Castellia- A Fantasy Setting (Sudowoodo! Sunflora! Donphan!)

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Thorpocalypse
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Re: Castellia- A Fantasy Setting (Mohrg! Medusa! Naga! Yuan-Ti! Nightshades!)

Post by Thorpocalypse »

Skaramine wrote: Fri May 11, 2018 10:53 pm About forty or so. Ten in this series
That's awesome! And here I thought Wordmaker was the only MnM geek author I knew. I'll have to check them out.
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Batgirl III
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Re: Castellia- A Fantasy Setting (Mohrg! Medusa! Naga! Yuan-Ti! Nightshades!)

Post by Batgirl III »

Thorpocalypse wrote: Sat May 12, 2018 4:39 pm
Skaramine wrote: Fri May 11, 2018 10:53 pm About forty or so. Ten in this series
That's awesome! And here I thought Wordmaker was the only MnM geek author I knew. I'll have to check them out.
I’ve got a real page-turner of an appellate brief for an admiralty/insurance law case in the works. I know you can’t get enough of that hot, steamy subrogation.
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Re: Castellia- A Fantasy Setting (Mohrg! Medusa! Naga! Yuan-Ti! Nightshades!)

Post by Thorpocalypse »

Batgirl III wrote: Sat May 12, 2018 6:07 pm
Thorpocalypse wrote: Sat May 12, 2018 4:39 pm
Skaramine wrote: Fri May 11, 2018 10:53 pm About forty or so. Ten in this series
That's awesome! And here I thought Wordmaker was the only MnM geek author I knew. I'll have to check them out.
I’ve got a real page-turner of an appellate brief for an admiralty/insurance law case in the works. I know you can’t get enough of that hot, steamy subrogation.
Actually, I've worked for an insurance company for 24 years and I work with people in our subrogation department on reporting on a regular basis. So I would be glad to read about sub...*yawn*...

ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ...

;)
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Jabroniville
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Re: Yuan-Ti

Post by Jabroniville »

Spectrum wrote: Sat May 12, 2018 12:38 pm
Jabroniville wrote: Sun May 06, 2018 6:25 am But I myself don't use that in Castellia- my Greenskins, for example, are evil not really because it's born into the races, but because they'd adopted barbarous cultures and worship Gods that demand evil acts and sacrifice. To me, that's probably EVEN SCARIER, because it gives more choice to their evil. And adds in some moral ambiguity to the heroes just mowing them down like disposable nothings.
I'd dig deeper on that... WHY had they "adopted barbarous cultures and worship Gods that demand evil acts and sacrifice". If you don't give a compelling reason for it, you leave it as an inherent trait. They're this way... just because.

Are they a group of people that have turned warlike because of perceived outside oppression and are now a force of terror to the countries around them, seizing land based on the promises of greatness from an unstable leader?
Well, there's a lot of stuff with "Races of Evil" in my setting:

* In the case of Orcs, they're less-intelligent and stronger than humans, making them more prone to brutality.
* Gods are literal, actual beings, so people don't join up with these pantheons as matters of faith- they actually figure this is their best shot at an afterlife, or benefits in the here & now, with a more definitive bent than in our world. Think of it as what happens if a "Cult of Cthulhu" or "Set Worshippers" from Marvel became a LOT more wide-spread.
* Some lands are more barren than others. Greenskin lands are resource-poor. Giants are a race that's openly-hated and often pushed back, and remember a time when THEY ran the world, and want to do so again.
* Many are comparable to real-world groups, using similar rules. Viking Raids being a common theme with some.
* Hobgoblins are a militaristic people, but not really more inherently evil than say, a human kingdom with expansion on their mind. Heck, the "main villains" of my setting are a human kingdom. And High Elves.

And technically, most people are "Their own good guys", and don't think of themselves as villains. They usually see their actions justified.
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Re: Castellia- A Fantasy Setting (Mohrg! Medusa! Naga! Yuan-Ti! Nightshades!)

Post by catsi563 »

theres also the strong over the weak that exemplifies most of the monster races, they come to be in harsh hard lands with gods that demand strength and don't tolerate weakness, you fight hard or you die. Tribes culture tends to push this message as well.
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Re: Castellia- A Fantasy Setting (Mohrg! Medusa! Naga! Yuan-Ti! Nightshades!)

Post by Batgirl III »

"Gold, God, Glory" is the shorthand historians use for the myriad reasons that the European powers of the 15th through 17th Centuries CE pushed exploration and colonization of the New World, Africa, and Asia. But, if you really think about it, those three G's are equally good explanations for most conflicts between any two societies. From the Peloponnesian War (431–404 BCE) to the Persian Gulf War (1990-91 CE) to the Earth-Plutonian War (4440 CE).

Wait, I don''t think I'm supposed to tell you guys about the last one. Um. Forget I said anything.
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Re: Castellia- A Fantasy Setting (Mohrg! Medusa! Naga! Yuan-Ti! Nightshades!)

Post by Jabroniville »

Yeah, never underestimate the power of "They have stuff we want, and people we can tax!", never mind religious crusades, old grudges, and people thinking that they need to control the world to save it.
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Re: Castellia- A Fantasy Setting (Mohrg! Medusa! Naga! Yuan-Ti! Nightshades!)

Post by Ken »

Thorpocalypse wrote: Sat May 12, 2018 6:38 pm Actually, I've worked for an insurance company for 24 years and I work with people in our subrogation department on reporting on a regular basis.
Liiike a gooood neeeiiiighbour......
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Re: Castellia- A Fantasy Setting (Mohrg! Medusa! Naga! Yuan-Ti! Nightshades!)

Post by Batgirl III »

Jabroniville wrote: Sat May 12, 2018 10:13 pm Yeah, never underestimate the power of "They have stuff we want, and people we can tax!", never mind religious crusades, old grudges, and people thinking that they need to control the world to save it.
There's also the "Do Unto Your Neighbor Before He Can Do Unto You" motivation, when you realize that you have stuff he might want and people he might want to tax...
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Nymphs

Post by Jabroniville »

ImageImage

NYMPH
Creature Type: Humanoid, Fae
Typical Adult Height: 4'8"-5'10"
Birth Rate: 1-2 Offspring every year
Lifespan: 0-2 (Infant), 2-30 (Child), 30-200 (Adult), 200-500 (Elder)
Nicknames: None
Sexual Dimorphism: Exclusively female
Skin Tones: Pink (human-like or bright), brown, violet, indigo, blue, green, yellow, orange.
Hair: Any potential color.
Racial Mounts: Deer & other Cervids
Racial Weapons: Blinding Beauty
Religion: Forest Spirits

Allied Races: Centaurs, Wood Elves

Encounter Groups:
Solitary (1)
Small Group (2-5)
Enclave (3-18)

Image

NYMPH
Role:
Fae Seductresses
PL 6 (90)
STRENGTH
0 STAMINA 3 AGILITY 4
FIGHTING 5 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 5

Skills:
Athletics 6 (+6)
Expertise (Forests) 6 (+8)
Insight 3 (+5)
Perception 4 (+6)
Stealth 5 (+9)

Advantages:
Attractive 2, Uncanny Dodge

Powers:
"Fae Physiology"
Immunity 2 (Aging, Disease) (Flaws: Limited to Half-Effect) [1]
Comprehend 2 (Speak to & Understand Animals) [4]
"Forest Strider" Movement 1 (Environmental Adaptation- Forests) [1]

"Blinding Beauty" Affliction 5 (Fort; Impaired/Disabled/Unaware) (Extras: Area- Visual Perception, Continuous +3) (Flaws: Limited to Vision) [20]

Offense:
Unarmed +5 (+0 Damage, DC 15)
Blinding Beauty +5 Area (+5 Affliction, DC 15)
Initiative +4

Defenses:
Dodge +8 (DC 18), Parry +8 (DC 18), Toughness +3, Fortitude +5, Will +4

Complications:
Various

Total: Abilities: 38 / Skills: 24--12 / Advantages: 3 / Powers: 26 / Defenses: 11 (90)

-The word "Nymph" means different things on Castellia- for many, it is a name given to the long-lived daughters of various divine beings (of which Castellia has many). However, a proper Nymph is actually a Fae creature, greatly resembling a beautiful human or elf- their children (usually conceived with mortals, as no Nymph is male) either become female Nymphs, or male mortals (albeit with Fae characteristics). Their origins, personalities and appearances can vary greatly, as they are a diverse and chaotic people, prone to being seen all over the world. Many never leave their beloved forest groves, while others are wanderers. Some are gregarious, while others are reclusive.

-Generally, their beauty is legendary, with beings all over seeking out a "Nymph Bride"- it's usually the kind of thing boys grow out of (particularly as "wandering around searching for forest women" is a good way to end up eaten by a Griffin or something), but enough people succeed that it inspires whole new generations.

-Nymphs are usually encountered in the wilds, as most Fae are. Very few inhabit cities, as this may stunt their magic over time. All Nymphs have the above abilities, but more experienced ones will typically have Druidic powers.

Nymph Types:
FOREST NYMPH- PL 6 (92): Movement 1 (Environmental Adaptation- Forests) [2]
-Forest Nymphs are the most commonly seen.

OCEAN/SEA NYMPH- PL 6 (96): Movement 1 (Environmental Adaptation- Aquatic), Swimming 4 [6]
-Sea Nymphs are likely more numerous, but harder to spot.

Jab's Notes: Nymphs in actual Greek Mythology are more like "the sexy daughters of Gods & Demigods" rather than the "Sexy Fae Enchantresses" they are in D&D- they typically appear as the divine offspring of beings like Atlas, Oceanus, Nereus, and more. They're often seen turning into trees to escape the advances of a horny Apollo, or being turned into a mint tree by Persephone because Hades was showing interest in them. They're more just... Godly Filler, really. Any female divinity that isn't the Goddess OF something is usually just called a "Nymph".

-But of course D&D's Nymphs are just Hot Chicks In The Woods, and saddled with the "Fae" heading. Though they're easily the most human-looking of the Fae, resembling Elves more than anything. They're not really combatants, but their beauty is a literal weapon, producing either permanent Blinding or an INSTANT DEATH effect. Of course, this being D&D, a low-Save "Death Effect" only makes you CR 6.
Last edited by Jabroniville on Tue May 15, 2018 7:45 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Yeth Hound

Post by Jabroniville »

Image

YETH HOUND
Role:
Otherdimensional Dogs
PL 5 (59)- Minion Rank 3, Sidekick Rank 12
Normal Version:
PL 2-4
STRENGTH 2 STAMINA 3 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 6 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE -3 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE -2

Skills:
Insight 2 (+4)
Intimidation 7 (+5)
Perception 5 (+7)

Advantages:
Fast Grab, Improved Trip

Powers:
"Animal Senses" Senses 5 (Acute & Extended Scent, Low-Light Vision, Ultra & Extended Hearing) [5]
"Animal Physiology" Speed 2 (8 mph) [2]
"Natural Weapons- Teeth" Strength-Damage +1 [1]

Flight 5 (60 mph) [10]
"Baying Hound" Affliction 5 (Will; Dazed/Stunned) (Extras: Area- Hearing Perception) (Flaws: Limited Degree, Limited to Foes Who've Not Succeeded vs. Baying That Day) [3]

Offense:
Unarmed +5 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Natural Weapons +5 (+3 Damage, DC 18)
Initiative +2

Defenses:
Dodge +4 (DC 14), Parry +6 (DC 16), Toughness +3, Fortitude +4, Will +4

Complications:
Disabled (Animal)- Yeth Hounds cannot speak to humans, nor use their paws to easily manipulate objects.

Total: Abilities: 22 / Skills: 14--7 / Advantages: 2 / Powers: 21 / Defenses: 7 (59)

-Yeth Hounds hail from the Elemental Plane of Air, and occasionally make forays into Castellia, where their ability to fly makes them much more dangerous than the typical canines. They are very intelligent for animals, but are simple pack hunters and cannot speak.

Jab's Notes: One of 9,000 variations of "Black Dog" myths found in the Monster Manuals, Yeth Hounds have a pretty goofy looking picture in 3e, resembling an ugly dog with a small mouth, atop a fuzzy greyhound-like body. They're largely differentiated because they can fly.
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Worg

Post by Jabroniville »

Image

WORG
Role:
Evil Greenskin-Helpers
PL 6 (75)- Minion Rank 5, Sidekick Rank 15
Normal Version:
PL 4-5
STRENGTH 5 STAMINA 6 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 5 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE -1 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE -1

Skills:
Athletics 2 (+8)
Close Combat (Natural Weapons) 1 (+7)
Expertise (Hunters) 5 (+7)
Insight 2 (+4)
Intimidation 9 (+7, +8 Size)
Perception 7 (+9)
Stealth 4 (+5)

Advantages:
Great Endurance, Improved Critical (Natural Weapons), Fast Grab, Improved Trip, Set-Up, Startle, Teamwork

Powers:
"Animal Senses" Senses 6 (Acute & Extended Scent, Low-Light Vision, Scent-Tracking, Ultra & Extended Hearing) [6]
"Animal Physiology" Speed 3 (16 mph) [3]
"Natural Weapons- Teeth" Strength-Damage +1 (Feats: Reach) [2]
"Natural Size" Growth 2 (Str & Sta +2, +2 Mass, +1 Intimidation, -1 Dodge/Parry, -2 Stealth) -- (10 feet) (Feats: Innate) (Extras: Permanent +0) [5]

Offense:
Unarmed +5 (+5 Damage, DC 20)
Natural Weapons +6 (+6 Damage, DC 21)
Initiative +3

Defenses:
Dodge +6 (DC 16), Parry +6 (DC 16), Toughness +6, Fortitude +7, Will +2

Complications:
Disabled (Animal)- Worgs cannot speak to humans, nor use their paws to easily manipulate objects.
Relationship (The Pack)- Worgs are known by a strict pecking order in the pack, with the Alphas getting first choice in any matter, and Omegas at the bottom. The pack fights as one, and moves as one.

Total: Abilities: 28 / Skills: 30--15 / Advantages: 7 / Powers: 16 / Defenses: 9 (75)

-Worgs are infamously-evil creatures of mysterious origin, resembling Giant Wolves, but being more intelligent. In actuality, these creatures are descended from intelligent Winter Wolves of the Grimmsvell. Their ancestors had migrated from the Northern Wastes (probably during a time of famine or other disaster), and ended up in lands falling under Greenskin control. There, they acted as allies to the local sentients, much as they had to the Frost Giants, but took a less subservient attitude. Called "Worgs" in Greenskin tongue, these creatures adopted a more sadistic, sinister bent, shrinking in size and lacking the necessary survival skills needed up north. Many even came to worship the Orcish Gods Mork & Gork. Some Worgs have been seen as ridden mounts, but they are more likely to be used as "Dogs of War" in Greenskin armies, attacking en masse as grouped formations of Canine aggressors.

Jab's Notes: Yet Another Goddamn Evil Dog in the Monster Manuals, Worgs are taken wholesale from Tolkien, who used "Wargs" as Evil Mounts for his Orcs (though "Vargr" was a name given to the divine wolves like Fenrir in Norse Mythology). The creators of the film series admitted a lot of difficulty in getting this to work right- doglike beings are NOT meant to be ridden, as carnivores tend to have very bendy, mobile spines- the reason humans ride only a VERY limited number of creatures (Horses, Camels, etc.) is that their rigid spins and even gaits make this possible. Even a willing Tiger would make one REALLY awful mount.

-Struggling to find a way to differentiate them from OTHER Large Wolves in my setting, I made them an offshoot of the Winter Wolves, but worse in every way, becoming PL 6 nuisances instead of PL 8 deadly adversaries. The differences being explained as the typical ways that breeding changes dogs.
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Will-O-The-Wisps

Post by Jabroniville »

Image

WILL-O'-THE-WISP
Role:
Elemental Tempest
PL 5 (70)
STRENGTH
-- STAMINA -- AGILITY 0
FIGHTING 6 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE -2 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 0

Skills:
Intimidation 2 (+2)
Perception 6 (+6)
Stealth 4 (+4)

Advantages:
Improved Initiative

Powers:
"Elemental Being"
Immunity 30 (Fortitude Effects) [30]
Protection 2 [2]
Concealment 2 (Vision) [4]
Insubstantial 3 [15]
Flight 4 (30 mph) [8]
Environment 1 (Light) [2]
"Electrical Bursts" Damage 3 (Extras: Affects Corporeal) [6]

Offense:
Electrical Sparks +6 (+3 Damage, DC 18)
Initiative +4

Defenses:
Dodge +4 (DC 14), Parry +6 (DC 16), Toughness +2, Fortitude --, Will +4

Complications:
Disabled (Elemental)- Elementals cannot speak to humans, nor use their "limbs" to easily manipulate objects.
Weakness (Certain Magic)- Pure Red Magic (non-elemental), or anything designed to target evil creatures, will harm Will-O'-The-Wisps as normal.

Total: Abilities: -12 / Skills: 12--6 / Advantages: 1 / Powers: 67 / Defenses: 8 (70)

-Will-O'-The-Wisps are evil creatures who haunt Castellia, luring travellers off of safe paths and to their dooms. They typically drown their victims in bogs or sloughs, and disappear from the sight of others nearby, waiting to consume their prey at their leisure (typically by absorbing matter disintegrated with their electrical charges). They are Elemental beings from the Plane of Air, resembling swirling, glowing vapors.

Jab's Notes: Something that could really be Undead, Elementals or anything else, these are "Abberations" in D&D, but I went with Elementals because... well, Abberations usually look weird, and these are explained as swirling vapors. Not terribly interesting, but they make good "How do we stop this?" foes, as they can strike without being struck back, and only Wizards can really stop them. "Red Magic" in this context generally means any of Castellia's "Attack-Based Magic", meaning that Magic Weapons can still do damage.
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Wyverns

Post by Jabroniville »

ImageImage

WYVERNS
-The origins of Wyverns are highly-unknown- what is clear is that they are much more numerous than Dragons, age much more quickly (they are fully-grown at 18 years old, instead of slowly aging for centuries), and possess animalistic intelligence instead of a Dragon's lethal genius. Wyverns also possess wings in place of their upper legs, reducing their dexterity considerably.

-Many Dragons look down on Wyverns as humans do on the Great Apes- they are seen as a "throwback" and not as evolved as Dragons, who have existed across the dimensions for millennia. One of the going theories is that Wyverns are Dragons that were left on Castellia during a time when magic was much weaker- this drained the might of Dragons such that they lost limbs, magical power, breath weapons and even their intelligence. This would, however, have to be pre-historical, as no creatures on Castellia to day have any memory or writings of such a thing.

Jab's Notes: Wyverns are neat in D&D, though HIGHLY under-utilized, since Dragons are such a strong concept (being, you know, the second "D" in "D&D"). Wyverns are actually more similar to what a LOT of people imagine Dragons to be- Big Dumb Winged Predators. And in many games, that's actually more ideal- a Dragon is such a powerful creature that adding INTELLIGENCE to it can be over the line, making it an all-encompassing, devastating threat to the point where you need to cheat or pull something out of your ass to win. Wyverns are much simpler, to the point, and make great one-off foes. You can beat them without chicanery, but it really involves a LOT of skill and luck.

-Wyverns are notable in that they're much more "realistic" than Dragons. It's not for nothing that that one "Faux-Documentary" on a nature channel used this body plan for their "Dragons" instead of the six-limbed one we recognize, as only invertebrates have more than four limbs in real life ("Flight of Dragons" indicated that "wings" were really bony ribs with flesh between them- much like a few lizard species use to glide!). A lot of old paintings & drawings also use a similar body plan (English, Scottish & Irish Heraldry since the 16th Century largely differentiates the two, but most European countries do not), while others add fire. Suffice to say, you're not gonna find a very singular body-plan for Dragons in any kind of media.

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Re: Castellia- A Fantasy Setting (Naga! Yuan-Ti! Nightshades! Nymphs!)

Post by Woodclaw »

Interestingly enough some French stories from the early middle-ages described the wyverns as "so poisonous that everything around them withered and could kill with the breath".
"You're right. Sorry. Holy shit," I breathed, "heckhounds.”

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