What Is Wrong With Sylvan Creatures?

SHARK

First Post

• Apr 10, 2003

• #1

Greetings!

What Is Wrong With Sylvan Creatures?

I have noticed that through many observed conversations, apparently many people don't like Sylvan creatures. I often use creatures such as Sprites, Brownies, Nymphs, Dryads, Satyrs, Centaurs, and Treants throughout different areas of my campaigns, and the players involved always seem to enjoy interacting with them in a variety of ways. Sylvan creatures make for intriguing encounters, both as friends, plot devices, as well as serving as creatures that are not evil, and yet may have aggendas that are in opposition on occasion to the player character's goals.

How do you use Sylvan creatures? Do you like them? If so, why? If you don't like them, why?

Semper Fidelis,

SHARK

 

log in or register to remove this ad

evildm

Explorer

• Apr 10, 2003

• #2

Personally, I love sylvan and fey creatures. I haven't personally had any run-ins with people that didn't like them.

One factor that might prevent them from appearing in more games is the fact that they're not necessarily opponents to the players as much as they are allies. More strange creatures are used as opponents compared to those used as allies to the PCs (IMHO).

Hope this helps.

 

P

(Psi)SeveredHead

Adventurer

• Apr 10, 2003

• #3

Personally I would have a hard time role-playing chaotic good fey.
Furthermore, why would they interact with the players? (Make a deal with them at low levels, call favors at high levels? Mmm... creative juices start flowing.)

 

Piratecat

Sesquipedalian

• Apr 10, 2003

• #4

Overall, I like sylvan creatures, but they engender a particular campaign atmosphere which traditionally goes better with fairy tales than gritty heroism. It's the prancing. That constant prancing gets on my nerves. And don't even mention the flitting, frolicking and capering. Yeesh. You'll never see a mind flayer caper, that's for sure.

Now, will someone please hand me a crowbar so I can peel this satyr off of my leg? Thank you.

 

Arnwyn

First Post

• Apr 10, 2003

• #5

The d-fricken'-6 HD. That'll do it to ya every time.

 

mystraschosen

First Post

• Apr 10, 2003

• #6

Piratecat said:

Overall, I like sylvan creatures, but they engender a particular campaign atmosphere which traditionally goes better with fairy tales than gritty heroism. It's the prancing. That constant prancing gets on my nerves. And don't even mention the flitting, frolicking and capering. Yeesh. You'll never see a mind flayer caper, that's for sure.

Now, will someone please hand me a crowbar so I can peel this satyr off of my leg? Thank you.

Click to expand...

Heheheheheh....whewhew...heheheheheheh...can't breathe ...tooo funnnyy...hehehehehe

 

evildm

Explorer

• Apr 10, 2003

• #7

Piratecat said:

You'll never see a mind flayer caper, that's for sure.

Click to expand...

I don't know, this IS 3e after all. If Dwarves can be wizards, why can't a self-respecting Mind Flayer caper if he so intended? Mind Flayer bards, eh? Hmmm...

 

WayneLigon

Adventurer

• Apr 10, 2003

• #8

They do fit in more with a 'Faerie Olde England' setting than some others, but I'm going to be working on using some feykind in my desert campaign. Spirits of the sun, water, things like that.. I think I can make it work.

I usually emphasize the 'Chaotic' part of their alignment; they play tricks, often quite nasty or dangerous ones. They'll stop at outright personally killing someone, but don't think much about leading someone into danger, or teasing an owlbear and leading it through their camp, or other such nastiness.

Capering Mind Flayers... man, that brings up images of synchonized tentacle waving to Broadway tunes. Shudder.

 

S

Sarellion

Explorer

• Apr 10, 2003

• #9

I like using faeries and their realm but my players seem to only partially enjoy it.

They know that the laws of physics have been just thrown out of the window and the unexpected will happen, their whole environment is different from the prime when they are in faerie land. Faerie are unpredictable.

At least I like it

 

Last edited: Apr 10, 2003

O

Olgar Shiverstone

Legend

• Apr 10, 2003

• #10

A good adventure from the old days that made a good use of fey was UK1 "beyond the Crystal Cave".

It did a great job of teaching the DM to "think like a leprechaun". It's one of the few published adventures I've used that actively punished parties for killing everything in sight.