D&D homebrew setting advice

Sure, why not. If it's 3.5e I can contribute a bunch.

I'm interested in more of the history/culture/religion aspects than mechanics, but interested nonetheless.

Ok, so, let's get this thing started. It's currently called the "Heritage" setting, until a better name is found, because bloodlines, especially magical ones are particularly important. However, that's a secondary conceit. The biggest feature is certain mechanics and D&D traditions being respun. Specifically, it all started with an idea for a deity I had long before there was a setting to go with it. It's called "The Balance" and is true neutral, and unlike other deities, not only allows but requires clerics to pick opposing domains, I'll cover to the specifics when I get to the deities, but that idea eventually made me to decide to reimagine other aspects, mostly races having their law/chaos axis flipped and corresponding changes to their cultures, which is where I think I'll start:

Elves:
Rather than the free-spirited egalitarians of traditional D&D, the elves in my system are rigid and inflexible, with a racial inclination to lawful good with lawful neutral tendencies. They live in a magocratic, casted society, but one's caste is determined by professional aptitude, not birth. Although the castes have different levels of societal influence, and it is considered unthinkable for a member of a lower caste to refuse a lawful, sane instruction from a member of a higher caste, all are believed to be of equal necessity to the existence of elven society. (No, I'm not ripping off the Qunari, I had not played DA2 when I made this.) The castes are, from highest to lowest: Mages (arcane full casters), Priests, Military, Makers (craftsmen and farmers), Providers (cooks, innkeepers, animal trainers, basically anyone in a service or hospitality industry), Entertainers, Merchants, and Travelers (any elf that has official business outside the elven lands, from spies and informants to traders and explorers). Each caste, except Mages, then has two grades: the upper grade is those who can use magic, and the lower grade is those who cannot. The semi-exception is the Priestly caste, in which the upper grade is PC caster classes (cleric, favored soul, archivist) who are the priests/priestesses, clergy, or whatever title you wish to give to the fully ordained members; while the lower grade is the Adept NPC class, who perform the day to day management of the temples. For the military, this means that the officers and elite units are those who have at least some magical and martial ability (paladins, rangers, warmages, hexblades, duskblades, beguilers), while the enlisted are those without. Further, the elves are the only race that knows the secrets of magewrighting, and magewrights make up the upper grades of most the remaining castes. Although the castes are assigned externally, it is possible for those seeking greater station to petition for membership in a higher caste. Specifically, the Priest and Military castes are made up exclusively of those who wished to join, The Priest cast is exclusive and will only take those with at least some connection to the divine, however small, while the military will take all those brave enough to stand in battle. Outside the hierarchy is the Druidic caste, druids and rangers who answer to no one but the land itself, but have no formal authority beyond that necessary to protect the land. Despite their lack of official power, they are greatly respected and most will defer to them anything that is necessary, except in circumstances of direst need.

Beyond the mere castes, their lives are highly structured and dictated by tradition. Even innovation and creativity are dictated by the approved processes. Things must be done the correct way to ensure proper results. Change and novelty are not exactly disliked, feared, or even resisted, as a useful new tool, spell, or way of doing something, so long as it developed by the sanctioned methods, will spread extremely quickly, and soon entirely supplant any prior way, with little to no resistance. Likewise, new songs, plays, poems, and works of art may find themselves eagerly placed alongside the hallowed creations of the great masters of the past, should the creator show enough skill and follow the ancient techniques of beautiful thought. But anyone who disregards the old ways will first be reproved, then shunned, and possibly even exiled if they refuse to correct themselves. To go against tradition is to disrespect one's ancestors.

The elves live in hollowed, living trees woven together by song-magic. An elven city is deeply integrated into the forest around it, and "buildings" are usually spaced far enough apart for many normal trees to grow amongst them. The elven capital of Ti'an Velon is the largest on the continent in both population and area.

Dwarves:
In stark contrast to the elves, the dwarves boisterous, rowdy men and women of highly independent mind sets. They are generally chaotic good, and live in smaller villages of 10 to 50 families. They generally live in natural caves, crudely walling in pockets along the sides to make homes for themselves, although they also build simple huts dug into the ground in flatlands where no caves are available. Much like the Vikings of our world, they supplement their food and wealth by raiding, targeting lairs and settlements of evil creatures for pillage. They conduct their raids via tunnelships, longboat like vessels that move under the ground in the same manner as a xorn. The ships are owned communally, no one person or even family may lay claim to them. Each village is generally independent, and led by an elected hetman who suggests courses of action for each family, oversees trials, organizes raids and defenses, and takes stewardship of the tunnel ship. Beyond that there is no hierarchy or structure to dwarven civilization, not nation or ultimate leader. Although each village maintains trading and diplomatic ties to it's neighbors, only a great threat can truly unite the dwarves into anything more than a loose association. They barely even have lands, as the above ground portions of the areas in which they live are populated primarily by nomadic and semi-nomadic humanoids, mostly human and hobgoblin barbarian tribes.

Dwarfs generally favor practicality over beauty, and utility over ornamentation. Though normally easygoing, their temper, when provoked, is legendary. When calm, they appreciate good drink, good friends, and simple pleasures; when angry they will tear through solid rock to reach the target of their ire. Dwarven craftsmanship is also legendary, at least in certain areas. Their artistry is crude and unremarkable, often being little more than roughly beaten precious metals, but their weapons and armor are unsurpassed in sheer brutal efficiency. While an elvish rapier can seem light as a feather and balance on a fingertip, a dwarven axe will cleave through a boulder and still hold an edge. Dwarven armor might be bulky and cumbersome, but it can take a beating from an enraged ogre and be no worse for wear afterwards.

About 1 in 50 dwarves is born with golden skin and a gift of personality. These births are celebrated and the children are raised from infancy into the skaldic traditions of the dwarves, and marked for life as potential poets of renown. Even those that choose, upon entering adulthood, to pursue other careers usually retain at least some talent with words or instruments, from long hours spent training if nothing else. (Mechanically, shield dwarves have a favored class of barbarian instead of fighter, while gold dwarves have a favored class of bard.)

More to follow, I've been at this for a while now.

Going to write up a few of these elves. Some are obviously not meant to be player characters, but it seems... odd for an adventurer to be much other than traveller or warrior anyway.

Ehh. Use them or don't; I had fun with them either way.



Elf Mage
- +2 Dexterity, +4 intelligence, +4 charisma, -2 strength, -2 Constitution.

- Medium: As Medium creatures, elves have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size.

- Elf base land speed is 30 feet.

- Immunity to magic sleep effects, and a +6 racial saving throw bonus against enchantment spells or effects.

- Low-Light Vision: An elf can see twice as far as a human in starlight, moonlight, torchlight, and similar conditions of poor illumination. She retains the ability to distinguish color and detail under these conditions.

- An elf mage's caster level is treated as five higher for the purposes of any arcane spell she casts.
+2 racial bonus on Listen, Search, and Spot checks. An elf who merely passes within 5 feet of a secret or concealed door is entitled to a Search check to notice it as if she were actively looking for it.

- Automatic Languages: Common and Elven. Bonus Languages: Draconic, Gnoll, Gnome, Goblin, Orc, and Sylvan.

- Favored Class: Wizard. A multiclass elf mage’s wizard class does not count when determining whether she takes an experience point penalty for multiclassing.
Level Adjustment: 5. An elf mage's effective character level is treated as five higher for the purposes of determining the experience she requires to attain each level.

Elf high priest
+2 Dexterity, +4 wisdom, -2 Constitution.

- Medium: As Medium creatures, elves have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size.

- Elf base land speed is 30 feet.

- Immunity to magic sleep effects, and a +4 racial saving throw bonus against enchantment spells or effects.

- Low-Light Vision: An elf can see twice as far as a human in starlight, moonlight, torchlight, and similar conditions of poor illumination. She retains the ability to distinguish color and detail under these conditions.

- Weapon Proficiency: Elf high priests receive the Martial Weapon Proficiency feats for the longsword, rapier, longbow (including composite longbow), and shortbow (including composite shortbow) as bonus feats.

+2 racial bonus on Listen, Search, and Spot checks. An elf who merely passes within 5 feet of a secret or concealed door is entitled to a Search check to notice it as if she were actively looking for it.

- An elf high priest's caster level is treated as three higher for the purposes of any divine spell she casts.
- Automatic Languages: Common and Elven. Bonus Languages: Draconic, Gnoll, Gnome, Goblin, Orc, and Sylvan.

- Favored Class: Cleric. A multiclass elf high priest’s cleric class does not count when determining whether she takes an experience point penalty for multiclassing.
- Level adjustment: 3. An elf high priest's effective character level is treated as three higher for the purposes of determining the experience she requires to attain each level.

Elf priest:
+2 wisdom, -2 Constitution.

- Medium: As Medium creatures, elves have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size.

- Elf base land speed is 30 feet.

- Immunity to magic sleep effects, and a +2 racial saving throw bonus against enchantment spells or effects.

- Low-Light Vision: An elf can see twice as far as a human in starlight, moonlight, torchlight, and similar conditions of poor illumination. She retains the ability to distinguish color and detail under these conditions.

- Weapon Proficiency: Elf priests receive the Martial Weapon Proficiency feats for the longsword, rapier, longbow (including composite longbow), and shortbow (including composite shortbow) as bonus feats.

+2 racial bonus on Listen, Search, and Spot checks. An elf who merely passes within 5 feet of a secret or concealed door is entitled to a Search check to notice it as if she were actively looking for it.

- Automatic Languages: Common and Elven. Bonus Languages: Draconic, Gnoll, Gnome, Goblin, Orc, and Sylvan.

- Favored Class: Adept. A multiclass elf priest’s adept class does not count when determining whether she takes an experience point penalty for multiclassing.

Elf high warrior
+4 Dexterity, +2 strength
, -2 wisdom
- Medium: As Medium creatures, elves have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size.

- Elf base land speed is 30 feet.

- Immunity to magic sleep effects, and a +2 racial saving throw bonus against enchantment spells or effects.

- Low-Light Vision: An elf can see twice as far as a human in starlight, moonlight, torchlight, and similar conditions of poor illumination. She retains the ability to distinguish color and detail under these conditions.

- Weapon Proficiency: Elf high warriors receive the Martial Weapon Proficiency feats for the longsword, rapier, longbow (including composite longbow), and shortbow (including composite shortbow) as bonus feats.

+2 racial bonus on Listen, Search, and Spot checks. An elf who merely passes within 5 feet of a secret or concealed door is entitled to a Search check to notice it as if she were actively looking for it.

- Automatic Languages: Common and Elven. Bonus Languages: Draconic, Gnoll, Gnome, Goblin, Orc, and Sylvan.

- Favored Class: Duskblade. A multiclass elf high warrior’s duskblade class does not count when determining whether she takes an experience point penalty for multiclassing.
Level adjustment: +2. An elf high warrior's effective character level is treated as two higher for the purposes of determining the experience she requires to attain each level.

Elf Warrior
+2 Dexterity, +2 strength
, -2 wisdom
, -2 intelligence
- Medium: As Medium creatures, elves have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size.

- Elf base land speed is 30 feet.

- Immunity to magic sleep effects, and a +2 racial saving throw bonus against enchantment spells or effects.

- Low-Light Vision: An elf can see twice as far as a human in starlight, moonlight, torchlight, and similar conditions of poor illumination. She retains the ability to distinguish color and detail under these conditions.

- Weapon Proficiency: Elf high warriors receive the Martial Weapon Proficiency feats for the longsword, rapier, longbow (including composite longbow), and shortbow (including composite shortbow) as bonus feats.

+2 racial bonus on Listen, Search, and Spot checks. An elf who merely passes within 5 feet of a secret or concealed door is entitled to a Search check to notice it as if she were actively looking for it.

- Elf warriors are magically inert, granting them spell resistance equal to 11+HD, but preventing them from casting spells.
- Automatic Languages: Common and Elven. Bonus Languages: Draconic, Gnoll, Gnome, Goblin, Orc, and Sylvan.

- Favored Class: Fighter. A multiclass elf high warrior’s fighter class does not count when determining whether she takes an experience point penalty for multiclassing.

Elf high maker (Also makes elf high provider, entertainer or merchant)
+4 wisdom (Makers and Providers)
/+4 charisma (Entertainers or merchants), -2 strength, -2 constitution
- Medium: As Medium creatures, elves have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size.

- Elf base land speed is 30 feet.

- Immunity to magic sleep effects, and a +2 racial saving throw bonus against enchantment spells or effects.

- Low-Light Vision: An elf can see twice as far as a human in starlight, moonlight, torchlight, and similar conditions of poor illumination. She retains the ability to distinguish color and detail under these conditions.

- Choose any three craft skills (for a maker), or three perform skills (for an entertainer), or the survival, Knowledge (Nature) and knowledge (Geography) skills (for a provider) or the appraise, diplomacy and bluff skills (For a merchant). You gain a +6 bonus on the chosen skills, and they are always a class skill for you.
- Automatic Languages: Common and Elven. Bonus Languages: Draconic, Gnoll, Gnome, Goblin, Orc, and Sylvan.

- Favored Class: Factotum or bard. A multiclass elf high maker’s factotum or bard class, whichever has more levels, does not count when determining whether she takes an experience point penalty for multiclassing.

- Level adjustment: +1. An elf high maker's effective character level is treated as one higher for the purposes of determining the experience she requires to attain each level.

Elf maker (Also makes elf provider, entertainer or merchant)
+2 wisdom (Makers and Providers)
/+2 charisma (Entertainers or merchants), -2 strength, -2 constitution

- Medium: As Medium creatures, elves have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size.

- Elf base land speed is 30 feet.

- Immunity to magic sleep effects, and a +2 racial saving throw bonus against enchantment spells or effects.

- Low-Light Vision: An elf can see twice as far as a human in starlight, moonlight, torchlight, and similar conditions of poor illumination. She retains the ability to distinguish color and detail under these conditions.

- Choose any two craft skills (for a maker), or two perform skills (for an entertainer), or the survival and Knowledge (Nature) skills (for a provider) or the appraise and diplomacy skills (For a merchant). You gain a +4 bonus on the chosen skills, and they are always a class skill for you.

- Elf makers are magically inert, granting them spell resistance equal to 11+HD, but preventing them from casting spells.
- Automatic Languages: Common and Elven. Bonus Languages: Draconic, Gnoll, Gnome, Goblin, Orc, and Sylvan.

- Favored Class: Expert. A multiclass elf high maker’s expert class does not count when determining whether she takes an experience point penalty for multiclassing.


Elf high traveller

- Choose an ability score. The elf high traveller gains a +2 bonus to that ability score.
- Medium: As Medium creatures, elves have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size.

- Elf base land speed is 30 feet.

- Immunity to magic sleep effects, and a +2 racial saving throw bonus against enchantment spells or effects.

- Low-Light Vision: An elf can see twice as far as a human in starlight, moonlight, torchlight, and similar conditions of poor illumination. She retains the ability to distinguish color and detail under these conditions.

+2 racial bonus on Listen, Search, and Spot checks. An elf who merely passes within 5 feet of a secret or concealed door is entitled to a Search check to notice it as if she were actively looking for it.

- Automatic Languages: Common and Elven. Bonus Languages: Draconic, Gnoll, Gnome, Goblin, Orc, and Sylvan.

- Bonus feat: Like humans, elf high travellers gain a bonus feat at first level
- Favored Class: Any. When determining whether she takes an experience point penalty for multiclassing, the elf traveller's highest-level class is discounted.
- Level adjustment: +1. An elf high traveller's effective character level is treated as one higher for the purposes of determining the experience she requires to attain each level.

Elf traveller
-2 constitution. In addition, choose an ability score (including constitution). The elf traveller gains a +2 bonus to that ability score (causing a net bonus of 0 in the case of constitution)
- Medium: As Medium creatures, elves have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size.

- Elf base land speed is 30 feet.

- Immunity to magic sleep effects, and a +2 racial saving throw bonus against enchantment spells or effects.

- Low-Light Vision: An elf can see twice as far as a human in starlight, moonlight, torchlight, and similar conditions of poor illumination. She retains the ability to distinguish color and detail under these conditions.

+2 racial bonus on Listen, Search, and Spot checks. An elf who merely passes within 5 feet of a secret or concealed door is entitled to a Search check to notice it as if she were actively looking for it.

- Elf travellers are magically inert, granting them spell resistance equal to 11+HD, but preventing them from casting spells.

- Automatic Languages: Common and Elven. Bonus Languages: Draconic, Gnoll, Gnome, Goblin, Orc, and Sylvan.

- Favored Class: Any. When determining whether she takes an experience point penalty for multiclassing, the elf traveller's highest-level class is discounted.

Druidic-caste elf
-2 constitution +2 wisdom.
- Medium: As Medium creatures, elves have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size.

- Elf base land speed is 30 feet.

- Immunity to magic sleep effects, and a +2 racial saving throw bonus against enchantment spells or effects.

- Low-Light Vision: An elf can see twice as far as a human in starlight, moonlight, torchlight, and similar conditions of poor illumination. She retains the ability to distinguish color and detail under these conditions.

+2 racial bonus on Listen, Search, and Spot checks. An elf who merely passes within 5 feet of a secret or concealed door is entitled to a Search check to notice it as if she were actively looking for it.

- Automatic Languages: Common and Elven. Bonus Languages: Draconic, Gnoll, Gnome, Goblin, Orc, and Sylvan.

- Favored Class: Ranger or Druid. A multiclass elf high maker’s Ranger or Druid class, whichever has more levels, does not count when determining whether she takes an experience point penalty for multiclassing.

I somehow missed this post until now. I love everything about this idea except the elves being trained from birth for a specific thing. I have this idea that they instead look at all the different things available in their society and pick one that they want to do, talent permitting, and then begin an apprenticeship for that job.