How to run Terrestia - World of the Damned

The themes in Terrestia are drawn from such diverse sources as Eastern Philosophy, the Western Mystery Tradition and The Matrix. Clearly running adventures in Terrestia could have a wide range of atmospheres, but a good starting point is to consider it a fantasy RPG with the mood of 'Call of Cthulhu'. I make this comparison because in both systems the reality of the campaign world is not what it seems at first to the players and there are many layers of truth for them to peel through.

Getting Started - Routes into the World

Naturally this campaign can begin much like any other. The players are born, they grow up and set out on the adventurous path for some reason or other. However, because Terrestia is really the afterlife there are some more interesting ways to get started. Perhaps your current campaign has reached a violent conclusion with the death of the heroes. Their new 'Terrestia' characters might be the dead souls of previous heroes they have played. Although they will be unaware of this, they might be plagued by dreams of their former deeds or indentities.

What will the PC's be doing?

Terrestia provides several interesting careers for the PC's to pursue. These are:

Chosen ones of the Daemon/Goddess 'Nefaria' - fighting the plans and schemes of the Daemon Lords and the Shadowmancers (ideal for good aligned characters).

Evil PC's seeking the patronage of one or more of the Daemon Lords.

Evil or misguided PC's seeking to learn the magical arts of Shadowmancy.

Evil or misguided PC's working for the Hand of Cadavalia and involved in political intrigues and related mercenary tasks.

This world provides plently of meat for Evil PC's and plently of confusion for Good PC's. An ideal campaign might mix and match experiences with all of the above power groups, making them appear benevolent or harmless at the outset.

Preparing to run the Campaign

DM's should familiarise themselves with the four key concepts of Terrestia: The Dreaming, The Daemon Lords, Shadowmancy and Redemption (links to each on the main page).

So what are the rules?

This setting is designed for use with Dungeons and Dragons, D20 or whatever your system of choice is. Although Terrestia may evolve to include prestige classes and spells, there will be no homemade rules system.

So where's the map - what is in this world?

All in good time, pilgrim. However, the themes of Terrestia can be readily applied to your existing home campaign world or a new one of your devising. However these things will follow shortly. Bookmark this site for updates!