Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 survivormanss Sep 10, 2009 21:21:29	My D&D game right now is set in a sort of generic world, even though I have added all my personal touches, made it make more sense (it is more realistic in terms of rules), and trimmed down the monster list ALOT. (It is insane to think that that many dangerous, intelligent, creatures co-exist in the same world. It just doesn't make sense, atleast to me, so I trimmed down the generic fantasy to fit me and my players needs. But its still basically just generic.   But I want it to have a flare of certain technologies. Sort of colonial time period, with flintlock pistols and close to inventing trains and things like that. But I don't want steampunk, I want to stay far away from robot races and laser guns and steam air ships and so on. Not that I have a problem with any of that, but its not what I want to go for. I want armor and swords and bows to still have their use, but to be able to add in gas powered lanterns and gunpowder and some other interesting things without going way out of the way of generic.    What i'm really asking through all this rambling is any ideas for subtle technologies. For example, how long does a gas lamb last? And in terms of firearms, I was thinking... Flintlock pistol   3d8  damage (but is much less effective against plate mail and scalemail, and has a certain chance of failure, and it takes a standard action to reload) Cannon   5d10 damage (maybe thats to much, but I want them to be expensive and very useful, mostly for attacking and destroying enemy buildings, castles and ships).        If you feel like sparing the time any ideas would be greatly appreciated.
#2 OleOneEye Sep 10, 2009 21:39:39	And in terms of firearms, I was thinking... Flintlock pistol   3d8  damage (but is much less effective against plate mail and scalemail, and has a certain chance of failure, and it takes a standard action to reload) Woohoo!  An average 1st level bard deals 9d8 damage!  Eat your hearts out strikers.  No need to worry about the long reload times when carrying a brace of pistols.  Hmm....I wonder if dragons are considered to have scale armor?  what about bulettes?  Cannon   5d10 damage (maybe thats to much, but I want them to be expensive and very useful, mostly for attacking and destroying enemy buildings, castles and ships). By jimmeny, my bard now deals 15d10 damage!  A pair of subservient umber hulks makes it portable, right?
#3 space_cadet Sep 11, 2009 5:10:32	How about a campaign set in 1763 North America, these are set in the thirteen colonies: Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia. I don't know why you want to cut down on the magic and monsters after declaring it a generic fantasy, isn't that the whole point of it? I would basically suggest that you replace the American Indians with all sorts of monsters and magic and let the colonists deal with that. If your going to do generic fantasy, why hide the magic? In generic fantasy the magic is out in the open, people can cast fireballs, it doesn't have to reflect local superstition about whether so-in-so is a witch, or whether she cast a hex on somebody or maybe not. And if the locals come with torches to burn the witch, can they confuse an innocent with somebody flying around on a broomstick casting fireballs and blowing up houses?
#4 survivormanss Sep 12, 2009 22:48:51	Thank, you, Space Cadet, for answering seriously and not deciding to taunt my horrible math skills. (If I did everything perfect and balanced I wouldn't be asking for help, and in the time it took you to post that very negative post, you could have politely showed what more balanced rules would be).   As for getting rid of monsters, I like to focus on plots and quests more then thousands of different monsters. I don't see how that makes it any less core. If normal D&D has Orcs, Worgs, Dijins, Archons, Spike Devils, Oozes, Oni, Dragons, Goblins AND Hobgoblins is any more core D&D then having Goblins, Dragons and Worgs. It is more a personal preference then anything real. It makes the world seem cluttered and overpopulated when I envision it.  Good idea for the 1700s settler thing, seemed rather obvious, don't know why I didn't think of that. But, unfortunatly I have already designed a map and detailed some countries, so i'll just be keeping my old stuff, in terms of lands, countries and maps. Its my fault, as I should have detailed more on what I needed.   What I really need is help with balancing the statistics of Colonial Era technology, and ideas for that technology.
#5 dragonsblood Sep 13, 2009 1:19:54	As for getting rid of monsters, I like to focus on plots and quests more then thousands of different monsters. I don't see how that makes it any less core. If normal D&D has Orcs, Worgs, Dijins, Archons, Spike Devils, Oozes, Oni, Dragons, Goblins AND Hobgoblins is any more core D&D then having Goblins, Dragons and Worgs. It is more a personal preference then anything real. It makes the world seem cluttered and overpopulated when I envision it. Dijins, Archons, and Spike Devils, along with most of the intelligent creatures in the monster manuals, are not native to the material plane. Oozes are not intelligent. Most natural intelligent creatures are much more rare than goblins or humans. Perhaps you need to envision it in a different light. In my future campaign, certain races are the result of interbreeding. Hobgoblins are half goblin half orc and you'll generally only find them with orcs and/or goblins. Many other races immigrated from other planes one way or another. Gnomes turn into goblins and eladrin turn into elves when they're out of the feywild for too long. Drow are shadar-kia who have been out of the shadowrealm for too long. Many races are born of magic. The first teiflings were human warlocks who mutated through their pact. The first dragonborn were the product of wizard experiments with dragon magic. The only prolific races that "evolved" naturally were humans, orcs, and dwarves, but almost anything in the books are available to me to enrich my plots and adventures. What I really need is help with balancing the statistics of Colonial Era technology, and ideas for that technology. Unfortunately most of the cool technology was developed shortly after that era (if I understand you correctly). If you don't mind advancing 50 years or so, some technology with a more antiquated flair are tnt, gyroscope, tesla coil, Morse code transmitter/receiver, simple lead acid battery, printing press, and punch card mechanical calculator (Difference Engine). For balancing weapons, think about their effects compared to a standard DnD weapon. Don't assume that technology is automatically superior because it was invented farther into the timeline. A longbow will kill a man just as easily as a pistol. A cannon will be as destructive as a catapult. Advantages are a little more subtle than damage dice. You won't see Lincoln surprised at a play and assassinated by a longbow, and you won't see a catapult on a ship.
#6 TregMallin Sep 15, 2009 20:25:46	... and trimmed down the monster list ALOT. (It is insane to think that that many dangerous, intelligent, creatures co-exist in the same world. It just doesn't make sense, atleast to me, so I trimmed down the generic fantasy to fit me and my players needs. But its still basically just generic. The MM and MM2 represent a big assortment of colors.  You've chosen your palette.  Doesn't seem terribly unreasonable to me.