, the point is that it's a fictional setting. There's innumerable reasons that they COULD want to do that, that we don't know. Yeah, if it's just a straight IRL setting it's fucked, but it isn't.

Either way I'd actually encourage the anon to make the middle east a lot more divided between EU and Ruskies.

>>50053989
> It really reeks of lazy "I will put all the negros together to avoid having to label 50 independent countries"
But they are independent countries. I've already went over this.
>All I see is a weak excuse of Islaming Communism.
If anything, the Russians would try to stomp out Islam.
>the Middle-East lies outside the Russian sphere of influence
Just look at the news to tell you that is just plain false

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>>50054181
I suppose I was just triggered by the obvious Islamig Gommunism thing. I like my fictional setting to be a bit believable, and without explanation on the how and why, the map is difficult to understand.

Still better than the Draka, though.

>>50054202
>>50053989
As for your idea of having communist African nations, someone already presented the idea and it seems good so I will most likely be putting it in.

>>50054207
>Still better than the Draka, though.
I've been to public bathrooms and found shitstains on the wall that make better alt-his worldmaps than the Draka.

>>50054181
>make the middle east a lot more divided between EU and Ruskies.
What areas/countries do you think the EU would want to control?

Ever have an idea that's starts normal but suddenly gets weird?

Like I've gone from a Guild of Entertainers (Who have some secret political clout) to them being a cult who worships some (benevolent) Jester God who wishes to keep the music of the Spheres in harmony and somehow knows chaos theory. Also they pray to their god by monologuing and his priests are named after people who collect money at Punch and Judy shows. Wiki walks lead to interesting ideas.

>>50054240
Israel, Lebanon, Egypt, Turkey, UAE, and Saudi Arabia

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>>50054232
>Communist African Nations

Make him proud Anon

>>50057519
I kinda want the Russians to keep Turkey, but Lebanon, Egypt, UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Israel are all good ideas.

>>50055375
M8 this process is more officially known as "worldbuilding".

>>50057624
Issue is, they're geographically disjointed without Turkey, so that makes it more difficult to keep a hold on them.

Forgot to mention Qatar and Kuwait. Throw in Jordan as well just for that land connection.

Basically, the way I'm thinking of this is that the Mid. Eastern nations with money coming out their asses and fuckhueg tourist cities that would make Las Vegas blush would be much harder to start a revolution in (or simply conquer and boot out the capitalists)

Plus dat oil would make the EU more hesitant to let them go. Egypt makes sense because that's traditionally been an area of heavy Euro-American intervention

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Are those mountains ok and if no could you edit them for me?
The brighest yellow is like highlands or something, habitable.

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Speaking of wizardry, I'm coming up with a system for my setting that I made up for the early accidental magical girl threads based on the d12. I wanted magic to be built up on a system of tagged traits rather than set spells, as I've always hated the task of keeping track of named spells.

Basically, it works as follows:

>Spells are built by combining traits
>The number of traits a caster can select is based on his intelligence modifier
>With a negative modifier, a caster can't cast spells
>A zero modifier is required to select a spell's class; such as elemental, divination, conjuration, alteration, etc and represents the ability to create rough facsimiles, for this purpose we'll go with fire, and light a candle
>At 1, he can light a candle across a room or create a small, stable fireball in his hand that he can manipulate
>At +2, he can make the fireball and throw it, or split the difference and combine two schools to combine the fire with a weapon, or make two fireballs, or a larger one
>As the modifiers increase, so do his options so long as they match a tag
>The modifiers cap out at a +8


I realize it may be replacing spells with tags, but I think the more general system would allow for a quicker idea of what's happening along with a feeling of greater control and distinction between two casters. I was thinking to make a set number of slots of various traited spells, or maybe allowing them to make them on the fly based on another modifier such as agility to represent thinking of their feet. I wouldn't like to bind it to intelligence though, as I feel it might pile too much on one stat, causing people to just rush maxing one out.

>>50059603
Sounds like your magic system would be based heavily on a fundamental "elements" system and/or metamagics. There's a lot of Japanese light novels that use a similar method.

>>50059671
I haven't read many to be very familiar. Are there any big drawbacks to the types of systems you mentioned that I should look out for?

>>50059867
You need to be very specific with secondary resources (IE: spiritual power, mana, life force, etc) that fuel the magic. Applying tiers and a set cost to each tier is fine, but you need to explain in great detail how effective each tier is.
Likewise, you need to give some reason for someone to specialize in one or two schools/elements/fighting styles. Most have some form of "birthright elemental affinity" which works well.

It's extremely easy to be a mary-sue in a system like this, as you just need access to "lol all the elements" or the particularly edgy ones (darkness/fire/void/death).

>>50059902
Ah, I see what you mean. I try to keep the traits organized so that they build on one another to try and curtail some of that. For instance, with the fire example, range would be its own trait with a set distance, to add further range would require the caster expel further traits to become range+, ++, +++. The caster at that point would need 5 slots to pick a basic fireball, then four range.

For spell class, I tie that to the caster's culture. A large part of my setting is the idea of cultures of various races intermingling, so magic comes less from study and more from the idea of magic as they understand it. So, a human would see someone tossing around fire or lightning, and think "magic," while a dwarf would see a mythical weapon and think "magic." A human caster may throw fire, but a dwarven master caster might pick up a stick and go Lu Bu on his enemies. It's not impossible for a human to understand magic in the way a dwarf would, but it would require the human to immerse himself in dwarven society to use it in that way. The more cultures a caster fully immerses theirself in, the more diluted their ideas and powers become as they start to lose a proper sense of identity. Going back to the building upon example, two cultures would cut down a caster's affinity back half, three by an eighth, and four to a measly sixteenth.

Mechanically, I would like to have two systems. One is a more traditional daily slot system like in DnD where casters can prepare more powerful spells they may need before hand. The second is bound to a manapool where each trait costs a point of mana, and the time needed to cast is based on the caster's agility modifier to represent their creativity or ability to think on their feet. So, if they only have a 0 or +1 modifier, it's going to take 1 turn to apply one trait to a spell, and a -1 will mean 2 turns for one trait.

Would it be more reasonable for humans in a space opera setting to have mixed together into one race?
Or would they split apart even further for fear of individual cultures being forgotten? (Black people want their own planet, Japs fuck off and live on ships, etc)