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Little Changes with Big Flavor
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<blockquote data-quote="Bran Blackbyrd" data-source="post: 137345" data-attributes="member: 1710"><p>Some changes that I made in my campaign, and a few that are just interesting (some may have already been mentioned, bear with me).</p><p>----</p><p>Magic, monsters, and demihumans are all thought to be fairytales. It isn't until the PCs get out in the world and begin to explore that they find out these things are real.</p><p></p><p>Magic exists but there is a secret society that suppresses knowledge of magic and its use, by any means necessary. Any PC that can wield magic must do so carefully, lest she attract notice.</p><p></p><p>World resembles the colonial age, but without gunpowder or any other highly advanced technology.</p><p></p><p>Disposable magic items. I call them Peasant Charms. Say your fighter saves the miller's daughter and she weaves a necklace of flowers for him as a thank you. Maybe it will negate the next critical hit that is made against him and then it crumbles to dust? Maybe it will give him +1 to his saves until the flowers wither. </p><p>The token, whatever it may be (a favorite brooch, a lock of hair, a handkerchief) is imbued with power, unintentionally, because of the emotion put into it. This is a nice way of rewarding the group's heroes, without having to worry that a new magic item will disrupt balance. Eventually the flowers die, the lock of hair loses its luster, and the brooch quits shining so brightly and the bonus goes away. The PC might never even realize that the item held power...</p><p></p><p>Just because two people worship the same god, doesn't mean they are on the same side. Perhaps two groups worship the same god, and each insists its path is the true one.</p><p>Now the PCs don't just have to be able to spot a worshiper of Mezrothe the god of death, they have to be able to tell which worshiper is from the benign Peaceful Rest sect, and which one is from the bloodthirsty Endbringer sect.</p><p></p><p>Humans can be monsters too! Most of us know this and yet a surprising number of people don't.</p><p></p><p>Killing things has consequences, and the local magistrates have laws. PCs don't get the benefit of killing without conscience and without retribution.</p><p></p><p>Bad guys don't always fight to the death, they don't always spot the PCs first (and vice versa), and they don't always show up with a name tag marked "villain". <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite1" alt=":)" title="Smile :)" loading="lazy" data-shortname=":)" /></p><p></p><p>Resurrection? What's that?</p><p></p><p>Plantlife! Just adding new flora to a world changes the atmosphere. IMC there is a type of tree whose sap is so volatile that it will burst into flames at the slightest provocation. Not only that, but dryads never inhabit these trees. Setting one alight may release the fire elemental or mephit that resides within... It doesn't take a genius to realize that if one catches fire the whole forest will be gone in no time. The seeds require intense heat to germinate properly, and the trees grow quickly.</p><p>I hope the PCs keep an eye on the sparks from that campfire...</p><p></p><p>No major religions. Long ago the Gods were exiled from the world and only now are new gods ascending to power. Maybe they are desperate to recruit followers? Maybe they use the party to eliminate a rival god's worshipers? When the favors of fledgling deities are up for grabs the group could have it made, but they could just as easily find themselves on a powerful being's bad side.</p><p></p><p>Religion is outlawed. Secret cults and sects worship in hiding and will do anything to avoid being discovered. Whole faiths live and die depending on who kept the secret and who ratted them out.</p><p>Do the PCs say "live and let live", or do they wipe the groups out in accordance to law?</p><p></p><p>No more faceless monster races. All races have a rich history, be it a glorious one, a tragic fall from good to evil, or an age old tradition of slaughter and slavery.</p><p>The orcs have a fierce and proud ancestry, they fought along with the humans for freedom from the dark gods and now, many centuries later live in isolation from the humans in the Black Desert. Hot tempered and antisocial, but not at all evil.</p><p>The evil kobolds, masters of sorcery, scourge of the soft-spirited humans, are reduced to slavery at the hands of the goblins who keep their numbers low and manageable...</p><p>The dark-hearted gnolls, split forever from the two good ancient races which gave birth to them. One race extinct, and the other constantly at odds with the gnolls.</p><p>Much more flavor than, "Kobolds are bad. You kill them, now they are dead."</p><p></p><p>Familiars first come to the magic-user in the form of animal totems, in dreams and visions. After a rapport with the animal spirit is made, a familiar of that type joins the PC.</p><p></p><p>Animating a corpse does/doesn't disrupt the soul of the person the corpse belonged to? Maybe necromancy isn't evil. Maybe the undead are simply animated by elemental spirits or other energies. </p><p>Perhaps the undead are used as cheap labor, or for dangerous tasks. </p><p>Maybe it is tradition for certain clans or villages to make their historian a lich so that he or she will be around forever, recording and relating the family/local history.</p><p></p><p>Monster names change from region to region. Maybe in Northport goblins are called Hokems, but in the Fort Relentless region they are known as Dusk-Swine. Who knows!</p><p></p><p>Regional monsters. In one town, nightly raids by bugbears are a matter of course, but in the kingdom to the west bugbears are unheard of.</p><p></p><p>In a campaign where magic/religion is non-existent or very rare the effectiveness of Heal and Herbalism skills can be increased. By how much is up to you.</p><p></p><p>I'm sure there are a ton I'm forgetting, but someone else will mention them, I'm sure.</p><p>Great thread, great ideas. Keep 'em coming!</p><p></p><p>EDIT: As opposed to having no resurrection at all, maybe raising someone is ridiculously easy. Many people can bring back a dead person for a modest fee. </p><p>In a world like this, maybe killing a foe, but leaving the body in good enough condition that he can be brought back is merely considered a warning!!!</p><p>Perhaps mutilating the corpse in a certain way prevents raising. Removing the head/heart/whatever prevents resurrection. Maybe, like in the Vlad Taltos books, there are weapons that eat the soul, and if you are killed with one your soul is lost forever.</p><p>In this kind of situation, temporarily killing someone would have only slight legal penalties. Such killings are less likely to be taken care of by the law than they are by a revenge "temporary kill" to put the original killer in his place.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Bran Blackbyrd, post: 137345, member: 1710"] Some changes that I made in my campaign, and a few that are just interesting (some may have already been mentioned, bear with me). ---- Magic, monsters, and demihumans are all thought to be fairytales. It isn't until the PCs get out in the world and begin to explore that they find out these things are real. Magic exists but there is a secret society that suppresses knowledge of magic and its use, by any means necessary. Any PC that can wield magic must do so carefully, lest she attract notice. World resembles the colonial age, but without gunpowder or any other highly advanced technology. Disposable magic items. I call them Peasant Charms. Say your fighter saves the miller's daughter and she weaves a necklace of flowers for him as a thank you. Maybe it will negate the next critical hit that is made against him and then it crumbles to dust? Maybe it will give him +1 to his saves until the flowers wither. The token, whatever it may be (a favorite brooch, a lock of hair, a handkerchief) is imbued with power, unintentionally, because of the emotion put into it. This is a nice way of rewarding the group's heroes, without having to worry that a new magic item will disrupt balance. Eventually the flowers die, the lock of hair loses its luster, and the brooch quits shining so brightly and the bonus goes away. The PC might never even realize that the item held power... Just because two people worship the same god, doesn't mean they are on the same side. Perhaps two groups worship the same god, and each insists its path is the true one. Now the PCs don't just have to be able to spot a worshiper of Mezrothe the god of death, they have to be able to tell which worshiper is from the benign Peaceful Rest sect, and which one is from the bloodthirsty Endbringer sect. Humans can be monsters too! Most of us know this and yet a surprising number of people don't. Killing things has consequences, and the local magistrates have laws. PCs don't get the benefit of killing without conscience and without retribution. Bad guys don't always fight to the death, they don't always spot the PCs first (and vice versa), and they don't always show up with a name tag marked "villain". :) Resurrection? What's that? Plantlife! Just adding new flora to a world changes the atmosphere. IMC there is a type of tree whose sap is so volatile that it will burst into flames at the slightest provocation. Not only that, but dryads never inhabit these trees. Setting one alight may release the fire elemental or mephit that resides within... It doesn't take a genius to realize that if one catches fire the whole forest will be gone in no time. The seeds require intense heat to germinate properly, and the trees grow quickly. I hope the PCs keep an eye on the sparks from that campfire... No major religions. Long ago the Gods were exiled from the world and only now are new gods ascending to power. Maybe they are desperate to recruit followers? Maybe they use the party to eliminate a rival god's worshipers? When the favors of fledgling deities are up for grabs the group could have it made, but they could just as easily find themselves on a powerful being's bad side. Religion is outlawed. Secret cults and sects worship in hiding and will do anything to avoid being discovered. Whole faiths live and die depending on who kept the secret and who ratted them out. Do the PCs say "live and let live", or do they wipe the groups out in accordance to law? No more faceless monster races. All races have a rich history, be it a glorious one, a tragic fall from good to evil, or an age old tradition of slaughter and slavery. The orcs have a fierce and proud ancestry, they fought along with the humans for freedom from the dark gods and now, many centuries later live in isolation from the humans in the Black Desert. Hot tempered and antisocial, but not at all evil. The evil kobolds, masters of sorcery, scourge of the soft-spirited humans, are reduced to slavery at the hands of the goblins who keep their numbers low and manageable... The dark-hearted gnolls, split forever from the two good ancient races which gave birth to them. One race extinct, and the other constantly at odds with the gnolls. Much more flavor than, "Kobolds are bad. You kill them, now they are dead." Familiars first come to the magic-user in the form of animal totems, in dreams and visions. After a rapport with the animal spirit is made, a familiar of that type joins the PC. Animating a corpse does/doesn't disrupt the soul of the person the corpse belonged to? Maybe necromancy isn't evil. Maybe the undead are simply animated by elemental spirits or other energies. Perhaps the undead are used as cheap labor, or for dangerous tasks. Maybe it is tradition for certain clans or villages to make their historian a lich so that he or she will be around forever, recording and relating the family/local history. Monster names change from region to region. Maybe in Northport goblins are called Hokems, but in the Fort Relentless region they are known as Dusk-Swine. Who knows! Regional monsters. In one town, nightly raids by bugbears are a matter of course, but in the kingdom to the west bugbears are unheard of. In a campaign where magic/religion is non-existent or very rare the effectiveness of Heal and Herbalism skills can be increased. By how much is up to you. I'm sure there are a ton I'm forgetting, but someone else will mention them, I'm sure. Great thread, great ideas. Keep 'em coming! EDIT: As opposed to having no resurrection at all, maybe raising someone is ridiculously easy. Many people can bring back a dead person for a modest fee. In a world like this, maybe killing a foe, but leaving the body in good enough condition that he can be brought back is merely considered a warning!!! Perhaps mutilating the corpse in a certain way prevents raising. Removing the head/heart/whatever prevents resurrection. Maybe, like in the Vlad Taltos books, there are weapons that eat the soul, and if you are killed with one your soul is lost forever. In this kind of situation, temporarily killing someone would have only slight legal penalties. Such killings are less likely to be taken care of by the law than they are by a revenge "temporary kill" to put the original killer in his place. [/QUOTE]
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