Arnie_Wan_Kenobi
Aspiring Trickster Mentor
I mean, I agree, but I don't want to insinuate to anyone how to run their game.Anachronism is pretty much required in D&D
And tornado-riding cowboys and itinerant apple-tree planting druids too!
D&D 5E Help me design Fantasy Americas D&D (+)
Mecheon
Sacabambaspis
To go in with stuff earlier, gotta just have, all of the Fearsome Critters
Rather than the Thunderbird being a phoenix variant, I'd recommend poking at its myths some more. They're not just 'large bird', they're protectors. In addition, I can't find the source on it, but at least one area had myths of thunderbirds specifically shedding their skin to live among humans. Said people oculd then later don those skins and go back to their previous forms in times when their true power would be required.
They would really, really hate Yuan-Ti though. Constant in the Thunderbird myths is the hatred of snakes and beings from the underworld
Rather than the Thunderbird being a phoenix variant, I'd recommend poking at its myths some more. They're not just 'large bird', they're protectors. In addition, I can't find the source on it, but at least one area had myths of thunderbirds specifically shedding their skin to live among humans. Said people oculd then later don those skins and go back to their previous forms in times when their true power would be required.
They would really, really hate Yuan-Ti though. Constant in the Thunderbird myths is the hatred of snakes and beings from the underworld
Eyes of Nine
Everything's Fine
Why colonial period? (First of all colonization, blech).
Why not in the period prior to the arrival of Europeans to the shores of North America? Therefore analogous from a timeline standpoint to the pseudo medieval period that D&D sort of sits in.
But at the same time, make it so that some of the glorious megafauna of the Pleistocene still live here in the Americas - Mastodon/Mammoths, Sabre Tooth Tigers, and so many more. You can also do something sort of cool with having sentient Crocodlians in the SE of what would become the US - and mostly use Lizardmen stats.
Also like the ideas of Dwarves and Elves and Halflings here living with the humans - but perhaps not in harmony. It could be when the humans came across the land bridge from Asia, the D, E & H peoples who had staked out the Mountains, Forests, and Plains (respectively) of North America WERE NOT HAPPY. And while Humans have brokered peace here and there, there are also frequent skirmishes.
Why not in the period prior to the arrival of Europeans to the shores of North America? Therefore analogous from a timeline standpoint to the pseudo medieval period that D&D sort of sits in.
But at the same time, make it so that some of the glorious megafauna of the Pleistocene still live here in the Americas - Mastodon/Mammoths, Sabre Tooth Tigers, and so many more. You can also do something sort of cool with having sentient Crocodlians in the SE of what would become the US - and mostly use Lizardmen stats.
Also like the ideas of Dwarves and Elves and Halflings here living with the humans - but perhaps not in harmony. It could be when the humans came across the land bridge from Asia, the D, E & H peoples who had staked out the Mountains, Forests, and Plains (respectively) of North America WERE NOT HAPPY. And while Humans have brokered peace here and there, there are also frequent skirmishes.
Eltab
Lord of the Hidden Layer
A group of physically-tough peoples (dwarf, goliath, half-orc?) live near the Comstock Lode area. They revere the ground to the point that they will not use stone tools (but anything from an animal body is OK). They can summon earth elementals to aid in their defense. If you get to the home village the leaders summon a Silver Elemental.
Because silver, they have mutual non-interference treaties with were-tribes around them. These guys are the only people who can make the were-tribes say Ouch in a fight.
Cold Elemental spirits live in Donner Pass. People nearby know how to placate them, but people from farther afield do not - and may not even believe they exist. See the scene in LotR where the Fellowship tries to climb the mountain and gets blizzarded, before deciding to enter Moria.
If spirits do not suit, pick an otherwise-obscure prehistoric megafauna that liked mountainous terrains.
Because silver, they have mutual non-interference treaties with were-tribes around them. These guys are the only people who can make the were-tribes say Ouch in a fight.
Cold Elemental spirits live in Donner Pass. People nearby know how to placate them, but people from farther afield do not - and may not even believe they exist. See the scene in LotR where the Fellowship tries to climb the mountain and gets blizzarded, before deciding to enter Moria.
If spirits do not suit, pick an otherwise-obscure prehistoric megafauna that liked mountainous terrains.
Undrave
Legend
There is something in the valley... the 'People Over There'...
en.wikipedia.org
Fearsome Critters are pretty good to build up your monster manual! Maybe the Skunk-Ape of Florida? The Jersey Devil? In addition to Coyote the trickster, you also have Raven!
Also: LAKE MONSTERS! From Champ to Ogopogo, there is tons of lake monsters in North America! Because there is SO many lakes.
That being said, one place without one is Lake Superior. I remember a line: "There is no monster in the lake... The LAKE is the monster." I could see Druids who worship the lake, and maybe Fathom Warlock making a path with... something... residing within its depth!
There's also the concept of the Hudson Bay Company as a sort of antagonist force. A commercial entreprise who mercilessly claims control over a large piece of land. They can be a source of quests, but also an enemy force.
And while South America had El Dorado, North-America had the Kingdom of Saguenay and the Settlement of Norumbega. Of course, just like El Dorado, both of these were basically dreamed up by coloniser looking for a jackpot. It's been suggested the Saguenay legend was thought up as a prank by the Iroquois
When 4e introduced the Seeker I thought it would have been cool if they had made a Sling using subclass for it that had Powers revolving around shooting seeds into the ground and getting plants to grow immediately to gain effects and set up zone(one power I had design were vicious carnivorous plant that could do opportunity attacks that could trip people up). It could work as either a Druid or Ranger subclass I think.
Fearsome critters - Wikipedia
Fearsome Critters are pretty good to build up your monster manual! Maybe the Skunk-Ape of Florida? The Jersey Devil? In addition to Coyote the trickster, you also have Raven!
Also: LAKE MONSTERS! From Champ to Ogopogo, there is tons of lake monsters in North America! Because there is SO many lakes.
That being said, one place without one is Lake Superior. I remember a line: "There is no monster in the lake... The LAKE is the monster." I could see Druids who worship the lake, and maybe Fathom Warlock making a path with... something... residing within its depth!
There's also the concept of the Hudson Bay Company as a sort of antagonist force. A commercial entreprise who mercilessly claims control over a large piece of land. They can be a source of quests, but also an enemy force.
And while South America had El Dorado, North-America had the Kingdom of Saguenay and the Settlement of Norumbega. Of course, just like El Dorado, both of these were basically dreamed up by coloniser looking for a jackpot. It's been suggested the Saguenay legend was thought up as a prank by the Iroquois
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Years ago, in a thread lost to software changes, I suggested a fantasy Plains Indian style culture based on The Fallen Cloud Saga by Kurt R. A. Giambastiani. In it, the natives ride domesticated raptor dinosaurs, but I suggested moas as a substitute.
Because the natives would have a viable alternative to European horses, the conquering of the Americas would probably take a different trajectory.
Because the natives would have a viable alternative to European horses, the conquering of the Americas would probably take a different trajectory.
John R Davis
Hero
Land would need a new name.
Mega fauna to the north.
Dinosaurs to the south.
Various ' peoples' in the middle.
Assume the land has been mostly 'explored' as there are cultures living there?
Mega fauna to the north.
Dinosaurs to the south.
Various ' peoples' in the middle.
Assume the land has been mostly 'explored' as there are cultures living there?
Mind of tempest
(he/him)advocate for 5e psionics
horses were in the Americas before the last ice age maybe make it so they just never died off?
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