You can download it from my website.
http://www.sederqvist.com/ao/downloads.htm
Please report your feedback in this thread for discussions.
[EDIT: Small update to one map posted]
Unless I'm mistaken, it is a framework to be expanded upon in terms of regional feats and bonus starting equipment.
Yes, this is correct. It is my intention to outline each specific region, so as to further expand on the material in DS 3.5. When I'm finished it should resemble the latest examples set forth in Forgotten Realms (most notably in the Player's Guide to Faerun and Champions of Valor), so that each race will be given a list of viable regions to choose from - gaining access to the appropriate feats/languages/gear/etc of each.
I also intend to introduce the Background rules to DS to overlap the rules provided with Regions. These will follow shortly.
Edit: To clarify for those of you who do not have access to the FR material...
Regions are chosen normally, only now from a list specific to each race (no longer based on class as in the old FR version).
NOTE - Racial entries may vary slightly, as they include sub-regions specific to each race...ie Halfling do not inhabit the entire region of the Glowing Desert, only the Small Water Oasis. So "Small Water Oasis" is included as a sub-region - this being attached to the primary region of the Glowing Desert, however, for the purposes of the Knowledge:local skill.
Once a region has been chosen, a PC may further choose a background. A background closely follows the rules of the various regions - ie. including a set of appropriate feats/languages/gear/etc. These selections replace the regional set (ie, the pc gains the benefits of the background instead of the region). However, the the character is still considered to be from the region chosen, for purposes of meeting PrC requirements.
So, for example....
I choose to make a character from Nibenay. So I'd normally gain the benefits (feats/gear/etc) of that region. However, I want my character to be associated with House Shom, so I take the background "House Shom" gaining the benifits of that background instead (feats/gear/etc). Sometime down the road, the character becomes involved with the templerate enough to join there ranks, and, still considered being from Nibenay, is able to meet the requirements to become a Wife of Nibenay.
Ahh, and the list of possible backgrounds will most likely include the following:
all trading houses (all major ones for sure)
all the elf tribes (same as above)
possibly all slave tribes (same as above)
possibly each sect of the veiled alliance
and possibly each "people" of gulg - as being worked on by "The Peacebringer"
.. that is, with his permission - and assuming athas.org agrees :D
also could work in something for pterran life paths
I'm definately open to suggestions as to possible names for these areas.
ehh, I'll just post the whole list of those in need of a name, for the sake of easiness...
?? area surrounding Black Sand Region (including Silver Spring, Ft. Kalvis, etc)
??foothills of the Ringing Mountains (Walis, Kalidnay, etc)
??foothills of the Ringing Mountains (Star Rock, Dry Springs, etc)
?? Shore of the Silt Sea (Bartigar, etc)
?? Shore of the Silt Sea (Pristine Tower, Bodach, etc)
?? Shore of the Silt Sea (Azeth’s Rest, Ket, etc)
Notice that some regions are unnamed, so I've labeled them with a more generic name - ie, ?? Shore of the Silt Sea (Pristine Tower, Bodach, etc).
I'm definately open to suggestions as to possible names for these areas.
ehh, I'll just post the whole list of those in need of a name, for the sake of easiness...
?? area surrounding Black Sand Region (including Silver Spring, Ft. Kalvis, etc)
Central Crossroads Region or Central Tablelands Region perhaps?
??foothills of the Ringing Mountains (Walis, Kalidnay, etc)
Kalidney Region, Gold Road, or if anyone knows the name of the mountain chain down there...
??foothills of the Ringing Mountains (Star Rock, Dry Springs, etc)
Northern Foothills Region?
?? Shore of the Silt Sea (Bartigar, etc)
Northern Siltside or Northshore?
?? Shore of the Silt Sea (Pristine Tower, Bodach, etc)
Cental Siltside, Central Shore, or Pristine Peninsula?
?? Shore of the Silt Sea (Azeth’s Rest, Ket, etc)
Northern Road or Lostway?
I'll look forward to seeing how this develops.
BTW... I would like to thank all those who have contributed to the 3E/3.5 version of DS on Athas.org. I have recently started running a gaming using those materials. They are quite helpful, although I suppose I am adapting them in non-canonical ways to some degree. But don't feel bad. I've been adapting the rules to D&D since I started playing with the "Basic (RED) Set" around 26 years ago :D
I guess I just like to meddle.
Anyway, outstanding job and I wanted to give you all the credit you deserve.
need more input PRETTY PLEASE!!!!!!!!!
specifically on the appropriate regions for each race, and whether or not the regions themselves are of the appropriate size/layout/whatever.
The region surrounding Raam might as well be merged with the one including silver springs and abalath.
Ogo doesn't need to be a seperate region.
The scorpion plains and the glowing desert should be combined into one region.
Its all giving me an headache.
Anyways, the easiest thing to do is to check out the Wheel of Time core book, FR's Player's Handbook or Champions of Valor. Hell, the FR core book from 3.0 might even help some in understanding all of this.
The key is to just think of it as another step in the character creation process. Most DMs I know, inlcuding myself, want players to write out a background for the character, where you are from, what you are about, etc. This will help in a way in that you can actually pick a region that you are from (born into) at character creation and get additional bonuses because of it. The way squid is doing it now also allows you to take it a step deeper and pick a background within that region. In this case an elven tribe (if you are an elf) or a merchant house. The latter superceding the former but not totally negating the former either.
Eh, I just sound like I am babbling now...
Ogo doesn't need to be a seperate region.
Wow, this is rather surprising, as it was your write-up of Ogo (http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?t=488524&page=1) that made me feel it deserved to be a region unto itself in the first place.
Dunno if places like Altaruk, Silver Spring, and Ogo - even through their uniqueness - need to be made regions.
For Ogo, see above.
For Silver Spring, note that it is NOT a region. It is a racial subregion for elves - specifically made for that elven tribe.
As for Alturuk, I feel it really needs to be a region unto its own, primarily for two reasons:
First - it is perhaps the most important crossroads village on the entire map. No other village (or City-State for that matter) has as many important trade roads passing through one point as does Alturuk.
Second - In regards to it's cultural level, Alturuk is really set apart from the surrounding region. Alturuk's leader, Arisphistaneles, readily provides the village's citizens with knowledge scarcely achieved in other areas. It's people has more knowledge on the differences between preservers and defilers then almost any other part of Athas. The village even has it's own sect of the Veiled Alliance. You simply will not find this level of achievement within any of the surrounding regions.
As a result, i see regional / local feats and identies having MORE importance than worlds where travel from one region to another can be (and often is) relatively straight foward (ALA FR etc etc).
Just my 0.02c (SGD!)
Wow, this is rather surprising, as it was your write-up of Ogo (http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?t=488524&page=1) that made me feel it deserved to be a region unto itself in the first place.
LOL, well even though the Village of Ogo has an important place in halfling society, the village itself is not region worthy. There are other tribes within the forest ridge not near Ogo that trade with outsiders. Specifically the Trade Village of Jalaka (pop 250), owned by House M'ke, which is about halfway in between Tyr and Ogo in the mountains bordering the forest ridge. I guess I just don't see what feats could be regionally specific to Ogo, but not the rest of the forest ridge. While it's more common for a halfling from the area around Ogo to have knowledge/contact with the outside world, it is by no means an exclusive phenominon.
Though none is detailed I wouldn't be surprised if other operations based out of Tyr, or even the merchant house of Celik (House Mareneth, formerly of Kalidney), have stable trade contacts with tribes/villages of the forest ridge.
Ogo is remarkable in it's size and the degree of trade that is channeled through it. And the "cultural exchange program" (read: mercenary work) with Urik. If you think that warrents a seperate region then go for it, but it doesn't seem necessary to me.
Ogo is remarkable in it's size and the degree of trade that is channeled through it. And the "cultural exchange program" (read: mercenary work) with Urik. If you think that warrents a seperate region then go for it, but it doesn't seem necessary to me.
Yeah, it makes sense to me to just make the whole Forest Ridge one region and call it good.
Yeah, it makes sense to me to just make the whole Forest Ridge one region and call it good.
...and green.
Does anyone have the list of available athasian languages? If so, might it be possible to post that list here?
Common
City-State Languages
Tyrian
Urikite
Gulgan
Balican
Raamin
Nibenese
Drajin
Eldaratchian
Kurnan
Kalidmaian (no it is not a dead languages, it is still used by house Mareneth as a secret langauge.)
Racial/Regional Languages
Elven (new, spoken by the elves of the tablelands)
Elven (old, spoken by the elves of the Last Sea region)
Dwarven (new, spoken by the dwarves of the tablelands)
Dwarven (old, spoken by the dwarves of the Last Sea region)
Gith
Halfling (forestridge and losthome halflings)
Ruhl-Thuan (cliff dwelling halflings)
Aarakocran
Thri-kreen
Giant
Braxat
Tari
Gnomish (spoken by undead gnomes)
Belgoi
Bvanen
Hunting Cactus (psionic language?)
Dolphin (impossible for humaniods to speak without magic/psionic aid)
Giustenal (spoken by the dray and Dregoth)
Anakore (Dune Freak)
Feylaar
Gaj (impossible for humans to speak without psionic/magic aid.)
Draxan (still spoken by the shadow giants and the few survivors of the city-state)
Ruhlisti (Still spoken by the shadow giants)
Saragarn
Hej-Kin
Jozhal
Kirre (impossible for humans to speak without psionic/magic aid.)
Klar (impossible for humans to speak without psionic/magic aid.)
Lizardfolk
Megera
Mindhome
Nikaal
Pterran
Reggelid
Scrab
Silt Runner
Slig
Mountain Spider (impossible for humans to speak without psionic/magic aid.)
Dark Spider (impossible for humans to speak without psionic/magic aid.)
Ssuran
Tarek
Tembo (impossible for humans to speak without psionic/magic aid.)
Trin
Tul'k
Xerichou (impossible for humans to speak without psionic/magic aid.)
Zhackal (impossible for humans to speak without psionic/magic aid.)
Elemental Languages
Auran
Ignan
Terran
Aquan
(languages in parenthesis are considered dead languages)
Aquan
Auran
Balikite
(Bodachi)
Bvanen
Common
Draji
Dwarven
Eldaarish
Elven
Giant
Gith
(Giustenal)
(Gnome)
(Goblin)
Gulg
Halfling
Ignan
Jozhal
(Kalidnese)
Kurnan
Nibenese
Nikaal
(Orc)
Pterran
Raamish
Reggelid
(Rhulisti)
Rhul-Thaun
(Saragarian)
Scrab
Slig
Ssurran
Sylvan
Tarek
Tari
Terran
Thri-Kreen
Tohr-Kreen
Tyrian
Urikite
(Yaramukite)
Yuan-ti
so between this list and Sage's we should be close to a complete list.
Question for Sage - Some of the languages you listed have different names from what Flip sent me. As this is supposed to be the official list, I'm curious to know which ones are the correct form - ie. Eldaarish vs. your Eldaratchian. Do you have source material to back your names up, or were you just hypothesising? NOTE - I've put all those that are different from yours in italics (with a couple I was just too lazy to check but looks like they're just mispelled on one or the other ???)
A few notes however, Guistenal is not a dead language. It is still spoken by thousands of Dray. Similarly Saragaran is not a dead language, it is still spoken by nearly everyone in the last sea region. There is little difference between Thor-Kreen and Thri-Kreen to warrant a seperation of languages other than some vocabulary, the Kreen racial memory keeps the languages from drifting apart.
I also, have a question. Who speaks sylvan? I would think that would be a dead language.
I would also like to gloat that I have longer list, which I just made up last night looking through the monsterous suppliments and from memory :P
A few notes however, Guistenal is not a dead language. It is still spoken by thousands of Dray. Similarly Saragaran is not a dead language, it is still spoken by nearly everyone in the last sea region. There is little difference between Thor-Kreen and Thri-Kreen to warrant a seperation of languages other than some vocabulary, the Kreen racial memory keeps the languages from drifting apart.
I also, have a question. Who speaks sylvan? I would think that would be a dead language.
Tohr-Kreen vs Thri-Kreen - your probably right, but IIRC there has always been a seperation through all previous products. So, I'm guessing there is ENOUGH of a difference.
Sylvan - your guess is as good as mine...but, just guessing, I'd surmise it's the elves of Saragar. Not sure though.
and Guistenal/Saragar - are these perhaps the old school languages, with a more modern language being in common usage now?
and Guistenal/Saragar - are these perhaps the old school languages, with a more modern language being in common usage now?
No, the dray specifically speak Ancient Guistenal, and if there was an older version of saragar, then there is still the modern verison which is not dead. That kindof like listing Nibenese as a dead language, because there is a much older version of the language that is not spoken anymore.
No, the dray specifically speak Ancient Guistenal, and if there was an older version of saragar, then there is still the modern verison which is not dead. That kindof like listing Nibenese as a dead language, because there is a much older version of the language that is not spoken anymore.
Then I'd say this is likely a mistake that needs fixen, aye? :D
Your example is flawed. I have Gulgan listed not Gulgian, that just sounds silly.
Hehehe, good one Sage! :P
There are some other interesting regions you could also include...
-Slave Tribes
-Pterran Life Paths
-Social Status (slave, freeman, noble, templar, etc.)
I think one prerequisite of a region is that there has to be some kind of culture or a specific group of people to represent that region.
The reason I went against this idea, is for the numerous nomadic tribes/slave tribes/etc that populate out of the way places. To use your example of the region with the Pristine Tower and Bodach, this region is home to the elven slave tribe known as the Silt Stalkers.
There are some other interesting regions you could also include...
-Slave Tribes
-Pterran Life Paths
-Social Status (slave, freeman, noble, templar, etc.)
Note that these would all be more akin to the idea of Background regional selections...
I'd definately say I'd add the slave tribes, and this was actually my intention anyway -just forgot to add it to my list.
I had, however, completely spaced on the possibility of using the pterran life paths. This would be a wonderful inclusion, though.
As for adding a regional set for the various social classes, I'd most likely be against. My initial thought here, is that there are other, possibly better, ways to relate this difference. Otherwise, we start getting into more and more obsurd standards of regional selection, ie. leading to regional sets based on age, weight, and hair color :P hee hee
edit - added the first two suggestions to my list
In FR, if you were an elf from waterdeep, you had a couple choices... you could pick your "region" as "Elf" or as "Waterdeep", whichever you felt was most appropriate to your character concept. In this case, if you were a Urikite Slave, you could pick "Urik" or "Slave" kinda thing.
Not that I would imagine being a slave would get you all that in way of starting gear, LOL.
-edit: glad to be of help :D
As for adding a regional set for the various social classes, I'd most likely be against. My initial thought here, is that there are other, possibly better, ways to relate this difference.
Yeah, these would be closer to your background regional things, kinda like Wheel of Time does. Conan did the same thing as well and made them backgrounds if I remember correctly.
Yeah, these would be closer to your background regional things, kinda like Wheel of Time does. Conan did the same thing as well and made them backgrounds if I remember correctly.
The Wheel of Time RULZ- I just bought a first edition of the Dragon Reborn and I will be getting the RPG book (again b/c I was an idiot and got rid of my first copy when it came out :embarrass ) sometime in the next week. And I am finally getting to read book 11 too- which is rad!!!
The Wheel of Time RULZ- I just bought a first edition of the Dragon Reborn and I will be getting the RPG book (again b/c I was an idiot and got rid of my first copy when it came out :embarrass ) sometime in the next week. And I am finally getting to read book 11 too- which is rad!!!
The novels I am giving up on until Jordan decides to end the story and stop being money hungry. I get to book 6 and I have an annurism and have to stop reading it halfway through. He needs to get to the point and quickly, he's taken what his predeccesor Tolkien has taught him and abused it to it's fullest extent, heh.
The RPG on the other hand rules and I wish more WotC D&D products would follow in the footsteps. It's amazing how many other d20 products out there saw what they did with WoT and ran with it and gave us a few more and better ideas instead of just sticking with the stale of old.
The novels I am giving up on until Jordan decides to end the story and stop being money hungry. I get to book 6 and I have an annurism and have to stop reading it halfway through. He needs to get to the point and quickly, he's taken what his predeccesor Tolkien has taught him and abused it to it's fullest extent, heh.
The RPG on the other hand rules and I wish more WotC D&D products would follow in the footsteps. It's amazing how many other d20 products out there saw what they did with WoT and ran with it and gave us a few more and better ideas instead of just sicking with the stale of old.
Like GRRM's Game of Thrones RPG (I got that one too, leather delux edition and was able to meet him to get it signed).
No worrys about the books- one more to go. Read them all, the going IS rough in a few of them but h really makes up for all of the plot building when he gets to book 11.
Anyway- I agree that some of the other d20 systems have gone a bit further with allowing for character development instead of equipment develpoment as D&D is most likely to do. In some of the games, there is only one race- human- but with all of the different cultures and stuff is makes them cool.
Anyway- I agree that some of the other d20 systems have gone a bit further with allowing for character development instead of equipment develpoment as D&D is most likely to do.
Well, there are a few of those too. They usually get rid of the equipment dependance that is the bane of the CR system and replace it with something more free form, or they keep it and make different types of equipment and expand upon that instead of just sticking with only magical and masterwork. They take masterwork to a whole new level and it allows you to not be so dependent on magical weapons because of that.
Some also do a nice balance of both.