Kol Korran
2012-12-29, 07:25 AM
Hello again, after some absence. First let me say that though my intentions are to use what we discuss here in a D&D 3.5 Eberron game, the discussion is far from limited to that, and I think I'm more interested in the concepts, the core ideas than any mechanics at this point.
Guy, Alon, Ariel and Tomer, itf you happened to find this, please read no further.
I intend to run (sometime in the far future it seems, real life and so on) A game in which the protagonists are a team sent to spy in and investigate the possible rise of lycanthropes in a sort of a wild west region (just before the lycanthropic crusade for you Eberron fans).
But as Lycanthropes are to be the main stay of this campaign, I'd like them to diverge from the basics of the D&D monster manual. I want them to be more interesting, more complex, their culture, theme, and effect on the players more interesting. I'd love to hear of your experiences on the subject, and receive criticism on my ideas. I'd love to stir the creative cooking pot as it were.
Some thoughts to the matter in no particular order:
1- I want the animal associated with the were creature to not be decided on the biting animal, but rather on the particular make up of the person's personality- a cowardly survivalist might make a were rat, an earth worker probably a were boar, someone who is more social and uses to prey on others a were wolf and so on. There is the danger of falling into too much of cliched personality types, but I intend to make the categories borader, enabling several kind of personalities, and possibly even slight subtypes of were creatures? I'm not sure how to implement this yet.
Since the players might become were creatures themselves if the game turns that way, the categories must make enough sense.
This may also mean that a pack is not necessarily composed of the same type of were creature. In fact- it is rarely so. A wolf man can infect someone to be a boar woman which might have a tiger and rat baby twins.
2- AN idea connected to the one presented above, is the influence of the curse on the person. while most people (and players I hope) suspect that the curse makes the person simply MORE animalistic, this is but partly true. It makes his physical aspects more animalistic, but his mental, behvioral and emotional aspects more "humanoid" as well, just to the extreme. whatever are the natural basic core personality traits of the person are, they b ecome exaggerated, amplified. This has led to mania-like effects in some which may have caused... unfortunate results in the past.
As the change comes on a person, and he tries to resist, he tries to resist "becoming more true to himself" sort of (or at least that is what it feels like). the letting go of constraints of self is both physical and emotional.
I hope this may come as an interesting point to the players, as this may bring quite interesting roleplay opportunities, both of were creatures they might meet, and if they themselves turn? well- that will be interesting indeed.
3- I'd like there to be complex interaction between the types of lycanthropes, something a kin to casts, or roles within society. Since the type of creature you are reflects the type of personality you have, this may seem more "natural" than is the usual scheme of lycanthropy in D&D.
4- relationship to the phases of the moons: Eberron has 13 moons (NOT the planes! read here if interested (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/ebds/20050307a) and even a fairly nice tool that gives the state of each moon in every day through out history... handy! :smallsmile: sometime more than one moon is fool, sometime even 4-5! if we go by just 1 full moon= lycanthropic change, than the were creatures are transformed most of the month. i'm thinking of making some simple probability chance depending on how many moons, and possibly which moons. also, each moon is associated with a certain influence over the world (domain?), And i think they might have such an influence on the were creatures themselves, perhaps different moons influencing different types of were beings a bit differently?
5- In Eberron there is a race of shifters- people who allready have some lycanthropic heritage in their blood, but not as strong. I imagine these as either blood thinning out, or perhaps choosing not to take on the full curse for... some reason? As the shifter may easily come under the persecution of the protagonists or of the populace, this is an important and complex relationship (I want some shifter to revere them, some be polite, some weary, some outright against lycanthropes). I need to work this out.
6- The struggle to control who you are, or letting go and becoming something else: I'd prefer there to be a broader spectrum of transformation. with each step towards becoming more of a beast (with superior intellectual powers and emotional state and so on, or so you'd believe) you gain something and lose something as well. The effects are felt, and hard to reverse, but possible. I'd like to make the struggle (especially for if the character contract the affliction) more than just a bunch of rolled dice, but i have not many ideas of how right now.
7- Religion: Since this is based in Eberron, i'm thinking of having their religion be a mix of druidic beliefs and the Dark Six pantheon (mostly The Devourer, Shadow and The Fury) the population in the area will be from the Sovereign Host, while the characters will most likely be from the Silver Flame. central to the faith will be the power of self empowerment, and the moons. Any ideas? thoughts?
8- Of course, i'll need more types (and possibly subtypes) of Lycanthropes. I'm thinking including potential herbivores. I need time to think this through.
So... what are your thoughts? Either of my ideas or in general on the subject? Feel free to open the discussion about general issues about lycanthropy, I'd love to hear and learn.
Guy, Alon, Ariel and Tomer, itf you happened to find this, please read no further.
I intend to run (sometime in the far future it seems, real life and so on) A game in which the protagonists are a team sent to spy in and investigate the possible rise of lycanthropes in a sort of a wild west region (just before the lycanthropic crusade for you Eberron fans).
But as Lycanthropes are to be the main stay of this campaign, I'd like them to diverge from the basics of the D&D monster manual. I want them to be more interesting, more complex, their culture, theme, and effect on the players more interesting. I'd love to hear of your experiences on the subject, and receive criticism on my ideas. I'd love to stir the creative cooking pot as it were.
Some thoughts to the matter in no particular order:
1- I want the animal associated with the were creature to not be decided on the biting animal, but rather on the particular make up of the person's personality- a cowardly survivalist might make a were rat, an earth worker probably a were boar, someone who is more social and uses to prey on others a were wolf and so on. There is the danger of falling into too much of cliched personality types, but I intend to make the categories borader, enabling several kind of personalities, and possibly even slight subtypes of were creatures? I'm not sure how to implement this yet.
Since the players might become were creatures themselves if the game turns that way, the categories must make enough sense.
This may also mean that a pack is not necessarily composed of the same type of were creature. In fact- it is rarely so. A wolf man can infect someone to be a boar woman which might have a tiger and rat baby twins.
2- AN idea connected to the one presented above, is the influence of the curse on the person. while most people (and players I hope) suspect that the curse makes the person simply MORE animalistic, this is but partly true. It makes his physical aspects more animalistic, but his mental, behvioral and emotional aspects more "humanoid" as well, just to the extreme. whatever are the natural basic core personality traits of the person are, they b ecome exaggerated, amplified. This has led to mania-like effects in some which may have caused... unfortunate results in the past.
As the change comes on a person, and he tries to resist, he tries to resist "becoming more true to himself" sort of (or at least that is what it feels like). the letting go of constraints of self is both physical and emotional.
I hope this may come as an interesting point to the players, as this may bring quite interesting roleplay opportunities, both of were creatures they might meet, and if they themselves turn? well- that will be interesting indeed.
3- I'd like there to be complex interaction between the types of lycanthropes, something a kin to casts, or roles within society. Since the type of creature you are reflects the type of personality you have, this may seem more "natural" than is the usual scheme of lycanthropy in D&D.
4- relationship to the phases of the moons: Eberron has 13 moons (NOT the planes! read here if interested (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/ebds/20050307a) and even a fairly nice tool that gives the state of each moon in every day through out history... handy! :smallsmile: sometime more than one moon is fool, sometime even 4-5! if we go by just 1 full moon= lycanthropic change, than the were creatures are transformed most of the month. i'm thinking of making some simple probability chance depending on how many moons, and possibly which moons. also, each moon is associated with a certain influence over the world (domain?), And i think they might have such an influence on the were creatures themselves, perhaps different moons influencing different types of were beings a bit differently?
5- In Eberron there is a race of shifters- people who allready have some lycanthropic heritage in their blood, but not as strong. I imagine these as either blood thinning out, or perhaps choosing not to take on the full curse for... some reason? As the shifter may easily come under the persecution of the protagonists or of the populace, this is an important and complex relationship (I want some shifter to revere them, some be polite, some weary, some outright against lycanthropes). I need to work this out.
6- The struggle to control who you are, or letting go and becoming something else: I'd prefer there to be a broader spectrum of transformation. with each step towards becoming more of a beast (with superior intellectual powers and emotional state and so on, or so you'd believe) you gain something and lose something as well. The effects are felt, and hard to reverse, but possible. I'd like to make the struggle (especially for if the character contract the affliction) more than just a bunch of rolled dice, but i have not many ideas of how right now.
7- Religion: Since this is based in Eberron, i'm thinking of having their religion be a mix of druidic beliefs and the Dark Six pantheon (mostly The Devourer, Shadow and The Fury) the population in the area will be from the Sovereign Host, while the characters will most likely be from the Silver Flame. central to the faith will be the power of self empowerment, and the moons. Any ideas? thoughts?
8- Of course, i'll need more types (and possibly subtypes) of Lycanthropes. I'm thinking including potential herbivores. I need time to think this through.
So... what are your thoughts? Either of my ideas or in general on the subject? Feel free to open the discussion about general issues about lycanthropy, I'd love to hear and learn.