World of the Falling Moon!

old school gamer · Post by **old school gamer** » Thu Jul 23, 2009 5:47 pm

So last week I was getting ready to run a game at the Avalon Manga Shop, a local comic book store. I got ready to GM but when I started to prepare I felt wrong. See, I was running a module for a published setting but I just felt like it wasn't as much fun. I decided then and there that I really prefer to do my own stuff instead of someone elses. Not that I am saying that there is anything wrong with that I just find I have more fun the other way.

So, I did a 360 degree turn and ran something off the top of my head. I basically came up with a combination of Jack Vance's The Dying Earth, Galelorn series by Lin Carter and a little of Thudarr. I call it the World of the Falling Moon.

The campaign is set on Earth about 750 Million years in the future! About a couple of thousands years ago a very highly advanced intersteller society existed and then subsequentially destroyed each other in a massive battle that destroyed most of the world.

The result of this cataclysm is that the world has lost a lot of knowledge and has reverted back to savage barbarism. There are still remnants of civilization and those that still wish to restore society. Of course, most people are just trying to survive.

I have been thinking about how to do the races from the PH and I decided that the different races are actually a result of genetic manipulations with the intent of creating races to perform various duties. The races themself do not have complete history of their origins so they have mixed it up with myth and legend.

Magic is partly becoming a challenge. Arcane magic is actually a form of highly advanced mathematics. Whenever a spell is cast what is actually being done is a mathematical equation is being cast that can manipulate the very underpinnings of reality. I have been considering house-ruling a 'spellcraft' or 'magic' roll to make so that magic will not be so predictable and reliable.

Divine Magic I haven't figured out yet. I am thinking that the cataclysm may have changed some people giving them the power access a different source of power from other planes of existance.

Still I had alot of fun running it last thursday and I will be doing so tonight. Oh, and I making everything, adventure included, off the top of my head.

Because thats how I roll....

Omote · Post by **Omote** » Thu Jul 23, 2009 5:55 pm

Sounds like a CRITICAL HIT! to me. Good story.

~O
_________________
> Omote's Advanced C&C stuff <
Duke Omote Landwehr, Holy Order of the FPQ ~ Prince of the Castles & Crusades Society

Rigon · Post by **Rigon** » Thu Jul 23, 2009 6:18 pm

Your ideas for the races and the cataclysm were a seed idea I had way back in college for a short story that eventually became a campaign setting. It works out great as a way explain their true origins.

R-
_________________
Rigon o' the Lakelands, Baron of The Castles & Crusades Society
The Book of the Mind

concobar · Post by **concobar** » Thu Jul 23, 2009 7:24 pm

http://www.rpglibrary.org/settings/thundarr/

May be of help to you.
_________________

CKDad · Post by **CKDad** » Thu Jul 23, 2009 7:48 pm

You could also borrow the concept of the "Sixth World" from Shadowrun - the idea that the world goes through phases, some with magic and some without. (In Shadowrun, we begin an age in which magic works in 2011.)

Or maybe something like Larry Niven's concept of mana (from The Magic Goes Away and The Magic May Return)as a natural resource which once it's all consumed is gone - but perhaps could regenerate after sufficient time has passed. (Niven's stories are basically parables about relying on fossil fuels.)
_________________
"I don't wanna be remembered as the guy who died because he underestimated the threat posed by a monkey."

Rigon · Post by **Rigon** » Thu Jul 23, 2009 8:21 pm

I based all magic off of inner "mana," but I tweaked it quite a bit so it was more like psionics really.

R-
_________________
Rigon o' the Lakelands, Baron of The Castles & Crusades Society
The Book of the Mind

Sir Osis of Liver · Post by **Sir Osis of Liver** » Fri Jul 24, 2009 1:42 am

Homebrew campaign settings rock. 'Nuff said.

anglefish · Post by **anglefish** » Fri Jul 24, 2009 4:47 am

I had something similar for magic.

Basically nanomachines were infused into everything above the bedrock, a pollution left over from the "Gods War." Those who could access it, could control the machines to perform magic .. along with heat as a by-product, which explained:

*why wizards avoided armor, it caused heat stroke

*why elves in my world were "ice" elves

The elves lived up far up north to reduce the heat thrown off from their magics. They also had a cold resistance/heat weakness in their racial stats. They were also the only race to know the true history since they were bio- engineered to be nano-engineers. Also made a good excuse to shake up expectations and make them a NPC race only.
Overall, it was a fun experiment to see how much I could tweak a game world with a minimal change in the rules.

Sir Ironside · Post by **Sir Ironside** » Fri Jul 24, 2009 2:23 pm

I personally think making magic unreliable would make the game that much more fun. Nothing cycled just unreliable.

"I fireball thee!"

"Uh. he is getting closer."

"I fireball thee!"

"Yep, closer still"

Sweat appears on the brow, "I fireball thee."

"Uh I suggest a quick retreat."

"Good call!"
_________________
That is SIR! to you!