About (Grisaire Supplement)

From D&D Wiki
Jump to navigation Jump to search

Author's Note[edit]

I originally made many 5e world campaigns that sort of remained unfinished throughout the course of many campaigns. Grisaire is the culmination of all of those broken pieces put together into one world. I wanted something smaller to manage than my grand 4e setting with two time eras, so this one is much more set, with simpler countries, themes, and a less doom-and-gloom world overall.

Concept and Themes[edit]

The idea is that the number 12 was appealing. There are 12 core classes, 12 months, 12 nations, etc. It combines the number 3 (Judeo Christian trinity) with 4 (number of death in many Eastern Asian numerologies). So, there are 12 gods. There were also 12 gods in Greek myth, which also subliminally inspired this. The idea of very human and flawed gods is very present in Grisaire, where they constantly screw up and don't seem to do what their worshipers want.

Culture[edit]

Since Forgotten Realms for 5e largely threw out Kara-Tur and stuff like the Calimshite empire, I added in those sort of cultures myself to more accurately present a very diverse world. But the cultures in this world ultimately do not correspond directly to any one culture in real life, since that would be too restrictive. So, they are more like amalgams limited by my own research.

Time Period[edit]

In terms of time, it's sort of a mirror to the Victorian Era, when technology is a growing trend. However, that is not to say that the technology level is on par with that era, nor are fashions exact. There was some inspiration I took from The Jungle to show the hardships of a rapidly developing world, where the environment and fellow people are sacrificed in the name of curiosity and progress. This also allows for better integration of the non-core artificer class, which some of my players wanted.

Technology[edit]

Specifically on the note of technology, one has to always keep in mind that magic reduces the need to develop mundane technology. So while you don't have firearms, you do have wands and maybe other magic blasters. Mundane devices and overly convoluted items in a world that has magic will be discarded in favor of magic where possible. This is also further differentiated by technology based on sectors. Weapon technology, for example, is not very advanced in many places in Grisaire. Technology for the mining industry, in contrast, is a bit more developed, particularly in places like Engal. You can sort of think of how gunpowder was not used for guns initially, but other things. People might know of steampunk items, but they have different ideas on how to use it.

Class Design[edit]

I also have come to appreciate many of the foregone mechanic-narrative-roleplay tie-ins that defined how classes worked in 2nd-Edition. This setting also gives me the ability to try them out and write them out for the official classes. They work a bit like variant rules of how to run a class, as they are not mandatory since I understand not everyone may find it fun to find out that they can't use their features to the best of their potential because they haven't done their daily prayers yet.

Lovecraft[edit]

I definitely owe a nod to Lovecraft and his works for inspiring the nebulous Uncreated threat that lurks within the heart of Grisaire. Where the 12 gods are very human and flawed, the Uncreated are very alien and unknown. It's a bit paradoxical since they are both meant to be unfamiliar and yet also somehow instinctually familiar. Fear is something in many living things beyond humans. It defies exact understanding, but it is something we know without understanding it.

Special Thanks[edit]

Thank you to Solid Swag and Mann for having played quite a few sessions in this setting while it was still in a nascent state. I would not have had motivation to develop it further if not for their characters playing around.

Grisaire Navigation
Grisaire Campaign Settingv
Grisaire logo.png Players Guide Races, Backgrounds, Classes, Spells & Magic, Downtime Activities, Feats
World of Grisaire History, The World, Society, Cosmology, Religion, Worldly Mechanics, Languages
Dungeon Master's Guide About, Treasure, Bestiary, Tables, Help, Adventures, NPCS, Variant Rules,
There was never a time when adventure and imagination failed more than our laws.
Willich Wonka, 7800 AP




Back to Main Page5e HomebrewCampaign SettingsGrisaire