In my last post I mentioned the "Wyrms of Wrath" - which I'm sure you guessed, are the titular dragons of Dungeons & Dragons.
Reigning as King of All Monsters in the D&D universe, Dragons should be more than the sum of their stats. In every edition of the game, they have received special attention - devastating attacks, multiple unique rules, and loot that far exceeds their HD. In Moldvay/Cook or Basic D&D (more on that later), Dragons are not the behemoths of 2nd Edition and beyond. If used incorrectly, Dragons are quite fragile and anti-climatic. DM's should take care to employ tactics which preserve the mystique of these iconic creatures.
Terra Incognita preserves many of the assumptions underlying Basic D&D's implied setting. Orcs are Orcs, Elves are Elves etc. In that vein, I plan to employ Dragons as they are presented for the most part. That does not preclude me from making them memorable within the campaign context.
From the previous post, we can conclude that Dragons are a creature apart - they are the offspring of the Titaness' Galia's suffering at the hands of her traitorous children. They are not beholden to the Gods in the manner of other creatures, and in fact are pre-disposed to oppose them. They are specifically noted for their proclivity to "bedevil" mortal men. I think this sets them up nicely as uncontrollable and ancient enemies of mortal kind. Cool.
Basic D&D presents the standard five varieties of Dragon plus the Gold Dragon (another post.) They possess all of the abilities you'd expect. Deadly breath weapon 3 times daily. Powerful bite attack. Wings which allow flight (possibly their most important ability.) Interestingly, the rules state that a certain percentage of dragons will be encountered sleeping - perhaps Dragons are similar to Tolkien's Balrog - slumbering demons from another age who are best left in forgotten places. I think I like that. Keeps them truly monstrous and mysterious.
Keeping all that in mind, I decided to throw some paint on these beasts of legend and see what sticks. Here's what I've come up with:
Fire Drakes: The largest of dragon kind and the most intelligent and aggressive. Fire Drakes are solitary creatures (big ego), and prefer to roost in isolated places - high on mountain peaks, in caverns deep underground, or among the ruins of fallen civilizations. Fire Drakes value gold above all else, and amass enormous hordes. They spend their time cataloging or admiring their wealth, and are rarely roused. Confident in their power, Fire Drakes are mostly amused with intruders - unless they believe their horde is threatened. Theft will not be tolerated, and the rage of an offended Fire Drake can topple whole kingdoms.
Storm Dragons: Storm Dragons are the most active of dragon kind, and love to hunt. Storm Dragons dwell mostly in deserts or wastes, though more than a few live beneath the waves. Like their larger cousins, Storm Dragons are too competitive to keep company. Storm Dragons hunt - the bigger and tougher the better, though shiny and exotic prey are likewise valued. The sportsmen of Dragons, Storm Dragons will toy with prey; harrying them for days before striking. It is possible to bargain with these Dragons, but only if you can point them toward a more tantalizing hunt. Storm Dragons do keep hordes, but only as trophies of past hunts.
Venomous Dragons: The cruelest and most manipulative of Dragons, Venomous Dragons dwell deep in primeval forests or jungles. Venomous Dragons often dwell with others of their ilk, or amass legions of dull-witted followers. They have three chief loves - sowing discord, increasing their reputation, and eating the flesh of elves. Kingdoms or settlements near their lairs, will be required to pay tribute and provide sacrifices or face invasion by the Dragon's humanoid servants. When truly threatened, these Dragons will flee rather than fight, but they never forget a slight and will exact vengeance on entire lineages.
Swamp Dragons: Unrelentingly evil, Swamp Dragons delight in entropy and corruption. They dwell in swamps, lakes, and caves - places that are malignant and rotten. Swamp Dragons forsake gold in favor of magic or secrets, and use these things to tempt the desperate or unscrupulous, taking great delight in the others descent into hell. Swamp Dragons are calculating creatures who take only measured risks, and never act on fits of emotion. If necessary, they will patiently maintain their schemes for decades or even centuries.
Cold Drakes: The ultimate personification of dull and brutish evil, Cold Drakes dwell in the far north in glacial rifts, icebergs, or frozen mountains. The weakest of Dragons, Cold Drakes hunt in packs. They are jealous and spiteful creatures, despising the warmth of civilization. Many outposts and settlements have seemingly disappeared overnight after drawing the ire of these Dragons. Luckily, the lands they inhabit are filled with other dangerous monsters such as Frost Giants, who hunt and enslave Cold Drakes. If a Cold Drake possesses any treasure, it once belonged to something they ate and is regarded as rubbish.
Titanomachy!
Every good creation myth features a war between the Gods and their predecessors the Titans. Here's the version I'm considering for Terra Incognita:
“The tyranny of the Titans was such that they would not suffer mortal men to live. In defense of their beloved children, the Gods plotted against them. Lying in wait with her brothers Aegus and Agomaenan, Aedra sprung upon Morvis the King and cut his noble head from his shoulders.
Marshaling the others of their kind, the traitorous three ascended into the Halls of Desitny, and cast the Titans into the Void. They took their own mother Galia, and subdued her. Her body was divided into the earth, the sky, and the sea, so that mortal man might live upon her. Seeing the cruelty of her children, Galia wept - and her tears became the Wyrms of Wrath, who would forever bedevil the children of the Gods.”
Good Cake!
“The tyranny of the Titans was such that they would not suffer mortal men to live. In defense of their beloved children, the Gods plotted against them. Lying in wait with her brothers Aegus and Agomaenan, Aedra sprung upon Morvis the King and cut his noble head from his shoulders.
Marshaling the others of their kind, the traitorous three ascended into the Halls of Desitny, and cast the Titans into the Void. They took their own mother Galia, and subdued her. Her body was divided into the earth, the sky, and the sea, so that mortal man might live upon her. Seeing the cruelty of her children, Galia wept - and her tears became the Wyrms of Wrath, who would forever bedevil the children of the Gods.”
Good Cake!
Gods and Demons
When I have designed campaign worlds in the past, I start with the gods. The personality and style of the gods directly informs the character of the setting.
Consider the Forgotten Realms or Dragonlance. Sure, both are primarily recognized through their respective DM-PC mascots (Eliminister/Drizzt and Raistlin/Heroes of the Lance). Though these characters are mortal, their antagonists are often deities or otherworldly powers. Takhisis. Bane. Bhaal. Sometimes there are “helpful” deities as well. Paladine. Mystra. Clearly, a core component of these ultra-successful settings are well characterized and recognizable deities.
There is a strong literary precedent for this kind of thing. The mythology of the ancient world is full of gods interacting with heroes, or even having adventures themselves. Greek mythology. Egyptian Mythology. Summarian Mythology. All of these religions have anthropomorphic deities - powerful yes, but prone to many of the same faults as human beings. Sacred Soap Operas if you will. This is great fuel a game of fantasy, legend, and myth-making.
Terra Incognita will be sparsely detailed by design. If you prepare too much, the directions the game might grow will be limited. I want to believe that you can and should come up with a limited cosmology in a sand box game, if only for the purpose of verisimilitude. You don’t necessarily need to hand your players a list of gods and say “pick one.” I think you might throw out some ideas though.
I’ll be posting some of the powers that I plan to introduce to Terra Incognita. These detailed descriptions are notes only - I will not introduce that much information into the game. Just cause you imagine it one way now, you must leave room for things to go in another directions. That is the Tao of the sandbox.
Chaz
Consider the Forgotten Realms or Dragonlance. Sure, both are primarily recognized through their respective DM-PC mascots (Eliminister/Drizzt and Raistlin/Heroes of the Lance). Though these characters are mortal, their antagonists are often deities or otherworldly powers. Takhisis. Bane. Bhaal. Sometimes there are “helpful” deities as well. Paladine. Mystra. Clearly, a core component of these ultra-successful settings are well characterized and recognizable deities.
There is a strong literary precedent for this kind of thing. The mythology of the ancient world is full of gods interacting with heroes, or even having adventures themselves. Greek mythology. Egyptian Mythology. Summarian Mythology. All of these religions have anthropomorphic deities - powerful yes, but prone to many of the same faults as human beings. Sacred Soap Operas if you will. This is great fuel a game of fantasy, legend, and myth-making.
Terra Incognita will be sparsely detailed by design. If you prepare too much, the directions the game might grow will be limited. I want to believe that you can and should come up with a limited cosmology in a sand box game, if only for the purpose of verisimilitude. You don’t necessarily need to hand your players a list of gods and say “pick one.” I think you might throw out some ideas though.
I’ll be posting some of the powers that I plan to introduce to Terra Incognita. These detailed descriptions are notes only - I will not introduce that much information into the game. Just cause you imagine it one way now, you must leave room for things to go in another directions. That is the Tao of the sandbox.
Chaz
Current Projects
Let’s jump right into two projects that are currently holding my attention: The Black Land and Terra Incognita. Both are campaign worlds, or for those not in the know, backdrops for D&D adventures and campaigns. While similar, these settings have been designed very differently and have different purposes.
The Black Land, or TBL, represents a gestalt of my all-time favorite literary influences and genres. It is in your face, sword and sandal goodness. Elric meets Sampson - the Lost World meets the Golden Voyage of Sinbad - 1001 Nights meets Jon Carter of Mars. From top to bottom it is over the top, pulpy, and exciting. It’s the setting I’d love to play in, and represents ideas that have been percolating for years.
TBL will also be my first stab at publishing. With the advent of Lulu and the OGL, I can create and sell my own gaming products. This is not a money venture, it’s a chance to experience the publishing process and to create a professional grade product. I’m extremely excited about it. The goal is a sparse, but evocative, rules-free (or light), setting, that I can expand and revisit when I feel like.
Terra Incognita will be the setting for an infrequent game with some of my old gaming buddies. Our lives have taken us in very different directions though we remain friends. After a few drinks one night, we decided to give gaming another shot (mostly for kicks.) They might not have the passion that I do, but by god their going to get a top-notch experience with the benefit of all I’ve learned since we last played in highschool.
Terra Incognita is also a chance to employ and evaluate some of the techniques and design philosophy I’ve researched online. The so called “sand-box” experience is a hot topic right now, and its very different from how I’ve played in the past. The two guiding principles of the sand-box are 1.) Total Player Freedom and 2.) The Story Writes Itself. Sand-boxes evolve through random dice rolls, player decisions, and spontaneous improvisation.
To maintain a true sand-box, you CANNOT detail too much - there must be room for growth. You still need to prepare hooks and details for the players to consider and possibly latch on to, and that’s what I’ll be focusing on. Even a sand box needs interesting things to do and see or it will get old fast. I’ve got a lot to go on already (hopefully not too much), and I’ll be organizing it and posting in the next few weeks.
Look for more details in upcoming posts.
Chaz
The Black Land, or TBL, represents a gestalt of my all-time favorite literary influences and genres. It is in your face, sword and sandal goodness. Elric meets Sampson - the Lost World meets the Golden Voyage of Sinbad - 1001 Nights meets Jon Carter of Mars. From top to bottom it is over the top, pulpy, and exciting. It’s the setting I’d love to play in, and represents ideas that have been percolating for years.
TBL will also be my first stab at publishing. With the advent of Lulu and the OGL, I can create and sell my own gaming products. This is not a money venture, it’s a chance to experience the publishing process and to create a professional grade product. I’m extremely excited about it. The goal is a sparse, but evocative, rules-free (or light), setting, that I can expand and revisit when I feel like.
Terra Incognita will be the setting for an infrequent game with some of my old gaming buddies. Our lives have taken us in very different directions though we remain friends. After a few drinks one night, we decided to give gaming another shot (mostly for kicks.) They might not have the passion that I do, but by god their going to get a top-notch experience with the benefit of all I’ve learned since we last played in highschool.
Terra Incognita is also a chance to employ and evaluate some of the techniques and design philosophy I’ve researched online. The so called “sand-box” experience is a hot topic right now, and its very different from how I’ve played in the past. The two guiding principles of the sand-box are 1.) Total Player Freedom and 2.) The Story Writes Itself. Sand-boxes evolve through random dice rolls, player decisions, and spontaneous improvisation.
To maintain a true sand-box, you CANNOT detail too much - there must be room for growth. You still need to prepare hooks and details for the players to consider and possibly latch on to, and that’s what I’ll be focusing on. Even a sand box needs interesting things to do and see or it will get old fast. I’ve got a lot to go on already (hopefully not too much), and I’ll be organizing it and posting in the next few weeks.
Look for more details in upcoming posts.
Chaz
Hi Y'all
Hi!
Welcome to the Undiscovered Underground - a blog filled with mystery and danger. Like any good blog, UU is the product of a fevered and maniacal ego, and I plan to unashamedly populate my creation with my own opinions, plans, digressions, and reflections. I expect very little of these will hold much interest for those outside my own small universe, but all are welcome.
Now to let you know a little about myself. I’m a healthy (debatable) young, white, all-american kind of guy. I graduated from college a few years ago, moved to the big (debatable) city to pursue a career in social services (crazy I know). I spend time drinking, watching sports, and chasing women, though I also have interest in art, music, tabletop gaming, and politics.
I grew up playing the oft-maligned “Dungeons & Dragons,” and recently re-entered the hobby. That experience is a big reason why this blog exists. Role players being the rare birds that they are, find it easier to communicate and organize on the interwebs, and part of what drew me back was the explosion of activity and discussion among fans. I directly credit the site, Dragonsfoot.org for re-igniting my passion for gaming.
I plan to use a good portion of this blog to document my return to the world of gaming, a world which many believe is experiencing an intellectual renaissance, even as it becomes a smaller and smaller niche market. I plan to take full advantage in this surge of esprit de core, and have been enjoying the journey immensely so far. Maybe these ramblings will in turn inspire you.
I hope that you find something you like,
Chaz
Next Up: My Life as a Gamer
Welcome to the Undiscovered Underground - a blog filled with mystery and danger. Like any good blog, UU is the product of a fevered and maniacal ego, and I plan to unashamedly populate my creation with my own opinions, plans, digressions, and reflections. I expect very little of these will hold much interest for those outside my own small universe, but all are welcome.
Now to let you know a little about myself. I’m a healthy (debatable) young, white, all-american kind of guy. I graduated from college a few years ago, moved to the big (debatable) city to pursue a career in social services (crazy I know). I spend time drinking, watching sports, and chasing women, though I also have interest in art, music, tabletop gaming, and politics.
I grew up playing the oft-maligned “Dungeons & Dragons,” and recently re-entered the hobby. That experience is a big reason why this blog exists. Role players being the rare birds that they are, find it easier to communicate and organize on the interwebs, and part of what drew me back was the explosion of activity and discussion among fans. I directly credit the site, Dragonsfoot.org for re-igniting my passion for gaming.
I plan to use a good portion of this blog to document my return to the world of gaming, a world which many believe is experiencing an intellectual renaissance, even as it becomes a smaller and smaller niche market. I plan to take full advantage in this surge of esprit de core, and have been enjoying the journey immensely so far. Maybe these ramblings will in turn inspire you.
I hope that you find something you like,
Chaz
Next Up: My Life as a Gamer
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)