Homebrew or Unsupported Settings: Difference between revisions

Latest revision as of 22:24, 2 November 2025

The Domains of Dread officially supports four settings for character origins: Ravenloft (where the story is set), Forgotten Realms, Greyhawk and Krynn. All characters must be from their Third Edition sources if available, though may come from any time prior to what is given as present day in those sources.

An ideoligion’s godhead or deity, if one exists, does not have to be “alive” or in active worship to be successfully used as a source for Divine power in The Domains of Dread, but may lack official support. In these cases their worshipers are subject to the same rules regarding as they would were they from a homebrew or unsupported setting, seen below.

For supported settings, their living ideoligions are represented mechanically in The Domains of Dread, and any class archetype using Divine power must use the statistics given when selecting divine domains or determining alignment.

All characters—including from supported settings—must represent a playable race without an inferred subrace that would necessitate an NR adjustment, changing starting attributes or adding racial features. Put another way, the subrace must be equivalent to ECL +0. Under these rules a moon elf from Forgotten Realms are playable using base elf statistics, but drow are not.

Homebrew and unsupported settings observe the following rules:

Technology featured in these settings may not be in excess of the discovery of the steam engine. This includes complicated steam-powered machinery and/or electricity. Magitek is included in this clause.
Characters may not come from any recognizable version of Earth. Recognizable in this context means that the version of Earth could produce characters who are identifiable as members of real societies and cultures irrespective to the time period featured.
Any race must be represented by a playable race in The Domains of Dread, no matter if they are fictionally called something else or differ in origin.
Ontological concepts such as alignment must be represented in setting as they appear in The Domains of Dread—actions which are evil in the Realms of Terror, like dishonorable cannibalism, must also be evil in that setting.
The character’s selected class archetype in The Domains of Dread must be represented in their setting, no matter if they are fictionally called something else or differ in origin.
The conditions of a homebrew or unsupported setting must not be “worse” than the Realms of Terror in an objective context. Every Outlander should feel a disconnect between their homeland and their experiences on the demiplane, rather than their Misting being an inarguable escape or improvement (subjective worldviews to the effect are acceptable).
Characters who represent Divine power from an unsupported ideoligion must use the same statistics as an officially supported ideoligion, omitting any divine domains which are unique to that ideoligion. This choice must be disclosed in the application process. At any time the Game Masters may decide another ideoligion’s statistics are more suitable for the ideoligion described.

Disallowed settings include, but are not limited to:

Dark Sun: Ravenloft is an objective escape from Athas.
Masque of the Red Death/Gothic Earth: Version of Earth.
Spelljammer: Magitek in excess of the steam engine.
Warhammer 40k: Technology in excess of the steam engine. Warhammer Fantasy is however acceptable.

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-In ''The Domains of Dread'', four settings for character origin are officially supported: Ravenloft (where the story takes place), Forgotten Realms, Greyhawk and Krynn. All characters are to be taken from their Third Edition sources if available, though they may come from any time prior to the present day given in those sources.
+''[[The Domains of Dread]]'' officially supports four settings for character origins: Ravenloft (where the story is set), Forgotten Realms, Greyhawk and Krynn. All characters must be from their Third Edition sources if available, though may come from any time prior to what is given as present day in those sources.
-An [[Ideoligions|ideoligion’s]] deity (if applicable) does not have to be alive in Third Edition for a character to successfully worship them in ''The Domains of Dread'', but they may lack official support. In these cases worshipers are subject to the same rules regarding unsupported deity worship they would if they were from a homebrew or unsupported setting, per below.
+An [[Ideoligions|ideoligion’s]] godhead or deity, if one exists, does not have to be “alive” or in active worship to be successfully used as a source for [[Spells#Divine|Divine]] power in ''The Domains of Dread'', but may lack official support. In these cases their worshipers are subject to the same rules regarding as they would were they from a homebrew or unsupported setting, seen below.
-For supported settings, their living ideoligions are statistically represented in ''The Domains of Dread'', and any Divine character must use the statistics provided when selecting [[Divine Domains|divine domains]] or [[alignment]].
+For supported settings, their living ideoligions are represented mechanically in ''The Domains of Dread'', and any [[Classes and Archetypes|class]] archetype using Divine power must use the statistics given when selecting [[Divine Domains|divine domains]] or determining [[alignment]].
-Any character—even from a supported setting—must represent a playable race with no subraces which would necessitate readjusting [[Notoriety|NR]], starting [[attributes]] or adding racial features. Put another way, the subrace must be equivalent to ECL 0. For example a moon elf from Forgotten Realms may be played as they are, as their appearance and abilities broadly fall under the spectrum of their playable parent race, but drow would not be.
+All characters—including from supported settings—must represent a playable [[Races|race]] without an inferred subrace that would necessitate an [[Notoriety|NR]] adjustment, changing starting attributes or adding racial features. Put another way, the subrace must be equivalent to <code>ECL +0</code>. Under these rules a moon elf from Forgotten Realms are playable using base elf statistics, but drow are not.
-Homebrew and unsupported settings observe the same rules:
+Homebrew and unsupported settings observe the following rules:
-# Technology must not surpass what is featured in ''The Domains of Dread'', roughly equivalent to the early modern period with limited influence from the early Victorian period in a domain like [[Lamordia]]. Therefore no setting should have technology—whether from science or magitek—in excess of the steam engine, including complicated steam machinery and/or electricity.
-# Characters cannot come from any version of Earth.
-# Any race should be equivalent to a playable race in ''The Domains of Dread'', even if they are [[Glossary|fictionally]] called something else or have differing origins.
-# Ontological concepts such as alignment must be represented in those settings as they are in ''The Domains of Dread'': actions that are evil in the Realms of Terror, like cannibalism, should remain evil in that setting.
-# The selected [[Classes and Archetypes|class]] archetype must exist in that setting, even if fictionally called something else or with differing origins. It is inadequate for a character from a homebrew or unsupported setting to have no connection to the class archetype chosen for them on ''The Domains of Dread''.
-# The objective conditions of a homebrew or unsupported setting must not be “worse” than the Realms of Terror. Every Outlander should feel some disconnect between their homeland and what they experience in the demiplane, rather than being able to see their Misting as an escape or improvement (subjective worldviews to the effect are however acceptable).
-# Characters worshiping an ideoligion from an unsupported or homebrew setting must use the same statistics from an officially supported ideoligion, omitting any divine domains stated to be unique to that ideoligion. This should be disclosed during the application process. At any time the [[Staff, Requirements and Applications|Game Masters]] may decide another ideoligion’s statistics are more suitable for the ideoligion described.
-Explicitly disallowed settings include:
-* <code>Dark Sun</code>: Setting is too grimdark whereon anyone from Athas would be able to see Ravenloft as an objective escape.
+# Technology featured in these settings may not be in excess of the discovery of the steam engine. This includes complicated steam-powered machinery and/or electricity. Magitek is included in this clause.
-* <code>Gothic Earth</code>: Technology in excess of the steam engine, and a variant of Earth.
+# Characters may not come from any recognizable version of Earth. Recognizable in this context means that the version of Earth could produce characters who are identifiable as members of real societies and cultures irrespective to the time period featured.
-* <code>Spelljammer</code>: Magitek well in excess of the steam engine.
+# Any race must be represented by a playable race in ''The Domains of Dread'', no matter if they are fictionally called something else or differ in origin.
+# Ontological concepts such as alignment must be represented in setting as they appear in ''The Domains of Dread''—actions which are evil in the Realms of Terror, like dishonorable cannibalism, must also be evil in that setting.
+# The character’s selected class archetype in ''The Domains of Dread'' must be represented in their setting, no matter if they are [[Glossary|fictionally]] called something else or differ in origin.
+# The conditions of a homebrew or unsupported setting must not be “worse” than the Realms of Terror in an objective context. Every Outlander should feel a disconnect between their homeland and their experiences on the demiplane, rather than their Misting being an inarguable escape or improvement (subjective worldviews to the effect are acceptable).
+# Characters who represent Divine power from an unsupported ideoligion must use the same statistics as an officially supported ideoligion, omitting any divine domains which are unique to that ideoligion. This choice must be disclosed in the [[Applications and the Allowlist|application]] process. At any time the [[Staff, Requirements and Applications#Game Masters|Game Masters]] may decide another ideoligion’s statistics are more suitable for the ideoligion described.
+Disallowed settings include, but are not limited to:
+* <code>Dark Sun</code>: Ravenloft is an objective escape from Athas.
+* <code>Masque of the Red Death/Gothic Earth</code>: Version of Earth.
+* <code>Spelljammer</code>: Magitek in excess of the steam engine.
+* <code>Warhammer 40k</code>: Technology in excess of the steam engine. Warhammer Fantasy is however acceptable.