Important General Information About the World
This is not a generic 5th edition Dungeons and Dragons campaign. This D&D world has its roots way back in 1980 when I first began running Dungeons and Dragons adventures for my friends. Little bits of that original world still exist in the current edition. Maps have been redrawn, expanded, updated, and redrawn again but many of the towns and geographical features remain the same.
I have always had a very specific vision for this fantasy world. Many things will be familiar to you as a player but certain things will not. I hope that the many years of work and writing this campaign will help you immerse yourself in the world and the stories we create together. That said, I should probably be clear right up front that arguing that the current 5e Player's Handbook has rapiers on its equipment list, that it describes magic in a certain fashion and it allows various assortments of races and classes to be played will not change my mind and make me change the world. I appreciate my players. I welcome them to this world I have created with open arms. Please extend me the courtesy of giving my game and world a chance before you cast an overly critical judgment upon it. At the present time, I would guess that more than a hundred adventurers have explored, triumphed, lived, and died in this setting. I should like to believe that the vast majority of them had a pretty good time. Forty years of DMing the same personal campaign both in home games, games at clubs, or game stores and conventions will do that. What the players have gifted to me is a rich amount of history, lore, and creative content to expand and inspire this world. In a very real sense, they have brought this fantasy world to life. I would like to honor them and future players by continuing to bring it into the current rules of the game and continue to write, map and run adventures in it for as long as I can. General Information Real-world history often influences the technology, mythology, and general style of most fantasy fiction. The World of Chimera is no different. The World of Chimera is a moderate to low fantasy world whose real-world historical counterpart would be the period from 793 to 1066 AD. "Do not leave behind in a field your weapon, as you may never know when you suddenly have a need for a spear in your hand." -Northern Proverb People in this age are aware that all manner of threats may arise to threaten their lives. For this reason, it is a widely accepted practice for people of all fantasy races and both sexes, even older children entering their teens to go about their daily activities armed. Only when entering a well-fortified and important walled city will a person face a challenge from the local militia. Within the confines of a city, it is not considered friendly or civilized practice to walk about wearing armor and a helm. Helms and armor are expected to be taken off either outside or at a tavern immediately inside the gates of the city. Weapons of war are likewise expected to be left behind in a tavern room and not carried in hand while conducting business inside of the city walls. Wearing an ax or dagger is considered acceptable. After all, the city militia and the Lord's military who rules the town are responsible to enforce order and protect the safety of everyone inside of the walls. Brawls and fights are not uncommon inside the walls of a large town or city. Usually, these are fought with fists and improvised weapons. Drawing an ax or dagger against a rude person who insulted you instead of granting them a generous thrashing with your fists is frowned upon and will at least end in an attempt to arrest all parties involved. Killing anyone with a weapon of war like a battle axe, spear or sword will be investigated and treated as murder. Murder is a crime typically punished by a period of imprisonment followed by public execution. Common folk wear quilted armor, hides, or leather. Warriors and similar people may wear mail armor, a coat of plates, ring armor or something similar. Breastplates are expensive but can be found in use. The sort of full plate armor worn by knights later in history and at tournaments simply does not exist at the present point in time.
I have always had a very specific vision for this fantasy world. Many things will be familiar to you as a player but certain things will not. I hope that the many years of work and writing this campaign will help you immerse yourself in the world and the stories we create together. That said, I should probably be clear right up front that arguing that the current 5e Player's Handbook has rapiers on its equipment list, that it describes magic in a certain fashion and it allows various assortments of races and classes to be played will not change my mind and make me change the world. I appreciate my players. I welcome them to this world I have created with open arms. Please extend me the courtesy of giving my game and world a chance before you cast an overly critical judgment upon it. At the present time, I would guess that more than a hundred adventurers have explored, triumphed, lived, and died in this setting. I should like to believe that the vast majority of them had a pretty good time. Forty years of DMing the same personal campaign both in home games, games at clubs, or game stores and conventions will do that. What the players have gifted to me is a rich amount of history, lore, and creative content to expand and inspire this world. In a very real sense, they have brought this fantasy world to life. I would like to honor them and future players by continuing to bring it into the current rules of the game and continue to write, map and run adventures in it for as long as I can. General Information Real-world history often influences the technology, mythology, and general style of most fantasy fiction. The World of Chimera is no different. The World of Chimera is a moderate to low fantasy world whose real-world historical counterpart would be the period from 793 to 1066 AD. "Do not leave behind in a field your weapon, as you may never know when you suddenly have a need for a spear in your hand." -Northern Proverb People in this age are aware that all manner of threats may arise to threaten their lives. For this reason, it is a widely accepted practice for people of all fantasy races and both sexes, even older children entering their teens to go about their daily activities armed. Only when entering a well-fortified and important walled city will a person face a challenge from the local militia. Within the confines of a city, it is not considered friendly or civilized practice to walk about wearing armor and a helm. Helms and armor are expected to be taken off either outside or at a tavern immediately inside the gates of the city. Weapons of war are likewise expected to be left behind in a tavern room and not carried in hand while conducting business inside of the city walls. Wearing an ax or dagger is considered acceptable. After all, the city militia and the Lord's military who rules the town are responsible to enforce order and protect the safety of everyone inside of the walls. Brawls and fights are not uncommon inside the walls of a large town or city. Usually, these are fought with fists and improvised weapons. Drawing an ax or dagger against a rude person who insulted you instead of granting them a generous thrashing with your fists is frowned upon and will at least end in an attempt to arrest all parties involved. Killing anyone with a weapon of war like a battle axe, spear or sword will be investigated and treated as murder. Murder is a crime typically punished by a period of imprisonment followed by public execution. Common folk wear quilted armor, hides, or leather. Warriors and similar people may wear mail armor, a coat of plates, ring armor or something similar. Breastplates are expensive but can be found in use. The sort of full plate armor worn by knights later in history and at tournaments simply does not exist at the present point in time.
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