Adding Flavor to 3e- Your Methods, Solutions, Philosophies

[VirgilCaine]

Gee, I don't find it that baneful. I find it beneficial when you challenge the self-security of player meta-knowledge. The moment that you introduce something that make players go "how'd he do that?" is the moment that you remind them that the 3 core books aren't the answer to life, the universe, and everything.

You know what does that for me? The Creature Catalog. Lots of really old monsters. I mean, who doesn't like spore-releasing, sentient fungi that live in humanoid skeletons (Dusanu) ?

No law says a Bugbear can't belong to a weird tribe where warriors shave their bodies all over, cover their skin with ritual tattooing and decorative scarring, and daub themselves liberally with yellow mud before heading into battle...

I'll have to remember that! Scottish (Braveheart)/Columbian (Proof of Life) Bugbears! Bwahahaaha!

Adding Flavor to 3e: Your methods

Horsey Sauce from Arby's really hides the paper and glue taste from the 3.5 books.

these guys piss me off. and i'd beat the stuffing out of them if i wasn't a nonviolent guy.

There's a stable, rational response if I've ever heard one. Chill out. No need for that.

 

[diaglo]

There's a stable, rational response if I've ever heard one. Chill out. No need for that.

you don't know me very well do you.

i'm always chilled out. even when i'm venting i've got a grin on my face. and a laugh in my heart.

i love this game. but it is just a way to have fun.

life is too short to play crappy rpgs.

 

[Altalazar]

My flavor comes from first: world history and context, tied to the geography and the people. I add items and even classes to fit within that - such as speciality clerics to fit with my custom pantheon of dieties. And then I add on top of that specific "sub flavors" for individual adventures or organizations - think of them as themes. One adventure had a very egyptian flavor, though my campaign wasn't primarily about that, for example.

 

[Ace]

Flavor is an easy thing to add --

Keeping D&D balanced is basically a numbers game-- all the rest is FX

WHen I want to add flavor I change the FX on spells and monsters

FREX--

Fireball is boring -- so I change it to iceball Lightning Bolt becomes Fireline -- the effects are the same but the flavor Ah....

Flowery names are another good flavor source -- change "Foe Hunter" to Fell Handed or "Eschew Components" can become Power Within

As long as you don't change the casting time on a spell whay not make it a song "Wail of the Banshee" becomes Song Of Death

Shout can become "Breaking Word" and so on

Monster too are easy to change -- Instead of a beholder describe a faceless manlike thing in robes with eyes on its hands "Servants of the Eye" are functionally the same as a Beholder but to jaded players seem new and unusual

Make a Dragon into a new kind of elemental -- change the way it looks and you change the flavor

You can even do this with gear by tweaking names -- make a long sword a "willow sabre" short sword becomes "leaf knife" Breastplate stats are used for "5 fold armor" or whatever --

Mechanically the game is the same but it feels very different

 

[hong]

i have played with gamers like this over the last 3 years. their enjoyment is trying to deconstruct the monsters and .....even when they aren't involved in the encounter....tell everyone what they have discovered.

See, I don't mind that, after the game, or before the next session. AARs can be fun.