Core Assumptions

Core assumptions are the unquestionable truths and facts that form the structure of a setting, the “things that everyone knows”. These are things that largely dictate the types of people that are present in the world, the types of adventures that may be had, and the overall “state of things” that you guys can expect to find. This article will go into detail for how the following things fit into the world and what you can expect from them: magic, classes, details on the time period / era, identity and race, explored territory and occupied land, and information on other planes.

Magic

Magic is common in all planes with roughly 60% of the population able to cast / express some form of magic, usually in the form of cantrips. Anyone can learn how to cast spells with education; magic is natural to all living things in this universe, expressing it comes from either learned skill or natural talent. Of that population that can use magic, half of them can cast at least 1st level spells. It is uncommon, but not rare, for a person to surpass “level 3” in any magic class, with only 20% of the magical population doing so. As the levels increase, the portion of the population capable of that magic decreases. For a rough reference, it is uncommon for someone to reach 5th level in a magic class, and is a celebrated feat; it is rare for anyone to reach level 7, but not unheard of, and these individuals often teach or lead others in some way; reaching level 9 or higher is extremely uncommon and reserved for the most powerful, and beyond that is unique and extremely rare.
Know that most individuals in positions of power are going to be in these last groups; it speaks for itself, but powerful people will be powerful. You will likely be dealing with these people often, especially as you yourselves grow in level, so try not to let this sample skew your perception of the world’s power.

Classes

All classic classes, kibbles Occultist, and kibbles Warden exist in the world. Homebrew classes, if desired, will be listed here when added ONLY IF they have a large enough population; my guess is though, if you’re asking for a homebrew class, it’s because you want to be unique. As stated in the section on magic, around 60% of the population can cast spells in some form, but this does not relegate these individuals to being strict casters. Only around half of the population can be labeled as having a class at all (I will refer to this as the ‘class population’) but this does not mean that individuals you meet will be statted like player characters; they will have npc stat blocks that mimic class features, but still will be statted as a “monster” for balance and simplicity. Note that a lot of these classes have the same percentage of users; they are listed in order of most to least populous, the percentages are to display a rough amount, with the class listed first in the same percent group being slightly more populous or known.
In in-world discussion, classes are treated like professions. You would refer to someone as their class / subclass like it’s their job, ex: “my neighbor is a fighter” or “my mom teaches at the evocation school” or “he’s a prodigy; a sorcerer, the lucky bastard” or asking things like “what do they do? / Oh, they’re a rogue working with (guild)” or “how does he fight? / Oh, he’s excellent with a spear”. For more faith/worship-based classes, they’re treated like religions: “Do they have any beliefs? / Oh absolutely, they’re a cleric at (temple)” or “I knew someone who was a warlock for a devil” or “she practices with the occultists”.

Fighter

The most common class is the fighter. It is simple, easy to learn, and versatile in its expression (aka, they can be swordsmen, archers, tacticians, spearmasters, etc etc; there are many flavors of ‘fighter’). Chances are, if you meet someone who is low level but strong enough to be labeled as a class, they will be a fighter. Fighters are not often in positions of power because their ease comes at the cost of limited strength. They are stronger with some form of support, and often that support comes from a leader of a different class of some kind (often a paladin). Fighters train as soldiers or guards in whatever militaries make up their nation, or through personalized training or apprenticeship. Roughly, fighters make up 30% of the class population.

Cleric

Clerics are the next most common class. This is due to the setting; in a world revolving around divine and demonic worship, clerics and other god-or-ideal-focused classes will be more common. Low level clerics make up the majority of the casting population, as churches and other places of worship are most likely to teach individuals who are seeking magical skill. A cleric’s education is mostly more intense worship and dedication to their faith, with learning magic woven into this worship. High level clerics also make up a large portion of the high-level population, making the cleric class one of the few classes to have similar population ratios across all class levels. Roughly, clerics make up 10% of the class population.

• Clerics are not patron-dependent like warlocks, but they don’t worship “gods” specifically in this universe. Instead, they most commonly worship either Elohim or Lucifer and do so through the ideals and teachings of a specific powerful patron being, like an amesha or a Demon Lord. Temples, churches, holy sites, and other places of worship are distinguished by both the patron entity that supports the site and the domain of that patron. See the page on domains for further explanation on those.

Warlock

Warlocks are the next most common class. This is due to the setting; in a world revolving around divine and demonic worship, warlocks and other god-or-ideal-focused classes will be more common. Low level warlocks make up a large portion of the casting population, as there are many powerful beings who can afford to, and seek to, grant power to those willing to serve them in some form. High level warlocks are much less common, since powerful beings tend to be the ones making warlocks, not becoming them; still, dedicated warlocks can climb the ranks and do make a notable portion of the mid-level class population. Warlocks do not often need education for their power and simply need to be told how to express their gifts and what they need to do to gain them. This easy power comes at the cost of being easily revoked. Roughly, warlocks make up 10% of the class population.

• Warlocks gain power from powerful beings like ameshas, archfey, or demon lords, but do not have to worship either Elohim or Lucifer to gain their power. They are also often classified by the domain that their patron falls under. See the page on domains for further explanation on those.

Rogue

Rogues are the next most common class. Martial classes in general are easier to pick up compared to magic classes; rogues are less common than fighters because their prowess requires more skill and attention than the average fighter, but more common than barbarians due to the versatility of a rogue’s expression (aka, they can be scouts, assassins, thieves, spies; there are many flavors of ‘rogue’). Rogues are also considered more useful for war efforts than fighters or other martial classes due to the social and political prowess of the average rogue compared to the average class population. Rogue archetypes are often taught by guilds; thieves guilds, spy guilds, assassin guilds, etc, provide training and opportunities for rogues to learn and make a living. Because of this, most rogues are treated as contractors at best or mercenaries / outright criminals at worst. Roughly, rogues make up 10% of the class population.

Paladin

Paladins are the next most common class. This is due to the setting; in a world revolving around divine and demonic worship, paladins and other god-or-ideal-focused classes will be more common. Paladins make up the strongest of the martial population and often make commanders, generals, or other battle leaders due to their ability to support a team and control a vanguard. While the skill of a paladin is as easy to teach as a fighter, their unique supportive power comes mostly from their faith and willpower, which is much more difficult to teach and hone. Schools or educational paths for paladins specifically are almost unheard of; most follow a dual-education path by training alongside both fighters and clerics. Roughly, paladins make up 5% of the class population.

• Paladins are not patron-dependent like warlocks or divine worshippers like Clerics. While most paladins commonly worship either Elohim or Lucifer, paladins gain their power through the ideals and teachings of either one of the two deities or a specific powerful patron being, like an amesha or a Demon Lord. They are also often classified by the domain that their ideals align with. See the page on domains for further explanation on those.

Barbarian

Barbarians are the next most common class. Like fighters, the skillset of a barbarian is easy to learn, and though the expression of a barbarian is less versatile than a fighter, the skills also come more naturally to its users compared to other martial classes. This is also the only martial class that can be mostly self-taught, as its strength most commonly comes from emotional vigor and brute strength. There are groups that will teach barbarians how to hone their emotional strength, often in the form of anger (rage), but these groups are uncommon. Roughly, barbarians make up 5% of the class population.

Wizard

Wizards are the next most common class. They are the most common casting class not tied to divinity or religious experience; there is a large variety of expressions for a wizard (every school of magic, for example), and the next best place to seek magic education besides a holy site is a wizard school. They are less common in Rubicon than the other two planes due to the prevalence of druid magic in Rubicon, as explained in the Druid section. Wizard schools are relatively standardized across each nation and follow a similar structure to more modern educational experiences. Wizards of all schools of magic can be found anywhere, and due to their increasing power per level they are one of the few classes to have similar population ratios across all class levels. Most wizard schools are equally common, with the exception of necromancy; necromancy wizards make up the smallest portion of wizards and are either highly regarded as healers (those that focus on healing and benign resurrection spells) or looked down upon for unnatural distortions of life (those that focus on malignant resurrection and decay). Roughly, wizards make up 5% of the class population.

Druid

Druids are the next most common class. They are more populous in Rubicon than the other two planes, being rather rare in Heaven or Hell. A lot of rubiconian magic is centered around nature and primal magic, with many of the older cultures teaching druid magic instead of wizard magic. Unlike wizardry, the educational experience for a druid is more like apprenticeship than standardized education, with stronger druids passing down their knowledge to a handful of students in a more hands-on fashion. Druid magic is also heavily associated with hagdom, being cited as one of the few known methods to ward off rubiconian mortality and extend one's rubiconian lifespan. Roughly, druids make up 5% of the class population.

Occultist

Occultists are the next most common class. In other settings I would place occultism much lower on this list, but its connection to divine and demonic worship, rituals, and similar themes (not to mention the concept of witches and covens being more ingrained in the world) makes the class more common in this world. Occultism is taught much like druidcraft, with stronger occultists passing down their knowledge to a handful of students in a more hands-on fashion. They also often share communities with warlocks or multiclass as warlocks, having a patron entity that they learn magic and gain power from. Occultists have a reputation for being rubiconians who are more hell-aligned, and are the most common class for witches. Roughly, occultists make up 5% of the class population.

Bard

Bards are the next most common class, and where classes begin to dip into greater rarity. Musicians and other artists are plenty common in all planes, but the ability to evoke magic from this expression of emotion is difficult and requires both an aptitude for magical learning and high emotional maturity. Bard colleges exist for those who wish to try, following a similar educational structure to rogue guilds, but few students make it past learning vicious mockery before turning to other magical education. It is common for bards to have gone through a critical event that made them have a deeper understanding of their emotions, the emotions of others, or the expression of said emotions; this doesn’t have to be a traumatic experience necessarily, but often is. Roughly, bards make up 3% of the class population.

Ranger

Rangers are the next most common class. Like paladins, rangers make up a very specific blend of two classes: in this case, druidic magic and fighter skill. They are far less common than paladins, though, and are extremely rare in Heaven or Hell. They are also known for occupying and protecting wild land and living alongside its ecosystem rather than within larger communities. Specific conclaves of rangers are nearly unheard of; again, like paladins, they often dual-train as fighters and druids, with any ranger specific expressions being taught by very specific apprenticeship opportunities or coming about naturally. Roughly, rangers make up 3% of the class population.

Artificer

Artificers are the next most common class. Similarly to bards, there are plenty of people who wish to utilize mechanical prowess and invention, but few individuals can blend magic and craft in enough of a balance to be considered an artificer. Artificers are also more common in Heaven than the other two planes, responsible for the creation and repair of warforged, and are least common in Rubicon. Artificers are often taught via apprenticeship with a master artificer, and an artificer usually only takes on one or two apprentices while working on grander projects. Roughly, artificers make up 2% of the class population.

Monk

Monks are the next most common class. Most martial techniques are easy to learn and master, with monk traditions being the extreme exception. Monasteries are few and far between in the first place, and learning monk techniques requires intense physical endurance, coordination, and mental focus. Above all, most monk traditions require a large amount of patience and time to master. Monasteries run very similarly to temples and churches where clerics are taught, with lifestyles and ideals being the primary focus of education instead of worship and martial training being woven into that. Roughly, monks make up 2% of the class population.

Sorcerer

Sorcerers are the next most common class. Despite the prevalence of powerful entities in this campaign, I still want sorcery to be relatively unique; plenty of people are born with bloodlines connected to powerful beings (Hell’s inhabitants are notably classified by their lineages), but having such a potent well of magic from this lineage and requiring little to no magic education to wield it is rare. Sorcerers are most common in Hell by far, and are extremely rare in Rubicon and Heaven. Roughly, sorcerers make up 2% of the class population.

• Despite most powerful beings having a domain association, being born from the lineage of these entities does not lock a character into that domain or power specific to that domain. See the page on domains for further explanation on those.

Warden

Wardens are the next most common class, and are near obscure / unheard of territory. They are a unique caste of individuals that fulfill similar roles to rangers; they are often solitary and what little magic they have is usually druidic or primal. The thing that separates wardens from rangers is the origin of their prowess: wardens learn their skills almost exclusively from older cultures and ancient practices. Many are historians or otherwise fascinated with old lore, finding warden teachings hidden in old runes and buried tablets. Some come from a lineage of wardens passing down ancient knowledge and traditions to those of their children who are willing to learn. Others are taught via apprenticeship with another warden, on the rare occasion that a warden would accompany someone else interested in their practice. Wardens are also not strictly defined by primal or druidic magic; of the already rare group, there are less common techniques that focus more on raw arcane expression or divine / demonic connections. Roughly, wardens make up 1% of the class population.

Blood Hunter

Blood hunters are the least common class and are often treated as rumor or speculation in communities that do not have an order nearby. Still, they are common enough to be known by most people. Blood hunter orders are niche and specific, often formed from a small sect of another martial class (fighters and barbarians mostly) that seek to enhance their ability with physical mutilation and augmentation. The forming of a blood hunter order is nearly unheard of and requires an individual to invent a method that works for most who seek education from the order without killing them. Of those that already exist, students must be willing to undergo intense martial training, physical endurance training, arcane endurance training, and have high patience and tenacity before even undergoing the blood ritual that separates a blood hunter from other martial classes. Roughly, blood hunters make up 1% of the class population.

Other

The last 1% of the class population are the unique, unheard of, or aberrant classes. These are things like psychic classes, for example, and other individual, unique expressions.

Era

The era each plane is based around is a vague baseline to set expectations for the cultures. The individual cultures' information takes precedence over the general era information (see Races and Cultures), but if you have unanswered questions, this is a good baseline.

Unless otherwise stated, Rubiconian cultures have fashion, technology, professions, beliefs, diets, and death rates in line with the high middle ages. Aka, typical d&d setting expectations.

Unless otherwise stated, Heaven cultures have fashion, technology, professions, beliefs, diets, and death rates in line with early victorian era.

Unless otherwise stated, Hell cultures have fashion, technology, professions, beliefs, diets, and death rates that blend Rubicon and Heaven. They’re more high-middle-ages than victorian, but have a slight industrial-age feel.

Identity and Races

Most cultures and racial groups have beliefs and expectations about others, more often harmful than not. If you’re curious about stereotypes that surround specific races, check the races and cultures page. Otherwise, the pages on each plane describe how the inhabitants feel about the inhabitants of the other planes.

Gender roles mostly fall in line with the era of the plane (see the Era section above), but are more neutral than real life; this is because the major proposed reasons for societal gender roles are less impactful in a world of magic. For example, many people believe female gender roles to be established due to a need to stay at home and spend most of their time raising children, thus they cook, clean, or gather; magic allows for faster acquisition of food (goodberry or locate animals or plants), keeping a home tidy (unseen servant or even prestidigitation) and methods of watching children (familiars, summons, divination, etc), so these gender roles are less strict.

Non-typical gender expression is culture specific. Most cultures fall in line with their eras, meaning gender expression is mostly sex-based and deviations are considered strange or unnatural. This does not mean they are unheard of or even rare, just that most who do not align with standard expressions hide or otherwise adjust their lifestyles to fit into normality. There are plenty of older cultures that did not see gender this way in real life (native canadian two-spirit or tahitian māhū), so consider your character's culture when thinking about how they view gender and gender expression.

Sexuality is a similar story to non-typical gender expression. Most cultures fall in line with their eras, meaning non-straight sexualities are considered strange and unnatural. This does not mean they are unheard of or even rare, just that most who do not align with standard sexualities hide or otherwise adjust their lifestyles to fit into normality. Again, there are plenty of older cultures that did not see sexuality this way in real life (late archaic to early classical Greek, Han dynasty china), so consider your character's culture when thinking about how they view sexuality.

Occupied Land

While the planes are infinite, the spaces between cultures and political units vary between the planes.

For the most part, Heaven has the most occupied land and the least uninhabited space in-between cultures / political units out of all of the planes. Untamed land is generally air space or dense forest regions like jungles.

For the most part, Hell has the least occupied land and the most uninhabited space in-between cultures / political units out of all of the planes. The biomes in Hell are more unforgiving than most, leaving high density cities separated by large swaths of uninhabited land.

For the most part, Rubicon is in-between these two. Untamed land comes in all varieties and there is generally uncharted territory in-between large multi-cultural communities. Think typical d&d setting expansion.

Other Planes

The primary planes in this world are Heaven, Hell, and Rubicon. Other planes do not exist as separate planes; if they exist at all, it is as portions of these three planes. For example, the Abyss or Carceri are not separate planes from the nine hells, but instead they are combined into this world’s Hell. There is no dreamscape like in Lumen; spells or other features that deal in dreams are a form of psionic expression instead.

The most noteworthy exception is the Ethereal Plane. Instead of it being a separate plane, it is more of an attachment to each of the three planes. There is a Divine Ethereal, Rubiconian Ethereal, and Hellish Ethereal plane; when people say “the ethereal plane”, they most often are referring to the rubiconian ethereal plane as it has the most activity by far. These semi-planes exist on top of their base plane and act almost as shadows of it. Ghosts and souls reside in both the plane they died on and the ethereal plane; the level they can interact with the world around them is dependent on how much of them exists in the ethereal plane (more ethereal = less interaction).

Hub Page