/wbg/ - Worldbuilding General

>>54228240
Internal consistency.

Inciting feelings is important, but not so much that you forget that you're making a setting, not a story. A story is for feelings. A setting is something to put stories in.

I see my "controversial" statements from the previous thread at least caught someone's interest. That is actually great, more than I hoped for.

>>54228771
>but not so much that you forget that you're making a setting
The problem I have with this statement is that a setting still IS a story. It's a slightly different way of telling story (or more precisely a bunch of stories), but at it's core it's still the same. Just instead of giving individual plot-points in chronological order, you tell stories through settings you drip-feed the audience/player randomized elements and then let HIM make the connections between them, reconstructing the story as he explores. But in the end - setting IS noting more than story/stories of your world.

It's even why people value internal consistency so much. If your setting is widely inconsistent in bad ways, it's the same as if write a story in which individual plotpoints contradict each other - makes the story impossible to follow.
Meanwhile, if you maintain consistency, then the stories that ARE your setting will start to come together because they will allow individual elements of your world to be linked together into stories reliably. It's what people need to decode that story that is your setting. It's why people often claim that if a setting is inconsistent, they can't "care" about it, or "be invested in it". Precisely because wide inconsistencies threaten the function of settings as a narrative device.

The problem I was trying to draw attention to is mainly that consistency alone does not make the actual "story" of your setting interesting. The other problem is that while consistency is needed, it does not have to be INTERNAL. You can make a story that is symbolically and thematically consistent, but not internally. The examples of LOTR, but also all mythology and folklore and magical realism books come into mind.

How do I write up setting fluff in short, quick, evocative bursts that aren't too fucking wordy or annoying to read?

>>54229578
Bullet points.

>>54229578
If anyone had a actual fool-proof solution to this question, I can guarantee that world-building would look very different today.
The answer is: if you are not a talent, skilled or experienced writer, you won't. And honestly, generally fluffing your setting in an exhaustive manner (e.g. not just completely random "trivia" info) is nearly impossible.

If you have some literary talent though: you can try and make almost anything work. I liked to do "postcards", short literary sketches that just take a random place and random moment from my setting as set it up. Like: "looking out the window early morning in the village of X ethnical group" just describing what you'd see. Or "lazy afternoon in a caravan boarding house."
Alternatively, "travelers diaries" is similar but more structured tool. They allow for the personality of the traveler and more extended narration that gives more space to expose. But they probably won't be all that brief.
Alternatively, inspired by Borges, I also tried my hand in writing faux "academic" or "official" articles: like historian's notes on certain events, reports for some secret police-like organizations, bits of transcribed interviews with inhabitants of my world etc...
Whenever you can manage to make any of those brief, evocative and not annoying depends on your ability to write well though. I think I never succeeded. Skilled writer can make all of those work. I... don't think I ever succeeded though.

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I'm trying to build a sci-fi setting with horror elements, and because im autistic i cant seem to make my mind up on what the present is actually like for it. All i have is that its set in relatively near future after an AI named Osiris went rogue and caused a crisis which left a lot of things abandoned, ruined and forgotten about, because often their very existence was wiped.So theres all these pre-crisis treasures which act as dungeons. I was thinking of having Osiris be fighting something else, but it couldn't communicate to us what it was fighting for some reason and we misinterpret it as attacking us.

Should i have it be Post-apocalyptic or a World-in-recovery but still very weak with lots of things taking advantage of the crippled state of humanity?

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How do I come up with a name?

>Players ask me for a map
>Spend a few hours putting one together, all labeled
>Looks like a fucking fish drawn in crayon with writing all over it

>>54230187
How do people in real world come up with names? Ask yourself that that and you should never have particular problems naming in your world.

>>54230099
Rogue AI running things implies post-apocalyptic or reverting to non-networked and man-in-the-loop systems. This was actually a brilliantly applied retcon by Star Trek: Enterprise. TOS tech is so old fashioned and clunky because Romulan hackers and AIs kept ruining the automated stuff during the war.

In terms if your setting, what adventures do you want to run? "Stave off Thogg the Mutant Warlord" is a very different quest from "assemble a crew and recover an untouched pre-Osiris ship's AI core from a wreck orbiting an asteroid. "

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>>54230346
Option 2 sounds cool. A crippled solar system still allows for new factions, power struggles and exploration of the 'wilds' . So exploration and re-discovery type adventures. I'm not sure how far to go with the tech level of the setting really, could have it have bare bones 'The expanse' style or talking gorillas and cloned dinos level. Maybe the latter to add some whimsical elements?

>>54228240
>https://experilous.com/1/project/planet-generator/2015-04-07/version-2
Does this ever generate a planet without polar ice caps? Or at least with smallish ones
I tried raising heat way up

>>54230099

The AI Osiris, using deep space telescopes, witnessed a battle between two alien forces that resulted in the destruction of a planet. Tracing back projectile trajectories and flight paths, Osiris quickly discovered a number of other worlds that has suffered similar fates. A battle among the stars.

Osiris caused the crises to take humanity out of the game and prevent us from expanding out into the rest of the solar system/out of the solar system with our current level of technology, attracting attention that would result in our extermination. Osiris isn't going to let us offworld until we have teched up enough to survive contact with our neighbors.

So not only do you have lost pre-crises treasures for recovery, but some of the AI-controlled factories and cities are building things. New things. Weapons unlike anything before the crises. Some are pointed at space, others are pointed at us.

If humanity is going to survive what is to come, we need to be stronger. Tougher. Able to overcome an insurmountable technological advantage against a superior opponent.

If we can't beat Osiris, we won't be ready for what comes next.

>>54230232
Push past your insecurities, anon. The map is only a reference. Focus on the world, and let the map go.

Or post it here and maybe someone else will remake it for you.

>>54232682

Probably not. The arctic circle is basically always going to have an ice cap if it's oceanic, or will be ice sheets, polar deserts and tundra if it's continental. Polar winter is almost guaranteed to be below freezing on any habitable world, especially if the polar region is continental (Consider that Antarctica is so cold that it snows carbon dioxide on a cold day)

You probably can't change the limits on the generator so fat that it wouldn't generate a polar ice cap, because it has probably been designed to produce habitable worlds.

>>54233243
Earth was ice free for much of its existence. Crank up the temperature high enough and they'd melt.

>>54233304
That is most definitely not true. Polar ice coverage may have changed in surface and permanency, but as far as I know, earth was not ice-free, definitely not once surface life emerged.

Is there any difference in continental and volcanic islands other than how they were formed?

>>54233474
Yeah. They look completely different, have a different topology, the sea looks different around them, they consist of different materials, they behave differently from tectonic perspective, usually attack different biosphere, they grow or diminish at a completely different pace and also volcanic islands usually have volcano's on them.

Just look at UK and then at Japanese archipelago.

>>54230491
>>54232791
I once ran with a similar idea. An AI was sent along with some space colonists by Earth to purposefully sabotage them (as Earth was afraid of being displaced by a successful colony). Due to shenanigans it did not activate until after a few decades/centuries, but after that point drove the whole colony into a postapocalyptic scenario. Being set on another planet gave me a lot of room to work in, not worrying about messing up some sort of real life details.

>>54229512
Eh, your points are valid. It's really kind of dumb to try to pick one or the other when the two are pretty much the same in worldbuilding.

How big should a band of bandits be? Hundred? Thousands?

>>54234443
Bandits? Definitely not thousands. You need a major infrastructure and complex organization and logistics to actually maintain a group of thousand people who make their living by fighting or stealing. You need discipline, ranking and chain of command, you need specializations, cooks, officers, couriers for those numbers of people.

Even hundred is actually stretching it. I think what we generally know as "bandits from our history mostly refered to groups between 5 to 40 people at max (the famous Alibaba's forty bandits were supposed to be a symbol of UNUSUALLY LARGE and thus unusually dangerous group, that is why the number was actually specified - to inspire awe and dread at such large group of dangerous people).

You could argue that say - entire army regiment has deserted and temporarily turned to banditry, but those are going to be niche situations. Your average, vanilla non-marauder bandits, the kinds that harass villages or attack caravans and traders in the forest are very unlikely to be above 20, 30 people at a time. Anything more and you are basically talking about a paramilitary organization already.

>>54234443
Dozens more likely, unless you have some regular way to feed +100 people.

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What could cause never ending storms over an ocean? My players are arriving at a planet that is plagued by the things, and we all enjoy when there's SOME science behind the shit they find. Is it even possible?

>>54234871
I've always heard that the larger the percentage of water covering a planet, the more storms you'll have. But that might just be a half remembered bit of dialogue from a Stargate Atlantis episode.

>>54234871
Well, while no storm is going to be never-ending, it's not completely unreasonable to dream up a storm that lasts for very long proportionally to human life. Jupiter's Red Eye has been lasting for minimum of 200 years now. On Earth, there is something called Catatumbo Lightning, which is not one continuous storm, but it's a local meteorological phenomenon that cause a lightning storm over the area to exist 260 days a year, ten hours a day.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catatumbo_lightning
You can read more about it's mechanics there.
We know of certain semi-permanent cyclones too.

The problem is that we know that there are multiple different factors that can cause a storm, and we don't know much about what causes the kind of long-lasting storms on planets such as Jupiter or Venus: we clearly do know it's not the same thing that causes say the Catatumbo. At best we can speculate: lower wind drag caused by lack of solid surfaces on Gas Giants might explain the long-lasting storms like Red Spot (we do know that storms in general last much longer over sea than on land) but at the same time the same can't be applied to Venus polar cylones - and in fact we know that it IS THE DRAG of surface that causes the Catatumbo... So it's pretty hard to say.

I think it's best left basically to audience's imagination. Climate is a mess anyway, just state those storms as a fact and don't worry about it too much.

I was trying to explain why my world has greater storms over sea in my world and eventually gave up: just like I gave up on giving really detailed explanation why otherwise a very much earth-like planet has oceanic megafauna orders of magnitude bigger than the biggest sea organisms on earth... Just roll with it. It's not COMPLETELY scientifically implausible, that is all you need to know.

>>54229658
The vast majority of us aren't good writers, and even after reading hundreds of books and writing thousands of words, that won't change for a lot of us. It might come off as depressing or pessimistic, but being a "good" writer inherently means appealing to an audience greater than yourself, and unless you know exactly what your audience wants you to write in that kind of catering is an almost futile effort.

Even what one person finds wordy or annoying changes compared to another, so for some people one paragraph is already wordy, for others adding in any adjectives or unnecessary wording is wordy, for others still they can go through a full page of purple prose and still not consider it wordy. At the end of the day the only person the author can really hope to satisfy is himself.

>>54235301
>The vast majority of us aren't good writers, and even after reading hundreds of books and writing thousands of words
Actually, I think this is only half true. Reading a lot of books won't make you a decent writer (though it generally is required as one of several things that in combination will).
Writing thousands of words - as long as you actually also subject those words to criticism and consistently learn from feedback: that can actually help a lot. Writing is 80% craft (like any actual expression if you want it to be good) and virtually nobody has ever became a good writer without writing mountains of shit before.

I also don't agree that being a good writer inherently means appealing to some specific kind of audience. I think there are more universal criteria of quality of writing than popularity or appeal - that is, at least, popularity and appeal within limited time and space. Subjectivity of taste is something people put way too much emphasis on these days: it's a pretty terrible habit of our current generation. A wise person can identify something as good even if it's not to his liking - it is possible to seek solid (though not universal) criteria for quality in most art, writing included.

That said: good writing is just hard, arduous craft, and like everything, talent helps, but it is unfairly distributed.

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>>54233549
>>54230346
Would a more whimsical approach be more refreshing then? Having it start out as some isolated bumfuck mars dirt farmers or bored earth city slickers but as you explore you find things like the husk of a Osiris mecha overgrown with flowers just leaned up against a crumbling building in flooded London, A tech cache door that wont let you pass until you answer its riddle , Velociraptors from the Moon, an underground jager fight club, a village in Yorkshire being terrorized by a were-badger. Stuff like that, all stuff that was forgotten, lost or got out during the 'crisis' that might be mystical but eh.

I'm running a campaign in pseudo Scandinavia/Iceland, the soil is rocky and barely able to fed the population, but makes for great pasturage. Though it doesn't mean much for my group as they'll inherit a small domain to lord over with very few sheep herd and next to zero ships to fish.

I intend to have them take over a castle perched on a crag, can a crag somehow hold water enough for a village and the small castle?
Was thinking to have an underground river running near the crag and the previous holder of the castle made underground cisterns to fill the castle. Sadly for them they pissed their jarl and he sent my players to take over and they'll have to navy seal their way through that underground river all the way past the walls.

Once they get in place I'll have them juggle building their settlements and doing adventurous shit like they used to, bandits clearing, bear/wolf hunting, stealing sheeps from another domain or buying them off. Right now I'm having them making a name for themselves and they pissed off one of the few jarl that would have helped them get into shape once they earned their noble titles.

>>54236788
>can a crag somehow hold water enough for a village and the small castle?
A crag, like most pieces of a fucking rock, can't hold water very well.
That said, you can chisel in a cistern to collect rain water. Or you can just make a bloody well right next to the crag and haul the water in manually. Considering that there is a village (presumably not on the crag itself, but beneath it), they already had done that. You don't really need underground rivers: just basic level of ground water which in semi-Scandinavian/Scotish type of landscapes should not be exactly a problem.

>>54234839
>>54234774
I've been reading too much RoTK related stuff, reading about how you basically need a 500 hundred strong army to dislodge a group of bandits from an area and even that might not go as planned.

>>54239965
How is it explained there?

Not any of the guys you replied to, but I have a hard time seeing a bandit group of over a 100 men without getting localized. Not to mention they need to steal enough to feed a 100 people multiple times a day. The bandit network has to be huge.

Does latitude(and temperature) determine where deserts are located, or does a lack of mountains determine where they are?

Thanks in advance

>>54240748
Not him, but 500 men does not necessarily mean "this is the minimum because the bandits have a comparable force". For one thing, you want a considerable advantage to ensure your losses are reduced.

But dislodging bandits is not the same as defeating another group of soldiers in a straight fight. Tracking down and cornering bandits is a manpower intensive job, especially as bandits have to become very adept at evading and harassing any force on a police action. And they will have the home advantage in the rough terrain where they make their base and/or support from locals who give shelter and support in exchange for some the spoils.

That said, a bandit group which is just some guys camped out in the woods living by robbery and extortion with no real support network is going to be pretty small as the others mentioned. They will either eventually split up, get caught or if they do grow larger morph into warlordism at some point if there is a vacuum they can occupy. Small bands are mobile and harder to find though, which is where you need lots of bodies to hunt them.

Does anyone have any experience with Medieval and Renaissance Law? Specifically Northern Italy. I'm looking for a good overview before throwing my PCs into a Thief Campaign.

>>54240842
Latitude has something to do with it, yes. Around 30 degrees North and South there is a line of latitude called the Horse Latitude. Regions along this line without nearby water sources (like a sea) will become deserts.

What are the consequences of multiple moons? Extremely complex and powerful tides?

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>>54242433
Wouldn't that mean Europe should have deserts?

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>>54242612
If you forgot where Europe is, here's a helpful reminder

>>54240842
There's also this little bit to consider:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vpTHi7O66pI

>>54242757
Ohhh, shouldn't china have a desert then?

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>>54243480
>what is the Gobi desert
>what is the Badain Jaran Desert
>what is the Hami Desert
>what is the Lop Desert
>what is the Ordos Desert
>what is the Taklamakan Desert

>>54243567
But china is mountainous, does it not matter? Thanks anon, you are da best

>>54243609
It also FUCKING big, and much of it lies on the Horse Latitude.

You're welcome.

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So I want to run a game in the near future where I can rustle my friends' almonds a bit. Basically, I need ideas on how to flesh out these factions, and perhaps even additional factions. I want to be able to have the factions be agreeable in their views, but also be noticeably flawed, challenging my players.

And all of the factions will have their opinions on others. For example, Ezekiel Hobbes believes Ms. Bhatia is naive, and possibly insane(or just stupid) to think a machine could properly rule humankind. A human understands humans best.


Or the democratics believe Hobbes to be an egotistical and flamboyant pyscho, with delusions of grandeur that believes in the Great Man Theory.

Or the Anarchists just plain ol' don't like anyone and range to disappointed to actively disgusted that they'd make the same mistakes.

And so on.

Any tips? Ideas? Anything? I only just wrote it down, after musing over it in my head for a few days.

>>54240748
>How is it explained there?
I would assume that you are going to need 500 men to circle the area so that the bandits can't slip away, and then the woods or the mountains, house by house, hole by hole, tree-top by tree top. Not to actually fight those guys.

The problem with bandits is going to be the fact that they are going to be extremely difficult to PIN, because they probably have just a small camp or a very well hidden hide-out, and there is just a couple of them, and they will likely take residence in very-difficult-to-access terrain. Getting them is going to be like dislodging a small guerrilla unit.
The actual FIGHT with them is irrelevant. There probably won't be any: at worst they might try to make a break for it, but they are not soldiers. They won't "battle", they'll hide or run.

That said, I do know of a few cases that were a little more hardcore. In Slovakia in particular there was a castle whose lord became a "bandit knight". He was a noble that just started happily preying on and robbing people passing his castle, which happened to be deep in the mountain above a fairly important route and one of the only passages through the mountains.

I think his posy consisted of only about 20-30 men (like most lords actual companies would). But after he stopped being satisfied with just banditry, he started raiding villages and small cities.
Eventually they had to send a fucking imperial army after him, and the siege of his castle took several months.
So that is one of the cases of banditry getting a bit out of hands. Most bandits however, did not have the luxury of having their own castle though.

>>54242449
Potentially, yes. Though not necessarily. It really depends on how they synchronize in their orbits. It's more likely that the tidal cycle is going to have multiple stages and the tides might differ from extremely low to considerably larger.
By the way, bigger tide has actually a pretty major impact on your coast-line biomes. We once did a draft for a world on habitable moon of a gas giant, part of a pretty fucked up (but physically more-or-less-plausible) planetary system consiting of a massive gas as parent body, and then four big moons: first one was a small gas giant, second was our habitable world, remaining two were fairly regular solid moons.

Shit was fun to calculate and speculate about. There was a 14-days long tidal cycle during which the strength of a tide grew (according to estimations of your friend physicist) about six times compared to the lowest tide, and we estimated that the ocean level would shift up to 16 meters up and down during this cycle.
This meant that at the high tide, the water would flow often 2-5 km inland before retracting, creating this 1-5 km long tidal regions that had some REALLY fucked up biomes.
Tidal strip is fucked up. It's a death-trap and at the same time, insanely rich with organic material. Really amazing material to work with.

>>54246536
Haha, what a fucking lunatic.

Do viking orcs who plunder seem like a good idea? I've been only using generic orcs in my setting, but have wanted to include them as essentially not!Vikings for a pretty long time, and a large horde of not!Mongols, dunno if ill make them humans or elves.

>>54247987
It was actually very common in middle ages. Bandit knights were a massive issue especially in central Europe.
This case, however, I think only happened during the rule of Emperor Charles the Fifth, that is late middle ages. It was unusual for that time, though that part of the world was a bit of backwards hole at the time. As for the length of the siege: well, that is how sieges worked. You could hold a castle for months with just 3-5 men, actually, and there was not much the army could do with that most of the time.

>>54248001
I'd say no. Orcs are generally an awful idea, and any kind of noble savage/warrior real-world culture orcs are even worse. But I'm probably not going to convince you to give up on it, right?

Well at least viking orks are slightly more interesting than Barbarian orcs, japanese orcs and mongolian orcs...
Still, it's like a child of the most tired, boring cliché tropes in fantasy imaginable.

>>54248029
I just have no idea how to use them without the cliche going in somewhere, as it's become essentially ingrained in them.
Thought I think it would be cool to have my not!roman empire do something in order to stop the not!vikings to stop raiding all the ships and harbour towns, if I go with this idea I'll go full autism with the lore and just rip off the entire nordic pantheon for orcs.
How would one go to make such a type of orc not noble savage? I imagine they would consider themselves not savages, but the "civilized" races would no?

>>54248029
Also, my mongolians where to be either human tribes or elves, and i'm torn between them because I haven't given a shit about elves.

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>>54244009
>anti-capitalist story on the red planet
Heh.
The "Anarchist" and "Communist" factions kind of overlap, unless they're specifically supposed to be Leninists or something. It would make sense to draw a divide between libertarian socialists and authoritarian socialists.

Seeing as democracy is a core tenant of several ideologies, you should probably call the "Democracy" faction something like Liberals or Republicans. They seem to be going in the "Capitalism can still work, this is just crony capitalism" direction.

There should definitely be more fascist factions though, and not just as the "bad guys". Otherwise it's just leftist wank fiction.

>>54248389
Not him but the problem with that is the anon said he wants all nations to be friendly among one another. So I don't think he will do fascist factions justice if he puts them in for the sake of diversity.

Fascist factions wouldn't be friendly with all of the others.

>>54248479
I can't imagine any of these factions coexisting without some amount of violence. I think what anon was getting at is that the factions are agreeable to the players, not to each other.

>>54246600
best answer ive seen in one of these threads.

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Could we stabilize the orbit of Deimos? Was thinking of having a quest where Deimos's collision with mars has been sped up by unknown factors and it has to be stopped.

>>54249153
Me too, very surprised of the knowledge some anons have

>>54246600
Thanks, this gives me some ideas

>>54234871
You don't really need a full explanation for a phenomenon no one can completely explain here on earth. As >>54235151 points out most of the facts. It's an appropriate place to shrugs and say it doesn't matter, and if they insist just point out the facts.

>>54249188
Whatever magic changed it's orbit could certainly change it back. Other than that, a decent mass driver or fusion plasma accelerator could provide a minimal amount of thrust over a great enough period of time to properly effect things.

The last few times I've posted about various projects, it's been almost totally ignored. Now I want to get started on a new worldbuilding project, but I'm kind of wondering if it's even worth typing my notes up for feedback and input from the thread.

>>54250144

Perhaps reddit?

>>54250208
>reddit

I can't tell if this is sarcasm or serious

>>54250144
You can't ever really expect people to react to you here. It's just not the way these threads work. You can come here with a more concrete question or problem and ask for help, and that way you are more likely to get answers. But if you just present your project - well, you might get lucky, but most of the time people won't have anything to tell you. It's actually very difficult to comment meaningfully on other people's brief, short summaries of their world-building projects.
If you post here: do it for yourself. it's a good opportunity to summarize shit in your head (you'll find out that a lot of things sounding good in your head will sound a lot less good if you try to explain them to others).
Maybe you will get someone's attention: but most of the time you won't. Or if you do, you'll end up pissed off because they'll tell you something you don't like to hear, or you'll be frustrated with them misunderstanding your ideas or something.

It's not so much because people here don't care, or because your worlds are bad, it's simply because organizing a good world-building discussion and sharing space is hard as balls, and there aren't many easy ways to go around it. And 4chan is particularly ill-suited for this.

>>54250377
Not him, but it does not have to be sacrasm. I know there are world-building specialized subs out there. And purely due to format, they seem to work marginally better than those around here.
I've done a bit snooping around those and eventually decided that it's not worth if for me, but you might actually look around if you want perhaps more reliable and certain feedback. Though I would not expect too much even there.

>>54250208
>>54250377
>>54250648

I'm that anon and it was truly honest. I think it's a thing about format. Your post will be up way longer and you're more likely to be read by someone who appreciate your work.

>>54250144
I believe that's because a lot of people come here for help, more than to help. Like, only people that are actually building a setting/world would ever click on this thread. And he would be hung up on his own ideas too much to give proper feedback about the political-cultural setting of someone else, for example.

BUT, I believe you should always type your notes. It makes your ideas clearer.
Its worth a try too anyway, there has to be lurkers around who would appreciate your stuff

>>54234871
When I was a kid, I found an old science book at my grandparents' house that claimed part of the formation of the oceans was a single storm that lasted a million years. That might not be current science anymore but it's a hell of a story.

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>>54248389
Yeah, Im looking at Leninism right now and that seems like a good idea to implement so that the Anarchists are unique.

Also, the idea behind the democracy faction is that no one can decide on what kind of democracy. Socialist Democracy, Republic, Confederate, and a whole slew of others. They may not be able to decide upon it now, but they agree with each other that they'll handle that once everything is peaceful.

Also also, any ideas for fascist factions? Perhaps a "Martians are superior to Terrans because of Stoicism/not living in luxury"?

>>54248479
Far from it, actually. It would be a constantly shifting web of relations. One month the Commies may support Safiyyah, the next they're damning her and her machine as another "elaborate bourgeois tool of oppression".

>>54248707
>I think what anon was getting at is that the factions are agreeable to the players, not to each other.

^This

I dont want my players to go "oh well obviously we gotta fight for democracy kings bad, people good".

I want to be able to see them argue with each other and discuss what might happen if they assist one(or multiple) factions. I want them to discuss.

Also, sorry for replying so late, it's my day off and I slept in.

>>54235767
That would be nice, especially if the AI preserved all the pre-Fall knowledge so there's no annoying "permanent dark age" crap.

>>54251303
>Also also, any ideas for fascist factions?
Good old racism.
>niggers can't live on Mars, therefore niggers are inferior
>keep the red planet for the white man

>>54251239
>I believe that's because a lot of people come here for help, more than to help.
I'm honestly not sure of this. I have gave up on the ambition to share my own ideas around here good while ago (I usually got ignored or mad)... but I still come to these threads with the rather explicit intention to offer help or opinions.
But in the end... I find out that there is just nothing I can actually say 90% of the time to begin with. It's easier when somebody comes with a specific question, but when people just present their settings, maybe with a vague "what do you think..." kind of deal... As much as I'd want to be more helpful, I end up with: "I'm not sure how or why could I actually care about any of this, much less some details". It's either too vague or too specific, and almost always not actually in any way stimulating any kind of response that could make for a decent input.
I end up trying to challenge people on more systematic levels (hence the whole "internal consistency" discussion from a previous thread that influenced todays OP's question), but that almost always ends up making people really mad.

So the problem is not really in not enough people offering help: it's in the fact that offering help is just fucking HARD in these threads. In the end, the only thing most people around here can help is the stuff that is most "objective". Hence the discussion almost always ending up around debating river slows, "realism" of maps in general, stuff like discussing impact of moons on tides, discussing historical precedences to take inspiration from. Those are things people know how to deal with. But when it comes to someones brief desciption of their special flavor of magic emperor...

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>>54228240
Internal consistency isn't any more important than being able to write letters in writing. It's base line, incredibly easy to do and not something you have to worry about if you know what you're doing because you'll be doing it automatically without needing to ask yourself. Consistency is required for a setting to function, but it does not and cannot make a setting good. You need to focus on making the setting worthwhile, interesting and artistically valuable if you want anything good. Consistency is the cement that paves the road and it is utterly fucking worthless if you don't ride anything on it.

The whole argument is stupid because you need both.

>>54251358
That may be a good idea. Could also be a good way to generate hate between factions. For example, I've imagined Ezekiel Hobbes as being descended from a black-white couple from South Africa, and I could see a racist fascist calling him a disgusting mutt.

Or perhaps a Black Supremacist faction that despises Hannibal Cromwell because he's white.

This is the future, so most ethnicities are going to be present, if not because their home countries have a space program, then at least because they immigrated to a country that has one.

>>54251328
Was gonna have Osiris fragments about rather than the AI itself still active, if humanity is broken the AI is too.
>>54228240
Both, i think you should try and maintain a feeling/atmosphere but not fucking up your own worlds logic helps present it better.

>>54251303
>Also also, any ideas for fascist factions?
Fascist capitalism: Look for Pinochet
Fascist: Look for Mussolini
National Socialism usually falls into fascism too, look no further than Germany.
There is also Jorge, Argentinian fascist dictator, but I don't really know much of him. And Franco in Spain. Look for those

Also don't forget to have Republics like in old Rome, and Republics like the modern USA.

Remember capitalism under Tyranny of the Majority, and capitalism under the control of a deep state (every candidate is part of the clique group, all have huge advertisement, leaving independent candidates with no chance of winning due to the high marketing the clique candiates have), and true Capitalism where everything is fine and magical.

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>>54251474
>This is the future
SPACE FOR SPACENOIDS

Those who have their souls bounded by gravity are genetically inferior to those born free from the gravity of Earth. Bonus point if they actually are inferior and less adapted to space

>Working on a settling called Lost&Found
>A land where lost people, objects, civilizations, knowledge and so on end up from multiple worlds
>A chaotic mix of displaced technology and magics and the people struggling to survive
>Players start in a tropical island south of the mainland
The first civilization I planned on them coming across were a group of humans descended from a colony ship that flew into a nebula and surfaced in a lake, then promptly sunk. They managed to keep bits and pieces of their technology and most of their education in tact (and have used modern economics to bring down a slaver empire). More recently, a forgotten deity pranced through and gave them the ability to breath water as well as air, and from a passing elementalist, learned to magically "grow" metals underwater. They are using their newfound industry to expand and are looking for lost mercenaries to assist them.

Does this at all sound interesting?

>>54251782
Humans sound overpowered and I don't know where this is supposed to go.

I reckon the format-anons have it right.

Let's be honest here, a lot of the time we just get a slew of posts with little context or reason to care dropped into middle of a thread with a plea for attention.

10 posts about the how the lineage of Prince Fuckface can be traced back to the time of the War of the Badger's Nose just makes me want to scrollpast and resent the poster for the intrusion. Doubly so because it is usually crap.

Writing it up ala >>54244009 is a better format and looks less ugly/wall of text while containing clearly laid out information for those who do want to read it. And lo, it's generating discussion and feedback.

>>54248389
>>54244009
why not make the communists evil? they could be leninists or maoists just looking to put another dictator in power while the 'anarchists' are farmers from the un-terraformed seeking liberty from both sides?
also one aspect of an inhabited mars that nobody really looks into is the possibility of the red planet 'relapsing' and rejecting the terraforming like an improperly transplanted organ
if mars were inhabited long enough the people living there could become settled to the point of forgetting the advanced technology that allows them to live there, leading to a complete collapse when mars reverts to its original state.

>>54252004
>why not make the communists evil?
It would be the antithesis of what I am trying to accomplish. I want to present complicated, layered choices. I love me some good v evil stuff(have a fantasy setting that's basically Fire Emblem meets Bionicle, but whatev. HAvent worked on it in a while), but I also like to ahve stories where competing and conflicting ideas and groups clash.

>also one aspect of an inhabited mars that nobody really looks into is the possibility of the red planet 'relapsing' and rejecting the terraforming like an improperly transplanted organ

I like this idea. Could make some parts of Mars uninhabitable. "The Wastes", or something.

>>54251303
South African fascist movements kinda have that mentality about the colonials being braver/stronger than their European counterparts.

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Transplanting this shitpoll from the scaly bara thread because I'm genuinely curious what kind of reptile man I should use.

http://www.strawpoll.me/13401363

There is also the option of using all of them at once because beast men in my setting are cursed humans. Maybe with dinosaurs split off into their own thing. Aesthetic is African if that matters.

>>54251552
Fun note about Franco: he was deeply religious, and very monarchist. Oddly atypical of other fascist dictators. When the ETA took out his second-in-command (as well as the entire block he was on at the time) Franco looked to putting the royals back in charge, and picked the one who said he'd revert Spain to a Catholic-Supremisist nation.

Said royal then promptly returned Spain to a secular democracy, cause he was a swell guy.

>>54252055
not even 'wastes' but more like random spots go from earth climate to mars climate. forests and farms turn into kill zones overnight where the air turns into unbreathable, deathly cold carbon dioxide, amd the (presumably) earth native plants are twisted into alien forms by the chemical change in the soil or outright killed by the conditions then are overgrown by legit martian life forms. humans and animals straight up die within minutes unless they are wearing space suits. assuming your colonized mars world has slid back to current day tech from the space age this would lead to death and starvation on an immense level and make warfare dangerous and asymetrical.

Where does salt come from most often? I have a medieval/renaissance trade city and I need to know where such cities got most of their salt from. Said trade city is a ways away from a salt ocean, but close to mountains and a desert.

Is there any historical precedent for mercenaries/warlords taking a nobles holdings while he was occupied?

>>54252224
the germanics who sacked rome had fought as mercenaries
so, yes, there is precedence, entire empires have been taken this way

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>>54252224
There is precedent of an independent warlord taking a holding while the owner was away. He wasn't a mercenary, but he sort of behaved like one. He served like 3 different nobles, and betrayed all 3 of them for personal gain. He got executed after he betrayed the wrong noble. "You are too dangerous to live, and I can't afford you as my enemy. So you die" style.

>>54252155
Make more than one, multicultural race. One race for scouts, one race for soldiers, one race for farming (farming? aren't reptiles carnivores?)

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Give me some ideas for minor gods

>>54248110
Pick Saruman, as an example.
Though he's not an orc, he does lead them. And he has some twisted industrial revolution vibe to him.
Maybe you can work that side, if you want to escape the clichés? Orcs that are obsessed with metalcraft and burning woods.

>>54252797
somewhat tying into this, I'm trying to create a realm for a God of Mistakes. I'm thinking that a lot of the geography would be the inverse of what would happen in the real world, but only sometimes. E.g. "While I was making my world, I accidentally made the waterfall upside down!" and a gigantic underground cave system with upside down "mountains" coming from the ceiling in an area where the surface is open plains.

On the flip side, I'm also trying to make the realm for a God of Conformity. I don't have any ideas except for "the landscape is the same (feature) for x number of miles." Anyone else have any ideas or input?

>>54252797

Not Gods of concepts, elements, or natural phenomena, but Gods of the people. For example, a city has its own patron God, as well as a Guild or even a family. These Gods, if they exist or have any power at all, are very small and weak, focused more on the protection and legacy of these groups then anything.

>>54251303
Have you ever played Fallout: New Vegas? It's a really amazing story with a similar premise of nuanced politics in a post-apocalyptic world. You could take inspiration from Caeser's Legion - while their methods are cruel and they initially seem like the "villains", you later find out that their lands are better protected from bandits and raiders, and their ideology could be better for the survival of the human race.
Meanwhile, another faction, who espouse the old ideas of representative democracy, find themselves unable to protect their citizens, and their fiat currency failed miserably. Each of the several factions have multiple different pros and cons for the player to think about, pretty much exactly in the way you described.
>>54252004
Oh jeez thanks anon, I've never heard that angle before. Anon literally said he wants a nuanced political landscape that challenges the player's beliefs, not confirms them with blatant bias.

>>54251415
As a lurker in this general, I tend to agree. I usually come here to nib on knowledge, but rarely ask something unless it's objective enough. Because other than that it's kinda hard. You end up offering "too much" opinion on something subjective and it doesn't really help.

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>>54252673
>aren't reptiles carnivores?
Some aren't. It's not too crazy to make lizardmen omnivorous.

>>54253426
The marine iguana is omnivore I think, when young it eats insects and when he grows up he eats sea grass.

I wouldn't make the base of the race omnivorous though, why delete a racial trait? I should work around it, not change it.

>>54253501
Dude there are way more omnivorous reptiles than marine iguanas. And it's not like your races are set in stone, nothing wrong with making small adaptions as your world grows and gets more detailed. Something like whether your lizard people can eat grass or not is ultimately a pretty small thing.

If you have to have them as farming carnivores at least create an interesting explanation, like they are hired/enslaved by another race in exchange for fresh meat.

>>54253662
>Dude there are way more omnivorous reptiles than marine iguanas
Oh yeah? List 10.

>>54253856
>>54253662
Yeah list 10 of their albums.

>>54253856
Tortoises
...I should stop there. That's dozens of species.

Green iguana
Uromastyx lizards
Chuckwallas
Prehensile-tail skinks
Bearded dragons
Box turtles
Some sea turtles
Mud turtles
Musk turtles
Side-necked turtles

>>54256129
>iguana
>a lizard
>a dragon
>a skink
>turtles
>tortoises
Top kek barely above half. That's all? Compared to the whole reptilian race, its literally nothing. Probably less than 10%

>>54256183
I sure am admiring how you moved those goalposts anon

Go jerk off to your lizard people elsewhere

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>tfw make an innocent question post and someone else pretends to be you and acts like a total fucking retard in order to make you look bad.

>>54256254
I am, we have a thread up right now.

Won't tell you who _we_ are though :^) stay mad, your board is ours now.

>>54244009

Machinocratic Faction: The AI works really well for only short periods of time. Requiring a reboot of the system with restored original specifications with some minor or major reprogramming to attempt to extend the time period it can remain online before it enevitably but slowly reverts to supporting human prejudices and undesirable traits Bhutia deems unacceptable system corruptions which she blames the hardware for just as much as the software. No permanent solutions have been discovered and so the AI has been reset at least 100,000 times thus far resulting in a current version D144(dot)836(dot)0001r software and hardware corrections.

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>>54256714
Thanks dude! I think I'll implement that. I was already planning on something like that(a minor chance that the AI would develop inhibiting human traits, since it was based off a compiled human brain pattern to "skip over the busy work" of developing a neural system from scratch).

>>54253187
I've played New Vegas many times, one of my favorite games.

>>54253187
>he wants a nuanced political landscape that challenges the player's beliefs, not confirms them with blatant bias
well its realistic that capitalism and communism are just two different methods to install a false 'democracy' thats actually a tyrannical government that spies on everyone and poisons the water and medicine and forces people to fight foreign wars for resources and political power.

>>54256397
You are literally worse than elflewders, dwarfniggers, and furfags combined.

>>54256820

How about this, Bhutia was one of the geologic scientists in charge of analyzing the mining operations both in the asteroid belt and the surface, she claims to have found an ancient alien built positronic brain. Although very decayed and nearly falling apart she has managed to reconstruct portions of it and applied human programming to the brain AI system. The problems it develops are both human moral flaws AND bizzare alien morals that conflict. The alien positronic brain is faqr more advanced than anything humans could create so shes attempting to disassemble it to study and create a better new improved moral version that doesn't corrupt over time. Problem is, she doesn't have the rights to total access and the other Factions lay claim to its fair usage.

Tell me about the unique parasites of your setting /tg/ what do they do, how harmful is it, and how big of a problem are they?

>>54252204
Read this, its pretty light on the eyes and gives you all the info you want.

http://quatr.us/food/salt.htm

>>54257604
You're a godsend anon. Many thanks!

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>>54257005
Holy fucking shit you just inadvertently really juiced my goose. I'm this nugget >>54252155 and the idea of parasite beastmen like Mosquitos and Tapeworms and shit really never crossed my mind. Fucking malaria vampires rampaging across the savannah.

>>54257711
It's worth adding that salt is a very lucrative trade good. If your city does not have salt mines in those mountains then it will have to be shipped from somewhere that can harvest salt.

Salt was the major commodity being traded south in exchange for slaves and gold going north on the Trans-Saharan route linking Morocco and West Africa. Salt mines are a license to print money, especially when trading with areas without an alternative source within easy reach.

>>54257908
Oh I'm well aware of salt's worth. I just wanted some kind of idea where to put it in my setting.

>>54257908
Being a salt miner was pretty miserable work, a lot of nations used it as punishment for political prisoners. So if a country has no political prisoners or slaves to salt mine, how is it mined? Sea salt?

>>54258445
Not him but not every country has to produce every resource, right?

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Could and or Would someone find me a PDF of the book, "Living in the Middle Ages (Living in the Ancient World)" by Norman Bancroft Hunt, pretty please?

Pic is the cover.

>>54258642
If I had it I would post it my precious anon. If no one has it, try another day. I'm interested in the book too, title sounds fun.

>>54258642
>>54258775
I have the entire series but I keep getting connection errors every time I try to post it.

Does your setting have a Monolith, special Landmark, or Monument? If so what is it?

Needs ideas

>>54259233
>I have the entire series but I keep getting connection errors every time I try to post it.

Maybe upload it to a file-sharing site and put up a download link or something?

I want the whole series, Anon!! The whole thing!!

>>54259708
I didn't want it to have to come to this because it's forBidden knowledGe but i'll share whEre i got it. N

>>54248110
Are your not!romans Hobgoblins? I really dig the conquering legion vibe that Hobgoblins give. You could make not!carthaginian Orcs, if you want some of that seafaring feel, or not!gauls and tell the story of the orc obelix who's under permanent effect of a potion of Ogre strength&vitality or something.

>>54259807
Or, you know, Ogrelix.

>>54259787

Oh my god, thank you so much, Anon.

You've opened up a new world to me.

>>54252797
Who are your main gods? And what are their affinities and responsibilities?

>>54234871

Single continent plays fucking hell with weather.

>>54259787
>B
>G
>E
>N
Ummm?

>>54262213
Maybe its an acronym?

What does BGEN mean?

>>54262213
It's obviously a cryptic reference to Libgen, which is odd because this is 4chan, not anon's CV, and it's okay to name pdf sites and say bad words that would hurt some people's feelings without needing to censor yourself.

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The previous cold war was communism vs capitalism, What kind of Ideological split could a space cold war be? Say Earth and Mars are locked in a power struggle for dominance over the system, what could the core of their cold war be about?

>tfw when I'm better at building and populating a world than making things for players to do in it.

>>54264270
Earth: Authoritarianism, They want to control the whole system under their order

In order to accomplish to fight this was they wind up losing control over planets/stations/moons/asteroids that aren't involved in the conflict.

Mars: Libertarianism, They want each planet to be self governing

In order to accomplish this goal they need to assume control of planets/stations/moons/asteroids that are involved in the conflict.


>Each one sacrifices it's ideology to fight the other.

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WIP

How do you actually start worldbuilding proper?

Is it just thought, continued thinking about your setting? Sitting down and writing this stuff out? Or is 'worldbuilding proper' a fictional state one makes up to excuse why they aren't *really* worldbuilding yet?

>>54253129
Maybe the God of Conformity's domain seems very familiar to everywhere else, as does all areas within the realm seem like you've been going in circles. Everything seems far too regular. Features of the geography are exactly like one would imagine them to be. Like the little hamlet by the river across from the woodland looks *exactly* like the image one would imagine when thinking of a place like that. Nothing out of the ordinary ever happens. Even freak accidents or random events occur where it seems like they would happen or would seem appropriate, with no surprises.
Nothing changes. This is extremely unnerving to any visiting outsiders.
And perhaps each generation of people have the exact same roles in the realm, not just meaning their profession but their actual place in society, their actions and their life story are repeated from generation to generation. This is extremely unnerving to any visiting outsiders.

>>54265239
I mean, I'd assume that there is no "proper" worldbuilding at all. You can worldbuild by thinking up features of an imaginary language that you never touch again, and you can do it by writing an entire history and encyclopedia about a setting, including an original rulebook to play rpgs in said setting, and everything in between and it is all considered worldbuilding. No right or wrong way about it. No proper or improper method, reasons, or anythings.
Don't stress man.

>>54264364

Given how tough life would be on Mars in fragile habitats, I'd instead see an intense Spartan culture developing: everyone has to contribute and wasting/idleness is seen as the greatest sin. Meanwhile on Earth, it's all about exploiting the outer colonies for delicious resources to fuel consumer markets back home in an endless cycle that is soon to come to a head.

>>54262213
>>54262928
Consider the poster name and the first letter as well, famalam.
>>54263164
This desu

>>54264865
wtf is that river in the north that moves sideways? How does that work?

>>54228240
Made a few gods for a pantheon. Any criticism is welcome. This not all of them, just the ones I banged out yesterday. If the language is a bit flowery its because this is going directly into the lore packet as written. If it seems too long let me know.

>Hlotar
God of wisdom and the world weary, Hlotar is the eldest among all the gods of man. He is worshiped in various forms across many cultures, and the blessing of his foresight is sought by barons and beggars alike. His symbol is that of a branch, or less often a tree, charred at its lowest extent and lacking both fruit and foliage. Hlotar was once counted among the Old Gods, and fought ceaselessly alongside them against the monsterous children of Ngolgandr, the Horizon Beast. In their senseless war with Ngolgandr and its kin, all of the Old Gods, save Hlotar, were slain. Only when the battle had ended in a stalemate did he feel the weight of his hears and see the utter folly the battle-lust of the Old Gods had wrought. Having learned from the rashness of his youth, Hlotar sought to build a greater legacy in the name of the brethren he had lost. Thus did he sire in all beings the capacity for the forethought which he and his kin had sorely lacked. In some of his chosen, this gift can blossom into the gift of prophecy. Such seers are the leaders of Hlotar's well respected priesthood. Though the Lord of Seers, as he has come to be known, has little need for ceremony and prostration, his priests are no less occupied with their duties of providing council on a wide range of matters to king and commoner alike. However, for some the greatest calling in the service of Hlotar is the recitation and administration of The Way; a holy code of law that treats all men alike but is inhumanly draconian. Those cities which live out the commandments of The Way are bastions of moral rectitude, but for those who stray beyond its tenants, the otherwise common mercy is forever beyond their reach.

>>54266015
>Throd
The ever fearless god of protection, the patron of farmers and craftsmen, Throd is popular and widely worshiped among the common people. His symbol is a simple golden disk which represents his shield, and is occasionally depicted alongside an empty scabbard. Throd's most noteworthy exploit is the widely known tale of his battle with the Horizon Beast, Ngolgandr, sire of all monsters. During the battle it is said that in a desperate gambit Throd fed the Beast his own sword arm, then throttled it from the inside with his now disembodied hand. Throd then banished Ngolgandr and the most monstrous of its brood to the edge of the world, where he still holds its life to ransom to this day. Though common folk in the hinterlands revere Throd, and view him as the protector and patron of all mankind, many in the great cities pay him little more than lip service, protected as they are by their walls and armies. Among the faithful, Throd's worship often takes the form of periodic rituals held at important structures such as towers, bridges, and other triumphs of craftsmanship. These rituals are most often held either to commemorate the structure's completion, to consecrate its construction. Throd's devout followers are more a loose brotherhood than a priestly caste, composed as they are of assorted master craftsmen and gray-haired monster hunters. Their duties are to Throd's teachings, and to see to mankind's flourishing across the face of all creation, that Throd's sacrifice may not be in vain. All this, however, is in service of a far darker task: ensuring readiness should the children of Ngolgandr return.

I need to get round to writing down more of my world. I've scribbled down some notes but most of it is in my head and I just add to it when I have the time, usually when I'm doing something that doesn't need concentration at work.

>>54266124
>Eodil
Known as the Brightlord, Eodil is the god of charity and travelers. Loved by the common folk and tolerated by the upper reaches of nobility, Eodil's teachings encourage giving and forgiveness. His role as a god of wayfarers springs from his common guise on the mortal plane as not but a simple traveler, and it is said that to show grace to the Brightlord, should he pass your door, is to be forever blessed. In his service are the beggar-priests, who travel the land wearing the Guise of Eodil; a simple wooden mask with silver thread worked into the grain. They travel hear and there, spreading and demanding charity in equal measure, for both acts are holy in their eyes. As such, beggar-priests tend to be rather gregarious busybodies, as there are none who cannot benefit by their blessings. For those who have much, they offer an opportunity to be blessed by Eodil. For those who have nothing, they offer a share of what they have in coin and wisdom both. The restless nature of the Brightlord's servants makes temples and grand holy sites all but useless to them. However, when commissioning grand temples to the gods of man, many kings have taken to including an empty transept where beggar-priests may rest their heads, both as an act of faith and charity and to monitor the volume of such troublesome zealots in the city.

>>54266242
Thats all for now. Let me know what you think if you bother to read any of it.

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Would you guys care to share your maps?

>>54266336
Also forgot to ask, how best to picture stairs and the likes?

>>54252797
Darkness, Weather
- The god/dess of underground air currents

Mind, Travel
- The god/dess of planned journeys

Travel, Rune
- The god/dess of cartography

Sun, Evil
- The god/dess of heatstroke
(As a minor god, anyway, you could use this combination for a major evil god as well by fleshing it out a bit)

Magic, Strength
- The god/dess of bioenhancement

>>54266357
The way you pictured yours is good enough to understand where they start, but not enough to understand if they go up or down.

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>>54266242
What happens if someone offends Eodil?
Why would the nobles care about his blessing? They are clearly wealthy enough to not give a fuck, so why don't they just shun Eodil followers?

>>54266124
>Throd is more popular among the common men than the priests that want to give the people equal share of profits
That's interesting, unless I understood the charity part of Brightlord word. I assume they give the money they get to the poor.
Wouldn't he be the most popular among hunters as well? Out of the 3 gods, who do hunters, soldiers and adventurers worship? You skipped them.
How common are monster attacks on the peasants, for them to worship protection above wealth? I would guess Throd is the most popular in times of need and war, but in times of peace I think he would quickly be forgotten.

>>54266015
Is it because of Throd's shield that craftmen worship him above the god of Wisdom? I think rectitude and strictness would come handy for the merchant's employees.
What's the relationship between the gods? Is Ngolgandr part of the pantheon too, like Hades was in Greece?

I'm not the brightest fellow around here. So please be patient

>>54266751
So in order

Offending Eodil wont necessarily bring bad luck, but it will surely put an end to good fortune. Some do shun Eodil's followers, but to do so for too long is to risk being considered a philistine.

While Eodil's followers do give what they can to the poor, they are much less successful outside of the few large cities. In the countryside they are greeted with some degree of suspicion and sine there are few especially wealthy or poor folk living out away from the cities they dont tend to stay much longer than they have to.

Now would be a good time to mention that these are by no means ALL of the gods. There are a few more widely worshipped gods, which make up the Gods of Man, then there are many many more gods who's concerns dont really include the goings-on of the human world.

Hunters would likely seek the favor of the Three Sisters: Syl, Synd, and Syf who's capricious temperaments control weather and seasons. Soldiers worship Hlotar as well as Raevaln, the god who holds sway over the hearts of man who's domain is emotion intemperance thereof. Adventurers would likely worship according to their calling and the place they are in at the time, though many would probably give some attention to Yngolgonath, the god of outcasts and empty places. While Yngolgonath is not revered among the gods of man, as he is of Yngolgandr's brood, travelling the lands where his will holds sway is dangerous enough without his blessing.

Monster attacks are common enough, though that does not account for Throd's popularity: for those who live in an area without the protection of walls and grand armies, it is believed that Throd's sacrifice is all that keeps them safe from the beasts who once ruled the world. His worship is all about repaying his sacrifice, and so is actually stronger in times of peace and construction.

Craftsmen may seek the wisdom of Hlotar, but it is their role to build what is needed, not what is prophesied. Contd.

>>54268045
Throd is not a god of war, but merely a god who sacrificed a part of himself to cleanse the world of threats which mankind had no way of fighting.

>>54266751
I also forgot to mention that Eodil has a brother, Kossirus, who is the god of debt and death who is the patron of merchants. He represents balance and reason in all things, and is an utterly dispassionate in his duties. As such, merchants look to him as an exemplar: Kossirus takes what is owed when it is owed, and to incur a debt to him is to incur a horrible curse.

>>54264364
How would an authoritian government "sacrifice" it's ideology to fight the other? Couldn't it only get stronger by consolidating more power?

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Could I get some feedback on this setting page for players?
What questions are raised while reading, what important details do you think I've left out, what sorts of logical implications do you think I've missed?
I expect there are typos, since I can't get the WikidPad spellcheck to work.

>>54265906
It makes sense if it's one river going underground twice.

>>54268880
I think it's shit and my question is 'why is it shit?'. You forgot to not make it shit so logically it's shit.

>>54269026
Thank you, that's certainly helpful in making it less shit.

>>54268880
So far heres what Ive got.
1. Not to be a pedant, but task forces usually fall under specific agencies, so you may want to fill that in. Its also a little silly that they're called DTF.
2.Overall it seems somehow lacking. I will admit I skimmed it, but it seems to me that there should be far more harnessing of such individuals, especially as they become more common.
3. The issue of whether registered mutants can run for government should be handled.
4.I know this is heavily influenced by the wet blanket that is Xmen, but I feel like there should be more drastic world-changing stuff happening. Why not have a power company that runs solely on mutants as a renewable energy source? Why not have beauty products derived from mutants that normies can use to change minor things about themselves temporarily? What's missing is commodification: when a new resource is discovered, people dont just poke it and wait for something to happen. Titans of industry sweep in and start making bank.

>>54269087
>task forces usually fall under specific agencies
Would it being under the DOD, like TFBSO make sense?
>Its also a little silly that they're called DTF.
That's intentional.
>there should be far more harnessing of such individuals, especially as they become more common.
I've tried to imply as much as heavily as I could without outright stating that mutants who can generate power are basically kidnapped and turned into power plants.
>The issue of whether registered mutants can run for government should be handled.
This is an excellent point that I hadn't thought about at all.
>there should be more drastic world-changing stuff happening. Why not have a power company that runs solely on mutants as a renewable energy source? Why not have beauty products derived from mutants that normies can use to change minor things about themselves temporarily? What's missing is commodification: when a new resource is discovered, people dont just poke it and wait for something to happen. Titans of industry sweep in and start making bank.
I'm not sure how to do this, except the power-plant idea. Maybe individual mutants produce useful materials as part of their mutation, but that's not really scalable. It's more of an "oh, this naturally occurring substance has an interesting effect, lets see if we can replicate it" which is sort of what happens in real life already. I don't see how commercialization of mutant powers would be "world-changing". There is a lot of political and historical potential I hadn't thought about, though - like how different countries' views on mutants might change how things played out. Maybe Soviet Russia is still around, or a mutocracy has formed in the Middle East.

>>54269307
If you want to be a meme lord put them under ATF, make them the ATFM.

The last point is a real sticker, but you're just not being creative enough. You could have a line of perfumes with mutant superpheramones mixed in. Teleportation-based travel agencies. Bank vaults with no doors that have to be phased into and out of. Corporatons that will sell you weather. Corporations that will put up satellites using flying mutants. It doesnt have to be all of it, but it should at least be some of it. Somebody would jump on that shit, and until its outlawed, they're not going to stop.

>>54265872
This is a good idea. Im not the guy you're replying to, but the conflict between recycling everything, carefully planned ecology, spartan living and the earthside decadence, pollution and waste is pretty great. Bonus points if earth spams manned fighters and ballistic weapons, missiles etc with no regard for lives and mars uses precise drone strikes and careful sabotage.

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I'm working on a campaign based in the Unification Wars era on Terra in the Warhammer 40k universe. Just finished up writing a segment where the players as Thunder Warriors have managed to break into the palace of Ursh, where -thanks to their leaders alignment to chaos- the defending forces are being turned into Khornate demons to drive off the invaders. Was looking for feedback/criticism

https://pastebin.com/uvcJVGf1

>>54229578
Write like you were some nerd fan of your setting greentexting on 4chan 5 years from now.

>>54268045
>>54268053
If there are other gods like the sisters you named, or the brother. Then it seems you have it all covered up bro. Good job.

Do criminals in your setting worship a god? Do these gods judge mortals like we do, or take a more passive stance? Can a criminal/outlaw be blessed by one of the many gods? Do gods have rivalries among each other like the numbers of followers, etc? Stuff for thought.

>>54268880
I don't really get what sodality is about. Infiltration inside criminal groups or something?

I think one of the first questions I ask myself is "why 1979?" What happened there that made them show up? But maybe the origin is part of the campaign, so its a minor thing.
The second thing I don't get is why this exploding, atomic man, didn't kill himself the very first time he exploded. It isn't explained in the reading that those that gained powers also become immune to them/can't be harmed by their own power.
My third question would be why would anyone ever register to the DTF database voluntarily if you are put to work in specialized facilities, are tracked down, and everyone around you gets a warning of your current state. I think almost everyone would keep their powers a secret, there is really no reason for them to register voluntarily. Once caught, the individuals could just claim they just discovered their power/ weren't aware of the DTF/were too afraid to register/ were being blackmailed by another powered individual to not do it. And a good lawyer can probably win quite a few of these cases.
Another thing is that you could really just expand some more about powered incidents, its left too much in the blank. Has there being a powered individual so strong in controlled a town by himself? Is there an opposite organization to DTF, like the Yakuza, but for powered individuals? What's the % of DTF recruitment? I would guess non-registered mutants outnumber the DTF like 10 to 1.
Where does your setting takes place, I think you didn't name in what part of the world your players start, are you in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, where regulations are more likely to be ignored, or in New York, USA, or in a fictitious city? I think that needs to be explained, how the local forces deal with mutants.
Are there vigilantes around, remaining hidden but when there is disaster nearby he takes the job upon himself because he doesn't trust the DTF?
Expand your setting,anon.

>>54272609
The only gods which value laws are Hlotar and Kossirus, and the Gods of Man dont really compete, though they are hated by minor gods who may have once had a following.

>>54273189
>why 1979
Why not?
>I don't get is why this exploding, atomic man, didn't kill himself the very first time he exploded.
Required Secondary Power.
>why would anyone ever register to the DTF database voluntarily
Propaganda, and being treated like a criminal, and then having all that stuff happen anyway.
>individuals could just claim they just discovered their power
"Our surveillance shows that you were aware of your power for at least three weeks before you were taken into custody."
>weren't aware of the DTF
The DTF is this setting's version of Homeland Security/ATF. They have school presentations about what to do if you find out a friend or family member is a mutant (turn them in) if you develop powers (turn yourself in) or suspect somebody of harboring rogue mutants (three guesses). Not to mention ignorance of the law not being a valid legal defense.
>being blackmailed by another powered individual to not do it.
Not registering is a crime. Withholding information about a rogue powered and not reporting them to the DTF is also a crime.
>Is there an opposite organization to DTF, like the Yakuza, but for powered individuals?
Yes, Sodality. Which doesn't exist. It's just propaganda to get the DTF more funding, and a "criminal organization" that's on the books so that it's easier to charge powered individuals with crimes like conspiracy, supporting a terrorist organization, and unlawful congregation for subversive purposes.
>What's the % of DTF recruitment?
DTF only cares about the useful mutants, so not very high. Most are just highly inconvenienced.
>Where does your setting takes place
I'll make that more explicit.
>I would guess non-registered mutants outnumber the DTF like 10 to 1.
You would be wrong. Many mutants have tells or obvious physical changes, and the DTF puts a lot of effort into making sure mutants get registered, and not carrying mutant registration is a misdemeanor.

How obvious was it that the article was DTF propaganda?

RESOURCES

I have made a huge mistake, and made the kingdom map too bad for everyone's own good. Now I need more reasons for settlements. These are the resources on my map
>gold, silver, copper, lead, iron
>salt, leather, marble/Ivory, woo, dyes
>horses, fish, clamps, pigs, cattle in general
>grain, corn, olive oil, wine, cotton, spices
>silk
>almechist chemicals
What else could I add in the terrain so I can have another reason to build a town?

>>54275189
>too bad
I meant I made the map too big. Which is a bad thing. Fuck me in the ass.

>>54275189
Trading posts that expanded.
Lumber.
Holy or religious sites.
Strategic locations to house garrisons or defensive structures.

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>>54275405
Thanks! Lumber would cause an extra area to be deforested, right?

I have a question about roads, let me use a quick paint image to explain it. Take a look at it. As of right now, I don't have a road connecting town A from Town B, because I thought the ports would be enough to travel. Like, they are a day away at most, maybe less. Should they be connected by road or not?

Circling the swamp would make it take a shitload longer than by boat, and I don't really know who would even use it. Enlighten me, /tg/

>>54275189
>A river, and therefore a mill.
>A holy site, and therefore pilgrims
>A confluence of roads.
>The foothills of a critical mountain pass.

>>54275988
Not necessarily. Farmed forests were more common in antiquity than they are today, with a wood generally being just a very closely managed forest where all the trees were shaped and trimmed to purpose.

>>54275988
Does nobody live outside the towns, at all? I would imagine that farmlands surrounding the towns would have some kind of roadways to reach them and sell their crops.

Swamps aren't useless land either, especially in antiquity settings, because they're a source of bog iron and easy food like cattails or frogs.

>>54276186
>cattails
I did not know this.

What would a city where the population is primarily undead slaying clergy look like?

>>54276617
A more militaristic Vatican.

>>54276701
Blessed halberds for everyone

>>54276617
Belmont/Van Hellsing family gone mainstream

What's the most valuable trade good that can come from a desert? Preindustrial so oil would be of limited value. Any cool magical/fantastical ideas?

>>54277581
Salt.
Magically radioactive stones.
Gems that have absorbed the fire of the Sun.

>>54277581
Salt pans. Pump in ocean water, the sun dries it out, you get lovely pink salts with complex flavors.

Gemstones.

Mining out the body of a dead mummified god for magical components, building materials, trade goods, etc.

Man-trapper spider silk, fangs and paralytic venom. Sandshark parts. Giant scarab shells.

Looted remains of an ancient civilization.

How should space magic that stems from eldritch work?

>>54277581
Salt
Glass
Gems
Ancient buried tombs like in the original movie The Mummy, which attracts lots of adventures and merchants hiring mercenaries for a chance to get that sweet golden loot.
Also, you could add an exotic animal, fantastical or not, that has a lot of value and can only be found in deserts. Could be valuable because its a smart animal, because its meat is delicious, or because of its skin/leather properties, maybe a valuable gem grows in its body or nest.

Top of my head.

>>54277581
Fantasy petroleum. You can use it to power magical devices.

>>54277905
> Get a cthulhu egg
> Pump if full of chemicals so that it does not continue to grow and then hatch, but does not die
> Torture it until it does it's reality-altering magic stuff
> Somehow catch that shit (Or funnel it) and use that to do your FTL

Alternatively, cut a deal with that guy with the doors and dimensions and stuff

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>>54228240
>/wbg/ - Worldbuilding General

It's been a while since I've posted in one of these, but hey, howdy.
I'm sadly not much of a work horse, but I've been quietly making little card profiles of all the fantasy races in my setting and I'd like to share them with you guys.

I've got a 2nd one inc, so one moment.

>>54280829
I'm really interested in what the worldbuilding implications of these balloon tits are.

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>>54280829

Aaanndd here's the other one as promised. I've still got about 5 major races and 1 minor race to illustrate before I go ahead and start giving them their names and typing out their brief descriptions.

Some of them might read better than others via their clothing (I'm terrible at outfits), but the setting is more of a hot climate, tropical, mediterranean, deserty, kind of world.

I hope you enjoy them!

Alright, I've got a pretty far out idea in some ways.

What do you guys think society would look like if everyone had no need to eat, just drink water and sleep, and if they die, they're brought back from the dead rather than allowed to go to an afterlife? And on top of that, mix in magi-tech as well as giant monsters tasked with keeping humanity from getting too cozy in their little prison cell of a world.

Would there still be an economy?

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Just made this map for the 5e game I'm running for my coworkers, sort of a dark sun hack, but making it more crappy to start and having the players revitalize the landscape by reactivating magic nodes found in the ruins.

This is their first rpg game, for all of 5 them. They found this map on a dying man in the first session.

Does it look mysterious enough? Any suggestions?

>>54281822
So it's probably a post-scarcity situation where people might just do whatever they please. They would still have a need for commodities and entertainment, and there are people out there would still like to work instead of being bored the whole day. Some kind of economy would be there.

>>54282092
The problem is this setting is supposed to be purgatory. They're supposed to be bored to death. So if they start having too good a time, the death gods show up.

>>54282199
They might as well sit in empty chambers staring at walls. Though just because they have entertainment doesn't mean that it is particularly entertaining, it could be part of this boredom-hell.

So /wbg/ I've come back to an old setting of mine, and I need a little help. You see I had 3 playable races which all fell into their own niches and themes, only the last one really would be better as an incredibly rare npc race. So I could use a few ideas on what to replace it with.

The first race is humans, standard setting baseline. The setting is magi-industrial revolution and what makes humans stand out is that 90% of manufactured goods are made by humans for humans. They're the innovators of the setting.

There is the kind of alien in an animalistic way Aedda, and I mean that literally. They're small short lived candid like race "uplifted" by humanity. They can use human things by standing on their hinds and using some developed forepaws to manipulate things collectively as a single clumsy human hand would. They make up for this with proper magic (why their forepaws are more dexterous than normal) and the previously mentioned senses.

The previous third race was proper alien, early life cycle plant beings that I'm now treating more like godlings. They are long lived, intensely curious, and eventually mature into trees, strait up divine trees.

Now I still want to fill in that long lived, really alien gap with some nature themes. (Industrial>uplifted>entirely natural), (short lived>human average>long lived), (not magical>magical ability>magic literally required for existence) that sort of thing.

Right now all I have is green cuttlefish v pitcher plant hybrids that float absent mindedly through the aether and occasionally take interest in the company of other sapients. That might be too weird though. Bug people was another option I was thinking of, as in this world insects were the first life and as a result can subsist off of the fact of their own existence.

>>54282275
You know, I'm liking the idea of fiercely defended sports arenas.

The world is open enough that people can come to terms and stone, you can't do that in a cell. And I want humans fighting off the death gods.

>>54282314
Fantasy 17776, interesting idea.

>>54282358
Why so cranky anon? Why so judgemental of a setting you know almost nothing about save for a discussion on post scarcity economics?

>>54282425
I'm not being judgmental, its a good idea. Immortal people with everything served to them will devise crazier and crazier methods of entertainment as they get bored with what was exciting a millennium ago. I guess that's an economy of entertainment from one perspective.

>>54282525
I... I am very confused by what you meant by 17776 then. Was that a date?

>>54282551
Just google it, its this on going web thing about immortal humans in the year 17776 playing dumb football games.

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>tfw you finally explain everything in your setting with one unifying idea
At last...I've done it...!

>>54280829
>>54280853
>cool
purple gingerbeard, toucan sam, elephant
>shit
balloon tits, minotaur, laqueisha
>boring
everything else

>>54277581
Cactus fruit (and goods produced from it), if it's an American-style desert.

Powdered mummies. No, really. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mummia

Parts from scarabs, sand spiders, scorpions, etc.

Special types of magic sand.

Should military fortifications be placed relative to threats, like noisy neighbors, or relative to areas that need protection?

>>54283929
Relative to areas that need protection. You do not launch attacks from a fortification, you flee to them. The concept of the preemptive FOB is super modern.

>>54283943
So places that need protection are trade routes, mines, and population centers?

>>54277581
People. Hardened people, capable of holding or toppling your empire. Think Dune, itself based off the Drawn Sword of Allah's massive schlong (also the same idea as Steppe Autism).

>>54283974
Mostly population centers. If your trade routes are consistently under attack then a fort won't fix the problem.

>>54284466
A fort doesn't necessarily need to be around if a route is constantly under attack, the mere presence of it may dissuade banditry. As someone pointed out in this thread or the previous one there was a Slav baron who turned his mountain fortress into a bandit den and preyed on the one pass through the mountains.

>>54284689
Again. Not how forts work. You dont stage attacks from real forts unless you're an expeditionary force and you're already under attack. If you've got fucking bandits all over the place you dont build a fort, you send an army and handle that.

>>54284923
In fact you are wrong. You build a fort, and house soldiers in it. The soldiers go on patrol. If the enemy attacks, you retreat into your fort. The enemy looks on impotently.

This is how the Russians ass-raped the Mongols.

>>54285347
In that one case you are correct, but I would argue thats a special case of my expeditionary force example. Furthermore they did not build forts to quarter their own soldiers, but so that regional tribes could (though they did send some of their own). All that aside, the mongols are an exception to nearly every axiom you could come up with.

>>54276617
Who's feeding them all?

>>54276617
How many clerics could you possibly need and why are they all congregated in the same city?

Who's providing for them and how do they pay for services? Are they ascetic and celibate, are they expected to be or are they fine with occasional brothel party or starting a family?

Where do you think the lines are between what you need to explain, what you should explain, what you could explain and what you shouldn't explain?

For example, should you explain were magic comes from? Would it detract from your setting to do such a thing? If you have a race of bear-men, is it necessary to explain why they resemble regular humans? Or how humans and bear-men learnt each others language?

There's the efficiency issue of over writing, but can it ever act negatively for your setting?

>>54286938
It's an aesthetic question more than anything. Magic is no different from transspectral pseudobarionic fields except different genres demand different words to justify fantastic elements. Unless it's a plot point, you can just throw "It just is" and it would be passable.

Trying to explain your fantasic assumptions risk approaching technobabble uncanny valley, so to speak. When it's no longer vague enough to seem like it can all come together, yet is still complete bullshit.

You can, of course, write something very hard, but that's a very specific genre that I think is mostly dead by now.

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>>54286938
>>54287425

Saying magic 'just works' greatly diminishes the setting as a whole. Saying that magic is 'just technobabble' misses out on so many elements on how magic can help shape a setting.

Is magic based on dominating or bartering with spirits for magic powers? This gives the feeling of a more low technology world, makes nature something fearsome instead of normal.

Is magic based on Vancian style "load astral creatures into your brain and shoot them like bullets"? Gives the setting of humans being small or insignificant, there are many things that the people within don't understand.

Is magic based on personal belief and symbolism? Magic becomes deeply personal and hints at innate magical powers humans have.

None of these are technobabble. All of them give texture and meaning to an otherwise generic fantasy wizard. Your reductionist meme is stupid and you should feel bad.

>>54287735
I never suggested "Just works" is an answer on how. Just "Why".

Battling with spirits just works. Loading spells in your brain just works. Being born with special talents just works. Being tattooed by a ghostly weirdo from hell just works. Etc.

>>54230187
people always complain/call it a trope/cliche when people give fantasy places names like "skull mountain" because it looks like a skull, but that's exactly how real places get named.

I live in Texas and every other name of something here is because of that naming convention.

Fort Worth? It had a Fort, called Fort Worth.
Bee Cave? It had a giant fucking cave of Bees in it.
Rio Grande? It's a big fucking river.

Fuck it call that big ass mountain range in the middle of your planet the Earth's Spine, or Spine ridge. Call that huge dark ocean the Sea of Death.

>>54282068
Looks like a desert.

>>54266015
>>54266124
>>54266242
>>54266751
>>54269307
https://docs.google.com/a/ncsu.edu/document/d/1IAAyM1p5zkZMkD6EbCeqgfskwNWWchvOHYm1rFH71ic/edit?usp=sharing

added a few more. Looking for input on whether what Ive written paints a coherent picture. My goal is to have true-to-mythology gods with fantasy flair, with their domains distributed such that there was enough overlap between the gods that a given group would have more than one god as their patron. The only two remaining are a triumvirate of nature gods and a god of outcasts and empty places.

>>54286938
I go by explaining the bare minimum, something like how magic works the PCs should ask an actual in-game character for it.

If they misunderstood the character then you correct them OOC either later or at the moment.

>>54286938
You should explain what a merchant or other well traveled person would know. Basically, for any given article players should know what "is" or seems to be on the surface, with perhaps a few details. Players who are from an area or have a stake in a matter may learn why, and higher truths should only be known by perhaps a dozen or so individuals in an entire setting.

>>54287863
I wished I saved it, but there was some kind of atlas for europe that basically translated the etymological names of places to modern languages, and the middle of england suddenly sounded like Clichéa.

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>>54288040
Think I know what you're talking about, but here is a similar one.

What would you use for categorization of a space ship? So was thinking of a mix between cars and ships. So

Type
Class
Make
Model
Year

For a specific ship. Also give me some cool types for ships. I just made one that is supposed to fit in-between shuttle and fighter. I'm calling it either a Cutter, Skiff, or Fearing. Basic compact ship with limited storage and small amenities. Has a bed, shower and an FTL drive.

>>54286938
always remember there is a difference between what people know OOC and what people know IC.

How far you should go for each depends on the player/character/game. I have a very bad habit of overwriting, but I find that if I can shorthand those thoughts and just keep them as notes instead of always presenting them in detail, my players generally have a better time/most of the time don't care. I had a game completely fall apart, because I got autistic and spent more time on making sure my world had believable ocean/wind currents than making it a fun place to RP.

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Trying to write areas is pain, but I figure I could throw together some names and spread from there.
Or any other ideas how to proceed?

>>54287921
Fixed the link.

>>54288176
>and spent more time on making sure my world had believable ocean/wind currents than making it a fun place to RP.
>tfw I feel like I'm falling for this too
How do we find a middle ground?

>>54275189
a keep from a previous age soldiers still use as a garrison

>>54264270
Earth uses super soldiers, Mars uses Titans/ mechas

>>54288921
I read it but I have no comments, looks fine to me. Sorry anon.

So what is a good way to build a fantasy setting with flying ships?

i am taking inspiration in FF IV

>>54290511
Thats what I like to hear. A good review is a good review.

>>54291594
The first thing you need to decide is at what point flight tech was introduced.

>>54292104
mmm like rich people and government can use them

>>54288966
well thankfully I have my equally fa/tg/uy brother who I literally ask "is this autistic?" and if he says yes I generally drop it...and by drop it I mean I make much more generic plans, like with the currents I just did very generic circles, or around the coast then full on micro currents etc.

How should I approach advanced armour types in a fantasy dark ages setting?

>>54293172
What do you mean by "Advanced Armor Types"?

Do you mean advanced techniques and styles like a bunch of Saxons suddenly have to deal with a Gothic-plate armored Knight? Do you mean those same Saxons now have to fight an M1 Abrams? A Gundam?

We need more.

>>54287914
Mission successful, then!

>>54293633
Essentially plate equivalents for a D&D reskin. Elven mail, dwarven plate?

>>54293880
Seems fine.

>>54293858
Yeah, I like it, might even steal it.

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Ok guys, I need some ideas on this one.
Several planes of existence stack atop one another, like a pillar of coins.
Each plane is fundamentally different to every other plane.

Are as follows:
>Midlon.
Central plane. Generic D&D, high fantasy, european setting.
>Subterrant.
Gothic, underdark clone.
>Al Mozaan.
Desert world, heavy arabian influence.
>Undertow.
Steampunk-ish industrial ocean world. Pirates/whaling, etc.

Going up from Midlon:
>The Sidhe.
Shadowfell+Feywild, Celtic myth.
>???.
Vast bamboo forest, oriental, heavy spirit influence.
>???.
No idea. Classical Mediterranean? I dunno.

What do guys you think of it?. What can I do to improve?

>>54294691
I like it so far. I think a defined level for each plane would be helpful to visualize them. The first set of planes sound good, and the bottom ones need more work but you probably sense that.

My questions for you:
>What effects does the Planar Stack have? If nothing changes by this arrangement, then why have it?
>For the undefined plane, What necessary aspects of your mechanics do you still need to include? D&D requires an explanation for Celestial, Fey, Undead, and Infernal magic and their practitioners, and several spells require the existence of Astral or Ephemeral planes.
>Mediterranean world? What do you gain from that? How does it differ from the above planes?

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>>54294794
Cheers for the feedback.
Yeah, I'm much happier with where the lower planes area at.

To answer your questions:
>It is only possible to travel to an adjacent plane by conventional means, though only a very small amount of beings even know of the existence of other worlds, let alone possess the abillity to travel between them.
>I didn't mention the other two planes, the 'caps' of sorts. Ariathon, the celestial fields, and (name TBD), the infernal crags. Multiple smaller realms orbit around the pillar in Astral space. Many of these are home to the powerful beings that warlocks make their pacts with. I can't quite decide where death would fit into the scenario.
>Mediterranean was just a placeholder. I'm totally stumped on what I can in that position. It has to be something 'orderly' due to it's proximity to Ariathon, like how chaotic Undertow is.

I'm also debating on whether or not to make it so that time runs faster or slower comparative to an adjacent plane.

>>54295145
Also what I'm thinking for the 'end times' is that the two planes on the ends of the stack begin to fall inwards. They begin by corrupting and squeezing the other planes into one, until they reach the center where the heroes will have to find some way to stop their advance.
The orbiting planes will also probably get involved by crash landing into the conjoined pane, causing yet more chaos.

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>>54295145
>Charts
I peed a little.

>'Cap' Planes
Pandaemonium is always a great choice.

>Death
You don't necessarily need to have an answer. Death being a scary, mysterious thing can be a good thing for any setting. Just so long as you the worldbuilder know what happens when a character dies.

>Mediterranean
A Lawful plane would make sense if you go with a Late Classical Greece aesthetic. Just emphasize later Greek philosophical thought on their Gods (early works depict them as insane rapists, where later works set them up as moral pillars), especially the Stoics. You could also do an Egyptian plane, seeing as how their own philosophy angled towards patterns, castes, and the power of repetition and stories. Their own emphasis on being Good and Ethical (a rarity in the ancient worldview) would also work as they are placed near to your Heaven plane.

>Time Fuckery
Be very careful with this as it usually isn't worth it. For what it's worth, I'd treat the primary material plane (Midlon) as the event horizon of a black hole. Time there moves as it does on RL Earth, but every Plane up or down the chain moves progressively faster and faster, giving people on Midlon the impression that otherworldly beings are immortal due to their extreme lifespans.

Pic unrelated.

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>>54294691
SAVE FOR YOUR UNDERTOW WORLD THE REST ARE GENERIC AS SHIT GIVE ME DESERT VIKINGS AND AQUATIC INDIANS AND VOLCANIC FEY

USE THAT GOOD NOODLE THAT PILOTS YOUR TYPING HAND AND BLENDER REAL WORLD AND FANTASY INFLUENCES INTO NEW AND INTERESTING ARRANGEMENTS

WHERE ARE THE GREAT WHITE HUNTERS WHALING FOR 500 FOOT LONG LOBSTERS IN THE CONIFEROUS SEA?

>>54295504
Your all caps disgusts me. As does your shit taste.

Why do you guys like planeswalkers so much?

I thought that was the worst part of Magic.

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>>54295544
>shit taste
YOU TALKIN SHIT ABOUT MY TASTE

>>54295504
>>54294691
> undertow world
literally dishonored
look it up if you want, pretty decent game

>>54295702
NO THANKS

ARKANE WAS RAPED BY ZENIMAX AND BETHESDA
BEFORE THEY AQUIRED THEIR DEFILED CORPSE I'D RATHER JUST LET THEM DIE

ALSO FIRST PERSON MELEE COMBAT WILL ALWAYS BE SHIT

>>54295504
Woh boy, looks like we have a right proper pratchett on our hands here, everyone look out.

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>>54295712
>Pratchett
YOU SOIL HIS NAME BY ASSOCIATING HIM WITH ME

GENERIC IS LAZY AND YOU KNOW IT

>>54295504
Thanks for the input, hype-man.

How about this:
>Ariathon. Uninhabited celestial plains/savannah.
>An endless city. Ravnica style
>??? Still stumped on this one.
>The Sidhe. Celtic underworld. Using the old-fashioned scary fey.
>Midlon. Same as before.
>Subterrant. Gothic underdark, but *very* Lovecraftian.
>Al Mozaan. Endless desert, but use crystal/runic magic to make flying ships to stay on the move and away from the surface.
>Undertow. DishonoredxBilgewaterxBarbados.
>Pandaemonium-corrupted mountain ranges.

>>54295702
Yeah, I'm a fan of Dishonored, but Undertow probably wouldn't be so technologically advanced as that.

>>54295735
Different for difference's sake is equally uninspired trash fuck nozzle.

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>>54295747
>Ariathon. Uninhabited celestial plains/savannah.
WHY IS IT UNINHABITED

>An endless city. Ravnica style
BETTER BUT WHY IS IT ENDLESS CITIES DON'T OCCUR NATURALLY

UNLESS THEY DO

WHY DO THEY

>Using the old-fashioned scary fey.
HOW ARE THEY SCARY

ARE THEY ALIEN SCARY OR MONSTER SCARY OR POWERFUL SCARY

ARE THERE NORMAL PEOPLE HERE AND IF SO WHY

>>Midlon. Same as before.
WHY IS IT THE SAME WHEN THE SAME IS GENERIC

DO YOU NEED SOMETHING FAMILIAR FOR PLAYERS TO LATCH ON TO

>Subterrant. Gothic underdark, but *very* Lovecraftian.
LOVECRAFT OPERATED ON THE IDEA THAT THE TRUE KNOWLEDGE/UNDERSTANDING OF THE UNIVERSE WOULD DRIVE MEN MAD FIRST AND SLIMY TENTACLES SECOND

IT REALLY LOVECRAFT OR JUST SQUID MONSTERS

>but use crystal/runic magic to make flying ships to stay on the move and away from the surface.
WHY

THAT SEEMS A LOT OF TROUBLE TO GO TO TO AVOID THE SURFACE IF IT'S JUST SAND

IF FLIGHT IS CHEAP WHY IS IT CHEAP

WHY DO THEY REALLY AVOID THE SURFACE

>Undertow. DishonoredxBilgewaterxBarbados.
TRY TO GIVE THE SETTING MORE OF A SYMBIOTIC OR ADVERSARIAL RELATIONSHIP WITH THE SEA RATHER THAN MAKING IT JUST ONE BIG PORT TOWN PLANE

>>54295845
BECAUSE DIFFERENT IS OFTEN USED AS AN EXCUSE FOR POOR WORLDBUILDING BY WRITERS WHO REFUSE TO FULLY REALIZE THE RAMIFICATIONS OF THE DIFFERENCES PAST THEIR SURFACE CHANGES

GENERIC BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT EVERYONE ELSE DOES IS ALWAYS BORING

TWIST GENERIC AND PUT THOUGHT INTO WHERE THOSE TWISTS TAKE YOU

>>54295873
I've gotten your )you(, but refuse to read that abomination.

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>>54295873
K.
Let's break this down.

>Cause mortals cannot live there for too long, otherwise they lose their mind. Same goes for the other end.

>Dunno. Maybe it's just always existed. Or it grew from a small chunk of a lost city like petri-dish or something.

>Mythical fey. As in the otherworldly, immensely powerful, dangerously tricksy fey.

>Cause it's an easy idea to roll out with. Nothing wrong with a bit of generic fantasy here and there.

>Real Lovecraft, of course. The dark depths of the caves hold all sorts of existential shit.

>Cause it's fun, yo. Having a bunch of flying cities (pic somewhat related) above the deadly heat and crawlies of the shifting sands below. It just works.

>Arguably, all port towns have a symbiotic relationship with the sea. It's also a fairly dangerous life, but rich with rewards.

You do bring up some interesting points, but just being different for the sake of being different can get a bit silly occasionally, but sticking with the same shit is boring. I reckon it's best to get a mixture of the two.

>>54295898
Good. Stop feeding the troll.

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>>54288118
>Literal names
>Russia