Basics
"The world was changing, and we had to change along with it."
One hundred years have passed since the events of the Wizcension campaign. One man sought to start the world anew, but was opposed by an unlikely coalition of rebels, corporations, and religious organizations. Although he was stopped, he left his mark on the world. The mega-corporations had fallen, their chokehold on the islands was released. The old gods died, but the world remained as intact as it was before (that is, in pieces). Out of the chaos came order, and once independent sovereign states aligned themselves into empires. After years of strenuous peace, war looms on the horizon once again.
Objectives
- Varies: This is an open world adventure. Player/character desires will ultimately shape the path the campaign takes.
Geography
In this setting there is no more continental land. The planet is covered in ocean, and above are floating land masses: the sky islands. Surrounding the known sky islands are radioactive clouds that seem to be seeping in from every direction, in fact legend says the skies were once clear many years ago, before a shooting star fell into the sea. The known world consists of approximately 100 islands big and small, floating in a clearing surrounded by the sea of clouds. The material plane is composed of five distinct but connected layers, though life can only thrive on the three central layers; the Aether, the Midlands, and the Underdark. The other two layers (the Brightrim and the Embercore) are rather inhospitable, but still accessible with determination and proper preparation. Since the Midlands are flooded and the Underdark is relatively inaccessible, the campaign takes place primarily in the Aether.
Read More: Locations
Cosmology
Following the deaths of all gods, the outer layers collapsed and forever changed the cosmology of the planarverse. The inner planes stayed primarily intact, but the outer planes as they were previously known are no more. Fragments exist still, as bubbles found drifting in the Astral plane, but they are otherwise disconnected from one another. The planar landscape is still being charted and understood by scholars and inquisitive minds.
Calendar
This setting utilizes the Wizgorian calendar, featuring a 12 month year. Sentient creatures gain a minor special ability depending on when they are born.
Read more: Wizgorian Calendar
Empires
The floating islands have aligned into empires, either through conquest or diplomatic marriage. Read more for more information about the empires themselves.
Races
Base Races
The following races are considered the norm in this campaign setting, and may be found anywhere. Setting specific information can be found in each race's description
Aerial Races
Air-faring races such as the Aetheron, Raptoran, and Volanti flourish in the sky islands.
Aquatic Races
Sea-faring races such as the Aventi, Kuo-Toa, Merfolk, Sahuagin, and aquatic variants of terrestrial races live happily under the waves, far from the sky islands above.
Terranean Races
Most of the terranean races have made themselves at home in the sky islands, though nearly all the dwarven kingdoms have abandoned the material plane or scattered across the realm in search of solid land.
Subterranean Races
Following the god war, many subterranean races fled the material plane as their deep homes flooded. Since then, most have re-established themselves in the Underdark deep beneath the ocean floors. Isolated from the world above, races such as the Drow, Duergar, and Svirfneblin are a rare sight in the sky islands. Kobolds, on the other hand, can be commonly seen in the poorer districts. Once a slave race, most have since been emancipated (though are typically held as second class citizens).
Dragon Races
- Draconic creatures are inherently lucky. All creatures of the Dragon type have a +2 racial bonus to their Luck ability score.
Race Options
For a more comprehensive list of playable races, see the races category.
Read more: Races
Religion
The old gods died, but religion itself is not dead. Many mortals still hold concepts such as good, healing, law, etc. dearly and instead of a deity, most clerics (and other similarly religious characters) choose whichever domains they follow. Most characters hold three or so domains in high regard, typically derivative of their strongest values.
Following the Black Sunday and Long Night, a new god was allegedly born. The sun cult claim it was their faith that brought Solaria into being, and are using this to push their own agenda. Other cults are taking note, and ramping their efforts to convert nonbelievers. Many are hesitant to worship any deities after the destruction caused by the old gods, but perhaps just as many have been looking to fill that void with devotion.
Technology
This campaign setting utilizes most of the same tech of the Wizcension campaign setting. Tech advances include but are not limited to:
- Airships - There are two primary types of airship; ballooned and elemental-bound. Ballooned airships are the most common as they are the most affordable, but elemental ships are not rare. The biplane is the most recent innovation, only available in select empires.
- Guns - Guns are arcanotech weapons which utilize magic energy, and come in many different shapes and sizes. Many sidearms and rifles are prevalent enough to be considered martial weapons.
- Jetpacks and Jump Jets - These personal flight devices provide limited flight capabilities, and are powered by magic cells that must be recharged after use. They are more of a symbol of wealth than practical tools, and are relatively uncommon.
- Bombs/Grenades/Explosives - Modern explosives are arcanotech devices that utilize arcane energies of varying types. Accessibility to these weapons is often very limited to the general public.
- Rail Systems - Both inter-island and trans-island variations of railways are found. Most empires have a rail systems in their major cities, and some system in place to travel between the islands in the empire.
- Medicine - Vastly improved, hospitals can be found in major cities and are capable of feats such as advanced prosthesis, limb regeneration, cures to natural blindness and physical ailments.
- Automatons - Constructs are much more common, often created for mundane tasks or specific use. Generally either steam or magic powered (or both).
Drugs
In this setting, drugs are available and range from harmlessly medicinal to soul crushingly addictive hard drugs.
Read more: Drugs
Ability Scores and Other Stats
Ability Scores
- Strength [STR] - Strength measures your character’s muscle and physical power.
- Dexterity [DEX] - Dexterity measures hand-eye coordination, agility, reflexes, and balance.
- Constitution [CON] - Constitution represents your character’s health and stamina.
- Intelligence [INT] - Intelligence determines how well your character learns and reasons.
- Wisdom [WIS] - Wisdom describes a character’s willpower, common sense, perception, and intuition.
- Charisma [CHA] - Charisma measures a character’s force of personality, persuasiveness, personal magnetism, confidence, and ability to lead.
- Luck [LCK] - Luck measures your character's overall luckiness, and their influence on their fate.
Mechanical Stats
These miscellaneous stats influence a character in a mechanical sense.
- Sanity: This stat determines a character's mental fortitude.
- Rad Resistance: This stat determines a character's physical resistance to arcane radiation.
- Astrological Signs: Depending on when a character is born, they have a zodiac sign.
Other Stats
These miscellaneous stats bear little to no impact on a character mechanically, but may help flesh them out.
- Beauty: This stat determines how generally aesthetically appealing a character is.
- Favored Flavors: Most characters have a favorite flavor/texture combination.
- Misc Stats: Some things are just genetics. These stats encompass trivial aspects of a character's body.
Misc Roleplaying Characteristics
- Character Archetypes: These archetypes can help flesh out a character's background.
- Character Traits: These traits are either physical in nature, or affect a character's personality.
- Vices & Virtues: These personality traits help flesh a character's personality and ideals out.
Classes
The following classes are available in this campaign setting.
Read More: Base Classes
Setting Specific Prestige Classes:
- Steam Knight - Heavily armored combatant that drops into the fray
Skills
The following are new skills that have been added to the game.
- Cooking: This skill allows you to make fine meals
- Fishing: This skill allows you to catch fish and other sea creatures
- Gambling: This skill allows you to be more successful in games of chance
- Hacking: This skill allows you to manipulate and infiltrate advanced technological systems
- Macgyver: This skill allows you to utilize your surroundings and engineer impractical solutions
- Mechanics: This skill allows you to repair mechanical devices
- Prospecting: This skill allows you to find treasures
- Scavenging: This skill allows you to salvage valuables from wreckage
- Tinkering: This skill is allows you to invent and upgrade mechanical devices or processes
Other Skills
The following skills have been changed significantly.
- Use Mystic Device: Use Magic Device and Use Psionic Device have been combined into a single skill
Economy
This campaign utilizes a silver standard; wages are higher and most sentient creatures live in cities where costs of living are higher. Rarer metals, such as platinum, retain their values from the Wizcension campaign but are not often used. Arcane banking is a modern marvel; allowing for wealthy characters to store their funds in one bank and access it at another branch. Some more modern empires may utilize a paper currency, regardless most currencies can be exchanged easily in cities.
- Hirelings cost 10x as much as base price
- Services cost 5x as much as base price
- Starting gold has been re-balanced
Setting Specific Features
- Death is Permanent: Characters cannot be resurrected, reincarnated, or otherwise brought back to life. It is unknown where souls go when they leave the body, and they cannot be communicated with unless they are trapped in the plane (as ghosts or similar entities).
- Regional Abilities: Depending on where a character is from, they possess an ability or trait shared by the local populace. A character may only have one such ability, from either their empire or home island's list.
Notable Figures
| Sky Islands: New World Order Campaign Setting |
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| Arcanotech - Air Travel - Calendar - Drugs - Economy - Empires - Fate - Guns - Luck - Radiation - Skills |