4.5 KiB
type, name, tone, magic
| type | name | tone | magic |
|---|---|---|---|
| world | Eldar | wonder, melancholy, discovery | common but localized, tied to place and nature |
Eldar
[!info] At a Glance Tone: Every place holds a secret. Sometimes dangerous, sometimes delightful, always surprising. Magic: Tied to places, nature, and ancient pacts. Not academic — alive, wild, and often strange. Themes: Discovery, belonging, found family, the weight of old things.
The World
Eldar is old in the way that old things get older. Hills remember when they were mountains. Rivers remember when they were seas. Nothing here is just what it appears to be.
Every region, village, forest, and crossroads has something beneath, behind, or within it — a secret, a spirit, a story waiting to be found. The world doesn't hand this out freely. You have to look, listen, or stumble into it.
That's what makes it dangerous. And wonderful.
How Magic Works
Magic in Eldar is tied to place. It's not a resource — it's a presence.
- Ley lines and old places concentrate magical power. Crossroads, ancient trees, standing stones, ruins, and places of strong emotion become magical.
- Spirits and beings are local. A forest has its guardian. A river has its spirit. They don't travel far, and they care about their domain.
- Pacts and bargains matter more than spell slots. Magic is often negotiated, not just cast.
- Everything has a cost or a catch. Nothing is free. But the cost isn't always mechanical — sometimes it's social, narrative, or moral.
Reconciling with D&D 5.5e
| PHB Assumption | Eldar's Reality |
|---|---|
| Spellcasters are common | They're rare and usually tied to a place, tradition, or pact |
| Villages are mundane | Every village has something — a well that grants visions, a baker whose bread heals |
| Magic items are trade goods | They're unique, often with a story or personality |
| Adventurers are common | The party is extraordinary — most people never leave their home region |
The game still uses 5.5e rules. Spell slots, combat, skills all work as written. The flavor is what changes.
The Core Principle
No location is generic. Every place the party visits should have at least one of:
| Element | Description |
|---|---|
| A surprise | Something unexpected about the place (the bridge only appears in fog) |
| A secret | Hidden lore, a buried truth, a sleeping thing (the church is built on a slumbering giant) |
| A spirit | A being tied to this place, with its own goals and personality |
| A rule | An oddity of nature or custom (don't whistle after dark, never step on the moss) |
| A story | Something that happened here that still echoes (a promise broken centuries ago) |
When designing a location, ask: "What's the one thing a traveler wouldn't expect?"
Regions
Each region should feel distinct — different spirits, different rules, different kinds of surprises.
Region Structure
geography/
├── the-whispering-woods.md # A forest where the trees remember everything said in them
├── bridge-of-the-drowned.md # A bridge that appears only when someone needs it
├── the-hollow-hill.md # A hill with no top, where something sleeps
└── ...
Factions
Groups that operate in Eldar. They should have agendas, secrets, and connections to places.
| Faction | Description |
|---|---|
| [Name] | What they want, what they know, what they hide |
Notable Beings
Ancient, powerful, or strange beings tied to places rather than people.
| Being | Location | Nature |
|---|---|---|
| [Name/Title] | Where | What it is, what it wants |
Tone & Themes
- Discovery over domination — the world rewards curiosity, not conquest
- Melancholy and wonder — beautiful things are often sad, sad things are often beautiful
- Old things matter — the oldest being in a place is usually the most important
- Found family — people and creatures who don't belong anywhere find each other
- Consequences — actions ripple. Breaking a promise to a spirit matters decades later
Campaign Hooks
- A player inherits a place (a cottage, a bridge, a boundary) and must learn what it means to tend it
- Something old is waking up, and the party is the only one who noticed
- A spirit offers a bargain — but the price is something they can't anticipate
- Two places are bleeding into each other, and the party must find out why
- A village asks for help with a problem that turns out to be much bigger than expected