hobbygamers ~ View topic

4E is here!

Now that the COPALS have had a chance to see a lot of the stuff in the 4E core, we've got a better framework to build on, with some problems solved, and new ones created.

Timeline is now interesting, given that the maximum age for core races seems to be around 300 years. So setting things at 500 years post-Godfall is still close enough to leave oral history, without having direct memory of the war itself.

Elements introduced or changed that now need to be fit into the setting:
-Cosmology: The Astral Sea, The Shadowfell, The Fey Wild, The Elemental Chaos, and The Far Realm.
-The reconsolidated list of Immortals:
-The Primordials: Major elements of the new cosmology that make for interesting additions. I like them as a potential campaign threat. (FIXED. I'm working on the Primordials now)
*Demons (of the Elemental Chaos)
*Archons (of the Elemental Chaos)
*Angels
*Abominations

Current Race list:
-Dragonborn
-Tieflings
-Elves, Eladrin, and 1/2 Elves
-Human
-Halflings
-Dwarves
*Both the Tiefling and Dragonborn need some campaign flavor description for their origins. The same probably holds for the differences between Elves and Eladrin.

Post any other thoughts on the transition to 4E here, as well as elements that you think need work or explanation in the new system.

Eladrin: These guys are the "magic elf" archetype, fey and mysterious, as opposed to the "wood elf" (elf) race. There's enough of a fantasy basis for both, the mystics and the woodsfolk. For example, see Raymond E Feist's Riftwar books, with at least three distinct elven types, the eledhel ("light elves") who are the woodsy elves, the "high elves" (tar-edhel?) who are the heirs of the magics of the Dragon Lords, and the glamredhel ("sword elves") who are the wild, warrior barbarian elves, another archetype (see Elf Quest) not represented in the current rules structure.

For solely fey/magic elf examples, also consider the Sithi and the Norns of Tad Williams Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn fantasy epic.

Dragonborn and Tieflings: Okay, admittedly, a bit more of a stretch. But then you could say that the Dragonborn are a marketing element built around the popularity of MageKnight's draconum race. But still, I like these guys, because of flavor. Tieflings and dragonborn work for the setting. I'm typing up the histories. Then give it a look see.

Cosmology notes. Been talking with BJ on this one, but our basic consensus has been: Is there any reason why we shouldn't keep these? They're good, not particularly broken or strange, and they're a core system assumption we can work with. Instead of trying to define a new cosmology, we can just detail our own version of the Astral Sea. What is present in our Creation's Astral? In our Elemental Chaos? What are the landmarks of our Shadowfell and Feywild? How and why were they created?

We now have races. Let's give em culture (aka identity)

Eladrin. High magic elf sans treehugging syndrome?

Elf. What are they?

Dragonborn. Revs can handle this.

Tiefling. They claim they are favored race of a god.

kobolds. They fly! Air people. They claim they are descendants of powerful dragons but no one knows for sure. Other races ridicule them by saying they descended from a a dragon that cross-bred with a giant cockroach. That's the most "logical" explanation for their affinity to air and scales and ability to hide under rocks.

dwarves. Still on discussion. I proposed sea-faring dwarves. We'll see.