Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 goricexii May 06, 2009 0:20:44	What kinds of monsters or magic might be suitable for an Egypt style campaign? Using basic mythology/stories/movies I've come up with the following: - mummies - serpent/reptile folk - scarabs - ghouls (as tomb haunting carrion eaters) - werehyenas Are there some other suggestions?
#2 tryco May 06, 2009 1:45:21	sphinxes, jackal-headed soldiers (the mummy returns) ... that's all i can think about for the moment
#3 descrii May 06, 2009 2:23:55	Crocodiles and crocodile-monsters. Hawks that shoot laser beams/have frikkin lasers on their heads. Mummified animals. Snakes, especially asssspssss. Swarms of all types. Vultures and vulture-monsters. Cats and cat-monsters, likely highly intelligent. As for magic, I'd say ritual-heavy. Spells focus on summoning, shooting laser beams, changing shape, and interaction with the land of the dead. Lots of curses. The construction of giant magical engines, like pyramids, to affect huge areas. Chariots! There must be lots of chariots!
#4 Mechalibur May 06, 2009 17:47:10	Heh, time to look through Sandstorm! Maybe have one really important river in an otherwise dry desert. It could be natural, or even magical in nature if you want. Undead like mummies and ghouls are a good idea... maybe they're trying to spread their affliction to the living.
#5 redbirdinmo May 06, 2009 18:01:13	If you can find a copy of Mythic Vistas Hamunaptra there are a lot of monsters in there that can be easily converted for any campaign. I found a used one on Amazon for about 10 bucks total with shipping and it has been invaluable in planning this sort of campaign.
#6 space_dragon May 06, 2009 18:02:54	If you want to stay true to Egyptian mythology, have a large percentage of the mummies be unaligned or good. A cool adventure might involve being contacted by an ancient mummy lord who cannot set foot outside his tomb and hired to foil the plots of another mummy lord who has become corrupt. As others have said, lots of anthropomorphism. Crocodile-men, cat-men, jackal-men, bird-men. Magic should be more common than in most settings, as the Egyptians believed that human wizards were quite good to have around and even trained them in semi-formal institutions. Not many ancient cultures did that. Translated into DnD terms, where magic is actually real, I'd say there should be a much higher concentration of spellcasters than in most settings. Not quite at the level of Forgotten Realms cheesiness, but close. God emperor. There must be a god emperor. Bonus points if he really is a god, and grants spells to divine characters. Also, demons, malicious desert spirits, and lots and lots of magical beasts living out in the desert or on islands in the surrounding sea.
#7 lord_karsus May 07, 2009 19:40:07	If you can find a copy of Mythic Vistas Hamunaptra there are a lot of monsters in there that can be easily converted for any campaign. I found a used one on Amazon for about 10 bucks total with shipping and it has been invaluable in planning this sort of campaign. -I also have that book, and agree with it's worth. It's a very good little box.
#8 goricexii May 08, 2009 9:45:37	Thanks for the tip on Hamunaptra, very interesting, I'll have to check that out. Is Sandstorm recommended? I'm interested in it but some of the 3.5 books I got I've NEVER USED more than once. I don't really like that. I should add something about my adventure path. I'd like exploration to be a theme, so I don't want desert to dominate entirely; I'd like marshes and plains as well as mountains. (Partly it would be about an exploration to an equivalent of the Mountains of the Moon and the Source of the Nile) I really appreciate all the suggestions so far. I like the idea of the mummies being generally good or neutral, since to the pcs they are going to be their former rulers or aristocracy after all! I also had an idea about having a version of finding familiar called "Ka-Guide" where pcs who study the native lore have a kind of spirit guide as a possible level feat. Thoughts? The idea would be that the pc gradually develop characteristics through particular feats/skills and roleplay to combine what choices they have for their ka guide.
#9 lord_karsus May 08, 2009 11:53:46	-Sandstorm doesn't have anything for Egypt specifically, but it has a lot of stuff for running a game in a desert, which Egypt is, which is very useful.
#10 turtlshellz May 11, 2009 6:31:35	Ancient Egypt also fought wars with other Empires of the time: The Hittites (not the biblical Hittites, this was another group), the Nubians (Ethiopia) and the Sea Peoples (Sea going Barbarians). These could also provide great sources for conflict. Also the Pharaoh Ankhenatum (mispelled? If it is I am sorry) may have created the worlds very first montheistic religion: The worship of the sun disk (sun god). Something like that could provide at least a source of religion tension, even if it remains quietly in the background. Just a few more ideas. :D
#11 matthewswift May 12, 2009 22:57:16	Got spirit? Ba are especially interesting, IMO.