Little Changes with Big Flavor
There are lots of great ways to tweak the spell lists. That's a good one -- especially since it's so much easier to wrap your head around an adventure where the party has to go through Point B to get from Point A to Point C.
Ah, not invisible, just differently visible. I like it! Reminiscent of The One Ring too.
Ooh, I really like this one. Did the Dragon article give guidelines for using it?
This ties in quite nicely with some of the Pendragon trait discussions going round.
el-remmen
Moderator Emeritus
"Classic" Monsters
This may go along with the whole “monster palette” discussion, but one thing I do is tie the origins of certain “classic” monsters to the world itself. Many monsters have their source in our own mythologies, but where do they come from in your own setting (whether it be homebrew or store-bought)?
For example: Medusa from Greek mythology dared to compare her beauty to that of Aphrodite and was punished. – where do Medusae come from in your world?
An example from Aquerra would be manticores, who are actually. . . wait, I can’t use that one b/c my players may see this. . . But when they faced one they were amazed that it seemed to be able to do more than what they thought a manticore could.
Ok, drow in Aquerra are not a race unto themselves, but a template applied to any evil elf that dedicates herself to the spider goddess – this only slightly changes the origin of drow –but also adds flavor in that the PCs suddenly realize any elf can be a “drow”
The origins of certain monsters will also help create a world context, and maybe even allow PCs to figure out better ways to deal with them as they gain this knowledge, w/o actually having to change the rules all that much if at all.
So ask yourself, where did pegasai come from? Or unicorns? Etc. . .
This may go along with the whole “monster palette” discussion, but one thing I do is tie the origins of certain “classic” monsters to the world itself. Many monsters have their source in our own mythologies, but where do they come from in your own setting (whether it be homebrew or store-bought)?
For example: Medusa from Greek mythology dared to compare her beauty to that of Aphrodite and was punished. – where do Medusae come from in your world?
An example from Aquerra would be manticores, who are actually. . . wait, I can’t use that one b/c my players may see this. . . But when they faced one they were amazed that it seemed to be able to do more than what they thought a manticore could.
Ok, drow in Aquerra are not a race unto themselves, but a template applied to any evil elf that dedicates herself to the spider goddess – this only slightly changes the origin of drow –but also adds flavor in that the PCs suddenly realize any elf can be a “drow”
The origins of certain monsters will also help create a world context, and maybe even allow PCs to figure out better ways to deal with them as they gain this knowledge, w/o actually having to change the rules all that much if at all.
So ask yourself, where did pegasai come from? Or unicorns? Etc. . .
WSmith
First Post
Frostmarrow said:
I can't believe in 22 some odd years of gaming, I never thought of this. This is fantastic! For one, it illiminates all the quirky rules that most invisibility spells and items have, (although this was cleaned up mucho in 3e). Plus, like mmadsen said, it gives more of a One Ring of Power feeling! Using it, makes you invisible to everyone else, but puts you in the ethereal plane, with all it's dangers, (imagine doning a cloak of invisibility to avoid an encounter with Orc guards, only having instead to fight off a phase spider in the ether!)
Another is using non-standard structures in non-standard evironments. For example, when most people think of pyramids, they right away think of the desert. How about placing them in the snowbound north? Structurally, they are perfect to allow the snow to slide off.
Just as I was about to take a break from EN World, threads like this one keep me coming back.
MaxKaladin
First Post
My Contribution
This may have been slipped in somewhere already, but I'll continue just in case it hasn't been mentioned.
Use a different religion instead of the D&D standard pallet of many gods in a vague polytheistic arrangement. Substitute spirits, ancestor worship, henotheism or monotheism.
Have differences be a matter of differences of opinion about religion rather than different gods. Make the 'evil cleric' a heretic who believes opposite of what the established church authority believes instead of a worshipper of an evil god.
Use sects and orders to introduce diversity. That way the cleric of the god of magic becomes a member of the Order of Saint So-and-So, who's members are reknown for their knowledge and skill when dealing with magic.
Note that this can create a completely different atmosphere for the party cleric. If everyone is assumed to be members of the same religion, suddenly, the cleric is no longer a person without a congregation. It allows many more roleplaying opportunities for clerics.
This may have been slipped in somewhere already, but I'll continue just in case it hasn't been mentioned.
Use a different religion instead of the D&D standard pallet of many gods in a vague polytheistic arrangement. Substitute spirits, ancestor worship, henotheism or monotheism.
Have differences be a matter of differences of opinion about religion rather than different gods. Make the 'evil cleric' a heretic who believes opposite of what the established church authority believes instead of a worshipper of an evil god.
Use sects and orders to introduce diversity. That way the cleric of the god of magic becomes a member of the Order of Saint So-and-So, who's members are reknown for their knowledge and skill when dealing with magic.
Note that this can create a completely different atmosphere for the party cleric. If everyone is assumed to be members of the same religion, suddenly, the cleric is no longer a person without a congregation. It allows many more roleplaying opportunities for clerics.
Lot's of cool ideas.
Here are some that have been used in the past that should be familiar to many of you.
1. Wizards are responsible for destroying much of the world. They are still as powerful as ever and attractive to players, but they are forced to be very careful in cities or other crowded places or face vigilante justice (ala Dark Sun), which makes for a forever diminishing number of wizards.
2. Add a twist to any race to break the mold. Sovereign Press did a wonderful job with their Sovereign Stone books and world. Check out the Orcs, Dwarves and Elves. Very different feel.
A friend of mine made Ogres the mercenaries of the world. They were physically strong, mean and excellent fighters. They were typically encountered as cavalry (on a Rhinoceros!) You did not mess with them.
3. Make carrying weapons and wearing armor illegal except for soldiers, or nobles. (like in many ancient cultures). The spellcasters and monks say... No problem, but how would the fighters and rogues react?
4. If you go with a low magic world... Make 'trail rations' what they really were. Really stale bread with weavils and moldy cheese. Make the search for food part of the adventure.
5. In your cities, who are the day laborers. The humans? Try having goblins and hobgoblins be paid coppers for cleaning the streets and carrying burdens. Where then do they live? In a squatters warren or across the river in the goblin 'suburbs'? Where do you find the goblin called Skinner among thousands?
Nothing earthshatteringly original, but more stuff to think about.
Here are some that have been used in the past that should be familiar to many of you.
1. Wizards are responsible for destroying much of the world. They are still as powerful as ever and attractive to players, but they are forced to be very careful in cities or other crowded places or face vigilante justice (ala Dark Sun), which makes for a forever diminishing number of wizards.
2. Add a twist to any race to break the mold. Sovereign Press did a wonderful job with their Sovereign Stone books and world. Check out the Orcs, Dwarves and Elves. Very different feel.
A friend of mine made Ogres the mercenaries of the world. They were physically strong, mean and excellent fighters. They were typically encountered as cavalry (on a Rhinoceros!) You did not mess with them.
3. Make carrying weapons and wearing armor illegal except for soldiers, or nobles. (like in many ancient cultures). The spellcasters and monks say... No problem, but how would the fighters and rogues react?
4. If you go with a low magic world... Make 'trail rations' what they really were. Really stale bread with weavils and moldy cheese. Make the search for food part of the adventure.
5. In your cities, who are the day laborers. The humans? Try having goblins and hobgoblins be paid coppers for cleaning the streets and carrying burdens. Where then do they live? In a squatters warren or across the river in the goblin 'suburbs'? Where do you find the goblin called Skinner among thousands?
Nothing earthshatteringly original, but more stuff to think about.
King_Stannis
Explorer
great thoughts, mmadsen. many of your pieces of advice i have subscribed to for years, and some of the others are wonderful pieces of advice to any DM.
