If Tolkien isn't among the best fantasy writers in your opinion, then who do you think is? Or are those other names you listed your favorite fantasy writers. I haven't heard of them.
If you ever try reading Tolkien again, and I greatly encourage you to do so, then I suggest that you read the books as a mythology rather than an adventure novel. While his stories are adventures, they were also intended to be a mythology of England, and so reading them as such might help you get through them easier. Maybe that helps.
I understand the books are hard to read. When I first read LotR, I was probably too young and it was very difficult to read. It took me several years to get through all three books. I have read other books by Tolkien, and I want to reread LotR that way I understand them better. I just have to get around to it. There are so many books in the world and I know I will never get around to reading them all so rereading books hurts almost because I know that I could be reading a new book.
Have you read the Hobbit? I read that one at an even younger age than when I read LotR, and I found it much easier to get through. In my opinion, the Hobbit is much easier to read and it feels much more like an adventure story. Another way to read Tolkien that might be easier would be to find an audiobook. Sometimes I find it easier to listen to a story than to read it. Maybe that's just me. Sorry about all this, it just seems horrible to me that someone can go through life without experiencing the wonders of Tolkien's work so I thought I might give some suggestions that could help you enjoy them better.
Sorry, the Hobbit is the one I tried reading first (and started multiple times over the years); I can't stand it. Tolkien is just not my guy. I freely admit he is probably the king of fantasy since he set the standard for the genre, but I don't gotta like his writing style to acknowledge his crown.
My preference though is to take friends out to dinner and/or some sort of entertainment shared experience type thing. For people I'm really close to, I'll cook. I'm a decent cook, but not a particularly efficient one, so it's very much a blood, sweat and tears process.
I am like this as well. I bake my friends brownies and cakes.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
"Sooner or later, your Players are going to smash your railroad into a sandbox."
-Vedexent
"real life is a super high CR."
-OboeLauren
"............anybody got any potatoes? We could drop a potato in each hole an' see which ones get viciously mauled by horrible monsters?"
Sorry, the Hobbit is the one I tried reading first (and started multiple times over the years); I can't stand it. Tolkien is just not my guy. I freely admit he is probably the king of fantasy since he set the standard for the genre, but I don't gotta like his writing style to acknowledge his crown.
**HURK!**
What?
I assumed you'd read Lord of the Rings (because the movies had come out first). I can get if someone who isn't a fan of Tolkien can't dig Lord of the Rings.
But holy crow, it was The Hobbit you couldn't get into?
I feel like The Hobbit is where he least talks about "scenery" as you said - except when describing the area for the first time (Mirkwood, and such) to paint the picture of what each area is like - but after that, I feel like he's light on overly describing. Lord of the Rings has a metric ton of describing of everything, which is why I also thought you meant Lord of the Rings.
The Hobbit was read to the class I was in in the 4th grade - and it was a world changer for me.
Everyone's different. There's a metric ton of "popular" things that other people love that are just not my thing.
My preference though is to take friends out to dinner and/or some sort of entertainment shared experience type thing. For people I'm really close to, I'll cook. I'm a decent cook, but not a particularly efficient one, so it's very much a blood, sweat and tears process.
If Tolkien isn't among the best fantasy writers in your opinion, then who do you think is?
I'm fair certain we discussed authors before?
David Weber is one of my favorite authors when he can contain himself. Oath of Swords is a fun read.
Larry Correia writes really fun stuff. Anything of his is worth it.
I should mention Steven Brust, his Dragaera series is yummy.
Oops. If we have, I don't remember it or wasn't there for it.
A few of my favorite authors are:
N. D. Wilson. His books are like a mixture of Rick Riordan and Indiana Jones, but it is written incredibly well. He is a poet.
Terry Pratchett. My signature, Username, and Avatar all are from his works. He is a great writer who creates hilarious, satirical, well written works that have influenced my creations heavily.
Andrew Peterson's Wingfeather Saga. He is also a singer/songwriter and artist who creates all sorts of great art. The Wingfeather Saga is a beautiful work that inspired me to enjoy fantasy when I was younger. If the first book isn't your style, continue reading because each book gets better than the last.
I just read Neil Gaiman's The Graveyard Book and it is awesome. I am so sad the book had to be finished, I wanted to keep reading.
Jonothan Rogers wrote the Wilderking Trilogy which is for young readers. It shows good character progression and is a fun read.
Dune by Frank Herbert is great. I have only read the first book, but it was awesome. He is pretty much a Sci-fi Tolkien.
I have so many more, but I won't burden y'all with a never ending list.
Antonsirius had been walking next to Theology of Bagels, the two whom others looked down at – literally – due to their smaller stature, and they believed because most of society considered their kind “monsters.” Antonsirius was a kobold whose passion was healing the land and understanding nature; while his fellow “monster” friend, Theology of Bagels, was a goblin cleric. Not only were they both considered “monsters” by the general population, both believed in a higher power.
“And,” Theology continued, “those endless days of wandering the barren wastelands before I found the blessed oasis – that’s why I hate scenery. Everything looked the same to me. Endless dunes. I’ve lost an appreciation for it all,” Theology admitted. “All the trees look the same to me. I don’t care about slightly changing colors of the leaves,” Theology shrugged. “I am sorry, I know that must offend you as a druid.”
Antonsirius shook his head, “I understand. Perhaps that’s why our paths crossed? So I could help you see the beauty in nature again?”
“You can try,” Theology shrugged. “Probably not going to happen. Just like, no offense to,” Theology’s voice dropped to a whisper, “Wysperra, over there?” They gestured with their head towards the Halfling artificer. “Not a fan.”
“Of artificers?” Antonsirius asked.
“No,” Theology shook their head. “Of halflings. Listen, I get it – it frustrates me when someone lumps me in with the ‘monsters’ of the world just because I am a goblin. But my people used to live in the Greenhaven Hills until them blasted halflings came along. They drove us out of the hills and my people were forced to take sanctuary in the mountains nearby. But it seemed like a blessing. Because that’s where we met the blue dragon who had claimed the caverns as his own. Cerulean treated us well. Shared his treasure with us, even! Until that group of blasted elves came by and drove him away. Most of my people fled into the hills where the halflings were ready – pinning them between them and the elves, which is why I ventured to the east – and got lost in the Suntrail Wasteland. Sure, I found a deity because of this series of events… and sure, I can blame the elves… but all of the things happened because of those blasted halflings. Never cared for them since. They’re like us, little, but they’re ‘accepted’ by the general population.”
Just ahead of Antonsirius and Theology of Bagels were two equally vertically challenged party members – Wysperra, the Halfling artificer and their friend, Quar1on, the gnome warlock.
“It must be dreadful,” Wysperra began, “being hunted down by vicious hobgoblins.”
Quar1on tilted his head, “It’s been that way for an entire season – just living on the run. Sleeping where I can, even if it was inside of a barn. Thankfully, or perhaps not so thankfully, my patron awakens me, if he senses hobgoblins near me. So I could be dead asleep, and he would begin quacking in my ear, and wake me up and alert me that hobgoblins are near. It’s keep me alive, but very exhausted. But enough about me,” the gnome warlock shrugged. “What about yourself?”
“Me?” Wysperra was wide eyed. “Well, there’s not really much to tell about me.”
“Well, there isn’t much in the way of halflings in an adventuring town like Freehold,” Wysperra noted. “Don’t most halflings enjoy the simple life? Stay home? Ignore the world, danger and adventure?”
Wysperra laughed. “It’s true. Halflings are rarely one for adventure. Halflings are divided into three groups; the largest is those who enjoy the simple life of farmers. That is the majority of halflings. Then there’s a small group that seeks adventure – often going the opposite of those who enjoy the simple life – and look for something to the extreme, often taking jobs as spies or thieves – looking for that thrill and risk of potentially being caught doing whatever it is they’re doing. Then there’s a very, very, very small group who are struck with what we call ‘Lethfear’s Touch.’ Lethfear is the deity that most halflings call upon. The touch of Lethfear roughly translates to ‘conquer the fear’ in our old tongue.” Wysperra grew silent, remorseful for a moment and whispered, “I was in that small group, born to ‘conquer the fear.’ About twenty of us banded together and traveled and thought, ‘Let us find a new home for our children’s children!’ So we ventured out from The Underhills, which is a funny name, as it was given because the hills lay directly against a mountain. Should have been the Under Mountain,” he shrugged. “At any rate, we traveled east, exploring and seeing the world – when we saw a beautiful haven of hills, laying on the western side of a mountain. When we went to check – we were surprised it was home to,” Wysperra peered over his shoulder and saw that Theology of Bagels seemed to be in a very deep conversation with Antonsirius, before Wysperra turned around and faced Quar1on and whispered, “goblins.” He looked remorseful again. “My brethren wanted to drive the goblins away. I did not. They seemed peaceful, living in the hills as we’d done – with farms, animals, and everything. Certainly not the ‘monsters’ we’d known near our home – where the goblins there would descend from the mountain and rob from us. No, these goblins seemed peaceful. But Ardach Beul convinced the others that The Greenhaven Hills had probably once belonged to halflings and the goblins murdered them and took their home. It’s odd when you see comrades, who are normally so intelligent, caught up in a mob mentality. The attacked the goblins, and I watched in horror and sadness. I did not partake, but I did not stop it either. I left before the battle ended and just wandered on my own trying to forget. Eventually found myself in Freehold and from there, I saw the flyer that brought all of us together.”
Fun Story Bits:I took this opportunity to add how Theology said they disliked Tolkien because they didn’t care about scenery that much (thus the reference to disliking scenery) and how they’d tried to read The Hobbit and hated it; so that translated in the story as giving Theology a reason to hate halflings. This also gave me a springboard to flesh out Wysperra who I barely touched upon, other than being an artificer. The deity that Wysperra mentions actually means ‘half’ (leth) and ‘man’ (fear) in Scottish Gaelic. The location ‘The Underhills’ is a reference to Lord of the Rings, going back to Theology’s dislike of Tolkien, as ‘Underhill’ was a common surname for Hobbits. Ardach Beul means 'loud' and 'mouth' in Scottish Gaelic.
If Tolkien isn't among the best fantasy writers in your opinion, then who do you think is?
I'm fair certain we discussed authors before?
David Weber is one of my favorite authors when he can contain himself. Oath of Swords is a fun read.
Larry Correia writes really fun stuff. Anything of his is worth it.
I should mention Steven Brust, his Dragaera series is yummy.
Oops. If we have, I don't remember it or wasn't there for it.
A few of my favorite authors are:
N. D. Wilson. His books are like a mixture of Rick Riordan and Indiana Jones, but it is written incredibly well. He is a poet.
Terry Pratchett. My signature, Username, and Avatar all are from his works. He is a great writer who creates hilarious, satirical, well written works that have influenced my creations heavily.
Andrew Peterson's Wingfeather Saga. He is also a singer/songwriter and artist who creates all sorts of great art. The Wingfeather Saga is a beautiful work that inspired me to enjoy fantasy when I was younger. If the first book isn't your style, continue reading because each book gets better than the last.
I just read Neil Gaiman's The Graveyard Book and it is awesome. I am so sad the book had to be finished, I wanted to keep reading.
Jonothan Rogers wrote the Wilderking Trilogy which is for young readers. It shows good character progression and is a fun read.
Dune by Frank Herbert is great. I have only read the first book, but it was awesome. He is pretty much a Sci-fi Tolkien.
I have so many more, but I won't burden y'all with a never ending list.
For the record, I never said Tolkien wasn't among the best. Just putting that out there before I'm libeled. ;-)
Sir Pterry, however, was a god among men in my opinion. Night Watch remains one of the finest books I've ever read. I also adore Gaiman - Neverwhere, American Gods, The Ocean At the End of the Lane...immensely re-readable. Much love also for Jim Butcher, Scott Lynch, Anne McCaffrey, Robert Aspirin, and a newfound appreciation for Laini Taylor of Strange the Dreamer acclaim.
I realized recently how little I've read over the last decade and I've reacquainted myself with my library card. My TBR pile is absurd...
Wow. It is awfully silent here. Time to break that silence.
Question: Have you ever done in depth research into a subject that you don't usually go into for D&D? If so, what did you study?
In one campaign I am in, I am playing a druid and we are in the Icewind Dales. We were patrolling a city when a barbarian tribe began raiding it at night stealthly. We fought them, but I never like killing people without making sure there isn't a way to resolve things without bloodshed. (A good policy to have both in real life and in Dnd) So, after scaring them with my magic flaming sword, I asked them why they were robbing the city. It turns out, they were driven to do it not out of greed, but of hunger. Their people were starving, there wasn't a large amount of game to hunt. The Ten-Towns were the only places with food, so in this hard time they decided to raid the city. After some negotiation, we agreed to be taken as prisoners without any weapons as long as they returned what they had stolen. I had promised to provide them with much more food. My plan is to cast plant growth several times, enriching the land. I will also utilize goodberry as much as I can, and the ranger and barbarian in our party can aid in the hunting. (our murderhobo rogue wants to become chieftain of the tribe. Sigh.) Our DM asked what type of plants would be growing in Icewind Dale, and asking me for any information is dangerous because I might just go and find out. I compiled a list of plants and plant products that are mentioned in Icewind Dale for him. In addition, I gathered a list of edible plants that commonly grow in Sweden, Iceland, Greenland, and other regions similar to the Icewind Dales.
Then our group got together outside of the game to discuss what political tactics and negotiations we are planning on using to persuade the barbarians (who don't actually think of themselves as barbarians) to live off the land and live peaceably with the Ten-Towns. Honestly, I don't know how real politics works without magic.
We did this a couple of months ago. We still haven't played since, but we keep trying to schedule games, so it still might happen. By now, I have forgotten most of our planning and need to review our notes.
I wouldn't say I've gone super in depth, but I did refresh myself on Scandinavian mythology for my character and look up types of flowers that grow in the area for a backstory element.
Question: Have you ever done in depth research into a subject that you don't usually go into for D&D? If so, what did you study?
I like this question. I don't have specific answer, but I'm a rabbit hole dilettante by nature and one of the things I like about D&D and TTRPGs is how I can use them to put something I learned off the beaten path to good use; or gives me reason to go off the path in the first place.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Jander Sunstar is the thinking person's Drizzt, fight me.
Question: Have you ever done in depth research into a subject that you don't usually go into for D&D? If so, what did you study?
I often use things that I’ve done research on anyway (writer, theatre nerd, history buff, etc.) but recently I did research on Swedish folklore, the music of Volbeat, the Celts, early Roman conflicts with the Celts, and styling grimdark fantasy. All of it has contributed to my current world. Loving it.
Question: Have you ever done in depth research into a subject that you don't usually go into for D&D? If so, what did you study?
I think, most recently, I did a bunch of research on Japanese (as well as China) legends and lore. In the monthly game I run, two of my players are Monks (which, since I've DM'ed never had anyone play in any of my campaigns). So I wanted to create something to give the Monks some lore. So I basically took the map of Japan and shuffled the islands around - created seven regions (since it's composed of seven larger chunks of land) - and gave each land a 'domain' (peace, war, etc). And then, using some of the lore and legends - I made some custom monsters. One of the ones I loved was a Jorogumo Yokai.
Question: Have you ever done in depth research into a subject that you don't usually go into for D&D? If so, what did you study?
I think, most recently, I did a bunch of research on Japanese (as well as China) legends and lore. In the monthly game I run, two of my players are Monks (which, since I've DM'ed never had anyone play in any of my campaigns). So I wanted to create something to give the Monks some lore. So I basically took the map of Japan and shuffled the islands around - created seven regions (since it's composed of seven larger chunks of land) - and gave each land a 'domain' (peace, war, etc). And then, using some of the lore and legends - I made some custom monsters. One of the ones I loved was a Jorogumo Yokai.
Question: Have you ever done in depth research into a subject that you don't usually go into for D&D? If so, what did you study?
I think, most recently, I did a bunch of research on Japanese (as well as China) legends and lore. In the monthly game I run, two of my players are Monks (which, since I've DM'ed never had anyone play in any of my campaigns). So I wanted to create something to give the Monks some lore. So I basically took the map of Japan and shuffled the islands around - created seven regions (since it's composed of seven larger chunks of land) - and gave each land a 'domain' (peace, war, etc). And then, using some of the lore and legends - I made some custom monsters. One of the ones I loved was a Jorogumo Yokai.
*Cough* Drider + Succubus *Cough*
Exactly. But I didn't reveal her true nature until she had lured some to drink her tea which essentially acted as a Sleep spell.
Then the legs sprouted out of her flesh. I shared the top photo of what they see.
Yokai are awesome. There are so many cool yokai that would be great to have in Dnd. Many yokai "spawn" from really old things. There is a whole category of household objects that become awakened if they reach a certain age, usually 100. There are evil umbrellas that walk around on one leg, there are awakened sandals and there are other things like the sumo monkey-turtles and oni. Yokai are so fun to research.
Question: Have you ever done in depth research into a subject that you don't usually go into for D&D? If so, what did you study?
I've mentioned it before, but I did way too much research (aka any at all) on the flammability of mayonnaise because I was playing an Artificer who made an alchemy jug, and the other players wanted to keep it and use it to prevent an evil Wizard from fireballing us
Question: Have you ever done in depth research into a subject that you don't usually go into for D&D? If so, what did you study?
I've mentioned it before, but I did way too much research (aka any at all) on the flammability of mayonnaise because I was playing an Artificer who made an alchemy jug, and the other players wanted to keep it and use it to prevent an evil Wizard from fireballing us
That’s so funny. We had a player do the exact same thing in a campaign from a year or two ago, but his research was to determine if he could burn things down with it.
Question: Have you ever done in depth research into a subject that you don't usually go into for D&D? If so, what did you study?
I spent 2 weeks studying the Witcher franchise to create a subclass for one of my players. I also spent two weeks studying the history and theories of Alchemy once too.
Question: Have you ever done in depth research into a subject that you don't usually go into for D&D? If so, what did you study?
I spent 2 weeks studying the Witcher franchise to create a subclass for one of my players. I also spent two weeks studying the history and theories of Alchemy once too.
Dang, I kinda want to be one of your players lol
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Sorry, the Hobbit is the one I tried reading first (and started multiple times over the years); I can't stand it. Tolkien is just not my guy. I freely admit he is probably the king of fantasy since he set the standard for the genre, but I don't gotta like his writing style to acknowledge his crown.
I am like this as well. I bake my friends brownies and cakes.
"Sooner or later, your Players are going to smash your railroad into a sandbox."
-Vedexent
"real life is a super high CR."
-OboeLauren
"............anybody got any potatoes? We could drop a potato in each hole an' see which ones get viciously mauled by horrible monsters?"
-Ilyara Thundertale
**HURK!**
What?
I assumed you'd read Lord of the Rings (because the movies had come out first). I can get if someone who isn't a fan of Tolkien can't dig Lord of the Rings.
But holy crow, it was The Hobbit you couldn't get into?
I feel like The Hobbit is where he least talks about "scenery" as you said - except when describing the area for the first time (Mirkwood, and such) to paint the picture of what each area is like - but after that, I feel like he's light on overly describing. Lord of the Rings has a metric ton of describing of everything, which is why I also thought you meant Lord of the Rings.
The Hobbit was read to the class I was in in the 4th grade - and it was a world changer for me.
Everyone's different. There's a metric ton of "popular" things that other people love that are just not my thing.
I will try to not judge you.
Too harshly.
lol
Check out my publication on DMs Guild: https://www.dmsguild.com/browse.php?author=Tawmis%20Logue
Check out my comedy web series - Neverending Nights: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Wr4-u9-zw0&list=PLbRG7dzFI-u3EJd0usasgDrrFO3mZ1lOZ
Need a character story/background written up? I do it for free (but also take donations!) - https://forums.giantitp.com/showthread.php?591882-Need-a-character-background-written-up
For a moment I thought this got really dark...
Check out my publication on DMs Guild: https://www.dmsguild.com/browse.php?author=Tawmis%20Logue
Check out my comedy web series - Neverending Nights: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Wr4-u9-zw0&list=PLbRG7dzFI-u3EJd0usasgDrrFO3mZ1lOZ
Need a character story/background written up? I do it for free (but also take donations!) - https://forums.giantitp.com/showthread.php?591882-Need-a-character-background-written-up
I'm fair certain we discussed authors before?
David Weber is one of my favorite authors when he can contain himself. Oath of Swords is a fun read.
Larry Correia writes really fun stuff. Anything of his is worth it.
I should mention Steven Brust, his Dragaera series is yummy.
"Sooner or later, your Players are going to smash your railroad into a sandbox."
-Vedexent
"real life is a super high CR."
-OboeLauren
"............anybody got any potatoes? We could drop a potato in each hole an' see which ones get viciously mauled by horrible monsters?"
-Ilyara Thundertale
Oops. If we have, I don't remember it or wasn't there for it.
A few of my favorite authors are:
N. D. Wilson. His books are like a mixture of Rick Riordan and Indiana Jones, but it is written incredibly well. He is a poet.
Terry Pratchett. My signature, Username, and Avatar all are from his works. He is a great writer who creates hilarious, satirical, well written works that have influenced my creations heavily.
Andrew Peterson's Wingfeather Saga. He is also a singer/songwriter and artist who creates all sorts of great art. The Wingfeather Saga is a beautiful work that inspired me to enjoy fantasy when I was younger. If the first book isn't your style, continue reading because each book gets better than the last.
I just read Neil Gaiman's The Graveyard Book and it is awesome. I am so sad the book had to be finished, I wanted to keep reading.
Jonothan Rogers wrote the Wilderking Trilogy which is for young readers. It shows good character progression and is a fun read.
Dune by Frank Herbert is great. I have only read the first book, but it was awesome. He is pretty much a Sci-fi Tolkien.
I have so many more, but I won't burden y'all with a never ending list.
Blame: AllMightyLordOfDND (https://www.dndbeyond.com/forums/off-topic/adohands-kitchen/166611-anything-but-the-ogl-2-0-literally-anything?comment=466 and https://www.dndbeyond.com/forums/off-topic/adohands-kitchen/166611-anything-but-the-ogl-2-0-literally-anything?comment=467)
Part 1: https://www.dndbeyond.com/forums/off-topic/adohands-kitchen/166611-anything-but-the-ogl-2-0-literally-anything?comment=501
Part 2: https://www.dndbeyond.com/forums/off-topic/adohands-kitchen/166611-anything-but-the-ogl-2-0-literally-anything?comment=522
Part 3: https://www.dndbeyond.com/forums/off-topic/adohands-kitchen/166611-anything-but-the-ogl-2-0-literally-anything?comment=552
Part 4: https://www.dndbeyond.com/forums/off-topic/adohands-kitchen/166611-anything-but-the-ogl-2-0-literally-anything?comment=599
Part 5: https://www.dndbeyond.com/forums/off-topic/adohands-kitchen/166611-anything-but-the-ogl-2-0-literally-anything?comment=631
Part 6: https://www.dndbeyond.com/forums/off-topic/adohands-kitchen/166611-anything-but-the-ogl-2-0-literally-anything?comment=665
Part 7: https://www.dndbeyond.com/forums/off-topic/adohands-kitchen/166611-anything-but-the-ogl-2-0-literally-anything?comment=696
Part 8: https://www.dndbeyond.com/forums/off-topic/adohands-kitchen/166611-anything-but-the-ogl-2-0-literally-anything?comment=748
Part 9: https://www.dndbeyond.com/forums/off-topic/adohands-kitchen/166611-anything-but-the-ogl-2-0-literally-anything?comment=811
Part 10: https://www.dndbeyond.com/forums/off-topic/adohands-kitchen/166611-anything-but-the-ogl-2-0-literally-anything?comment=821
Part 11: https://www.dndbeyond.com/forums/off-topic/adohands-kitchen/166611-anything-but-the-ogl-2-0-literally-anything?comment=829
IAMsposta: satyr bard
AEDorsay: elf wizard
Sirtawmis: half-orc fighter
Deadpan_c: leonin barbarian
Theology of Bagels: goblin cleric
Drakenbrine: dwarf sorcerer
Amnon_Balderk: orc monk
Midnightplat: changeling rogue
Wysperra: halfling artificer
Quar1on: gnome warlock
Antonsirius: kobold Druid
Thorrison: Giff Ranger
ChoirOfFire: tielfing paladin
The_Summoning_Dark: tortle bloodhunter
BoringBard: Dragonborn bard
AllMightyLordOfDND – Multi-Race/Multi-Class
==================================
Antonsirius had been walking next to Theology of Bagels, the two whom others looked down at – literally – due to their smaller stature, and they believed because most of society considered their kind “monsters.” Antonsirius was a kobold whose passion was healing the land and understanding nature; while his fellow “monster” friend, Theology of Bagels, was a goblin cleric. Not only were they both considered “monsters” by the general population, both believed in a higher power.
“And,” Theology continued, “those endless days of wandering the barren wastelands before I found the blessed oasis – that’s why I hate scenery. Everything looked the same to me. Endless dunes. I’ve lost an appreciation for it all,” Theology admitted. “All the trees look the same to me. I don’t care about slightly changing colors of the leaves,” Theology shrugged. “I am sorry, I know that must offend you as a druid.”
Antonsirius shook his head, “I understand. Perhaps that’s why our paths crossed? So I could help you see the beauty in nature again?”
“You can try,” Theology shrugged. “Probably not going to happen. Just like, no offense to,” Theology’s voice dropped to a whisper, “Wysperra, over there?” They gestured with their head towards the Halfling artificer. “Not a fan.”
“Of artificers?” Antonsirius asked.
“No,” Theology shook their head. “Of halflings. Listen, I get it – it frustrates me when someone lumps me in with the ‘monsters’ of the world just because I am a goblin. But my people used to live in the Greenhaven Hills until them blasted halflings came along. They drove us out of the hills and my people were forced to take sanctuary in the mountains nearby. But it seemed like a blessing. Because that’s where we met the blue dragon who had claimed the caverns as his own. Cerulean treated us well. Shared his treasure with us, even! Until that group of blasted elves came by and drove him away. Most of my people fled into the hills where the halflings were ready – pinning them between them and the elves, which is why I ventured to the east – and got lost in the Suntrail Wasteland. Sure, I found a deity because of this series of events… and sure, I can blame the elves… but all of the things happened because of those blasted halflings. Never cared for them since. They’re like us, little, but they’re ‘accepted’ by the general population.”
Just ahead of Antonsirius and Theology of Bagels were two equally vertically challenged party members – Wysperra, the Halfling artificer and their friend, Quar1on, the gnome warlock.
“It must be dreadful,” Wysperra began, “being hunted down by vicious hobgoblins.”
Quar1on tilted his head, “It’s been that way for an entire season – just living on the run. Sleeping where I can, even if it was inside of a barn. Thankfully, or perhaps not so thankfully, my patron awakens me, if he senses hobgoblins near me. So I could be dead asleep, and he would begin quacking in my ear, and wake me up and alert me that hobgoblins are near. It’s keep me alive, but very exhausted. But enough about me,” the gnome warlock shrugged. “What about yourself?”
“Me?” Wysperra was wide eyed. “Well, there’s not really much to tell about me.”
“Well, there isn’t much in the way of halflings in an adventuring town like Freehold,” Wysperra noted. “Don’t most halflings enjoy the simple life? Stay home? Ignore the world, danger and adventure?”
Wysperra laughed. “It’s true. Halflings are rarely one for adventure. Halflings are divided into three groups; the largest is those who enjoy the simple life of farmers. That is the majority of halflings. Then there’s a small group that seeks adventure – often going the opposite of those who enjoy the simple life – and look for something to the extreme, often taking jobs as spies or thieves – looking for that thrill and risk of potentially being caught doing whatever it is they’re doing. Then there’s a very, very, very small group who are struck with what we call ‘Lethfear’s Touch.’ Lethfear is the deity that most halflings call upon. The touch of Lethfear roughly translates to ‘conquer the fear’ in our old tongue.” Wysperra grew silent, remorseful for a moment and whispered, “I was in that small group, born to ‘conquer the fear.’ About twenty of us banded together and traveled and thought, ‘Let us find a new home for our children’s children!’ So we ventured out from The Underhills, which is a funny name, as it was given because the hills lay directly against a mountain. Should have been the Under Mountain,” he shrugged. “At any rate, we traveled east, exploring and seeing the world – when we saw a beautiful haven of hills, laying on the western side of a mountain. When we went to check – we were surprised it was home to,” Wysperra peered over his shoulder and saw that Theology of Bagels seemed to be in a very deep conversation with Antonsirius, before Wysperra turned around and faced Quar1on and whispered, “goblins.” He looked remorseful again. “My brethren wanted to drive the goblins away. I did not. They seemed peaceful, living in the hills as we’d done – with farms, animals, and everything. Certainly not the ‘monsters’ we’d known near our home – where the goblins there would descend from the mountain and rob from us. No, these goblins seemed peaceful. But Ardach Beul convinced the others that The Greenhaven Hills had probably once belonged to halflings and the goblins murdered them and took their home. It’s odd when you see comrades, who are normally so intelligent, caught up in a mob mentality. The attacked the goblins, and I watched in horror and sadness. I did not partake, but I did not stop it either. I left before the battle ended and just wandered on my own trying to forget. Eventually found myself in Freehold and from there, I saw the flyer that brought all of us together.”
Fun Story Bits: I took this opportunity to add how Theology said they disliked Tolkien because they didn’t care about scenery that much (thus the reference to disliking scenery) and how they’d tried to read The Hobbit and hated it; so that translated in the story as giving Theology a reason to hate halflings. This also gave me a springboard to flesh out Wysperra who I barely touched upon, other than being an artificer. The deity that Wysperra mentions actually means ‘half’ (leth) and ‘man’ (fear) in Scottish Gaelic. The location ‘The Underhills’ is a reference to Lord of the Rings, going back to Theology’s dislike of Tolkien, as ‘Underhill’ was a common surname for Hobbits. Ardach Beul means 'loud' and 'mouth' in Scottish Gaelic.
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For the record, I never said Tolkien wasn't among the best. Just putting that out there before I'm libeled. ;-)
Sir Pterry, however, was a god among men in my opinion. Night Watch remains one of the finest books I've ever read. I also adore Gaiman - Neverwhere, American Gods, The Ocean At the End of the Lane...immensely re-readable. Much love also for Jim Butcher, Scott Lynch, Anne McCaffrey, Robert Aspirin, and a newfound appreciation for Laini Taylor of Strange the Dreamer acclaim.
I realized recently how little I've read over the last decade and I've reacquainted myself with my library card. My TBR pile is absurd...
Wow. It is awfully silent here. Time to break that silence.
Question: Have you ever done in depth research into a subject that you don't usually go into for D&D? If so, what did you study?
In one campaign I am in, I am playing a druid and we are in the Icewind Dales. We were patrolling a city when a barbarian tribe began raiding it at night stealthly. We fought them, but I never like killing people without making sure there isn't a way to resolve things without bloodshed. (A good policy to have both in real life and in Dnd) So, after scaring them with my magic flaming sword, I asked them why they were robbing the city. It turns out, they were driven to do it not out of greed, but of hunger. Their people were starving, there wasn't a large amount of game to hunt. The Ten-Towns were the only places with food, so in this hard time they decided to raid the city. After some negotiation, we agreed to be taken as prisoners without any weapons as long as they returned what they had stolen. I had promised to provide them with much more food. My plan is to cast plant growth several times, enriching the land. I will also utilize goodberry as much as I can, and the ranger and barbarian in our party can aid in the hunting. (our murderhobo rogue wants to become chieftain of the tribe. Sigh.) Our DM asked what type of plants would be growing in Icewind Dale, and asking me for any information is dangerous because I might just go and find out. I compiled a list of plants and plant products that are mentioned in Icewind Dale for him. In addition, I gathered a list of edible plants that commonly grow in Sweden, Iceland, Greenland, and other regions similar to the Icewind Dales.
Then our group got together outside of the game to discuss what political tactics and negotiations we are planning on using to persuade the barbarians (who don't actually think of themselves as barbarians) to live off the land and live peaceably with the Ten-Towns. Honestly, I don't know how real politics works without magic.
We did this a couple of months ago. We still haven't played since, but we keep trying to schedule games, so it still might happen. By now, I have forgotten most of our planning and need to review our notes.
I wouldn't say I've gone super in depth, but I did refresh myself on Scandinavian mythology for my character and look up types of flowers that grow in the area for a backstory element.
I like this question. I don't have specific answer, but I'm a rabbit hole dilettante by nature and one of the things I like about D&D and TTRPGs is how I can use them to put something I learned off the beaten path to good use; or gives me reason to go off the path in the first place.
Jander Sunstar is the thinking person's Drizzt, fight me.
I often use things that I’ve done research on anyway (writer, theatre nerd, history buff, etc.) but recently I did research on Swedish folklore, the music of Volbeat, the Celts, early Roman conflicts with the Celts, and styling grimdark fantasy. All of it has contributed to my current world. Loving it.
I think, most recently, I did a bunch of research on Japanese (as well as China) legends and lore. In the monthly game I run, two of my players are Monks (which, since I've DM'ed never had anyone play in any of my campaigns). So I wanted to create something to give the Monks some lore. So I basically took the map of Japan and shuffled the islands around - created seven regions (since it's composed of seven larger chunks of land) - and gave each land a 'domain' (peace, war, etc). And then, using some of the lore and legends - I made some custom monsters. One of the ones I loved was a Jorogumo Yokai.
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*Cough* Drider + Succubus *Cough*
Exactly. But I didn't reveal her true nature until she had lured some to drink her tea which essentially acted as a Sleep spell.
Then the legs sprouted out of her flesh. I shared the top photo of what they see.
And they were like, "What the devil?"
Check out my publication on DMs Guild: https://www.dmsguild.com/browse.php?author=Tawmis%20Logue
Check out my comedy web series - Neverending Nights: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Wr4-u9-zw0&list=PLbRG7dzFI-u3EJd0usasgDrrFO3mZ1lOZ
Need a character story/background written up? I do it for free (but also take donations!) - https://forums.giantitp.com/showthread.php?591882-Need-a-character-background-written-up
Yokai are awesome. There are so many cool yokai that would be great to have in Dnd. Many yokai "spawn" from really old things. There is a whole category of household objects that become awakened if they reach a certain age, usually 100. There are evil umbrellas that walk around on one leg, there are awakened sandals and there are other things like the sumo monkey-turtles and oni. Yokai are so fun to research.
I've mentioned it before, but I did way too much research (aka any at all) on the flammability of mayonnaise because I was playing an Artificer who made an alchemy jug, and the other players wanted to keep it and use it to prevent an evil Wizard from fireballing us
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That’s so funny. We had a player do the exact same thing in a campaign from a year or two ago, but his research was to determine if he could burn things down with it.
I spent 2 weeks studying the Witcher franchise to create a subclass for one of my players. I also spent two weeks studying the history and theories of Alchemy once too.
Creating Epic Boons on DDB
DDB Buyers' Guide
Hardcovers, DDB & You
Content Troubleshooting
Dang, I kinda want to be one of your players lol
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