Using real world things in your games...

[Hand of Evil]

Okay, I am a big user of items from the news and history in my games, things like current events (floods) to info from shows like How the States got their Shapes on the History Channel.

At one time, in a WFRP game I had cod peices become a fastion statement, which I now see this story: Half-Aladdin, all-Vegas pointy boots create a craze in Mexico

Any one else use crazy stuff like this in their games?

 

[possum]

I've gotten a ton of adventure seeds thanks to real life warfare stuff. Of course, there's still the fact that I've yet to use them... The one I really want to use is the US killing of a Japanese general or admiral (forget which off the top of my head) as he surveyed an island battlefield aboard a bomber.

Now, imagine in a Star Wars game playing as the rebels, taking to the skies after a Lambda-shuttle carrying an important moff?

 

[Gilladian]

I use real-world maps for my campaign world. It gives me very realistic plant and animal environments, weather patterns, mineral and other resource patterns, etc...

I also like using "real" reasons for dungeons - ie one city of mine has catacombs under it similar to those found under Rome.

But I've never found current news to be much of a resource. Not sure why!

 

[Man in the Funny Hat]

I've gotten a ton of adventure seeds thanks to real life warfare stuff. Of course, there's still the fact that I've yet to use them... The one I really want to use is the US killing of a Japanese general or admiral (forget which off the top of my head) as he surveyed an island battlefield aboard a bomber.

That would be Admiral Yamamoto, essentially the #2 man in the Japanese war effort (second only to Tojo in power). He was perhaps their most important, intelligent military commander and the man most responsible for the attack on Pearl Harbor.

The US had long since been breaking and reading Japanese codes and intercepted Yamamoto's detailed intinerary for a morale tour. They launched an extreme-range intercept mission with P-38's and shot down his plane and escorts.

 

[possum]

That would be Admiral Yamamoto, essentially the #2 man in the Japanese war effort (second only to Tojo in power). He was perhaps their most important, intelligent military commander and the man most responsible for the attack on Pearl Harbor.

The US had long since been breaking and reading Japanese codes and intercepted Yamamoto's detailed intinerary for a morale tour. They launched an extreme-range intercept mission with P-38's and shot down his plane and escorts.

Thanks for the clarification!

 

[Traveller From Afar]

I'd sometimes take a wiki wander and pick up new adventure ideas from that. The news isn't much use to me unless I'm doing something modern or post modern, for example those photos of gigantic piles of Mexican drug lord money gave me an idea for an (otherwise good) organisation that funds itself by conducting lightning raids into cartel territory.

After all, it's not like the gangs are going to complain to the authorities.

 

[Ed_Laprade]

That would be Admiral Yamamoto, essentially the #2 man in the Japanese war effort (second only to Tojo in power). He was perhaps their most important, intelligent military commander and the man most responsible for the attack on Pearl Harbor.

The US had long since been breaking and reading Japanese codes and intercepted Yamamoto's detailed intinerary for a morale tour. They launched an extreme-range intercept mission with P-38's and shot down his plane and escorts.

Yep. Ironically, he warned Tojo that using the plan would be a Big Mistake. He was right about that too. He deserved better, but one can hardly blame the officers who ok'd the mission.

 

[Scotley]

I absolutely borrow heavily from the real world. The History Channel and Discovery are great resources for ideas. You can mine political ideas, weapons, unusual places and so much more. Here are a couple of examples I've used.

From the headlines a couple of years ago, I ran a one-shot adventure that started off with the discover of an Elven terror cell in the territory of the players (the Elves being distant enemies). The players then managed to unintentionally teleport themselves a vast distance into enemy territory without an obvious means of return.

I've borrowed ideas from the Riverwalk in San Antonio for a city in one of my games. With only minor changes it made for a cool fantasy city.

The San Antonio River Walk :: Official San Antonio Visitor Information: VisitSanAntonio.com

 

[NewJeffCT]

I did that once after either reading something about Richard the Lion-Hearted & Saladin. Or, maybe it was something on the history channel that I saw. But, Saladin had so admired Richard's fighting style & leadership that when Richard's horse was shot out from under him, Saladin had one of his men bring another horse to Richard. I thought it was a cool story.

So, once after the PCs had defeated some pre 4E minions of the BBEG, he sent the PCs a no-strings attached gift - he gave them transportation out of his city and allowed them to keep the horses. (Of course, in a world of suspicious PCs, magic and rat-bastard DMs, they didn't believe it was really no strings attached...) He was a generally honorable Lawful Evil type.

 

[Croesus]

Yep. Ironically, he warned Tojo that using the plan would be a Big Mistake. He was right about that too. He deserved better, but one can hardly blame the officers who ok'd the mission.

/Threadjack on

I would argue that he was a fairly mediocre strategist well out of his depth.

-He pushed for the Pearl Harbor attack, which united the US public in a way simply invading the Philippines would not have.
-He approved the appointment of Admiral Nagumo to head Kido Butai (the Carrier Strike Force), an officer totally unsuited to that role.
-He approved diverting two carriers (and only two carriers) to support the invasion of Port Morseby, which resulted in two fewer carriers for Midway.
-He approved the Midway plan which scattered his remaining carrier resources, leaving Nagumo with a weakened Kido Butai unable to stand up to the unexpected appearance of US carriers. And gave Nagumo two conflcting objectives (subdue Midway airpower, find and sink US carriers), which contributed directly to losing four Japanese fleet carriers. And keeping the main battle fleet so far back it couldn't possibly affect the outcome of the battle.
-He was the one who fed Japanese naval and air forces piecemeal into the battle for Guadalcanal, resulting in attrition the Japanese simply could not afford.

All that said, he was an inspirational figure and his loss seriously affected Japanese Navy morale. But his reputation far exceeds his actual performance, IMO.

/Threadjack off