Help! I need inspiration!

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Supaida

First Post

• Apr 13, 2007

• #1

So here's the thing. I've been running a Mutants and Masterminds game for a little while, and it's a lot of fun. I fell in love with the system and oohed and aahed over all the shiny bits, I made a whole campaign setting for it, and the game went great, but we are now going to pause for a bit and go back to our Eberron game already in progress, and I find that I'm not in the right mindset for it anymore at all. Which is a problem, because I'm also running this game. So I come to you for help. What gets you in the D&D zone? Books, movies, comics, art, whatever makes you go, "Yeah! I'm gonna grab this two handed sword and I'm gonna beat that dragon in the head until gold pieces come out!!!"

There aren't any dragons in this particular adventure, but still. You know what I mean.

 

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Ry

Explorer

• Apr 13, 2007

• #2

Read Order of the Stick start to finish. Always seems to work for me.

 

HeavenShallBurn

First Post

• Apr 13, 2007

• #3

Music is good for getting in the creative mood. I make sure to listen to music when I'm getting ready to do anything creative. For D&D, lots of metal. Any of the classics are good, Metallica, Led Zepplin, Blue Oyster Cult, Black Sabbath, Pantera, Anthrax, the Heavy Metal soundtrack, etc. Good new ones are Lamb of God, Trivium, Hatebreed, Napalm Death, Nonpoint.

Old episodes of Stargate SG1 can be good inspiration for Planescape campaigns with suitable modification.

For Eberron, mix The Mummy, Thirteenth Warrior, and Pirates of the Caribbean in any order and go wild. I got an entire plot arc off a brainstorm that hit while I was watching the second PoTC at the theatre.

 

Ry

Explorer

• Apr 13, 2007

• #4

Oh, another one: Leaf through the Monster Manual and one other book, figure out the coolest monster and the coolest prestige class to give him. Don't stat it up, just think about that character and where it comes from.

 

A

Arrgh! Mark!

First Post

• Apr 13, 2007

• #5

Think of a plot that sounds interesting and a BBEG thats a ton of fun, but not world shaking. For instance, a powerful conspiracy of mages is attempting to shape a magocracy, and are doing anything in their (considerable) powers to do it; nothing noisy, though. A dominated king, mages as advisors, etc.

Now think of a mid level thing. For instance, the mages created the magocracy because they wish to experiment on the populace. They keep their monsters locked up, but they escape a lot.

Now think of a low level thing. Slavers are capturing people.


C leads to B leads to A.

By the time you get to C, you'll like your BBEG's plot enough that you can force yourself past the setting to really have fun

 

Kafkonia

First Post

• Apr 13, 2007

• #6

A few thoughts:

-- Read some bits and pieces of story hours. Read the backs (and only the backs) of some fantasy books at your local bookstore to get the feel ideas in compact form. Chances are you'll get thinking, "I could do that better."

-- Put the M&M books away. Don't let yourself get distracted by their shininess.

-- Steal your M&M ideas and convert them to Eberron ideas; if any D&D setting can accomodate comic book plots, it's probably that one. Dr. Deviance was going to rob Fort Knox with his mind control ray? Now a mind flayer is going to lay siege to a nearby castle.

 

Mark CMG

Creative Mountain Games

• Apr 13, 2007

• #7

Supaida said:

So here's the thing. I've been running a Mutants and Masterminds game for a little while, and it's a lot of fun. I fell in love with the system and oohed and aahed over all the shiny bits, I made a whole campaign setting for it, and the game went great, but we are now going to pause for a bit and go back to our Eberron game already in progress, and I find that I'm not in the right mindset for it anymore at all. Which is a problem, because I'm also running this game. So I come to you for help. What gets you in the D&D zone? Books, movies, comics, art, whatever makes you go, "Yeah! I'm gonna grab this two handed sword and I'm gonna beat that dragon in the head until gold pieces come out!!!"

There aren't any dragons in this particular adventure, but still. You know what I mean.

Click to expand...

Sign up for the RPGA and grab a bunch of their Eberron adventures to read. That might help and be directly germane, too.

 

S

Supaida

First Post

• Apr 14, 2007

• #8

Thanks for the answers, folks. I especially like the idea of converting M&M ideas to D&D, and vice versa. I've already thought about converting some dungeon modules into the Mutants and Masterminds rules, but trying to do the reverse could be fun too. I shall see what I can do.

 

GreatLemur

Explorer

• Apr 14, 2007

• #9

I'd advise looking to history for inspiration. History is full of crazy, awesome, unbelievable plot material. Also, art--that is, from sources other than the game in question--can be worth checking out. I really dig videogame concept art, stuff from ConceptArt.org, and even some of the rare decent artists on deviantART. Hell, I challenge you to look through this site without getting inspired. Also, I think a lot of insane conspiracy theories and paranormal worldviews can work pretty well as RPG plots. Ever heard of David Icke?

 

Last edited: Apr 14, 2007

Ry

Explorer

• Apr 14, 2007

• #10

Holy crap ConceptArt is awesome.