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Dargoth
Great Reader
Australia
4607 Posts |
 Posted - 05 Mar 2007 : 11:08:34
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Do you guys mine ideas from TV shows or books etc?
Ive found the Supernatural series has inspired quite a few ideas including
Heretical NE Cleric of Kelemvor who offers free raise dead spells to anyone who wants one, however he believes in life and death equaling out so when he raises someone he summons an Entropic Reaver to slay a someone to "even deaths scales"
Tonights episode has made me think about a infernal cross roads where the short road linking Dragonspear castle up with the trade way which allows Pleasure and Harvester devils to enter the realms
Anyone else mined Supernatural for ideas (or anyother shows) and if so what did you create?
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“I am the King of Rome, and above grammar”
Emperor Sigismund
"Its good to be the King!"
Mel Brooks |
Edited by - Dargoth on 05 Mar 2007 11:29:34
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nbnmare
Learned Scribe
United Kingdom
205 Posts |
Posted - 05 Mar 2007 : 12:40:03
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Obviously he's from a comic (and now a film) rather than a TV series, but I've always thought Ghost Rider would work well in the Realms. You'd need to replace the motorbike with a fiendish horse, the leather jacket with leather armor, and perhaps Mephistopheles with another Arch-Devil, such as Belial or even Asmodeus (since the D&D Mephistopheles is the ruler of Cania, which doesn't really fit with the fiery nature of the Ghost Rider). Other than that he'd make a great fit.
Also, the old "people getting taken over by evil parasites" idea so popular in the X-Files, Star Trek, and countless other shows is something that hasn't (yet) been done in the Realms. You could even have some of the more 'traditional' FR infiltrators, such as dopplegangers and rakshasa, trying to combat the outbreak.
Oh, and speaking of dopplegangers and Star Trek, Deep Space Nine's whole changeling/Founders storyline could provide a lot of inspiration for a doppleganger-related FR plot. |
Edited by - nbnmare on 05 Mar 2007 12:46:45 |
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The Sage
Procrastinator Most High
Australia
31799 Posts |
Posted - 05 Mar 2007 : 14:13:19
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One of my more memorable influences from a television series in the Realms... (it really started as a running gag in an earlier campaign) revolves around a semi-regular NPC among Waterdeep's City Watch -- commonly referred as "the Chief." He just happens to have a rather unusual tapestry hanging inside his personal chamber which depicts a strange otherworldly image of something referred to as an "Egyptian God of Frustration." 
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Candlekeep - The Library of Forgotten Realms Lore
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Scribe for the Candlekeep Compendium -- Volume IX now available (Oct 2007)
"So Saith Ed" -- the collected Candlekeep replies of Ed Greenwood
Zhoth'ilam Folio -- The Electronic Misadventures of a Rambling Sage |
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Mazrim_Taim
Learned Scribe
341 Posts |
Posted - 05 Mar 2007 : 15:31:00
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| I've gotten a few ideas for a villian of mine based on the TV show Heroes. If anyone watches the show, my the villian I am talking about is Sylar. |
And if the PCs DO win their ways through all the liches to Larloch, “he” will almost certainly be just another lich (loaded with explosive spells) set up as a decoy, with dozens of hidden liches waiting to pounce on any surviving PCs who ‘celebrate’ after they take Larloch down. As the REAL Larloch watches (magical scrying) from afar. Myself, as DM, I’d be wondering: “Such a glorious game, so many opportunities laid out before your PCs to devote your time to, and THIS fixation is the best you can come up with? Are you SURE you’re adventurers?” -Ed Greenwood
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Edited by - Mazrim_Taim on 05 Mar 2007 15:35:10 |
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Dhomal
Senior Scribe
USA
565 Posts |
Posted - 05 Mar 2007 : 16:30:11
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Hello-
Its funny in some ways that you mention this. I have been thinking for a while that I could get some good mystery-themed plots pulled out of some of the CSI-style shows. Obviously - there would not be the fingerprinting / DNA etc choices for solving something - but you could easilly work around that and drop clues that could be figured out to deduce some aspects of the plot. That - and some of the motivations behind why people have done XYZ crime seem so interesting - and unexpected. However - I have as yet Not included anything in a game like that.
Many years ago - when I was running a game - which started mainly because the Dm who should have been running either was not present - or unprepared - I was 'coaxed' into running the module from Dragon #83. Yep - I said #83. :) It was new at the time - and ironically - it was the first issue I bought 'New' at the game store. The first of the 4 or 5-part Chessboard series by self-taught (!!!!) artist Denis Beauvous(sp?) - the cover drew me to it - and the rest they say - is history! LOL
Anyway - I was running the module - and decided I did not like the way it was going - so I added a new room between two others - it was a simple 10' x 10' room - but one wall had a window - showing a rolling hillside - and a city in the distance. the window was partially open - and they jumped right out and wanted to check out the city. Well - that was a one-way portal/gate/ etc - and they ended up in the city for a while. I had a mages guild - and peppered it with a lot of 'experts' on various types of magic. What I did do was steal blatantly form comics and other sources for names and arch-type personalities. the one I remember most was the expert at extra-planar travel that the party was trying to get in contact with to see about getting home - but he was 'away' - his name? Reed Richards. :)
Certainly - not appropriate for some games - but it worked well at the time - and was good at providing the feel of the person etc without too much description.
I also played in a game that was DL - with a twist. The leader of the DL Draconian faction was not from any of the DL sourcebooks - but rather Elric. It Really set the scene - we were Sooo scared of the whole situation - and it really helped put the fear in us back. For all I knew - he could have been as weak and sniveling as Teode - but we never met him - so I have no idea! Anyway - it helped set the tone and mood for the game.
Just a couple of related reminisces I guess. :)
Dhomal |
I am collecting the D&D Minis. I would be more than willing to trade with people. You can send me a PM here with your email listed - and I can send you my minis list. Thanks!
Successfully traded with Xysma! |
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Wooly Rupert
Master of Mischief
USA
37008 Posts |
Posted - 05 Mar 2007 : 17:17:39
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quote:
Originally posted by The Sage
One of my more memorable influences from a television series in the Realms... (it really started as a running gag in an earlier campaign) revolves around a semi-regular NPC among Waterdeep's City Watch -- commonly referred as "the Chief." He just happens to have a rather unusual tapestry hanging inside his personal chamber which depicts a strange otherworldly image of something referred to as an "Egyptian God of Frustration."
Just the other day, I was talking about that bit of artwork, and its description!  |
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Candlekeep - The Library of Forgotten Realms Lore
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I am the Giant Space Hamster of Ill Omen! |
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Wooly Rupert
Master of Mischief
USA
37008 Posts |
Posted - 05 Mar 2007 : 17:28:00
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I've never had a chance to DM, so I've not done too much mining of outside stuff for ideas...
But, I have always wanted to have a party encounter the Warner brothers (and the Warner sister Dot) in Undermountain. A running gag in the cartoon was that the three would occasionally go running by, pursued by Ralph the guard, during the shorts of some of the other characters. So I've always wanted to have a group wandering the depths of Undermountain when three short humanoid figures scamper by, pursued by an overweight human in a strange uniform...
One of the hooks that will be in the next Candlekeep Compendium was inspired by a plot element from the Disney movie The Little Mermaid, and the next batch will likely feature another hook drawn from the same movie.
(Other sources of inspiration: One past hook was inspired by staring at my girlfriend's back while she was sleeping next to me, and in another hook, a character was named after a BattleTech person. And my next Lord of Waterdeep was physically based on another BattleTech person.)
Back to TV shows, though... I once played (only for a couple of sessions  ) a specialty priest of Lathander whose personality was based on Charles Emerson Winchester III from M*A*S*H. |
Candlekeep Forums Moderator
Candlekeep - The Library of Forgotten Realms Lore
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I am the Giant Space Hamster of Ill Omen! |
Edited by - Wooly Rupert on 05 Mar 2007 18:02:06 |
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Reefy
Senior Scribe
United Kingdom
892 Posts |
Posted - 05 Mar 2007 : 22:35:21
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quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert
One of the hooks that will be in the next Candlekeep Compendium was inspired by a plot element from the Disney movie The Little Mermaid, and the next batch will likely feature another hook drawn from the same movie.
Awesome! I might try and slip them in and see if either of my brothers notice (bizarre in-joke there).
I tend to mine anything I can for ideas, it could literally be anything, ideas can come from the strangest of places. |
Life is either daring adventure or nothing. |
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The Sage
Procrastinator Most High
Australia
31799 Posts |
Posted - 05 Mar 2007 : 23:01:23
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quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert
And my next Lord of Waterdeep was physically based on another BattleTech person.)
Oooh! Can I ask which?
You may want to share this privately, though.
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Candlekeep Forums Moderator
Candlekeep - The Library of Forgotten Realms Lore
http://www.candlekeep.com -- Candlekeep Forum Code of Conduct
Scribe for the Candlekeep Compendium -- Volume IX now available (Oct 2007)
"So Saith Ed" -- the collected Candlekeep replies of Ed Greenwood
Zhoth'ilam Folio -- The Electronic Misadventures of a Rambling Sage |
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SAEDA007
Acolyte
USA
6 Posts |
Posted - 10 Mar 2007 : 12:00:28
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I have an addiction......to british comedies.
I love roleplaying NPC's in my campaigns that are straight out of many brit coms. I have played in the past Del Boy Trotter as a Rogue (from the Only Fools and Horses Series) who had a cart of "things" that the party was constantly wondering where he got all that junk!! He was constantly trying to flog one-legged turkeys to them too!!
I get a ton of ideas for roleplaying my NPC's from alot of shows I watch.
Has anyone seen the HBO series Deadwood? Well, I get alot of ideas from that series.....when I have the party go to Skullport. There is a literal gold mine of ideas for personalities and just the ambiance of an evil city watching that show. Of course, the character Al Swearingen can be any tavern/brothel keeper in any city...
I am thinking of starting a campaign soon based loosely off the US TV series "Lost". Basically, the party was on a ship either heading from or too Waterdeep (or any other large city on the Sword Coast) when it really gets hammered in a storm (perhaps Umberlee did not get her sacrifice of money from the ship before the trip??) and the party ends up on a mysterious island. I am thinking of using the classic D&D "Isle of Dread" area, with the party being hammered from the "others" who happen to be cannibals!! Perhaps even worshippers of Orcus....
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DM Mark
Tacoma, WA |
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Mining TV shows for campaign plots and ideas
