"Themed" Campaigns

[Breakstone]

I'm sure there's been a thread on this before, but it's always good to touch upon this sort of topic again and again.

Does anyone run a "Themed" campaign? What I mean is, does anyone run a campaign with a Greek theme, in which everyone wears togas and there is only one Medusa, one Minotaur, and a whole bunch of tragic Titans?

Or a "Lost World" campaign, in which Dinosaurs roam free and human(oid)s are but scavenging savages?

Or and Egyptian themed campaign, in which the Gods are many and voice themselves through great Pharoes?

Or any other type of themed campaign?

Any ideas for themed campaigns?

 

[Crothian]

The only themed games I've run are all the same race or all the same class.

 

[Darkness]

The only themed games I've run are all the same race or all the same class.

What class? And how did it work out?

 

[MaxKaladin]

Well, I run a Roman themed campaign, though with some differences. I have a fantasy Rome where I postulate an empire that survived the barbarian invasions and began to rise again with the introduction of monotheism.

I suppose being the "Roman DM" means I ought to be the one to mention that Togas were a Roman thing, not Greek.

 

[Dragongirl]

Not sure if it would be concidered a theme, but a friend of mine did a campaign where a party from FR got transported to an alternate universe where everything was the opposite. Elminster was evil, Thay was good, etc. I know it has been done before, even back in the old Star Trek series but it was an interesting idea. IMO

 

[Crothian]

What class? And how did it work out?

I've done all fighter and all rogue. Both worked out great. I had to make sure each character had their own unique concept so they all had something to offer. THen I needed to alter the game to not punish them too much for trying this.

 

[Ruined]

I ran a Paranoia-styled Planescape game for a while. All characters were members of the Revolutionary League, a faction noted for trying to undermine all other factions. They were in a cell together, and all infiltrating other factions at the same time. It bred lots of mistrust and some really wonderful scenes. Too bad work schedules killed it.

 

[Breakstone]

I suppose being the "Roman DM" means I ought to be the one to mention that Togas were a Roman thing, not Greek.

Heh, whoops.

Say, what classes did you use in the Roman campaign? Did you have a gladiator match? How about monsters? Or was it Human only?

 

[Tonguez]

Currently: Legends of Hawaiki, Mythic Polynesia theme

* this could also fit into a PC as Village Leaders theme (ie the antithesis of the standard Adventuring PC as mecenary theme)

Past:
1. Agents of the Church - PCs are all members of the Church organisation sent out to smash heretical cults, arrest demonworshippers for the Inquisition, recover Sacred Artifacts and Crusade on behave of their god

2. Grand Circus - the PCs are members of a Troupe of trravelling Performers and their menagerie of animals (including a herd of Giant Carnivourous Hamsters which pull the wagons)

3. Under the Floorboards game - PCs as various tiny races under the floorboards of a major city. Adventure have to fight rats and cats and stormwater drains as they try to find a lost artifact (a brooch) (ps this was hard its not easy to imagine what life is like at 1 inch tall)


4. African setting

5. Mongol Empire setting

6. Solomon Kane 16th Century Europe setting (but with major changes eg Torquemada became Pope making the Inquisition the ultimate power in the Catholic Chuch and thus all of Southern Europe). Their activities in Scotland caused the Seelie Court to react and reassert its presence (so Caledonia is a land of Sidhe), the Puritans rule England, Northern France and parts of the Americas, Vampires rule Eastern Europe and Djinn and Lammusa are rampant throughout the Ottoman Empire)

actually this raises the point how does Theme differ to Setting or are they the same?

 

[hong]

I'm thinking of a Heart of Darkness/Apocalypse Now theme for my next campaign. The PCs go upriver to find and confront an evil warlord/outlaw, and find instead that things aren't as clear-cut as they thought.


Hong "vile content possible" Ooi