Upgrade your account to a Community Supporter account and remove most of the site ads.

Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="Griffith Dragonlake" data-source="post: 3150843" data-attributes="member: 40379">For inspiration, I like Chivalry & Sorcery, Pendragon, and World of Darkness: The Dark Ages (Vampire, Werewolf, Changeling, etc.).  Ars Magica and Mage: The Sorcerer's Crusade are good as well.  There was also a very good book on Robin Hood that is OOP by Iron Crown IIRC.In terms of ideas, here are some that I've used to good success:1. The Black Plague as an apocalyptic Romeroesque zombie disease (also see All Flesh Must Be Eaten).  Remeber that the Plague hit Europe many times, not just the mid-14th C.2. Early Medieval dynasties founded by deities with Half-Celestial royals and Aasimar knights.  Inspired by Merovingian and Viking lore.  Of course some royals are half-fiends and their knights tieflings. . . 3. The Inquisition on Steroids:  The Church (Lawful) is intent on destroying all Chaos.  Lawful/Evil "Paladins" hunt down and kill all creatures who radiate "chaotic."  I alterned the rules slightly so that only creatures with spellcaster levels, spell-like or supernatural powers would radiate Chaotic or Lawful.  And like Ravenloft, Evil and Good cannot be detected.4. Attila the Ogre and Genghis Centaur.  What would happen if a charismatic half-ogre managed to bring together all the ogre tribes to attack the 'civilized' lands?  What if the Mongols were all centaurs with Human IQ and Mongolia the ancestral home of centaurs?5. Persecution of Dwarves.  Historically the Jews of Europe were restricted in their occupations while at the same time Christrians were forbidden from conducting usury (charging high interest rates).  Fantasy dwarves would probably have a monopoly on all mines and in turn monopolilze the metalworking and jewelsmith trades.  Their success would naturaly lead to banking (what to do with all the cash).  Their would grant loans to monarchs at usurious interest rates in order to buy the arms & armor that they produce.  When the monarch cannot pay off the debt, the dwarves are driven out of the kingdom or worse blamed for poisoning the water supply, kidnapping children, etc.6. Slave Trade.  Haven't tried this one, but it would add a vile twist.  Forbid Human slaves in Human kingdoms but freely allow non-Human slaves (Elves, Dwarves, etc.) in Human kingdoms.  Do the same in non-Human kingdoms.  A typical adventuring party might find half of its members captured by slavers.7. Crusades.  Haven't tried this one either but thought about it a lot.  A morality tale where Dwarves play the role of Jews and Elves or Orcs of Muslims.  At this point in the game, Humans follow a religion founded by a Dwarf who broke with ancient Dwarven religious tradition.  The Elves follow a religion founded by an Elf who builds upon the Human and Dwarven religions.  Dwarves, Humans, and Elves all identigy their holy land as the same.  All 3 races are Good-aligned but compete with each other.  Over time the Neutral and Evil members of those societies come into power and decided to take the holy land.  The Elves succeed first but the Humans won't stand for it.8. Use all of the above.Personally, I enjoy morality tales, fables, and satire.  Instead of having D&D mirror the modern world (which is so overdone in D&D and in fantasy novels) why not have it mirror the "real" Middle Ages in all her glory and shame?</blockquote>

Verification