Greek Myth Campaign

[ThurlRavenscrof]

Has anyone successfully run a campaign based on Greek mythology? I'm running into a couple of problems like in a big combat encounter you want a boss, lieutenants, and minions and I can't think of good minions from Greek myth. The other big one is that many Greek inspired monsters from the manual have a CR of 5 or 6 so it's kind of hard to vary difficulty.

[thoroughlyS]

There are actually a broad variety of monsters which could conceivably be faced in a Greek themed game. The following are just from the SRD, with those in bold being especially Greek (CR in parentheses).


Basilisk (3)
Centaur (2)
Chimera (6)
Cockatrice (1/2)
Dryad (1)
Giants (5, 7, 8, 9, 13)
Gorgon (5)
Griffon (2)
Hag (2, 3, 5)
Harpy (1)
Hell Hound (3)
Hippogriff (1)
Hydra (8)
Kraken (23)
Lamia (4)
Lizardfolk (1/2)
Manticore (3)
Medusa (6)
Merfolk (1/8)
Minotaur (3)
Pegasus (2)
Roc (11)
Salamander (5)
Skeleton (1/2, 2)
Sphinx (11, 17)
Unicorn (5)
Werewolf (3)


Of those listed there is at least 1 monster of each CR all the way until 10. On top of that, you have groups of lower CR monsters. And of course, all NPC stat blocks are still appropriate.

I've never run a Greek campaign before, but I can't think of any problems that make it unfeasible.

[Mortis_Elrod]

Lets see... we want mooks....greek....harpies, minotaur, furies (erinyes i think), giants, eidolons (spooky ghosties), dryads, spartae (skeletal warriors ), sirens, griffins, cyclopes, vamps (go for Empousa), Sphinx, satyrs, nereids nymphs, unicorns even, multiheaded demon hounds, hippogriff, chimera, manticore, stymphalian birds (crazy birds), and some daemons that could be yaun-ti.

There's alot more but honestly you should try to find a story first and then build your camp off that. There's plenty of monsters for you to use though.

[JellyPooga]

Hags fit the Greek mould, to add to the lists suggested already.

[ThurlRavenscrof]

Thanks! I didn't realize a lot of those were of a Greek origin. This is a great list

[Krestus]

Don't make the mistake of forgetting EVERYTHING in DnD is up to reinterpretation/change. You can re-skin anything you want in the monster manual. Just take the stats from any creature you want that fills the roll you need and describe it to your players in a way that fits your campaign.

[ThurlRavenscrof]

Don't make the mistake of forgetting EVERYTHING in DnD is up to reinterpretation/change. You can re-skin anything you want in the monster manual. Just take the stats from any creature you want that fills the roll you need and describe it to your players in a way that fits your campaign.

Totally true! And I do that sometimes. But I wasn't sure what to reskin them as... I guess I just don't know of enough Greek monsters to do that

[Zene]

Weird, I was just thinking about this this morning! But I was thinking about it more from the PC side, of a greek/roman themed campaign

Full plate, ring mail, chain mail, scale mail would all not be around yet. Half plate could kinda be a getup with a breastplate, helm, bronze bracers and greaves. The other medium and light armors should be fine. Lots of weapons wouldn't fit either (crossbow, rapier, etc) but still plenty of options.

PC races should be limited to human; maybe a rare minotaur, or nymph (could use elf or half-elf stats).

Not sure what to do about magic. Greek-pantheon clerics and "barbarian" (non-greek) druids fit, as do bards, but wizards/sorcerers/warlocks seem out of place in the genre, except maybe ones focused on divination/charms. I'd probably remove damaging cantrips too, just for the feel; no greek hero myths have the protagonists constantly throwing bolts of magical energy as far as I know.

I think it'd be fun as heck though. So many great storylines/settings/inspirations ready to go. I for one feel like there's more there to draw from than there is in european medieval myth/legend. Really want to play this now!

[Corsair14]

Chain and scale existed in Greek and Roman times. I have read that up to half the Roman army was equipped with chain at any given time even during the lorica segmentata time period. Scale existed before that using thick waxed leather scales if not metal although I do believe metal was used as well, even by well to do Greeks. The Dacians and other barbarian peoples used scale extensively. The Romans also had a full plate suit of armor that one of their Gladiator types wore, super heavy. During one of the rebellions gladiators in these suits were impervious to attacks from normal legionary weapons so they used the simple expedient of knocking them down and going at them with hammers and pick axes.

I can see a campaign set in this period as an over the top heroic style campaign. I suggest reading David Gemmel's Troy series. Awesome take on Troy and its peoples, which actually makes more sense than the Illiad. I would definitely limit magic and various races. Perhaps only having warlocks with appropriate Greek and Roman patrons would work. Clerics would be the same although more common, though perhaps no overt displays of magic as it would either send witnesses running in terror or have them on the ground bowing.

[Discord]

I actually did my own take on a Greek Myth Campaign if you're interested in seeing my notes for the setting and such. I ran it for about three months but unfortunately the group I played with kind of fell apart and it hasn't been touched since.

[Human Paragon 3]

I think more than what monsters you face and what armor you allow, what will really nail the setting is the feel of it.

Have a ton of little island states, maybe unnumbered, each with their own king and way of running things vis a vis the army and other institutions. These city states are constantly warring with each other, but over small things. Occasionally they band together to fight against a greater threat.

They believe strongly in the gods, and that everything you do either pleases or displeases them. Sometimes the gods come down off Olympus and screw with mortals (figuratively and literally)

There are many far-flung locations with unknown dangers, and mostly you have to sail to them. And crazy thing can happen, a little like Gulliver's Travels. Feel free to invent your own crazy stuff. On this island we'll have bird head people that like to eat people's livers. On that island there's a monster who sees the future and the past simultaneously but can't see the present, and so on.

[Corsair14]

I cant access it from here but I believe on DMs guild or drive thru rpg there is the old 2nd ed sourcebook specifically detailing a Greek campaign from back when they were putting out splat books for historical campaigns. The rules are obviously out but the source material could be really useful. I haven't read the Greek one but the Viking one was really helpful for a Viking campaign I planned but never got around to running(if I had a dime for every one of those...I might have 10 bucks).

[Sigreid]

You can use anything you like really. The Greek gods were netorious for getting ticked off and turning people into something horrible for their own amusement. Not all of them would be the famous few.

[SaurOps]

Aren't D&D Lamiae usually pretty far removed from Greek myth Lamiae? You might just want to use vampires or Yuan-ti Abominations (human head on one of the snake-headed ones, if that doesn't sound too odd) in their place.

[ThurlRavenscrof]

Chain and scale existed in Greek and Roman times. I have read that up to half the Roman army was equipped with chain at any given time even during the lorica segmentata time period. Scale existed before that using thick waxed leather scales if not metal although I do believe metal was used as well, even by well to do Greeks. The Dacians and other barbarian peoples used scale extensively. The Romans also had a full plate suit of armor that one of their Gladiator types wore, super heavy. During one of the rebellions gladiators in these suits were impervious to attacks from normal legionary weapons so they used the simple expedient of knocking them down and going at them with hammers and pick axes.

I can see a campaign set in this period as an over the top heroic style campaign. I suggest reading David Gemmel's Troy series. Awesome take on Troy and its peoples, which actually makes more sense than the Illiad. I would definitely limit magic and various races. Perhaps only having warlocks with appropriate Greek and Roman patrons would work. Clerics would be the same although more common, though perhaps no overt displays of magic as it would either send witnesses running in terror or have them on the ground bowing.

Yeah I agree on not limiting armor. It's not like plate armor was readily available in the early to mid Middle Ages where many campaigns are based but nobody is limiting armor choices there. Plus it has the meta game effect of making fighters clerics and paladins worse which is the opposite of what I want in a Greek campaign.
And I like your take on the gods - I am having divine casters choose Greek gods. And I decided warlocks are flavored to be demigods with one god parent as their patron

[ThurlRavenscrof]

I think more than what monsters you face and what armor you allow, what will really nail the setting is the feel of it.

Have a ton of little island states, maybe unnumbered, each with their own king and way of running things vis a vis the army and other institutions. These city states are constantly warring with each other, but over small things. Occasionally they band together to fight against a greater threat.

They believe strongly in the gods, and that everything you do either pleases or displeases them. Sometimes the gods come down off Olympus and screw with mortals (figuratively and literally)

There are many far-flung locations with unknown dangers, and mostly you have to sail to them. And crazy thing can happen, a little like Gulliver's Travels. Feel free to invent your own crazy stuff. On this island we'll have bird head people that like to eat people's livers. On that island there's a monster who sees the future and the past simultaneously but can't see the present, and so on.

I like these ideas. Yeah the party has a ship and many of their adventures require them to sail to different strange islands.
I think you're right about having more warring factions of different islands and city states. That will solve some of my no minions problem
And gods are common quest givers and other plot points and NPCs. They feature heavily in the plot
I love the idea of the monster who can't see the present - totally stealing it!

[Sigreid]

Yeah I agree on not limiting armor. It's not like plate armor was readily available in the early to mid Middle Ages where many campaigns are based but nobody is limiting armor choices there. Plus it has the meta game effect of making fighters clerics and paladins worse which is the opposite of what I want in a Greek campaign.
And I like your take on the gods - I am having divine casters choose Greek gods. And I decided warlocks are flavored to be demigods with one god parent as their patron

If you did limit armor giving heavy armor classes the barbarian unarmored defense would be fair, IMO.

[ThurlRavenscrof]

I actually did my own take on a Greek Myth Campaign if you're interested in seeing my notes for the setting and such. I ran it for about three months but unfortunately the group I played with kind of fell apart and it hasn't been touched since.

Yeah I'd love to see that! Thanks

[Discord]

Yeah I'd love to see that! Thanks

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0Bz3H6d9c-ruNbGpTM3JRbGJkSnc

Besides that doc, the over all theme of the campaign was that The Dragons managed to escape being thrown into Tartarus, and were lost to history even the real known history of the worlds, the Gods in power were not even aware. Because the Dragons were not made by the Gods they could not be seen by the Gods. So the dragons have been living under the covers for hundreds / thousands of years, all the while the bad dragons were building an army in the Elysian Fields because all that were made from Gods could not access the Elysian Fields but the Dragons could because they came before, so the Dragons were building armies to invade the land, mean while a few good dragons would slowly align themselves with the party as they continued to figure out how deep the rabbit hole went.

In the beginning no Kobolds, Dragonborn, Half-Dragons, Lizardfolk, etc existed in the world then they'd slowly be incorporated in throughout the theme of the campaign.

[ThurlRavenscrof]

There are actually a broad variety of monsters which could conceivably be faced in a Greek themed game. The following are just from the SRD, with those in bold being especially Greek (CR in parentheses).


Basilisk (3)
Centaur (2)
Chimera (6)
Cockatrice (1/2)
Dryad (1)
Giants (5, 7, 8, 9, 13)
Gorgon (5)
Griffon (2)
Hag (2, 3, 5)
Harpy (1)
Hell Hound (3)
Hippogriff (1)
Hydra (8)
Kraken (23)
Lamia (4)
Lizardfolk (1/2)
Manticore (3)
Medusa (6)
Merfolk (1/8)
Minotaur (3)
Pegasus (2)
Roc (11)
Salamander (5)
Skeleton (1/2, 2)
Sphinx (11, 17)
Unicorn (5)
Werewolf (3)



I'm doing some research now and I think some of these just have a name with a greek base. I'm not finding any greek myths or accounts for the basilisk, cockatrice, reptilian people, salamander, or roc. Did you have a different flavor in mind for those monsters?

[ThurlRavenscrof]

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0Bz3H6d9c-ruNbGpTM3JRbGJkSnc

Besides that doc, the over all theme of the campaign was that The Dragons managed to escape being thrown into Tartarus, and were lost to history even the real known history of the worlds, the Gods in power were not even aware. Because the Dragons were not made by the Gods they could not be seen by the Gods. So the dragons have been living under the covers for hundreds / thousands of years, all the while the bad dragons were building an army in the Elysian Fields because all that were made from Gods could not access the Elysian Fields but the Dragons could because they came before, so the Dragons were building armies to invade the land, mean while a few good dragons would slowly align themselves with the party as they continued to figure out how deep the rabbit hole went.

In the beginning no Kobolds, Dragonborn, Half-Dragons, Lizardfolk, etc existed in the world then they'd slowly be incorporated in throughout the theme of the campaign.

Thanks! This is great

[warty goblin]

If you're going for a setting that emulates the mythological age of heroes, then you're pretty much looking at cuirasses and half plate, shields, spears and swords, the occasional club or axe, and some mostly non-heroic archers. Interestingly, if you go by the myths, essentially none of these should be magical, at least insofar as shooting lightning bolts and so on goes. There's some magical artifacts to be sure, but they're mostly in the hands of gods, and available for temporary loan at best. I could certainly buy an argument that the best way to represent the equipment of some heroes is as +X weapons.

As for magic, I'd think the best thing to do would be simply to remove pretty much the entire existing system, and replace it with a fairly small set of powers granted by having favor with particular gods. Which sounds like a lot of work, but let's be reasonable, you really only need powers for being favored by Athena, because only losers and Trojans (so, losers) need favors directly from the other gods.

[Laurefindel]

Something similar to Adventure in Middle Earth could be done about armor: eliminate the high-end medium and heavy armors and incorporate +4AC great shields.

[thoroughlyS]

I'm not finding any greek myths or accounts for the basilisk, cockatrice, reptilian people, salamander, or roc. Did you have a different flavor in mind for those monsters?
After reviewing wikipedia, the Basilisk is Roman, not greek. This is an easy mistake to make, but I would argue can be overlooked considering how most people conflate the two cultures anyway (just look at some of the replies in the thread).
The Cockatrice is conceptually lumped in with the Basilisk, despite the drastic disparity in their origins. I say if you keep Basilisks, it's easy to keep Cockatrices too.
I threw in Lizardfolk because there are a lot of snake people in Greek legend, which opens the door to more reptilian humanoids. You could also have them be a kind of "outsider" presence. Hint at a larger world and all that.
Salamanders are, again, Roman. In my opinion, they also fit really nicely alongside other Greek monsters: vaguely serpentine, breath fire, warrior people, atypical combat.
I actually knew the Roc was Persian, but included it for the whole "larger world" idea I mentioned above. Having the door open to other regions based on other cultures can create a more vivid world.

[Capt Spanner]

There are actually a broad variety of monsters which could conceivably be faced in a Greek themed game. The following are just from the SRD, with those in bold being especially Greek (CR in parentheses).


Basilisk (3)
Centaur (2)
Chimera (6)
Cockatrice (1/2)
Dryad (1)
Giants (5, 7, 8, 9, 13)
Gorgon (5)
Griffon (2)
Hag (2, 3, 5)
Harpy (1)
Hell Hound (3)
Hippogriff (1)
Hydra (8)
Kraken (23)
Lamia (4)
Lizardfolk (1/2)
Manticore (3)
Medusa (6)
Merfolk (1/8)
Minotaur (3)
Pegasus (2)
Roc (11)
Salamander (5)
Skeleton (1/2, 2)
Sphinx (11, 17)
Unicorn (5)
Werewolf (3)


Of those listed there is at least 1 monster of each CR all the way until 10. On top of that, you have groups of lower CR monsters. And of course, all NPC stat blocks are still appropriate.

I've never run a Greek campaign before, but I can't think of any problems that make it unfeasible.

I'd be pretty tempted to also bold the Sphinx, the Gorgon and the Harpy. You could probably also add the Satyr (CL 1/2) to the list. Erinyes (CL 12) are also from Greek Mythology, although they seem to have developed a weakness (or rather non-resistance) to silvered weapons that I don't remember them having in the mythology.

OP: You could probably also reflavour (stats, attacks, etc... remain the same - just change the name and the picture) some beasts from the MM. For example: turn a Giant Elk into a Giant Bull; or rename some of the scarier giants to Titans; or call Harpies "Sirens"; or mesh three Hell-Hounds into one and call it "Cerberus".

Actually, in terms of monsters there was so much variety in Greek Myth that you could probably justify almost anything from the MM (except, perhaps, most of the Undead stuff) and it won't feel out of place, even if it wasn't actually from Greek Myth. Especially if you're okay reskinning stuff.

Capturing the feel of Greek Mythology is more difficult, perhaps. Consider how the different Gods would view the players and their actions. Different Gods are likely to have different views. Remember that transgressions against Gods are punished harshly by the Gods (not by the DM!) so, for example, killing that CR 1/2 Satyr might bring on wrath of Apollo, or something like that. Things that please Zeus are likely to annoy Hera, and vice versa. Similar Athene and Aphrodite. (For fun: ask the players which is more beautiful: Athene, Aphrodite, or the princess they just rescued.) Fate and prophecy - and particularly the dangers of trying to shirk them - are also prevalent. If you can "persuade" players to fulfil a prophecy about themselves while trying to avert said prophecy I want to hear about it.

[Corsair14]

Does it matter if its Roman or Greek? The Romans were notorious for stealing lore from the Greeks and renaming it. Besides only a really anal retentive player would notice anyway. I picked up the Age of Heroes book. Its a really good read so far. Has different Greek time periods and equipment and class suggestions. Classes that would not exist, Paladin, monk, wizard. It does say a specialist wizard from a foreign country may be ok. In a historical campaign the magicless ranger from UE would be appropriate. Your basic fighter rogue and cleric class are going to be the bread and butter classes though. Arcane versions of the archetypes would obviously be out. Races are limited to humans although I haven't gotten far enough in yet to where is gives the options for things like centaurs and satyrs.

Now I am tempted to run a campaign like this lol, I would do it in 2nd ed though. It has fluffier classes as far as the kits go, some very detailed Greek oriented themes like the Hero(starts with a random gift from the gods, also a fatal flaw), companion and Hoplite, and characters don't spontaneously gain crazy abilities. Its either that or Dark Sun, haven't figured out which yet.

[Joe the Rat]

Stealing liberally from the around the entire Mediterranean basin is a fair approach - adding some of that broader world feel. It also lets you establish "distant lands" with their own monsters... so when the scorpion-men start showing up, maybe something's awry with the Sun Kings to the south.

Something to keep in mind is that a lot of monsters in Greek myth tend to be Singular or small group. The Minotaur, The Gorgons (Medusa stats), The Caledonian Boar (Gorgon stats), etc. You may find you need to amp up a few monsters - essentially add Legendary and possibly Lair elements. Feel free to mix and match things around a bit. What does a cyclops-centaur giant give you?

Humans are a completely fair and valid opponent - wars are as much an element as monsters, and are as often in opposition to quests. Animals are as fair a threat as well; exceptional animals (bigger, stronger, super-tough) may come into play.

On Magic: The general feel of many myths is might of deed and having the gods on your side to conquer strange monsters created by the gods. Low magic is a fair approach - I would seriously consider avoiding full casters as protagonists. But that may violate too many expectations. The Warlock as Demigod is an interesting take. Sorcerer can also work in this regard - particularly if you look at the UA elemental sorcerers, and the revised favored soul (though it may be a bit clericky). The Artificer (alchemist) might be a conceptual fill-in for your know-it-all arcanist.

On Armor: A great shield/tower shield is a good addition if "full plate" seems a bit much - that leaves all three armor weights to default to AC 17 max (splint being the breast/greaves/armor kilt/greathelm combo), and a +3 great shield (the oversized oval) gets you to 20.

Other Inspirations:
Mazes and Minotaurs: An alternate reality retroclone (What if D&D was informed by greek epics instead of pulp fantasy?) - You may find some ideas for renaming and tweaking monsters. They mined myth, and then went nuts from there.
Ray Harryhausen: When you want cinematic greek done right, go to the true master of monsters. Jason and the Argonauts is pretty much an adventuring party on a quest. Steal from the Sinbad material as well.

[thorr-kan]

Now I am tempted to run a campaign like this lol, I would do it in 2nd ed though. It has fluffier classes as far as the kits go, some very detailed Greek oriented themes like the Hero(starts with a random gift from the gods, also a fatal flaw), companion and Hoplite, and characters don't spontaneously gain crazy abilities. Its either that or Dark Sun, haven't figured out which yet.
Play the 2ED. Come to the Dark Side. We have the cookies.

There is also the Glory of Rome sourcebook. It's a good companion to Age of Heroes, going into detail on...wait for it...Rome! Of course, I'm still running 2ED, and I've got a soft spot for the HR (green book) series.

As for dragon people, there's the myth of the Greek king who sowed dragon teeth and got dragon men.

[DragonSorcererX]

What about the Empyreans from the MM?

[ThurlRavenscrof]

What about the Empyreans from the MM?

Totally agree

[DragonSorcererX]

Totally agree

I was asking more for what would they be in Greek Mythology...

[warty goblin]

Stealing liberally from the around the entire Mediterranean basin is a fair approach - adding some of that broader world feel. It also lets you establish "distant lands" with their own monsters... so when the scorpion-men start showing up, maybe something's awry with the Sun Kings to the south.

Something to keep in mind is that a lot of monsters in Greek myth tend to be Singular or small group. The Minotaur, The Gorgons (Medusa stats), The Caledonian Boar (Gorgon stats), etc. You may find you need to amp up a few monsters - essentially add Legendary and possibly Lair elements. Feel free to mix and match things around a bit. What does a cyclops-centaur giant give you?

Humans are a completely fair and valid opponent - wars are as much an element as monsters, and are as often in opposition to quests. Animals are as fair a threat as well; exceptional animals (bigger, stronger, super-tough) may come into play.


It's worth noting that there's something of a generation effect going on here as well. Heroes that appear earlier in the mythic chronology are more likely to be famous for fighting monsters, but their sons mostly fight other men. This isn't a hard and fast rule obviously - The Odyssey is chronologically very late, and is highly concerned with all manner of monsters - but the central drama of the later myths is the Trojan War, which is long on gods and heroes, but very short on monsters.

Incidentally, if one does go for a more Trojan War feel, I'd recommend really working to emulate the Homeric feeling. Give pretty much every enemy a name and a backstory, then tell it to the characters. Pile on the natural metaphors - characters don't just charge each other, they are a lion closing with a great panting boar. Heroes should have their own epithets, ideally customized to reflect their abilities, so somebody who's unusually fast is 'swift heeled' and so on.

(I've had a very vague idea for a Homeric RPG battering about my head for ages, wherein you build a character by selecting your epithets. So you aren't just choosing your stats, you're choosing how your hero is poetically described. Certain actions would also get their own set formulaic descriptors, so if you're rallying the troops you're the shepherd of the people, if you're standing guard over a fallen comrade you're like a cow protecting her calf, and so on. I don't think this works very well for 5E though...)

[SaurOps]

I'd be pretty tempted to also bold the Sphinx, the Gorgon and the Harpy. You could probably also add the Satyr (CL 1/2) to the list. Erinyes (CL 12) are also from Greek Mythology, although they seem to have developed a weakness (or rather non-resistance) to silvered weapons that I don't remember them having in the mythology.

The gorgons of D&D would be the catoblepas of Greco-Roman myth, specifically, while the actual gorgons were, of course, "medusas". Which is, of course, akin to calling vampires draculas.

[Catullus64]

Incidentally, if one does go for a more Trojan War feel, I'd recommend really working to emulate the Homeric feeling. Give pretty much every enemy a name and a backstory, then tell it to the characters. Pile on the natural metaphors - characters don't just charge each other, they are a lion closing with a great panting boar. Heroes should have their own epithets, ideally customized to reflect their abilities, so somebody who's unusually fast is 'swift heeled' and so on.

This, absolutely this. Homer composes like a Dungeon Master in his combats anyway, right down to talking being a free action. Encourage dramatic speechifying mid-encounter, describe injuries in the most visceral manner possible, and absolutely indulge in epic similes. When clerics cast spells, describe their deities literally interceding on their behalf. Encourage arcane spell casters to focus primarily on divination, enchantment, and illusion spells. Previous posters have given a pretty comprehensive list of good monsters, but for good measure I'll add that most forms of undead have precedents in classical myth, as do good old-fashioned dragons (see the founding myth of Thebes for examples of both.)

[Positiveimpact3]

Try checking out the magic: the gatheting setting "theros" for lots of things to draw on.

[DragonSorcererX]

The gorgons of D&D would be the catoblepas of Greco-Roman myth, specifically, while the actual gorgons were, of course, "medusas". Which is, of course, akin to calling vampires draculas.

There is a Catoblepas in Volo's Guide, and this incarnation of his is the same of all editions of D&D, with the death rays and stuff, maybe that one fits better mythological joke monster than the D&D Gorgon.

[warty goblin]

This, absolutely this. Homer composes like a Dungeon Master in his combats anyway, right down to talking being a free action. Encourage dramatic speechifying mid-encounter, describe injuries in the most visceral manner possible, and absolutely indulge in epic similes. When clerics cast spells, describe their deities literally interceding on their behalf. Encourage arcane spell casters to focus primarily on divination, enchantment, and illusion spells. Previous posters have given a pretty comprehensive list of good monsters, but for good measure I'll add that most forms of undead have precedents in classical myth, as do good old-fashioned dragons (see the founding myth of Thebes for examples of both.)

Now I want a random gore table for every killed enemy. Roll for flying organs!


Also, bonus XP if you refrain from killing some dude because your dads hung out that one time. Roll for complicated familial relations!

[Amaril]

Do away with the alignment system. You're probably aware, but the ancient Greeks had pretty f*** up views of morality by today's standards. Their natural law was all based on might-makes-right--being beautiful, athletic, or otherwise naturally gifted is a moral virtue, showing the favor of the gods, while disability and disfigurement are moral failings. The strong are considered justified and right in trampling and enslaving the weak.

[lunaticfringe]

And Abjuration. Everybody is way into the whole Enchantment, Divination thing they forgot about old world magic including a lot of Protection and wards & what not. Hecate was way into that stuff.

[ThurlRavenscrof]

I was asking more for what would they be in Greek Mythology...

I would make them titans / very important NPCs like Prometheus

[ThurlRavenscrof]

(I've had a very vague idea for a Homeric RPG battering about my head for ages, wherein you build a character by selecting your epithets. So you aren't just choosing your stats, you're choosing how your hero is poetically described. Certain actions would also get their own set formulaic descriptors, so if you're rallying the troops you're the shepherd of the people, if you're standing guard over a fallen comrade you're like a cow protecting her calf, and so on. I don't think this works very well for 5E though...)

Yeah I don't think that would work great in 5e but it sounds perfect for Fate! You should really look into that system for your campaign

[ThurlRavenscrof]

Try checking out the magic: the gatheting setting "theros" for lots of things to draw on.

Yes! I just ran a gothic horror campaign based on Innistrad! Turned out great

[Corsair14]

Hmm been thinking now on running this campaign when my group gets back together in June. Everyone is human, might go variant human since this is the Age of Heroes and for once in my campaigns, I want my characters to be more than just a common person. In order to get the flavor correct, bring in the kits from 2nd edition and replace the existing back grounds and starting equipment with the kits. I am going to go very David Gemmel's Troy series in flavor. Very nautically oriented. No wizards or arcane abilities with minor exceptions. Rangers will be the non-magic version from UE, priests will obviously be based on greek gods. Rogues will be mostly unchanged although I will put a negative on the who open locks thing since they really didn't exist as more than a rudimentary device during that time. Bards also no magic. Druids are going to exist but will follow the Greek god pertaining to that element instead of the land itself. Bronze weapons and armor for the most part. Anything iron will be considered masterwork and have a chance at breaking a bronze weapon on a crit. Mostly centered on the Aegean sea but will have Hittites, Persians, Egyptians and some of the tribal people from around the area. Obviously wont be totally historical but should be fun. I would do it in 5th but that would require my group learning a new system and some of them were barely alive when 2nd was in full swing.
Backgrounds:
Hoplite- spear, shield, short sword. Reaction bonus in home or allied polis, reaction negative in hostile polis and their allies. Would not sully his honor by disguising or repainting his shield.

Hero- Marked by the gods for greatness. Weapon choice is whatever. Gods have marked him by granting a boon but also granting a fatal flaw. Charts for both are in the Age of Heroes sourcebook. Can be anything from an enchanted sword or piece of armor to being able to speed dial the god for some sort of aid. Flaws are pretty fluffy too.

Companion- A part polis's kings personal retinue and guard. Starts with a horse, weapons and armor suitable for this role.

Sailor/pirate- as in the main book

Amazon Warrior-

Auxiliary- Foreign fighter with appropriate gear and equipment.
This kind of thing. Note that equipment would be background specific, not class specific for starting gear as an exception to normal. There are actually quite a lot of kits out there. Amazon for example would have a sorceress version, with limited schools of spells available. I think divination, enchantment and alteration would be the allowed schools. Some backgrounds woulnt exist just because they are fairly common backgrounds and while a tradesman obviously exists, in a class and renown based system where glory and martial reputation supersede everything, that person would never be a real hero. Plus in DnD as we known crafting is kind of meh anyway so they aren't going to spend days of downtime working on fletching, that's what the lesser people and slaves do while the heroes are off heroing.

[Corran]

What about the oracle of Delphi, Pythia? Known for often giving divinations that could be interpreted both ways. (Classic example, but in a very loose translation: ''You'll go, you'll return... not.... die in the war'', and according to where you put the comma, either before or after the ''not'' you had two opposite meanings. (Ηξεις αφηξεις ουκ εν πολεμω θνηξεις, in ancient greek, if somehow that helps you look it up and make more sense out of it than from my bad translation).
I would probably portray her as a nothic with levels in divination wizard, but that's just me.

ps: About empiryans, you could make Hercules (or rather, Heracles:smalltongue:) be one too.

[Vogie]

Try checking out the magic: the gatheting setting "theros" for lots of things to draw on.

Watch out for this if you want it to be specifically greek - MTG was pulling from various Greek-adjacent sources as well, mixing in Roman myths and even pop culture (They specifically added a handful of Krakens, even though they're from Norse myth, because of the movie Clash of Titans and the infamous line "Release the Kraken").

That being said, it's a great resource for various anchors, especially their Pantheon.

[Zene]

Druids are going to exist but will follow the Greek god pertaining to that element instead

Oh man... I was originally thinking no druids because they have such a Celtic origin... but I'm realizing moon druids as crazed worshippers of Dionysus fits perfectly for so many reasons!

[Sigreid]

What about the oracle of Delphi, Pythia? Known for often giving divinations that could be interpreted both ways. (Classic example, but in a very loose translation: ''You'll go, you'll return... not.... die in the war'', and according to where you put the comma, either before or after the ''not'' you had two opposite meanings. (Ηξεις αφηξεις ουκ εν πολεμω θνηξεις, in ancient greek, if somehow that helps you look it up and make more sense out of it than from my bad translation).
I would probably portray her as a nothic with levels in divination wizard, but that's just me.

ps: About empiryans, you could make Hercules (or rather, Heracles:smalltongue:) be one too.

Technically, the oracle had no divination powers. What she had was a gift from Apollo that when asked a question she would answer with the truth (among other things Apollo was the god of truth). But her truth was without context so was very likely to be misunderstood.

[Bohandas]

There are actually a broad variety of monsters which could conceivably be faced in a Greek themed game. The following are just from the SRD, with those in bold being especially Greek (CR in parentheses).


Basilisk (3)
Centaur (2)
Chimera (6)
Cockatrice (1/2)
Dryad (1)
Giants (5, 7, 8, 9, 13)
Gorgon (5)
Griffon (2)
Hag (2, 3, 5)
Harpy (1)
Hell Hound (3)
Hippogriff (1)
Hydra (8)
Kraken (23)
Lamia (4)
Lizardfolk (1/2)
Manticore (3)
Medusa (6)
Merfolk (1/8)
Minotaur (3)
Pegasus (2)
Roc (11)
Salamander (5)
Skeleton (1/2, 2)
Sphinx (11, 17)
Unicorn (5)
Werewolf (3)


Of those listed there is at least 1 monster of each CR all the way until 10. On top of that, you have groups of lower CR monsters. And of course, all NPC stat blocks are still appropriate.

I've never run a Greek campaign before, but I can't think of any problems that make it unfeasible.

You left out Satyrs

[djreynolds]

Can't someone just both Mr Crawford on twitter until he comes up with something Ancient world inspired... for me Egyptian, Greek, and Norse

[Bohandas]

Technically, the oracle had no divination powers. What she had was a gift from Apollo that when asked a question she would answer with the truth (among other things Apollo was the god of truth). But her truth was without context so was very likely to be misunderstood.

So like the ultimate question bit from Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy?

[Honest Tiefling]

Try checking out the magic: the gatheting setting "theros" for lots of things to draw on.

Even if you decide upon a more accurate interpretation, I'd seriously recommend drawing upon Theros just for the art, especially to inspire players.

I'd also suggest making sure everyone is on the same page with the mythology, as there are alternate interpretations, some of which fostered by pop culture, others genuinely existing in the mythology. For instance, Ares was a complete cowardly twit and not very good at fighting, through many people think he's more a bloodthirsty warrior as opposed to the more disciplined Athena. Then you have the issue of various cults like the Elysian/orphic Mysteries or the myth of Dionysus, the only half-mortal Olympian, inheriting the throne. I'd seriously consider fleshing out one of the lesser known aspects of the mythology if it inspires you.

...Also consider cleaning up the source material to make it less...Squicky.

[Decstarr]

So many great responses already! Now I wanna do a Greek campaign, too!!!

How about focusing on adventures and deeds rather than fighting? If your players are strong on the RP part it could be immense fun to e.g help Heracles completing his deeds, help Hector to defend Troy, go find the golden Vlies for themselves etc. I think I'd run such a campaign with a very heavy 'demi-god NPC' flavor and constant interferences of the gods while giving the players the chance to reach hero status themselves. So there'd be relatively few monsters and more things like quests, riddles, wars etc.

A focus on gemmell's Troy will sure be an amazing ride. I really like those books and the nautical part will be cool!