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Heroic Dark Fantasy Campaign
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<blockquote data-quote="DarrenGMiller" data-source="post: 2674917" data-attributes="member: 23174"><p>I know it sounds a bit strange, but I have had this idea in mind for a while now and it is, as most of my ideas usually do, slowly coaslescing over the course of many months. As my current campaign is ending soon, I need to really pull this together for my next one (though I am taking a few weeks off from the DM's seat to get it ready). Here is my idea:</p><p></p><p>I want to do a Heroic Dark Fantasy campaign. I started out thinking that what I was looking for was Tim Burton inspired, but many of the movies I have in mind are not Burton films. What they seem to have in common was that Danny Elfman composed the music for most of the movies I have in mind.</p><p></p><p>I am planning on using Heroes of Horror and some other sources and have ordered Ken Hite's Nightmare of Mine (hopefully I actually get a copy of it, I have heard wonderful things about it) and already have GURPS Horror 3rd Edition.</p><p></p><p>The difference between what I want to do and a straight horror fantasy game is a sense of the surreal and that the heroes will be very heroic, but adventuring in a dark setting. There is darkness and corruption all around them and only they have the strength to make it right. I am using some published adventures (mostly Dungeon) that have the right feel to them and am designing the world and come up with some original adventure material as well.</p><p></p><p>What I would like to do is list my sources of inspiration and ask that if anyone is doing/has done anything like this, or just has any thoughts or ideas chime in with any house rules, advice, classes/PrC's to allow/disallow, rules to avoid, etc. Basically any advice you can give to help me capture the right feel I am looking for. The players are getting excited about this game and so am I, I am just starting to right my campaign handbook and would like to do this right, so that everyone enjoys it. Any assistance is greatly appreciated! That is one of the great things about ENWORLD! I can post my ideas and have instant brainstorming and feedback.</p><p></p><p>Here are my inspirational materials:</p><p></p><p>MOVIES</p><p>Beetlejuice</p><p>Batman (et al)</p><p>Nightbreed</p><p>Dick Tracy</p><p>Darkman</p><p>Edward Scissorhands</p><p>Sleepy Hollow</p><p>Dark City</p><p>Blade</p><p>Hellraiser (original)</p><p>Van Helsing</p><p>The Mummy (et al)</p><p></p><p></p><p>BOOKS</p><p>Lovecraft</p><p>Poe</p><p>Robert E. Howard</p><p>Robert R. McCammon's <em>Boy's Life</em> and <em>Gone South</em></p><p>Stephen King's <em>It </em>, <em>'Salem's Lot </em> and <em>Silver Bullet</em></p><p><em>Dracula</em>, <em>Frankenstein</em>, <em>Dr. Jeckyll and Mr. Hyde</em>,etc,</p><p></p><p>I picture a world of corrupt politicians trading the welfare of their people for a life of ease and riches. The weather will feature lots of rain and fog (London, Seattle?). I want to create a sens of unease. The PC's are going to take the roles of heroic redeemers. They will win many smal victories, such as saving the village from the local werewolf bandits while discovering that the mayor was letting same bandits have thir way with the town in exchange for gold, etc. Also, lots of iconic monster, such as mummies, aberrations (Lords of Madness), vampires, the created, vampires, werewolves, ghosts, etc.</p><p></p><p>Thanks in advance for any and all ideas and suggestions. If nothing else, scrutiny will help me zero in on exactly where I am going with this campaign.</p><p></p><p>DM</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="DarrenGMiller, post: 2674917, member: 23174"] I know it sounds a bit strange, but I have had this idea in mind for a while now and it is, as most of my ideas usually do, slowly coaslescing over the course of many months. As my current campaign is ending soon, I need to really pull this together for my next one (though I am taking a few weeks off from the DM's seat to get it ready). Here is my idea: I want to do a Heroic Dark Fantasy campaign. I started out thinking that what I was looking for was Tim Burton inspired, but many of the movies I have in mind are not Burton films. What they seem to have in common was that Danny Elfman composed the music for most of the movies I have in mind. I am planning on using Heroes of Horror and some other sources and have ordered Ken Hite's Nightmare of Mine (hopefully I actually get a copy of it, I have heard wonderful things about it) and already have GURPS Horror 3rd Edition. The difference between what I want to do and a straight horror fantasy game is a sense of the surreal and that the heroes will be very heroic, but adventuring in a dark setting. There is darkness and corruption all around them and only they have the strength to make it right. I am using some published adventures (mostly Dungeon) that have the right feel to them and am designing the world and come up with some original adventure material as well. What I would like to do is list my sources of inspiration and ask that if anyone is doing/has done anything like this, or just has any thoughts or ideas chime in with any house rules, advice, classes/PrC's to allow/disallow, rules to avoid, etc. Basically any advice you can give to help me capture the right feel I am looking for. The players are getting excited about this game and so am I, I am just starting to right my campaign handbook and would like to do this right, so that everyone enjoys it. Any assistance is greatly appreciated! That is one of the great things about ENWORLD! I can post my ideas and have instant brainstorming and feedback. Here are my inspirational materials: MOVIES Beetlejuice Batman (et al) Nightbreed Dick Tracy Darkman Edward Scissorhands Sleepy Hollow Dark City Blade Hellraiser (original) Van Helsing The Mummy (et al) BOOKS Lovecraft Poe Robert E. Howard Robert R. McCammon's [I]Boy's Life[/I] and [I]Gone South[/I] Stephen King's [I]It [/I], [I]'Salem's Lot [/I] and [I]Silver Bullet[/I] [I]Dracula[/I], [I]Frankenstein[/I], [I]Dr. Jeckyll and Mr. Hyde[/I],etc, I picture a world of corrupt politicians trading the welfare of their people for a life of ease and riches. The weather will feature lots of rain and fog (London, Seattle?). I want to create a sens of unease. The PC's are going to take the roles of heroic redeemers. They will win many smal victories, such as saving the village from the local werewolf bandits while discovering that the mayor was letting same bandits have thir way with the town in exchange for gold, etc. Also, lots of iconic monster, such as mummies, aberrations (Lords of Madness), vampires, the created, vampires, werewolves, ghosts, etc. Thanks in advance for any and all ideas and suggestions. If nothing else, scrutiny will help me zero in on exactly where I am going with this campaign. DM [/QUOTE]
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