D&D 5E Domain of Dread: Grognardia

[Eltab]

As residents of Grognardia only look back and never forwards, a Thief's Backstab will only work from the front. Whilst talking about classes it would be remiss of me to note just as the Paladin is the antithesis of the Realm of Horror, the Innovator is the antithesis of Grognardia.

No Artificers, then?

 

[Eubani]

No Artificers, then?

Silly me I missed the most obvious one, the poster child, the one that makes those delicious Grognard tears flow like a river...... The WARLORD.

 

[AtomicPope]

9th Trial - Bend Bars/Lift Gates

 

[Eubani]

Residents of Grognadia when they read the holy books known as the phb & dmg become illiterate when said holy tomes discuss the nature of HP.

 

[Vaalingrade]

Along with all these risks there also need to be signficant (if somewhat random) rewards for the PCs to find should they be so thorough.

And they turn out to be cursed.

 

[Shades of Eternity]

Silly me I missed the most obvious one, the poster child, the one that makes those delicious Grognard tears flow like a river...... The WARLORD.

Sold!

Also, half the PC's species need to be (according to the lords of the realms) special snowflake species: ex. Dragonborn, Saurials, Tieflings, Tortles?

 

[Lanefan]

And they turn out to be cursed.

Only some of them...says he, who's PC is in a party still dealing with 5 items of clothing the curses on which all just triggered simultaneously...

 

[Blue Orange]

Fighter, Cleric, Mage, Thief only. All human. (Some grognards won't even use the thief.) You can play a nonhuman, but they find their level advancement strangely limited. (You can look up the level limits or roll d20 to underscore the arbitrariness of it.)

No death saves--0 hp and you die.

Spectres, vampires, etc. drain levels permanently. Poison is instantly lethal on a failed save. Petrification is instastone if the save fails, etc. However, the demons and devils, while capable of using lots of spells as at-will abilities, are referred to by strange nonsensical names with apostrophes in random places, have very few hitpoints, and suddenly fall dead in combat.

No caps on spell damage--that enemy 20th-level mage does 20d6 fire damage with a fireball. (Everyone wakes up alive after this, of course...)

Resting only recovers 1 hp per day--you have to cast and rememorize healing spells.

You stop getting extra hit dice after level 9 (you can fine-tune this if using AD&D rules).

There is a puzzle involving inserting the correct polearm into the correct hole.

The party's treasure disappears and is replaced by science-fiction stories nobody wants and a knockoff collectible card game.

There is insanely impractical skimpy armor.

 

[Shades of Eternity]

The forest is filled with the isle of dread critters.

The lake has a healthy population of Rot Grubs.

I'm also seriously thinking of adding a touch of xcrawl for the way dungeons are designed.

Mimics have screen actors guild and are most chests, but unbenost to the dark powers, they can be negotiated with as they are all aspiring actors. However, they are all divas that need to be handled carefully.

a lot of options for improvised equipment with stuff on hand (aka the flour sprayer) and this stuff will improve chances with the dark powers.

 

[Vaalingrade]

Mimics have screen actors guild and are most chests, but unbenost to the dark powers, they can be negotiated with as they are all aspiring actors. However, they are all divas that need to be handled carefully.

Every form a mimic takes is an entirely different monster.