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Cyr
2007-08-07, 05:06 PM
Hey, I was wondering anyone had any tips for making a more, say, Norse or Greek setting then Tolkienesque (not that I don't love Tolkienesque) in DnD. When I say Norse/Greek I mean epic (but ultimately human) heroes, intervening gods, and mostly humans, with a few other races serving the deties whims and the afterlife and other worlds not the next planar jump over, but simply a crags fall or otherwise away. Hell touchable, the gods reachable, the sun really, seriously being drawn by chariot (okay not really, but that sort of thing). A more fanciful fantasy.

I'm working on a world that I one day hope to take great pride in it and at the moment, I've got some idea of the mythology I'd want and its both very finite and very infinite, with a satisfactory amount of magic and such. I'm worried about humans being too bland even though their the only race I intend to offer. Additionally, I'm sure there are problems I haven't run into yet, has anyone else done anything or seen anything similar? Any suggestions?

Lucky
2007-08-07, 05:09 PM
Deities and Demigods (3.0) has both Greek and Norse mythology, as well as some suggestions as to what creatures would be most appropriate in both settings.

Xuincherguixe
2007-08-07, 07:34 PM
Well, it has a bastardized version of Greek and Norse mythology (Odin Lawful Good? No way.)

Still, playing as an Einharjar or Valkyrie might be fun.

I think it's not going to be Greek and Norse myth, so much as inspired by.


As far as tips go. One of the great things about Norse Mythology. Many of the characters have to suffer for their power. The Mythology is full of sacrifice. I mean, Odin (in some versions) gives up an eye for wisdom. That's going pretty far. It's a brutal and harsh religion from a brutal and harsh people. But there are also elements of beauty. The Harshness is beauty. Odin manages to pull off being a god of war and poetry.

Humans around the world have tremendous variety. Even groups of people who worship the same god or gods are like this. You may want to create multiple cultures, but all of them having the same gods.

puppyavenger
2007-08-07, 09:42 PM
Ineddition remember to read up on your poetry


and the entire greek pantheon is in a D&D sense evil.

SITB
2007-08-07, 09:49 PM
Wasn't Odin a god of hangings?

Also, by large Greek gods suck, they are a bunch of annoying hypocritical bullies who tend to spread misery as far as they can.

Matthew
2007-08-07, 09:51 PM
Well, that really only applies if you accept all of the contradictory mythology as a whole, which people of the time did not. For instance, some philosophers, such as Aristotle, rejected the less moral stories as fabrications and regarded the Deities as the principle force for 'good'.

MeklorIlavator
2007-08-07, 09:54 PM
Also, by large Greek gods suck, they are a bunch of annoying hypocritical bullies who tend to spread misery as far as they can.
Are you saying that the Greek Gods are Pc's?

Well, it would explain alot.

Stormcrow
2007-08-07, 10:00 PM
Hey, I was wondering anyone had any tips for making a more, say, Norse or Greek setting then Tolkienesque (not that I don't love Tolkienesque) in DnD. When I say Norse/Greek I mean epic (but ultimately human) heroes, intervening gods, and mostly humans, with a few other races serving the deties whims and the afterlife and other worlds not the next planar jump over, but simply a crags fall or otherwise away. Hell touchable, the gods reachable, the sun really, seriously being drawn by chariot (okay not really, but that sort of thing). A more fanciful fantasy.

I'm working on a world that I one day hope to take great pride in it and at the moment, I've got some idea of the mythology I'd want and its both very finite and very infinite, with a satisfactory amount of magic and such. I'm worried about humans being too bland even though their the only race I intend to offer. Additionally, I'm sure there are problems I haven't run into yet, has anyone else done anything or seen anything similar? Any suggestions?

If you read it right that could well be the forgotten realms. The heroes are epic, the gods are active and if you tweak it a little there are no meta races...

Heh, I'm still keen to play some D&D on Discworld.