What inspires you?

[Adindra]

As the title says, what inspires the things you create in dungeons and dragons (or any roleplaying game) be it the character you create or the world you build?

For me its always been music i listen to while i muse about whatever i'm making. If i happen to be listening to somber gothic music my character will almost always end up a necromancer or with some sort of horrible past (i'm prone to cliche apparently), however Ensifierum or something heavy leads me to the big barbarian hero of the people type :smallsmile: .

[ScrambledBrains]

For me, my brain just develops a certain character type in my brain, and I imagine what and how he would say, do, fight, and act. Then, I develop it through the mechanics. I do occasionally steal minor character traits from popular characters, but I do try to put my own spin on them. :smallsmile:

[TheThan]

I pull a lot of inspiration from 80’s and 90’s cartoons.
Thus far I’ve done GI Joe, and I’m currently Dming Cadillac’s and dinosaurs. I’ve also got Attack of the killer tomatoes, Transformers and Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego? in the works.

[Calmar]

I like all kinds of folklore, myths and legends, ambient music and soundtracks of my favourite PC games like Age of Wonders and Icewind Dale. Also I have found Deviant.art to be a treasure vault full of wonderful illustrations for various themes. :smallsmile:

[Jay R]

Reading or watching the right history, legend or story.

Every time I see a musketeer movie, I start thinking about Flashing Blades (although my last Flashing Blades rogue was based on the movie Aladdin. When I read the Lord of the Rings, or Greek or Norse mythology, I start thinking about running a fantasy world.

One universe was inspired by several summers at Philmont Scout Ranch. I knew the land intimately, and could use the terrain well.

I've been having several thoughts about creating a new world from reading *J.R.R. Tolkien and the Oxford English Dictionary*. Reading about where he took words from sparked lots of ideas.

My next universe is going to be designed differently, and I wonder how well it will work. I've told the players to tell me what kind of character they want to play, and I will design the world around that. If you want to play the last dwarf avenging his fallen race, I'll have the dwarves wiped out by a great war. If you want to be the heir of an ancient realm, which is fated to someday rise again, I'll invent such a realm.

So that time the world will have to be inspired directly by the players. We'll see how well that works.

[Dr.Epic]

These:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/8/87/Ringstrilogyposter.jpg

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/3/37/Adventure_Time_-_Title_card.png

[Dsurion]

Everything.

No, really. Sometimes just walking around in a forest for ten minutes can give you insight for something cool. Sometimes, just the actual interactions between people spawn an idea for a game or story. Of course, books and video games are good examples, too, but you should always be on the lookout for anything that can inspire you.

[Kuma Da]

Everything.

No, really. Sometimes just walking around in a forest for ten minutes can give you insight for something cool. Sometimes, just the actual interactions between people spawn an idea for a game or story. Of course, books and video games are good examples, too, but you should always be on the lookout for anything that can inspire you.

+1. I do this, too.

[Nachtritter]

HEAVY METAL

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_66P8ussx5-s/SL7C7OHyZFI/AAAAAAAAEg4/TrPHpvfN3Ls/s400/Wizard_-_Bound_By_Metal_-_Front.jpg

[KineticDiplomat]

Its more of a counter-inspiration. If I read something, or see a movie, or watch people in a game, and things start becoming too saccahrine, too powerful, or too righteous at the expense of logic, I want to counter it - or at least make it execute a proof of concept. or, and I'm a huge fan of "the mundane strike back." I can't see somehting fantastic without wondering how the mundane would win it...unfortunately these are rather non-dramatic in nature.

I'm fine with happy endings, heroic deeds, and power ballad worthy events if earned, or consistent with the properties inherent in the setting. But I want Voldermort to mind control a muggle sniper, and have the sniper kill harry potter with a well placed round from half a mile while he's on summer vacation...because theres nothing more frustrating than watching a "hero" deal with utterly incompetent BBEGs.

[MidnightOne]

Pictures. I spend time out on Neverwinter Nights portrait site (http://nwvault.ign.com/View.php?view=Portraits.List) and the right picture will bring up a character's description and history in seconds.

Sometimes, places I walk do the same thing - but only if I have a way to record what gets dropped in my head IMMEDIATELY, otherwise it goes away.