Montporte Religion Notes: The Great Scroll and the Gods of Montporte

The gods of the Montporte universe are transcendent beings, existing outside the time and space of the universe (see my earlier post, On the Divine and the Mundane, for more on this). At the same time, they are aware of the universe and, in fact, seek to influence the course of the universe and gain more power and prestige for themselves. The gods are able to shape the daily life of their followers and the course of world events by means of the Great Scroll.

The Great Scroll and the Gods
Sages and theologians are at a loss to explain where the Great Scroll exists, but its existence is accepted by all the major religions. The Great Scroll is to the multiverse of Montporte what DNA is to life on earth. All the planes of the Montporte multiverse are under the influence of the Great Scroll. The life and death of every mortal creature is spelled out the Great Scroll.

The Great Scroll is a dynamic document...new words are always being added. The gods vie for the control of this writing, each seeking to sway the unknown hand that pens each word. The gods are transcendent and cannot intervene directly in the affairs of mortals but, through the Great Scroll, the gods can determine the course of existence for every living creature in the world of Montporte.

Once a word is written into the text of the Great Scroll it cannot be erased (except in a limited way by demons). However, the meaning of the older portions of the Great Scroll can be influenced, adjusted and even twisted by subsequent passages. In this way, the gods battle with each other for control of the universe.

The Great Scroll, Dragons, Demons, Fey, and Aberrations
While only gods can create the text of the Great Scroll, creatures from other planes have the ability to connect to it and shape it in one fashion or another.

Dragons, the great creatures of the plane of Zaj, are believed to have some insight and knowledge of the portions of the Great Scroll. Sages believe that the dragons ability comprehend significant portions of the Great Scroll is connected with the dragons' great thirst for knowledge, the only draconic urge stronger than their lust for treasure.

Demons are known to be able to blot out small portions of the Great Scroll text when they slay a mortal creature. The demons do not truly erase the the text of the Great Scroll, but they are somehow able to disconnect a small portion of the text related to their victim. The victim's mind, body and soul are consumed in the process by the demon.

The fey have little direct influence on the Great Scroll. However, through some ancient magic that is lost to the sands of time, the Seelie Accords (the overarching constitution and laws of the fey) are linked to the Great Scroll. While the fey draw power from the Seelie Accords, others who sign its pages put themselves at risk even as they typically find themselves materially enriched by their relationship with the fey.

Some powerful aberrations from Ioucura (the plane of Madness) have the ability to garble a word or two of the Great Scroll, usually rendering a mortal insane in the process.

The Great Scroll and the Religions of Mortals
Religion is primarily the domain of the mortals of the plane of Aarde (the material world of Montporte). Aberrations, demons, dragons and fey are certainly aware of the gods and their divine power, but worship of the gods among these creatures is rare. It is among the mortals of the plane of Aarde that the gods have their power. The symbiotic relationship between the gods and their believers empower both parties to do what would otherwise be beyond their reach.

Not every race of Aarde is equally religious. Dwarves and orcs are universally religious (albeit in very different ways). Elves are rarely so, trusting in the power of magic instead. Gnome and hobbits both exhibit a quiet faith that is manifest in small daily rituals and silent prayer.

It is among the great population of humans that the gods draw their greatest power. Within the vast sea of humanity there can be found wild-eyed true believers, faithful followers, questioning seekers, militant scoffers, and the completely indifferent. The gods of the humans have benefited by the dominance of the human race over much of Aarde. And the humans, in term, are continue to dominate because their gods hold sway over the Great Scroll.

Through religion, gods seek to draw upon the power of their followers to impose their will on the universe and move the great unhanded quill to ink the next passage on the Great Scroll. Religious followers seek to empower themselves to empower their gods and see their the fruits of their own faith as the Great Scroll shapes the course of daily events.

World of Montporte

After 40 sessions of play in the Montporte Dungeon campaign, I finally have made a very simple handwaving map of the world around Montporte.

Scale: The Qawana Forest Is About 750 Miles Across

Montporte is a small isolated town on a lightly used trade route that enters the Wild Land via a dangerous mountain pass. The region is cold, being located in the higher latitudes of the southern hemisphere. The climate of the Western Kingdoms is tempered by the presence of the sea, which I didn't include on the map above.

Here is the Montporte locale:

And here is the map of the town of Montporte:

Additional geographical information:
The Montporte Region: History and Geography
The Town of Montporte

Montporte Cosmological Notes: On the Divine and the Mundane

The sages, philosophers and theologians of Aarde (the plane containing Montporte) are fond of dividing the known world into two spheres or provinces: The Mundane Sphere and the Divine Sphere. The Mundane Sphere includes the physical plane of Aarde and all those who dwell on the plane. It does not include the four other planes (see On the Planes). The Divine Sphere is where the gods of Aarde are believed to dwell.

The Divine
The gods of Aarde are thought to dwell in the Divine Sphere, but the reality is that no mortal being of Aarde can know this as a certainty. It is a commonly accepted idea that the gods are transcendent--they cannot manifest themselves physically on Aarde nor can the mortal beings of Aarde approach them. The gods can (and do) influence events on Aarde through their followers. It is thought that the gods gain nourishment and strength through the influence they wield on Aarde, but religious opinions vary widely on this particular topic.

The Gods
There are many gods. The sages believe that the mortals of Aarde only know a small fraction of the total number of gods. It is not known if all gods know all the other gods, although it is clear that the gods that are part of a specific religion's pantheon are related. Different religions answer this question differently.

Religions
The religions of Aarde are complicated. Some are related to each other, based on schisms, splits, differences of opinion or new revelations. Most have little in common. Some rise while others fall. Some religions are tolerant of others and a few even embrace religious ideas from other religious. Most religions are less open towards other faiths. The majority of religious folk view themselves as enlightened, blessed, or chosen, while viewing others as ignorant, cursed, or damned.

Further Reading
Cosmological Notes (Overview)
On the Planes
On the Elements
On the Energies

Keyed Map of the Town of Montporte

Areas
A: Traders’ Gate
B: Miners’ Gate
C: Mountain Gate
D: Dwarven Quarter
E: Duke’s Square
F: Summer Park
G: Gnome District
H: Market
I: Warehouse District
J: Market Barn
K: Ruins
L: Indriallian Burial Ground
M: Public Stables

Public Buildings
1: The Montporte Keep (Caleb, Captain of Montporte Guard)
2: Town Hall
3: Town Steward’s Office (Rindolph, Count's Steward, Mayor of Montporte)
4: Montporte Guild Hall

Religious Buildings
5: The Temple of Urrohka
6: The Cathedral of the Fellowship of Light
7: Indriallian Shrine

Businesses & Merchants
8: Blacksmith (Turin, blacksmith)
9: Tanner (Ivan, tanner)
10: Tinsmith (Ivelina, tinsmith)
11: Miner Supply (Donkirque, proprietor)
12: Glassworks (Delina, glassblower)
13: Nevin’s Notions (Nevin, alchemist)

Taverns and Inns
14: The Golden Halberd (Private club)
15: The Blue Unicorn (Food & Drink)
16: The Dusty Road (Lodging)
17: The Nutty Unicorn (Food, Drink, & Lodging)
18: The Rusty Dragon (Food & Drink)
19: Three Giant Dwarves (Food & Drink)
20: The Fragrant Ogre (Food, Drink & Lodging)

Other
21: Pavel, wizard
22: Gertrudge, faith healer

Mapping the Town of Montporte--Post 3

So I am finished with the Montporte town map. I might do some editing down the road, but for now I just wanted to get it labeled and keyed so it will be ready to go for the Montporte Dungeon Campaign.

Here is the labeled map of the town and immediate environment:

Here is a map of just the town, which is not yet labeled:

I decided to go hexless, as the grid made the map look and feel very cluttered.

Montporte used to have many more people, but famine, a poor economy and a dragon attack has thinned the population considerably. Parts of the town (the southeast corner) are still in ruins and much of the town has been repurposed for animal stables. Gnomes, escaping the civil wars to the west, have also rebuilt and settled into the northwestern part of town.

The Montporte Region: History and Geography

The Montporte Dungeon Campaign started as a one-shot adventure with this two-sentence backdrop: The Captain of the Guard of Montporte (pop. 1,028) has his hands full. Bandits have holed up in the castle ruins to the south, orcs have been harassing the mining village of Wootspil (pop. 106), the wildlands to the east continue to spew forth all manner of foul creatures (most recently giants), and a rebel force commanded by the Duke’s upstart brother lies between Montporte and help to the west.

That has been enough information to propel us through 25 sessions of play. Along the way, the party has picked up additional information about the area that explains some of what they have experienced in the dungeon. I have also created a few NPCs that are based in Montporte for those rare times when the player characters are shopping or doing some other town-based activity.

Overview of the Montporte Area
Montporte lies beyond the eastern edge of the civilized world. It is a small, ancient town that was established, if common knowledge is to be accepted, by the Lyndanians as an imperial outpost. It was an important military outpost, guarding the eastern frontier of the Lynanian Empire from invasion through Mont Pass, one of few east-west crossing points of the Dragonfang Mountains. Montporte also developed into a regional trade center and a hub for mining activity along the western slopes of the Dragonfangs.

Montporte is one of the few settlements in the vast eastern wilderness that separates the Dragonfang Mountains from the Western Kingdoms. Its fortunes have waxed and waned throughout its very long history, yet Montporte has proven to be resilient to war, disease, famine, economic woes, and host of unpleasant creatures that inhabit the area.

Physical Geography
Montporte lies at the base of Mont Pass, one of the few readily traversed passes in the Dragonfang Mountains. The Dragonfangs occupy a geographic location that is akin to Earth's Ural Mountains, being a long north-south mountain range bisecting a very large continental mass. The difference here is that the Dragonfang Mountains rival the Himalayas in height. Montporte is located on the western flanks of the Dragonfangs, at the northern end of the range.

The latitude, altitude, and a large continental mass all have an effect on climate and weather. Orographic effects magnify the climate and also create wild swings in the weather, depending up the season and direction of air masses. Suffice to say that that winters are long and bitterly cold with significant snowfall. Summers are cool and damp. Prevailing weather patterns travel from west to east, bring moisture. Occasionally, the weather patterns change and very dry air sweeps over the mountains and through Mont Pass. Depending on the conditions, this can either raise or lower the temperature significantly in a very short time.

Economic Geography
The eastern slopes of the Dragonfang Mountains are rich in mineral wealth. Gold, silver, tin, and copper have all been mined in the Montporte area. There are significant deposits of iron ore in the mountains, south of Montporte.

The challenge to mining these natural riches are threefold: (1) The climate and topography make prospecting, mining and transport difficult; (2) The distance to transport to markets can be a challenge, particularly during times of unrest in the Western Kingdoms; and (3) The constant threat of orcs, ogres, giants and even more dangerous predators and foes creates a daunting challenge to set up and maintain mining operations.

Magical Geography
The plane of Aarde is the home of Montporte, the Dragonfang Mountains and the Western Kingdoms. The physical geography of the plane of Aarde is such that the presence of mountains stretches the fabric of the universe, creating cracks and crevasses for beings from other planes to make their way to Aarde. The tension present in the very foundation and framework of Aarde generates a tremendous amount of magical energy. Pliny the Alder wrote: The Eastern Mountains lie at the very boundary of civilization and much danger there awaits anyone who travels to their peaks and valleys. But this land also has a deep underlying magical power, as the fabric of our world is stretched thin [there is also additional information in my post, Montporte Cosmological Notes: On the Planes].

All manner of creatures and horrors from other planes are rumored to have found their way to Aarde by way of passages in the Dragonfang Mountains: Fey (from the plane of Umírající); Demons (from the plane of Syvyys); Dragons (from the plane of Zaj); and aberrant horrors (from the plane of madness, Ioucura).

RPG Religion Ramblings: Mumbling & Rants

"Even the toast is burnt here"

Almost half a lifetime ago, I was working in pastoral ministry and studying for a doctorate in theology. I have come a long way since then (or fallen a long way, depending on your perspective). I learned just enough theology to eff up my personal faith. On the other hand, this background probably makes me highly qualified to create religion-type stuff for gaming.That I haven't done so is due, in part, to my own procrastination (I cling to procrastination as my one remaining spiritual gift). There is also this nagging irrational fear in my spiritual limbic system that I will end up eternally in a very warm place--"Try to stat me for your silly little pagan games, will you?" "Is this warm enough for you, gamer boy?" There is still that residual desire within me to not be eternal toast in Hell's kitchen.

Like many gamers before me, I have a dissatisfaction with the approach to religion that infected D&D at its earliest stages (and here I am thinking of Supplement IV; Deities, Demi-Gods, and Heroes). Now in saying that I don't like the typical RPG approach to religion doesn't mean that I have used them. I have. In fact, I recently played a cleric in an AD&D 1e campaign, run by +Tim Shorts (Gothridge Manor).

My dislike of the traditional RPG approach to religion, at least as it is manifest in D&D, comes from three things:

• The D&D approach to religion is a combination of a grade school understanding of a polytheistic religion coupled with an American suburban understanding of how religion is practiced by individuals and how it is institutionalized. In short, you have a set of gods who each have their own denomination. On Sunday morning, each player character goes off to the church of their patron god. Non-clerical players are likely to be agnostic. Greek mythology provides the template for this, but our grade school understanding of Greek mythology is very different from the complex set of religions that was actually practiced by the Greeks.
• My second problem is the cleric class. Again, I have played a cleric. And I have never disallowed the class when I was the GM. My problem with the class is two-fold: (1) It doesn't really fit with the swords & sorcery genre of a fantasy game, unlike fighting men and magic-users, the other two classes in the very first versions of D&D; and (2) Beyond a vague resemblance to the Templars and similar orders, there is no historical or literary precedent for the cleric class. This doesn't mean it shouldn't be there. It just means that the cleric class was created as part of a ruleset and they have little resemblance to any religious leaders that exist in the real world.
• My third issue is related to alignment. The Gygaxian  landscape of alignment, planes, and gods (plus demons, devils, etc) is nothing short of bizarre. Fortunately, it can be easily ignored or selectively borrowed from.

In piling on a bit of criticism, I am ignoring the two favorable aspects of the traditional gaming approach to religion: (1) It works mechanically; and (2) It is simple for a 21st century gamer to understand and implement as a player or GM.

Those two favorable aspects are critically important. If you have ideas about religion for your game but cannot come up with the gaming mechanics to support it, it is a fail. It is also a fail if the players cannot easily grasp it and use it in game. Perhaps we are also coming up against one of the weaknesses of the D&D systems, with its reliance on classes and Vancian spell systems. The religion has to fit the system. There is not much flexibility...maybe another system would work much better.

Beyond the reasons stated above as to why I haven't done much with religion in my game settings (see the first paragraph above), I am a gaming pragmatist. If it works and it is fun, that is usually good enough for me. I am not a hardcore simulationist or an ardent role-player immersion kind of guy. I just like to play and forget about the real world for a while. If anything, I am merely a casual escapist.

More than most of my posts, this post is really written for myself, as a processing exercise. In true 21st century fashion, I am sharing it all with you (rather than writing it in a private journal). Sort of like vomiting my breakfast on a busy city sidewalk. It feels like a necessary step for me, though, as my next steps are to: (1) Start writing up some posts that relate to religion in my Montporte campaign and my embryonic Onyx campaign; and (2) Write some exploratory posts about different ways to represent religion in tabletop RPGs.

Onyx Thoughts: Medieval Urban Fantasy Campaign

I have overwhelmed with work over the course of the calendar year as the place where I am CEO is going through a merger with a larger organization. The merger itself is a good thing, with no one losing their job, and lots of new initiatives on the horizon. But there is a huge amount to do in the meantime, so that it will be a success. There are a lot of organizational synergies on paper that can only become actual synergies through getting a boatload of crap done (that the kind of CEO lingo you learn in management school and executive courses). I am moving to a COO position with the responsibility for about 400 people, so I have a lot to wrap my mind around. Not to mention the legal, financial, HR and fiddly bits that goes with a merger. I guess my point is that the embryonic medieval fantasy campaign that I was working on several months ago, Onyx, disappeared from my blog.

The merger plus me running the Montporte Dungeon campaign put Onyx on the back burner, but that doesn't mean that I haven't been thinking about it from time to time. Since some of the other Monday Night Gaming Group guys will be GMing after we are finished with the Montporte Dungeon, I will plenty of time to work on a city setting before I come up to bat again as GM.

Right now, I am thinking that:

• I will use the cosmology from the current Montporte campaign. I like it and I can expand on it in a different setting.
• GURPS is my likely ruleset, but I want to take a look at Savage Worlds and Fate Core (or Fate Accelerated) before I decide for sure. I was really unhappy with AD&D 1e years ago when I using it in an urban setting and I think I would be even less satisfied with a d20-based game now.
• My campaign concept will be a mash-up of Constantinople, Thieves World, and Oceans 11. I think GURPS would really support that sort of combo. I thought about some sort of steampunky thing, but that seems to add more complication than it is worth.

Given that +Tim Shorts (Gothridge Manor) has been working on a campaign (pics of his maps here) and Dan is working on a high fantasy GURPS campaign, I have plenty of prep time ahead of me. Maybe I can engineer another merger while I wait.

Montporte Cosmological Notes: On the Energies

I am slowly developing a cosmology for the Montporte Dungeon campaign. In a few previous posts, I outlined the overall cosmology, as well as a description of the five planes and the four elements. As the players continue to explore the Montporte dungeon, it has become important for them to have an understanding the structure of the universe. Hopefully, this will give them a bit of an interpretive framework to understand what they are experiencing. Today's post gives a bit of information about the three energies.

The Three Energies
The physical universe is made up of matter and energy. Matter is made up of the four elements. There are three forms of energy:

• Positive: The generative and organizing energy of the universe.
• Negative: The entropic and degenerative energy of the universe.
• Chi: The life energy.

Positive Energy
Positive energy has a generative ability and forms the basis of healing and restorative magic. Like the other two energies, it is pervades all matter. There are very rare instances when positive energy exists in close to a pure state. In those instances, it be destructive to organic matter, much in a same way flesh can be seared by an otherwise warming and life-giving flame. It is thought to cause madness and even mutations.

Scholars have speculated about the existence of beings who are a combination of organic matter and positive energy, with the positive energy replacing chi as the vital force, but there are no known examples of such creatures.

Negative Energy
Negative energy balances positive energy, by bringing dissolution, degeneration and entropy. Like positive energy, negative energy pervades all matter. It is a source of power for destructive magic, particularly necromancy. It has been speculated that demons from the plane of Syvyys feed on the negative energy released by the tortured souls of mortals, but few have ever dared to research this hypothesis.

Undead are a combination of formerly living organic matter and a concentration of negative energy, where the negative energy serves as chi. Positive energy, accessed through divine favor and will, empowers clerical types to turn and even destroy undead.

Chi-The Life Energy
Chi is the least understood of the three energies and its relationship with the other two energies is shrouded mystery. It exists most strongly within living organisms, but it also pervades all matter, albeit in very small amounts. This ambient form of chi is thought by some to be a residual from living creatures when they die. Others believe it to be evidence that the entire universe is a form of life.

Monks manipulate chi found in their own bodies through practiced mental and physical discipline. Druids access chi found in nature and other living things through the sympathetic tuning of their spirits to the spirits found in nature.

Mana
From time to time, mages and scholars have postulated the existence of a fourth fundamental energy, mana. Mana, they explain, is the underlying power of all magic. Octavius DeMoped, through a series of cleverly designed experiments, has conclusively shown that mana is an energy, but it a compound energy, not a fundamental energy. At the same time, DeMoped's research results clearly support the idea that mana is the underlying power of magic.

While mages have developed the ability to create and use mana through spells, rituals, potions and objects of power, they do not understand the actual process or mechanisms of how magic and mana work together to accomplish magic.

The Dungeon 3: Creating Meaningful Choices in a Dungeon-Centered Campaign

Tabletop RPGs can be thought of in many different ways. Simulation, Theater of the Mind, and Improvisational Fiction are just a few examples that come to mind. Besides thinking of it as a game and entertainment (mainly so I don't take it too seriously), I tend to thinking of role-playing games as cooperative decision making Making cooperative decisions implies having meaningful choices or options. In running a dungeon-centered campaign as a GM, I have found creating meaningful choices for players to be my biggest challenge.

"Meaningful" is the key word in meaningful choices. In a dungeon, options, choices and decisions abound as the players make decisions about doors, stairs, and corridors. Every section of map is a "Let's Make a Deal" of decisions to be made by the players ("Are you going to take Door #2 or what's behind the curtain?"). Player movement in a dungeon often reminds me of Brownian Motion (here is the cartoon version)...or for those with a more statistical bent, the Monte Carlo Method (here is the cartoon version). Or, to put it simply, movement and exploration is often a random exercise. It may be fun for a few sessions, but most players and GMs will tire of that kind of play.

The GM Side of Things
As I said, the my biggest challenge as a GM in running a dungeon campaign is creating meaningful choices for the players. I try to meet this challenge in a couple of ways:

• Design: I try to design the dungeon so that the physical layout invites thoughtful decision-making. I confess to having little expertise in how to do that, but I try anyway. I found Justin Alexander's (The Alexandrian) series, Jaquaying the Dungeon, to be particularly helpful.
• Information: The players need information about the dungeon...enough to engage them in exploration but not so much as ruin the suspense. I do this through role-playing (not every encounter is with an enemy), written documents, bits of architectural detail, and encounters. I have not been using random encounters, although a lot of encounters are improvised. I treat every encounter as a clue to the nature of the dungeon. Rob Conley (Bat in the Attic) has a neat blog post that I found helpful in this regard, Other Knobs to Play With. 
• "Campaign Mindset:" In running the Montporte Dungeon campaign, I have been thinking of it in terms of a regular campaign, not a traditional smash and grab dungeon of yore. There is a complex history, factions, geography, and an economy. Because the dungeon had been sealed, the players had almost no information going in so the campaign does include the usual dungeon exploration. But I am really trying to work in opportunities for role-playing and for getting involved in a more complex relationship with the dungeon denizens than I have had in the past with my other dungeon-centered campaigns.

The Player Side of Things
In a dungeon campaign, the GM has a lot to do and they are key to its success. However, players can make or break a dungeon campaign. The Montporte Dungeon campaign is my third dungeon-centered campaign and I found that dungeons can create ADHD in even the most focused players. Players can do their part in making a dungeon campaign a success by:

• Staying Focused: Whether it is a goal(s), a direction, a plan, or something else, players can keep things interesting for themselves by identifying a focus or purpose and attempting to stick to it. It is helpful for both the GM and players when the party has a purpose, even if it is short-term.
• Regular Review: Given the myriad of choices that the average dungeon level provides, players can help themselves by regularly reviewing what has happened and where they want to go. Given the time off between sessions, regular review is a must to staying focused.
• Organizing: Lots of things fall into this category...having a regular marching order, posting a guard while searching for secret doors,  and keeping information organized.
• Investigating: This includes geographic exploration, capturing foes and interrogating them, and questioning the friendly folk (if they can be found).
• "Campaign Mindset:" Think beyond killing stuff and taking the treasure. Not that this is a bad thing, but expand your character's motivation as you would do in a non-dungeon campaign.

If you have run a successful dungeon-centered campaign, what has worked for you?

Montporte Cosmological Notes: On the Elements

In the classic D&D universe, there is a plane of existence associated with each of the four classical elements. Air, Earth, Fire and Water each have a elemental plane associated with them. This is not the case with the world of the Montporte Dungeon Campaign. In the universe of Montporte, the four elements are merely the building blocks of the physical universe, in much the same way our own universe is made of atoms of unique elements. The four elements are a key component of the overall cosmology of Montporte.

The Four Elements
The physical universe of Montporte is made up four elements in various combinations. The presence of these elements also confer their properties to the objects and substance of the material world as well, as indicated by the written descriptions and by the diagram below:

• Air is primarily wet and secondarily hot. 
• Fire is primarily hot and secondarily dry. 
• Earth is primarily dry and secondarily cold. 
• Water is primarily cold and secondarily wet.

Note: The above description and diagram come from Classical Elements (Wikipedia). I am borrowing heavily from Aristotle (you can see my Source Bibliography for some of my other sources).

The Elements and Magic
The relationship between the elements and magic is a complex one. It is complicated by the involvement of the three energies (Positive, Negative and Chi), as the intervention of the divine. Sages, mages and scholars have found bits of evidence that points to ancient mages having great insight into and control over the four elements. Sometimes called "elementalists," the knowledge they must have possessed has been lost to the current world of Montporte. Some scholars have dismissed these elementalists has inventions of dreamy and wishful mages.

The Elements and the Types of Magic
Here are the main types of magic and how they interact or manipulate the four elements:

Alchemy: Alchemy is the form of magic most closely associated with the four elements. Alchemists use their knowledge of the elements and their resultant substances to concoct magic potions, dusts, oils, and even devices. The the practice of alchemy is considered part of the arcane arts, but alchemy relies on the use of formulae and recipes rather than Ars Memoriae to create its magical results.

Arcane: Magic-users and sorcerers have different approaches to arcane magic but both use mental powers to manipulate the three energies and the four elements.

Divine: Divine magic, typically used by clerics and paladins, uses transcendent divine power communicated through the caster via faith to manipulate the four elements and the three energies in whatever manner is necessary to produce the desire result.

Druidic: Druidic magic relies on Chi, the life energy, to manipulate the four elements and the other two energies (Positive and Negative). Druids use both their own Chi, as well as the Chi is found coursing through all living things, to power their spells.

Monastic: Monks use their own Chi to in order to create their superhuman skills. This is mainly done through the manipulation of the four elements present within their own bodies.

Elementals

Elementals are magical creatures that exist on the plane of Aarde (the plane in which Montporte is located), being a combination of one element in its pure form and Chi, the life energy. Elementals can be created via spells as well as through alchemical mechanics. They also can come into being when pools of pure element is in the presence of Chi or magical activity.

There are rumors among mages of the existence of other elementals created by elemental combination with Positive energy or, more ominously, Negative energy.

Beyond the Elements
Scholars have debated whether or not the four elements can be subdivided further into smaller constituent components, similar to our own universe's subatomic particles. What materials lie beyond the four elements is unknown as current magic is unable to split apart or breakdown the material world beyond the basic elements of Air, Earth, Fire, and Water.

Montporte Cosmology: Source Bibliography (The Appendix N)

I am not sure that the cosmology of the Montporte Dungeon campaign is particularly creative or unique. However, my sources of inspiration and influences might strike you as being a bit off the beaten path.

The Montporte Cosmological Appendix N
Baker, Keith, et. al.: Eberron Campaign Setting (Dungeons & Dragons 3.5)--I am not too proud to put this on the list. I do like the treatment of the planes in the Eberron setting, at least for 3.5e.

Butcher, Jim: "The Dresden Files"--I lifted my approach to the Fey from Butcher. Anyone can plainly see that fact. Demons, too, for that matter.

Copleston, Frederick: A History of Philosophy, Volume 1: Greece and Rome From the Pre-Socratics to Plotinus--I borrowed a bit from either end of the time frame represented in this book, the Pre-Socratics and Plotinus. 

de Lint, Charles: "Newford Series"--A loosely connected series of urban fantasy novels and short stories that rely heavily on Celtic and Native American myths. De Lint is one of my favorite authors.

Dent, Greg: Oathbound: Domains of the Forge (D20)--This detailed setting for D&D 3.5e gave me all sorts of ideas.

Elert, Werner: The Structure of Lutheranism--I know this is a strange edition to the list, but Elert was a deep thinker and his reflection on the nature of the Creator, the creation, time and eternity is very profound and thought-provoking, even if one has a different view or belief. This is not for the faint of heart, however.

Greene, Brian:  The Fabric of the Cosmos: Space, Time, and the Texture of Reality and The Elegant Universe: Superstrings, Hidden Dimensions, and the Quest for the Ultimate Theory--I am a big fan of Brian Greene. Check out his TED Talks: "Making Sense of String Theory" and "Is Our Universe the Only Universe?" He makes physics almost comprehensible. 

Grossman, Lev: The Magicians and The Magician King--Sort of a Narnia for slackers and hipsters. I like his travel between worlds and I have borrowed some specific things from him. The players in the Montporte Campaign should disregard this entry on the list and pretend they didn't read this.

Jung, Karl: The Red Book (plus other works)--Just in case anyone wonders where the funky metal trees originated.

Koyre, Alexandre: From the Closed World to the Infinite Universe--This book is even more fun than the title might hint at. I read most of it in one sitting while eating meatloaf at a diner on Amsterdam Avenue in NYC. That seems about right.

Le Guin, Ursula: "Earthsea"--Ursusa Le Guin's Earthea books have probably had a greater impact than any other books over the course of my gaming life. 

Moorcock, Michael: "Elric of Melniboné," "The Swords Trilogy"--Like the gamers before and after me, Moorcock is a major inspiration. However, as much as I love the Elric series, I have an even bigger crush on the "The Swords Trilogy," featuring Corum Jhaelen Irsei.

Pratchett, Terry: Small Gods and the rest of the "Discworld" novels--Small Gods is my favorite Discworld novel and its approach to the gods have crept into my cosmology.

Rahner, Karl: Foundations of Christian Faith--This is heavy lifting. Rahner had a major theological impact on the Council of Vatican II and this book gives a hint as to the power of his intellect.

Suzuki, Shunryu: Zen Mind, Beginners Mind--I am not sure if I can explain how this book impacted my approach to gaming, but it has in some surprisingly profound ways.

Zelazny, Roger: "The Chronicles of Amber"--An awesome fantasy series with a cool approach to the universe and its multiple worlds. Thanks to Tim Shorts (Gothridge Manor) for recommending Zelanzy to me.

Montporte Cosmological Notes: On The Planes

I recently posted a short description of the cosmology of Montporte Dungeon Campaign. In today's post, I’ll give a bit more detail about the Five Planes. I may also do some posts on the individual planes at a later date, but don’t hold me to that.

The average inhabitant of Montporte would have very little knowledge of the planes. Even this scant knowledge is corrupted by ignorance, superstitions, and just plain inaccurate information. Humans, in particular, display very little knowledge of or interest in the planes. Elves and dwarves, being the Elder Races of Aarde, know the most. Gnomes and halflings fall somewhere in the middle.

The Five Planes
The known universe, in which the Montporte Dungeon exists, contains five planes. They are:

• Aarde: The plane where humans and their ilk dwell.
• Ioucura: The plane of madness.
• Syvyys: The plane of demons.
• Umírající: The plane of the fey.
• Zaj: The plane of dragons.

The spatial relationship of the planes has been speculated on by many scholars and mages over the years, but the reality is that no one really understands where one plane is in regards to any of the other four. No one even knows if there is space or matter or even existence in between the planes. Despite this lack of knowledge, scholars do generally agree that Aarde lies in the middle of the other four planes.

The planes do appear to “move” in some way, at least in relationship to each other. There are times when each plane seems somehow to be "closer" to Aarde and other times when each plane seems "further away." Syvvys is the one exception to this, as it always appears at the same “distance” from Aarde. Umírající and Zaj “move” in a regularly cyclical pattern in relationship to Aarde. Umírající is typically the “closest” to Aarde, except when Ioucura pops up right nearby Aarde.  Ioucura’s “movement” is completely random. The “proximity” of one plane to another greatly influences the ease or difficulty of travel between them.

The Plane of Aarde
The plane of Aarde lies at the heart of the known universe. In Aarde is the home of human cities, the elven dales, and the dwarven mountain strongholds. Montporte and its environs are part of Aarde. For the player characters, Aarde is home.

Aarde features a wider diversity of life and lifeforms than the other four planes combined. All manner of creature, mundane and magical, can be found here. Among the humanoid races, the elves and dwarves, hold a special place as the Elder races. Humans, gnomes, and halflings have been around for less time. Love them or hate them, humans are the dominate race. They bring a dynamism that is unique to them, because or in spite of their shorter life span.

Travel from Aarde to the other planes is impossible without the use of rare and powerful magic. Despite the challenge, denizens from the other planes do find their way to Aarde on occasion. Summoning spells, magical gateways, and dreams (in the case of Ioucura) are all ways that “outsiders,” as non-Aardian creatures all called, end up in Aarde.

There are areas in Aarde where the fabric of existence has been stretched thin. In these areas, travel to and from Aarde happens more frequently—sometimes on purpose and sometimes not. Mountain building (orogeny), the persistent presence of powerful magic, the close proximity to large bodies of waters, and even lightning can stretch the fabric that is Aarde.

The Montporte Dungeon lies in the foothills of the Dragonfang Mountains, the largest, highest and oldest mountain range of Aarde. Historically, the Montporte area has been the site of countless acts of magic, great and small. While travel between planes is always next to impossible, few areas of Aarde offer easier access from other planes as does the Montporte area.

The Plane of Ioucura
Ioucura is the plane of nightmares and madness. It is the plane of chaos, entropy and unmaking. The distance between Aarde and Ioucura is occasionally bridged when mortals of Aarde are sleeping, through bizarre dreams and nightmares. Insanity also creates a path from Ioucura.

Unspeakable horrors of the worst sort do, on occasion, cross over into Aarde and are made manifest in the flesh in the form of magical aberrations.

The Plane of Syvyys
Demons dwell on the plane of Syvyys but seek every occasion to make their way to Aarde, as they feed off of the life energies of mortals. Elves are immune to this demon feeding and have earned the special enmity of demonkind.

Demons fall into one of three groups: Lesser, greater, and lords. Each demon is unique and even the lesser demons are incredibly powerful, violent, and cruel. Any semblance of order that exists in Syvyss is there only through the threat and use of violence.

Each demon has a true name, known only to itself. Knowing a demon's name gives one power over that demon, although the demon will seek every opportunity to kill any being that knows its name.

The Plane of Umírající
Umírající is the plane of fey creatures and it is a plane filled with natural beauty. Yet, just below that beauty lies danger and death. The creatures of Umírající are divided into three camps: The Summer Court, the Winter Court, and the Wild Ones.

The Summer and Winter Courts are made up of nobility, with each noble being unique and extremely powerful. Each Court also has a vast array of folk and creatures who live under the rule of the respective Courts and are there to serve and obey the nobility.

The Wild Ones do not owe loyalty to either Court. They include:

• The Hunters--A few very powerful and unique beings that seek to hunt and owe no allegiance to anyone but the Hunt. 
• The Pack--The minions of the hunt who join in on larger hunts, but otherwise go their own way. 
• The Beasts--Unintelligent magical and mundane creatures that live in the forests, mountains, lakes, and rivers of Umírající. 
• The Loners--Powerful and unique creatures who live on their own, without regard to Courts or the Hunt.

Umírající is the most hospitable plane for those from Aarde, but it is still treacherous, even for the powerful and wary. Likewise, Aarde is visited more by the fey than any other outsiders.

The Plane of Zaj
Zaj is a mysterious place and nothing is known of the plane itself. It is inhabited by dragons, perhaps the most powerful of all creatures in the five planes. Each dragon is said to have the power of 10 wizards and can breath fire enough to melt the very roots of the mountains.

Dragons are not cruel and do not delight in the suffering of other creatures. Yet, at the same time, they have very little regard for anyone other than themselves. They are known to visit Aarde on occasion. Sometimes it is to seek knowledge, for they have an unquenchable thirst to study and know every aspect of the universe. They also are notorious hoarders and will travel about, accumulating great piles of treasure.  

Other Planes and Universes
Scholars and sages have speculated about the existence of other planes and even universes beyond the Five Planes. If there is any concrete evidence or information regarding such things, however, it has not been recorded.

Cosmological Notes for the Montporte Dungeon Campaign

The players are finding it necessary to understand a bit more about the nature of the universe in our Montporte Campaign, which means that I have had to come up with something. I am trying to keep it simple, mainly because I am simple. I used Google Translate to help me out with the names of the planes.

The Five Planes
The player characters recently learned about the five planes, sometimes called realms. They are:

• Aarde: The plane where humans and their ilk dwell.
• Ioucura: The plane of madness.
• Syvyys: The plane of demons.
• Umírající: The plane of the fey.
• Zaj: The plane of dragons.

There are thought to be other worlds and locations beyond the five realms, but little is known of such places and even less is said.

The Four Elements
Air, Earth, Fire and Water serve as the fundamental building blocks of the five planes. They are the equivalent of our subatomic particles.

The Three Energies
Even as the universe is built with the four elements, it is infused and empowered by the three energies: Positive, Negative, and the life force, Chi.

The Two Provinces
There are two provinces: The Mundane and the Divine. The universe proper is of the Mundane. The Divine is completely outside of the universe but the beings of the Divine can participate and affect the Mundane through their followers.

Typically, the beings of the Divine are called "gods." Gods and their followers live in a symbiotic relationship, with the followers enabling the gods to intervene in the mundane universe while empowering their followers with divine magic and other abilities.

Magic
Arcane magic allows the caster to manipulate the four elements and three energies in order to cast spells. The techniques differ, depending on the caster, but arcane magic uses the power of thought and language to tap into the greater powers present in the elements and energies of the universe.

Druidic magic is similar to arcane magic except that the caster uses empathy and sympathy with the natural world instead of manipulation to cast spells.

Divine magic differs in that the caster is the conduit for divine power from outside the physical universe. Faith, ritual and holy symbols serve as the means by which one taps into this source of power.

Montporte To Do List

I have been running the Montporte Dungeon Campaign more often than I expected, not that I am complaining as it has been a groovy time. However, it started off as a one-shot and I am realizing that I need to do some catch-up work on both the setting and the house rules. I need to get some stuff written up for myself and for the players. I'll be doing it via my blog, not because anyone in the blogosphere would find it interesting, but because it is easy for me to write it and then send out links to the group.

As far as the setting goes, I will need to:

• Flesh out the town of Montporte: Merchants, religious organizations, wizarding-types, and so on. The usual town-next-to-the-dungeon stuff.
• Flesh out the area right around the dungeon: Maps, encounters, etc.
• Write up the Planes: The Planes come into play in this world and there are four "nearby" planes--The home of the Fey; The home of the dragons; The home of demons; and The home of madness.
• Write up the "physics" of the place: The four elements (they are not separate planes in Montporte); the three energies, etc.

As far as house rules, I want to stick to the Blood & Treasure rules as much as possible. I have studiously avoided my usual path of rewriting rules, classes, etc. Mostly I just need to clarify and codify rulings that I have already made in game:

• Flaming oil: The boys are using a lot of it and I need to provide more clarity on this.
• 0-Level Spells: I am allowing spell casters to use there 0-level spells at will, but there are certain spells in Blood & Treasure where this doesn't work. The spells that do healing or damage are the main examples.
• Character Creation: I just need to spruce up the rules we started with.

I want to keep the house rules simple enough so that, if we switch to a different ruleset (e.g. Swords & Wizardry or maybe GURPS DF), I won't have to do a lot of extra to convert the campaign.

I am also mindful of the fact that there are some things that I need to do a better job with...mainly tracking time and resources. It gets tricky when we players are not always available every session or we put Montporte on hold for a few weeks while adventuring in Rob's (Bat in the Attic) Majestic Wilderlands campaign.

Five for Friday 7: Constantinople for Gamers

As I continue to work on Onyx, my medieval urban fantasy campaign, I am doing a fair amount of reading. Fortunately, I have decent history library, featuring a couple of bookcases of medieval history. That can also be bane, as too much reading and research doesn't necessarily help. I have found that most history books do not provide a lot of useful information in terms of campaign design, so here are five book recommendations for gamers wanting to swipe ideas from Constantinople and Byzantium (in alphabetical order):

• Byzantine Armies, AD 1118-1461 (by Ian Heath, Illustrated by Angus McBridge): Part of Osprey's Men-at-Arms series, I picked this one because it corresponds to my particular focus in Constantinople (c. 1150). There is not a lot of depth, but there is a lot of useful gaming info here and the illustrations are great.
• Constantinople: Capital of Byzantium (by Jonathan Harris): If I could only read one book on Constantinople, this would be it.
• The Digest of Roman Law (by Justinian I): Player characters in trouble with the law? Perish the thought! Here are excerpts from Justinian's codification of Roman law. The introductory material, by C.F. Kolbert, is worth the price of the book and is very useful to gamers.
• The Oxford History of Byzantium (edited by Cyril Mango): The title is a bit misleading (which is true of many volumes in the Oxford History series). It is not a typical history book; rather it is a collection of essays on Byzantium. I wouldn't start here but if you already know a bit about Byzantium, some of the essays can be mined for gaming goodies (particularly the religion articles).
• What Life Was Like Amid Splendor and Intrigue: Byzantine Empire AD 330-1453 (edited by Ellen Anker): A lavishly illustrated book that is part of Time-Life's What Life Was Like series, this is a great place to get a feel for Byzantine history and daily life.

Notes:
If you are looking for an easy-to-read book on Byzantine history as a starting point, I would recommend A Short History of Byzantium by Julius Norwich (just don't cite it in your doctoral dissertation). I also liked Sailing from Byzantium: How a Lost Empire Shaped the World by Colin Wells and Byzantium: The Surprising Life of a Medieval Empire by Judith Herrin. Both books are fun reads.

Steve Jackson Games has a groovy online bibliography of Constantinople and you can purchase their GURPS Hot Spots: Constantinople, 527-1204 A.D. as a PDF.

Onyx and GURPS

I continue to work on Onyx, my embryonic medieval urban fantasy campaign setting. While I am wanting it to be as simple and as systems neutral as possible, I am thinking that, when it is my turn to be GM for our Monday night gaming group, I will use Onyx as my setting and GURPS as my system. While a d20 medieval urban fantasy campaign is doable, I don't see it as the best match of setting and system. Fate would be good match of setting and system, but I am not sure how Fate would fly with my fellow players.

I am thinking of doing a heist-based sort of campaign: Fantasy + Constantinople + Oceans 11. I think it would be a blast with GURPS.

Five For Friday #5: Medieval Urban Fantasy RPG Resources

Pic Source: Kobblestone Miniatures

I continue to work on Onyx, my embryonic medieval urban fantasy setting. Below are five gaming resources that I am using for information and inspiration (in alphabetical order):

• A Magical Medieval Society: City Guide (PDF)—A really cool free resource from Expeditious Retreat Press. It is an excerpt from A Magical Medieval Society: Western Europe, an excellent campaign building resource.
• GURPS Low Tech (Print)—There is useful info on weapons and armor here, but the real attraction to me are the other types of medieval technologies that would drive an urban economy. The Security and Covert Ops chapter is worth the price of the book (the info is mostly system neutral). You can purchase the PDF version here.
• GURPS Hot Spots: Constantinople, 527-1204 A.D. (PDF)—All sorts of useful gaming info on Constantinople, much of it is system neutral. There are all sorts of things than can be swiped for any medieval urban campaign setting.
• GURPS Hot Spots: Renaissance Florence (PDF)—Another GURPS Hot Spots resource.
• Vornheim: The Complete City Kit (Print+PDF)—Zak’s amazing resource and tool-kit for running a medieval city campaign.

Are there other resources that you would recommend?

Adventures in the Unnamed City 3: Restrictions & Limitations

Pic by Alan Lee

One of the draws of a medieval urban fantasy campaign is the potential for a very different approach to gaming than the usual wilderness and dungeon setting. In the typical dungeon or wilderness, players are typically limited only by character ability and by resources. Fireball a cave full of trolls? Sure, if you have the ability to do it, then go for it. There are usually no legal or social consequences for toasting up some trolls. You may wish you had the spell when you meet the army of giants ten minutes later, but that is a resource consideration. Legal and social considerations matter little deep underground.

In an urban setting, player characters are not so much restricted by resources as they are by other factors. Unlike the remote wilderness, legal and social consequences loom large in a typical city. For example, if I am use Constantinople as my historical foundation for the campaign setting, there are a couple of legal items that are big deals:

• Most Forms of Magic Are Highly Illegal
• Being Armed and/or Armored Is Illegal for Most People

This urban setting creates a very different set of circumstances than the troll-infested cave under the mountain. Imagine the consequences of tossing a 10d6 fireball into a crowded market to kill of a couple of thugs near the basket weaver's booth. The characters would be pursued to the ends of the earth in the name of justice.

To be clear here, I am not trying to do a historical simulation as I create my setting, so I do not feel bound by these two provisions. However, the idea of keeping some of these restrictions and watching how the players work around it might end up being one of the best aspects of the setting.

I can really see how this would work well with the system like GURPS. There might be a premium on unarmed combat, stealth, social skills, creative spell selection/use, and socio-economic status. Reputation and connections become critically important even as the importance of a shiny suit of armor fades into the background.

I think the challenge is in the implementation. I do plan to keep the setting as simple as possible, particularly at the start of the campaign. I also think it would be great to have the players participate in the creation of the setting. This assumes that they are interested, but that is a topic for another post.

Adventures in the Unnamed City 2

Astute readers will note that the title of this post reads "in the Unnamed City" rather than "in an Unnamed City" (in my last post, I used an, not the). I decided that that city for my in-the-works medieval urban fantasy campaign setting does not have a name. The city did have a name long ago, but then it was Unnamed. How and when and why that happened, no one can say. These are questions that are best left unasked and unanswered.

Image source: http://www.scenicreflections.com/files/DIVE_INTO_FANTASY_CITY_Wallpaper_70tj3.jpg