worldbuilding Fantasy World planning

[MacThorstenson he/him]

31 minutes ago, kenod said:

I think killing someone this way would be extremely difficult, since their own Investure would resist the change.

 

I think that logically, killing people via belief has to work. Because even in the positive changes people have internal investiture, and they know that they are just normal people.

However I think I have a workaround.

The idea is that if you are 'killed' this way, your spiritweb becomes infused with investiture and your CS stays around in the CR. This way you would be removed from the picture, but you could still come back with a little help from the DA. 

I would like to ask is there any specific stuff we wanted to iron out for the culture?

And how will the guilds fit into this, have they been around forever are they just moving in? Are they religions/schools of thought about magic or groups that have political power? Are they actually guilds? What are we planning with that?

 

 

EDIT: Here is an online map generator if we want to make a map of the place: https://azgaar.github.io/Fantasy-Map-Generator/

EDIT 2: Just saw zincs map nvm.

Edited March 7, 2019 by MacThorstenson

[+ZincAboutIt she/her]

6 minutes ago, MacThorstenson said:

EDIT: Here is an online map generator if we want to make a map of the place: https://azgaar.github.io/Fantasy-Map-Generator/

This is cool!!

[Steel Inquisitive he/him]

8 minutes ago, MacThorstenson said:

I would like to ask is there any specific stuff we wanted to iron out for the culture?

I have no idea....... An European culture probably what we all know the most, but I'm open for anything. 

8 minutes ago, MacThorstenson said:

And how will the guilds fit into this, have they been around forever are they just moving in? Are they religions/schools of thought about magic or groups that have political power? Are they actually guilds? What are we planning with that?

Maybe they could be secret societies. A part of the world, but in a quieter way.

Edit: I also completely missed your map Zinc. It looks so cool!

Edited March 7, 2019 by Steel Inquisitive

[MacThorstenson he/him]

7 minutes ago, Steel Inquisitive said:

Maybe they could be secret societies. A part of the world, but in a quieter way.

Fits the DA's style.

@ZincAboutIt does it run well on your computer? Its really slow on mine.

Also, what kind of scale are we thinking for the stories? Like, LoTR scale? WoT scale? Or more elantris scale? 

What I mean by that is physical distance. Are we doing a giant cross continent story? Or more of a big city or two, maybe a small country. The reason im asking is because it will affect how we play it. Characters need to be realistic, so if we want a big cross continent story we will need some more powerful people, wheras if we are aiming for smaller stuff we can use smaller levels.

We don't need to keep the same power level as the main RP, this was one of my favorite things btw, we could have whatever power level we wanted.

EDIT: In terms of character creation how do we want to go about this? We could do an index, or we could do a more organic form where we just write character sheets and get things approved by the community. I trust this group of people to be able to do that and not break the story if they wanted.

Edited March 7, 2019 by MacThorstenson

[+ZincAboutIt she/her]

4 minutes ago, MacThorstenson said:

Fits the DA's style.

@ZincAboutIt does it run well on your computer? Its really slow on mine.

Also, what kind of scale are we thinking for the stories? Like, LoTR scale? WoT scale? Or more elantris scale? 

What I mean by that is physical distance. Are we doing a giant cross continent story? Or more of a big city or two, maybe a small country. The reason im asking is because it will affect how we play it. Characters need to be realistic, so if we want a big cross continent story we will need some more powerful people, wheras if we are aiming for smaller stuff we can use smaller levels.

We don't need to keep the same power level as the main RP, this was one of my favorite things btw, we could have whatever power level we wanted.

EDIT: In terms of character creation how do we want to go about this? We could do an index, or we could do a more organic form where we just write character sheets and get things approved by the community. I trust this group of people to be able to do that and not break the story if they wanted.

It's pretty slow over here too, though it's much prettier than my ugly map  

I have a larger map of the area I had originally drawn somewhere at home if we want to go bigger. I would probably prefer keeping it to a somewhat small area, so that everyone is sort of forced to move around one another in the story.

I created an entire culture around my original map-world actually, though I don't really intend on using much of the world anymore (I moved the story plot to a smaller setting but just kept the world around). If you want I can link to the google doc and we can all edit and pick and choose around this, change names, customs, etc. as we like. I created countries and races so if we wanted to we could just use those, or we could come up with new ones. I also created a bunch of weird creepy folkloric creatures which I think would be fun to throw into the world, and we can make new ones too. I'd love to brainstorm some in-world curses based on the culture, and I'd also like to discuss basic customs and taboos, because those can really increase immersion with little effort up-front.

[kenod]

Animal rankings:

1. Beast: Still a normal animal, they normally live longer and are stronger than general animals. Might be a bit more sentient than normal animals as well.
2. Elder: Appearance begins to visibly differ from normal animals, through mostly in size. Longevity is further enhanced. Will need less food than normal animals of it's species, and is better at gathering it.
3. Alpha: Unusual aspects start manifesting, such as a noticeable level of intelligence, and depending on the stories their behavior might start differing, such as a predator that only hunts humans despite the original species never doing that. Animal stops needing food, subsisting on the magical energies alone. Lifespans approach human lifespans.
4. Apex: Undeniable sapience, they are at least as intelligent as humans, and are capable of communication, though they might need to learn the language first, and their moral compass might be weird. First supernatural abilities manifest, often connected to their legends. Appearance can be radically different than that of normal animals. Immortal.
5. Monster: Great powers, and often possess a great stature, but might be capable of taking human form as well. Depending on the stories told about them they might lose their intelligence to some degree, becoming berserk monsters, or they might become more intelligent, still acting on their own bizarre morals, but not innately destructive. Capable of destroying entire towns when angered.
6. Proginator: Appearance is different enough to classify as a new species, and they're capable of spawning children of their species, though with far lower intelligence and powers, these children are generally mortal and don't depend on believe to keep going. (bold part is a suggestion). Immense powers, capable of destroying entire armies, they are often regarded as natural disasters, but most will generally retreat into their territory at this point, becoming hidden guardians and legends. (most destructive ones would have already been rampaging in the monster stage, being killed at that point). Might have trancended physical form at this point, becoming bonded to their territories instead.

Nature Spirit rankings:

1. Will-o'-wisp: These have no real form or intelligence, and are basically just small bits of Investiture floating around, though they might react a bit to certain things around them. The level of Investure required for them is so low they can manifest in hot spots or even sometimes cities naturally, without believe really being necessary.
2. Sylph: Child-like intelligence and no real physical form, they start getting a distinct appearance (which some might manipulate to some degree), and start becoming capable of communication, though, not much in the way of intelligent conversation. Compare to wind spren.
3. Fairy: Basic sapience, though still not very intelligent. Larger, can take physical form, and interact with their environment. might have some really simple powers. Can be dangerous.
4. Haunt: Intelligent, stronger abilities, they might be able manifest multiple bodies, but are more likely to get locked into a physical body, unable to dematerialize again.
5. Daemon: Extremely powerful, these are much harder to kill than other spirits, and are generally much more intelligent than humans, but often far more alien in intelligence.
   Genius Loci: A special type of Daemon, they are a manifestation of a specific location. They have complete control and knowledge of this location, but if the location is damaged they'll be damaged as well. Will generally act as guardian spirits.
6. Deity: Same power level as ascended humans, but often kept in check either by a disinterest in the rest of the world, or the other gods intervening.
7. Special cases (spirits generally can't ascent to this, but are created at this level):
   Force of Nature: A personification of a force of nature, like fire or storms, these hold absolute power over their assigned force, but aren't capable of affecting anything outside of their sphere of influence. Think most polytheistic gods. They are stronger in the area of the world they originated,
   Concepts: A specific concept of the world gained intelligence and a will. Think Discworld's Death and the Four Horseman. They can only affect things related to their concept, but are basically untouchable and can easily destroy gods if they try to go against the concepts they embody.

Notes:

• While I've been talking about intelligence and sapience here, it doesn't mean that it resembles human intelligence in any way. While this is possible, there's also a good chance it'll be quite alien to us instead, or even unrecognizable as intelligent to most humans.
• Higher-ranking animals can take traits of spirits, and vice-versa. The main difference is their origin, and if they have physical form.
• Spirits who don't take physical form will generally be greatly diminished in strength, mostly to prevent an unkillable monster from rampaging around.
• Everything here is just a suggestion, since the specifics of spirits and natural magic hasn't really been nailed down yet.

[+ZincAboutIt she/her]

@kenod these are masterful! They also really allow lots of room for creativity, basically anything we want to make up can map onto this guide. I don't have any complaints, aside from maybe the Progenitor ability, but also if the offspring are mortal and not that clever then it would likely keep the world from quickly filling up with unkillable horrors.

[Steel Inquisitive he/him]

@kenod I like it! Also you've outed yourself....... I'm not writing anymore summaries..... those are now your job

[kenod]

4 minutes ago, ZincAboutIt said:

@kenod these are masterful! They also really allow lots of room for creativity, basically anything we want to make up can map onto this guide. I don't have any complaints, aside from maybe the Progenitor ability, but also if the offspring are mortal and not that clever then it would likely keep the world from quickly filling up with unkillable horrors.

The idea behind Proginator reproduction was mostly an excuse to have special species around, like dragons, without having to explain why a bunch of people in different regions all thought the same dragon lived in that mountain near them.

Edited March 7, 2019 by kenod

[Gancho Libre he/him]

12 minutes ago, kenod said:

Concepts: A specific concept of the world gained intelligence and a will. Think Discworld's Death and the Four Horseman. They can only affect things related to their concept, but are basically untouchable and can easily destroy gods if they try to go against the concepts they embody.

 

Uh... that's awesome.

[kenod]

9 minutes ago, Gancho Libre said:

Uh... that's awesome.

It was actually something we discussed before, since it was a natural outcropping based on how the setting works.

Edited March 7, 2019 by kenod

[Turtle373 he/him]

I'm just imagining a pack of wolves that starts terrorizing a village turn into a monster, those poor poor villagers

[kenod]

9 minutes ago, Steel Inquisitive said:

@kenod I like it! Also you've outed yourself....... I'm not writing anymore summaries..... those are now your job

Ugh.

You need to watch out with me though, I once created a 12 page document when doing basic world building, 8 pages of setting details and 5 pages of character profiles to give a feel of the setting. I'm still not finished with it.

[Gancho Libre he/him]

Ay, as the Representative of the Save a Cricket Foundation, I'd like to put forward a creature idea.

Imagine this:

A gigantic vampire bat, but instead of wings, it got SPIDER'S LEGS.

Eh?

Edited March 7, 2019 by Gancho Libre

[kenod]

So together with old mansions, my character will now also be destroying any caves they come across.

[Gancho Libre he/him]

Why's that?

[kenod]

To get rid of all bats.

P.S.

The mansion thing was because someone figured out an explanation for ghosts existing in this setting.

[Gancho Libre he/him]

Just now, kenod said:

To get rid of all bats.

P.S.

The mansion thing was because someone figured out an explanation for ghosts existing in this setting.

Ay, but they prey on things that eat crickets, so that's why we still have crickets.

[Steel Inquisitive he/him]

40 minutes ago, ZincAboutIt said:

I created an entire culture around my original map-world actually, though I don't really intend on using much of the world anymore (I moved the story plot to a smaller setting but just kept the world around). If you want I can link to the google doc and we can all edit and pick and choose around this, change names, customs, etc. as we like. I created countries and races so if we wanted to we could just use those, or we could come up with new ones. I also created a bunch of weird creepy folkloric creatures which I think would be fun to throw into the world, and we can make new ones too. I'd love to brainstorm some in-world curses based on the culture, and I'd also like to discuss basic customs and taboos, because those can really increase immersion with little effort up-front.

That would be cool. Do we want separate races or all humans?

[+ZincAboutIt she/her]

6 minutes ago, Steel Inquisitive said:

That would be cool. Do we want separate races or all humans?

Oh I meant just like different races of humans, different cultures, things like that. Like on Roshar, maybe not quite "races" but very distinct cultures, a range of skintones and eye colors. Fun diverse-looking people so everyone has options to play with. I know this is a more classic fantasy landscape but I love a world that has a realistically diverse set of peoples and cultures.

Edited March 7, 2019 by ZincAboutIt

[Steel Inquisitive he/him]

Just now, ZincAboutIt said:

Oh I meant just like different races of humans, different cultures, things like that. Like on Roshar, maybe not quite "races" but very distinct cultures, a range of skintones and eye colors. Fun diverse-looking people so everyone has options to play with.

I'm all for that!

[+ZincAboutIt she/her]

Also with @kenod's spirit and creature classification, we basically do have sentient creatures that aren't humans, and someone could likely rp as one if they wanted to (though that would come with its own limits).

[xinoehp512 he/him]

About the progenitor thing: if people believed that there was more than one of a creature, they would form a species.

I don't think concepts should be able to destroy gods either.

[Steel Inquisitive he/him]

Something I'm concerned about..... With how flexible Natural magic is it will be really easy for RPers to handwave all their problems away. I think this can be taken care of so long as we as a community are on the look out for it..... Also the problem of sudden expansion, when more people come, each with a dozen ideas for new animals/spirits/powers things can get crowded really fast.

Just now, xinoehp512 said:

I don't think concepts should be able to destroy gods either.

Yeah, I think that's too powerful. Maybe they can be of equaling strengths?

[ShadowLord_Lith he/him]

11 minutes ago, Steel Inquisitive said:

Something I'm concerned about..... With how flexible Natural magic is it will be really easy for RPers to handwave all their problems away. I think this can be taken care of so long as we as a community are on the look out for it..... Also the problem of sudden expansion, when more people come, each with a dozen ideas for new animals/spirits/powers things can get crowded really fast.

Yeah, I think that's too powerful. Maybe they can be of equaling strengths?

I believe that concepts like death are the only ones that could kill a god, and then, only if- and I mean ONLY IF- that god were trying to stop death from happening to his subjects. If that's his whole reason for being a good, then death would only be able to block him, not kill him, but otherwise, if a good does not directly deal with life, trying to stop death causes the concept if death to kill the god. Concepts, after all, only act on their nature, because they aren't sentient in the first place. No ulterior motive. 

Edited March 7, 2019 by ShadowLord_Lith