Eastern European-flavored setting (in progress)
- Thread starter Jacob the Impaler
- Start date
. I'm a shameless patriot. Hey, we are home to the world's most famous vampire! (or used to be home... damn treaty of Trianon...)
Nellisir
Hero
Curse of the Moon is a pdf on lycanthropes by Sean K Reynolds. He makes a number of changes to lychanthropes that make them more viable opponents at lower levels. You might consider inflating the value of silver (and cold iron) weapons also, so the party doesn't just buy silver everything at 3rd level.
Infernal Teddy
Explorer
So, when will we hear more of this?
johnsemlak
First Post
Here's some stuff I've researched or done:
Slavic Pantheon
http://hometown.aol.com/hpsofsnert/Gods.html#Major
Pantheon--d20 stats
http://www.enworld.org/forums/showpost.php?p=1867720&postcount=2
Russian glossery
http://www.enworld.org/forums/showpost.php?p=1880627&postcount=62
Slavic Pantheon
http://hometown.aol.com/hpsofsnert/Gods.html#Major
Pantheon--d20 stats
http://www.enworld.org/forums/showpost.php?p=1867720&postcount=2
Russian glossery
http://www.enworld.org/forums/showpost.php?p=1880627&postcount=62
johnsemlak
First Post
You might try to acquire the book Frost and Fur by MonkeyGod Press
Jacob the Impaler
First Post
I'm gonna put all the info in the first post when I'm done and I'll try to get my hands on some of those materials. I'll defininitely be snatching those gods, johnsemlak. Thanks a lot! It's kinda cool to know an actual Russian is helping me out.
I swear someday I'll come up with names, too.
Geography:
The region is roughly 500 miles wide east to west and 400 miles north to south, about Montana-sized. The climate is similar to Romania or other Balkan countries.
South Coast:
The most hospitable region is the small, flat coastline in the south. It is the site of the region's only major port, the corrupt trade city of Bankla. The area is marshy, and contains a small ethnic group of humans known by most as "swampers". They live in the swamps along the edge of the Needle Forest in houses built on stilts and live on fishing and peat harvest. They are mainly overlooked by the regional Imperial Government and few pay taxes or pledge loyalty to the Empire. They speak a pidgin form of common called swamptalk that most common-speakers pick up after a few minutes. They revere a mysterious witch-godess named Baba Yaga. Depending on who you speak to, she can be either terrifying or strangely benevolent.
Trolls and will-o-wisps are common in this area, as well as the zombies of people who become lost or drown in the marshes.
The Needle Forest:
North of the narrow South Coast is the vast expanse of land known as the Needle Forest. Ancient, gnarled pine trees thrust through the rocky soil of the foothills. A few trecherous roads and hardy communities exist in the shadows of the forest. Attempts to tame the forest always end in distaster. Lycanthropes, undead, goblin bandits, trolls, worgs and other horrors lurk in the shadows, struggling for dominance and taking advantage of travelers and peasants. It is also the home of the vampire queen Voctorida. She dwells in an ancient stronghold atop a bluff long abandoned by decent inhabitants and maintains some degree of authority over the area's intelligent undead.
A majority of the region's small elf population live in relatively tame stretches of the forest. They are mainly self-reliant, using magic and trickery to foil invaders. They sometimes seek help from the human population, and usually try to fool their potential allies into giving them more than what was agreed.
MORE TO COME!!!
I swear someday I'll come up with names, too.
Geography:
The region is roughly 500 miles wide east to west and 400 miles north to south, about Montana-sized. The climate is similar to Romania or other Balkan countries.
South Coast:
The most hospitable region is the small, flat coastline in the south. It is the site of the region's only major port, the corrupt trade city of Bankla. The area is marshy, and contains a small ethnic group of humans known by most as "swampers". They live in the swamps along the edge of the Needle Forest in houses built on stilts and live on fishing and peat harvest. They are mainly overlooked by the regional Imperial Government and few pay taxes or pledge loyalty to the Empire. They speak a pidgin form of common called swamptalk that most common-speakers pick up after a few minutes. They revere a mysterious witch-godess named Baba Yaga. Depending on who you speak to, she can be either terrifying or strangely benevolent.
Trolls and will-o-wisps are common in this area, as well as the zombies of people who become lost or drown in the marshes.
The Needle Forest:
North of the narrow South Coast is the vast expanse of land known as the Needle Forest. Ancient, gnarled pine trees thrust through the rocky soil of the foothills. A few trecherous roads and hardy communities exist in the shadows of the forest. Attempts to tame the forest always end in distaster. Lycanthropes, undead, goblin bandits, trolls, worgs and other horrors lurk in the shadows, struggling for dominance and taking advantage of travelers and peasants. It is also the home of the vampire queen Voctorida. She dwells in an ancient stronghold atop a bluff long abandoned by decent inhabitants and maintains some degree of authority over the area's intelligent undead.
A majority of the region's small elf population live in relatively tame stretches of the forest. They are mainly self-reliant, using magic and trickery to foil invaders. They sometimes seek help from the human population, and usually try to fool their potential allies into giving them more than what was agreed.
MORE TO COME!!!
If I were you, I'd pick up a gooooooood encyclopedia of mythology & legends. I have a nice one from Larousse that has pages and pages of Slavic, Finnish & Russian mythology...alongside things like the traditional Greco-Roman & Norse, and lesser known Assyrian, African, and other cultures.
Something like that will also clue you into how some of the legends spread and intertwine- whose culture influenced whose.
A good book of baby names will also let you find unique names for your populace, or even analogues of names you know that have been altered by time and linguistic drift. For example, I once designed a PC based on Finnish mythology, but used the Russian version of the name of the mythological Orion the Hunter as his- Arion. And "Yvgeny" sounds and looks a lot better than "Eugene" on a FRPG character!
If you look around, you'll even find culture-specific baby name books- I once found about 6 or so different ones at Half-Price Books.
With enough material, you'll have enough of a unique setting to drive your players out of their Balkan minds!
Something like that will also clue you into how some of the legends spread and intertwine- whose culture influenced whose.
A good book of baby names will also let you find unique names for your populace, or even analogues of names you know that have been altered by time and linguistic drift. For example, I once designed a PC based on Finnish mythology, but used the Russian version of the name of the mythological Orion the Hunter as his- Arion. And "Yvgeny" sounds and looks a lot better than "Eugene" on a FRPG character!
If you look around, you'll even find culture-specific baby name books- I once found about 6 or so different ones at Half-Price Books.
With enough material, you'll have enough of a unique setting to drive your players out of their Balkan minds!
Thomas Percy
First Post
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slavic_mythology
There is several demons/feys with interesting special abilities in our mythology.
This is very very short description of old folk local version of Haloween:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dziady
There is several demons/feys with interesting special abilities in our mythology.
This is very very short description of old folk local version of Haloween:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dziady
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