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Enchanted Trinkets Complete--a hardcover book containing over 500 magic items for your D&D games!

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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Reynard" data-source="post: 3897976" data-attributes="member: 467">On a whim, I cracked open my big red leather bound copy of LotR and flipped to the Appendices, which I had not read in many, many years.  The first thing I read, for no particular reason, was "Durin's Folk", the short treatise on the history of the dwarves of Middle Earth.  I was immediately fil;led with a need to run an all dwarf campaign, or at least make good use of Thorabardin in my DL module campaign.Tolkien, specifically, aside for a moment, I think the reason I found the piece so entertaining, engaging and inspiring was because it encapsulated a particular setting element -- in this case, a race -- puirely and succinctly, while at the same time giving a great deal of history and geography and even a reasonably good treatise on orcs, to boot.  All in what is probably about 5000 words or less (I didn't count).  Compared to the horrible mash of textbook and strategy guide that most RPG setting books are, the piece made me wish that such material was designed specifically for gaming (instead of merely inspiring it).Anyway, much of my interest and enthusiasm was fueled by the sense of scope and history encapsulated in such a small work and all the possibilities that bubbled forth from my brain while and after I read it.  To play a dwarf whose people had such a history, or to run a game in which that kind of history was present, would be far richer than the usual D&D experience, I think.  If nothing else, having that sense of history in mind when playing such a character would be envigorating and rewarding.  WHy does Tordek hate goblins?  Not because the rules say so, but because Azog put the kings head ona  pike a thousand years ago.  Why does Tordek adventure?  Not because it is D&D and therefore he has to, but because his homeland has long since fallen to fell creatures and he is too rpoud to take charity and too angry to give up searching for ways to gain vengeance.  Why does Tordek covet gold and jewels?  Not because money=nifty new toys in D&D, but because despite all their power to resist the will of the Dark Lord to command them, they can't stay the greed and covetousness he instills in them.  The sections on men and elves and (to ma lesser degree) hobbits are equally worthwhile and inspiring -- there's something there that makes the character and the world in which he operates more than just one dungeon crawl after another -- even iff that is the play at the table actually amounts to.What role does setting and history play in game you run or in which you play?  Do the games in which you are involved consider setting and history, or does the campaign exist discreetly, of its own accord?  When you choose to run a game or play a character, what do you find truly inspiring?</blockquote>

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