STARP_President
First Post
I'm working on another D&D campaign setting (I'm actually working on two at once but this one is the only one relevant here). The concept behind the setting is a world that is an exaggerated, overstated or complete opposite of a number of elements common to many fantasy worlds. Basically, I'm turning fantasy on its head by either exaggerating the cliche to the Nth degree or completely reversing it. I'm hoping I'll come up with something good. The campaign's 'flavour' would be comedic drama. This means that while serious situations and life-threatening problems can occur, the emphasis would be placed on humour. With me as DM, of course, there's very little to worry about in that regard.
I need help with finding things to include. I'm compiling a list of as many fantasy and role-playing cliches and stereotypes as I can find to include as elements in the campaign that I can play with. This is what I have so far:
1. Elves on this world would be the most flamboyant, poncy, bisexual bimbos you've ever seen - a race of Liberace wannabes. They are decent enough warriors, although they have to stop fighting every ten minutes to check their reflection, and talented magicians, even if they do have more than a requisite number of spells devoted to hairstyling and dental hygeine. They're completely self-obsessed and superior, and also they are sexual deviants to the greatest degree - not just wearing another gender's underwear but more bizarre and disturbing than I care to go into here.
2. Dwarves are a short, stocky race who love three things: Fightin', drinkin' and gold. Everything else - everything else, is an optional extra to life. Unlike standard D&D dwarves, dwarves are the epitome of chaotic behaviour. They do pretty much what they want - this is because they are usually drunk. Dwarves are drunken Glaswegians who've lost all sense of decorum. They are almost completely incoherent, unless they are about to kill you in which case their meaning is extremely clear. The phrase "Aaaaaaaaarrrrrrrggghhhhhhh!" is the most common one you use in dealings with dwarves.
3. A race called the Reptillians. Lizard-like people, the Reptillians are evil, by-and-large, and want to take over the world. Unfortunately, since they are the most argumentative and bureaucratic race in the multiverse, they can rarely agree on anything long enough to do it. Plus, of course, all the paperwork's a bitch. Reptillians don't really get on enough for large-scale military activity - their armies tend to fight with each other as much as with the enemy. And you wouldn't believe the arguments and paper-trails created trying to decide on regimental uniforms.
4. Dragons are very, very rare creatures. They are entrepeneurs and businessmen. Rather than hordeing gold and treaure in mountains on high peaks, they consolidate it with aggressive maintainance of stock portfolios and creative accountancy. They don't so much ravage villagers and eat maidens as stage hostile takeovers or issue loans and take maidens as collateral.
5. I had one idea about a college of magic at which magic isn't studied so much as how to act superior and look important, but I thought that might be a little too close to Terry Pratchett's Discworld. Still, I suppose all DM's steal things.
What other suggestions can the panel come up with? Be creative, please: go nuts. Nothing is too outlandish - it is, after all, the point.
I need help with finding things to include. I'm compiling a list of as many fantasy and role-playing cliches and stereotypes as I can find to include as elements in the campaign that I can play with. This is what I have so far:
1. Elves on this world would be the most flamboyant, poncy, bisexual bimbos you've ever seen - a race of Liberace wannabes. They are decent enough warriors, although they have to stop fighting every ten minutes to check their reflection, and talented magicians, even if they do have more than a requisite number of spells devoted to hairstyling and dental hygeine. They're completely self-obsessed and superior, and also they are sexual deviants to the greatest degree - not just wearing another gender's underwear but more bizarre and disturbing than I care to go into here.
2. Dwarves are a short, stocky race who love three things: Fightin', drinkin' and gold. Everything else - everything else, is an optional extra to life. Unlike standard D&D dwarves, dwarves are the epitome of chaotic behaviour. They do pretty much what they want - this is because they are usually drunk. Dwarves are drunken Glaswegians who've lost all sense of decorum. They are almost completely incoherent, unless they are about to kill you in which case their meaning is extremely clear. The phrase "Aaaaaaaaarrrrrrrggghhhhhhh!" is the most common one you use in dealings with dwarves.
3. A race called the Reptillians. Lizard-like people, the Reptillians are evil, by-and-large, and want to take over the world. Unfortunately, since they are the most argumentative and bureaucratic race in the multiverse, they can rarely agree on anything long enough to do it. Plus, of course, all the paperwork's a bitch. Reptillians don't really get on enough for large-scale military activity - their armies tend to fight with each other as much as with the enemy. And you wouldn't believe the arguments and paper-trails created trying to decide on regimental uniforms.
4. Dragons are very, very rare creatures. They are entrepeneurs and businessmen. Rather than hordeing gold and treaure in mountains on high peaks, they consolidate it with aggressive maintainance of stock portfolios and creative accountancy. They don't so much ravage villagers and eat maidens as stage hostile takeovers or issue loans and take maidens as collateral.
5. I had one idea about a college of magic at which magic isn't studied so much as how to act superior and look important, but I thought that might be a little too close to Terry Pratchett's Discworld. Still, I suppose all DM's steal things.
What other suggestions can the panel come up with? Be creative, please: go nuts. Nothing is too outlandish - it is, after all, the point.
