I certainly don't want to step on the end of our current epic, but I am starting to daydream about what might come next, so I wanted to open up a space for you all to have input into that as well. Those of you interested in beginning another campaign together, I mean - at least a few of you expressed interest in this.

My personal inclination would be to do something a littler lighter in tone and heavier on magic - more in the "high fantasy" than "dark fantasy" register. Would definitely still want the world to be a homebrew. I don't like to be beholden to existing lore/canon. Maybe something more urban: my original vision for this game was that it would be more built around Lawton's Glen.

Anyway, totally optional and no rush, but this is a place if you have any thoughts/wishes/desires for the future or any feedback on this game you'd like to see incorporated in the next. You're also welcome to PM me if you'd prefer to share privately.

Yes. Absolutely would be game.

I've been waiting for this discussion! I'm game for whatever comes next but a more urban/lighter or more magical fantasy sounds awesome. Honestly I'm not the depressed self-loathing person I was when I first made Cora and so nice as she is it's time for me to indulge in more fun concepts

Definitely interested!  I haven't given it much thought up until now, but as luck would have it I have a 4 hour solo car drive ahead of me! So the timing for this discussion is perfect for me.

I'd love to play an urban high fantasy game with a lighter tone with this group :D  I reckon I'd play some kind of class with spell slots this time around, just to lean into the theme!  Could we start at level 3+?  Just to have a head start toward being magical and stuff :)

Also, if there's any way we can help with worldbuilding or otherwise with getting it ready to go then I'm down to contribute, if that would help.

Yes! I don't have a strong preference for where exactly we start, but I guess my inclination would still be on the lower side (3?) with rapid advancement through the first few levels rather than just starting right out at 7 or something. But happy to hear what others thing about this.



I know we ended up not using as much of what you put together about the goliaths, but I thought the general model where I provide the outlines of the world and then collaborate to fill in the details of specific places/societies with the people whose characters are from there worked pretty well. If there are specific races/classes/concepts/whatever anyone is interested in, you can give the heads up here so we can make sure there's a place for them.

I would be honoured to play in another game with this crew, regardless of the specific setting!

Something urban-based and with a lighter tone would be fine with me.  There's plenty of 5e classes (and class combinations) I have not played, so I'm sure I can be flexible in the choice of role to fill.  Druid (here) and monk (in a tabletop game) are my only 5e experiences, so the field is wide open!

As the one who suggested it, I'll agree that level 3 is good for me as a starting level ;P  Would like to hear everyone else's thoughts, though!  Level 3 is a sweet spot where many classes get core class-identity abilities and start feeling capable of doing the cool stuff you envision for them, but you're still not super-powered yet.


Actually I feel happy with the amount of Goliath stuff we got to in this game :)  I didn't write that much lore, but it still felt integrated with the setting and gave me some stuff to reference through RP, and we of course got that fun scene with mom :D  I'll probably take a similar approach this time around, writing just enough to understand the character and their story and then expand when/as needed.  If we want to use more of whatever it is then I'll be glad to do my part to build upon that!

Have an established group of players gives us a neat opportunity to work together on making our party and figuring out how we know each other and such!  I enjoy having an established rapport between party members, and I think those efforts we made here gave this game a lot of heart :)

Feels early to decide on characters, but my initial thoughts are a tiefling support caster of some kind, maybe a Bard or Cleric.  I haven't played a Tiefling in a good while, so that should be fun :)

I would love to play Cyre 1313 from Van Richten’s guide to Ravenloft if you’d ever consider a foray into fantasy horror. I feel like it would pair well with a steampunk format.

I prefer starting at lower levels just to learn my character from the get go (before it gets too complicated). With that said, if it means playing with this group, I'll gladly start at whatever level and play whatever role including (but not limited to):
   Torch bearer
   Waterboy
   Suspicious chest opener
   Guy who carries all the heavy stuff to town
   Bait for traps

I'm currently working on a master list of classes and races I've never played, it's mind expanding.

So no ideas what I'd play but it'll be fun for sure

Oooh. I will admit, trains often pop into my head when I let my imagination drift on this subject. I'm reluctant to commit to a specific train, both because I don't want to be beholden to its lore and because I'd like its secrets (if any!) to be a surprise to you all. But yes, trains are interesting....

One idea: I made a goblin paladin for another game but it never really got off the ground. With this group I feel like there would be a good opportunity to make him come to life. I'm not married to the idea, but just one possibility that may fit into a lighter-hearted, urban environment.

Speaking of urban environments, how big a city are we talking (village? town? city? megopolis?)?

In reply to Fergus Glowforge (msg # 13):

Nice! I'm leaning toward big, especially if it's going to be the focus of the campaign.

So, is this high enough fantasy for it to be a flying city??? :D

Ooo, Eberron is such a cool setting!  I've never gotten a chance to play in it much yet, and everyone my tabletop group but me hates it for no good reason ;(  I really like the idea of a technological society based on magical artifice, with airships, lightning trains, magical streetlamps, constructs everywhere, etc.  Eberron has a lot of other cool stuff too (ahem, halfling dinosaur-riders), but even if you want to make your own high fantasy world lore you could just steal the stuff you like and use it how you like :D

Fergus: I love the idea of a goblin paladin!

Sidenote: Anyone who wants to discuss Eberron, I don't think I'll ever get tired of talking about it. I don't know if an established setting will work for our DM, absent something contained like Cyre 1313. As a giant Eberron fan though I've plenty of ideas for games if Opalia ever needs a DM (when I'm healthy again)

I think a flying city might be a bit much depending on the context, but a more urban game with guilds and politics and intrigue wouldn't be amiss to me.

I'm travelling, so just making some quick posts. I'd love to play anything in this group, and would love exploring a character more of talker. I'm happy with just about any setting. With that said, urban sounds awesome!

I also love the idea of a goblin paladin! And I'm loving everything I'm hearing about Eberron. It's really only the lore I find intimidating. So I'm inclined to do as Opalia suggested and borrow a bunch of things but wrap them in different lore. If there are elements you're particularly interested in (flying cities, say, or playing a warforged), then please let me know! It's not binding, you can always change your mind about playing a warforged, but I'll be sure to make room for them just in case.

Elements that interest me:

Airships and Trains
Heists, Subterfuge, and Skullduggery
Intrigue and Spycraft
Cinematic Action
Surveillance Technology
Petty, feuding rich people

At the risk of being a stick in the mud I'll take this time to argue Eberron's themes and style is much more than just magepunk and trains. Feel free to ignore, I'm simply trying to help but identifying the other things which a world borrowing from Eberron might need

-The setting is much less about what you are than where you're from. The average person doesn't care that you are a non-human (so long as you're not a goblin, warforged, shifter or changeling), they care that you're from the country they fought against in the war. Dwarves and elves, orcs and gnomes all live together fruitfully (if convinced their race is generally the best one). Half-orcs and half-elves, rather than be outsiders to their parent races, are key and important parts of their cultures. The Khorovar are a race of people who only came about because the elves and humans came to Khorvaire, and the half-orcs are a symbol of the cooperation and unity that the orcs and humans of the Shadow Marches have achieved (despite constant feuds that'd make a Scotsman blush)

-Good is weak, evil is fractured. The great heroes of the world are gone, the powers that can affect things are either locked in one place (The Keeper of the Silver Flame can't leave the city of Flamekeep without losing her cleric levels until she returns, the great druid Oalian is an immobile pine tree) or are not benevolent (though fighting for the good of the world, the dragons of the Chamber start wars, assassinate people and often let evil win in the short term, and are not above simply killing everyone involved and starting over). Arrayed against them are a half-dozen evil factions of note (and many smaller ones besides) who are at cross purposes to each other. The Lords of Dust want an apocalypse (but work against each other almost as much as the Chamber works against them all, so only their own demon overlord may rise), the Dreaming Dark wants peace and dominance in order to escape oblivion, the daelkyr simply do not care that their art warps the very nature of those they touch, and the more mortal groups like the Aurum or Emerald Claw are interested in material gains, money and martial victory, while their leaders could be controlled by the big guys above.

-There are no absolutes (except immortals). Immortal creatures play out long games and stories among themselves, the planes and the fiends act according to their nature. But everything else CAN be good, evil, lawful or chaotic as its personality suggests. Clerics of the Silver Flame can be corrupt, or zealous, or they can be honest self-reflective people. A monster can believe in honour in battle, in dignity of its foes.

-The world needs heroes. You, the party, are the important people. There is no grand detailed timeline saying this happened then this happened, what serves your story is what happened. You will have the power to change the world, you will have the power to overturn wrongs and forge a brighter path.

Side note but also something I love is that every non-human race is obsessed with history. The dwarves don't care about facts, they care about what makes a good story. The elves are determined that any elf who dies be remembered in some way (different factions have different practices), the gnomes are fastidious record keepers to the point that they spread organized religion, science and trade long before humans. The halflings and the shifters each have a powerful and lively oral history, the orcs believe in the tradition of the old ways and in doing whatever you do with all your passion. The goblins literally once ruled the continent and their works built the foundations of the modern cities. The changelings pass down jobs and titles alongside the faces of those people, the town healer in a changeling village will look like the same person for decades even though generations have been this one role.

I have zero experience with Eberron, but I'd be willing to learn.  And being an old school gamer, I'll need to warm up to a goblin paladin.  I mean, goblins are evil humanoids, right?  But for Fergus, I can mend my ways  :D

Our DM's elements all sound good to me...maybe we can work in a little Locke Lamora and the Gentlemen Bastards angle for our group.