Monsters, Women, Glory, and Gold!

Greetings!

In thinking about different themes in the campaign, I just finished detailing a fanatastic fortress that is situated in the Nethande Highlands. The Nethande Highlands is located in the Barranu Penensula. The Barranu Penensula is the home of a vast rain-forest, and is rich in emerald-mines, gold, as well as large populations of wondrous creatures. There are several vast herds of elephants that live on the Tegarnu Plain just south of the Barranu Penensula. High up in the enshrouded forest, packs of fierce white baboons thrive. The great Black Python, a huge type of snake that is black, with swirls of gold, lurk in the dark floor of the forest. There are Dire Apes that live up in the highlands, and flocks of giant Axe Beaks that hunt throughout the forest.

Through the mist-enshrouded forest, there looms a huge fortress. This vast fortress is the center of a wicked and depraved cult which worships the Dark Gods. This cult is organized by a cohort of 18 priestesses, who have gained great political power over some of the local tribes, and city-states alike.

This ancient fortress-temple is incredibly wealthy, and rumours persist that the priestesses have a company of demons that they breed half-fiends from, as well continue to perfect their knowledge in wickedness and blasphemous rites.

Throughout this environment are fabulous amounts of wealth; enormous, ancient monsters; voluptuous and beautiful women, who are also often terrifyingly dangerous as they are seductive; Huge, ancient fortresses, strange, evil cults, and potentially great fame and glory for the group that can defeat the dark cult.

Merely as an example, Robert E. Howard throughout his Conan series, provides a very different epic environment. This epic environment stands in contrast to what is typical in D&D in the current day. I happen to believe that a Conanesque environment can be very dynamic, and offers far more scope than the stereotypical "hack & slash" model.

Certainly, there are common elements, but it is important that those common elements can be depicted, and utilized differently from that of the stereo-type. What do you think? Have you integrated Conanesque elements into your campaign?

I have in many areas of my campaign a Conanesque flavour. In some other areas, there is a more medieval flavour. Still, there is something I think quite compelling about a campaign that has a Conanesque flavour.

Semper Fidelis,

SHARK

Sounds good to me Shark. I'd just make sure there aren't TOO many signs of sentient/civilization. Also keep tossing random encounters at them, to make them FEEL like this is an inhospitiable place for ANYONE to be in. Weather and creatures should ALWAYS be a factor.

Greetings!

Yeah, Nightfall, I think using weather, the physical environment, and natural animals are very important. The entire natural environment is a challenge. All of that mundane equipment, herbs, odd skills, and miscellaneous spells have to be good for something, right? I always try and make the natural world a challenge. It also serves as a nice base-line, so that when something very magical, or mythical, is encountered, it is quite special.

Semper Fidelis,

SHARK

Well just remember to inflict penalties when they try to fight in say...quicksand or in thick underbrush (thus use COVER rules ALOT!). Also avoid taking ten or twenty as it will help with the wear and tear.

Oh and while NATURAL animals are good, don't be afraid to throw in a few suprises. Remember it IS a jungle out there.

Sounds fine to me. I've never read any Conan so I don't use any elements from it. But the setting as mentioned sounds like it would certainlky never be boring.

I love your flavor text, SHARK. It's always great. It's funny though, because it took me awhile to piece together where you were going with it. Fantastic fortress in the highlands? Emeralds and gold? Is this setting Aztec? No, wait, elephants, baboons, and snakes. India? Africa? Dire Apes and Axe Beaks? This is starting to sound like...yeah, he's got a wicked, depraved cult with priestesses; it's Conan alright.

I am, of course, a huge Conan fan, but I've been sticking to more of a Middle Earth/Narnia/Fairy Tale feel so far. The two don't mix well.

I'm looking forward to picking up d20 Call of Cthulhu and mixing it with D&D to get a more Conan-esque feel.

mmadsen:
I am, of course, a huge Conan fan, but I've been sticking to more of a Middle Earth/Narnia/Fairy Tale feel so far. The two don't mix well.

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I agree, the themes don't mix well. You should do one or the other.

In fact, as a design decision back in the day, I think perhaps that was one of the worst mistakes the original D&D had, which made it ultimately unsatisfying in many ways to me. The theme was very much based on Leiber, Howard and Moorcock (who were all similar in some ways) while the trappings were very Tolkien. It never seemed a sensible mix to me.

My campaigns tend more towards the Tolkien/Faerytale sort, but I've always had a nagging desire to develop a pulp fantasy setting with cities like Lankhmar of the Fafhrd/Gray Mouser fame, or empires like in Conan.

In fact, as a design decision back in the day, I think perhaps that was one of the worst mistakes the original D&D had, which made it ultimately unsatisfying in many ways to me. The theme was very much based on Leiber, Howard and Moorcock (who were all similar in some ways) while the trappings were very Tolkien. It never seemed a sensible mix to me.

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Agreed. What's interesting is that the PC races are just about the only thing screaming "Tolkien!", but they're enough to "taint" the whole game. (As I mentioned before, I quite enjoy Tolkien; this isn't a slam.) If the non-human races had been left for a supplement, the game might feel almost entirely Howard/Leiber/Moorcock.

My campaigns tend more towards the Tolkien/Faerytale sort, but I've always had a nagging desire to develop a pulp fantasy setting with cities like Lankhmar of the Fafhrd/Gray Mouser fame, or empires like in Conan.

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Go for it. Restrict classes to Fighter, Rogue, Expert, etc., use the Cthulhu magic rules, stick to Dire Animals, degenerate subhumans (Orcs by another name), and fiends, and restrict equipment to ancient technology (giant pyramids and city walls, but no full plate armor). Oh, and don't forget the scheming, voluptuous priestesses worshipping their demoniac statue in the bowels of a long forgotten unholy temple.

Greetings!

MMADSEN wrote:

"Go for it. Restrict classes to Fighter, Rogue, Expert, etc., use the Cthulhu magic rules, stick to Dire Animals, degenerate subhumans (Orcs by another name), and fiends, and restrict equipment to ancient technology (giant pyramids and city walls, but no full plate armor). Oh, and don't forget the scheming, voluptuous priestesses worshipping their demoniac statue in the bowels of a long forgotten unholy temple."
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LOL! I just loved this! So true, so true!

It's kinda strange, because I really love Tolkein and Faery/Myth. I probably have most of my campaign world with that kind of flavour. However, in some rougher areas of the campaign, I have the local flavour developed with a more Conanesque style. I suppose it allows for a greater range of variety, if and when the players or the campaign focus should need it. I agree though that one cannot mix and max indiscriminately without a great loss of momentum, or consistancy. The two flavour styles--while both offer salient strengths, are foundationally different enough to be incongruous. Blend with caution!

On the Tolkein/Faery Myth note, I find the ancient Celtic, and Arthurian Britain myths and themes to simply be beautifully evocative, flexible, endlessly entertaining, and irresistable!

Semper Fidelis,

SHARK

mmadsen said:

Go for it. Restrict classes to Fighter, Rogue, Expert, etc., use the Cthulhu magic rules, stick to Dire Animals, degenerate subhumans (Orcs by another name), and fiends, and restrict equipment to ancient technology (giant pyramids and city walls, but no full plate armor). Oh, and don't forget the scheming, voluptuous priestesses worshipping their demoniac statue in the bowels of a long forgotten unholy temple.

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I'm waiting my CoC d20 book only to try a Conanesque campaign. And my ideas were almost the same as yours.

My classes: Barbarian (of course!!!), Fighter, Rogue, Adept (the only traditional magic class) Warrior, Expert, Commoner.

Most of CoC monsters, like the Deep Ones (described mishappen humans with fishy aspect), and some traditional mosnters as goblinoids and werecreatures.

Lots of twisted cthulhuloid demons and devils, with voluptous priestesses and mad priest...

And NO damage resistence against steel, as Conan always said he had known no creature who couldn't be defeated with a good sword