Remlia Map Breakdown

I'm gearing up to run Princes of the Apocalypse, but in my home setting of Generica (of which Remlia is the main country where humans live).

I've run G+ games there before, but in different sections of the country. Here's a quick image to show where exactly Eastern and Western Remlia are located on the map proper.

Also I have no idea how the scale works. At times I've described Remlia being about as big as Washington state, other times its more on par with Ontario.

Dopplegangers in Generica

"When the gods looked away, something slipped into the world. It held an elm branch in front of its face, so it could not be seen. It busied itself in the affairs of elves and men. It smiled and seemed friendly.

When the elves and men looked away, it wet its lips and ate them up. It crunched their bones and slurped their brains. It pulled the elm branch away, and it had the face of an elf and the face of a man. It was both and neither. 

When the gods looked back and saw this, they were confused. "Wh-what is that?!" they cried, "Did you make that? Who made that?!" All replied "Not I". "Wh-what is it? WHAT IS IT?!" they shouted, no one would take the blame. 

If someone busies themselves in your affairs, if they're not quite elf or man, if they smile and seem friendly, do not look away"
-Saul Spidermin, recounting an old fey tale.

Dopplegangers in Remlia

In the world of Generica there are many creatures that can change their faces. Ancient wyrms are said to take the form of bent travellers, hags and vampires can take the shape of comely lasses and nubile men, even goblins can imitate the traits of those better than them. None compare to the imitation that is a doppleganger.

Dopplegangers are scary in concept. They're a creature that can look like anyone and exist to steal your secrets and take your place. That can be pretty arresting stuff. Then again, there's a lot of monsters that can look like other things. Mimics can look like various inanimate objects, changelings can do most of the things dopplegangers can do, but less so.

So I propose that they're all one and the same.

The perfect imitator.

A doppleganger is an intangible and inhuman thing, trying to mimic other lifeforms. Perhaps they start out simple and formless; small creatures with rudimentary transformation abilities. Relatively harmless, until they begin to learn more.

Not especially intimidating at first.

Then they become Mimics, moving up the food chain, bettering their ability to blend in and change shape. With greater intelligence, they become masters at imitating inanimate objects. Only once they've devoured a sapient creature's brains can they shapeshift into one.

An especially large Mimic.

They then become Changelings; fully sapient and aware, able to blend in with the gatherings of other humanoid sapient creatures. Here the changeling can either fully adopt its chosen form permanently, or continue its more monstrous existence as an alien other. Most choose the latter. After they've consumed the brains of more than one race of creatures, they become true Dopplegangers.

Their imitations are now flawless.

True dopplegangers are masters of imitation and disguise, able to shift forms quickly and imitate creatures perfectly, even their most prized strengths and traits. This masterful imitation does not come without a price, however. Dopplegangers have assimilated many different creatures, and under extreme duress they have trouble differentiating between them. When this happens, they become a 'Thing'.

*Unworldly howl*

A Thing is a twisted amalgamation of all of the objects and people a doppleganger has assumed. Incredibly dangerous and unpredictable. This is the true form of a shapeshifter.

Family of Imitators

A doppleganger is an inhuman thing that looks human (or looks elven, or dwarven, etc). It can also look like any object of a certain size. The types of forms they can take depend on what they've encountered and consumed.

These monsters are statistically the same as how they're listed in the Monster Manual (type v), but with the following changes:

• Because shapechangers confound the divine powers that be, they are immune to radiant and necrotic damage, even if assuming the form of something vulnerable against such damage.
• If you encounter a doppleganger that is imitating YOU, you are immediately surprised and cannot save against this. However, this surprise effect can only effect you once during combat.

Formless Shapechanger (Ditto) - Challenge 1/2

More novelty than threat.

• A small blob-like creature, these shapechangers are often mistaken for oozes. 
• They can assume the shape, size, and texture of various small objects. However, this imitation is poor, and only a simpleton would confuse the creature for the real thing (low DC check to reveal).
• These roly-poly shapechangers are prized by rich nobles to be used in parlour games and during parties. Extremely rich families sometimes keep them as pets.
• Once a shapechanger has tasted blood, it becomes a Mimic, able to grow teeth.

Mimic - Challenge 2

A mimic midway through its transformation into a changeling.

• Mimics can only imitate simple and inanimate objects such as doors, walls, floors, chests, etc.
• A mimic forms inside of itself a blood-red gem. This gem holds the image of their true form and various other unworldly memories. It is worth 1d4 x 25gp.
• When a mimic consumes the brain of a sentient creature, it can then change its appearance to that race of creature. Consumption of brain matter also imbues it with all of that creature's memories. It becomes a Changeling.

Changeling - Challenge 3 (able to be played as a PC race in some games)

• A changeling can imitate any humanoid creature it sees. It also gains the 'telepathy' trait.
• A changeling can only perfectly imitate creatures of races who's brains it has consumed. 
• A changeling is susceptible to charm and sleep effects at this stage, but has advantage against them.
• A changeling cannot imitate weapons or inanimate objects while imitating a person.
• A changeling's internal gem is worth 1d4 x 50gp.
• Changelings can telepathically bond to a single creature, assuming that form perminantly. Now that they are functionally that creature's double, they are psychically linked. If one dies, the other dies as well. When one is harmed, the other feels the pain as well.
• This is the stage at which a changeling can choose to continue down the path of evil or attempt to fully hide its true nature. The changeling is compelled to consume brain matter, and must make Constitution saves (moderate DC) at the end of every ten-day to resist this compulsion. Once more than one sapient race's brains are absorbed, the changeling becomes a true doppleganger.

Doppleganger - Challenge 3-4

Seeing a doppleganger as yourself is psychologically unnerving.

• A doppleganger can imitate any race of sapient creature it has seen and encountered. While imitating these creatures it is identical to them in all but statistics.
• A doppleganger, using its telepathy, can peer into another creature's mind and memories, imitating any person that that creature has known or thought about. 
• Consuming a person's brain imbues the doppleganger with the consumed creature's powers. Now, when it imitates that specific person, its stats become identical to that person's stats, provided they're better than its own. This includes hit points, armour class, observed weapons, and class features.
• A doppleganger can only use the powers of the creature it is currently imitating. If it's a warrior, it cannot cast spells unless it assumes the form of a spellcaster.
• When a doppleganger imitates a creature using weapons, it forms those weapons out of its own flesh. They deal the same damage as those weapons would normally, and have the same tensile strength. Dopplegangers cannot imitate the effects of a magical weapon/armour, but they can perfectly imitate their appearance.
• A dropped doppleganger weapon acts as an extension of its body, able to imitate other things of a similar size. A doppleganger can create no more than 4 weapons at a time. When the doppleganger dies, these weapons persist. If they kill and consume the creature who killed their host body, they can reform with all of their memories and abilities intact.
• Dopplegangers are immune to charm person, hold person, and sleep spells. They will, however, still make spell saves against them. On a failed save, the doppleganger pretends to be affected by the spell, attempting to fool its enemies.
• A doppleganger's gem is worth 2d4 x 75gp
• When a doppleganger is bloodied (at half hit points or below) it must make Constitution saves at the beginning of its turn (low DC). If it fails it transforms into a Thing.

Thing - Challenge 5-6

• A Thing is a monstrosity, capable of three attacks per round, and a fear aura (Spell Save DC equal to the highest level spellcaster whose brains it has consumed, or whichever DC is referenced if you don't know).
• When transformed, a Thing immediately gains 8d6 hit points and has resistance to all non-magical weapon damage. It is, however, now vulnerable to fire.
• A Thing's attacks are randomly determined. Each attack draws on a creature that it had imitated in life. Attacks with an asterisk can only be used once. If you roll them again, the Thing uses a basic Slam attack (doppleganger stats).
• A Thing's gem is worth the same amount as its Doppleganger form's gem, but plus 100gp extra.

Roll 1d8	Attack	Effect
1.	Morningstar Swipe	+6 to hit, 1d8+5 bludgeoning damage.
2.	Pseudopods	1 or 2 targets, +6 to hit, 1d6+5 bludgeoning damage each.
3.	Impaling Tendrils	+4 to hit, 2d6+3 piercing damage. Target must make a Dex save (moderate DC) or be impaled, taking another 1d6 damage and is restrained.
4.	Magic Missile	Part of a wizard’s torso emerges from the Thing. It casts magic missile as a 2nd level spell.
5.	Suggestion	(Moderate Spell Save DC) It suggests that the target should attack its friends.
6.	Melf’s Acid Arrow	(Moderate Spell Save DC) It casts acid arrow as a 3rd level spell.
7.	Hold Person*	(High Spell Save DC) Part of a cleric’s torso emerges from the Thing.
8.	Cure Wounds*	It casts cure wounds as a 3rd level spell.

40 "important" questions answered about Generica.

Recently Scrap Princess on Google+ (who writes an incredible blog, Monster Manual Sewn From Pants, check it out!) wrote out a list of "important" questions that every DM should eventually be prepared to answer about their game world. Said list was inspired by a similar, but more straight forward, list of questions made by Jeff Rients.

Below are my answers to both. They've been mixed and mashed up together into one big list. You wanna parse them out, you gotta visit their original author's sites, which you should do anyway because they're cool people.

1. Is there weaponized squid?

Yeah. You can get them in the Jagged Bone Islands, along with dinosaur mounts. That place is straight up Monster Hunter.

This is where you gotta go.

2. What is the deal with my cleric's religion?

You can worship any deity you can come up with, though he/she/them may not be recognized by ordinary folks, who will lump them in with either the "old gods" or the "new gods", neither of which are thought well of.

3. Is there undead robots?

Zomborgs. They patrol the corrosion wastes of the Praxis Territories. They have rust monster powers and can only be killed using weapons made of Rowan and Ash in equal measure, or so the old coot dwarves say.

"Fused in unholy union of flesh and metal..."

4. Where can we go to buy standard equipment?

Every town of a 100 souls or more must have an 'item shoppe', where most inventory items can be purchased. Smaller villages make due with travelling tinkers and caravans. The best place to buy supplies is the capitol city of Gran Remiel.

5. Where is the nearest dragon or monster with type H treasure?

In Remlia? The Ice Queen is a monstrous despot who has a tower in the northwest corner of the country, along the shore. The Ice Queen is dead. Her 'type H' treasure sits unguarded and unclaimed in her tower.

The queen is dead. Long live the queen.

6. Any legendary lost treasures I can be searching for?

The monarchy still offers a sizeable reward to anyone who can recover the lost crown of Ventrix Battlehammer, lost in a ruin deep within the Everwood. It is said to be a coronet with the eyeballs of seven grand medusa inlaid in its band instead of jewels.

7. What is the most significant tree to the economy of the starting place?

A large lemon tree, planted on the small island where Gran Remiel was founded. "...and to mark that sweet moment, our people planted this lemon tree. Lemons being the sweetest fruit available at the time".

8. How much money can I make inventing siege engines?

Innovations in siege warfare technology are greatly rewarded by the monarchy, as titans are becoming a growing threat to the country. Covenants known to reward such inventions are the Lady's Alliance, the Slime Riders, and Red Falcon.

9. Do icebergs walk across the land?

Not since the age of fire, but few venture far north enough to see the great ice flows anymore. They very well still might.

10. What do birds know?

Where the worms at.

11. Where can we go to get plate-mail custom fitted for this monster I just befriended?

Gran Remiel has the best smiths, though Glassbridge is a close second if you're out in the wilds.

12. Who is the mightiest wizard in the land?

In Remlia, Headmistress Von Palaque, archmage and elected leader of the Gran Remiel magic college. South of the border, there are seven evil high magister elves who rule the desert nation of Figaro. All of whom are more powerful.

13. Who is the greatest warrior in the land? 

Tavish Sang. Human warrior, ex-leader of the Remlian army, now the Red Hand of Tiamat. Tavish Sang was killed on the moon by adventurers. The cult of Tiamat has yet to find a new Red Hand. 

14. Does medicine work like it does here but no-one knows CPR or does it work like a cartoon so I cure amnesia with more head injuries or does it work like medieval euro people though it did with demons in your teeth?

When in doubt, cartoon rules apply. However, not everyone is aware of this. Especially not those who practice medicine.

15. I want to play a hobbit but really I'm the fleas controlling the hobbit. Where is that in the book?

So friend of the blog Natalie Bennett has applied a ruling that I like to use. "When making a character, you have to be able to explain it to me while keeping a straight face in order to be allowed to play it". This is known as the Bennett Rule. 

16. How much could I rent my body out to spirits before I lost control of my character?

A human body can hold up to 1d6 spirits at a time. Dwarves 1d4. Elves, tieflings, and other fancy fey races can hold up to 2d12. Half-orcs and halflings can only hold 2, which it's believed is because they have tiny minds. If you go over your allotted limit, the spirits drown out your original personality, and you cease to exist as a person.

Payment for a rented body is typically 6 soul gems a month. Double if the body is considered really hot. 

An abundance of ghosts.

17. How about gladiatorial arenas complete with hard-won glory and fabulous cash prizes?

Port Martel has a famed underground gameosphere, where pirates and lizardfolk do battle for the amusement of garish nobles. Its very Thunderdome.

18. Are there any secret societies with sinister agendas I could join and/or fight?

Zöströ is a secret cabal of nobles and trade concerns who aim to rid Remlia of its queen, end the divine Battlehammer line, and institute the dreaded practice known as democracy. They are frequently linked with the mercenary company Red Falcon.

19. What is there to eat around here?

Remlia produces a great deal of pigs (spherical) and cows (cube-shaped). Both of which produce cylindrical haunches of meat held around a single bone. This life restoring meat can also sometimes be found held within the broken walls of dungeons.

How food make.

20. What level do I have to get my character to before I am the GM?

I dunno. 10th level? If you've stuck around in this campaign that long, I don't see why not.

21. What is the dumbest thing I can spend my money on?

Debatable. Either the "100 pies for 100gp" special held by Myrtle's Fine Baked Goods and Supply in Gran Remiel, or a really expensive and stupid looking hat, probably.

22. How ugly can my guy be? Like Can I basically be a walking fish?

"Walking Fish" is a derogatory term used to describe dragonborn, which you can play. You can be as ugly as you like, provided you can roll with people reacting to you in kind.

23. Which way to the nearest tavern?

In Gran Remiel, down. 

24. What monsters are terrorizing the countryside sufficiently that if I kill them I will become famous?

Titans.

They are exactly how they look and sound.

25. Are there any wars brewing I could go fight?

Remlia is currently at war with the southern nation of Figaro, where all the evil elves live. They're also technically still at war with the Dragonborn in the Praxis Territories to the north. Conflicts with the Ice Queen have ended since her death.

26. Is there reverse fire? If so, is there reverse water?

Not as of yet, but we have our top men working on it.

27. Can I invent an insect?

I dunno, can you? I'd probably say yes.

28. Which is the rome but with lava fire country in this world?

One of the city states of Figaro is that. It is ruled by the High Magister Fanfar, Master of Infrastructure. Hail Fanfar, lord of flame.

29. Who is the richest person in the land?

In Remlia, the princess-regent Penelope Battlehammer.

Elsewhere, High Magister Mindartis of Figaro, Master of Coin. Mindartis is dead, killed by a 'hold person' spell and a 1000 foot drop. Hail Fanfar, lord of flame.

30. Where can we go to get some magical healing?

The church of light allows all good aligned creatures into its halls to be healed...for a "small" donation of coin and blood.

31. Where can we go to get cures for the following conditions: poison, disease, curse, level drain, lycanthropy, polymorph, alignment change, death, undeath?

Poison/Disease/Curse can be removed in any major church/temple, for a fee.

Lycanthropy/Polymorph/Undeath require older magics and remedies. Seek the druids of the Everwood.

Death can be reversed with a Reincarnation ritual. Raise Dead does not currently exist in Generica as it is currently written.

Alignment is not real. It is an invention of gods to hold mortal beings back. It does not exist.

32. Can my character not be real , but a hallucination of another character?

Yes. That said, if you want to play that, its on you to bring the bulk of the rules to the table for it.

33. What cultures approve of cannibalism?

Figaro elves, desert halflings, and the savages of the Eastern Badlands.

34. Can I start with weapon hands?

Catpeople and sometimes Golems start play with claws, which deal short sword damage. If you're playing a character whose hands got chopped off/replaced with/transformed into weapons, you can use it normally but take disadvantage to most charisma-based situations.

Also, you can't hold kittens/shake hands/masturbate with sword hands. So there's that. 

35. Is there a magic guild my MU belongs to or that I can join in order to get more spells?

The magic college of Gran Remiel is the largest collection of non-elven magical knowledge in the country. You can often learn new spells there (plus get your degree in under three years!).

The only thing approximating a magic guild is the Remlian Mage's Union (local 667), which you need to be registered under before you can legally cast spells in the capitol.

Gran Remiel magic college and tower.

36. Where can I find an alchemist, sage or other expert NPC?

Gran Remiel for highbrow, fancy experts. Port Martel for lowbrow 'street' experts.

37. Where can I hire mercenaries?

Mercenary companies that aren't evil are rare. It's much easier to buy a Pawn.

38. How does physics work in this world?

migelfutosi on Twitpic

You ever see an anime? It's like that most of the time.

39. The lamp oil? Is that like cooking oil, kerosene, white spirits or napalm?

Kerosene. You can chuck a lamp at an enemy and it'll do the same damage as a flask of oil + torch. You'll ruin your lamp though.

40. Is there any place on the map where swords are illegal, magic is outlawed or any other notable hassles from Johnny Law?

• Gran Remiel: Magic is regulated but the bureaucracy that enforces it is bloated and ineffectual.
• Port Martel: Magic is outlawed and is punishable with excruciating death.
• Greenest: This halfling town has banned piercing/slashing weapons. People staying in town must have their weaponry peace-bonded in clinging-gel.
• Fort Woodsummit: Any/all able bodied women and men can be conscripted into military service in the event of a Dragonborn attack. Refusal is considered treason, punishable by death.