D&D - any advice here?
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What is all this talk of sun elves and gray elves?? My 3rd edition Player's Handbook doesn't list any special rules about these sub-types of elves. (It does mention gray, wild and drow elves - but it doesn't say much else about them except for drow being "evil and subterranean" and the chapter on abilities implies that gray elves are even weaker than ordinary elves)
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There is so many kinds of elfs in tsr world that is beyond fun.
But usually the worlds have one high elf, one normal elf, one wood elf and dark elf...But that is just desnecessary bonus search. PHB is more than enough.
There is something about a starting player: Pick a human. It is hard to find someone good enough to roleplay a elf for real. (i got the impression the dude asking for advice had to get pre-made characters, so no point talking about building the character...). It is hard also to roleplay a dwarf and even halflings. Probally, most starters will end trying something like the LoTR movies...
Other thing is : do not pick evil characters. Try to have a aligment that is similar to the rest of the group. This way you will have to worry less with the futher consequences of your law/chaos, evil/good options and you will avoid conflicts with the group, since your first thing to do is learning how to play.
But usually the worlds have one high elf, one normal elf, one wood elf and dark elf...But that is just desnecessary bonus search. PHB is more than enough.
There is something about a starting player: Pick a human. It is hard to find someone good enough to roleplay a elf for real. (i got the impression the dude asking for advice had to get pre-made characters, so no point talking about building the character...). It is hard also to roleplay a dwarf and even halflings. Probally, most starters will end trying something like the LoTR movies...
Other thing is : do not pick evil characters. Try to have a aligment that is similar to the rest of the group. This way you will have to worry less with the futher consequences of your law/chaos, evil/good options and you will avoid conflicts with the group, since your first thing to do is learning how to play.
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But why doesn't the Player's Handbook say much more than anything about the "basic" elves?Igot wrote:There is so many kinds of elfs in tsr world that is beyond fun.
But usually the worlds have one high elf, one normal elf, one wood elf and dark elf...But that is just desnecessary bonus search. PHB is more than enough.
[quote="Igot]There is something about a starting player: Pick a human. It is hard to find someone good enough to roleplay a elf for real. (i got the impression the dude asking for advice had to get pre-made characters, so no point talking about building the character...). It is hard also to roleplay a dwarf and even halflings[/quote]
What if you've read fantasy literature which focuses much upon elven/dwarven/halfling society??
What about playing a game where all the Player Characters are evil?? This would be an interesting twist.lgot wrote: Other thing is : do not pick evil characters. Try to have a aligment that is similar to the rest of the group. This way you will have to worry less with the futher consequences of your law/chaos, evil/good options and you will avoid conflicts with the group, since your first thing to do is learning how to play.
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- Alyrium Denryle
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Check the DMG
The Greyelves are like the elitist aristocrats of the elf world...Tey are highly intelligent and have good hand eye coordination, but are weaker, and just as frail...
The Greyelves are like the elitist aristocrats of the elf world...Tey are highly intelligent and have good hand eye coordination, but are weaker, and just as frail...
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Sort of, the elven equivalent of Monty Burns??Alyrium Denryle wrote:The Greyelves are like the elitist aristocrats of the elf world...Tey are highly intelligent and have good hand eye coordination, but are weaker, and just as frail...
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No, they arent old and evil... Just haughty and arrogant... more so than normal elves...
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Simon:
1 - To make the players buy the other books with the different things (the more than basic) with special bonuses
2 - Because this difference sometimes is due some world specific thing, so they leave it to be described in the World Campaings guides.
For a starting game, just ignore this and use the normal elf. That is my advice.
They used to do that for two reasons:But why doesn't the Player's Handbook say much more than anything about the "basic" elves?
1 - To make the players buy the other books with the different things (the more than basic) with special bonuses
2 - Because this difference sometimes is due some world specific thing, so they leave it to be described in the World Campaings guides.
Of course it helps, but still it is hard to deal with that if you are beginer player. Even because if you are using a TSR specific world (Toril, Athas, Krynn, etc) there is details unique to that world.What if you've read fantasy literature which focuses much upon elven/dwarven/halfling society??
Do not get it wrongly. It is great to play with evil character, with evil playmates, etc. It is just harder for a beginer to know how to be evil when playing and survive with that or do not spoil all the game.What about playing a game where all the Player Characters are evil?? This would be an interesting twist.
Think like the high of many worlds elfs are usually more purist elfs, more arrogant and tradicionalists, therefore they gain inteligence rather than dextery alike the normal elf who is supposed to be the most cosmopolitan.Sort of, the elven equivalent of Monty Burns??
For a starting game, just ignore this and use the normal elf. That is my advice.
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I think it's possible for a beginner to play an evil character well. But it's probably hard to play an evil character in a serious way.lgot wrote:Do not get it wrongly. It is great to play with evil character, with evil playmates, etc. It is just harder for a beginer to know how to be evil when playing and survive with that or do not spoil all the game.
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I have a really cool Neutral Evil Elven wizard level 8... oh the evilness...
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Another question: How many different worlds have been specifically created for D&D?? Aside from those you mentioned, I recall Known World, Forgotten Realms, Dragonlance and of course Castle Greyhawk.lgot wrote: Of course it helps, but still it is hard to deal with that if you are beginer player. Even because if you are using a TSR specific world (Toril, Athas, Krynn, etc) there is details unique to that world.
However, most swords-and-sorcery worlds can be adapted for D&D, although some might require rules tweaking. In the Warhammer World, for example, it would be a good idea to discard the alignments totally ... and don't get me started on crossover fantasy/sci-fi worlds. (Weren't there once a D&D setting where the Hawkmen from "Flash Gordon" were a playable race?)
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Well... There are the various other regions of Aber Toril... Al quadim, Black Sun... etc... Planescape...
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Let me see if all possible "worlds" or boxed sets
Greyhawk, then Forgotten Realms, then Dragonlance, Spelljammer, Dark Sun, Ravenloft, Birthright, Planescape, Gamma World (a science Fiction one, not related with the others), Mystara (a line of products, never developed together with the others as well) , Al-Qadim and KAra-tur (latelly they are added to Forgotten Realms). Some of them are not really worlds like Ravelonft (a evil dimension) , Planescape(the other planes tied to all prime planes) or Spelljammer (a odd thing, also tied with the other planes, trying to mix some space travel-plane travel) and you may need the other stuff in the end.
Greyhawk, then Forgotten Realms, then Dragonlance, Spelljammer, Dark Sun, Ravenloft, Birthright, Planescape, Gamma World (a science Fiction one, not related with the others), Mystara (a line of products, never developed together with the others as well) , Al-Qadim and KAra-tur (latelly they are added to Forgotten Realms). Some of them are not really worlds like Ravelonft (a evil dimension) , Planescape(the other planes tied to all prime planes) or Spelljammer (a odd thing, also tied with the other planes, trying to mix some space travel-plane travel) and you may need the other stuff in the end.
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That's a lot of fantasy worlds!
Hehe, if I'm ever going to DM a D&D game, I'll think about setting it in H.P. Lovecraft's "Dreamlands" setting, if I can find D&D rules for Night-Gaunts, Shantaks and the likes. (perhaps I'll even throw in a Shoggoth or two)
Hehe, if I'm ever going to DM a D&D game, I'll think about setting it in H.P. Lovecraft's "Dreamlands" setting, if I can find D&D rules for Night-Gaunts, Shantaks and the likes. (perhaps I'll even throw in a Shoggoth or two)
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They've got them... I'm sure I saw something about them in a 1980-something Dragon magazine....Simon H.Johansen wrote:That's a lot of fantasy worlds!
Hehe, if I'm ever going to DM a D&D game, I'll think about setting it in H.P. Lovecraft's "Dreamlands" setting, if I can find D&D rules for Night-Gaunts, Shantaks and the likes. (perhaps I'll even throw in a Shoggoth or two)
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That's pretty much Ravenloft. I'd take Cthulu and just alter it for a D&D setting.Simon H.Johansen wrote:That's a lot of fantasy worlds!
Hehe, if I'm ever going to DM a D&D game, I'll think about setting it in H.P. Lovecraft's "Dreamlands" setting, if I can find D&D rules for Night-Gaunts, Shantaks and the likes. (perhaps I'll even throw in a Shoggoth or two)
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Been there, done that. It doesn't work well. Think about it. Most evil characters think only of themselves. How the hell do you get a group to work together if they're all evil.Simon H.Johansen wrote: What about playing a game where all the Player Characters are evil?? This would be an interesting twist.
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This leads me to ask: How far can you go in strange worlds for using them for D&D??? What about Clive Barker's "Weaveworld"?? Or Zamonia from Walter Moers' novel "The 13½ Lives Of Captain Bluebear" (Can't remember the exact title)? (These are pretty freaked-out worlds)Kelly Antilles wrote:That's pretty much Ravenloft. I'd take Cthulu and just alter it for a D&D setting.Simon H.Johansen wrote:That's a lot of fantasy worlds!
Hehe, if I'm ever going to DM a D&D game, I'll think about setting it in H.P. Lovecraft's "Dreamlands" setting, if I can find D&D rules for Night-Gaunts, Shantaks and the likes. (perhaps I'll even throw in a Shoggoth or two)
"Hi there, would you like to have a cookie?"
"No, actually I would HATE to have a cookie, you vapid waste of inedible flesh!"
"No, actually I would HATE to have a cookie, you vapid waste of inedible flesh!"
with third edition the D20 rules are being used to everything so the answer is as far as you wish...
They did some attempt with Ravenloft:The Masque of Red death in a 19th century like scenario and a few others: The Hit points system is rather not realistic so In my opinion more close you come to reality, worse D&D works. That is the limit in my opinion...
They did some attempt with Ravenloft:The Masque of Red death in a 19th century like scenario and a few others: The Hit points system is rather not realistic so In my opinion more close you come to reality, worse D&D works. That is the limit in my opinion...
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Actually, there are several of the creatures in the Monster Manual which can fit the definition of "Shoggoths."LadyTevar wrote:They've got them... I'm sure I saw something about them in a 1980-something Dragon magazine....Simon H.Johansen wrote:That's a lot of fantasy worlds!
Hehe, if I'm ever going to DM a D&D game, I'll think about setting it in H.P. Lovecraft's "Dreamlands" setting, if I can find D&D rules for Night-Gaunts, Shantaks and the likes. (perhaps I'll even throw in a Shoggoth or two)
Chaos beasts, gibbering mouthers, oozes and PARTICULARLY phasms bear a certain resemblance to shoggoths.
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