Age of Worms - Campaign tone?

[IronWolf]

I agree with the Deadwood tones. Reading the background in Dungeon really sounded like I was reading about Deadwood.

Unfortunately I have fallen way behind on watching the show, but I will throw in my 2 coppers. Think dirty, harsh living frontier town. Guns and money run the town while the rest struggle along in their daily life hoping for that big break in mining, while the others profit off the back of the poor. One episode will help get you in the right frame of mind I think to start.

Wish I could be of more help, but wanted to throw another vote to the Deadwood feel.

 

[Kestrel]

Arg...I would love to be able to write it out for you, but I'm just not that skilled. You just have to watch it.

Some other good examples would be Unforgiven or maybe Eastwood's "Man with No Name" westerns. Deadwood is grittier, but they have the same basic feel.

hbo.com has episode summaries (which you probably dont want to read, if you really want to watch the show), best lines (good feel without spoiling too much), and some video trailers for the episodes. That might help for tonight's game.

 

[Erik Mona]

A better choice would be to borrow from Carnivale and use the guy that made the deathmasks. Very creepy guy.

That episode debuted about the same time I wrote "Diamond Lake."

I've never seen Deadwood, so all of the comparisons (very apt, I'm told by coworkers) are quite amusing. Sounds like I'd really like that show!

Carnivale was definitely an influence, but it's more a case that the creators of Carnivale are interested in a lot of the same things I'm interested in. The movie "Freaks," one of my all-time favorites, is a must-view for DMs and players interested in incorporating the Emporium into their campaign or background.

Shag Solomon, one of my favorite NPCs (who has yet to show up in my campaign), is based directly on Jo-Jo the Dog-faced Boy and Lionel the Lion-Faced Boy. Except that instead of being a hairy human in a splendid suit with epaulettes, he's a "civilized" quaggoth.

--Erik Mona
Editor-in-Chief
Dragon & Dungeon

 

[Erik Mona]

Some other good examples would be Unforgiven or maybe Eastwood's "Man with No Name" westerns. Deadwood is grittier, but they have the same basic feel..

Wow. Until I read this I'd completely forgotten about seeing it, but Clint Eastwood's "Pale Rider" was a _major_ inspiration on Diamond Lake, albeit a subconscious one. Watching that movie will give you a pretty good idea of how to run a corrupt mine manager and the human detritus who fill out the ranks of the miners.

--Erik

 

[The_lurkeR]

Bump for the thread, since I haven't seen Deadwood either, but would like to know more.

You did a great job on the setting Erik, really like it, I'm dissappointed you aren't writing the rest, although I assume you'll have a say in how it plays out?

 

[Squire James]

It does kinda have that "western" tone... not that my players got to experience much of it. The tomb's pretty lethal for people who roll low on saving throws. I think this is the first time I've had one EL 2 monster TPK 2 3rd level characters!

 

[Wycen]

I'm going to start running this campaign tonight, and I'm debating on what kind of tone to give it. Obviously, the city is thoroughly corrupt, possibly irredeemably so. Such a corrupt city can be treated several ways:


3) Deadwood: I've heard that this is perhaps the best tone, but I've yet to actually see Deadwood. Any suggestions on how to run it with this tone would be appreciated.

How do you plan to run it?

Be prepared to fall asleep.

Sorry, just had to be contrary to the first post, but seriously everytime I try to watch Deadwood I flip channels after 10 minutes.

Maybe you'll like it though.

As for tone, it is obvious the players have to be the odd men/women out, since they should be heroic, not corrupt like the NPC's in the town.

 

[Zebster]

Wow, sounds like I'll like Deadwood a LOT. Netflix just delivered the first DVD of Season 1, so I will soon know... *rubs hands gleefully together*

The Eastwood Westerns are some of my favorites of that genre- will definitely have to dig out Pale Rider and re-read the excellent first installment of the Age of Worms with that in mind. I didn't get to play the first adventure path (we are wrapping up our homebrew campaign of 6ish years soon), but it is my turn to GM next.

I had gotten the World's Largest Dungeon for the holidays, so I've been planning on running that -- it may wait though if I get to squeeze some Western style D&D in via the Age of Worms.

 

[Patman21967]

I am kinda shading it like Pale-Rider meets Unforgiven...dirty, mean and nasty