So I have been kicking around an idea now for some time, it's something that was inspired even more when I met up with an old pal of mine named Dean.
The idea is basically basing a fantasy dungeons and dragons style game in a mythical ancient Greece style fantasy world. (as opposed to a European fantasy world). Now, before I get started with this, I know that Green Ronin wrote and published a book in their Mythic Vistas series all about playing Homeric fantasy. I like this idea, but I dislike it at the same time. I dislike that it focuses a lot on being a child of a god, and that it is strongly based on fact, rather than fantasy.
So my goal is to make a setting very very unique.
One idea, is to have a pantheon loosely based on the greek pantheon, but not entirely (because the in my humble opinion, greek religion doesn't quite fit with Dungeons and Dragons religion) For example, I picture a god of the forge, who spends all of eternity working and building and creating (like Dexter from Dexter's Laboratory). This god has made literally millions of magic items, each more wondrous then the next, then he tosses them into the Material World. So we see a lot of cool magic items that were literally the work of god.
There would also be a pretty simple cosmology, basically the Underworld and Heaven (Mt. Olympus)
This will be more like Clash of the Titans, where I felt the Green Ronin product was a lot more like Troy.
Any thoughts? what do you want to see?
QuoteThe idea is basically basing a fantasy dungeons and dragons style game in a mythical ancient Greece style fantasy world. (as opposed to a European fantasy world).
So my goal is to make a setting very very unique.[/quote]One idea, is to have a pantheon loosely based on the greek pantheon, but not entirely (because the in my humble opinion, greek religion doesn't quite fit with Dungeons and Dragons religion) For example, I picture a god of the forge, who spends all of eternity working and building and creating (like Dexter from Dexter's Laboratory). This god has made literally millions of magic items, each more wondrous then the next, then he tosses them into the Material World. So we see a lot of cool magic items that were literally the work of god.[/quote]There would also be a pretty simple cosmology, basically the Underworld and Heaven (Mt. Olympus)[/quote]Elysion[/i] would work for you? I'd also put effort into differentiating the cosmology from a judeo-christian feel. For example, making the underworld a place where
everyone ends after death, while
all the gods reside in the "heaven".
QuoteAny thoughts? what do you want to see?
Athletics as an important part of the culture (try to avoid a carbon copy of the olympic games though), good opportunities for maritime adventures: piracy, naval wars, exploration (you could read about the voyage of the greek explorer Pytheas for some inspiration). Tragic fates for NPCs (and perhaps PCs too).
Snakefings's stuff takes a lot from ancient Greece, and I have said to him before if I was ever to start over again, that might be one of the few ideas to tempt me.
SOme of what makes it so interesting has something to do with what Ghostman alluded to, and that is Greece's central location in the mediterranean. Ideas and concepts and mythologies were constantly crashing onto Greece's shores, and the echoes and mysteries of the Minoan and Mycanean cultures still resonated as well. I'd normally aim for the classical period to take as my primary inspiration, before conquest spoiled the Greeks, and where there were many city states still vying for power.
Do you intend to use other races? What place would monsters, per se, have in this setting? What kind of game system would match up well to your ideal?
So how does this "D&D based off ancient Greece" work? Do you want the rules to reflect ancient Greek myths, or are you just layering a Greek feel over the standard D&D way of doing things?
There's a free product called New Argonauts (http://www.rpgnow.com/product_info.php?products_id=1557&it=1&filters=100_2100_1100&manufacturers_id=50) that might help, but it's based on converting D&D to ancient Greece's low-magic myths. Still, it's free.
Rule #1, make sure the system matches the setting, or the setting WILL eventually match the system.
hmmmm well part of the thing is the monsters. While a lot of monsters don't fit well in a greek setting, there is a treasure trove that do. I'm feeling that I'm going to use 4th Edition for this, although I really don't think I will use the other Races mostly because then I would be pandering. That doesn't mean you couldn't have an elf who comes from a forest of nymphs, or a dwarf from the mountains, or whatever. But I feel that it would just weaken the idea a bit. Unless you think a human only setting would be ridiculous. I'm thinking I'm going to layer a greek feel over the standard DnD rules. Because the Green Ronin Product was the other way around.
If you're going to use the D&D races, I have a few suggestions on how to handle things. The important thing is that you don't simply smack a label on a race (like "gnomes are etruscans") and leave the race essentially unchanged from standard D&D. The mechanics could be left unchanged or minorly tweaked, but actual flavour of the race should be adapted - otherwise it'll be just an empty label without any real meaning or benefit.
1st Suggestion: All PC races have greek flavour
This is perhaps the most practical method if you intend to keep the campaign focused on greek-inspired lands. The flavour of each race could still be adjusted to make them differ from each other, even within a pseudo-greek framework, though the differences would likely be less than in standard D&D. You could play this straightforward, such as making dwarves into stoic militarists (*cough*Sparta*cough*) and elves into art & philosophy-patroning tradesmen (*cough*Athens*cough*), or you could aim for something less obvious.
2nd Suggestion: PC races have different flavours, inspired by greeks and neighbouring classical cultures
This will make the races seem more obviously different from each other, but one of them will have to be the focus while the others represent more or less foreign cultures. For a nice twist you could represent one of the non-humans as the most greek-inspired race and the one whose lands the campaign takes place in. For example, halflings could be greek-flavoured, dwarves roman-flavoured, gnomes persian-flavoured and elves egyptian-flavoured. Humans could be celtic or something.
3rd Suggestion: One race as greek-flavoured, the others unchanged
This will result in the least deviation from normal D&D. Less work will have to be done to adapt things if elves, dwarves et cetera will retain their familiar forms. The disadvantage is that they may end up feeling out of place in the setting.
EDIT: Nachos snuck his post in just before mine !turtle
I don't think that a human-only campaign would be bad at all. Although some people may disagree with that.
I would recommend playing at least one of the God of War games for inspiration, despite any departures from accuracy it might have.
This PBP game (http://www.rpol.net/game.cgi?gi=34000&date=1229711807) on RPoL.net might be worth looking into for some ideas & inspiration.
The country is called Rhodos, it is shaped a lot like the Mediterranean sea. the idea was that we would have a series of islands, with Rhodos as a series of powerful city-states. In the east is a nation that stands against Rhodos. This unnamed nation (for now) is a monotheistic military superpower.
There is also a third country, the damned wild-lands. Here is the ancient kingdom of the titans, what ever is left of it anyways.
I need a name for the Rome-Country, any suggestions?
I also really like the name Elysion for the "heavenly god realm"
The Underworld will be broken up into various parts, a lot like the underworld of legend. There will be a highland for those who are pious and good men, and the lowlands for those who are wicked and cruel, or did not pay proper worship to the gods.
[blockquote=Ghostman]1st Suggestion: All PC races have greek flavour[/blockquote]Mmmm... baklava.
Sorry to clutter the thread, just couldn't resist.
Quote from: Steerpike[blockquote=Ghostman]1st Suggestion: All PC races have greek flavour[/blockquote]Mmmm... baklava.
Sorry to clutter the thread, just couldn't resist.
We can use baklava as a race? I am all about that, man...the Baklavians...slightly crunchy and a little on the sweet side...
way to go Steerpike. Then if that's the case I want to include the Gyrans, delicious pita men with slices of lamb.
'Delicious Pita-men'...Now THERE is a phrase.
Going mainly bronze for weapons, BTW?
I came up with some really good names for my gods: Xenokrates, Akakios, Tisiphone, Parmodius, Alkaios, Haemon, Philomena, Theodosia, Eukleides, Hesiodos, Kyriakos, and Glycon
I realise Akakios and Alkaios are very similar, they are related :D
just include the greeks penchant for heroes and demigods...and meddling...
Also make sure all your myths sound like soup-operas or big-budget action flicks.
soup operas?
I heard from an ancient history teacher that Helen of Troy was actually a symbolic representation of the Mediterranean territory given by the gods, and her abduction was an invasion to take away that gift from the gods. Greeks wouldnt allow this.
War.
I think there is a DnD 3.5 source about deities and they set their version of the Greek pantheon giving all the gods domains, stats, traits and what not. Maybe you can give it a peek.
I would like to know any ideas you may have about philosophers and the most predominant schools of thought in Rhodos.
Quote from: Gnome NachosI need a name for the Rome-Country, any suggestions?
Since you had no problems with using the name of a real Greek island for your setting, might as well go for something equally obvious.
According to myth, Roma was founded by brothers Romulus and Remus, and named after the former. Your country could be named Remus, or some variation of it.
Quote from: Ghostman2nd Suggestion: PC races have different flavours, inspired by greeks and neighbouring classical cultures
This will make the races seem more obviously different from each other, but one of them will have to be the focus while the others represent more or less foreign cultures. For a nice twist you could represent one of the non-humans as the most greek-inspired race and the one whose lands the campaign takes place in. For example, halflings could be greek-flavoured, dwarves roman-flavoured, gnomes persian-flavoured and elves egyptian-flavoured. Humans could be celtic or something.
Personally, i vote the elves should be the persian-ish invaders :D that would be awesome.
But unless "persians" live in the Wild-lands i'm not really sure how to fit them into the world...
Still.
Gnomes would be much more interesting in that role. I mean, how often do you hear about a great and prosperous gnome-empire that sends forth mighty hosts to bring all lands under the illustrious auspices of it's eminent sovereign?
And 'sides, elves dressed like egyptians would look awesome.
Im not sure about elves as the egyptians but I know Im not being impartial there. Maybe drows? How would it be if egyptians had a stronger hmm war-force?
I like the gnome empire idea. Indeed its something you dont hear too often.
Hey Ghostman, that's something I hadn't thought about when I came up with the name Rhodos. It's very similar to Rhodes. I remember getting the name from a list of ancient cities. Rhodos is also the name of a son of Hermes and Aphrodite, although nothing else is said about him in Wikipedia.
It's also the closest transliteration of the Greek name to the Latin alphabet. The English language swaps the last O for an E for some reason. Actually, English seems to do lots of weird things to classical names in general.
For a great fantasy reference in ancient greece give the book Latro In the Mist a read. I would personally diminish the role of mst dnd humanoid races. Elves could fit as dryad-esque creatures. Centaur, Minotaurs etc. i'd amp them up in importance...