There's something about fictional worlds, whether they be written in a book, portrayed on a screen or the setting for a game it's an impressive thing for one mind (or group of minds) to create a whole new world for people to explore. It's also something that I think most players of D&D (or other RPGs) like to think about giving it a try from time to time. I'm no exception, so today i'm going to share a D&D setting that i've been thinking about and tweaking for maybe 1.5 years now. As my 1st attempt it's probably going to be a bit cliched and have a few flaws but I hope people find it interesting. I'm planning to run a test one shot (single session short story game) using it soon with the intention to make tweaks and then proceed to a full campaign later down the line. The setting was based on the idea of creating a campaign with a Mad Max feel, since magic makes resource problems (a core of the Mad Max world) impossible the solution I came up with was to turn magic itself into the resource with a scarcity issue. I would like to acknowledge that I was heavily inspired by the world of Timirianya in the Betrayal at Krondor video game (which was the 1st place I came across the concept of crystallized magic) but there's also a bit of Magic: the Gathering (the shard of 12 worlds) and RWBY in the mix (along with a bunch of other things i've read, watched and played, plus hopefully a healthy slice of my own originality).
The Setting : The plane of Bombora
The Lore: For aeons Bombora was a relatively peaceful plane with many thriving high magic civilizations but 95 years ago Bombora a great invading evil appeared and threatened to destroy all life. It was only through the combined efforts of magic users and Gods was the plane saved, however maybe it was a result of the clashing powers, a final curse from the invader, or even a side effect of our own efforts but for whatever unknown reason the great Shattering occurred. All of Bombora's magical power was altered, crystallized and now the plane is completely cut off from the outside. Ever since then while certain innate magic remains, long term magic such magic items and enchantments have become impossible to maintain and other greater magic power no longer works as it once did. Even the Gods themselves were reduced to but pale imitations of themselves capable of only a fraction of their original powers. The next 30 years was known as the Fall, a period in which the civilizations of the world came to realize just how dependent they had been on magic. Without the enchantments and magical items they had used to maintain weather, water and growth the crops failed, forests died off and the desert spread. Without the blessings and magical treatments disease also ran rampant throughout the lands. Civilizations fell and it was a truly dark time for Bombora.
30 A.S. (After Shattering) The elven wizard Lunelis and his partner the dwarven cleric Bryndeth (brave heroes who had previously helped fight the great evil) discovered a method of converting the crystal formed in the "Shattering" into magical power thus re-establishing access to some greater magics. They also discovered something new and unusual about the new post "Shattering" magic users - they were somehow innately generating a small amount of magical crystal, it was temporary and unstable but it was also a renewable magical resource leading to greater possibilities. At around the same time the dwarves and other mining races discovered that Bombora itself seemed to be producing magical crystal as a rare but obtainable resource deep within the plane's crust.
54 A.S. the human inventor Strom Goldbough who discovered a way to convert raw magical crystal, be it "Shattering" era, mined or produced by a magic user into a more lasting and reliable form, this form known colloquially as Macris (a shortening of Magic and Crystal) came to be seen as coinage and with their spread Strom gained political power culminating in Arura a new human city seen as a utopia by many. It came at a time of great need, the desert wilds had turned savage and bands of strangely powerful twisted beings known as the Warped were a constant threat to smaller communities.
72 A.S. the utopian ideals of Arura proved short lived and what once was a haven for humanity soon became a home exclusively for Aruran citizens. Outsiders could only gain citizenship through great wealth or other merits like the half-elf Zelanys who discovered how to use Macris to power many new inventions like technomagery powered vehicles and weapons.
This has been the status quo for the last 23 years. The Warped were discovered to be people who should have had magical powers but somehow the change which caused others to produce magic crystals instead caused them to warp physically becoming stronger and in most cases deranged. Arura looks only inward, the dwarves in their mountain kingdom of Talgara thrive in safety, the elves in their last surviving rainforest kingdom of Malyala are rumored to have discovered a new source of magic crystals and the rest of the world is left to survive in a brutal desert.
The mechanics: Because of the nature of the setting certain changes need to be made to standard D&D 5E rules.
No Warlocks or other Class/Subclass/Race which relates to other planes. Bombora is completely cut off so powers and races from elsewhere can no longer gain access.
No magic spells or feats relating to other planes. This includes spells like Banishment, Conjure Elemental and Dimension Door from the SRD. Same reason as rule 1.
No magic items. (Technomagic items do exist)
No magic spells can last longer than 24 hours. Those that would act as normal until then but cease working afterwards.
Both the Wish spell and Divine Intervention can’t obtain results beyond the rules of the plane.
All cantrips and race/class abilities work as normal but any spells or abilities using a spell slot requires 1.5x the spells level of Macri (rounded down). 1, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 10, 12, 13.
All full casters start with the Technomage Adept feat and a Macri Focus (a magical focus that can store and burn Macri).
All tertiary casters start with the Technomage Initiate feat and a Macri Focus.
There is an additional subrace option - Warped.
Feat: Technomage Adept:
-Each morning after a long rest the character gains 1 Macri worth of magic crystal dust per caster level.
-The character may spend a day of downtime and all their spell slots to gain twice the regular amount of magic crystal dust the next morning.
-The character is proficient in technomagery devices.
-The character can use 1 Macri (or equivalent in magic crystals) to give a weapon, armor or piece of ammunition a +1 bonus for 1 hour (this can not be used multiple times on the same item).
Feat: Technomage Initiate:
-The character may spend a day of downtime and all their spell slots to gain 1 Macri worth of magic crystal dust for each 2 spell slots spent the next morning.
-The character is proficient in technomagery devices.
NOTE: Magic crystal dust can function like Macris but it only lasts for 48 hours before evaporating. It can be converted into Macris but that technology is expensive and exclusive to the Arura kingdom.
Subrace: Warped:
A warped character can be of any race. They cannot use magic and have -1 to all their mental stats (Intelligence, Wisdom and Charisma) but they gain +2 to a physical stat (Strength, Dexterity or Constitution), expertise in Arcana and have Magical Resistance (advantage against saving throws made against magic spell effects). Warped are primarily chaotic evil but some fight against their savage nature.
I hope that you enjoyed this different take on an article, if anyone wants to give this setting/system change a try please do so with my blessing (any constructive feedback would also be amazing).