Your favorite 3 flavor items from books.

[RangerWickett]

What are your favorite three bits of flavor from gaming books you own or have read? Not mechanics, just ideas, locations, characters, or items that really inspired or intrigued you.

For me, from D&D or D20, it was the Wayfarer's Guild in Tome & Blood - a magical society that sold teleportation services. I liked it so much, I shoved the idea into my campaign setting and made them the only people who can affordably teleport without burning up. I just like the idea of a group of elite mages who teleport all over the place. They sound like they'd be cool adventurers.

In Eberron, I really liked the way the planes worked like planets. I yoinked that too. Especially nifty was the planet that's been locked away.

In Talislanta, it was the fact that every culture is a different race, which is about the opposite of the real world where we're all the same race. It makes racism a bit easier to justify, which is bad, but it also makes openness all the more impressive when people pull it off, which is good. Also, because everyone is so different, the setting feels very alive. Everyone has their own style of magic. I yoinked that.

 

[Thanee]

Shadowrun - the Awakening
Shadowrun (Cyberpunk 2020) - the Matrix (Neuromancer is not a gaming book )
Earthdawn - thread items

Bye
Thanee

 

[John Q. Mayhem]

Unknown Armies' magic.

Iron Kingdoms...weeeeell, I'm gonna have to say IK as a whole is one, huge bit of flavor

The way your aura and non-aura creatures interact, especially half-elves.

 

[danbuter]

Shifters - because they rock
Earthdawn's magic items - You need to know the history of the item to use it's powers
Iron Kingdoms steam mechs - I mean, how can you not like them?

 

[sniffles]

The Block in the Glorantha setting for RuneQuest. A big piece of a god. How cool is that?

The genasi in Forgotten Realms. I like the idea of people who've been touched by something otherworldly.

The airships and lightning rail in Eberron. It's about time somebody used magic for something universally unseful!

 

[boredgremlin]

2 of my favorites are from the epic book. The planar cartographers society. I love the idea of an explorers type guild, it gives an interesting group of people to possibly hire good NPC's, to compete with them over old ruins and magic items al'la indiana jones and a group to help answer crazy questions the PC's might have.
i also liked the order of the shield. I set up two opposing NPC organizations. A guild of ruthless assassins, based of pop culture ninja's who are all over the world and are feared and considered nearly unstoppable.
Of course the order of the sheild opposes them. The only way for NPC's to protect themselves against the assassins is with the order. It makes an interesting dynamic for flavour rumors and stories and has all kinds of ways to tie in PC parties, whether they are good or evil.
My all time favourite is the aes sedai from robert jordans wheel of time though. In my game they rule a powerfull kingdom and consider themselves the only ones who can safely use magic. In the book they are all female, and only violently hunted male wizards. I changed that to be fair to male wizards, low level mages can apply for apprenticeship in the group and there are big benefits for it. After you gain 3rd level spells you are no longer eligible to join though and are now considered a dangerous renegade who must be put down. I run a low magic world too so this is really the only large group of powerfull wizards. They also run a large kingdom and have all the benefits of that, including armies, cash, spies and mercs. The players, or course are not from this kingdom. lol

 

[rbingham2000]

The Wondrous Items back in the DMG (all editions I own, 2nd, 3rd, and 3.5). I like the classic stuff, what can I say?

The Living Spells from Eberron. Just a seriously cool idea in its own right.

The Lovecraftian overtones of the Aboleth's background and the particulars of illithid society (like the ghoulish spectacle of "performance eating" and the rather icky way that they create more of their kind) in the recently-acquired Lords of Madness.

The cool stuff included in the Monstrous Manual (2nd Edition) concerning the various monsters. The few that stick in my mind are the sinisters (creepy-looking, but quite harmless giant bats) that are attracted to music, and the Grand Snakemaster, the ruler of the giant snakes.

And the seriously cool and messed-up elements of Unknown Armies. I particularly like the "What You Hear" sections of the various campaigns you can run. There's so much that you can just pick up and use.

 

[Ralif Redhammer]

Without a doubt, the city of Hollowfaust. There's a place for it in any of my campaigns

The entire Warhammer world. I could talk about the Skaven, the grim atmosphere, or the incursions of Chaos, but really, it's the whole thing.

The hacked-in comments in most Shadowrun sourcebooks. These helped give a feel for the world and were fun reading.

 

[Crothian]

Necromancer's Legacy - Gar'Udok's Necromantic Artes

 

[diaglo]

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