Harmwah
Scope
The motivation behind building Harmwah
- Fun!
- A new* environment so that ALL players are having new experiences and encounters
- An open world where the Players choices actually effect the experience
The goal of the project
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I want this to be a vibrant and fleshed out DnD campaign setting which is roughly in the Warhammer universe. I want friends to come together and dive into a world that is enticing and creates a dramatic and compelling experience where everyone is "hooked!"
Harmwah's Unique Selling point
The world is at war, and where it isn't...conflict brews.
Our heroes will be exposed to the myriad of calamities facing existence itself.
Do they delve into the deepest jungles in search of ancient knowledge and artifacts to anchor the Vortex, or do they ally themselves with great leaders to help bolster our world against the coming chaos from the north?
Perhaps stemming the tide of Beast, Vermin, and Undeath is more than enough to worry about?
Maybe our heroes altruism falters, and the pursuit of lost secrets, hidden powers, and hoards of treasure guides their path.
Theme
Genre
- Grimdark
- High Fantasy
- Light on survival mechanics
- Classic fantasy weapons, powerful magics, and engineering marvels (firearms etc.)
- A touch of horror
Reader Experience
I want the world to feel... like a world. Sprawling cities, huge regions to explore, and many different types of creatures to meet. I want the players to feel that just because the undead may be on their doorstep, they are entirely free to flee to another continent and face the cruelty of the Druchii slavers. You are NOT obligated to solve the worlds problems... and even at the higher levels, you are just a group of adventurers. How or if you choose to expand your influence will dictate the impact you can have on a larger scale.
Reader Tone
Dark.
As far as humanity is concerned, the upper levels of society have had dealings with elves and dwarves and many other races.
The average peasant is aware of past wars with the "greenskins," and the ever creeping realms of darkness and horror to the east. The world is harsh, and the remnants of the Empire do what they can to protect their citizenry. There has been a palpable growing unease through the realms of men. The allied races of old have all but isolated themselves and it seems every passing traveler brings rumor of new threats and horrors.
Recurring Themes
- A feeling of ever encroaching darkness
- The world is vast, how do my actions make a difference.
- We are only as strong as our allies
- Is the "moral" choice always the right choice?
- How well do our ideals hold up against overwhelming challenge.
Character Agency
The players will never be strong enough to fight armies, but they CAN have an affect on grand narrative themes like war and battles and regional control based on their interactions with npcs, and who they choose to support or even more directly, by raising their own armies.
I have no intention of "rail-roading" your decisions. When the wizard tells you that your family heirloom is the ring of power and that it can only be destroyed in the fires of mount doom, you can say "fuck this" and put the ring on and try to take over the world yourself.
Let's focus on telling good stories together, and make meaningful choices that we can remember for years.
Focus
Drama
Karl Franz I and the Unification of the Empire
The Von Carstein Curse
Balthasar Gelt and The Golden Order