Thursday, May 20, 2010
Solicited some advice today...
From a gamer, Nathan. He likes my idea, but thinks I should leave out one of my planned plot devices, an intelligent item that would have served as the DM's voice into the campaign. In the meantime, I'm continuing to elaborate and expand my product by including more comprehensive description of the dungeon and coded hieroglyphic messages.
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Midnight update
From 2:12 AM, Wednesday, May 19:
I've statted out my advisory adventure up to the final battle with the Big Bad Evil Guy. I need to make the dungeon and have no characters, but otherwise I'm sitting pretty. Gonna sleep on whether or not to tell Ruth I'm ready...I don't want anybody thinking I didn't take my project seriously or work very hard on the product, and that means I'd prefer my product be a slam-dunk.
I've statted out my advisory adventure up to the final battle with the Big Bad Evil Guy. I need to make the dungeon and have no characters, but otherwise I'm sitting pretty. Gonna sleep on whether or not to tell Ruth I'm ready...I don't want anybody thinking I didn't take my project seriously or work very hard on the product, and that means I'd prefer my product be a slam-dunk.
Monday, May 17, 2010
Update May 17
Sorry for the irregularity, kinda crazy weekend....life.
So my product "II" is now fully outlined and treasure 90% fully planned. Now I need to draw the dungeon and maps, fully create the villains, and create sample PCs for my advisory/friends to play.
So my product "II" is now fully outlined and treasure 90% fully planned. Now I need to draw the dungeon and maps, fully create the villains, and create sample PCs for my advisory/friends to play.
Monday, May 10, 2010
The options and what they’d look like:
Option 2.3 from my last post is the current favorite, so I will start with it.
Option 2.3 would be a variant on a Bronze-Age themed D&D adventure. The rules and some or all of the items would belong to the standard Medieval D&D world, as would the characters. Therefore, the adventure would be something any DM could add to a standard campaign. The dungeon or quest would feature a Bronze-Age historical theme, however: riddles and puzzles about the Sea People, various myths from the Late Bronze Age, and fantasy themes that reflect (albeit in a distorted way) some common trends from the end of the late Bronze Age. The party would be focused on avoiding or averting the repetition of history, with the goal then being to solve the ‘riddle’ of the Sea People. Alternately, a large dungeon built around a Bronze Age or ancient Greek theme could be explored. The Dungeon Master would have a large amount of artistic license present and the Bronze Age would be felt as an influence, not as a dominating force.
The other options:
The Actual Bronze Age variant on the adventure would be tightly scripted and could either
A.) Be set in an actual Bronze Age nation
B.) Be set in a Bronze Age world in a fantasy nation whose culture and description are drawn primarily from one Bronze Age nation
The ‘Dream World’ could be some sort of fantastic Labyrinth where Bronze Age creatures, such as the Minotaur, face off against the party, who are magically dressed and armed appropriately for the Bronze Age
Changes to the Player’s Handbook to fully rework the D&D rules to Bronze Age setting would be difficult and complex but not impossible. This would be another large, dry manuscript but would make forward progress very easy for any DM armed with it and my initial product.
A General Campaign setting/overview would involve much more detailed description of a fantasy world, set presumably in a Bronze Age. Nations would again be influenced by real nations of the time and by D&D’s fantasy roots. This would also produce a (relatively) large tome, not ready to play unless the players and DM are willing to work with the traditional rules. Players should probably be experienced.
A series of magical items and artifacts might fit into a number of the other options, or could be a stand-alone supplement, leaving the DM to decide how to implement them in the game. Among the possibilities is an item that launches players into the “dream-world” or an item that is integral to the plot of an Option 2.3 style mystery.
Some combination of these: Frankly, looks like a headache.
Option 2.3 from my last post is the current favorite, so I will start with it.
Option 2.3 would be a variant on a Bronze-Age themed D&D adventure. The rules and some or all of the items would belong to the standard Medieval D&D world, as would the characters. Therefore, the adventure would be something any DM could add to a standard campaign. The dungeon or quest would feature a Bronze-Age historical theme, however: riddles and puzzles about the Sea People, various myths from the Late Bronze Age, and fantasy themes that reflect (albeit in a distorted way) some common trends from the end of the late Bronze Age. The party would be focused on avoiding or averting the repetition of history, with the goal then being to solve the ‘riddle’ of the Sea People. Alternately, a large dungeon built around a Bronze Age or ancient Greek theme could be explored. The Dungeon Master would have a large amount of artistic license present and the Bronze Age would be felt as an influence, not as a dominating force.
The other options:
The Actual Bronze Age variant on the adventure would be tightly scripted and could either
A.) Be set in an actual Bronze Age nation
B.) Be set in a Bronze Age world in a fantasy nation whose culture and description are drawn primarily from one Bronze Age nation
The ‘Dream World’ could be some sort of fantastic Labyrinth where Bronze Age creatures, such as the Minotaur, face off against the party, who are magically dressed and armed appropriately for the Bronze Age
Changes to the Player’s Handbook to fully rework the D&D rules to Bronze Age setting would be difficult and complex but not impossible. This would be another large, dry manuscript but would make forward progress very easy for any DM armed with it and my initial product.
A General Campaign setting/overview would involve much more detailed description of a fantasy world, set presumably in a Bronze Age. Nations would again be influenced by real nations of the time and by D&D’s fantasy roots. This would also produce a (relatively) large tome, not ready to play unless the players and DM are willing to work with the traditional rules. Players should probably be experienced.
A series of magical items and artifacts might fit into a number of the other options, or could be a stand-alone supplement, leaving the DM to decide how to implement them in the game. Among the possibilities is an item that launches players into the “dream-world” or an item that is integral to the plot of an Option 2.3 style mystery.
Some combination of these: Frankly, looks like a headache.
Where I go from here....
I am at the phase of my project that I am informally calling Product II. I've given my exhibition and done my initial product, which contained in it a significant amount of reflection on how to create a Bronze Age D&D campaign. Now, I'd like to go further along those lines.
I see myself doing one of the following:
- Attempted changes to PHB for Bronze Age
- Scripted, complete adventure or quest
- General Campaign setting/overview
- Create a series of magical items for the Bronze Age Campaign
- Some combination (try not to overdo it)
For # 2, the options are:
- 'Dream-world'
- Actual Bronze Age
- Bronze Age theme but Medieval time and tech: mysteries of the past
I'm currently toying with 2.3 as my option. More on what I see in each next post.
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Product upload 8: Table of Contents
Table of Contents:
Introduction (Upload 7)
A basic overview of the purpose and thinking behind the guide
What Not to Do (Upload 6)
Mistakes to avoid
The Starting Gate (Upload 5)
Early pitfalls and how to avoid a stillborn campaign
Bronze Age Powers (Upload 4)
Some real-life Bronze Age nations
Adaptation Hickups (Upload 3)
The ups and downs of adopting mirrors of real-life nations into your campaign
And he cast his stone... (Upload 2)
A word about religion in the campaign
Bibliography for additional sources used only in this product (Upload 1)
Introduction (Upload 7)
A basic overview of the purpose and thinking behind the guide
What Not to Do (Upload 6)
Mistakes to avoid
The Starting Gate (Upload 5)
Early pitfalls and how to avoid a stillborn campaign
Bronze Age Powers (Upload 4)
Some real-life Bronze Age nations
Adaptation Hickups (Upload 3)
The ups and downs of adopting mirrors of real-life nations into your campaign
And he cast his stone... (Upload 2)
A word about religion in the campaign
Bibliography for additional sources used only in this product (Upload 1)
Product upload 7: Introduction to project (revised from previous posting)
Introduction
Dungeons and Dragons is traditionally set in a world with superficial similarities to the world of Medieval Europe. However, it is common and popular to create campaign nations or worlds with cultural and technological similarities to other periods, such as Feudal Japan, China, or the Levant during the Crusades. Other, less common adaptations include a world with technological similarity to the Enlightenment period, the distant future, or a dystopian present. Some settings mirror the Classical age of Rome and Greece.
Each of these adaptations poses unique challenges and joys: change in terminology, behavior, enemies, politics, and rules that can be difficult to implement systemically. However, the 3.5 edition of Dungeons and Dragons is well built to accommodate modification and experimentation, with Oriental and Arabian campaigns being particularly easy to create and mainstream in culture.
Some adaptations are not as easily made as others. Among the hardest is an adaptation to the Bronze Age. The Bronze Age is a term used to denote the period in history when Bronze was the predominant metal in use for tools and succeeds the earlier “stone ages”. Like all sweeping categorizations, the Bronze Age is a loose term, with Bronze seeing varied levels of actual use and craftsmanship. During this time, Europe, the continent on whose Medieval culture much of D&D is based, had few great nations, and notwithstanding achievements such as Stonehenge, only the 'Grecosphere' can really be called civilization. Organized, hierarchical states were at this time still clearly clustered around Mesopotamia, the location of the first known civilizations, and the Middle and Near East are generally the center of life and activity from this point. Even more ferociously than in Europe in the Middle Ages, nations and cities raged against each other for dominance of habitable land in a region surrounded by deserts.
The Bronze Age gave civilization some of the most enduring stories that shape our lives. The Iliad and Odyssey, the Epic of Gilgamesh, and the Book of Exodus all tell stories about events or ideas that came about during the Bronze Age. The Iliad, Odyssey, and Exodus relate to the fiery and mysterious end of the “Late Bronze Age” between 1200 and 1100 before the common era (BCE). The native civilization of Crete is called the “Minoan” civilization in honor of the story of King Minos, a mythological Cretan king whose son the Minotaur was fed virgin sacrifices in Minos' Labyrinth until a hero vanquished the beast. The Minoans in real life profoundly influenced the art and culture of the inhabitants of Bronze Age Greece, the Mycenaeans, who worshiped the same gods and spoke more or less the same language as the Classical Greeks that would succeed them.
Adapting this complicated time into a roleplaying game is difficult. Technological changes, cultural differences, and the difficulty of combining the truth about the Bronze Age with the myths about it (and the myths about if from the myths created during it) require DM fiat and a vision for a campaign. A strictly historical game is probably impossible to anyone not possessing a Ph.D in Archeology, large amounts of patience, and unlimited free time. This is not the purpose of this guide, however, as D&D is not a strictly historical game; indeed, D&D is littered with historical mismatches and inaccuracies and is fundamentally and wonderfully a fantasy. However, the truth about the Bronze Age can still provide a useful base for adaptation. Add to this the many legends and myths that are associated with this time and the fantasy and artistic license of the D&D game itself and it is possible to create a D&D game with Bronze Age themes, feel, and items.
Dungeons and Dragons is traditionally set in a world with superficial similarities to the world of Medieval Europe. However, it is common and popular to create campaign nations or worlds with cultural and technological similarities to other periods, such as Feudal Japan, China, or the Levant during the Crusades. Other, less common adaptations include a world with technological similarity to the Enlightenment period, the distant future, or a dystopian present. Some settings mirror the Classical age of Rome and Greece.
Each of these adaptations poses unique challenges and joys: change in terminology, behavior, enemies, politics, and rules that can be difficult to implement systemically. However, the 3.5 edition of Dungeons and Dragons is well built to accommodate modification and experimentation, with Oriental and Arabian campaigns being particularly easy to create and mainstream in culture.
Some adaptations are not as easily made as others. Among the hardest is an adaptation to the Bronze Age. The Bronze Age is a term used to denote the period in history when Bronze was the predominant metal in use for tools and succeeds the earlier “stone ages”. Like all sweeping categorizations, the Bronze Age is a loose term, with Bronze seeing varied levels of actual use and craftsmanship. During this time, Europe, the continent on whose Medieval culture much of D&D is based, had few great nations, and notwithstanding achievements such as Stonehenge, only the 'Grecosphere' can really be called civilization. Organized, hierarchical states were at this time still clearly clustered around Mesopotamia, the location of the first known civilizations, and the Middle and Near East are generally the center of life and activity from this point. Even more ferociously than in Europe in the Middle Ages, nations and cities raged against each other for dominance of habitable land in a region surrounded by deserts.
The Bronze Age gave civilization some of the most enduring stories that shape our lives. The Iliad and Odyssey, the Epic of Gilgamesh, and the Book of Exodus all tell stories about events or ideas that came about during the Bronze Age. The Iliad, Odyssey, and Exodus relate to the fiery and mysterious end of the “Late Bronze Age” between 1200 and 1100 before the common era (BCE). The native civilization of Crete is called the “Minoan” civilization in honor of the story of King Minos, a mythological Cretan king whose son the Minotaur was fed virgin sacrifices in Minos' Labyrinth until a hero vanquished the beast. The Minoans in real life profoundly influenced the art and culture of the inhabitants of Bronze Age Greece, the Mycenaeans, who worshiped the same gods and spoke more or less the same language as the Classical Greeks that would succeed them.
Adapting this complicated time into a roleplaying game is difficult. Technological changes, cultural differences, and the difficulty of combining the truth about the Bronze Age with the myths about it (and the myths about if from the myths created during it) require DM fiat and a vision for a campaign. A strictly historical game is probably impossible to anyone not possessing a Ph.D in Archeology, large amounts of patience, and unlimited free time. This is not the purpose of this guide, however, as D&D is not a strictly historical game; indeed, D&D is littered with historical mismatches and inaccuracies and is fundamentally and wonderfully a fantasy. However, the truth about the Bronze Age can still provide a useful base for adaptation. Add to this the many legends and myths that are associated with this time and the fantasy and artistic license of the D&D game itself and it is possible to create a D&D game with Bronze Age themes, feel, and items.
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