Homebrew culture problem

[Tauric]

Have druidism as one of their main religions, with sacred ceremonies in forests. Their "Coming of Age" rites might involve surviving in the wilderness for a week or a month.

To distinguish them from elves, their goal is not to "live in harmony with nature". Instead, nature is a powerful force that can destroy civilization at a whim and needs to be appeased to stave off their doom.



Just emphasize how they have been logging down all nearby forests in pursuit of their arts and their tall buildings. Add in some major alchemical factories for larks which pollute the rivers.

Consider this stuff swiped.

 

[Nyaricus]

Personally, I do like dwarves, but one of my players doesn't, and they were featured heavily in a previous campaign (different DM, now a player). We don't like elves largely because of Legolas in the movies (dumb reason, i know, but there's no accounting for taste).

The whole purpose writing up the cultures was to give my world a different feel than the one we've been playing in, in which every kingdom had the same culture, and it was kind of bland and lacked cohesiveness.

I chose the cultures I did because that is what I'm familiar with as a student of medieval and Renaissance Europe.

well, if you, as DM, likes dwarves but only one player (out of what, 4 or 5 guys/girls) does not, then I say feature them. Maybe give them only a marginal role in the setting, but dude, just stick 'em in if you want to have 'em in there.

I, too, write up cultures for my homebrew campaign setting Ascension: Paths of Power, and since once I get through university I plan to be a prof of Western Civ, I share a big intrest in this sort of stuff. My CS is set in a europe-like setting set in our equivalent of 1050 C.E. that has two assumptions: every myth, folktale, legend and religios story is true, and that Tolkienisms apply throughout. So, I have Tolkien-esque dwarves which fight Sianachs from celtic myths and folklore. I have Tolkien-esque Orcs who try to control lands held by Nordic Storm and Frost Giants. Stuff like that. I have a psuedo post-celtic area which was not over-run by "anglo-saxon" invaders et al, and thus retains much of that flavour and culture; I have a norse region/nation with great shipwrights and warriors; etc etc. It's a lot of fun and quite rewarding

cheers,
--N

 

[madelf]

As long as the "Elves" don't live in trees or claim to love Nature or practice druidic magic and the others don't live underground, have beards...

On the other hand, there's really no reason Elves have to live in trees and love nature, and Dwarves don't have to live underground and grow beards. The D&D races are primarily just physical types, the cultures could be anything you want.

Or if you're not interested in the physical differences, just go with humans. Just because the humans might live in the mountains and build with stone doesn't make them dwarves.

I'd say, if your're really up in the air on which way you want to go... talk to your players about it, and see what they think.

 

[Jürgen Hubert]

Consider this stuff swiped.

Glad to be of service.

EDIT: If you are having troubles with any other aspects of your setting, just tell us about them.

 

[Ringan]

Another nation was based (again, loosely) on early Renaissance Italy. Passionate and creative, arts tending toward literature and painting, brightly colored buildings reaching skyward.

You could play up the despotic/autocratic aspect of Renaissance Italy. It won't seem so elvish when you have analogues of cutthroat, powerful families like the Medici; you can also have the Machiavellis contributing to the literature tradition. You could also use mercenaries for most of the NPC soldiers as they did in the Renaissance.