Post by Admin on Aug 19, 2013 3:45:28 GMT
A few quick notes on the world of 1000 AD and some house rules.
-Religion: In Europe, Christianity is dominant, and Islam is dominant in much of the Middle East. Pockets of smaller and older faiths, such as Norse pagans or Jews, exist, but tend to be discriminated against if the local ruler is a different religion. The exceptions to this tend to be a handful of broad-minded domains and larger mercantile cities and trading hubs, as they'd rather not turn away more potential clients.
Likewise, the monotheistic sects themselves have differences. For Christianity, the split between the western Roman Catholic Church and Eastern Orthodox church is forming (but not yet officially solidified). The Islamic world has split into Sunni and Shiite sects, while monastic Sufism is on the rise. There are also a handful of travelers from outside Europe and the Middle East, such as Chinese philosophers and Hindu travelers, with their own faiths. A few more obscure sects, like Christian Gnostics and mystery cults, tend to hide in the shadows and small remote communities. There are also a handful of diabolists, those who make deals with demons and devils for occult power (often with terrible price). The current Catholic Pope is Sylvester II, a man educated by Islamic scholars and inventor of an early pendulum clock. While he's tried cracking down on clerical corruption, some hardline elements conspire to replace him with a more militant, fanatical figure...
A third element is syncretism, an increasingly common occurrence in newly converted lands (often those conquered at sword-point). Elements of pagan and monotheist religions are combined, such as the "White Christ" in Northern Europe and association of Greco-Roman figures with Christian saints (like Ares/Mars with Saint Sebastian). There are even rumors of a secret cult in Egypt, a syncretic set fusing Sunni Islam with the ancient sun cult of Aten. For pagans, some adopt syncretism as a type of defensive measure, hiding within the ranks of those that would persecute them. The fact prayers are still answered, regardless of the name of the god, seems to indicate faith matters more than specific belief.
House Rule: Clerics do not require a specific deity, but rather a philosophy that encompasses their domains. Paladins, druids, and monks are likewise not constrained to a specific faith.
-Races: Humans outnumber the non-human races, but they still are represented across European regions. Contact between East and West is largely limited to the Silk Road, but aside from a few Norse colonies, little is known about the New World.
-Dwarves tended to live alongside the northern Europeans for centuries (and still worship the Norse pantheon in some isolated strongholds).
-Elves tended to live alongside the ancient Celts, spreading across the British Isles, Western Europe, and a few enclaves in Scandinavia. Many still hold druidic and Celtic beliefs, but some have converted to other sects.
-Halflings travel around, often making protective alliances with human merchants for protection. While there's discrimination against them, many halflings adopt local traditions to deter such behavior.
-Gnomes tend to be erratic, but generally stick to enclaves in larger cities and often are drawn towards novelty or fickle whims. A gnome is seen as just as likely to join an ancient, conservative faith than an obscure sect.
-Orcs (and some of the other monstrous humanoids) tend to rove in small warbands through the backcountry and frontier. They prey on anything weaker than them, but some can randomly attack even well-defended enclaves. They stick with rural and hard regions (such as mountains, deep deserts, or frozen wastes), where more organized opposition is unlikely.
-Undead are known to exist, but most are mindless types (like skeletons and zombies). The few sapient undead (like liches and vampires) generally go through large ruses to hide their existence. Vampires tend to be hunted down if they are outed, while liches generally prefer to avoid being detected in the first place. Rumor has it that a lich works as a librarian at the Papal States, having survived since the Roman Empire and having met St. Paul firsthand. A few vampires disguise their nature by being "religious patrons," often bribing corrupt clergy and authorities to not mind a few people going missing.
House Rule: Core races and players may hail from around the world, but for gameplay purposes, all start off with "Common."
Classes: Most core and base classes are permitted, but there are some notes regarding the Gunslinger. Song Dynasty China is the only nation on Earth with gunpowder weapons, save perhaps a few isolated inventors. Gunslingers must be either from Song China, learned about gunpowder from there, or independently discovered it. No advanced firearms are permitted, although early firearms are very rare. Likewise, alchemy and chemistry are largely the same field in the era, as alchemists are hired by the Byzantine Empire to make Greek fire.
House Rule: Gunslingers limited to early firearms.
-Religion: In Europe, Christianity is dominant, and Islam is dominant in much of the Middle East. Pockets of smaller and older faiths, such as Norse pagans or Jews, exist, but tend to be discriminated against if the local ruler is a different religion. The exceptions to this tend to be a handful of broad-minded domains and larger mercantile cities and trading hubs, as they'd rather not turn away more potential clients.
Likewise, the monotheistic sects themselves have differences. For Christianity, the split between the western Roman Catholic Church and Eastern Orthodox church is forming (but not yet officially solidified). The Islamic world has split into Sunni and Shiite sects, while monastic Sufism is on the rise. There are also a handful of travelers from outside Europe and the Middle East, such as Chinese philosophers and Hindu travelers, with their own faiths. A few more obscure sects, like Christian Gnostics and mystery cults, tend to hide in the shadows and small remote communities. There are also a handful of diabolists, those who make deals with demons and devils for occult power (often with terrible price). The current Catholic Pope is Sylvester II, a man educated by Islamic scholars and inventor of an early pendulum clock. While he's tried cracking down on clerical corruption, some hardline elements conspire to replace him with a more militant, fanatical figure...
A third element is syncretism, an increasingly common occurrence in newly converted lands (often those conquered at sword-point). Elements of pagan and monotheist religions are combined, such as the "White Christ" in Northern Europe and association of Greco-Roman figures with Christian saints (like Ares/Mars with Saint Sebastian). There are even rumors of a secret cult in Egypt, a syncretic set fusing Sunni Islam with the ancient sun cult of Aten. For pagans, some adopt syncretism as a type of defensive measure, hiding within the ranks of those that would persecute them. The fact prayers are still answered, regardless of the name of the god, seems to indicate faith matters more than specific belief.
House Rule: Clerics do not require a specific deity, but rather a philosophy that encompasses their domains. Paladins, druids, and monks are likewise not constrained to a specific faith.
-Races: Humans outnumber the non-human races, but they still are represented across European regions. Contact between East and West is largely limited to the Silk Road, but aside from a few Norse colonies, little is known about the New World.
-Dwarves tended to live alongside the northern Europeans for centuries (and still worship the Norse pantheon in some isolated strongholds).
-Elves tended to live alongside the ancient Celts, spreading across the British Isles, Western Europe, and a few enclaves in Scandinavia. Many still hold druidic and Celtic beliefs, but some have converted to other sects.
-Halflings travel around, often making protective alliances with human merchants for protection. While there's discrimination against them, many halflings adopt local traditions to deter such behavior.
-Gnomes tend to be erratic, but generally stick to enclaves in larger cities and often are drawn towards novelty or fickle whims. A gnome is seen as just as likely to join an ancient, conservative faith than an obscure sect.
-Orcs (and some of the other monstrous humanoids) tend to rove in small warbands through the backcountry and frontier. They prey on anything weaker than them, but some can randomly attack even well-defended enclaves. They stick with rural and hard regions (such as mountains, deep deserts, or frozen wastes), where more organized opposition is unlikely.
-Undead are known to exist, but most are mindless types (like skeletons and zombies). The few sapient undead (like liches and vampires) generally go through large ruses to hide their existence. Vampires tend to be hunted down if they are outed, while liches generally prefer to avoid being detected in the first place. Rumor has it that a lich works as a librarian at the Papal States, having survived since the Roman Empire and having met St. Paul firsthand. A few vampires disguise their nature by being "religious patrons," often bribing corrupt clergy and authorities to not mind a few people going missing.
House Rule: Core races and players may hail from around the world, but for gameplay purposes, all start off with "Common."
Classes: Most core and base classes are permitted, but there are some notes regarding the Gunslinger. Song Dynasty China is the only nation on Earth with gunpowder weapons, save perhaps a few isolated inventors. Gunslingers must be either from Song China, learned about gunpowder from there, or independently discovered it. No advanced firearms are permitted, although early firearms are very rare. Likewise, alchemy and chemistry are largely the same field in the era, as alchemists are hired by the Byzantine Empire to make Greek fire.
House Rule: Gunslingers limited to early firearms.
