Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Mantis 10-13-04, 06:20 PM	Hey there, since I figured I was not the only DM who built his campaign himself, I was wondering how you guys put the spice into it. Now, I'd like this to be a thread where everyone could look up what other's already did, so you could include it in your campaign without changing the setting, but: be brief, so nobody would have to have a bad conscience because he stole an idea from another DM ;) Here are my special treats: 1. Have a town festival now and then, including some games like drinking contests, races, fistfights and stuff like that, maybe even with a prize for the contestants. (Just for fun) 2. Get an absolutely unlikely creatures to follow the party - this could be especially fun if that creature was somehow attached to the party or one of the characters, but is absolutely hated or feared by others outside the group. (Creates lots of suspension with the surroundings :D) 3. Create absolutely ridiculous items, like a stationary Stats-changing-crystal-ball. My old DM did this... There always was a rising %al chance of being killed instantly though. (Always fun to watch them put themselves into misery) 4. Include hookers. 5. Send them on a mission (whatever, like, rescue the mayor's daughter!) and then let it turn out to be ABSOLUTELY unpredictable (whatever, like, the daughter ran away and hung herself)... This generally leaves them totally puzzled. (Meeeeeeeh, I'm so evil :D) Your turn!
Polymorph 10-14-04, 03:34 AM	6. At the beginning of a session, hand one of the players a note saying that his PC has been somehow captured and is being held captive somewhere. He is now playing the Doppelganger, that has replaced him in the group. His stats remain the same, but he gains the abilities of a doppelganger (reading others minds) but must not take another form in order to keep his disguise intact. The doppelganger doesn't know much about the real PC's personality, so if roleplayed right, the other PCs might get suspicious! His mission is, to prevent the group from finding the real PC and turning against them in a critical moment. Evil fun for you and the player ;)
MortalPlague 10-14-04, 03:49 AM	7. Use voices, dialogues, and accents. Nothing brings your NPCs to life more than an interesting voice, a silly catch phrase, or an outlandish accent. For instance, I created a dockmaster who always uses the word 'Bones' as a curse. "It's so bones'in cold tonight..." It caught the player's ear for sure. 8. Have events that have nothing to do with the quests. It makes the PCs feel like they're in a real world. 9. Have far-off events that the PCs hear about every now and then. Gives them the feeling that there are greater forces at work that perhaps they'll meet later. 10. Put a new spin on an old cliche. The dark cloaked figure in the corner turns out to be an old woman doing some knitting. The big burly fellow at the bar downing ale after ale is a sorcerer. It'll keep the PCs from stereotyping everyone. 11. Play into the cliches and stereotypes on occasion. If you break the mold every time, the PCs will be always looking for your twists. It makes the straight arrows fun.
Cantankerous 10-14-04, 08:03 AM	12) Have the players occasionally over hear conversations that have nothing to do with them or heroic daring do in general. Maryl's husband has been cheating on her again. Kendrick has commisioned my nephew to clear the spinney behind his estate. Whatever. The idea here is especially valuable to DM's who use such conversations as plot hooks all the time. It gives the players the comforting feeling that not the entire world revolves around them. 13) Hey, play atmospheric music quietly in the background during the game. You wouldn't believe how effective that can be. I was skeptical myself but I saw it's effect. Just be sure to keep it quiet. If you've got a remote you can even change tracks to suit the situation or to throw the players a curve from time to time if they start using it as an early warning system. Just be sure that you aren't interrupting your game to do it. 14) Since we're talking atmosphere, I've used lighting in a similiar manner. Just be careful not to get so carried away with it that it makes for a distraction instead of an accent mark. Subtly. always remember to be subtle about it. 15) Note exceptional people that have nothing to do with the main adventure. The pretty young peasant girl with the ahir like spun gold. The heavy set man in the bloodied apron with the pronounced limp and the unfriendly glare that he seems to direct at everyone. All these and so many more little things add so much to making a game come alive. Isshia
MortalPlague 10-14-04, 11:08 AM	16. Let the players meddle in those innocuous affairs if they want to. When they make a mess of the village's relationships, show them the consequences. They may not be so eager to try and 'help out with keeping a husband from cheating' again. ;) A bit of a weak one, but I want to keep this thread going. :bump:
Bartleby_GoC 10-14-04, 11:54 AM	Actually, #16 is a good one. It reinforces that these people they sneer at called commoners are capable of handling most of the problems they face. It the unusual stuff they need help with. Speaking of... 17. Add little bits of life, especially in civilized areas. The streets should never be empty, and the masses aren't just milling around. There's a guy pushing a cart full of eggs. Here's a guy on a ladder painting his house. That woman over there is scolding a child who obviously got into something involving strawberries. This girl over here just missed seeing a street urchin filch an apple from her fruit stand because she's making eye's at the baker's apprentice next door. Think of the little, inconsequential details you see in the really good movies. They don't advance the plot. They don't mean anything to the characters. They just add life to the setting. THAT's how to differntiate between an RPG and a video game. (one of these days, they'll successfully combine the two) Hoo boy... that turned rantish... Bartleby
Mantis 10-14-04, 04:09 PM	I love you guys. This atmosphere handling is great, anyone got more of those ideas? 18. Make the characters talk to each other apart from the plot. E.g. write a note to one of your players that he notices another character wearing a certain item or is remarkable in a certain way, like, a monk having a sword strapped on his back or the sorcerer wearing this huge scar across his face. 19. If you had your players write a background story for their characters, let them recognize now and then that they are part of the setting. The druid, for example, who looks for a certain forest, may hear or read sometime the name of that forest a few times before he finally reaches it. 20. Let a crime happen to them once in a while. Not everybody knows them in every city, so why not have a thief trying to steal some of their money while they're not watching?
Gedrin 10-14-04, 05:06 PM	21 Town Crier: This is something I've just been doing of late. Have a town crier who regularly (once a session) has news and gossip of the area. Doesn't have to be stuff the PC's are involved with, but it could be. A great way to demonstrate the existance of a larger world and a decent way to introduce a potential adventure hook.
cybosage 10-15-04, 03:40 PM	First of all, this is an amazing thread, huge props to the original poster, and all those who have given ideas. 22. Have other parties of adventurers, good or evil, who may be attempting to do the same thing the PCs are, or are just out for their own good. It does a lot to remind the PCs that they may have some competition.
Garith Dragonborn 10-15-04, 08:17 PM	Wow first off i must say simply this: :bow: and :weep: (tears of Joy) 22) make your characters be able to custumize spells and come up with new classes, feats, etc. Ok maybe a lot of people do this sorry if it was a dumb idea. Once again: :bow:
DougC 10-15-04, 08:43 PM	22. Have other parties of adventurers, good or evil, who may be attempting to do the same thing the PCs are, or are just out for their own good. It does a lot to remind the PCs that they may have some competition. I had two to post until I read this. :) 24. Don't forget the weather. Decribe what each day and night is like, the temperature, the humidity, what kind of clouds are in the sky. Nothing too elaborate, just something like "There's a slight breeze, the air is getting cooler, and cumulous clouds are beginning to gather." If done right, they might be able to tell when it's about to rain just from your descriptions. Maybe. :D
Lincoln Hills 10-15-04, 08:48 PM	25) Place other wanderers in your campaign. Not just rival adventurers - I'm talking about people who travel professionally. A wagon-based merchant, a royal messenger, a questing knight, a travelling theater show, or a proselytizing priest can all make useful NPCs: in addition to all the perqs they share with 'normal' NPCs, such characters can show up wherever the PCs are (within reason) without seeming "forced". Like the small slice-of-life scenes in towns, they enhance the PCs' feeling that they are in a 'real' place. Just don't have the same wanderer recur too often, or the PCs will feel that they are in a real SMALL place. ;)
Garith Dragonborn 10-15-04, 09:08 PM	this is evil and i did post it before but it can be good for flavor( i aplaud anyone who does this) 26) Have the players and npcs speak in old english or with accents. Or better yet, have them speak in actual elven, dwarven, gnome, etc. yes i haven't done this but i would be sooooo giggly if someone has!
VirgilCaine 10-15-04, 09:51 PM	27) Not every adventure has to have monsters--sometimes the most disgusting figures of evil are the most familiar. A charming little old lady who the PCs met before (actually a cleric of Nerull) poisons children with poison fruit that takes days to work--or can activate at her command. Children start dying/the cleric exerts her influence (blackmail) and the PCs decide to find out why (because it's Good, because they're paid to, or because it would help them in their schemes).
BlueLion 10-16-04, 08:01 AM	Here's one that I do when I have some spare time - Reccommended for those of you who are good at drawing: #28 You sketch some of the monsters that your PC's are going to meet, then before the session leave them out where the players can 'accidentally' see them. They'll say "What's that?" and you say "Huh? Oh, nothing! (Evil cackling)." Even better if you include little sketches of the PC's getting torn into bloody shreds by the monsters. #29 Every now and then, throw in a creature that ISN'T in the MM, because you made it up. It keeps the players interested and wary. The player's will say "What the hell is that thing?" You'll say "Why, it's a brown-spotted mammet of course." Make it really weird if you want a good reaction. PC's are paranoid of weird looking things that they've never seen before. That's why it's so funny if you make it harmless, because they usually blast the hell out of it.
Vegeta8472 10-16-04, 10:17 AM	30. Mess with your players' heads in a way that doesn't affect the ROLLplaying part of the game, at all. Have every NPC a certain player talks to look at him weird before continuing what the NPC was saying. Everyone that player passes on the street gives him a funny look before moving on. Hell, get the other players in on it. When the player being treated strangely looks in a mirror (don't say anything about it until he does), tell him he has a smudge on his cheek.
Mantis 10-18-04, 11:11 PM	Hm, since this thread hasn't been "updated" by a new post for a few days, I can tell it's dead. It's a pity though, and I'd like to give it one more try. Come on, this can't be all you've got!
Cantankerous 10-19-04, 05:51 AM	31) Vary the descriptionsof your monsters to something a bit different from the MM. 32) Add regional variations, regional names and slightly different abilities and stresses to different areas of the world for the same creature. ala: If the PC is told that four fearsome Arc-thul have taken the mayors daughter captive and are given a description that doesn't quite fit with orcs, they won't be as ready to simply prepare for orcs. The same holds true when they are told that a winged Amall, greatest of all the ancient Hyr-San, has been terrorizing a mountain village. What exactly is an Amall? Or a Hyr-San? A dragon? A dragonne? A wyvern? Something else entirely? Language and cultural mores are a lens on the world and vastly effect lengendry of things that are in reality the same. Use that. Isshia
Ricky 10-19-04, 09:50 AM	33) Relating to #32: you can easily create brand-new monsters without much work. Take an existing creature (e.g. hobgoblin) and change the description without changing any of the stats., Make the hobgoblins a bit shorter (but not enough to change their stats or size), totally hairless, and with a light blue skin. Change their name to Ulau, and say that they are a reclusive, peaceful race that protects the mountains like elves protect forests. You now have a totally new creature to impress your group without much work. 34) If you speak multiple languages, use one of these languages as a foreign language in-game. I speak a bit of Italian, and I once had a conversation with a player who spoke a bit of Spanish. His PC and my NPC started talking to each other in Elvish, and he and I spoke to each other in a hodge-podge of Italian, Spanish, and French. Similarly, you may decide Dwarvish or Orcish is German (if you speak German) and you can prepare a letter from a Dwarvish king in German.
Death Unlimited 10-19-04, 10:02 AM	35) I find that when making some NPCs, it adds a lot of fun to take some people that everyone knows in real life, particulary ones with some funny personality or other quirks(which me and my friends all have), and turn THEM into the NPCs. Dont make them FLAT out the person, but take some of the traits you all know about the person and overblow them. For instance, we have a friend who is a rather goofy guy, great sense of humor, typically has a lot of eyes for some ladies and wears the funniest hat we have ever seen. In the game, they meet up with a tall, lanky fighter whose sword is for hire with said traits(and some differing ones as well), but even a little more overblown, that wore a leather hat made of brown leather, sheepskin, with the ear flaps and a feather sticking out of the top. Of course, they say its funny until you meet yourself(my penchant for hitting the brew on weekends here and acting like a big goof have made me more than one town drunk-bar wench. :D ) But of course its all in humor and I find players have a ton of fun with it, and since you arent being malicious to the people, everyone digs it in the end, especially when they try to figure out who is who. :) 36) Dont be afraid to go against the MM once in awhile, and perhaps make small camps of some usually evil humanoids good, or the like. Perhaps the PCs get hired to clean out a den of goblins, only to find out the ones living there arent evil, they simply rob small bits from the local town cos they dont have too many other ways of getting money or equipment since they were cast out. Of course, the townspeople might be a bit skeptical if the PCs befriend them, maybe thinking they are evil too, or who knows. 37) And hey, even if its cliche sometimes, give the BBEG a good catch phrase. It does add fun. :)
CzarGarrett 10-19-04, 10:14 AM	38. Allow a 'free' class- Expert, Aristocrat, or Commoner, depending on backstory. 39. Use something from a pre-existing campaign world (Red Wizards, Towers of High Sorcery, etc) and completely reverse the idea. Red Wizards who make items and give them away without wanting anything, Towers who are completely chaotic and the tests are very easy.
Ragnar 10-19-04, 10:18 AM	40) Make them choose between two quests that they have to resolve at the same time, so by choosing one means failing to the other one. That way they'll know they can't stop everything from happening. In my campain, the group will soon have to make the choice of either helping an elven company protecting an elven camp or warn a city that an undead army is coming their way. If they choose to protect the elven camp, the city, unprepared, will be attacked by the undead army. If they choose to warn the city, the elven camp will get massacred by an orc troup.
The Shaman 10-19-04, 10:35 AM	22) make your characters be able to custumize spells and come up with new classes, feats, etc. Hrrm. While I don't encourage my players to develop new feats or classes (and few of their characters have time for new spell research), I do encourage my players to do the following for their characters: 22a. Create individualized descriptions of spell effects: One wizard's magic missle is a glowing green arrow while another's resembles a glittering golden spike - a sorcerer's cone of cold is a pulsating field of blue energy while another's appears as snowflakes. 41. Describe the trees, not the forest: Use specifics in describing natural scenes, such as plant species, different wildlife, and so on. For example, instead of saying, "The forest is dense with undergrowth and you hear birds singing," try, "The forest is shadowy under the closed canopy of the great oaks, their twisted limbs drapped with filmy curtains of hanging moss. The forest floor is choked with palmetto, rising waist to chest high as far as you can see ahead of you. A squirrel chatters at you from a tree limb, then disappears around the trunk, and in the distance you can hear the intermittent drumming of a woodpecker." A couple of field guides to trees and other vegetation can provide a good idea of what species belong where, and what they look like - for example, it can help describe the differences between a pine forest and a deciduous broadleaf forest. 42. Cast thine eyes unto the heavens: Work out some basic astronomy, such as a few significant stars or constellations, and use them for events like time-keeping. A barbarian could agree to meet the adventurers "when the Snake Star is overhead," or a festival begins when the third star of the Lesser Dragon constellation becomes visible as the sun sets.
DougC 10-19-04, 10:38 AM	35) I find that when making some NPCs, it adds a lot of fun to take some people that everyone knows in real life, particulary ones with some funny personality or other quirks(which me and my friends all have), and turn THEM into the NPCs. Dont make them FLAT out the person, but take some of the traits you all know about the person and overblow them. For instance, we have a friend who is a rather goofy guy, great sense of humor, typically has a lot of eyes for some ladies and wears the funniest hat we have ever seen. In the game, they meet up with a tall, lanky fighter whose sword is for hire with said traits(and some differing ones as well), but even a little more overblown, that wore a leather hat made of brown leather, sheepskin, with the ear flaps and a feather sticking out of the top. Of course, they say its funny until you meet yourself(my penchant for hitting the brew on weekends here and acting like a big goof have made me more than one town drunk-bar wench. :D ) But of course its all in humor and I find players have a ton of fun with it, and since you arent being malicious to the people, everyone digs it in the end, especially when they try to figure out who is who. :) Heh, I love this idea! :D I can just see an NPC based on one of my cousins now: *PCs riding into a familiar metropolis that has multiple taverns, NPC travelling with them* PC: I'm hungry, what should we get to eat? NPC: Food. PC: Where should we go to eat? NPC: Somewhere that serves food. :D 43) I used this one once: A campaign newsletter in the form of a newspaper written, edited, produced, and distributed among the major cities of a realm that has reporters all over the world. I would even include games on the last page: mazes, word games (crosswords, word searches, etc.), "find the differences" pictures, etc. I even ran a contest and gave out prizes in one "issue." :)
pres_man 10-19-04, 10:50 AM	44) Have the party meet a group of humanoids that only speak a racial language. Then later they meet one that speaks common as well and has a disrespectful name (disrespectful to the PCs that is). Like in my game the PCs have been dealing with lizardfolk who only speak draconic, which the bard has been translating for everyone (when she chooses to). At the end of last session they met a lizardfolk druid who speaks common named ... Talks to Beasts. The party had a good laugh at that.
Mantis 10-19-04, 12:53 PM	34) If you speak multiple languages, use one of these languages as a foreign language in-game. Great idea, such a pity that my party and I are German... hey, we're all real-life dwarf-orcs! Whee! I think that would be hard though. What I do is, whenever an NPC speaks a different language than Common, I write down what he says - and if a Character speaks that language, of course I have already printed it out so I can give it to him. After that, I usually leave the room with him. Generally, whenever another language than Common is used (whatever, a catch-phrase of an NPC or a riddle), I simply spell words and sentences backwards. It gives the players the feeling of something unknown (plus, there is no chance somebody can translate it)...and it's an easily created effect. 45a) If you use a computer (as I do), try to find some appropriate sounds matching the scenery. I have a huge folder full of enviromental sounds, like a wolf howling, a creek, rain, wind within a cave and commoners in a tavern. If that doesn't work, burn a CD with those sounds so you can easily switch between them. 45b) The general music, whatever, like LOTR soundtrack or something like that generally helps to roleplay. However, don't only use general background music for the whole game, but also, as 45a, music matching the current situation. I got all my player's attention when their rogue sneaked into a shop to steal a few items because I played the War Theme from Princess Mononoke (I highly recommend this, really builds up anxiety!)... It was great to see them shiver of excitement when the rogue disabled a trap, and with musical tension finally releasing in a final blow I told them it didn't go off. Just lovely.
Jodjod 04-23-05, 11:40 AM	1. Have a town festival now and then, including some games like drinking contests, races, fistfights and stuff like that, maybe even with a prize for the contestants. (Just for fun) Heh, that was the main start/hook for my current campaign. :D
dog moon 04-27-05, 04:29 AM	46) When PCs are trying to get a class which belongs to a group [Like the Harper PrC] have them actually need to interact with the group, find the group, etc. I know in my campaign we've had a Red Wizard of Thay, but he did nothing for Thay and didn't act like he even belonged to the Red Wizards. Also, if they kill someone with a level into something like Red Wizard of Thay, even if it doesn't really deal with what they're trying to do, have the organization do something to harm the PCs. The group may not even realize why the Red Wizards are after him if the evil guy they killed didn't have any obvious markings on him. On the other hand, if they kill him and find a bunch of Red Wizard stuff like in his desk, since the organization is known to be powerful and deadly, it might bring a little fear to them. [Just thought I'd put in a thought, see if mayb this can continue at all]
CJDragon 04-27-05, 08:02 AM	47) Throw non-combat encounters at them from when they'd expect combat. For example in my campaign the PC's were cooking meat, and the scent attracted a lizard man and his pets. The PC's gave him some food (since he had a bad hunt that day) and he left. Not only does it give the PCs a sence of realism, but, in the above example the fact they gave away their food meant one of them had to have a trail ration, which meant they had less for emergencies, and they were on a long hike. 48) Monitor food and drink, but don't over kill it. Get druids and rangers to use survival, and describe what it is they are able to gather, were they able to get some venison? maybe all they got was berries? Perhapse one day they could only get some weasel (btw i have no idea if weasles good for meat :confused: ) and so the wizard would refuse to eat it, because he has a weasel familiar. Food can lead to some interesting flavour *boo boom tshh* 49) Put in encountes with animals such as horses or donkeys. Allows the druids to shine and the party could get a new mount. Provides a sence of realism again, and potential "treasure" for the party. 50) A lot of the time something missing is more important than the stuff you put in. Maybe an inn is sold out of ale, or the stable is used to holding exotic animals, such as camals or riding lizards, and aren't equipt to store horses. Simple, but can cause a little problem for the PC's and so makes the world seem as though it doesn't revolve around them
MystaraGM 04-27-05, 09:08 AM	51. How about a race between adventuring groups to do a quest. The same person (Church, Sage, Mayor) hires 3 groups (they may or may not know about each other. My players will kill anyone they see as competition, so it works for them to know in advance so they don't get arrested later on). The groups may have to work together to complete some of the tasks (kind of Amazing Race like) with possibly 2 groups forming an alliance to work against your group, or your group with another against the 3rd group; but in the end only one can win.
Ricky 04-27-05, 01:06 PM	52) When the party starts achieving the higher levels, have them meet a bard who has written songs about them. In my campaign, the party saved a bard when they were about 9th level. Several (real-life) months later, the party is 13th level, and they meet the bard again. He has written a song about them and has been spreading the tale of their greatness and heroism throughout the land. I actually wrote a poem about the party and the bard performed it for them.
Venom of the Yuan Ti 04-27-05, 01:34 PM	53. Throw in wierd referances to things that happen later, nothin gmakes a PC sit up and take notice if both of the bandits they attacked make referances to the same "Lord BlueFang", the Party can become entirely self hooking. 54. Cursed items with practical uses, for exaple a ring of fetherfalling that locks you in place like an imovable rod, anoying then usfull. 55. Intelignet items, especially Cynail or Nueotic ones, make for greatPlot hooks and Role-playing opertunites. I once had a +2 Greatsword with Int wix cha of 8, but the rest as of the magical abilities as though they were 14 and basicly gave them Holly's (Red Dwarf Computer) Personality.
prawn 04-28-05, 10:12 AM	56. Give them relatives. When we rolled up the characters, I gave everyone a cousin or aunt or godfather in a faraway town. Then when the PC got a few levels under their belt and started traveling away from their home, someone had a relative in almost any big town they needed to go to! They were sleeping on the floor at the cousin's house, helping an aunt with a problem with a corrupt merchant, trying to keep an uncle's friend out of jail. It gave the PCs a connection to these far away places, and made them care about the world beyond their own town. P
Swiss619 04-28-05, 12:47 PM	52) Periodically throw bad weather at them. I’ve been in a lot of campaigns where it never randomly rained or got windy. :confused: It also gives otherwise mundane combats a new twist if used right.
SilverFoxKnows 04-28-05, 01:07 PM	57. Write out journal entries for the BBEG. When the PCs get to sack his lair give 'em the "scrolls". I'll give this one to my players next game... "My brother is an idiot. If he keeps antagonizing the Flinds they’re going to put the hurt on him. I can only hope. Glashaka & Gurthak are our best chance at rounding up a Gnoll army. When Father marches the Trolls south I want to have an army of my own that he’ll be proud of. Eight Gnolls is hardly an army. I talked to Gla & Gurth’s tribal elder, Roklar. His muzzle is grey but his arms are strong and his eyes are sharp. Three Gnoll tribes pay tribute to him. His territory supports a score of Flinds and four score of Gnolls. About half that number is warriors. As a token of good faith I gave him a chain shirt of Mithril. He smiled but his eyes are cunning. I will talk to him by the next new moon. Roklar talked to his brother, whose territory is nearly as large as his own. If the hunting is good they will provide a half dozen Flinds & two dozen Gnolls in exchange for another Mithril shirt, potions of healing and weapons. If I could get a thousand pounds of elf meat I could barter for another score of Gnolls…."
Patheros 04-28-05, 04:36 PM	58. Draw a picture of a scene that you plan to have you PC's go through. I've done this twice now. The first time was a pencil sketch and the second was a 3d rendering using POV-ray. It's helpful to have a common picture of what is in a room. It can also save you from describing something. People usualy can remember things better if they have a picture.
Meyverya 05-25-05, 01:51 PM	59.) Really flesh out your villains and, if you have them, NPCs following the party. So many villains are just bad/evil/depraved or, on the flipside good/exalted because their derangement/evilness or goodness/purity/whatever is cool and you need someone or a group of people to be your party's antitheses. Your paladins and wretched necromancers were both people and chose their paths for a reason. With evil, so many people use the " But I did it all for the power/wealth/magic(GRRR)!". Whereas that may be a good touch, what caused this person to think that doing things in an evil way would get them farther than being good. People also are not born evil, they become that way. I had two villains I was particularly proud of. One of them had a few levels of expert due to starting out as an anatomist and the other had switched faiths due to trauma. They were evil and had odd tastes/fetishes due to what they had happen to them and their way of thinking. And once again, not many people can really be this evil without cause! With good, too many people just kind of plunk LG or NG on people and make them awesomely good because... uh... BECAUSE! Few people take the time to realize that it takes very acceptional people to be this good! Why are they so devoted? How did they turn out so good? I mean, I was raised, being taught what was right and wrong and stuff and had a happy childhood with good parents, but am nowhere near what the definitions of LG or even NG are. Show just how acceptional these people are by giving them reasons and make them stick to their gods and alignments to the letter ( unless you are doing one of those situations where ethics are being questioned, which, by the way, should not happen all the time) and never hesitate to uphold their beliefs.
prawn 05-26-05, 12:08 PM	33) 34) If you speak multiple languages, use one of these languages as a foreign language in-game. I speak a bit of Italian, and I once had a conversation with a player who spoke a bit of Spanish. His PC and my NPC started talking to each other in Elvish, and he and I spoke to each other in a hodge-podge of Italian, Spanish, and French. Similarly, you may decide Dwarvish or Orcish is German (if you speak German) and you can prepare a letter from a Dwarvish king in German. Amen to that! In my game, Orcs speak spanish, and are known as ConquistadORCos. Any player that knows some spanish gets free points in "Speak ConquistadORC" and gets to translate when the party meets them.
Maxwell Rose 05-26-05, 01:18 PM	:D 60) Make your world fluid, if your PC's are on huge epic battle vs a Litch with armies of undead, sack a few cities. Let the PC's see the distruction that caused, let them help defend the city walls with the army. If they fail, keep the same world with new Litch ruler and your new Pc's are part of the underground restance. 61) let the PC affect the world, let them build cities and run them, topple evil empires etc. The more your world grows with PC guidance the more they will love it. (If they can go in to Bastion, and see their old Ch standing on the walls survaying the day to day workings of the town they will feel like they are important.) 62) Plot holes, keep track of things your PC's let slip. That one mind flayer who got away, the Rogues guild leader they never caught. Have these things resurface to give them a new crack at them. 63) tie ins to backstories are always good, long lost siblings/parents/mentors turning up to aid the pcs or turn on them. This gives all kind of flavor 64) Thyme, it has a nice lemony taste, it brings alot to the table.