Setting Blends

[Sparky McDibben]

So, I've found that the best way to use the campaign setting guides from WotC is to blend them with something else. For example, I used the 7th Sea line from AEG and crossed that up with Ravnica to create a fun, high-fantasy swashbuckling setting. I blended Ravnica into Kobold Press' Southlands setting and used that to bring Per-Bastet to life in a dungeon-crawling, intrigue-riddled Conan-esque mashup.

Now I've got the Mythic Odysseys of Theros, and it screams with potential, but I don't want to use it straight out of the box. It feels like it needs something else. Does anybody have any ideas about how to work this in?

My current ideas:


The gods have returned after a millenium-long absence. Mortals have moved on, not remembering their presence, and been seduced by all manner of monsters. Kind of an "empowering Ravenloft" vibe is what I'm shooting for, where the demon Strahd has to deal with some genuine flames of light and life in his realm.
Klythos' coming has awoken the Titans, and now they struggle, testing their bonds and reaching out to the mortal world. They're threatening to rip reality asunder eventually. The only way to stop them is for Klythos to finish her work and return to babysitting, but that work could involve horrific deeds, driving devastating moral quandaries for the heroes. Looking for a more Cthulhu / Endgame vibe here.
Theros is now being invaded by aggressive new upstarts from the west, who worship the Therosian gods with pious and sincere devotion while kicking Therosian buttocks, putting the gods in a pickle. Ultimate endgame would be either a syncretic religion or the subjugation of the newcomers or Therosians. More of a Rome-meets-Kingdom of Heaven
Atlantis rises! A whole new landmass rises out of the ocean in my current world, and eons-old gods direct their now-risen followers to conquer and explore in a new wave of definitely-not-Greek colonization. This one's more of a Game of Thrones vibe, with the Atlanteans standing in for the White Walkers as an existential threat.
Some schlemiel wants to be named the "Great Sage Equal to Heaven" and has been whaling on every champion sent to defeat him. The gods are getting worried this fellow might try Xenagos' path, but Klothys is more sedate. She wants to use him, and has sent a group of heroes to convince the "Great Sage" to side with her...or have his thread cut from destiny. Do the heroes aid him after he (inevitably) incurs Klothys' ire and gets a mountain dropped on him? What about when enemies loom that only the "Great Sage" is strong enough to defeat? This one is a reach, but I'm thinking Dragonball Z (and, obviously, Journey to the West), because if the "Great Sage" can learn how to fight like that...couldn't anyone?
They're all Vikings. Obviously needs more development, but that's all I've got right now.


Any other ideas? Hints? Epiphanies? Illuminations? Questions? Comments? Concerns? Doubts? Cinnamon Rolls?

[JackPhoenix]

There's now a way to transport inorganic material to other planes, thanks to Tezzeret's shennanigans on Kaladesh. That means that if they somehow get access to this technology, certain other beings can invade other worlds once again. Hint: Mirrodin... I mean, New Phyrexia

[Sparky McDibben]

That's interesting, Mr. Phoenix. I'm actually not a big MtG fan, so I had to Google what the deuce Mirrodin was. An artificial plane is a nifty idea, with creatures able to will material into being would give the world more of a Matrix feel, but with the gods as the machines and their champions as Agents, trying to prevent the plane's reality from becoming totally malleable.

Actually, that might link up with D&D's Limbo and the githzerai. That's a concept with some arcane but long legs!