Champions of Worlds Campaign Setting

Hey everyone, welcome back to my blog.  So today I’ve got a campaign setting for you all (and its taken me a while to write the basics of it out).  Now this setting is good primarily for Mutants and Masterminds, and Hero System game systems.  You could adapt this for D&D, or even Savage Worlds, or really any other game setting, but keep in mind that I’m primarily a Hero System guy and I wrote this with an eye toward that.

I’m not going to give specific rules for other systems as this would be an enormous amount of work, and frankly I do have other things I need to do with my time.  Like paying attention to my kids, working on college assignments (well not until near the end of September), and playing video games.

Also I finally hit over 10,000 views!  So thanks everyone for your support so far.

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Champions of Worlds

--Opening Monologue--

You all started your days, your lives in much the same manner as you had been.  For some it may have involved a day of adventure, for others perhaps it was a day far more ordinary with no excitement.  But as your day continued on you suddenly find your vision has gone black.  A force presses upon you, and suddenly you feel your self being lifted, or pulled up at what you can only feel to be an astounding speed.

What you were doing before no longer matters as you travel, aware that you are still alive and that you are moving.  Unable to perceive the flow of time; you feel that days have passed on your journey.  It is a maddening experience, or would be if sleep wasn’t an ever constant companion to help with your passage.  With the simple desire to sleep you easily pass out for as long as desired.

Eventually you feel yourself being put down.  Your vision slowly starts to fade in and clear.  Around you, you see other people awakening under similar circumstances.  Some of these people appear to be from worlds of fantasy, others from sci-fi stories, and yet there are also some who are from comic books as well.  Some appear good natured, while others appear more sinisterly garbed.

There exists a transparent wall separating those who appear sinister from those who are not, though there are a few on either side of this wall that look as if they were misplaced.  You all stand in what would be an ancient Colosseum with heavy barred doors on either side and between the wall, up high is a dais. 

As consciousness or awareness returns to everyone a man’s voice bellows out above the clamor, “CHAMPIONS”.

The murmur of all present comes to an abrupt end and all eyes turn toward the owner of the voice.  High above everyone stands an old man dressed in simple robes and appearing quite weary.  His features are obscured by overgrown long white hair and an equally long beard.

“Welcome to the world of Lorvestra”.  The old man bellows in a voice that belies his age.

“I must first apologize for your abrupt removal from whatever world you all hail from.  I’m certain you are all confused, angry, and perhaps saddened at the prospect of being separated from friends and loved ones.  However, it was not by my bidding that you were all brought here.  The gods of this world have brought you all here for a reason.  Each of the ten gods of this realm is seeking a single champion of the one thousand people present.  Right now you are all champions of your own respective worlds, however here you are untested, and the gods will set before you all any number of tasks or quests.  In this world you will find similar comforts as you would find in your own worlds.”

“In this world you will find many converging elements that may shock some of you, or leave you in awe and wonder.  Magic will be an element that some of you may know and something new for the rest of you.  Understand that the magic of this world varies from the places you all hail from.  As you live your lives in this new world the gods will set before you some quests which you will be rewarded for completing.  Should you truly desire to leave this world you will eventually be given the opportunity to.”

While the old man speaks people try to yell out questions, but anything asked falls on deaf ears as the man simply continues to talk; his voice elevated above all others to begin with.

“As you all will have undoubtedly noticed by now you are segregated into groups.  This is based upon inherent qualities the gods have found in all of you.  To put it bluntly, those on my right are inherently good people while those on my left are inherently evil.  To either side of your spaces are doors that will transport you all to places where your journeys may start.  How you choose to live your lives from that point on is up to you.  When the gods call upon you for a quest it is up to you to take it up or not.  Refusing to quest will earn you nothing, no standing with the gods, no boons, or gifts.”

The old man stops his monologue and looks over at the other side of the room, to the “evil” side.  People have moved away from a man who has brutally ripped the jaw off of another man.  He is dressed in a surprisingly well made suit with very little blood seen on him.  His hair is gold and red, and his suit is black with a red vest and gold tie.  His gloves are also red and if they are covered in blood it is hard to tell.

He glances around from his work taking stock of the attention his work has drawn.

“Sorry, but he just wouldn’t shut up.  I for one am quite interested in what is going on and frankly I found it exceptionally rude that this man wouldn’t let me listen in piece.  Now can we please get back to this wonderful speech as I for one would like to know how to attain more power.”

In a moment the body suddenly vanishes and another flash of light deposits another person a bit of a distance from the man.

“Hmmm.”  The old man’s voice echoed out.  “Now then move along to your doors.  I believe that words alone shall not suffice to prepare any of you for what lays ahead.  Understand that should you refuse to move on your way you will be forced upon your way.  Good luck to you all – this will be the last we shall see each other.”

With this the doors of either room open of their own accord and a pressure seems to urge everyone through the door.  Some seem to resist, but are suddenly moved forward as if being pushed.  A few are sent tumbling from their attempts to resist the force.

A membrane of sorts lays across the inner part of the doorway.  It is easy to pass through the membrane, like pushing through gelatin.

Once on the other side it is daytime.  A vast city stretches before the gate and with buildings of wondrous designs sprawling before everyone.  People who were going about their day have now taken to staring at the sight of so many beings passing into their world.  Airships fly overhead, and distant land masses can be seen floating in the sky.

And with the sights comes knowledge, slowly flooding into your mind and that of all those present.  The rules of the contest are made plane to all.  The boundaries of languages are broken and set aside to an extent, and finally an understanding of the commerce of the world is laid out in the minds of all.

Technology, and magic exist alongside each other here and it is not long before the people who were once going about their daily lives stop and take notice of what is occurring.

The World as it is Known

Lorvestra is a diverse world built by the 10 gods of this realm of existence for the purpose of testing and determining their champions.  The people of the world are very much real and have lived their lives and built histories in this world for centuries.  The world has a very “Final Fantasy” quality to itself in that it mixes together technology and magic along with fantastical structures of flowing designs that a normal architect wouldn’t typically create.

The Reltra:  This is the indigenous race of the world.  They appear fairly human like save for a slight blue tinge to their skin, and possessing slightly pointed ears.  Physically they are built the same as any human.  In the world there are no Reltra who have been chosen to be champions.  Reltra often learn to use the magic of their world to improve their quality of life in either small or large ways.

The worlds of Light and Dark:  Lorvestra is essentially divided in half into a world of light and dark.  This doesn’t mean that half the world is in constant night.  Rather the terrain drastically changes from what would be more amicable and enjoyable terrain to less hospitable terrain.

·         The Free Republic – Central City:  This is the city of light that the good potential champions have arrived into through the “Gods Gate”.    The city is massive to the point of being ridiculous, but with a purpose.  As people learned the monsters and beasts of the world were less keen to assault people when they grouped together.  While there exist several cities in the world of light, there is only one metropolis that eclipses the others in its size.  Airships hang in the airspace above the city, and automobiles traverse the ground giving the city a very 1930’s feeling or appearance, but with the air of it being mixed with more modern technologies.  Luxuries of each person’s worlds can be found there, for better or worse.  There is crime, and there are incursions of beasts and monsters of various sorts in the city.  And now 500 heroic beings have entered the city.  Here the Reltra make use of democratic means of living their lives and electing individuals into offices of power.

·         The Imperium Immortal – Imperial City:  Opposite to Central City in the world of darkness there the Imperium Immortal and at its heart is Imperial City.  Boasting a more draconian style mixed with the same technologies and magic that exist everywhere else.  Here the Reltra have gone a different rout and govern with an iron fist.  Those who cannot do magic are a disposable work force, and Emperor Calstern the only authority anyone pays heed to.  With the arrival of the evil candidates the Emperor sees an opportunity to destabilize his enemies, but at the same time he is warry of the untested loyalties of these 500 new arrivals.  Here there are cells of resistance that exist in addition to crime and the normal incursions of monsters and beasts.  Crime is allowed to occur for the most part so long as taxes are given to the Imperium and no crime is committed against the Imperium, or those of noble standing.  Here those of nobility wield great magic that lesser beings cannot.

People of Note:  While there exist a number of interesting and powerful people who are apart of those chosen, and who are indigenous to the world there are a few who stand out above others.

·         Alpha (Superhero, one of the chosen):  Alpha is a superhero on his world and is considered to be one of the most powerful beings in existence there (Superman like).  His strength is immeasurable, and his speed is formidable.  He can fly at supersonic speeds, and is nearly immune to most common forms of harm.  Alpha does not age and is highly resistant to mind control.  He is handsome and wears a simple Blue and Silver costume complete with a cape.  Alpha is keen on what is to be offered for questing as it may give him an edge to finally put a stop to his brother’s schemes.

·         Omega (Super Villain, one of the chosen):  Hailing from the same world as Alpha, Omega is his brother.  Omega is a mastermind class villain and possesses similar powers as Alpha, but he also possesses the ability to fire energy blasts from his hands.  Omega sees himself as a ruler, a god among men, and to see a true god pull him against his will to a new world has not only angered him, but it has also intrigued him with the offers of gaining more power.  If possible, he would seek to usurp the place of one of the gods and place himself with them.  He does have a sense of honor and fair play and will typically avoid killing as such a thing is beneath a god since mortals will always test their strength against those better than them.

·         Arthur Harlenquin (Super Villain, one of the chosen):  Another villain from another world separate from Alpha & Omega, Arthur Harlenquin is the man whom ripped the jaw off of another chosen.  Arthur is exceptionally intelligent, a crime lord that has never been convicted of any crime he has committed.  His color scheme for his clothing matches those typically found on playing cards.  He heals exceptionally fast and no known way to kill him has been found by those who have tried.  Additionally, he has appeared throughout history and thus does not appear to age.  His strength is super human, but his reflexes remain normal.  Arthur is quite polite, exceptionally cunning, and has no problems killing someone over a simple problem that could have easily been solved with words.  Gaining the favors of gods appeals to him and the possibility of gaining more power which he can use to bend others to his will is also appealing.  He is not keen on being a man on a throne, but would prefer to be the shadow behind a king – the one truly pulling the strings.  (Personality wise you’re not far off if you’re thinking about the Joker, only he’s not quite as insane).

·         Joseph Magna (Explorer/Adventurer/Mage/good guy, one of the chosen):  Joseph is a man hailing from a steampunk like world where magic exists to power steam related technological devices.  An inventor, and exceptionally gifted magic user (he’s a prodigy), Joseph is a legend on his world and has saved it multiple times from various threats.

·         Chancellor Nevra (Reltran elected leader of Central City):  A busy man governing not only Central City, but the whole world of light.  Arvas Nevra is a kind man who works hard to meet the needs of the people.  He is well liked and has been elected three times in the past to work a five-year term.  He is very intelligent and possesses a knack for anticipating what people need, and what their enemies will do.

·         Emperor Calstern (Reltran self-appointed ruler of the world of darkness):  A powerful man gifted with impressive magical capabilities that has ruled the world of darkness unchallenged for years.  Highly intelligent and aptly a bit paranoid, he is keen on expanding his rule across the globe.  He has failed due to the exceptional military might of Central City.  As such he bides his time and sends obedient minions out in search of artifacts placed by the gods, by which he may increase his power, and strengthen his own army.

Beasts of the Realm:  A number of animals and dangerous beasts live upon this world.  Some creatures are beguine and some are exceptionally volatile.  Undead, and even beings of abnormal qualities exist in this world along with beings who can create them (aside from the gods).  Below are a few notable beings/creatures that stand out in the world.

·         Vampires:  The exact number of vampires in the world is anyone’s guess.  While individually they aren’t necessarily evil, the change into a vampire does alter the genetic and physical structure of a person.  What also changes is the neurology of the person as the boundaries between knowing right and wrong are blurred.  Most people who become vampires often go down an evil path as they start to see the desire of meeting one’s own needs and the costs be damned as an appealing thing.

·         Liches:  Masters of the undead, their power rivals that of a vampire.  Liches can appear as a completely normal person, or as a more disturbing zombie like creature.  A lich here is similar to any classic lich in how they turn into one and are destroyed.  The difference in appearance for liches is based upon age as a young lich will look more disturbing, but as they the years pass their appearance starts to look more normal.  However, all liches have one defining feature, the whites of their eyes take on a blood red hew.  The process to become a lich is extremely complicated and once a person has learned the process they are often loath to share what it is.  Liches are inherently evil, but evil along the lines of how most people view lawyers and they do retain their original personality.

·         Grave Beasts:  A grave beast is a creature that has often been exposed to large amounts of ley-line energy (which happens occasionally on a magic rich world like this).  The beast is mutated into a hulking monstrosity of its former self, driven insane by the magical energy it was exposed to.  This can happen to people as well, though at a lower chance mutation occurring usually (rather a person is often left badly hurt and in a coma).  Grave beasts derive their name from the fact that they pose a grave threat to people and other creatures as they run berserk destroying/killing and eating whatever is in their path.  They are resistant to magic, and heal rapidly from injuries making it difficult to kill one or keep one down for long.  If a person mutates they end up in a similar state, though it has been known that they tend to target people more specifically than animals, and they tend to go after family members and friends first over that of other beings.

·         Dragons:  Though not common placed, dragons do exist around the world in various fashions.  Each dragon’s appearance varies making each one unique.  They are highly intelligent, can assume a human-like form, and can be almost impossible to kill the older one gets.  Drakes, and Wyverns are offshoots of the dragons, possessing some degree of intelligence, but not at the same level.  Drakes appear as smaller dragons about the size of a rhino, and possess front legs that are their wings as well.  They can be trained and even ridden.  Wyverns are more the size of a large dog, and are often trained to act as hunting animals, or even guards. Neither drakes or wyverns possess the ability to communicate with people beyond what highly intelligent animals are capable of (like dolphins and dogs).

The Rules of the Game:  A great number of things are initially gifted to the potential champions of the gods.

·         The Barrier of Languages:  Everyone brought to the world is made capable of speaking and understanding the indigenous language of the world.  In addition to this the primary individual languages of those brought to the world are also known to all those present.  In this way potential champions can work with each other, and with the local people.

·         Questing:  The gods set up a number of quests at their whim, that they give to their potentials.  This can involve the sudden appearance of a dungeon that hadn’t been present before, or a monster’s rampage may need to be dealt with.  For some the quest may be a solitary one that they may choose to bring others with them, in other cases the quest may involve others.  For the most part a candidate has the right to choose how to tackle a quest, or they may choose to refuse it.  Simply participating in a quest elevates one’s standing, and assisting also helps.  While refusing a quest also lowers one’s standing.  When a quest is given the person, or persons, will not know which god gave it until the quest is complete.

o   Reward:  Quests can garner a number of rewards for those who participate.  Dungeons can offer riches.  A beast or monster may garner renown.  Magical items can be found and used.  But then there are also the rewards directly gifted by the gods to the one whom the quest was given to.

o   Boon:  A boon is a significant reward given by the gods.  It is essentially a wish that the god will grant only once until the next boon is earned.  This wish can be for the person to return to the world they came from, wealth, power, fame, or perhaps returning someone to life.  There is a limit on how much a boon can be used to gain as the gods will not take a life, nor will they make one so wealthy that they could buy a city.  A boon is meant to assist a person, not to overpower them.

·         Title of Champion:  To be a champion means to stand above all others in the game.  A champion is gifted with near immortality, though they are still capable of dying under the right circumstances.  While not exactly god like, while in serve of a god people may well consider a champion to all but be a god of sorts.  Once awarded the champion is allowed to return to their own world – sans their extra power, wealth and gear.  However, they remain protected an all but un-killable.  Should the champion ever face death or be close to facing death the god that they have been chosen to serve will save them.  Should the champion wish to return to the world they may do so whenever they choose, but it takes time for them to open a portal and travers it.  Finally, in addition to the immortality granted an extended life also follows.  While on one’s own planet the champion will age, but at a slower rate (even if not on the champions home plane).  When in service to the gods however the champion’s aging stops completely for that period of time.  As such champions do still age and new champions are eventually needed to replace aging ones (which is why everyone is there).

The Long Game – Task of the Champion

Champions serve a purpose, after they have been chosen of course.  The champion serves to fight for the gods, hunting and slaying their enemy.  That is to say that the gods can be killed, and that there is a force that does exist that seeks to kill them.  It is known as the Varima the unending hunger.  It is an entity that seeks to devoured all that exists in that reality.  The gods once tricked Varima to devour a solar system in one go.  Varima became lethargic after its meal and the gods managed to cripple its movements.

But this wasn’t the end of Varima as it could not be killed.  To protect itself it created offspring from the things it had devoured that would serve to protect its body.  The gods were repelled, but in the heat of the battle they once again managed to further cripple Varima to inhibit the creature’s ability to create.

Over the eons the gods have prepared and trained champions who serve to hunt and slaw the children of Varima, but at any point in time a god can only ever have one champion, while Varima is also inhibited to only being able to create a few dozen children every few centuries.  These children act in its stead, bringing death to planets they come across as they endlessly kill, and devour all that they finned so that they can return to Varima and be devoured themselves so as to fill its desire to feed.

The gods have long sought a means to end Varima, but while powerful enough to restore life to the dead and to create life from nothing they cannot unmake Varima whom is a primordial being that existed since the beginning of time along with the being whom is known as Primal, the God of Gods.  The only being that they know of that whom would know how to best Varima.  However, the GoG has been missing since it created all of their reality.  Many of the other gods of the reality have already died because of Varima and its minions.

The ten main gods of the realm are known as:

·         Marduke (Good) God of Order and Justice

·         Bastion (Good) God of Protection and Wisdom

·         Zimeria (Good) Goddess of Magic and Healing

·         Palendria (Good) Goddess of Life and Harvests

·         Krozon (Good)  God of Invention and Creation

·         Haltzmu (Evil)  God of Vengeance and Retribution

·         Potzee (Evil) Goddess of Chaos and Deceit

·         Limair (Evil) Goddess of Darkness and Necromancery

·         Tevara (Evil) Goddess of Greed and Vanity

·         Bokona (Evil) God of Corruption and Decay.

There are other gods besides the ones noted above, but they are lesser gods in comparison, often more comparable to being angels, and while they stand above the champions in terms of power, they are not as elevated so as to be able to command a champion.  Champions also possess the capacity to eventually over shadow the power of a lesser god.

Additionally, something one has to keep in mind is that the terms of “Good” and “Evil” are a bit subjective.  All the gods work upon a degree of honor or code of conduct.  The gods may seem evil or good by their basic stance, but even a good person could come to like an evil god and still be true to who they are.  And while the chosen may have been divided into groups that are intrinsically good and evil (like the gods), they may find themselves on quests for a good or evil god without realizing it until its complete.

--Character Creation--

This may vary based upon what game system you are wishing to play.

Hero System:  Character should be built on around 600 or more points to represent individuals who have established themselves as well known and capable individuals.

Mutants & Master Minds:  Power level 10 is the best starting point for this and not uncommon for typical superhero adventuring.

Dungeons & Dragons/Pathfinder:  While not the best game system as it has no rules for handling Superheroes, it is possible that the setting could be adapted or some house rules established to deal with super powered beings.  Here character level would be best set at 10 to start with and can continue on up to the max possible for each game system version.

Savage Worlds:  Not my first choice for a system to handle a game like this.  I’d advice the GM to put characters about half way along the progression track used in Savage Worlds.  Some house ruling may be needed to account for the acquisition of new powers and abilities that can be granted by the gods.

Other Game Systems:  Don’t feel like you need to be limited to the game systems I noted above.  If you want to run a different game system using the settings I’ve created above, please do.