Newsgroup: it.hobby.giochi.gdr.dnd
Titolo: [LONG] morningstar: una nuova ambientazione

Riporto dal sito della goodman games la "breve" descrizione di questo
nuovo setting.
Anche questo è uno dei setting usciti sconfitti nel contest della
WoTC, ed è interessante, almeno per me, per la possibilità di giocare
in un mondo dove la magia sia al suo apice, nel pieno fulgore della
civiltà. Di cose veramente nuove non ce ne sono, però sembra
interessante.
Morningstar is a world of eldritch magic, primeval races, and diverse
imperial cultures at the height of their achievements -- where a dark
Prophesy has begun to uncoil. This is a world that never fell from
grace and that continues to meet its highest potential. Immortal elves
have retained their fey natures; the dwarves maintain a flourishing
empire, wielding powers over earth and stone. These and other races
are still vital; humanity has not yet pushed them into retreat. There
are spirits in the land, water and sky. Places of power are
everywhere, regions where certain magics have greater or lesser
effect, which can be exploited to create workings impossible anywhere
else. Wondrous treasures wait to be won from the gods in legend-making
adventures, and heroes perform mythic deeds in the name of glory... in
the name of Empire. 
The world is awash in magic, but its nature is such that it promotes
large-scale undertakings in addition to personal power. The nine
empires are virile, and everything is being discovered for the first
time. Great and daring undertakings are funded, trade is strong, and
the exchange of ideas creates prosperity for all concerned. Art and
culture are at their peak. 
Magic is the force that drives civilization toward its greatest
potential in Morningstar. It is a fantastic time to be alive. In the
Triskatariot province of Brendir, the creation of constructs has been
raised to a high art. Olive groves are tended by golems, ornithopters
wheel in the sky, and construct-vehicles carry troops on land and sea
to battle. Ijamvians gain the element of surprise with ingenious and
deadly mechanisms, such as the spring-loaded viper clamp, used as a
grapnel in close combat. Sacred hot air balloons carry paying
supplicants from Haseth closer to their gods, while Latoman gliders
wheel in the skies of Quetapan. 
Magic is a living energy on Thraxis, the result of planar emanations
that attract, repel, and destroy one another. These flows concentrate
in certain places of power, creating areas tied to the phenomena of
the plane or planes from which the energies derive. These places of
power are self-reinforcing; they are created by large congregations of
similar beings, and when formed they strengthen those beings, causing
more of the same types of creatures to seek them out, for the easy
life they offer. This is why Brendir is lawfully inclined and
positively charged, and Zeikrus, the draconic empire, is chaotic and
in a state of eternal civil war. Smaller pockets are usually much more
concentrated than those of the larger area they lie within. The shrine
at Nepri, in Hasem-Bura, where desire becomes matter, is one such
place. Spellcasters find some of their spells are more powerful, or
weaker, in the most strongly-aligned areas. Great acts of daring that
would be foolhardy in some areas are a matter of course in others. In
the Triskatariot region of Brendir, machines rarely break down
inconveniently, while they are much more prone to collapse in the
primeval forests of Ynnidon. 
Malevolent forces are stirring, hoping to tame the energies that have
raised Thraxis so high, and to recast her in their own perverse
images. Chaos is growing, and beings from the odd angles of reality
are invading, bringing their eternal wars with them. A bizarre race of
outsiders has recently come to the world, called by interested
parties. Known only as the Strangers, these sophisticated beings are
helping to undermine the fabric of society and to create strife
between nations. 
On Thraxis, magic made a perfect world. Almost. There is a price for
everything, and it is becoming apparent that the abuse of magic on
Thraxis cannot be sustained indefinitely. A dark Prophesy, called the
Canticle of the Morning Star, is unfolding. It speaks of the end of
the great civilizations, and the prices each must pay for their
arrogance. Its verses number in the tens of thousands, and each time
it is thwarted, it adapts. Verses restructure themselves in the unholy
texts, and a new route to destruction is plotted. None know its
origin, but all respect its predictions, whether they seek to prevent
them or to enable them. It is not entirely certain whether the
Canticle seeks to bring the end about, or merely serves as a warning.
One thing is certain; Thraxis is under siege from every direction, and
by an inscrutable and faceless foe. 
The world itself is a threat to the existence of civilization. Thraxis
and her massive terraqueous moon have long existed in a state of
perfect balance. Now, Arril's orbit is disturbed, creating great tides
and earthquakes. Most of the time, the world's many tectonic plates
disperse the stress, but with certain eccentricities of orbit come
devastating earthquakes. Fierce elemental storms sometimes ravage the
land as Thraxis seeks to fight the cancer that is springing up within
her. 
Deep underground lurk great and terrible civilizations as old as the
world, which resent the encroachments of surface folk. Conflict so far
has been mostly attrition, but with the increased mining that
prosperity brings, full-scale war can't be far off. While most of the
underground realms are bolstered with magic and centered within the
established tectonic plates, with the most extreme upheavals
deep-dwelling creatures can be forced to escape to the surface. 
These and other threats are larger than any one person, but there is
always a chance to make an indelible mark on history. Morningstar is a
world of heroes, villains, and conflicts writ large across the pages
of a history that is still being made, where there is still a chance
to make a difference. Thraxis has all the makings of a gilded
paradise, or of the darkest hell. Which it becomes depends on the bold
people of the world, who dare to take the reins of fate and wrestle
them into submission. The need for heroes is becoming dire. Will you
be counted among them? 
Key Gameplay Elements 
The Golden Age is Now. The focus of most fantasy settings is a
pseudomedieval paradigm, where the heroes recover ancient relics,
fight monsters with origins lost in the annals of time, and explore
dungeons built by vanished or diminished races. The heroes'
achievements are amazing, but the greatest warriors of the present age
always live in the shadow of some ancient hero who challenged the
gods. In Morningstar, the golden age is now. Your character lives the
magnificent legends that future adventurers will strive to best. Your
character is a creator of artifacts, progenitor of a fantastic
species, or a member of one of the great races lost to many worlds. 
Elder Races as Classes. The elder races in Morningstar are treated as
classes, though ECLs are given for d20 purists. A character can choose
to advance within his race as he wishes, up to fifth level,
multiclassing as desired. 
Places of Power. The world of Thraxis is awash in magic. This is
represented with spectrum mechanics. Certain areas have a magical
spectrum, which means that certain magics are easier or harder to pull
off. The strength of these areas ranges from 1-6, with 1 being
incidental, and 6 being dramatic. For example, an area might have a
spectrum strength of Necrotic/Ignan 6, which means that death magic is
greatly enhanced, while fire magics are greatly weakened. This area
might be a dismal swamp choked with undead, or a cold, dark area where
fires do not burn. Spectrum affects more than just magic, and adds a
cohesive theme and atmosphere to an adventure. Enhanced magics are
called signature magics, and hindered magics are called
countersignature magics. Each signature can pair off with any other as
its countersignature to create some really unique places. 
An Age of Magical Constructs. The magnificent Artificer is a powerful
new class on Thraxis. His constructs are animated by numina (singular:
numinus), minor elemental spirits or patterns found in nature that
work with an Artificer as they try to evolve to a higher state. In
fact, most living spirits on Thraxis were once numina. These spirits
are part of what makes the Artificer a worthwhile class. While the
standard golems from the MM are animated by earth spirits, numina come
in many types. An air numinus allows your constructs to fly, and a
fire numinus explodes when destroyed. These mechanics work together to
elegantly allow for the creation of wonders such as ornithopters,
scorpion golems, and the like. 
Graziano "Firwood" Girelli
uno di IHGGD   ICQ#82926486
	< A good traveler has no fixed plans
              and is not intent on arriving  >   
< We remember cities now in ruin and
             forests murdered, yet still we sing 
                to the stars and hope for renewal >

 interessante.
[snip]
sembra l'opposto di midnight :)
-- 
 Guidobaldo Villarfonso, Marchese di Mottalciata
 ihgger #25
 I CD si masterizzano, i GdR si masterano!
-- 
Posted via Mailgate.ORG Server - 
http://www.Mailgate.ORG

sembra l'opposto di midnight :)
Verissimo, non l'avevo notato leggendo la promozione del setting.
Temo che il mio portafoglio piangerà più del solito quest'anno :-(
ciao,


 interessante.
Mah alcuni elementi originali ma un pò tanto nel solco di Exalted secondo
me....
E' sempre più bello quello che mi hanno bocciato :-)
Vedremo come sarà quello del vincitore del concorso Wizards...
ciao
Satana

E' sempre più bello quello che mi hanno bocciato :-)
beh se ne puo' sapere qualcosa di piu'? 
anche in privato eh :) 
se vuoi ti firmo una NDA ;)
--
ciao, fabio
vi consiglio di varcare: 
www.colonnedercole.it
http://it.groups.yahoo.com/group/oricalco/


Non conosco exalted, quindi sono totalmente ignorante in materia. ho
visto il manuale esposto in negozio, ma l'ho lasciato stare (finito i
soldini per il gdr di quel mese).
ciò che mi lascia basito è proprio la qualità, secondo me alta (almeno
stando alle preview) dei setting che hanno perso il concorso...
se gli sconfitti sono cosi, chissà come sarà il vincitore...
ciao,


 beh se ne puo' sapere qualcosa di piu'?
Beh l'idea di base era quella di un mondo molto dipendente dalla magia e
molto high magic in cui però era appena avvenuta una terribile catastrofe
che lentamente stava facendo svanire la magia dal pianeta: dunque ci sono
maghi che fanno di tutto per invertire il processo e altre organizzazioni,
tra cui psionici e guerrieri, che non vedono l'ora di accellerarlo per avere
finalmente un mondo che non sia dominato dai maghi... e tutto questo è anche
in mezzo a un conflitto razziale,tra draghi e elfi di un impero in
decadenza, giovani e fiorenti nazioni di umanoidi e potenti maghi umani...
A livello di regole dovevo inventarmi qualcosa per questa magia che svanisce
lentamente e diventa instabile anche se, al momento della campagna, il
livello medio di magia doveva essere ancora piuttosto superiore a quello
delle ambientazioni classiche di D&D...
Cmq non credo di essere l'unico qui che ne ha mandato uno, no ? Lanciamo un
thread sull'argomento e confrontiamo le proposte ?
ciao
Satana

thread sull'argomento e confrontiamo le proposte ?
perche' no' (io NON ne ho mandate) ma sarebbe carino, anche fare un
situccio o la sezione di un sito.... tante volte qualche editore
italiano....


 se gli sconfitti sono cosi, chissà come sarà il vincitore...
Eh eh eh...
Grazie =)
-- 
 Tutti i tesori del mondo non valgono la mia liberta'.
Meke Meke,
Wondrith (
obe...@gnd.it
)

 Lanciamo un thread sull'argomento e confrontiamo le proposte ?
Piu' che altro sono curioso di sapere chi ha partecipato di noi al 
contest... =)


 contest... =)
Io potrei ospitare sul mio sito tutti quelli che ne hanno mandato una se
qualcuno è interessato...
Per ora non ho messo nemmeno la mia cmq...
ciao
Satana
homepage: 
digilander.iol.it/Halag

 Per ora non ho messo nemmeno la mia cmq...
Io sarei interessato a sapere che idee sono venute fuori, visto che le mie 
sono (piu' o meno) note agli attenti lettori del NG =)
-- 
 Esistono 10 categorie di persone al mondo: quelli che capisco il codice
 binario e quelli che non lo capiscono.
Meke Meke,
Wondrith (
obe...@gnd.it
)