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mensch
Seeker
80 Posts |
 Posted - 24 Aug 2010 : 15:04:32
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While writing your campaign or a single adventure, what things (books, television series, etc.) inspire you?
In my case I watch a lot of television series (mostly science-fiction and fantasy) which oftentimes inspire me to include some of their concepts into my ongoing campaign. I'm a big Joss Whedon fan ("Firefly", "Buffy the Vampire Slayer", "Angel" and "Dollhouse") and his writing is inspiring. It's not so much about the mythology of his universe(s) or the character concepts and one might hate the overall "popculture vampire fest", but the writing is often superb.
I tend to try and incorporate narrative structures into my campaign. For example the typical Whedon trope: whenever a character, or characters experience a moment of happiness, always make sure there is a sense of impending doom which will later affect those characters.
Also, the "A Song of Ice and Fire" novel series by George R.R. Martin is a great inspiration, again for the tone of that work and the grittiness. I think the Forgotten Realms are traditionally leaning towards the more fairytale oriented fantasy works by authors like Tolkien. So no happy elven communities frolicking around in an idyllic forest and talking with unicorns in my realms.  Although the Forgotten Realms elves are already quite a xenophobic bunch, actually.
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Some say the world will end in fire, Some say in ice. From what I’ve tasted of desire I hold with those who favor fire. But if it had to perish twice, I think I know enough of hate to know that for destruction ice is also great and would suffice. – Robert Frost (1874 - 1963) |
Edited by - mensch on 24 Aug 2010 15:04:50
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Diffan
Great Reader
USA
4436 Posts |
Posted - 24 Aug 2010 : 15:25:33
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Like yourself, I tend to pull elements from movies, video games, TV shows, and novels i've read and incorporate them into my campaigns. For example, I've wanted a more "who-done-it" caper that took place in Waterdeep that the PCs were asked to help solve by the local watch. I took elements of CSI, Bones, and NCIS to get plot hooks, reason/motive for the murders, and a possible twist as to who the killer is. But then that campaign is episodic in nature.
I also use inspiration from the same soruces for my characters. I had this character that wore all black, rode on a black stallion, and used a longsword in one hand and a hand-axe in another and he was pretty much stylized after the Headless Horseman from the movie Sleepy Hollow. Sure, I made him more Realms-like by making him an exiled noble from Impiltur who was framed for raping an heir to the Impilturian throne (a young woman he was supposed to be protecting but got drugged etc...).
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Rhewtani
Senior Scribe
USA
508 Posts |
Posted - 24 Aug 2010 : 16:20:58
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You know I've always had to be careful with this. If I read something TOO similar but a little different to my campaign, I end up over-using the books.
I became overly enamored with some Harry Potter elements at one point. Tried to force too much of a pirate theme in at another point.
So, right now I'm bouncing between Realms books and the Dresden Files. Dresden is different enough that I don't think about overtly using any of it and all I can really pull through are basic themes (dealing with multiple threats at once, deeper plots that come to a a connected head, allies, etc). |
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Rhewtani
Senior Scribe
USA
508 Posts |
Posted - 24 Aug 2010 : 16:25:39
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I did help a friend with a campaign for awhile where we used some Joss-themes, though. He built his campaign around a small bad/big bad concept and also did his best to build in what we called "troll hammers." Basically, items you picked up along the way became plot essential at the very end.
We really loved the end of that season with Glory where Joss made use of the orb, the buffybot, the hammer, and Xander's side job as a construction worker all in the final sequence.
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mensch
Seeker
80 Posts |
Posted - 25 Aug 2010 : 13:00:49
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Troll hammers! I have been toying with the idea of "giving" one of my players (a rather kleptomaniac bard) a seemingly unimportant object, which will later turn out to be cursed or maybe vital to the main plot. The risk of using a mundane object is of course that the party can decide to sell it. On the other hand, it would be fun if the party had to track down the original buyer after I reveal the object to be important.
The way "Babylon 5" was written also inspired me to plan all the big events ahead. The creator of that series had the whole story, which span 5 seasons, outlined and key events written before shooting everything. This allowed him to reference events in season 1 which would eventually happen in season 4, for example. I try to litter my campaign with such references as well, for example, bits of lore that will become important.
I had a small whodunnit adventure as well, which worked pretty well! Such a scenario would indeed work pretty well in Waterdeep.
Also, in many Joss Whedon series the villains are aware of the "villain stereotypes", like having endless monologues where they expose their evil schemes. They're generally more interesting than the way Bane is portrayed in the Forgotten Realms, which is a little bit too much: "Muahahahaha. I'm evil. When does the ritual virgin sacrifice start?!" Caleb from the last season of Buffy is a good example in that regard. I have to restrain myself to not play Caleb every time my players encounter a villain. |
Some say the world will end in fire, Some say in ice. From what I’ve tasted of desire I hold with those who favor fire. But if it had to perish twice, I think I know enough of hate to know that for destruction ice is also great and would suffice. – Robert Frost (1874 - 1963) |
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Dreyrugrulfr
Acolyte
USA
14 Posts |
Posted - 27 Aug 2010 : 16:59:34
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I draw alot from Tolkien, but not just from The Lord of the Rings. I find inspiration in the Silmarillion and Lost Tales as well. I think my idea of inspiration is a bit different, or perhaps all too familiar from what most think. Usually its not just a style or prose, but a line, sentence or statement that sets my mind-a-whirling. Even a single image or illustration often sends me off on a tangent, wanting to explore further.
I've tried to do the great big epic plots, and I agree with you Mensch, Babylon 5 is an example of doing that sort of thing correctly! Planning it out, even if its just knowing what the ultimate resolution should probably look like or resemble is helpful. Being able to spin yarns for when the players inevitably wander off your path is invaluable as well. And often you can tie that back into your main plot in some small way, or at least have it develop the characters so that they are more life-like and interesting by the time they approach the climax.
Lately I've moved away from epic plots to more regional stories, trying to focus on something that might never show up in the history books, but is terribly important for those involved. Something personal and meaningful for my players and their characters. |
No man is so good as to be free from all evil, nor so bad as to be worth nothing. |
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Quale
Master of Realmslore
1757 Posts |
Posted - 29 Aug 2010 : 10:07:17
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For me it's fantasy and sci-fi books that save a lot of time when preparing a campaign. I prefer to make the plot myself and take cool world-builing elements and npc's personalities from the books, that is more difficult.
There's not much worthvile stuff to take from the latest movies and TV imo, some like the idea from the movie Inception is similar to basis of my cosmology. |
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IngoDjan
Learned Scribe
Brazil
146 Posts |
Posted - 29 Aug 2010 : 12:27:34
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My plots are my own... With big parts taken from movies, TV Series and books I read.  Well, when a have a long time to prepare games I like to create some stuffs, and when I dont't just take ideas from any movie I like. I think any kind of history can be adapted to be a good fantasy medieval RPG game. |
Ingo Djan
DUNGEON MASTER AO OF THE DIAMONDS!"I see the future repeat the past. It all is a museum of great news. The Time do not stop." |
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Ionik Knight
Learned Scribe
USA
222 Posts |
Posted - 06 Sep 2010 : 03:21:27
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I typically pull my inspiration from books. I have an especial fondness for riddles and prophecies. Series I've used: The Dark is Rising and the Riddle of Stars. I also pull a lot of elements from mythology...Celtic, Norse, and Egyptian mostly.
Another big thing for me is character driven plots. I'll come up with some character idea that I can't get out of my head until I write it up and just naturally go from there. My players tend to drive the plot a lot too. They come up with some crazy idea and we just go with it. In general I do a lot DMing by the seat of my pants.
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Fools to right of them,
Jesters to left of them,
Clowns in front of them
Pun'd and parody'd. |
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Alystra Illianniis
Great Reader
USA
3750 Posts |
Posted - 06 Sep 2010 : 04:36:31
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| I occasionally use ideas from movies or TV series, and even books in my games. The most notable example I have was a game where I borrowed the plot from an episode of I-Man(Invisible Man) that involved having the pc's drugged and wake up in a self-contained little town on an unknown demi-plane, called simply "The Community." The trick was to figure out how they got there, and how to get out again! My players grew to hate the phrase "No one leaves the Community,"!! I've used everything from "The Replacement Killers" (the title gave me the idea for a town being slowly taken over by doppelgangers) to "The Pirate Movie" and "Digimon" as inspiration! |
The Goddess is alive, and magic is afoot.
"Where Science ends, Magic begins" -Spiral, Uncanny X-Men #491
"You idiots! You've captured their STUNT doubles!" -Spaceballs
Lothir's character background/stats: http://forum.candlekeep.com/pop_profile.asp?mode=display&id=5469
My stories:
http://z3.invisionfree.com/Mickeys_Comic_Tavern/index.php?showforum=188
Lothir, courtesy of Sylinde (Deviant Art)/Luaxena (Chosen of Eilistraee)
http://sylinde.deviantart.com/#/d2z6e4u |
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mensch
Seeker
80 Posts |
Posted - 09 Sep 2010 : 22:07:46
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"The Community" sounds a bit like the 60s series "The Prisoner". A mission from the game Fallout 3 also featured a virtual reality simulation featuring a creepy American Dream town. But a very cool idea for a campaign, especially with such a catchphrase.
quote:
Originally posted by Dreyrugrulfr
I've tried to do the great big epic plots, and I agree with you Mensch, Babylon 5 is an example of doing that sort of thing correctly! Planning it out, even if its just knowing what the ultimate resolution should probably look like or resemble is helpful. Being able to spin yarns for when the players inevitably wander off your path is invaluable as well. And often you can tie that back into your main plot in some small way, or at least have it develop the characters so that they are more life-like and interesting by the time they approach the climax.
I really love it when I can incorporate the results of player choices in the plot of my campaign. The PCs have recently rescued a bunch of slaves and provided jobs and homes for them in a nearby city. That good deed is going to have lasting consequences (bards singing songs about the event, former slaves who want to thank the party in some way, etc.). The amount of detail can never be approached by all those games that are released nowadays and claim they offer the player "real choices, with real consequences". Most of the choices players make in such games are awfully binary.
quote:
Originally posted by Ionik Knight
In general I do a lot DMing by the seat of my pants.
I still have to adjust to the fact that players generally tend to view everything the DM does is preplanned in some form. While, as you say, I'm improvising 70% of the time as well to make the pieces fit nicely. It's good to know all that improvising doesn't really show or impact the game in a negative way. |
Some say the world will end in fire, Some say in ice. From what I’ve tasted of desire I hold with those who favor fire. But if it had to perish twice, I think I know enough of hate to know that for destruction ice is also great and would suffice. – Robert Frost (1874 - 1963) |
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Adventure and campaign narrative inspiration
