GURPS Fantasy , shared world, recruiting

[tantric]

(hint - feel free is say no at any point!)

Hmm - nonhuman sapients are never more than 1/100th of the human population? Either pre-technological, part of some hidden 'lost empire' or blended into human cultures?

The nation I'm noodling would be a Japanese/Polynesian blend with a completely new religion. If I use 'kami' or something similar for genus loci spirits that serve the Earth Mother, I can use 'oni' (just preliminary terms) as ones who have turned away. That way I could use a Spirit-blooded template to get a bit of nonhuman flare for those who insist on it, but still have a human culture. Maybe manehune brownies as urban spirits. How does that sit with your limitations? This could easily be part of aspected mana, also - regions with spirits vs. secular regions

Also, I hate to say it, but Magic not Powers is a *terrible* limitation. I can see having basic magic, path magic and syntactic as the most common types, but trying to model somethings with just those is needlessly complex. I have no problem with keeping powers on the DL, but completely x'ing it is throwing the baby out with the bathwater, IMHO.

On the other hand, using only Powers would make this world *very* distinctive. There are a number of people who would get into the project just for that, I wager. Just a random thought, it would be very difficult, but it would be unique.

[combatmedic]

All magic depends on mana. Because of that, magical systems that don't use mana are not a fit for this setting.

If we want to include some magical styles and lenses within the aegis of the standard system, that's fine.

If you truly feel that Powers is necessary to model your culture's traditions, then use it. What I am trying to avoid is too much mechanical complexity, and also the presence of 'super powers' or 'psionics.' All magical powers should be affected by mana, of course. Any alternate set of abilities should not 'trump' standard magic. Options are fine, blowing the 'standard magic' right out of the water is not.

If you are using spirits, I suggest that you consider that spirits may themselves be composed of/infused with mana.

[Flyndaran]

So something like the "Cult of the Long Life" that uses magic to alter them into something not quite human is ok as they started out human?

[combatmedic]

Originally Posted by Flyndaran

So something like the "Cult of the Long Life" that uses magic to alter them into something not quite human is ok as they started out human?

Yes, so long as they don't become elves [or elves by another name]. I strongly suggest not giving out cool powers to a 'sub-race' without also allowing for some kind of innate weakness or disadvantage. The point values need not equalize, but no 'Mary Sues' need apply.

[Agramer]

What about Dragons,Griffins....etc

Flying cavalry,Martial Arts,Secret MA monestaries,Black Scorpions(Elite soldiers bodyguards with WPM),Champions favored of Gods,
-Are Gods as Chatolic god..just out there..or can they Avatar themselves or do they actively influence things on Earth

[Figleaf23]

Originally Posted by tantric

... using only Powers would make this world *very* distinctive. There are a number of people who would get into the project just for that, I wager. Just a random thought, it would be very difficult, but it would be unique.

All of that. I agree.

[combatmedic]

Originally Posted by Agramer

What about Dragons,Griffins....etc

Flying cavalry,Martial Arts,Secret MA monestaries,Black Scorpions(Elite soldiers bodyguards with WPM),Champions favored of Gods,
-Are Gods as Chatolic god..just out there..or can they Avatar themselves or do they actively influence things on Earth

Gods work behind the scenes, or at a distance, most of the time. The appearance of a deific avatar would be a highly unusual event, but it has happened before.

Champions of the gods exist- I had already mentioned the possibility of 'clerics' with Power Investiture. Such people are not terribly common.


Flying cavalry may be problematic. It seems very over-the-top and high magic for this setting. Neither the magic beasts nor the magic items that would allow for it are very common in this world. It is possible that it exists someplace in the setting, but I doubt that it is very common.

Not sure what you mean by martial arts.

[DouglasCole]

I have a setting I used for a campaign I ran I called "Blasingdell," after the central town. It was pretty successful, and very humanocentric, although something like "orcs" were the bad actors in my campaign, there's no reason to not replace them by Barbarians from the east.

I only mapped out the local area, which while decent-sized, left LOTS of room for other empires, kingdoms, etc.

I would be happy to contribute the material. It was pretty fun, although it did come with some things I wanted to do. I loved the background from the Deed of Paksennarion, and stole some things from that.

Still, the central area around Blasingdell was that there was a war, led by a very, very powerful magic user who created a very, very powerful magic device, which failed badly and explosively at a final battle. The terrain around the area was changed for a long time.

The primary interactions for the PCs, initially, was in and around the town, which was the primary center for mining and lumber. There was a keep and city to the south, a few ruins, and some forts. There was a mountain range and active volcano to the southeast.

The terrain and area would fit in well with what you had in mind. I used normal mana and Magic 4e for the campaign, so that worked.

[combatmedic]

My initial 'zone of development' will be a region of temperate uplands- green, rolling hills. The inhabitants are a TL2 nation of pastoralists [sheep and goats].

These folk worship a local pantheon of gods. These gods are depicted as human-like, although the male gods have horns like rams and the goddesses have long, curly hair like fine wool. The head of the little pantheon is a mother-figure, at once the young shepherdess and the older midwife.

[combatmedic]

Originally Posted by DouglasCole

I have a setting I used for a campaign I ran I called "Blasingdell," after the central town. It was pretty successful, and very humanocentric, although something like "orcs" were the bad actors in my campaign, there's no reason to not replace them by Barbarians from the east.

I only mapped out the local area, which while decent-sized, left LOTS of room for other empires, kingdoms, etc.

I would be happy to contribute the material. It was pretty fun, although it did come with some things I wanted to do. I loved the background from the Deed of Paksennarion, and stole some things from that.

Still, the central area around Blasingdell was that there was a war, led by a very, very powerful magic user who created a very, very powerful magic device, which failed badly and explosively at a final battle. The terrain around the area was changed for a long time.

The primary interactions for the PCs, initially, was in and around the town, which was the primary center for mining and lumber. There was a keep and city to the south, a few ruins, and some forts. There was a mountain range and active volcano to the southeast.

The terrain and area would fit in well with what you had in mind. I used normal mana and Magic 4e for the campaign, so that worked.

Barbarians from the east are better than orcs, for this setting, as you suggest.


The terrain chnage caused by the magic device- what was it like? Was the local mana field affected in some way?