Varianor Abroad
Explorer
Art takes something of a back seat in most D&D campaigns. I rarely see players invest in it for their PC. If they did, I'd be sure to give them something to do with it. That said, it has come up a few times:
At one point I had a magical puzzle that involved musical notes instead of cryptic runes. I invented a notation system and put up some music on the wall in the dungeon. The party had to figure it out.
Paintings figure in one of the PBMB campaigns I have going on right now. The party has found a series of woven tapestries made from paintings by the same artist. Eventually, when they find the last, it will reveal something profound. Along the way, each one has revealed bits of ancient history that figure into the current state of events in the campaign.
In an old campaign, the PCs stayed in a hall that had walls painted to appear like trees leading up to a sky painted to look like the night sky. The sky would actually change to match the real sky, and dreaming under it gave minor revelations.
"Trap art" has appeared more than once - a statue or painting of some gorgeous woman (occasionally a man) that ensnares all of the appropriate interest.
I included a visual pun in a chancellor of the exchequer's coat of arms once. It was the shield from the US Treasury. Unfortunately, my players had recently seen The Untouchables movie (I hadn't) and figured out who he was right away.
Perhaps my favorite moment was a party crossing a vast wilderness, who came upon a tiny settlement. There a rude hut beside an enormous hill with half of it gone held a potter and his family. The man turned out the most amazing works in clay, but he had braved the wilderness to get to that hill. It was some good RPing.
At one point I had a magical puzzle that involved musical notes instead of cryptic runes. I invented a notation system and put up some music on the wall in the dungeon. The party had to figure it out.
Paintings figure in one of the PBMB campaigns I have going on right now. The party has found a series of woven tapestries made from paintings by the same artist. Eventually, when they find the last, it will reveal something profound. Along the way, each one has revealed bits of ancient history that figure into the current state of events in the campaign.
In an old campaign, the PCs stayed in a hall that had walls painted to appear like trees leading up to a sky painted to look like the night sky. The sky would actually change to match the real sky, and dreaming under it gave minor revelations.
"Trap art" has appeared more than once - a statue or painting of some gorgeous woman (occasionally a man) that ensnares all of the appropriate interest.
I included a visual pun in a chancellor of the exchequer's coat of arms once. It was the shield from the US Treasury. Unfortunately, my players had recently seen The Untouchables movie (I hadn't) and figured out who he was right away.
Perhaps my favorite moment was a party crossing a vast wilderness, who came upon a tiny settlement. There a rude hut beside an enormous hill with half of it gone held a potter and his family. The man turned out the most amazing works in clay, but he had braved the wilderness to get to that hill. It was some good RPing.
