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combatmedic
Senior Scribe
USA
428 Posts |
 Posted - 05 Sep 2012 : 16:20:17
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http://forgottenrealms.wikia.com/wiki/Days_of_Thunder
Has anyone here ever run a campaign set during the Days of Thunder?
I think that the latter part, when the Batrachi are in decline and the Aeerae are just rising, sounds good. Humans are present, but presumably still primitive. This timeframe allows us to use all the Creator Races.
Creator Races overview(doesn’t detail offshoot or created species):
• Aeerae, the up and coming power in Faerun, explorers/messengers/traders, strong in the western islands but not yet an empire-building people
• Batrachi: a slowly collapsing empire and its barbarous offshoots, decadent, strange magic/technology
• the Reptilians: ancient and mysterious, keepers of strange secrets, connected with the ‘terrible lizards’ that stalk the jungles of the south
• the Fey: lords and ladies of Faerie and their subject races, less courtly than in later ages, rawer and more elemental
• Humans: scavengers, savages, foragers, pets/slaves, the underdogs
Now, which races should be allowed for player characters?
I’m thinking:
• Humans, perhaps with Neanderthal as a sub race?
• Some sort of hobbit-sized fey, not too high powered, maybe like Gelflings from the Dark Crystal
• A non-evil reptilian race- maybe Saurials or Lizard Men
• A non-evil amphibian race
• Aeerae?
Technology is mostly exotic or primitive. Magic is alien, weird, or unpredictable. Maybe it would make sense to include some Lovecraftian elements? Alienist /Summoners a la AD&D 2E and the Far Realms?
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YMMV= Your Mileage May Vary. I'm putting it here so I don't have to type it in every other post. :) |
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Darkmeer
Senior Scribe
USA
505 Posts |
Posted - 05 Sep 2012 : 17:15:35
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I'd bet on some basic sword technologies, like Bronze-age shortswords and such, with the "highest" races being the Aeree/Avariels (the first actual elves on Faerun), with the best weaponry available to the Sarrukh/Yuan-Ti/Batrachi initially.
With the Sundering information coming out in the next year or so, it might be wise to look at it, since it could very well have been a godswar/titanswar type of situation near the end of the era. For that, you could even look at the old Sword & Sorcery Scarred Lands imprint for some ideas on a titanswar/aftermath type of campaign. The only difference is that the technology level would be different. |
"These people are my family, not just friends, and if you want to get to them you gotta go through ME." |
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combatmedic
Senior Scribe
USA
428 Posts |
Posted - 05 Sep 2012 : 18:05:38
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quote:
Originally posted by Darkmeer
I'd bet on some basic sword technologies, like Bronze-age shortswords and such, with the "highest" races being the Aeree/Avariels (the first actual elves on Faerun), with the best weaponry available to the Sarrukh/Yuan-Ti/Batrachi initially.
With the Sundering information coming out in the next year or so, it might be wise to look at it, since it could very well have been a godswar/titanswar type of situation near the end of the era. For that, you could even look at the old Sword & Sorcery Scarred Lands imprint for some ideas on a titanswar/aftermath type of campaign. The only difference is that the technology level would be different.
Thanks, that's quite helpful.
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YMMV= Your Mileage May Vary. I'm putting it here so I don't have to type it in every other post. :) |
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Bladewind
Master of Realmslore
Netherlands
1280 Posts |
Posted - 05 Sep 2012 : 18:22:22
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For races:
- the Aeree can best be made playable by taking the Avians (from Races of the Wild)
- playable Batrachi could be Bullywugs and Siv (Monsters of Faerun)
- Yuanti Halfblood or Extaminaar for the Reptilians
- playable Fey are best limited to Wild Elves, Avariel and Pixies and/ or Sprites
- Humans just as they are (perhaps limiting class choices to more savage options, like druids, sorcerers and barbarians)
The first three races would have acces to 'Dark Age' level technological equipment, while Fey would have near 'Medieval' tech but have moral and superstitious restrictions on their use, and Humans would be limited to 'Stone Age' equipment.
Magic could have both more and less restrictions. The epic level spells could be made to achieve higher (10+ level) effects, but the process to achieve such would be slower and involve more arcane components. Some lower level spells would not even have been invented yet (like in the Arcane Age supplement which restricted some spells along a timeline following magical innovations). |
My campaign sketches
Druidic Groves
Creature Feature: Giant Spiders |
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combatmedic
Senior Scribe
USA
428 Posts |
Posted - 05 Sep 2012 : 18:54:27
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various ideas;
I think communal baths should take the place of taverns in the Batrachi cities and towns.
"You all meet in the mud baths..."
Not that the Batrachi don't have booze. They may drink it while bathing. Froggie needs his jug of wine.
I recall that Ramenos is portrayed as a sleepy, drunken sort of deity in Monster Mythology. He may be much more active at this time, though beginning to become lazy and forgetful as his people decline.
The coinage system seen in later times doesn't yet exist. The Batrachi might use jet or amber weights as money. Pearls? Wampum?
Treasure could include art objects left by the Reptilians, rare feathers, ivory, valuable pelts, dino hide, etc.
Did any of the Creator Races use coins? Trade bars/ingots?
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YMMV= Your Mileage May Vary. I'm putting it here so I don't have to type it in every other post. :) |
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Hoondatha
Great Reader
USA
2449 Posts |
Posted - 05 Sep 2012 : 19:12:06
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The sarrukh are known to have forged their empire partly through the fact that they could forge steel weapons and armor. I'd say that puts them further ahead than your basic Dark Age. Now, how much of that was lost in their empires' destruction is open to debate, but there ought to be at least some legacy weapons floating around, and later races would have both exemplars and a motivation (continent-wide empire!) to try and reinvent them.
That said, I can understand why a bunch of amphibians and aerial creatures might not be that interested/good with fire and forges. The batrachi's water affinity might be a decent reason for much of the sarrukh forge-craft being lost, if you want to limit it.
For the aeraee, you might want to go in the direction of the 2e avariel and base their weapons and armor on magically strengthened glass, rather than metal. It's lighter, but you run into exactly the same problems with super-hot forges as you do with metal.
Humans shouldn't be neanderthals, or at least not all of them should be. But if you wanted to have both, you could reinact the struggle between neanderthal and homo sapien, while all the other, more advanced races are duking it out on a higher level.
Sarrukh are also said to have surrounded themselves with gold, gems, and slaves. Since they're acknowledged to be experts with the forge, I'd say coins and bars are reasonable. Though they're bigger than humans, so their "coins" might be more like human finger length and width sticks of gold or silver.
In fact, it's possible that the sarrukh are the instigators of the whole "gold as money" tradition on Faerun. Gold isn't as rare in Faerun as it was on Earth in the middle ages and before, but maybe it was where they first settled (which makes sense, as it was around a brakish lake; not many mines there).
Those are just a couple of initial thoughts. I've never run a game there, but I think it's a fascinating idea, and am really interested to see what sorts of things people come up with. |
Doggedly converting 3e back to what D&D should be...
Sigh... And now 4e as well. |
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Bladewind
Master of Realmslore
Netherlands
1280 Posts |
Posted - 05 Sep 2012 : 19:34:58
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I'd limit the introduction of steel in Faeruns timeline to the coming of the dwarves. Before that copper, bronze and iron smelting would have been used to forge arms and armour. So yes, the smelting techniques of the Sarrukh would be advanced, but not to the typical 'late medieval/renaissance' level. Sarruhk full plate would be the pinacle of their technological armour designs, but would be made of iron, gold or bronze.
Perhaps adamantine should be similarly limited, and introduced by the dwarven race a lot later down the timeline. Or perhaps the Batrachi imported some from some planar location, as they seem like the most outward, exploratory creator race of the all at the time. |
My campaign sketches
Druidic Groves
Creature Feature: Giant Spiders |
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Markustay
Realms Explorer extraordinaire
USA
15724 Posts |
Posted - 05 Sep 2012 : 20:21:30
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Fey:
Use the spiritfolk from UE for the Fey. There really only half-fey, but thats about as close as we can get with a pre-built D&D race (a fey-touched Eldarin would be best, but still not perfect).
Batrachi:
Batrachi are tough, simply because the only powerful 'frog-folk' we have in D&D are the Slaadi, which are a bit too powerful to use as a race. The Batrachi were not only amphibious, but the original race was also supposed to be adaptive in other ways - perhaps even shape-shifters. I know in some of Gray Richardson's articles he had it where they were ancestors of several octopoidal species (I assume that their 'natural' shape was more amorphous, and the frog-like appearance was just a favored form... at first).
Aeerae
I think the Aarakockra are far closer to the Aeerae originals. The Raptoarns appear to be some sort of hybrid of Elf and Aeeree (perhaps a forerunner of the Avariel).
Sarrukh
I personally believe that the Sarrukh are really a vestige of the original Sauroid creator race - they are the ones that became the dominate species, killing-off or driving away all others. There should be at least a dozen different sub-species of Sauroiids (based on different dino-types), and the Saurials could be used for those. The Saurial homeworld I think should be Abeir, because their is a canon native group of Saurials in Malatra that are identical to the ones that traveled to Toril (in the novels). The Sarrukh are the only Sauroids to survive (aside from those in Malatra) on Toril.
Humans
I have a theory that the 'first men' were bigger and grander then modern humans. Tall (at least 7-8'), attractive, powerful, intelligent. Like all the other Creators, the experimented on ways to improve themselves, which may have lead to several other races (including things like Goliaths, giantkin, and even halflings). Picture a magnificent race of 'perfect' people (straight 21's in all stats, just for starters). Humans may have created the concept of 'templates' - elemental and other attributes added onto their forms to "make themselves better" (all the 'touched' or 'blooded' templates we have in D&D). These first humans would not have thought themselves superior... they KNEW they were superior. A haughtiness that would make most gold elves cringe.
Dragons:
Sometimes thought of as the 'Sixth Creator Race' (Creatori), early forms of dragons would be more serpentine (Lung), primitive (linnorm), and even feathered (featured in a Saurial novel). Like all of these others, their should have been some sort of proto-form that all others came from, and over time some of these offshoots became races in their own right (all the chromatic, gem, metallic, etc types). I have theory that terrestrial lung dragons are descended from celestial dragons (which are really exarchs) and the more european type of early dragon (which were probably linnorms). Those would have been the first (highly) intelligent dragons. Before then, they would have been more like beasts (VERY intelligent magical animals). The feathered variety may have been their first attempts at flight (later evolving into the bat-like wings we see today).
Primal Theory
In those 'early days of the world', I think most things were not as "set in stone" as they are today. Races, geography, even physics (magic) were all controllable and ever-evolving. I think the older a world gets, the more things become 'solidified' (permanent). Bards in those days could literally 'sing' mountain ranges into being, or push aside seas. Everything back then was bigger and grander, and subject to change with a little magic (which was also more readily available) and ingenuity. If some intelligent race wanted some aspect of another race, they could easily figure out how to duplicate it in themselves, or add 'elemental' qualities to their physical forms. It was a time of change - the magic 'world birth' was still new and in the air (refer to the Narnia novel The Magician's nephew - I picture a similar 'living' evolution).
Oh... and dinosaurs. Lots and LOTS of dinosaurs. Maybe some apemen. |
"I have never in my life learned anything from any man who agreed with me" --- Dudley Field Malone
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Edited by - Markustay on 05 Sep 2012 22:33:22 |
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Hoondatha
Great Reader
USA
2449 Posts |
Posted - 05 Sep 2012 : 20:23:55
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I don't see a reason to relegate steel to the dwarves. The giants formed huge empires long before the dwarves came west, and I'm certain most of them (maybe not the hill or mountain giants, but certainly the fire giants and most of the more intelligent ones) could make steel. It's hard to imagine them going up against the dragons for so long without it.
And Serpent Kingdoms explicitly states: "... but the fact that the sarrukh had already learned to smelt iron for steel weapons and armor made them virtually invincible." If this makes you uneasy, just have the knowledge disappear once they do. They were jealous of their skill and didn't teach the yuan'ti, and the water-dwelling batrachi didn't realize the importance of forges for steel until it was too late and most of the lore lost.
However I agree completely that most if not all of the exotic metals should be unknown until much later. The dwarves are the first race to have the mining inclinations, and the time, to work out how to isolate them from their ores, and how to process them. Some of the groundwork was probably done by elven slaves of the dragons during the Age of Dragons, and some might also have been done by the giants, but I think it wasn't until the dwarves arrived that the "exotic metal field" really started to advance. |
Doggedly converting 3e back to what D&D should be...
Sigh... And now 4e as well. |
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Markustay
Realms Explorer extraordinaire
USA
15724 Posts |
Posted - 05 Sep 2012 : 20:30:03
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However, the glassteel weapons of the elves - which may have been first created by the fey - may have come into being at this time. IIRC correctly, they are grown from that living crystal also (later) used in their spelljammers.
I can also picture Batrachi using some form of obsidian (or other, magically hardened) stone for their weapons.
Except for the humans, all of these races are very alien - there is nor reason to assume they would have had a similar technological evolution. For all we know, giants could have had weapons made from 'solidified air' (or whatever). |
"I have never in my life learned anything from any man who agreed with me" --- Dudley Field Malone
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sleyvas
Skilled Spell Strategist
USA
11704 Posts |
Posted - 05 Sep 2012 : 20:33:05
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It might be interesting if they haven't even learned basic metallurgy. They could have truly stone age weaponry and work to shape natural implements from things like teeth of creatures, bones, plant life, leather, etc...
As far as races for the time period, I wouldn't worry about modern day moral designations like good and evil. Such moral dilemmas weren't being probed back then... it was all about survival. Some races I see fitting are
kuo-toa
troglodyte
yuan-ti
human
lizard folk
firenewts
asabi
bullywug
aarakocra
pterafolk
quaggoth
hybsil, centaurs, and wemics (all tauric beings that might have been created by the fey...note the hybsil is fey, so it may have been involved with creating the other two for protection)
volodni (the pine folk from unapproachable east, who were humans who were changed into plants... sounds like a good fey created race).
telthor (incorporeal fey being created from the spirit of a deceased being <usually animals>... also sounds like a good fey created race)
gloura (underdark fey)
killoren (a fey race from races of the wild)
kopru (MM2)
sirine (MM2)
Also, although not creator races, I'd recommend having some of the insectile races out there... they just may be very bestial. |
Alavairthae, may your skill prevail
Phillip aka Sleyvas |
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Hoondatha
Great Reader
USA
2449 Posts |
Posted - 05 Sep 2012 : 22:25:22
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| There are a variety of thri-kreen varieties in the Dark Sun book Thri-kreen of Athas. One of them is specifically a less evolved, less intelligent version of traditional kreen called trin. You could either use it as it, or give it hands instead of mantis claws and up its intelligence a bit if you wanted it as a PC race. Have it be the fore-bearer of the modern thri-kreen. |
Doggedly converting 3e back to what D&D should be...
Sigh... And now 4e as well. |
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Markustay
Realms Explorer extraordinaire
USA
15724 Posts |
Posted - 05 Sep 2012 : 22:30:10
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Good call. In that 'early time' maybe the primary alignment axis was chaos vs order.
also like where you went with natural weapons - that seems perfect for the Batarchi (who should be able to alter their forms).
Also, I can see my Human Creator Race using some form of psionic grafts, or even Incarnum. |
"I have never in my life learned anything from any man who agreed with me" --- Dudley Field Malone
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Hoondatha
Great Reader
USA
2449 Posts |
Posted - 06 Sep 2012 : 00:01:37
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I don't think there IS a "human creator race," as in an advanced version of humans that gave way to the modern era. Days of Thunder humans were Stone Age cave dwellers, who eventually civilized themselves, learned how to farm, and built cities once the other, more powerful races (including the dragons, giants, and the early elves) went away and they had breathing room.
Now, if you wanted to give those cave dwellers incarnum... that could be hilarious. And fun. But they'd still be cavemen. And women. |
Doggedly converting 3e back to what D&D should be...
Sigh... And now 4e as well. |
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Bladewind
Master of Realmslore
Netherlands
1280 Posts |
Posted - 06 Sep 2012 : 00:14:47
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Love the "Nephilem"-like human race idea, MT! I'd make them clustered and isolated in some 'Lost Valley' like locale, just to be able to have the ape-like ones (mentioned in the GHotR) be more widespread. One could run a(n epic) campaign with those First Men going against a competing ape race ala Planet of the Apes.
Allright Hoondatha, you have convinced me on the dwarven steel part. I tend to like to attribute most tech advances to the vigorous mining race alot. The Giants being able to smelt steel would be largely a technological advance harkening the coming of the Dawn Ages.
The Thunder Ages should be rife with races trying to outcompete eachother with the pinacles of their creations, by creating impressive cultural and (magi)technological wonders. Sarruhk were creating the Nether Scrolls, the Aeree their flying cities/rookeries (with perfected Pluma magic?), the Batrachi their underwater cities linked by their ingenious portal magic, and the Fey unleashed the numerous plants and animals now found all around Fearun.
The humans or First Men didn't do this (or we dont know about it yet). Why was that? Were they erased by someone? It's one of those mysteries that needs some solving afore one could start campaigning in the Days o' Thunder. |
My campaign sketches
Druidic Groves
Creature Feature: Giant Spiders |
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combatmedic
Senior Scribe
USA
428 Posts |
Posted - 06 Sep 2012 : 01:28:02
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Darkmeer mentioned pluma magic. I wonder if pluma and hishna both would be a good fit?
Ape-men ( carnivorous apes?) and dinos are a must, agreed.
What about gods?
Ramenos is the primary god of the Batrachi?
Are the elemental gods/primordials more prominent at this point in time?
I think we can safely rule out any of the interloper gods known in later ages, but what about native Faerunian gods? How many of them exist during the Days of Thunder? What names and forms do they have?
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YMMV= Your Mileage May Vary. I'm putting it here so I don't have to type it in every other post. :) |
Edited by - combatmedic on 06 Sep 2012 01:29:59 |
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Hoondatha
Great Reader
USA
2449 Posts |
Posted - 06 Sep 2012 : 02:12:00
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According to the 3e creation myth, Selune and Shar fought each other at the dawn of Realmspace and Mystryl was born of the strife (or some such; I'm not much of one for 3e cosmology). So those three goddess are the oldest in Realmspace and should be present, though obviously they can be under different names, or with somewhat different, or broader, powers.
You could also take gods that are known to be very old and change them around, so it's the same god but a different alignment and portfolio. For instance, we know Moander is ancient; in this time he could be a nature god of death, return to the soil, and rebirth. Sort of a neutral end-and-start-of-the-circle-of-life guy, who slowly grew more dangerous and insane as the milennia go by.
Other than that, I doubt very many of the gods in any of the sourcebooks would be around. Not even the demihuman gods would arrive until much later. |
Doggedly converting 3e back to what D&D should be...
Sigh... And now 4e as well. |
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Bladewind
Master of Realmslore
Netherlands
1280 Posts |
Posted - 06 Sep 2012 : 02:30:19
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| In addition to very few Greater Gods being in power I'd imagine that a lot of local 'fledgling gods' could have held divine influence on small scales all over Abeir-Toril. So proto-pantheons were merged and split along Merrouroboros' population barriers. |
My campaign sketches
Druidic Groves
Creature Feature: Giant Spiders |
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Razz
Senior Scribe
USA
749 Posts |
Posted - 06 Sep 2012 : 03:38:53
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quote:
Originally posted by Markustay
Humans
I have a theory that the 'first men' were bigger and grander then modern humans. Tall (at least 7-8'), attractive, powerful, intelligent. Like all the other Creators, the experimented on ways to improve themselves, which may have lead to several other races (including things like Goliaths, giantkin, and even halflings). Picture a magnificent race of 'perfect' people (straight 21's in all stats, just for starters). Humans may have created the concept of 'templates' - elemental and other attributes added onto their forms to "make themselves better" (all the 'touched' or 'blooded' templates we have in D&D). These first humans would not have thought themselves superior... they KNEW they were superior. A haughtiness that would make most gold elves cringe.
Dude, there's just the perfect type of human to use. The Nephilim! Use the Pathfinder Bestiary 3 stats. :) |
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Markustay
Realms Explorer extraordinaire
USA
15724 Posts |
Posted - 06 Sep 2012 : 07:20:22
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Actually, I was thinking of the 'high men' concept from MERPs (Aragorn was one of those). Also borrowed a bit from the Flying Buffalo/Catalyst concept of 'the first men', as well of a dash of Highlander. Its an old trope - glad to know there is a pre-built group that fits the bill in Pathfinder.
The society they had would have been Blackmoor - a highly advance culture, where their super-science was so much like magic there really was no difference. Like all the other Creators, they liked to tinker with their forms; they were masters of genetics (perfecting themselves) and also 'living' appliances (body armor and artificial appendages and organs).
@Hoondatha - I would have agreed with you once, but there is at least one short story (in Realms of the Elves which describes very advanced humans from the Days of Thunder (when the dragons ruled). There are also several ruins in the Realms that date back to some advanced, ultra-ancient race of men that even the elves have no record of.
The Sundering 'nuked' humanity back into the Stone Age, along with everyone else. It was a very different world back then.
Ape men and lizardmen-shapeshifters (which I hear Pathfinder also has). They got that from the old kull/Conan stories, so those are the best lizardmen in my book. 
Oh, and a Stygia-like human culture to offset the highly advanced one - they would have been Blackmoor's enemies (because humans love killing each other almost as much as they love killing everything else). That civilization may have given rise to the first deities (god-kings), which lead to the God War and eventually The Sundering. Damn humans... always creating some sort of ruckus. 
I've also surmised (in my own cosmological musings) that each of the Five Creator races were made by the Primordials, as a contest (the one who created the race that rose to supremacy would win, and be 'master of the universe.. or some-such). It was like this -
Sarrukh = Fire
Batrachi = Water
Aeraee = Water
Fey = Earth
Humans = Alloy (sometimes called 'metal', 'wood', or 'life')
Thus, humans are 'the fifth element' - the four prime elements in balance (which creates the element of life, or 'mana'). This, of course, was just one of my own theories. The contest never saw completion because some of the mortals rose up against their masters (they became gods). |
"I have never in my life learned anything from any man who agreed with me" --- Dudley Field Malone
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Edited by - Markustay on 06 Sep 2012 07:30:51 |
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Razz
Senior Scribe
USA
749 Posts |
Posted - 06 Sep 2012 : 07:27:10
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Oh I see. Interesting. Didn't know there was an Atlantean-like human culture in the Days of Thunder.
Man, I do have a real love/hate relationship with Realms history. So many What-Ifs and speculation but at the same time it's unnecessarily convoluted an leaves too much headaches. |
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Razz
Senior Scribe
USA
749 Posts |
Posted - 06 Sep 2012 : 07:34:15
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| Oh and what is this I hear about Ancient apemen in the Realms? It would explain all the many magical beasts and monstrous humanoid apes found in the Realms but where is there actual lore presented about them? The closest I found wa mention of an ancient Ape City in the one of the mountain ranges on the Chultengar. It was mentioned in "Serpent Kingdoms" but the book seemed to make it clear that it really was a myth. |
Edited by - Razz on 06 Sep 2012 07:35:20 |
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Markustay
Realms Explorer extraordinaire
USA
15724 Posts |
Posted - 06 Sep 2012 : 07:35:17
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Nothing says they were Atlantean-like (thats just some homebrew some of us like to toss around), but they weren't 'cavemen' either (one character from that short story was a powerful wizard).
For all we know, their civilization could have just been adopted from the dragons, and not something they came up with on their own. I just wanted to set the record straight - they looked like modern humans, and were highly intelligent, but nothing says they had their own advanced civilization (they were living in a medieval-level culture in the story, but it was ruled by the dragon).
I blame all the 'Beast man' types on Rakshasa, experimenting in the region around the Yehimals (between the three main settings). Rakshasa created the first tieflings (by breeding with just about everything). Once again, this is more of my own musings/homebrew. You can spin this stuff any way you want.
There are at least two canon ape-like races in Kara-Tur, though (along with the deity known simply as 'Monkey'). |
"I have never in my life learned anything from any man who agreed with me" --- Dudley Field Malone
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Edited by - Markustay on 06 Sep 2012 07:39:30 |
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sleyvas
Skilled Spell Strategist
USA
11704 Posts |
Posted - 06 Sep 2012 : 19:42:01
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quote:
Originally posted by Hoondatha
According to the 3e creation myth, Selune and Shar fought each other at the dawn of Realmspace and Mystryl was born of the strife (or some such; I'm not much of one for 3e cosmology). So those three goddess are the oldest in Realmspace and should be present, though obviously they can be under different names, or with somewhat different, or broader, powers.
You could also take gods that are known to be very old and change them around, so it's the same god but a different alignment and portfolio. For instance, we know Moander is ancient; in this time he could be a nature god of death, return to the soil, and rebirth. Sort of a neutral end-and-start-of-the-circle-of-life guy, who slowly grew more dangerous and insane as the milennia go by.
Other than that, I doubt very many of the gods in any of the sourcebooks would be around. Not even the demihuman gods would arrive until much later.
I'd imagine worship of the world serpent in its various forms (Essylliss, M'daess, Merrshaulk, Ssharstrune, sss'thasine'sss) form serpent kingdoms, parrafaire from serpent kingdoms, Shekinester from serpent kingdoms, Laogzed (trogs and tren), Blibdoolpoolp (kuo-toa), Ghaunadar, Jazirian (for couatls)
There would probably also be equivalents to Malar, the Earthmother, Talos, Umberlee, possibly Auril, possibly Talona. |
Alavairthae, may your skill prevail
Phillip aka Sleyvas |
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sleyvas
Skilled Spell Strategist
USA
11704 Posts |
Posted - 06 Sep 2012 : 19:51:04
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quote:
Originally posted by Bladewind
I'd limit the introduction of steel in Faeruns timeline to the coming of the dwarves. Before that copper, bronze and iron smelting would have been used to forge arms and armour. So yes, the smelting techniques of the Sarrukh would be advanced, but not to the typical 'late medieval/renaissance' level. Sarruhk full plate would be the pinacle of their technological armour designs, but would be made of iron, gold or bronze.
Perhaps adamantine should be similarly limited, and introduced by the dwarven race a lot later down the timeline. Or perhaps the Batrachi imported some from some planar location, as they seem like the most outward, exploratory creator race of the all at the time.
I wouldn't even be giving them full plate or anything with any kind of advanced articulation. At most, I'm thinking breastplate, but more thinking something more like brigandine. They should rely more on enhancing their armor class through a "natural armor" bonus... which can be seen as what the creator races were doing... enhancing their bodies, not their technology. Maybe they develop something that enhances their claws as well, rather than wielding swords, etc...
This general idea also makes the idea someone presented of incarnum magic being around kind of makes sense. |
Alavairthae, may your skill prevail
Phillip aka Sleyvas |
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jordanz
Senior Scribe
553 Posts |
Posted - 06 Sep 2012 : 21:56:02
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quote:
Originally posted by combatmedic
http://forgottenrealms.wikia.com/wiki/Days_of_Thunder
Has anyone here ever run a campaign set during the Days of Thunder?
I think that the latter part, when the Batrachi are in decline and the Aeerae are just rising, sounds good. Humans are present, but presumably still primitive. This timeframe allows us to use all the Creator Races.
Creator Races overview(doesn’t detail offshoot or created species):
• Aeerae, the up and coming power in Faerun, explorers/messengers/traders, strong in the western islands but not yet an empire-building people
• Batrachi: a slowly collapsing empire and its barbarous offshoots, decadent, strange magic/technology
• the Reptilians: ancient and mysterious, keepers of strange secrets, connected with the ‘terrible lizards’ that stalk the jungles of the south
• the Fey: lords and ladies of Faerie and their subject races, less courtly than in later ages, rawer and more elemental
• Humans: scavengers, savages, foragers, pets/slaves, the underdogs
Now, which races should be allowed for player characters?
I’m thinking:
• Humans, perhaps with Neanderthal as a sub race?
• Some sort of hobbit-sized fey, not too high powered, maybe like Gelflings from the Dark Crystal
• A non-evil reptilian race- maybe Saurials or Lizard Men
• A non-evil amphibian race
• Aeerae?
Technology is mostly exotic or primitive. Magic is alien, weird, or unpredictable. Maybe it would make sense to include some Lovecraftian elements? Alienist /Summoners a la AD&D 2E and the Far Realms?
The wiki l ink makes no mention of it but Giants and Ostoria were supposedly around when the first Dragon eggs rained down....
Also they cite no evidence of dwarves but it's been noted that these very same giants had enslaved large portions of the Dwarvish race... |
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jordanz
Senior Scribe
553 Posts |
Posted - 06 Sep 2012 : 22:04:02
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quote:
Originally posted by jordanz
[quote]Originally posted by combatmedic
http://forgottenrealms.wikia.com/wiki/Days_of_Thunder
Has anyone here ever run a campaign set during the Days of Thunder?
I think that the latter part, when the Batrachi are in decline and the Aeerae are just rising, sounds good. Humans are present, but presumably still primitive. This timeframe allows us to use all the Creator Races.
Creator Races overview(doesn’t detail offshoot or created species):
• Aeerae, the up and coming power in Faerun, explorers/messengers/traders, strong in the western islands but not yet an empire-building people
• Batrachi: a slowly collapsing empire and its barbarous offshoots, decadent, strange magic/technology
• the Reptilians: ancient and mysterious, keepers of strange secrets, connected with the ‘terrible lizards’ that stalk the jungles of the south
• the Fey: lords and ladies of Faerie and their subject races, less courtly than in later ages, rawer and more elemental
• Humans: scavengers, savages, foragers, pets/slaves, the underdogs
Now, which races should be allowed for player characters?
I’m thinking:
• Humans, perhaps with Neanderthal as a sub race?
• Some sort of hobbit-sized fey, not too high powered, maybe like Gelflings from the Dark Crystal
• A non-evil reptilian race- maybe Saurials or Lizard Men
• A non-evil amphibian race
• Aeerae?
Technology is mostly exotic or primitive. Magic is alien, weird, or unpredictable. Maybe it would make sense to include some Lovecraftian elements? Alienist /Summoners a la AD&D 2E and the Far Realms?
I had to change this post, I see that Giants and Dwarves dont become prominent until the Dawn Age..... |
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Matt James
Forgotten Realms Game Designer
USA
918 Posts |
Posted - 06 Sep 2012 : 22:06:35
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| Not sure I mised this thread. I love the Giantcraft book! |
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Markustay
Realms Explorer extraordinaire
USA
15724 Posts |
Posted - 07 Sep 2012 : 00:35:58
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There is a mention of a single Titan before the events of Annam, Othea & Ulutiu in the GHotR. Since canonically there are two types of Titans - Greater (celestial/mythological) Titans and lesser (D&D/terrestrial) Titans, this really isn't a problem. We can extrapolate the same may go for other giants races as well (there is evidence of two different types of Fomorians, for instance).
There is no mention of dwarves in that early time period, but their is canon that indicates some may have been present. The 'legends' told in Giantcraft (mostly regarding the dragon/Giant war) are taken from Elven and Dwarvish tomes. To me, that indicates dwarves should have been present to have written about these events first-hand. However, the possibility does exist that these events could have been related to them at a later time (for example, by the giants themselves).
The really fun part comes in when you decide the dwarves were something else back then (trollkyn, or some form of goblin, etc). A 'cave dwarf' might be pretty damn scarey. |
"I have never in my life learned anything from any man who agreed with me" --- Dudley Field Malone
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Edited by - Markustay on 07 Sep 2012 00:37:29 |
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Quale
Master of Realmslore
1757 Posts |
Posted - 07 Sep 2012 : 09:52:12
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| There's those greater dwarves from Frostburn, midgard dwarves |
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Razz
Senior Scribe
USA
749 Posts |
Posted - 07 Sep 2012 : 18:29:26
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| I always had this idea that the Midgard Dwarves were the "LeShay" version for the Stout Folk. This would also explain the Outsider type for Midgard Dwarves and the stories of them being present at the time. I think it was more of their stories carried across the planes, before dwarves settled Faerun. |
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Days of Thunder campaigning
