Setting Elements, Pillars & Aspects

Borrowing from Belonging Outside Belonging to play our worlds well.

A little introduction to Setting Elements…

Setting elements are like the background pieces of a game world that do their own thing, even when players aren't directly involved.

A GM can use these background elements to add excitement to a scene. Each element has its own personality and can show up in different ways. You can roll dice or use tables to figure out how these elements might react to each other and the players.

If you're playing alone or without a GM, you can control these background elements along with your characters.

For example, one player could control "The Authority," and they might make guards show up looking for the characters.

Another player controlling "The Arcane" could make a special glowing crystal appear in a kid's backpack, catching the guards' attention.

A third player, controlling “The Mundane” decides to play as another kid who notices the shining crystal and attempts to take it for themselves.

All the while, players can seamlessly shift between their characters and their setting element.

Cool idea, where did it come from?

I spent a lot of time looking at different systems and for a long while, I was very immersed in randomless play. I was really inspired by Belonging Outside Belonging, a genre of games introduced in the book Dream Askew / Dream Apart by Avery Alder and Benjamin Rosenbaum.

This style of play is known as “No Dice, No Masters” and each player takes control of both a character and a setting element. One really popular example of this style of play is Wanderhome by Jay Dragon and his team, and Galactic and Venture by Riley Rethal. I also made a few tools for randomless play and this is how I got into publishing games.

I’m designing an OSR system because I love the style of play and one of the ways we can improve our worlds is by introducing these setting elements into the game. We can treat aspects of the world as abstract characters to play.

An example of a Setting Element

I’ve borrowed some of the concepts from Riley Rethal’s Venture here and I have added randomness to allow for the verisimilitude essential to OSR play.

The Darkness

You are the living embodiment of the world's shadows, the essence that elicits shudders from the ordinary, and the lingering phantoms of nightmarish dreams.

Desires

• Assimilation

• Insanity

• Alarm

• Change

• Deception

• Reverence

• Disorder

Shadows, hauntings and possessions.

The darkness manifests in the form of eerie, shadowy spectres. These malevolent entities possess unsuspecting individuals, transforming them into vessels of darkness.

The possessed individuals are consumed by dark urges and an insatiable desire to spread chaos. As they move through the land, they leave behind a trail of destruction, draining the life force from the environment itself.

The possessed victims alternate between their original personalities and the malevolent force controlling them, leading to moments of confusion and despair for both the possessed and those trying to save them.

Sinkholes and the erasure of history.

The darkness gives rise to ominous sinkholes that appear at significant historical sites, seemingly devouring remnants of the past. As these sinkholes emerge, they release tendrils of darkness that reach into the ground, erasing not only the physical artefacts but also the collective memories tied to those locations.

Ancient ruins crumble into nothingness, and the memories of heroic deeds and cultural achievements begin to fade from the minds of people. Adventurers must prevent the spread of these sinkholes and find a way to recover their lost history before it disappears forever, piecing together clues from the fragments of stories that remain.

How does the Darkness manifest?

1. Suggest Impending Peril: Whispering shadows elongate and dance, unsettling the surroundings before revealing an ominous silhouette—a subtle but undeniable sign that a looming danger approaches.

2. Strike or Seize Something Important: From the inky abyss, tendrils of darkness surge forth, seizing a treasured relic with a malevolent grip, leaving an echoing void in its absence.

3. Manipulate Reality to Sow Uncertainty and Confusion: The air itself shivers as the darkness warps reality, distorting landmarks and rearranging paths.

4. Shroud in Illusion: Veiling itself in an intricate illusion, the darkness disguises danger as beauty.

5. Whisper Doubts: Soft, insidious whispers emerge from the shadows, planting seeds of distrust among allies.

6. Embrace of Desperation: The darkness envelops individuals in an aura of despair, heightening their anxieties and fears until they're willing to make drastic and ill-fated choices in the name of escape.

Example of Play #1

Riley (controlling "The Mundane"): Alright, so as we enter the bustling marketplace, you notice stalls lined with colourful fabrics and exotic fruits. The aroma of freshly baked pastries fills the air. What do you do?

Quinn (playing their character): I think my character's really hungry after that last adventure. They'll head over to one of those pastry stalls and strike up a conversation with the baker.

Riley (as the stall owner, part of "The Mundane"): The baker, a plump and friendly woman, greets you with a smile. "Ah, a new face! How can I help you today?"

Quinn: I'll flash a friendly smile and say, "Everything smells so amazing here! What do you recommend?"

Riley (as the baker): She chuckles and replies, "Well, our honey-glazed pastries are quite popular, and I've just pulled out a fresh batch. Give them a try!"

Quinn: I'll buy a couple of pastries and take a seat nearby. While enjoying the treats, I'll listen to the chatter around to see if I catch any interesting rumours.

Riley (playing a passerby, part of "The Mundane"): At the table next to you, you overhear two traders discussing a strange light seen in the woods last night. One of them thinks it's just a firefly, but the other insists it is something more... ethereal.

Quinn: Intrigued, I'll subtly eavesdrop on their conversation, thinking about investigating that light later. But for now, I'll continue chatting with the baker, asking if she's heard anything about that light.

Riley (as the baker): She dries her hands on her apron and leans in, whispering, "I've heard whispers from travellers that there's been something odd happening in the forest lately. A few folks have mentioned a mysterious glow and distant singing at night."

Quinn: Awesome, I'll thank her for the pastries and the information, then head back to the group to share what I've learned about the strange light in the woods.

Morgan (controlling "The Celestial"): As you reunite with your companions, you notice a sudden shift in the sky's colour. A brilliant streak of light arcs across the heavens, leaving a trail of shimmering stardust. The falling star appears closer than usual. What do you all do?

And so the narrative unfolds, with players seamlessly switching between their characters and the setting elements to create an engaging and collaborative story.

Example of Play #2

Riley (playing "The Arcane"): As you enter the chamber, your attention is drawn to a pedestal at the centre, upon which rests a pristine crystal. Its facets catch the light, reflecting an array of colours around the room.

Quinn (controlling "The Shadow Court"): Within the shadows at the edge of the room, a cloaked figure observes your every move. Their eyes gleam with a mysterious intensity. They step out, revealing themselves, and murmur, "Intriguing, isn't it? The crystal harbours secrets beyond your comprehension."

Morgan (commanding "The Darkness"): As you approach the crystal, a shroud of darkness envelops the pedestal, obscuring it from view. The air grows colder, and faint whispers echo within the shadows. It's as if the very darkness yearns to reveal what lies within the crystal.

Riley (as their character): I'll cautiously reach out to touch the crystal, drawn by its enchanting beauty. "What secrets do you hold?" I whisper to myself.

Quinn (playing a servant of "The Shadow Court"): The cloaked figure approaches, their steps noiseless. "It is a vessel of forbidden knowledge," they reply. "An artefact long sought by my court. You have come into possession of power that can reshape destinies."

Morgan (as the all-encompassing "Darkness"): The darkness responds to your touch, tendrils of shadow intertwining with your fingers. It's as if the darkness itself is unraveling the crystal's history, revealing glimpses of its past and the forces it holds within.

Riley: I'll look towards the figure, eyes narrowing. "What do you want with it? Why is your court interested?"

Quinn: A wry smile tugs at their lips. "Our purposes are complex, our motives obscured. But know this: The crystal holds the key to unlocking a realm hidden from the mundane world—a realm where shadows hold dominion."

Morgan (as the "Darkness"): The shadows deepen, and the whispers grow more urgent. A voice from within the darkness speaks directly into your mind: "Embrace the power, let it merge with your essence, and you shall become an instrument of the shadows."

Riley: I'll hesitate, torn between the allure of power and the caution born of uncertainty. But for now, I'll keep my hand on the crystal and say, "Tell me more. What is this realm you speak of?"

Want to know a bit more about me?

You can find my work over on Itch at https://gwyllgi.itch.io

I recently released 216 OSR spells, for free and licenced under CC-BY-SA-4.0. https://gwyllgi.itch.io/fgew

Keep up to date on the Oraia system over on Discord: https://discord.gg/tez9p4VbNe.

Join the Randomless Renaissance to talk about systems without dice at https://discord.gg/fNJGsyDGMR