I’ve always had an underpinning structure to the cosmology of my
home-brewed game world, but since it doesn’t conform to the standard cosmology
that the more popular fantasy RPG settings and supplements it has mostly been
sitting on the shelf collecting dust for the last few years. With the arrival of DCCRPG and all of its
wide open spaces I thought I might put it out there for others who may also
like a little structure to work with and who may not have the time or desire to
write it all out from scratch. Having a
detailed understanding of how magic functions adds depth to the game’s milieu and
helps the Storyteller by supplying a consistent framework that players can
explore. What follows is an excerpt from the as yet unpublished Liber Arcanum,
a book of DCCRPG compatible spells and lost lore to supplement its magic system.
***
Quoted with permission from Cognition Pressworks:
“Originally I had thought to devote an entire chapter of {Liber
Arcanum} to the cosmology of a gaming Universe, but after I thought about it
for a while I realized that the nature of the DCC RPG system and the flavors of
the Appendix N universes really don’t have room for too much standardization of
Cosmology; everyone’s RPG universe will be so different as to render books on
cosmology largely useless. Besides, most of the realms have either been covered
at length and are sitting on the shelves of gamer’s libraries already; or, they
are off limits due to product licensing. However, as the basic building blocks
of a fantasy universe the Primal Elements could be thought of as common to all universes; in
theory at least. But that’s not enough for DCC; Appendix N has no room for ordinary, so I diverted from
the classic 4 part elemental division familiar to most gamers. This section is
offered as a set of ideas for the Storyteller to use or ignore at their leisure
and is intended to spur him or her to new ideas and possibilities for their own
game milieu. However, since this
approach is ingrained in everything that I write, perhaps a few words of
explanation are in order to facilitate the reader’s understanding of the spells
and other concepts in this book.
I first introduced this elemental system in Critters, Creatures,
& Denizens, but there wasn’t enough
room in that work to really explore and explain this quintessence of forces.
Though I should really say; ‘re-introduced’, because I’m certainly not the
first to try to bring this concept into the Fantasy RPG paradigm. It is also fair to say that
the idea never really went anywhere; I’d be surprised if I had any greater success in this
endeavor. But, with the unique opportunity to re-shape and re-define the gaming
environment afforded by the arrival of DCC RPG, I simple couldn’t resist the
chance to try.
The concept of 5 elements has been with humanity for millennia,
Aristotle and Plato both postulated a 5 element theory, but the idea never
became popular in Western Philosophies. However, the 5-element theory is as
strong today in the rest of the world as it ever was in antiquity. The
difficult part for most people seems to be the idea of Thought and Intention or ‘Spirit’ as a physical force; but if
you think about it for a moment, we see the ebb and flow of this force every
day of our lives. This force can be seen in the cycles of life shared by all creatures of
the world; or when we open a newspaper and read of the world’s events. It soon becomes evident that
not only are Thought and Spirit capable of acting upon the
world to wreak havoc and miraculous changes just as any other physical force; but that
Spirit is the most powerful of the 5 elements. It challenges us, shapes the
world around us and our individual and collective destinies constantly as we
make the decisions to navigate through our journey of life.
But energy unbounded and ever growing is dangerous when left unchecked;
the animating force is no exception. For what is Life without Death? In this
model of the meta-verse the 5th element supplies the consciousness
of all living creatures so it must also be conscious, else it couldn’t impart
this gift to others. As the most
powerful of the elements and being self-aware, the elemental force of Spirit is
capable of self-regulation. The
mechanism for this regulation is the de-animating force, the negative corollary
to life itself; Entropy, or to use the more common term...Death. This
bifurcated nature makes Spirit truly unique among the elements, but this
dualistic character further occludes the nature and potential of this strange
element when studied.
As stated on page 15 of the CCD the interactions between these 2
halves of the Spirit are balanced within all living creatures, at least those
who are in good health. But these forces would annihilate each other like
matter and anti-matter were it not for the buffering effects of the other 4
elements also present in balanced amounts. The interactions of the elements are
shown on table 1-9 reprinted from the CCD and expanded slightly.
Table 1-9; Elemental Energies
& Damage
Types:
Air – Sonic, Music, Charms
Fire – Fire, Heat
Water – Acid, Ice, Cold
Earth – Electricity, Bludgeoning
Spirit (+) – Heat/ Force/ Paroxysm/ Healing
Spirit
(-) – Cold/
Force/ Paralysis/ Draining
Table
1-10 outlines the various interactions between the elements. While the
destructive properties are easy enough to understand, the process of
enhancement is left vague so as to allow for wider use. Generally enhancement
refers to things like the ability of fire to create refined metals and alloys,
or to describe the ‘air’ made available to aquatic creatures, or the winds carrying
clouds of water vapor gently through the sky.
Positive energy creatures act to enhance the flow of the elements where
ever possible. Negative energy creatures work constantly to unravel the
elemental forces and are constantly at odds with the growth of the natural
world. When earth enhances fire, the results are nothing less than… well…
volcanic.
Table 1-10; Contrary and
Complimentary
Elemental
Energies:
Air – Starves Fire & enhances Water
Fire – Boils Water & enhances Earth
Water – Erodes Earth & enhances Air
Earth – Traps Air & enhances Fire
Spirit (+) – Cancels out Spirit (-) & enhances all
other Elements
Spirit (-) – Cancels out Spirit (+) & has a degenerative
effect on all other Elements.
How
these interactions play out in the game environment is up to the Storyteller,
as is the existence of any Para-elements such as
Steam, Magma, Mud, and others. For the CCD and Liber Arcanum the default setting
is that these Para-elemental Planes do exist and there are several critters
based upon these sometimes contrary and always unstable hybrid elements. Within
this paradigm, even contrary elements may be forced to combine
disproportionately to the other elements or even in their absence. Mud Mephits for
example are an unstable conglomeration of Earth, Water, and just enough
positive or negative Spirit energy to qualify as a life form. These unstable
combinations often have severe dietary requirements as well as restrictions to
movement and environment when brought to the Material Plane. All of these Para-elemental
combinations are unstable by technical definition, but the
enhancing effects between Elements
can create powerful hybridizations like the Cloud and Lava
Mephits; see Critters, Creatures, & Denizens for further details on these
creatures.
This model of the elements also allows for the expression of the
Faerie Kingdoms as amalgams of nearly pure positive or negative energy with
just a touch of another element. Thus Sprites and Spriggans are nearly
identical and both are air spirits; they just have opposite polarities, view points,
and goals. These goals are as varied as their physical forms, but faerie kind
generally fall into one of two main camps: the faeries who see mortals as
children to be guided & protected; and the Faeries who see mortals as
cattle to be hunted and used for sport. Table 1-11 outlines the Para-elements
and their attendant damage types. Creatures
constructed with such energies are vulnerable to all of the elemental energies
to which their constituent elements would normally be susceptible.
On a cosmic scale, all these elemental forces are balanced against
one another and all are set into motion by the dynamic tension between the
animating and de-animating force. In conjunction with the ‘smaller’ world theme
favored within the DCC RPG system, this Elementalist view of the Cosmos allows
us to enfold many of the functions and themes of other realms presented through
the years into either the positive or negative aspect of Spirit. For my writing
and gaming this has generally taken the form of the 13 Heavenly Kingdoms and
the 13 Kingdoms of Hell. I have defined these greatly within the scheme of my game
environment, but I have deliberately held off publishing many details so that
the end user has more freedom to implement these ideas in their game milieu.
However, it can be generally said that the 1st Kingdom of Heaven is the
largest and is circular, like all other Kingdoms both above and below. The ascending
Heavenly Kingdoms are each dedicated to a principle or mortal conception of
Heaven and the afterlife; as well as the abodes of
certain deities. Through meditation the souls ascend to find the place that makes
them feel most at peace, or they choose to be reborn into the Material world
again.
Table 1-11; Para- Elements and
their damage types
Cloud – Acid, Asphyxiation, Sonic
Dust – Asphyxiation, Sonic, Slashing
Lava – Electricity, Fire, Bludgeoning
Mud – Acid, Asphyxiation, Sonic, Constriction
Smoke – Asphyxiation, Poisons and Toxins, Steam Acid, Heat, Steam
Faerie (+) – Any available to its elemental subtype,
spells
Faerie (-) – Any available to its elemental subtype,
spells
These
other Heavenly Kingdoms may be assigned as the Storyteller wishes, but these
three truths hold constant during the ascension: each kingdom is slightly
smaller, and the available ambient power of the kingdom doubles. Lastly, at the
pinnacle of this Celestial Mountain is the Eternal Garden. Only a few hundred
paces across, the 13thth Kingdom of Heaven is a peaceful garden with several
meditation platforms and delicate arrangements of flowers, stones, and
intricately raked sands. All set within a single perfect summer day that never
fades. There are streams within the Eternal Garden that flow from the eight points
of the compass and into the Well of Forever; a central pond lined with jade and
turquoise. Two ancient fish swim within its crystal clear water; Harmony and
Wisdom, one has scales of gold smoothed by eons of languid swimming, the other
has polished silver scales sparkling and glinting in the sun brighter than the
finest of mirrors. The few enlightened souls which ascend to this level
meditate here for centuries
or
even millennia before moving on to whatever is beyond; for even the Angels know
not where souls go whence they depart the Eternal Garden.
Most
of this holds true for the lower realms; just in reverse. As the Kingdoms of
Hell descend into the darkness, they too contract in size as their power grows.
The Kingdoms of Hell are similarly arranged as the Heavens, in that each of the
Kingdoms of Hell are dedicated to a particular concept or version of Hell associated
with a specific doctrine or dogma and are the abodes of certain evil deities.
The Storyteller should feel free to assign these as needed for their campaign;
however, the 13th and
lowest Kingdom of Hell is a small, nameless dungeon so bleak, so vile, that
even devils are nervous when they must travel to this forsaken place. The
reason for this trepidation is clear to any souls unfortunate enough to be
interred within; at the center of the dungeon is a pit so malevolent that its
dark corruption appears only as a mixture of viscous, oily mists and horrific
visions swirling chaotically in its endless depths. Those who stare into this
kaleidoscope of despair and wickedness find themselves dragged into the Outer
Darkness where only demons and forgotten gods slumber and dream through
eternity.
***
For
those Storytellers and Players who enjoy a good romp through the Planes, I’ve
included a basic diagram or ‘map’ of this Celestial Geometry. In this model of
the multiverse any particular part of the Material Plane is a stable point of
reference where all Elemental aspects overlap. This point of harmonic convergence
is unmistakable, because it is usually a sphere that we would recognize as a
planet. Even though the elemental planes are infinite in scope, only the small
area near and within the overlapped area contains the vital forces needed for
life and these regions are thought of as the various Planes, of Fire, or Earth,
etc. because these are the only places where living beings of a non-elemental
nature may travel. The deep reaches of any Elemental Plane are much too hostile
for travel or use by mortals. The exceptions to this rule are the Planes of
Positive and Negative Spirit Energy. They have the Kingdoms of Heaven and Hell
housed within the Outer Reaches of their respective Planes; while the regions
closer to the overlap
manifest
as Para-elemental Planes. The near region of the Positive Energy Plane is
called the Ethereal Plane, but it is sometime called Summer Home, or Faerie
Land, the lands across the sea, and other names; it is where the positively
aligned Faerie make their homes when not on the Material Plane. The near region
of the Negative Energy Plane is called the Plane of Sorrows and is a land of
shadows and the wandering, restless, dead that cannot find their way onward.
The negatively aligned aeries call this place home when they are not tormenting
mortals on the Prime Material Plane.
The
space between the spaces also needs definition and it too is bifurcated into a
close and an outer section; both are referred to generically as Astral Space.
The closer of the two regions is known as the Palace of Dreams and is where the
Pattern of Reality is fixed by the dreams of the gods and mortals. The farther reaches
of the Astral Plane are known as the Outer Darkness and it is where demons and
forgotten gods slumber. It is the last and strangest frontier; appearing to be
infinite, however sages, elves, and magi have theorized that if one were to
travel far enough into the Outer Darkness, one could possibly find other worlds
cocooned within their own dreams.
Who
lives upon these planes and how magic spells function therein is up to the
individual Storyteller because every game world is different. The four
elemental kingdoms of Air, Fire, Water, and Earth are straight forward and are
ruled by the various Elemental Lords and Ladies. These four Planes are common to
all universes, but let common sense rule the day whenever possible. For
example, fire spells probably don’t work very well on the Plane of Water,
Steam, or Mud. Likewise, how the Planes connect to one another as well as the
means by which each is accessed is also subject to the whims of the Storyteller
with the following caveat: in this model the Prime Material Plane is considered
part of every Plane because it is the node upon which everything else balances.
As such, the enterprising and powerful wizard (or cleric for that matter) can
travel from the Prim Material Plane to any other Plane in a single ‘step’
assuming they
have
the right spell, or item and enough power.
The
following diagrams are offered as an aid to understanding; the first shows the
Celestial Geometry of the Five Elemental Planes in relation to the Material
Plane. Also shown on this first diagram are the Para-elemental Planes of
Clouds, and Lava as well as Summer Home and the Plane of Sorrows. These
diagrams have been stretched, pulling the planes away from each other somewhat
to better illustrate their places. The second diagram omits the 5th element entirely in order to better
show the Para-elemental Planes; both diagrams have representations of The
Palace of Dreams, and the Outer Darkness.
Celestial Geometry 1
Celestial Geometry 2 (looking down from the 1st level of Heaven)
Random planes:
If
there is need of a random Plane; roll 1d14. On a result of 5, 6, or 14, roll
percentile dice to further clarify. If this is affecting a Player Character
they apply their Luck bonus or penalty to both the d14 roll and to any
percentile rolls needed. For the percentile roll, multiply the character’s Luck
modifier by 10% and apply this result as a bonus or penalty to their roll.
Anyone who ends on Positive or Negative Plane of Spirit is in the 1st Kingdom of Heaven or Hell depending on
the result.
1.
Plane of Air
2.
Plane of Fire
3.
Plane of Water
4.
Plane of Earth
5.
Plane of Spirit (+), roll d100
<
50% = 5a. Plane of Spirit (-)
6.
Plane of Sorrows, roll d100
<
50% = 6a. Summer Home
7.
Para-elemental Plane of Lava
8.
Plane of Clouds and Vapors
9.
Para-elemental Plane of Smoke.
10.
Para-elemental Plane of Steam
11.
Para-elemental Plane of Mud
12.
Para-elemental Plane of Dust
13.
Prime Material Plane
14.
Palace of Dreams, Astral Space
<
51% = 14a. The Outer Darkness”
