The discussion so far...

Me:

I am strongly considering running a lvl 1 campaign titled "The beginning" which would take place guess when. I'm talking about the start of the world. Which world? Well I'm leaning towards the PHB one (what I tend to call Greyhawk or Default setting), but thoughts are appreciated. The idea being our characters would be the ones making history. It would be a fresh way to view the world of DnD, allowing our characters to be amazed even by something as mundane as a monkey because everything is new.

We would go absolutely by-the-book legal in this campaign. No house rules whatsoever. I will, of course, provide the guidelines on what is the norm such as if humans hate Drow (or if Drow even exist yet for that matter) and other such things before we make characters.

Your thoughts appreciated.


Mittens:

Me like!  Sounds fun!  RL questions and answers:

Me: "So who would you play as?"
Tim: "No idea yet."

Me: "So is this before the elemental war?  Supposedly there was a time between creation and that war."
Tim: "Uh.... Yeah.  That could work.  Another thought is that I could possibly start us at the beginning of an entirely new world with an entirely different pantheon.  The main idea is that we start at the beginning of a world."

Hmmm....  I'm thinking maybe human.  Maybe someone who's all in favor of Erathis / whatever deity of civilization.  Because it's a new concept.  Probably a new character since Jake/Gale/Mittens/Lucky don't really fit.  Hmmm....


Joe:

As for new campaign, I'll give it a go but I'm complete clueless on what I'd make.


Me:

That's because we're all clueless on what we'd make. The setting is so far just "The beginning of a world. Maybe Greyhawk. Maybe a new world."

My creative side is leaning towards a brand new world so I can create a pantheon of my own and stuff. But the "I wanted this to be character builder friendly" side of me wants to say oh well to that and just go Greyhawk.

However, again, all thoughts on setting appreciated.
This message was last edited by the player at 02:19, Sun 19 Sept 2010.

Well given that I'll be starting the Dark Sun campaign soon, if you want to start a greyhawk campaign go ahead. Not sure what I'd play, but I might think of something. Nice thing about forum games is that you can have a dozen going at once without any real issue since the posts do not have to be placed in real time.

Also with how long its taken for all the characters to be ready I might as well wait till the 21st when they update the compendium and character builder.

  So yeah.
Name: ????
Swordmage
Gensai, Voidsoul. (I wonder how an Abyss tainted line of Gensai type person would work out in a beginning of existence type deal?)
Assault Style (Int,Str)
BG: Traveling Missionary (access to Religion, and another language thus Abyssal for 'banned from default language at Lv 1' bandwagon, with actual IC legit RACIAL reason for it as opposed to 'it's cool')
Feat: Empty Mind, Voidsoul Heroic (when I'm hit with a Vs. Will or Psychic DMG, enemy takes my Psy resist in Psy damage). That or starting with MC Wizard to nab 'Burn Everything' at lv 2.

  Eventual MC into Wizard + Wizard 'Burn Everything' Feat will be yay, if needing to wait till lv 4 to get (or lv 2, if I start with a Wizard MC and put Empty Mind off till 4).

  I know Rapier will end up a Military weapon once varios updates roll around, but would stick with ye old Longsword cause Heavy Blade gets access to stuff like Sunsword (flip on and off radiant, 20 tile flashlight, day power), Gith Silver weapon (flip on and off psychic damage, etc), Eldtrich Knight (every standard action melee is range 5), Chill wind (30 fire resist, flip on and off COLD damage, and crit+ that adds on 20 ongoing cold dmg) etc.

  Just not as many 'wow that's murdertastic' things that are lightblade specific. (though there is the Hestavar Dueling Blade, which gives +2 to AoO AND Immediate reaction triggered Melee attacks, which Assault Aegis does).  Which is the only 'light blade no heavy blades' sword of note for me there.

  That's all I got so far.  Epicing this up could work out for that Faction thread elseboard.  I was considering trying out a Swordmage sometime, and talk about Star Wars with Chris over aim +'wait, if people mess with my brain their brains are hurt?' feat has me going for this.

  As for Pantheon stuff, I don't see how a custom pantheon would cause real problems in the builder. We just pick equivalent gods for the feat/divine bits stuff (Kord, Tempus, Tempus, Dol Dorn, Tempus=Kord=Dol Dorn etc)
This message was last edited by the GM at 09:14, Sun 19 Sept 2010.

Stuff typed last night...

In the DMG page 150, it lists some assumptions about the world of DnD (or the Default world). But then in the very next page, they list "Altering Core Assumptions" and ask what if a given assumption isn't the case. For example, the assumption my campaign will shatter:

The World Is Ancient. What if your world is
brand-new, and the characters are the first heroes to
walk the earth? What if there are no ancient artifacts
and traditions, no crumbling ruins?

When:
The start of the sentient races. I'm thinking between year 0 and year 50. If year 0, we'll each have to have a mate of some kind, already have kids, and those kids will have to be adults. Otherwise, we can't really adventure. XD Hence my thinking we might want to be a little farther along.

The gods:

The gods are not the same in the usual setting as they are at the start of things. Some gods got killed. Others were once mortal and ascended. The pantheon is thusly different. Here it is:

Amoth - Justice and Mercy. Rules over Astral dominion Kalanduren.
Avandra - Change, Freedom and Luck.
Corellon
(He Who Was) - Kingship, Wisdom and the sky. Later defeated by Asmodeus.
Io - Hope, Justice, Protection, Strife and Vengeance.
Khala - Winter. Mother of Kord. Doesn't even fall till Bane is a god.
Kord - Son of Khala. Neutral aligned.
Nerull - Death.
Tuern - Conquest (War) and Fire. Later overthrown by Bane.

Races:

Young Races
Due to some races being born long after creation, I have come up with explainations for any given race to either exist or not exist depending on player choice. This section deals with the races that either shouldn't exist yet or would be noticeably different due to the era. If there is a race listed here you really wanna play, let me know and we can discuss possabilities on how your character exists (hopefully without having to resort to time travel as an excuse).

Bladeling - Crated by Bane, these guys just would not exist yet due to Bane not even existing yet. However, nothing says Bane didn't get his idea from somewhere.

Gnoll - This race could or could not exist. I'm unsure as of this moment. But it sounds like they might be a young race.

Half Elf - While not as unlikely or rare as Shifters, this still probably hasn't happened yet. Half elves are more of a "I wonder if..." than an existing people. But nothing says the gods haven't already had this happen. Still, if there are half elves, they likely haven't even reached adulthood yet.

Half Orc - Nope. Non existant. The world is so young, Grummsh is still having orcs focus on populating before he can worry about them conquering. So to keep his intentions from being known, Grummsh has made his race far away from the other races deep in a forest somewhere.

Shifter - Lycanthropes have yet to mingle much, but that doesn't mean they have not done so yet. If a shifter is desired enough, let me know. Chances are you are NOT the child of two shifters, but of a Lycanthrope and another humanoid.

Warforged - Created by mortals for a war, this race can't exist in their more traditional sense.

Wilden - Nature's response to a threat that hasn't really come to be much of one yet. So since nature has yet to respond, Wilden have yet to exist.


Changed Races

Changeling (Doppleganger) - Created by Avandra's mistake, this race can not exsist. This is a "used to be human" race by technicality, so goes under "changed races". How fitting for changelings. XD

Drow - Drow are corrupted elves, twisted by Lolth's power. But Lolth has yet to do this to any elf.

Duergar - Centuries of slavery to the Mind Flayers in the Underdark has not yet happened to any dwarf. So this race does not yet exist.

Gith - The Githyanki and Githzerai do not exsist. There is only Gith. The Gith are not a young race, but they have yet to taste the bitterness of slavery to the Mind Flayers.

Kalashtar - At only 1800 years old, this is the youngest race in DnD. Granted, they are that old in the Eberron setting, so they could be older in Greyhawk if it is desired. In any case, this is a "used to be humans" race, so it goes under changed races.

Shadar Kai - This race has yet to travel to the Shadowfell. It was hinted they used to be human, so I'm ruling they were. So they do not exist as Shadar Kai.

Tiefling - Humans who made pacts with devils to become more powerful. Humans have yet to make such a pact. But if you desire a Tiefling enough, you can play one as a half-devil spawn as demons and devils have played a role in the world since even before its beginning. But like shifters, this is extremely rare and could be looked on with much more fear than Tieflings normally are.


Old Races
Some races are even older than the created races. They are listed here.

Deva - Part of the point of Devas are the fact they have thousands of lifetimes behind them. As reincarnated beings, this race doesn't really exist. But the first Devas DO exist as angels or other such powerful beings making themselves mortal for the first time ever.

Goliath - Goliaths existed before the other races and thus, are the oldest race. As such, they view the other races as curiousities and neat new things of nature.


The Quest:

Uniting. The gods are actually asking you to unify the races of the world and subdue the monsters that are destructive to the world.


Gear:

As brand new as the races of the world are, clothing is something given by hunting or by the gods. Modesty is new to all. But beyond just standard clothing, there is magic enhancements. At this early stage, enhancements are granted directly by the gods as a blessing for doing their bidding (see Quest). For we are the only adventurers in the world.

Gold is a non-issue, but we all will start with 100 GP in order to figure starting gear. From then on, it's going to be a matter of barter at worst and people just giving what you ask for at best. :) This is a simpler time. And that, the GM is thankful for. ;)


Things to bear in mind:

As new as the world is, there are subtle things that should be considered. Most things have not been established, but there are also things that aren't even thought of. Like cutting one's hair. Who thinks to literally cut off a piece of themselves? Or cracking one's knuckles before battle. Why would you hurt yourself to prepare for battle?

There are no history books. No schools. No wide-spread communication outside your own community. Such coordination is left up to the gods at the moment, who are as approachable as an elder would be in a more modern setting since there are so few mortals.




Hymn to Corellon:
Lord of the wood, lord of the stars,
Maker of songs and teacher of arts-
Great Corellon, as your servant I stand.
Open my eyes to the works of your hand.

Lord of the wood, lighten my heart;
Maker of songs, your wisdom impart.
Great Corellon, grant me a dream
Of the twilight courts of Seldarine!

Lord of magic, lord of starlight,
Lover of beauty and poet of night-
Long lies the path through mists and through moor
But home I will come to Avandor.


Rites for Dieties! Divine Power p.143
This message was last edited by the player at 13:00, Sun 19 Sept 2010.

I think I'll be playing as Jay.  A human inventor in love with Erathis.  Looks like the guy from Sorcerer's Apprentice who also did the voice of Hiccup in How to Train Your Dragon.  Probably Artificer or Wiz / Artificer hybrid with a focus on inventing mundane items.  :)

That reminds me, I'd like each player to play a different race if possible. I'm not saying you have to, just that it's a preference. Personally, I get to play as the whole universe, so I'm not too worried about it. But as my player character, I'll be skipping human and genasi due to those being expressed by Chris, David and Will.

The Full Pantheon

Amoth - Justice and Mercy. Rules over Astral dominion Kalanduren.
Avandra - Change, Freedom, Luck.
Corellon - Arcana, Skill, Wilderness.
Erathis - Civilization, Creation, Justice.
Gruumsh - Destruction, Strength.
(He Who Was) - Kingship, Wisdom and the sky. Later defeated by Asmodeus.
Io - Hope, Justice, Protection, Strife and Vengeance.
Ioun - Fate, Knowledge, Skill.
Khala - Winter. Mother of Kord. Doesn't even fall till Bane is a god.
Kord - Storm, Strength, War. Son of Khala. Neutral aligned.
Lolth - Darkness?, Trickery? <-- Might still be good and Corellon's wife.
Melora - Life, Sea, Wilderness.
Moradin - Creation, Earth, Protection.
Pelor - Hope, Life, Sun.
Nerull - Death.
Sehanine - Love, Moon, Trickery.
Tharizdun - Destruction, Madness.
Torog - Earth, Torment.
Tuern - Conquest (War) and Fire. Later overthrown by Bane.
Vecna - Knowledge, Undeath.
Zehir - Darkness, Poison.