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What are the essential parts of a D&D setting?

Started by Cyberzombie, April 15, 2006, 11:37:09 AM

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BOZ

#15
April 16, 2006, 10:41:39 AM
Quote from: Lisa NadazdyI think dragons should be damn near unstoppable.  My thinking is that dragons should be something out of Tolkein or the like, in that it should dominate an area for a hundred square miles, and everybody knows where it is and it should scare the piss out of them.  Thus, it should be a serious challenge, and it should be planned out.  Dragons shouldn't be a random encounter; they should be a major event.

I reckon i like the way you talk, mmm hmm.

there shouls still be some room for younger dragons being weaker, but the older ones should always be a serious challenge.  i mean, DR/magic as standard for dragons?  a lowly sword +1 overcomes a great red wyrm's DR?
don't quote me on that.  :)

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Cyberzombie

#16
April 16, 2006, 12:59:50 PM
Quote from: CyclotronI'd suggest that the racial stereotypes themselves are an essential part of a typical published D&D setting.

I was thinking more of the cheesy stereotypes a lot of people bring to their characters.  I've seen the stereotypes done well -- one of my former players, Dunar Lightfoot, plays great dwarven warriors.    Before LotR came out, he was basically doing Gimli.  But he's an exception -- I've seen way more people who suck at roleplaying any demihuman race.

That said, it is essential to D&D, which is just weird if you read the books that were *most* influential to the game.
 

Cyberzombie

#17
April 16, 2006, 01:03:59 PM
Quote from: Ottomsoh the ElderlyA pseudo-medieval and pseudo-European society

This, I think, is the thing that causes me the most brain damage.  It wasn't so bad in a setting like 1e AD&D, where you could assume that the players were part of a very rare breed.  In 3e, you trip over NPCs with class levels, so the whole pseudo-medieval thing just doesn't work any more.

Quote from: Ottomsoh the ElderlyAn impressive level of cosmopolitism, even if still mostly human-centric

And when you add *this* into the mix, my brain really starts hurting.  Pseudo-medieval and cosmopolitan?  Ack!


As essential as these elements are to most generic D&D worlds, they offend my logical tendancies.  :)
 

Cyberzombie

#18
April 16, 2006, 01:06:13 PM
Quote from: BOZI reckon i like the way you talk, mmm hmm.

there shouls still be some room for younger dragons being weaker, but the older ones should always be a serious challenge.  i mean, DR/magic as standard for dragons?  a lowly sword +1 overcomes a great red wyrm's DR?
That's a game mechanics thing that could be fairly easily fixed.  Thinking upon all this, I think what I'd like is to have powerful DRAGONS that the PCs might fight at high levels if they're really feeling lucky.  But I'd also like to have more smaller dragons -- wyverns and such -- at all levels, just to keep the feeling of a world with dragons as a major player in it.
 

Yamo

#19
April 18, 2006, 03:24:42 PM
Sci-fi around the edges.

Every classic 70s era D&D setting had this. Tekumel, Wilderlands, Blackmoor, Greyhawk.

A real D&D setting that embraces the sword & sorcery stylings of Vance and Burroughs has stuff like crashed spaceships filled with robots and laser guns and "magical" races that are actually from Alpha Centauri.
In order to qualify as a roleplaying game, a game design must feature:

1. A traditional player/GM relationship.
2. No set story or plot.
3. No live action aspect.
4. No win conditions.

Don't like it? Too bad.

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Sigmund

#20
April 24, 2006, 12:13:39 AM
Quote from: YamoSci-fi around the edges.

Every classic 70s era D&D setting had this. Tekumel, Wilderlands, Blackmoor, Greyhawk.

A real D&D setting that embraces the sword & sorcery stylings of Vance and Burroughs has stuff like crashed spaceships filled with robots and laser guns and "magical" races that are actually from Alpha Centauri.

Yay...Expedition to the Barrier Peaks! Woot!

:verkill:
- Chris Sigmund

Old Loser

"I\'d rather be a killer than a victim."

Quote from: John Morrow;418271I role-play for the ride, not the destination.

Nicephorus

#21
April 24, 2006, 01:57:23 PM
Of stuff not mentioned:

BIG stuff in the past:  Legendary mages of extreme power, associated with one or more physical locations, fights amongst gods altering the landscape, races that were totally wiped out by war, that sort of thing.

Each race or group needs to have their thing, something they do a little better than everyone else, that helps define them.

Historical and current change is the result largely of powerful or dynamic individuals rather than changes in attitude or behavior amongst the general population.
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