Collaborative High Fantasy World Building

[Vahir]

Good day, ladies and gentlemen. I've come today to headhunt for a new nation RP, creatively titled:

THE-AS-OF-YET-UNNAMED-RP

Wait, what is this?

This is me looking for people who are willing to collaborate to build a fantasy world in which we can then have a proper RP. Ideally, we would be a small group, no more than five in number. The setting will be designed as a collective, with a few constants written in stone beforehand by myself:

• The setting will be high fantasy; Magic, elves, and fantastic creatures are all welcome.
• Gods are real, active in the world, and are vindictive assholes.
• Technology will naturally vary among nations, but it should be kept generally low medieval in nature. No gunpowder, and full plate armor should be very rare and expensive.

So that's it, then. If anyone wants to work with me to set up a world we can RP in, say so in this thread. I have lots of ideas on what to start off with, but we'll talk about them once the team is set.

[Slamurai]

This is me looking for people who are willing to collaborate to build a fantasy world in which we can then have a proper RP.

@Vahir

There's always the danger that worldbuilding takes over the focus and the actual RP doesn't get off the ground. Otherwise, I'd be game for this sort of close-knit collaboration! I know this was posted in the Nation IntChecks, but in the long run, are you looking to go full-nation, or incorporate more traditional, character-based elements?

[Vahir]

There's always the danger that worldbuilding takes over the focus and the actual RP doesn't get off the ground.

@Aristo

Ayup, that's something to watch out for. Really, I'm just trying to make it so that while we're doing the usual nation creation, we do it cooperatively, in ways that interconnect. I'd really like to avoid overly convoluted metaphysics that I find renders some settings unapproachable on top of taking up way too much time working out.

I know this was posted in the Nation IntChecks, but in the long run, are you looking to go full-nation, or incorporate more traditional, character-based elements?

@Aristo

In the long run? Definitely the latter. The nation aspect of it should be kept to our worldbuilding stage. Ideally, once we're done creating the world and the countries that fill it, we'll move on to a focused character driven RP.

[Slamurai]

Sounds good! I'm game for this project.

[Polybius]

Cool. How about magic? Standard D&D schools of arcana or something we come up with?

[Vahir]

Cool. How about magic? Standard D&D schools of arcana or something we come up with?

@Polybius

Magic is in the air still. The way I imagine it, though, some people are born with the affinity for a certain kind of magic, for example someone might be able to shoot fireballs, or another could control the wind. Maybe you need to be given magic by a god? In any case I don't want to have the D&D "Anyone can become a wizard and any wizard can learn any spell" scenario.

But it'll definitely be something we'll talk about as a group.

[Slamurai]

<Snipped quote by Polybius>

Magic is in the air still. The way I imagine it, though, some people are born with the affinity for a certain kind of magic, for example someone might be able to shoot fireballs, or another could control the wind. Maybe you need to be given magic by a god? In any case I don't want to have the D&D "Anyone can become a wizard and any wizard can learn any spell" scenario.

But it'll definitely be something we'll talk about as a group.

@Vahir

On top of this, I'd like to personally cast in a vote to have magic be vague and high above the common person's understanding. I'm not particularly a fan of magic when it's easy to categorize, classify into clearly-named spells, etc.

[Polybius]

<Snipped quote by Polybius>

Magic is in the air still. The way I imagine it, though, some people are born with the affinity for a certain kind of magic, for example someone might be able to shoot fireballs, or another could control the wind. Maybe you need to be given magic by a god? In any case I don't want to have the D&D "Anyone can become a wizard and any wizard can learn any spell" scenario.

But it'll definitely be something we'll talk about as a group.

@Vahir

Awesome! Thanks for quick reply. I think the power source of magic in a high - fantasy setting is sort of what sets the boundaries of what is possible and what is not and I usually judge an RP or a book by the way magic is treated. I agree that the D&D standard of scholarly magic is a bit underwhelming-I don't have any ideas at the moment but I am looking forward to keeping up with this.

[Kassarock]

Colour me interested, always like a bit of world building

[Slamurai]

@VahirDo you have a map in mind? I'd think that would be a logical starting point. Also, do you imagine most of the work will be done via message board off-site?

[Vahir]

@VahirDo you have a map in mind? I'd think that would be a logical starting point. Also, do you imagine most of the work will be done via message board off-site?

@Aristo

A predetermined map is a bit restrictive for what I've got in mind here. I'd much rather we piece together a map as we create the different countries, bit by bit. I'll start off with a central region that other people can build around.

The world building will be done in a piratepad. The actual character RP afterwards will be on-site, however.

[Vahir]

Alright, I was waiting to see who else would be interested, but I think we're good now. Here's our workspace:

piratepad.net/UjfTxfJpZc

Let's get this thing started!

[Red Wizard]

I'm interested.

[TheMoatedGrange]

! yes !

[Vahir]

Alright guys, there's been some discussion on what vanilla races to include in the fantasy world. Let's put it to a vote here: I'll list some races here, and you guys can chose which ones you want to keep, and which ones you want gone, taking into consideration the ideas we've come up with for each:

• Dwarves
• Orcs
• Elves
• Anthromorphics (Lizardfolk, cat people, ect...)
• Other races I have ommited

I'd like to see orcs and the anthromorphics stay, while I'm ambivalent to the rest.

[Polybius]

@Vahir I'm good with that. I prefer not to have any sort of supernatural races like vampires or werewolves. Other than that, I'm up for anything really.

[Zhaliora]

I'm interested.

[Red Wizard]

...And I'm backing out. I don't get the piratepad thingy. Good luck though!

[BingTheWing]

I'm interested in fantasy and worldbuilding, but I don't think vanilla races should be used. Vanilla is boring. We keep on seeing the same old 'dwarves' and 'elves' in literally every single fantasy roleplay ever. Personally, I think the usage of these races is a sign of a bad/lazy worldbuilder. Why don't we have some goddamn lizard-spider-people who live in underground technocratic societies and commit genocide against other races on a regular basis? THAT's what you call a true fantasy.

[Polybius]

Come on people's let's get writing...

@GolemWould you be in if we ditched piratepad? Or just not up for this sort of thing right now?