Khoras as a Gaming World

[khoras2]

Khoras was designed not just to be a realistic, detailed world, but also a gaming world. It has been built specifically to give the Game Master plenty of opportunity to surprise the players with new experiences and endless discovery. Two functions of this world stand out in this capacity: aberration and the Great War.

Aberration
Khoras has two suns, one of which spews forth all manner of radiation in its stellar wind. Some of this radiation interferes with magic and life energy. The effect is called aberration. Aberration is the result of millennium of radiation slowly mutating DNA and wreaking havoc with normal evolutionary patterns.

This particular characteristic of Khoras gives the Game Master free reign for originality and creativity. A game in Khoras is not limited to the creatures and races you might find in the rule books of your chosen game system. Instead, every adventure is bound to introduce the players to something new. The Game Master is free to invent whole new species of plants and animals and drop them into existing ecosystems. But why stop there? Every creature on Khoras - whether animal, plant and character - is unique. Any creature that you encounter could be an aberrant. Only about 1 in 100 creatures actually are aberrants, but that's enough. This is a great way to keep the players on their toes. Just because it LOOKS like an orc doesn't mean it's an orc. It might just be an aberrant and, as such, is going to be a little different than your run-of-the-mill orc. It could be a little stronger, a little faster or a little smarter than the players expect. Or it might even have a spell or two up its sleeve. Anything is possible. Aberration gives the Game Master free license to bend the rules and catch the players off guard.

The Great War
Aberration is only one route for new and interesting surprises. The Great War gives you another source of amble opportunity. During the Great War, which occurred centuries ago, several nations were fighting. The wizards of these warring nations did their patriotic duty and used their magic to develop new weapons. Several wizards deliberately engineered biological and magical creations for the war effort. In fact, some of the most powerful magical items in history were created during the Great War, many of which you can find in the Arcana section. And not just enchanted blades or talismans... They devised whole new animals and plants genetically engineered through magic. Even diseases were devised and unleashed. Many of these creations were used upon the battle field with great success. Others went awry during creation or use, and led to horrible abominations that backfired or turned on their creators. Centuries have passed, but many of these atrocities still prowl the lands today.

[Spence]

That's very interesting stuff...i'm going to have to recommend this particular thread to the rest of the Dathkandra team.