Can I get some ideas?

[heromedel]

I'm starting a new dnd campaign and a recurring theme is going to be divine runes that someone can be born with or gain later.

I haven't yet decided exactly why people get them or the overall arc of what they mean. Could you help me come up with a new interesting idea something unique maybe.

Edit: by rune I mean a single visible symbol that is not skin colored.

 

[Dandu]

Drunken gods play a game of scrabble, but one gets angry at having a hand full of consonants and upturns the table, causing the tiles to fall out of heaven and land in the mortal realm.

 

[heromedel]

Drunken gods play a game of scrabble, but one gets angry at having a hand full of consonants and upturns the table, causing the tiles to fall out of heaven and land in the mortal realm.

Haha, definitely unique to me. Although I think that I need something a little less by chance and more earned or pre-ordained maybe. Well maybe its just the whole board game aspect, haha.

although maybe a god was eating alphabet soup and accidently spilled some.

 

[Jimlock]

I'm starting a new dnd campaign and a recurring theme is going to be divine runes that someone can be born with or gain later.

I haven't yet decided exactly why people get them or the overall arc of what they mean. Could you help me come up with a new interesting idea something unique maybe.

Perhaps you should start thinking backwards... find the reasons behind the actions of some god or great villain and then work your way up to the effects on people... and perhaps it won't be runes but something else...

Honestly this is like asking someone to do all the work for you.

 

[heromedel]

Perhaps you should start thinking backwards... find the reasons behind the actions of some god or great villain and then work your way up to the effects on people... and perhaps it won't be runes but something else...

Honestly this is like asking someone to do all the work for you.

I was worried someone might think that but too me its just one aspect of the campaign or universe and any idea that we could bounce around might give me the inspiration to do the work myself.

Seriously if all I get is the accidental scrabble idea I might just have to work from there and see why a god or powerful being would be accidently tattooing mortals.

The more ideas I can get then the better I can get inspired for my campaign. on the other hand if it is too much work then for anyone no one is forcing them to give me ideas.

Edit: I might even try your thinking backwards idea.

 

[PureGoldx58]

You could always take the "Bullet Proof Monk" way of things.

 

[Theo R Cwithin]

When you say a person is born with a rune, do you mean like a mark on the body (visible or not)? Or do you mean something like an associated personal symbol that grants them power (or other effect) when the discover it later on life? Or physical runes embedded/carved into objects scattered throughout the world? Or something else...?

In another thread around here somewhere, there was the notion of the Pages of the Books of Creation (written in runes?) that somehow got scattered about. In that campaign, these pages were powerful artifacts, fought over by armies.

Marked children might be "branded" by angels (and demons?) shortly before or after birth for reason known only to the divines. An accident might happen now and then, if the wrong soul/person is marked at birth. causing mistaken identy problems, or powers granted to people unprepared for or unworthy of them.

Runes might be like currency among powerful outsiders-- which would make marked persons valuable to those who deal with the divines.

 

[heromedel]

When you say a person is born with a rune, do you mean like a mark on the body (visible or not)? Or do you mean something like an associated personal symbol that grants them power (or other effect) when the discover it later on life? Or physical runes embedded/carved into objects scattered throughout the world? Or something else...?

In another thread around here somewhere, there was the notion of the Pages of the Books of Creation that somehoe got scattered about. In that plot, these pages were powerful artifacts, fought over by armies.

Marked children might be "branded" by angels (or demons?) shortly before or after birth for reason known only to the divines. An accident might happen now and then, if the wrong soul/person is marked at birth. causing mistaken identy problems, or powers granted to people unprepared for or unworthy of them.

Runes might be like currency among powerful outsiders-- which would make marked persons valuable to those who deal with the divines.

First let me say, excellent ideas.

By runes I mean like visible markings similar to birthmarks or tattoos. I imagine very visible so more like a magical tattoo.

I suppose. You could maybe think of the rune child for Arcana Unearthed. Except you can actually be born with them, and its for a new setting not that one, lol.

 

[heromedel]

You could always take the "Bullet Proof Monk" way of things.

I don't know anything about bullet proof monk. I think its a show or movie. I will go look it up.

 

[PureGoldx58]

I don't know anything about bullet proof monk. I think its a show or movie. I will go look it up.

It was a movie, where a holy text with the meaning of life, immortality, everything on it. IT was also tatooed on his skin.