In 4E...
- the world is more fantastic. This is a huge step forward. Previous editions of D&D felt the need to have every one of their lands and cultures be an analogue of some real-life culture. This was especially prevalent in the Forgotten Realms, where Oriental Adventures (Asia) and Matzica (Yucatan) were straight out of real life, and as such did not fit with the rest of the setting. Some of the cultures, such as the Ffolk of the Moonshae Isles, fit with the setting but were still so close to real life that it often broke the fantastical portion. Go with what makes sense in your setting, not what happened in reality. Shadows & Silver, like 4E will often be inspired by real life, but it will also have things for which there is no historical analog.
- the world is ancient. In Shadows & Silver, countless empires have risen and fallen, and many of them have been lost to history. Not even the immortal fae remember all of history. Those whose mythology tells them how the world or even their race was created may be correct, or the tale may have been so twisted in the countless of thousands of years of retelling that it is completely false. Because the world is so ancient, there is no end to the mysteries to be uncovered.
- the world is mysterious. Even in the scientific awakening of modernity, man knows only so much about his world. True, his empires have been vast and his explorers have gone far and wide. But danger and disaster keep most folks at home, leaving what is beyond the border to the adventurous. Most folks know some about what lies beyond their home, but only those who have been there know anything beyond myth.
- monsters exist all over. In this, Shadows & Silver differs from D&D. Monsters are thick in my world, though they have been driven from the lands and thoughts of men. They lurk in the mysterious reaches of the world, and in those old, haunted ruins everyone's always afraid to go into. In civilized lands, though, monsters are rare, and people who believe in them are rarer.
- creatures need a place in the world. Everything that exists has an origin, and fantastical races and creatures are no exception. Many creatures have their origins in the original creation, or evolution, or even magical experiments. None exist without a reason.
- adventurers are exceptional. While not everyone needs to play a great adventurer, those who do will find they stand high above the common folk. Sure, the world has its heroes, but killing an orc in battle is extraordinary. Killing a dragon is enough to make a man a legend for decades.
- magic is not everyday, but it is natural. This I disagree with most of all. In Shadows & Silver, magic is nearly a thing of the past. Those few who do believe in it are judged to be either crazy or uneducated. Wizards do exist, but they carefully hide their activities for their own safety. In less civilized areas, mages can display their power much more openly.
- "good" and "evil" mean more. 4E makes alignment actually mean something. People don't fight against evil because they're good, they are good because they fight against evil. Evil is more than just bad thoughts. Because of this, very few people are aligned to good or evil. Judging someone's alignment is no longer possible with spells; you've got to judge based on that person's actions. This flows excellently with Shadows & Silver. The shades of grey concept is easier if good and evil are not so cut and dried. Being good is not about being nice, and being evil is not about being mean.
- the gods are remote. In Shadows & Silver, the Archons still grant power to clerics, but their direct involvement is a thing of ancient times. Some suspect that the Archons are dead and that the clerics are actually tapping into forbidden arcane sources. Whatever the case, man must rely on his own deeds rather than divine intervention.
- there is one sun and one moon. Shadows & Silver does not need some fantastic astronomy or absurd setting to make it interesting. The interest comes from the stories told within it.
- there are no forced race relations. I disagree with this somewhat. Sure, just because you're playing an orc doesn't mean you have to be enemies with elves and men. But racism runs high throughout much of Shadows & Silver, especially with those races perceived to be monsters.
- death matters differently. This is something I've hated in all previous versions of D&D. Coming back from the dead was simply a spell and a bunch of diamonds. In Shadows & Silver, returning from the dead comes at an enormous cost (but I won't reveal what it is yet ;) ).
- there are fantastic locations. Too often have I seen PCs adventure in places that are just not that interesting. The places you go should be as exciting as the fights. They should have effects on the battles and on the adventure in general. Shadows & Silver will have a lot of this.
- there's less evil fighting evil. This I'm mostly indifferent about. Since the world is not good versus evil, it doesn't really matter if evil fights evil. The world isn't cut and dried. What is important, though, is that the antagonists present a suitable challenge to the protagonists.
Well, that's a fair overview of some of the assumptions of the world. We'll do a little more scripting and building before the next post. See you then!
