Conanesque flavor?

[mhacdebhandia]

Folks, Whizbang said he's sticking to the D&D rules. More flavour, less rules alterations, eh?

 

[ssampier]

Give XP for spending money on women or drink. That has a pulpy feel.

 

[radferth]

Make sure every stuggle that the PC's become enmeshed in has 3-5 sides, all of which are evil.

 

[shilsen]

Every adventure arc ends with getting the girl and the treasure.

Every adventure arc begins with the girl from the former arc leaving with most of the treasure.

 

[Schmoe]

(snipped lots of excellent suggestions by Emerikol, who then said:)
* Wizards/sorcerers use incredibly obscure magic

I'm very intrigued by this. How do you achieve the obscurity?

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

* Beautiful women
* Lots of lower-level foes to cleave
* Wizards/sorcerers use incredibly obscure magic
* Lotus
* All monsters must have tentacles (If you're using D&D monsters, you'll lose that feel as soon as someone says "oh, that's just an orc.") and are NOT meant to be defeated..they're meant to be run from..or find another way to kill them other than toe-to-toe
* Characters need weaknesses (AC 25 will kill your game). Work on non-magic methods.
* You need more dire and advanced animals
* The difference between monsters, animals, and humans needs to be STARK
* Players need to know that they need to think twice about attacking wizards..because you as the DM IGNORE EL's when it comes to monsters and wizards.

Hmm, I'm thinking a minimum level mystic theurge of Set, leading a cult (of mooks) that's focused on a stone idol large viper/constrictor (both special abilities). A beautiful half-dressed female rogue (maybe a pirate from Freeport who came to loot the ruin's treasure) is the only one of her band left alive and has been dressed and pampered to be the "bride" of the serpent idol -- which means being sacrificed.

Oh, and the group will have to be chased to the ruin by a giant gila monster (banded lizard from Sandstorm) or a carnivorous triceratops, where they find the cult living in the ruins and are initially met by the outlander "queen."

She will, of course, make off with most of the treasure the adventurers steal before the ruin collapses around their ears at the end of the adventure.

Good checklist.

 

[Hussar]

There are a number of ways of keeping magic obscure. Or at least, less obvious.

The easiest way is changing up the description:

The thaumaturge finishes his incantation and a swirling vortex of red hot coals and ash explodes around you!

Sure, it's a fireball, but, it might not be.

Another way is to avoid the obvious spells. Instead of summoning, use illusions. Then once the players figure that all the summonings are safe to ignore, whack them with that Summon Monster IV critter and giggle.

Another way is to use spells without visual cues. The enchantment school is your friend here. Toss in metamagic to remove the Somatic and Verbal components and suddenly it becomes hard to know friend from foe.

I guess the basic gist here is skip over Evocation and Summoning and focus on Enchantment and Illusion.

 

[Emirikol]

I'm very intrigued by this. How do you achieve the obscurity?

Hussar hits on all of what I post below..

Without having to create new rules, you can simply choose your spells from books that the players typically don't use or read up on. For example, I like to use the Book of V.D. I never say the "Name" of the spell, nor do I tell them much more than, "He waives his hands, speaks ancient Stygian arcana and throws ground bones in the air..a waive of mutilation comes over you..make a Will save DC 52."

When I do bend the rules, I'll use things like ritual magic rules where you've got a low level spellcaster casting a much higher level spell..that always flips players out. You can easily do that too by making "evil items" that allow "evil PC's" to do such a thing..hence, not allowing PC's to use the item back on your bad guys

Another option is to simply change the description of spells and call them "ancient" versions. For example: magic missile is an automatic hit spell. Why does it have to be a missile? Why not just wracking pains? How about green flames of death instead of burning hands?

The DM also has the option to raise/lower numbers by +2/-2 at will. Use that. Ever taken a spell and raised the DC by two because the NPC's had time to prepare?


Anything that you can do to get the players in a position where they aren't playing "name that tune" with spells, monsters, and items is a good thing. I actually have a note in our house rulebook that says, "Due to campaign themes, the DM doesn't use standard monsters, NPC spells, or balanced EL's so be prepared."


Jay H
..

 

[Emirikol]

Whiz:

Use the "Set Priestess" on the Conan gallery page to inspire you. I like having a lot of artwork to give me ideas, and this site is one of the best for game ideas.

http://hyboria.xoth.net/gallery/index.htm

JayH

 

[Emirikol]

I'm very intrigued by this. How do you achieve the obscurity?

Another thought on this issue that Hussar brings up:

Conan's world seems full of Necromancy, Summoning, and Illusions rather than the other 'qualifications' of magic.

Priests are VERY RARELY divine casters. They are typically sorcerers who scare the hell out of the local population for personal gain. In fact, I've all but done away with divine spellcasting (sorcerers can choose from ANY spell list in our world..just as the PHB intended but nobody pays attention to so no worries about 'healing').

Ohhh, it's a big cult..and its NOT headed up by a cleric???? Players won't think they're in the forgotten realms anymore

jh
"There's nothing more pathetic than an aging hipster!"
"There's nothign more pathetic than an aging cleric when divine spells are no more!"