Egyptian/Arabic themed encounters
- Thread starter just__al
- Start date
Emirikol
Adventurer
Al,
This has been my campaign specialty for a couple years now. We've been playing in Hyboria (Conan's world), which has a TON of arabic/egyptian stuff going on.
Before we get started, let me ask you a few questions:
1. Is your campaign set anywhere near 'arabic/persian/sumerian/babylonian/hittite/turkish/egyptian-type' lands?
2. Are any of the characters home-cultures anything close to this theme or are they all standard midieval/fantasy types?
3. Are the Jann related to anything else going on in the campaign?
4. Do you have a decent map of the area with some 'theme-sounding" areas?
http://www.hallofhero.com/sand/
jh
This has been my campaign specialty for a couple years now. We've been playing in Hyboria (Conan's world), which has a TON of arabic/egyptian stuff going on.
Before we get started, let me ask you a few questions:
1. Is your campaign set anywhere near 'arabic/persian/sumerian/babylonian/hittite/turkish/egyptian-type' lands?
2. Are any of the characters home-cultures anything close to this theme or are they all standard midieval/fantasy types?
3. Are the Jann related to anything else going on in the campaign?
4. Do you have a decent map of the area with some 'theme-sounding" areas?
http://www.hallofhero.com/sand/
jh
Last edited:
just__al
First Post
Emirikol said:
The Characters are Elves mostly. Their forest was attacked by orcs (back when they were 2nd level) and when the Eye of Grummush leader died he pronounced a dying curse on the elves. Now everywhere that blood was spilled abberations appear and the only way to make it stop is to plant varying and sundry rare plants/herbs over the areas where orcish blood was spilled. The party being so inexperienced were sent as far away as possible to keep them out of danger from the abberations. They have travelled very far to find a rare desert flower when it goes to seed and bring it back. So the home culture is not anything like this. One character is playing a native-american type human because his elven character got eaten by wolves (seriously).
They are in a persian type land. They met one human from this land and he was psionic as are many of they people they'll meet.
The Jann serve/work with a blue dragon that preys on desert caravans.
They are actually going to meet up with desert elves at some point. They've had a human guide through the human lands and he's going to leave the party at that point because one of the desert elves bore his child and when he finds out he'll want to stay with the elves. This will also make a lot of sense to the party since he's been very protective of the two female elves in the party and the desert elf he got pregnant combines the best of both of their features...
Emirikol
Adventurer
Cool, that gives you a lot more to work with. THis is a lot easier when you have more than just a 'desert.' Don't think that arabic/egyptian can only occur in a desert. That will give you a lot more options for your encounters. Get yourself a little map going too if you can and write down some names that 'sound' foreign and that will also help you come up with encounters.
Next, start with the basics and a little background. It will feel more like a WORLD if you don't just use monsters but actually have HUMAN things going on around them:
1. Have two groups of nomads (all nomads are raiders in some form) in the desert. Example: Kozaki and Hussari. Each one needs a name for their chief. Example: Fyadh and Dajid
2. You have your blue dragon and the Jann. They need an alliance and an enemy.
3. Who is the Pasha (king) of the land? How is he related to the religions of the land? ISMET OF THE BLUE-DRAGON. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pasha
4. What are the top 4 normal animals (so players can know normal from ABnormal): Camels, snakes, lizards, and a killer plant/cactus that rolls on the ground (watch the anticipation for this one when the wind blows)
5. Put 1-2 REALLY NASTY creatures out there (Sand-turtle-dragon, the maybe even list the blue dragon) and tell the PC's exactly where they are (use a map and have giant 'x's out there). This will cause them angst and tell them where NOT to go.
6. Caravan trips traditionally make for boring parts of adventures, but they are a great place to pick up rumors.
Now, onto the encounters:
a) Site based - that's what your map is for. Site based is nice because you can hand out a map and the PC's can see several 'locations' for which to search for the flower.
b) Wandering monster - The open desert typically isn't good for anything other than fly-by monsters. Pterydactl's that live on rocks in the distance, etc.
c) Searching monster - Have the monsters track the PC's instead of the typical "oops, some wandering monsters appear..." ANy kind of large meat-eating beastie is nice here.
d) Environmental hazards - HEAT, HEAT, HEAT. Make it clear exactly what armor does. BTW, we house ruled that leather armor or shield are not subject to heat and remind the players of feats that are useful for this sort of thing.
e) Skill checks - Let the PC's use their skills here. Survival, track, profession, etc. After several canyoneering trips to Utah, I learned all kinds of fun new things about narrow slot canyons (squeeze, climb, rapel, balance, water in the bottoms of canyons/caves), walking through sand needs to have a fighting penalty to unstable ground,etc.
f) Watering holes are COMMON PLACES FOR ALL MONSTERS btw. Everythign needs water and just like in Africa, you get a little bit of everything there at night.
If you want to break the mold look in your monster manuals and old Dragon magazines and pull out monsters that otherwise wouldn't be there (for example Yeti with less hair can be used to guard oases; oil-creatures can replace water-creatures; things that climb can be in rock formations instead of trees, and don't forget the effect of scrub-brush, sagebrush, and cacti on concealment. Not every desert is the sahara.) How about Xorns that eat variations of colored salt minerals in dry lakebeds?
So, ifyou needed 5 encounters:
1. A place to gather rumors while with a caravan
2. Pterydactls hunting for food for their babies
3. they have to cross a nasty canyon and while doing so are beset upon by kozaki Raiders with bows, spells, invisibility cover and concealment
4. A nearby salt lake is guarded by desert xorns
5. A yeti in a turban is demanding food payment by travellers who visit his oasis.
6. Destroyed settlement by raiders burns off in the distance. The tracks head towards the bluedragon on the map.
7. Bone-battlefield (an idea stolen from Mesopotamia by Morten Braaten..Swords & Sorcery company).
Try to make your encounters 'fit.' The desert is linked by caravan routes..outside of those is a dangerous world seeming worse by rumors from superstitous folk.
jh
...
Next, start with the basics and a little background. It will feel more like a WORLD if you don't just use monsters but actually have HUMAN things going on around them:
1. Have two groups of nomads (all nomads are raiders in some form) in the desert. Example: Kozaki and Hussari. Each one needs a name for their chief. Example: Fyadh and Dajid
2. You have your blue dragon and the Jann. They need an alliance and an enemy.
3. Who is the Pasha (king) of the land? How is he related to the religions of the land? ISMET OF THE BLUE-DRAGON. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pasha
4. What are the top 4 normal animals (so players can know normal from ABnormal): Camels, snakes, lizards, and a killer plant/cactus that rolls on the ground (watch the anticipation for this one when the wind blows)
5. Put 1-2 REALLY NASTY creatures out there (Sand-turtle-dragon, the maybe even list the blue dragon) and tell the PC's exactly where they are (use a map and have giant 'x's out there). This will cause them angst and tell them where NOT to go.
6. Caravan trips traditionally make for boring parts of adventures, but they are a great place to pick up rumors.
Now, onto the encounters:
a) Site based - that's what your map is for. Site based is nice because you can hand out a map and the PC's can see several 'locations' for which to search for the flower.
b) Wandering monster - The open desert typically isn't good for anything other than fly-by monsters. Pterydactl's that live on rocks in the distance, etc.
c) Searching monster - Have the monsters track the PC's instead of the typical "oops, some wandering monsters appear..." ANy kind of large meat-eating beastie is nice here.
d) Environmental hazards - HEAT, HEAT, HEAT. Make it clear exactly what armor does. BTW, we house ruled that leather armor or shield are not subject to heat and remind the players of feats that are useful for this sort of thing.
e) Skill checks - Let the PC's use their skills here. Survival, track, profession, etc. After several canyoneering trips to Utah, I learned all kinds of fun new things about narrow slot canyons (squeeze, climb, rapel, balance, water in the bottoms of canyons/caves), walking through sand needs to have a fighting penalty to unstable ground,etc.
f) Watering holes are COMMON PLACES FOR ALL MONSTERS btw. Everythign needs water and just like in Africa, you get a little bit of everything there at night.
If you want to break the mold look in your monster manuals and old Dragon magazines and pull out monsters that otherwise wouldn't be there (for example Yeti with less hair can be used to guard oases; oil-creatures can replace water-creatures; things that climb can be in rock formations instead of trees, and don't forget the effect of scrub-brush, sagebrush, and cacti on concealment. Not every desert is the sahara.) How about Xorns that eat variations of colored salt minerals in dry lakebeds?
So, ifyou needed 5 encounters:
1. A place to gather rumors while with a caravan
2. Pterydactls hunting for food for their babies
3. they have to cross a nasty canyon and while doing so are beset upon by kozaki Raiders with bows, spells, invisibility cover and concealment
4. A nearby salt lake is guarded by desert xorns
5. A yeti in a turban is demanding food payment by travellers who visit his oasis.
6. Destroyed settlement by raiders burns off in the distance. The tracks head towards the bluedragon on the map.
7. Bone-battlefield (an idea stolen from Mesopotamia by Morten Braaten..Swords & Sorcery company).
Try to make your encounters 'fit.' The desert is linked by caravan routes..outside of those is a dangerous world seeming worse by rumors from superstitous folk.
jh
...
rgard
Adventurer
just__al said:
Some published stuff:
1. Avalanche press did Egyptian and Arabian source/module supplements. More limited module stuff at the end of the source book material.
2. Sha'ir (or spelt something like that) from the Dragon Compendium (NPC possibility.)
3. Gary Gygax's Necropolis (I think published by S&S) takes the characters from 1st to 20th level...you could plop the party into the end of the first third or have them have an easy time through the 1st third of the book.
4. Fast Forward Entertainment did one called the Treasure Quests: Tombs of Ra. I like this one.
5. Not sure if they did an Egyptian themed one, but check out Goodman games stuff.
Thanks,
Rich
sckeener
First Post
Some have been mentioned, here are some links to products I'd recommend for any Mesopotamia/Egyptian game.
Ancient Kingdoms: Mesopotamia It is more Sumerian, but it is a high quality product. Worth getting and keeping forever.
Gary Gygax's Necropolis Excellent Egyptian feel.
AD&D Forgotten Realms: FR10 Old Empires PDF Good adaptation of Egypt to gaming
Egyptian Adventures - Hamunaptra
Testament: Roleplaying in the Biblical Era
Testament: The Hittites
Ancient Kingdoms: Mesopotamia It is more Sumerian, but it is a high quality product. Worth getting and keeping forever.
Gary Gygax's Necropolis Excellent Egyptian feel.
AD&D Forgotten Realms: FR10 Old Empires PDF Good adaptation of Egypt to gaming
Egyptian Adventures - Hamunaptra
Testament: Roleplaying in the Biblical Era
Testament: The Hittites
