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Morningstar



Semi-finalist in the Wizards of the Coast Setting Search

At Stake...

Two worlds of great natural beauty locked in a struggle that threatens to destroy them both. Thraxis and Arril: blue sisters sharing an orbit, with continents, seas, and life.

A world in the midst of an Age of Majesty many believe will never end: nine diverse Empires at the peak of magical and cultural achievement. A world that has never known an Age of Darkness, where men and women push themselves daily to greater heights. It is an age of innocence and hope, when possibility knows no bounds.

Elder races untouched by the decay of time, great monuments to man's resourcefulness and his hubris. Mystic power waiting to be claimed, and a destiny still in the making. Dragons ruling an empire, a land that can forge gods.

The Threat...

The Canticle of the Morning Star: an inscrutable living Prophecy that is either a warning, or a malevolent force leading mankind towards annihilation.

The world has become a beacon to those who wish to subvert, destroy or command, and they are flocking here, bringing their alien wars in a bid that will alter the course of history and the nature of reality. Celestials, demons, devils, gods, and a sophisticated race called The Strangers compete with men, elves, dwarves and halflings to recast this idyllic planet in their own images.

Salvation...

This book, which contains:

  • Elder races of an ilk that have been banished from most other worlds: 3 supernatural subraces of dwarf, 5 types of fey elves.
  • Two new core classes: the artificer, commander of elemental spirits called numina which animate devices of his own design, and the Eidolon, champion of the people and a hero to defy legend.
  • Rules for signature and countersignature magics that allow GMs and resourceful players to forge their own places of power. Strengthen yourself while hindering your enemies.
  • A study on the Canticle, its threats, its potential, and tips on how to keep your players guessing.
  • A world made for heroes of every description, where the greatest deeds are yet to be performed.

    • But everything comes with a price.

    Morningstar is a plot-driven world. The Canticle of the Morning Star will slowly uncoil with each new release, revealing secrets woven insidiously throughout the world. Morningstar is far more than a gazetteer or sourcebook.

    Preview: Click here for a 22-page preview of Morningstar character options. (1.4 MB PDF)

    Additional Material: Morningstar supplements are on the way, as are several freebies and articles:

    Reviews

    • D20 Magazine Rack: A-. "One thing is certain, having seen this setting, I'm getting very anxious to see Eberron (the winner of the campaign setting search as chosen by Wizards of the Coast). If it's as impressive as Morningstar, it's going to be nothing short of fantastic!"
    • EN World: 4 stars. "Morningstar is an excellent start for a new setting and rapid support online and in print will help expand the potential that I see here."

    Art of Morningstar

    Morningstar is a graphically beautiful book, elegantly designed and gloriously presented. Here is a preview of some of the art concerning Brendir, the greatest of the Empires and the focus of the book.


    The Canali are an architectural wonder: aqueducts that carry water to all corners of the Empire.


    Brendirian towns and cities follow a standard, idealized design.


    The Eidolon is a hero of the people, sustained by their belief as he performs bold deeds in their name.

    Key Gameplay Elements

  • The Golden Age is Now. The focus of most fantasy settings is a pseudomedieval paradigm, where the heroes recover ancient relics, fight monsters with origins lost in the annals of time, and explore dungeons built by vanished or diminished races. The heroes' achievements are amazing, but the greatest warriors of the present age always live in the shadow of some ancient hero who challenged the gods. In Morningstar, the golden age is now. Your character lives the magnificent legends that future adventurers will strive to best. Your character is a creator of artifacts, progenitor of a fantastic species, or a member of one of the great races lost to many worlds.
  • Elder Races as Classes. The elder races in Morningstar are treated as classes, though ECLs are given for d20 purists. A character can choose to advance within his race as he wishes, up to fifth level, multiclassing as desired.
  • Places of Power. The world of Thraxis is awash in magic. This is represented with spectrum mechanics. Certain areas have a magical spectrum, which means that certain magics are easier or harder to pull off. The strength of these areas ranges from 1-6, with 1 being incidental, and 6 being dramatic. For example, an area might have a spectrum strength of Necrotic/Ignan 6, which means that death magic is greatly enhanced, while fire magics are greatly weakened. This area might be a dismal swamp choked with undead, or a cold, dark area where fires do not burn. Spectrum affects more than just magic, and adds a cohesive theme and atmosphere to an adventure. Enhanced magics are called signature magics, and hindered magics are called countersignature magics. Each signature can pair off with any other as its countersignature to create some really unique places.
  • An Age of Magical Constructs. The magnificent Artificer is a powerful new class on Thraxis. His constructs are animated by numina (singular: numinus), minor elemental spirits or patterns found in nature that work with an Artificer as they try to evolve to a higher state. In fact, most living spirits on Thraxis were once numina. These spirits are part of what makes the Artificer a worthwhile class. While the standard golems from the MM are animated by earth spirits, numina come in many types. An air numinus allows your constructs to fly, and a fire numinus explodes when destroyed. These mechanics work together to elegantly allow for the creation of wonders such as ornithopters, scorpion golems, and the like.

    • Curious about how Morningstar has evolved from the original Setting Search entry? Click here to read the original submission. (28K Microsoft Word document.)

    Writer: R. Scott Kennan
    Cover Artist: Michael Erickson.
    Interior Artists: Tom Galambos, Andy Hopp, Kennon James, William McAusland, Jennifer Meyer, and Scott Purdy
    Cartography: Clayon Bunce

    GMG4100. 160 pages, hardback. $30.00.