Unique British aspects of D&D in the UK?

[Morrus]

And your coast is a lot less fun! Whenever I try to do a fantasy Britain, I always make sure to mention how cold and windy it is, for my mostly American players, who think of the coast as wide expanses of sunny sand.

Our coast is awesome. Windswept cliffs and coves and rocky beaches. It’s beautiful! It’s not for sunbathing, it’s for walking. Rugged coastlines are the best. Sunny beaches are boring.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

And your coast is a lot less fun! Whenever I try to do a fantasy Britain, I always make sure to mention how cold and windy it is, for my mostly American players, who think of the coast as wide expanses of sunny sand.

It's not cold and windy all the time! And sandy beeches.

 

[Blue Orange]

Nothing massively "stands out", it's subtle. The wide open country, the decentralised government, the romanisation of fairly grim periods of history, no one raising an eyebrow when people walk around carrying weapons, the square jawed heroes who are actually heroic, rather than disguised villains, etc. It's basically Howard vs Tolkien.

Of course, if you get into the art, the trees and wildlife stand out. Don't get many moose or wolverines in the UK, and the forests are green and grey rather than red and gold.

As an amusing side note, the part of the USA known for its red and gold forests in the fall is...New England.

(The UK also includes Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland, I know!)

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

I think it's fair to say that Americans and UK residents want different things from their beaches.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

I think it's fair to say that Americans and UK residents want different things from their beaches.

When I was tiny, back in the late 60s/early 70s, Blackpool beach used to be crowded with sunbathers. Then cheep flights to Spain became available. It's quite warm enough to sit on beaches in the UK, when it is sunny. What it isn't is reliably sunny. The British Isles are warmed by the gulf stream, which make it much warmer than most places at a similar latitude, particularly on the west coast, but also wetter.

Sunbathing has rather waned as a popular holiday pastime though.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Sunbathing has rather waned as a popular holiday pastime though.

It's interesting in Southern California. As risk awareness has gone up, people have gotten less tan due to reliably using waterproof SPF 45 sunblock, but it hasn't really changed how much people go to the beach or do outdoor activities. Even the most urban Angelenos are likely to tell you how much they like hiking in the enormous Griffith Park (home to the observatory you've seen in countless movies, whether or not they call it by name; countless coyotes and our celebrity mountain lions).

 

[rjrad]

The brits were not bullied, D&D was cool.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

enormous Griffith Park

As opposed to the unaccountably less popular enormous griffin park?

 

[Bagpuss]

It's not cold and windy all the time! And sandy beeches.
View attachment 277083

He says showing a picture of Blackpool's kinetic sculptures designed specifically to sway in the wind.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

He says showing a picture of Blackpool's kinetic sculptures designed specifically to sway in the wind.

Oh, is that what they are for? I thought they where alien seed pods.