Messing with "canon": what do YOU do?

[alhoon]

- I keep Soth in Sithicus (perhaps with Inza as a co-darklord prehaps not)
- Azalin is 20th level IMC and can learn new magic, but cannot resurect Irik and make him evil and he is kind-of limited in what new magic he can learn
- Darklords have almost godly powers, so they are unstopable, except if the DP decide to betray them, in which case they're in trouble since their powers revert to normal.*
- RMRs are almost universaly 3
- I have enlarged the Core and upped the pop to 2 millions

And the most important: I don't usually run Gothic horror games in Ravenloft. I take elements of gothic horror but I do not adopt it.

* Examples: The DC to resist Dominic isn't just 20! It is 25 if he uses it casually without much conviction and automatic failure if he has a strong reason to do it (not just for fun).
If Ivana get's really threatened by someone, his/her attack fail automatically and spectacularly screaming "divine intervention".
Gaby's gaze is also powerful but in the case of Malocchio, the DP decided to betray her.
I haven't given it much of a thought since IMC the PCs aren't going against darklords.

[Jester of the FoS]

I like Inza, but I also like Soth. However, I think Soth works much better as a wandering figure than a trapped lord. He may remain in Sithicus but he is no longer bound there.

Other than that I like a nice canon game. I don't feel restrained to follow the story/setting, I just like it. Makes me feel like my characters are part of the 'official' story and a real part of the world.

Plus having to make modifications to every product gets old sometimes...

[Le Noir Faineant]

I like Inza, but I also like Soth. However, I think Soth works much better as a wandering figure than a trapped lord. He may remain in Sithicus but he is no longer bound there.

Should I ever run a Sithicus game in the forseeable future, I will use a similar concept for Soth.

[Boccaccio Barbarossa]

It would appear that not a lot of us are a big fan of the demi-human concept.

I don't dislike demihumsn, but as PCs/NPCs, I feel a I need a damn good character concept or reson to making a character demihuman. (As I mentioned previously, the one's we've seen in our games have always been great because we can't accpet making someone a demihuman just to tend bar or whatever.)

Falkovinia: Cultural level 8. Drakov arms hiw talons with bastard swords and full plate armor, but has conditioned his talons to be able to take a musket shot and simply shrug it off. This tactic becomes effective when his talons finally reach melee combat with a legion of muskateers via horseback. By getting his talon cavalry to flank the enemies army, he is exposing them to an elite melee fighting force. A common tactic is to arm his 'recruits' with ineffective muskets to act as a deversion, and then have his cavalry to swoop into the the enemy and kill them, much like a hawk does. I also paint Falkovnian culture with a lot of Prussian culture, which if you read about is itself a very militaristic society.

I like the Prussian feel. I think we an unofficial Prussian feel to Falkovnia as well, though largely without the firearms... And I can't remember the last time and of us made a character with bastard sword that was NOT from Falkovnia.

I'm working on a way to tweak Necropolis to make it more accessible to PCs--I think it's a very interesting setting that's completely wasted as is--but I don't like the idea of getting rid of the Shroud outright. This isn't set in stone yet, but I think that IMC, the negative energy is going to be dissipated throughout Necropolis, leading to a constant slow energy drain. Visitors to Necropolis will gain a negative level or lose a certain number of hit points every hour or so until they die.

I likewise feel that it's somethign that's going to waste. I'm going to propose to my current group that we treat it just as a desotate and wasted city, where the dead roam, yes, but the very threat of that is enough to keep it mostly free of living people... or at least, of those who don't have a death wish.

And I think a good take would be to play up the Iron age angle to REALLY make it like a dead Ro,man-style city, like it was also blaseted back in early "Darkonese" time or something...

Which would then make a great case for making the rest of the realm a more evolved, but essentially imperial roman state.

[Mortepierre]

In no particular order..

all domains: Increased population.

Darkon: enhanced the GH feel (mainly through references to spells, specific monsters, racial/historical issues, etc..)

Sithicus: I allowed Soth to lose his darklord status but he became a "wandering encounter" instead of returning to Krynn. A bit like (former) Duke Gundar come to think of it. I also enhanced the link to Krynn (vampiric Kender, not halfling for instance)

PHB: Got rid of the stupid rule about a chance of going corrupt just because you happen to belong to class X and level up.

Hazlan: Enhanced link to Thay (FR)

Dementlieu: Reworked domain extensively. Linked it to a long lost French colony. Local culture is closer to what France was during the reign of King Louis the XIVth.

Har'Akir: Introduced an outpost created by explorers and scientists (mainly from Dementlieu, Mordent, Darkon, and Lamordia) who have come to uncover more about the ancient civilization that once flourished here. Har'Akir artifacts (not necessarily of the 'magic' kind) have become the latest rage in the northwestern corner of the Core. In short, it has become a lot like Egypt at the beginning of the 19th century. This has prompted the natives to try to restore their own culture (to fight against cultural contamination) and there are rumors about a long lost heir to the vacant throne who is trying to assemble the regalia of the last pharaoh.

Paridon: Sole Tech 10 domain but one that struggles to survive because of a lack of food. As such, it has become a kind of military/scientific advisor to a selected few domains of the Core in exchange for food.. and other "raw" materials

Forlorn: Goblyns have a much more "celtic" culture (albeit a very violent one). The two sects of druids of the domain have fallen out. One thinks that only "true" natives can return the domain to what it once was and refuses any contact with outsiders. The other decided that in order to win against the darklord and his minions, they needed "new" blood. They now travel all around the Core (and beyond), kidnapping any red-hair children they can find to turn them into new members. They have founded druidic enclaves in Barovia, Kartakass, and Tepest.

Barovia: Got rid of the (infamous) Sheriff and toned down the Ebon Gargoyles to what was more appropriate for what is after all a tech & magic-poor domain (wizards who are taught by ghosts until they can teleport on their own? Come on!). Jander Sunstar is dead (no, but truly!)

Souragne: Enhanced link to 17th century Louisiana. Made it a (long lost) "sister colony" to Dementlieu. Lower class still made of slaves.

Richemulot: Enhanced link to Dementlieu. It is now the result of a former attempt by Dementlieu to extend their colony across the Core. The events of Scholar of Decay happened exactly as described in the novel.

Borca: Aurek Nuiken has become a lich obsessed with restoring his wife (first to an intact statue, and then to life). His brother Dmitri is now the official head of their family and funds adventuring groups striking deep into Richemulot against wererats (or anywhere else against lycanthropes). He insists on paying people with silver pieces directly "hand to hand" (and prohibits anyone from wearing gloves in his presence).

Wildlands: Enhanced domain with rules/monsters from the Nyambe setting.

Falkovnia: Enhanced link to Taladas/Thenol (DL). Official religion is the worship of Hith although Drakov made it bloody clear to them who was *really* in charge. Preachers from the Lawgiver (coming from NV) are trying to convert enough natives to gain a foothold.

[Ail]

In no particular order..

Forlorn: Goblyns have a much more "celtic" culture (albeit a very violent one). The two sects of druids of the domain have fallen out. One thinks that only "true" natives can return the domain to what it once was and refuses any contact with outsiders. The other decided that in order to win against the darklord and his minions, they needed "new" blood. They now travel all around the Core (and beyond), kidnapping any red-hair children they can find to turn them into new members. They have founded druidic enclaves in Barovia, Kartakass, and Tepest.


Borca: Aurek Nuiken has become a lich obsessed with restoring his wife (first to an intact statue, and then to life). His brother Dmitri is now the official head of their family and funds adventuring groups striking deep into Richemulot against wererats (or anywhere else against lycanthropes). He insists on paying people with silver pieces directly "hand to hand" (and prohibits anyone from wearing gloves in his presence).

Excellent ideas both. One of my players is a red-haired, and that attitude of the druid clans would be just perfect an excuse to include Forlorn in my game, and at last have a quest worthy of that name for the one player that was lacking one.

As for Borca, I liked the novel, and Aurek funding parties against lycanthropes might be a very interesting proposition. As a matter of fact, one of my PCs is a lycanthrope, and his original domain just happens to border with Borca, so... he might in the future have some problem with that particular group.

Ail

[Joël of the FoS]

PHB: Got rid of the stupid rule about a chance of going corrupt just because you happen to belong to class X and level up.

Well, Mortepierre, I think you are wrong here, or trying to mislead us. The question was about canon things

---

I didn't change a lot, yet. My PCs have been in Barovia, Invidia and now Borca, three places I like as written.

I removed the archaic (IMHO) ring of fog surrounding the village of Barovia (a remnant of I-6).

I made the WF twins active (in enquiring the supernatural, I mean) sooner, before the disappearance of Van Richten.

Joël

[Joël of the FoS]

This thread is interesting. I'll collect the best propositions and add them to the adventure hooks section, under each domains.

Joël

[Mortepierre]

Well, Mortepierre, I think you are wrong here, or trying to mislead us. The question was about canon things

lol!

I removed the archaic (IMHO) ring of fog surrounding the village of Barovia (a remnant of I-6).

Right. I knew I was forgetting something.

[Le Noir Faineant]

Although I haven't played in as many domains as he may have done, I have to state that Morte's view of most RL domains is nearly identical to mine, especially when he talks about Darkon, Falkovnia, and Barovia. (IMC, the ring of fog exists, as well as the Snow Queen from *Chilling Encounters*.)

Right now, I am exploring Valachan, to look how I can enhance it for my view of RL...

[Ail]

PHB: Got rid of the stupid rule about a chance of going corrupt just because you happen to belong to class X and level up.

I removed the archaic (IMHO) ring of fog surrounding the village of Barovia (a remnant of I-6).


Joël

I considered it too, but let it stay for flavour, although I'm really ambiguous towards it. As for the Snow Queen, Desdichado, is that Jezra Wagner?
She comes from 2nd Edition, actually.
What are the Chilling Encounters?
She's around in my campaign too, but I have toned down a few of her abilities. Also, if my players take the Crimson Road south, it will not be haunted by Spectres, but perhaps by something milder that my PCs can tackle.

Ail

[Boccaccio Barbarossa]

PHB: Got rid of the stupid rule about a chance of going corrupt just because you happen to belong to class X and level up.

Very well put. My friends and laughed so hard when we read about that, I remember my abs hurting. Like: WHAT? You mean, you want to have me roll powers checks that have NOTHING to do with my decisions?

We have a guy in our game, who took a vow of non-violence. He hasn't actually KILLED anything in 2 levels. But according to the rule, e still needs to roll... Whatever. (Sorry to whomever conceived the idea. Some of them are okay, but too heavy handed, I think.)

[Le Noir Faineant]

I considered it too, but let it stay for flavour, although I'm really ambiguous towards it. As for the Snow Queen, Desdichado, is that Jezra Wagner?
She comes from 2nd Edition, actually.
What are the Chilling Encounters?

Chilling Encounters is a netbook you can find on this site - the first try on QtR 12.

Check here: http://www.fraternityofshadows.com/Libr ... unters.zip

I only glanced at an article about a snow wraith in there and then went on bastardizing it as much as I could... I still dream of doing the *one* Barovia campaign and have ben gathering material for this for quite a while.

[Bloody Morgan]

Main changes I've made...

The Core is much, much bigger. I mean huge. Barovia alone is several hundred miles across. It's a month on foot from Vallaki to Krezk. But I've left the population figures the same. Rather than making the PCs feel claustrophobic because there's so few places to go, they feel claustrophobic because it's so hard to get anywhere. They don't sare set out anywhere without making serious travel plans, and recently spent five months of downtime living in an abandoned boyar's estate outside of Vallaki simply because they didn't want to go wandering around the Balinoks in winter. When I told them how big Ghakis and Baritok are, one of the players rightly pointed out that they're getting close to the Himalayas.

I'm now stealing Mortepierre's idea about Forfarian druids tracking down redheads. Works very nicely into my game, which features lots of redhead PCs and - as of last session - a forfarian druid that I had no idea what to do with.

Pretty much no demihumans in human settlements, and very little is known about them. My players are still sure (ic) that a dwarf will turn you to stone by spitting on you. Also, no Gnomes. I don't see a point to having them and Halflings in a setting.

Hazlan has it's own language (Hazlani) rather than speaking Balok.

Bloody Morgan

[alhoon]

We have a guy in our game, who took a vow of non-violence.

The vow of non-violence doesn't prevent you from killing undead and constructs
Although I would love to have such players... If I showed them these feats they would laugh hysterically. All my players love to kill stuff...