tecnowraith
First Post
Darth Shoju said:
-
NOW LIVE! Into the Woods--new character species, eerie monsters, and haunting villains to populate the woodlands of your D&D games.
D&D Wild West style!
- Thread starter tecnowraith
- Start date
tecnowraith
First Post
The thing I am working on now are the playable races and which wild west culture would fit them more. I do not want to repeat the other campaigns like Eberron, FR or Iron Kingdoms. The cultures (or ethnic groups) that were popular in the west were Indians, Chinese, Mexicans, Spanish and European-American.
Darth Shoju
First Post
I found the Dungeon mag I was thinking about (issue # 80). The adventure is "Fortune Favours the Dead" and isn't so much based on the wild west as medieval Spain. It still evokes a wild west feel though...
The adventure mentions that character mounting her wand of paralyzation on a crossbow stock and modifying it so the trigger functioned as the command word. Kind of a cool idea.
The adventure mentions that character mounting her wand of paralyzation on a crossbow stock and modifying it so the trigger functioned as the command word. Kind of a cool idea.
Defnitely check out Spellslinger:
http://www.fantasyflightgames.com/hr04.html
It's a fun little d20 western game. I used it to run a mini-campaign; sort of like a Wild West D&D.
http://www.fantasyflightgames.com/hr04.html
It's a fun little d20 western game. I used it to run a mini-campaign; sort of like a Wild West D&D.
Cthulhudrew
First Post
Toyed with the idea in various ways myself. Personally, I'd be inclined to have the elves replace the Native Americans- make them more "natural" in their technologies than they are generally represented in fantasy literature (no iron or steel, using wooden/bone/stone weaponry) but having advanced knowledge of nature magics (either have them be very druidical in their leanings- change their favored class, or else maybe more sorcerers than wizards). Dwarves certainly fit the typical "prospector" niche, with gnomes filling the roles of the technological innovations nicely. The current "nomadic" halfling archetype of 3E works well with the frontiersmen/explorers of the "New World".
As far as your specific questions, I've always thought that the Owlbears would make some really interesting domesticated beasts of burden. For that matter, maybe you could have the owlbear serve as the replacement for the buffalo on the plains.
Most of the other types have been done before to one extent or another (hippogriff, griffon). A gorgon might be a cool domesticated type of beast replacing cattle (despite their entry saying they can't be domesticated). Wonder what type of milk it might make? Maybe it just produces yoghurt? (You know, the whole "stone breath" thing?)
As for weaponry, as others have suggested you might just go with guns. Crossbows are a more than suitable fantasy replacement, as are wands as you have mentioned.
As far as your specific questions, I've always thought that the Owlbears would make some really interesting domesticated beasts of burden. For that matter, maybe you could have the owlbear serve as the replacement for the buffalo on the plains.
Most of the other types have been done before to one extent or another (hippogriff, griffon). A gorgon might be a cool domesticated type of beast replacing cattle (despite their entry saying they can't be domesticated). Wonder what type of milk it might make? Maybe it just produces yoghurt? (You know, the whole "stone breath" thing?)
As for weaponry, as others have suggested you might just go with guns. Crossbows are a more than suitable fantasy replacement, as are wands as you have mentioned.
Man in the Funny Hat
Hero
C.f., Firefly.
Kunimatyu
First Post
I ran a game very similar to this over the past six months -- there's a thread with the basic info here: http://true20.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=742
The players enjoyed it so much I'm doing a followup in the New Orleans-ish town in the same setting amidst the swamps and bayous.
The players enjoyed it so much I'm doing a followup in the New Orleans-ish town in the same setting amidst the swamps and bayous.
I second the suggestion for checking out Deadlands.
Some other things to consider:
1) Harry Turtledove's Darkness series, a retelling of WW2 but in a fantasy world, featured a different kind of staff that fired a beam of eldrich energy and was rechargeable. While it was usually recharged by wizards, it could also be recharged with life energy...
IOW, guns.
In D&D, you could consider them a magic rod/staff/wand (DM's campaign design decision) that only fires something akin to a warlock's eldrich blast, rechargeable with spell levels or warlock's blasts or some such. Recharging it necromantically would require a Feat.
2) One of D&D's designer's PCs (Rary? Whomever, I believe he was in the 1Ed Rogues Gallery product) from the days of 1Ed was dressed in Western garb and fired Magic Missiles from a pair of six-guns. Without the guns, he couldn't fire the MM, and they couldn't fire real bullets, either.
Again, its some kind of gun. As I recall, the mechanic of this PC made it function more like a Warlock's eldrich blasts, but with the limitation that the PC have a certain material component (the "shootin' irons).
This could be handled with a modified "Innate Spell" type feat that, because you have to have an "attuned magic item" to cast the spell, you don't have many level adjustments on the spell. Psionics or Incarnum would probably work as well.
3) For Native Americans, I'd sub the D&D equivalent of the Sky Elves of Elfquest. IOW, Giant-Eagle riding masters of the plains. OTOH, I have also cast Minotaurs in that role in a 2Ed campaign (for the record, "Indians" with giant-sized bows are MEAN)- though they used chariots, not actual steeds.
You could also have various RW nationalities reflected by the plethora of sentient races available in 3.5, and sprinkle these new nationalities throughout your Arcane West.
For example:
The stereotypical Dwarves seem Teutonic/Germanic, though the Drow were also inspired by teutonic legends. You could give Germany to the Dwarves and places like Finland and Iceland to the Drow. They'd even still be the "Dark" elves, living in inhospitable climates with the long days and nights found in/near the arctic circle. In the Americas, they'd gravitate towards the more northern climes.
The post-Ottoman Empire arabs could be represented by Orcs- fierce warriors with a great culture in flux, spearheading advances in science and philosophy while sheltering pirates out of Tripoli. Half-Orcs would be the result of the Ottoman expansion into Europe, resulting in them being the majority of the Balkans, many of whom were among the first European settlers of America.
Gnomes could represent the Asian nationalities- assuming you don't use OA or similar products- and, like in the RW, would emigrate to the Americas to work on the railroads and the gold mines of California.
And so forth...
4) Alternative mounts: other than the giant eagles mentioned above, consider:
Kurt Giambastiani's "Fallen Coud Saga" alt version of the Wild West had no oddball races, but the Native Americans rode some kind of velociraptors.
http://www.sff.net/people/giambastiani/Novels.htm
Similarly, and slightly less fantastical, you could have them ride large flightless birds. Moas and other "terror birds" were definitely large enough to serve as steeds- people can ride the much smaller Ostrich in races- some American species survived as recently as 15K years ago, and one (the Elephant Bird) survived on Madagascar up until 300 years ago. A little twist, and instead of killing them off, the Native Americans domesticate them. They are powerful animals, very fast of foot, and with fearsome natural weapons. The Axe-Beak is one D&D take on them, there may be others.
http://www.newanimal.org/moas.htm
The aforementioned Turtledove books also features fire-breathing dragons of animal intelligence and camel-like disposition that serve as the basis of the air corps for his world's air forces. However, to keep their fires burning, they must be fed coal and cinnabar, so mines of those resources are of great strategic importance.
You might want to check out comic-book characters like Ka-Zar and Turok.
Other good sources would be the 2 TV series Wild, Wild West and The Adventures of Briscoe County, Jr., and to a slightly lesser extent, Kung Fu.
I also liked the suggestion of clockwork critters as steeds. Perhaps the Native Americans use Terror Birds and the invading Europeans use Clockwork Horses...
Heck, you could even have Whaleriders or Dune-like Worm riders- goodness knows there are plenty of worms in D&D.
Some other things to consider:
1) Harry Turtledove's Darkness series, a retelling of WW2 but in a fantasy world, featured a different kind of staff that fired a beam of eldrich energy and was rechargeable. While it was usually recharged by wizards, it could also be recharged with life energy...
IOW, guns.
In D&D, you could consider them a magic rod/staff/wand (DM's campaign design decision) that only fires something akin to a warlock's eldrich blast, rechargeable with spell levels or warlock's blasts or some such. Recharging it necromantically would require a Feat.
2) One of D&D's designer's PCs (Rary? Whomever, I believe he was in the 1Ed Rogues Gallery product) from the days of 1Ed was dressed in Western garb and fired Magic Missiles from a pair of six-guns. Without the guns, he couldn't fire the MM, and they couldn't fire real bullets, either.
Again, its some kind of gun. As I recall, the mechanic of this PC made it function more like a Warlock's eldrich blasts, but with the limitation that the PC have a certain material component (the "shootin' irons).
This could be handled with a modified "Innate Spell" type feat that, because you have to have an "attuned magic item" to cast the spell, you don't have many level adjustments on the spell. Psionics or Incarnum would probably work as well.
3) For Native Americans, I'd sub the D&D equivalent of the Sky Elves of Elfquest. IOW, Giant-Eagle riding masters of the plains. OTOH, I have also cast Minotaurs in that role in a 2Ed campaign (for the record, "Indians" with giant-sized bows are MEAN)- though they used chariots, not actual steeds.
You could also have various RW nationalities reflected by the plethora of sentient races available in 3.5, and sprinkle these new nationalities throughout your Arcane West.
For example:
The stereotypical Dwarves seem Teutonic/Germanic, though the Drow were also inspired by teutonic legends. You could give Germany to the Dwarves and places like Finland and Iceland to the Drow. They'd even still be the "Dark" elves, living in inhospitable climates with the long days and nights found in/near the arctic circle. In the Americas, they'd gravitate towards the more northern climes.
The post-Ottoman Empire arabs could be represented by Orcs- fierce warriors with a great culture in flux, spearheading advances in science and philosophy while sheltering pirates out of Tripoli. Half-Orcs would be the result of the Ottoman expansion into Europe, resulting in them being the majority of the Balkans, many of whom were among the first European settlers of America.
Gnomes could represent the Asian nationalities- assuming you don't use OA or similar products- and, like in the RW, would emigrate to the Americas to work on the railroads and the gold mines of California.
And so forth...
4) Alternative mounts: other than the giant eagles mentioned above, consider:
Kurt Giambastiani's "Fallen Coud Saga" alt version of the Wild West had no oddball races, but the Native Americans rode some kind of velociraptors.
http://www.sff.net/people/giambastiani/Novels.htm
Similarly, and slightly less fantastical, you could have them ride large flightless birds. Moas and other "terror birds" were definitely large enough to serve as steeds- people can ride the much smaller Ostrich in races- some American species survived as recently as 15K years ago, and one (the Elephant Bird) survived on Madagascar up until 300 years ago. A little twist, and instead of killing them off, the Native Americans domesticate them. They are powerful animals, very fast of foot, and with fearsome natural weapons. The Axe-Beak is one D&D take on them, there may be others.
http://www.newanimal.org/moas.htm
The aforementioned Turtledove books also features fire-breathing dragons of animal intelligence and camel-like disposition that serve as the basis of the air corps for his world's air forces. However, to keep their fires burning, they must be fed coal and cinnabar, so mines of those resources are of great strategic importance.
You might want to check out comic-book characters like Ka-Zar and Turok.
Other good sources would be the 2 TV series Wild, Wild West and The Adventures of Briscoe County, Jr., and to a slightly lesser extent, Kung Fu.
I also liked the suggestion of clockwork critters as steeds. Perhaps the Native Americans use Terror Birds and the invading Europeans use Clockwork Horses...
Heck, you could even have Whaleriders or Dune-like Worm riders- goodness knows there are plenty of worms in D&D.
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Traditional Gygaxian D&D has always been very much "Wild West Middle Ages" in flavour, with orcs instead of Red Indians. The one thing I'd say it lacks is the concept of honour and thus the 'honourable duel', the high noon showdown on equal terms, that turns an act of violence from murder to something honourable and quasi-legal. D&D PCs are encouraged to use all the advantages they can get - if you've ever tried to run a tourney and told the players "no magic items in the joust", you'll know what I mean!
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