I've considered doing some underground maps for Chagrinspire with a rail lines layer and a deep cavern layer but no hurry. Having a big shop before possible tariffs. Might stock up on a few years of pet supplies too.
For my new greek/theros 5th ed game I'm looking at a few books. I'll be making stuff for it here but will make system-neutral content.
Hellas is a SF greek game but it has lots of interesting stuff including background tables and a reworking of gods and other interesting ideas. Its a interesting setting. The core book is pretty good. Parent and family tables ill use. Even a fated death table to taunt characters with constantly in play and interpret properly. A snake will kill you? But maybe it's an assassins tattoo, a flag, a snake person anything but the obvious (see oleg the wise story for a good death prophecy). Lots of event tables for a backstory done well.
Mythic Greece for iron crown rolemaster and champions but lots of great info. Detailed city and gods. Has a interesting mythic adventure and you could use the age of heroes book maps and scenario to pad out the more substantial adventures here.
Codex Classicum for castles and crusades. As so much pop myth especially as watered down in comics and games and films is based on debunked victorian ideas without evidence its nice to have a well researched book like his with modern takes on myths. So lots of details on greek cities and the world through various periods and good deity lists. Also some prophecy-related tables I might use. Some character classes but they don't thrill me.
GURPS Greece - is alright but as always the status and job tables (dropped later editions I think) arve handy. The creative ideas in book and chapter of weird ways to use are best bits.
Age of Heroes AD&D 2nd ed green book is ok - ill probably use name lists, some illustrations and maps. Has a basic adventure.
Theros has a nice vibe separate to other D&D settings. The gods have lots of great detail on information, tracking points of the gods appreciation, temple maps and using gods as enemies. Id consider tracking divine disapproval. All significant d&d gods should have this detail. Its weird they have a city that accepts slaves yet doesn't talk about it elsewhere. None of the Polis except possibly the minotaur one is villainous. Id like a sparta clone to be villains as they were one of most awful cultures to ever exist. Frank Millers comics and films of sparta are vile machismo and anti-democracy and racist fantasy.
I like that Theros feels complete but lots of room to put in stuff like my island map. I like the mapped-out gods. Some of the monster names and takes on myth I find cringy. There are times Im tempted to just swap out names for Theros gods with real Myth but it would be imperfect fits. It would give me vastly more gods to meet and possibly kill at high levels.
I have enjoyed reading mythology again. Robert Graves and Cornford are interesting as they show Myths vary far more than the standard versions of myths we get. Reading actual prayers of mythic gods shows the utility they have to their believers more than mythology shows. The downside of these old dead white men is some of their ideas were part of a tradition which included stuff like triple goddesses which were inventions of past writers. Now we have a bunch of awful billionaires funding classical scholars and museums while most branches of history increasingly have less funding. Loving Spartans or claiming Romans were white Europeans not Mediterranean international diverse ppl is very much in vogue by some of the worst political thinkers in the world now. Joseph Campbell the great 20thc hero of mythology has been increasingly exposed as racist, anti-semetic and so pro germany he argued hard to keep USA out of ww2 to protect german culture.
The advantage of Theros is perhaps you can just ignore faux history. I imagine if playing in a club with strangers this would be good. Mind you I have also met lots of bros in gaming since 83 who went mental if their dwarves failed a saving throw because dwarves wouldn't ever run away from an illusion of skeletons and leave the campaign. Chubby elves caused a stir on G+ too so fantasy is not always a shield from this weird stuff. I dislike Samurai-themed games settings also as they were not really great guys. I'm struggling to enjoy RuneQuest and Cthulhu from its plundering of Victorian ideas on myth and spiritualism too. Likewise, Comic writers into golden dawn era occultism or religion I am over too.
For my new greek/theros 5th ed game I'm looking at a few books. I'll be making stuff for it here but will make system-neutral content.
Hellas is a SF greek game but it has lots of interesting stuff including background tables and a reworking of gods and other interesting ideas. Its a interesting setting. The core book is pretty good. Parent and family tables ill use. Even a fated death table to taunt characters with constantly in play and interpret properly. A snake will kill you? But maybe it's an assassins tattoo, a flag, a snake person anything but the obvious (see oleg the wise story for a good death prophecy). Lots of event tables for a backstory done well.
Mythic Greece for iron crown rolemaster and champions but lots of great info. Detailed city and gods. Has a interesting mythic adventure and you could use the age of heroes book maps and scenario to pad out the more substantial adventures here.
Codex Classicum for castles and crusades. As so much pop myth especially as watered down in comics and games and films is based on debunked victorian ideas without evidence its nice to have a well researched book like his with modern takes on myths. So lots of details on greek cities and the world through various periods and good deity lists. Also some prophecy-related tables I might use. Some character classes but they don't thrill me.
GURPS Greece - is alright but as always the status and job tables (dropped later editions I think) arve handy. The creative ideas in book and chapter of weird ways to use are best bits.
Age of Heroes AD&D 2nd ed green book is ok - ill probably use name lists, some illustrations and maps. Has a basic adventure.
Theros has a nice vibe separate to other D&D settings. The gods have lots of great detail on information, tracking points of the gods appreciation, temple maps and using gods as enemies. Id consider tracking divine disapproval. All significant d&d gods should have this detail. Its weird they have a city that accepts slaves yet doesn't talk about it elsewhere. None of the Polis except possibly the minotaur one is villainous. Id like a sparta clone to be villains as they were one of most awful cultures to ever exist. Frank Millers comics and films of sparta are vile machismo and anti-democracy and racist fantasy.
I like that Theros feels complete but lots of room to put in stuff like my island map. I like the mapped-out gods. Some of the monster names and takes on myth I find cringy. There are times Im tempted to just swap out names for Theros gods with real Myth but it would be imperfect fits. It would give me vastly more gods to meet and possibly kill at high levels.
I have enjoyed reading mythology again. Robert Graves and Cornford are interesting as they show Myths vary far more than the standard versions of myths we get. Reading actual prayers of mythic gods shows the utility they have to their believers more than mythology shows. The downside of these old dead white men is some of their ideas were part of a tradition which included stuff like triple goddesses which were inventions of past writers. Now we have a bunch of awful billionaires funding classical scholars and museums while most branches of history increasingly have less funding. Loving Spartans or claiming Romans were white Europeans not Mediterranean international diverse ppl is very much in vogue by some of the worst political thinkers in the world now. Joseph Campbell the great 20thc hero of mythology has been increasingly exposed as racist, anti-semetic and so pro germany he argued hard to keep USA out of ww2 to protect german culture.
The advantage of Theros is perhaps you can just ignore faux history. I imagine if playing in a club with strangers this would be good. Mind you I have also met lots of bros in gaming since 83 who went mental if their dwarves failed a saving throw because dwarves wouldn't ever run away from an illusion of skeletons and leave the campaign. Chubby elves caused a stir on G+ too so fantasy is not always a shield from this weird stuff. I dislike Samurai-themed games settings also as they were not really great guys. I'm struggling to enjoy RuneQuest and Cthulhu from its plundering of Victorian ideas on myth and spiritualism too. Likewise, Comic writers into golden dawn era occultism or religion I am over too.
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Family Generation
Grand Parents Generation d6-3
Parents Generation d6-2
Siblings d6-1 if zero all deceased if you roll 6 you have a twin
If zero in a generation is (D) deceased or (L) lost (the GM cand use lost)
You can decide sex or gender or could be eunuchs or ambiguous or whatever
You can choose your birth order (1st makes you heir last more likely to escape obligations)
If you want a large close family you could generate an extra d4 cousins per person in parents generation after the first two (your parents)
As it is a fantasy I'm ignore classical sexism but there is classism and interspecies prejudice. Humans can vary a bit in appearance and nobody cares.
Strangers without kin to avenge them or a local to protect them are in danger in strange places of being robbed or enslaved.
d12 Personal Relations
1 Hate you with a passion
Family Generation
Grand Parents Generation d6-3
Parents Generation d6-2
Siblings d6-1 if zero all deceased if you roll 6 you have a twin
If zero in a generation is (D) deceased or (L) lost (the GM cand use lost)
You can decide sex or gender or could be eunuchs or ambiguous or whatever
You can choose your birth order (1st makes you heir last more likely to escape obligations)
If you want a large close family you could generate an extra d4 cousins per person in parents generation after the first two (your parents)
As it is a fantasy I'm ignore classical sexism but there is classism and interspecies prejudice. Humans can vary a bit in appearance and nobody cares.
Strangers without kin to avenge them or a local to protect them are in danger in strange places of being robbed or enslaved.
d12 Personal Relations
1 Hate you with a passion
2 Vindictive to you for some offence
3 Mean-spirited contempt for you
4 Jelous of you
5 Indiferent to you
6 Competitive with you
7 Patronisng but fond of you
8 Respects you
9 Admires you
10 Loyal to you
11 Deeply loves you
12 Worships you
d20 Family Drama (Status)
1 Family members are slaves and need your help to be free (d6 1-4=Slave 5-6=Free)
2 Family in poverty and need your help or will starve (d6 1-2=Slave 3-6=Free)
3 Family has a feud with a rival clan (d6 1=Slave 2-5=Free 6=Noble)
4 Family members missing or lost (d6 1=Slave 2-5=Free 6=Noble)
5 Family members were slaughtered in conflict (d6 1=Slave 2-5=Free 6=Noble)
6 Family have a reputation as dishonourable (d6 1=Slave 2-5=Free 6=Noble)
7 Family has a shameful secret or past misdeed (d6 1=Slave 2-5=Free 6=Noble)
8 Family has become poor from bad management losing status (d6 1-2=Slave 3-6=Free)
9 Family is corrupt and many are secretly evil (d6 1=Slave 2-5=Free 6=Noble)
10 Family includes outlaws and criminals (d6 1-2=Slave 3-6=Free Status)
11 Family has internal feuds to control assets (Free or Noble Status)
12 Family newly freed from slavery (Free Status)
13 Family has a famous heirloom or artwork (d6 1-4=Free 5-6=Noble)
14 Family has growing financial success and status climbing (d6 1-4=Free 5-6=Noble)
15 Family respected by local community (d6 1-3=Free 4-6=Noble)
16 Family always seek political advantage (d6 1-3=Free 4-6=Noble)
17 Family have high status with their chosen temple (d6 1-3=Free 4-6=Noble)
18 Family ancestor from a supernatural bloodline (Free or Noble Status)
19 Family ancestor from a famous heroic bloodline (Noble Status)
20 Family ancestors from famous divine bloodline (Noble Status)
Slaves were the bottom status but could marry and own money. If both parents are slaves so are children born while slaves but one free parent means the child is free. A temporary condition in good and lawful societies and slaves could buy freedom be freed or even be adopted into a family. Slavery may be imposed on heretics, criminals or prisoners of war. Other people may have worse codes of slavery and make uncooperative slaves take the worst jobs like mining muckraking or gladiators. Slaves might be sold into captivity by kin or strangers might live as slaves for 4 years to earn acceptance in a strange community.
d20 Family Drama (Status)
1 Family members are slaves and need your help to be free (d6 1-4=Slave 5-6=Free)
2 Family in poverty and need your help or will starve (d6 1-2=Slave 3-6=Free)
3 Family has a feud with a rival clan (d6 1=Slave 2-5=Free 6=Noble)
4 Family members missing or lost (d6 1=Slave 2-5=Free 6=Noble)
5 Family members were slaughtered in conflict (d6 1=Slave 2-5=Free 6=Noble)
6 Family have a reputation as dishonourable (d6 1=Slave 2-5=Free 6=Noble)
7 Family has a shameful secret or past misdeed (d6 1=Slave 2-5=Free 6=Noble)
8 Family has become poor from bad management losing status (d6 1-2=Slave 3-6=Free)
9 Family is corrupt and many are secretly evil (d6 1=Slave 2-5=Free 6=Noble)
10 Family includes outlaws and criminals (d6 1-2=Slave 3-6=Free Status)
11 Family has internal feuds to control assets (Free or Noble Status)
12 Family newly freed from slavery (Free Status)
13 Family has a famous heirloom or artwork (d6 1-4=Free 5-6=Noble)
14 Family has growing financial success and status climbing (d6 1-4=Free 5-6=Noble)
15 Family respected by local community (d6 1-3=Free 4-6=Noble)
16 Family always seek political advantage (d6 1-3=Free 4-6=Noble)
17 Family have high status with their chosen temple (d6 1-3=Free 4-6=Noble)
18 Family ancestor from a supernatural bloodline (Free or Noble Status)
19 Family ancestor from a famous heroic bloodline (Noble Status)
20 Family ancestors from famous divine bloodline (Noble Status)
Slaves were the bottom status but could marry and own money. If both parents are slaves so are children born while slaves but one free parent means the child is free. A temporary condition in good and lawful societies and slaves could buy freedom be freed or even be adopted into a family. Slavery may be imposed on heretics, criminals or prisoners of war. Other people may have worse codes of slavery and make uncooperative slaves take the worst jobs like mining muckraking or gladiators. Slaves might be sold into captivity by kin or strangers might live as slaves for 4 years to earn acceptance in a strange community.
Free families own some farmland and a house or a ship to practice their trade. Citizens may be called on to defend their communities and are expected to have weapons and armour. If you can't support this lifestyle you are a dependent client in the household of a better-off-free family. Foreigners will depend on such support or risk being killed, robbed or enslaved. The richest free family might marry the poorest nobles for status.
Nobles are the elite titled families with positions in assemblies or holding a civic office of some kind. Usually, family heads hold these positions and they are centred around a polis. They are expected to wear quality clothes, eat superior food and show of other status symbols. Without fine things, you will be shunned by the clan and may be reduced to the shameful conditions of a common free person.
d20 Youthful Events
1 Saw the violent death of a family member
2 Met a famous hero before they died
3 Survived a famous monster that still lives
4 Studied a wise elder, holy teacher or philosopher
5 Made an enemy who is a fierce rival
6 Met your true love
7 Kidnapped by enemies and eventually escaped
8 Discovered you were adopted or the true identity of a parent
9 Survived injury or disease but weakened for d4 years
10 Witnessed a terrible bloody battle
11 Found a family map or journal indicating treasure
12 Family members outlawed and brought shame to the family
13 Received a gift of armour, shield or a weapon from noble
14 Uncovered evidence of past family glory
15 Lost in wilderness aided by sylvan beings
16 Met a ghost or nature spirit who revealed a secret
17 Given a prophetic riddle from an oracle
18 Dreamed of a god who warned you of a fate to avoid
19 Offended a god who has sent you bad luck and malice
20 Trained by a famous hero or teacher
d20 Clan Events
1 Ancestor was killed in a famous battle
2 Ancestor killed by a famous monster
d20 Clan Events
1 Ancestor was killed in a famous battle
2 Ancestor killed by a famous monster
3 Ancestor was charmed by a sylvan being but escaped
3 Ancestor hunted and killed a famous beast of the woods
3 Ancestor hunted and killed a famous beast of the woods
4 Ancestor was a famous philosopher or teacher
5 Ancestor was a famous mariner and explorer
6 Ancestor was a war hero memorialised in polis art
7 Ancestor was a founder of the community
7 Ancestor was a founder of the community
8 Ancestors found a treasure on an adventure in the western ruins
9 Ancestor buried in a handsome tomb used by the family
10 Ancestors from the distant mainland
11 Ancestor was a famous athlete
12 Ancestor a famous holy preacher
13 Ancestor disappeared on a voyage with companions
14 Ancestor disappeared on an adventure exploring wilderness ruins
15 Ancestor triumphed over a rival clan destroying them
16 Ancestor tragic doom recorded in a famous play
17 Ancestor discovered buried remains of a giant or monster
18 Ancestor wrote a famous scholarly work used in schools
19 Ancestor struck dead or cursed by a god for hubris
20 Ancestor blessed by a god for being pious and depicted in temple art
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Humans are the main species living in villages and the polis.
Humans may also be wild folk of the eastern woods or barbarians of west and north.
Non humans can be free but if noble they will not be recognised in human cities the same way. They might be a sort of diplomat and guests of the human polis but wont have local power.
Centaur tribes vary in alignment quite a bit and from west, north and east
Cyclops (reskinned orcs)
Dryad are nature spirits (reskinned Eldarin)
Leonin are lion folk usually barbarians of west and north
Minotaurs are mostly from the west
Satyrs are mostly from the sylvan woods of the East (fey ancestry replaces magic resistance)
Tritons can be from any waters but west coast more from the sunken ruins
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Humans are the main species living in villages and the polis.
Humans may also be wild folk of the eastern woods or barbarians of west and north.
Non humans can be free but if noble they will not be recognised in human cities the same way. They might be a sort of diplomat and guests of the human polis but wont have local power.
Centaur tribes vary in alignment quite a bit and from west, north and east
Cyclops (reskinned orcs)
Dryad are nature spirits (reskinned Eldarin)
Leonin are lion folk usually barbarians of west and north
Minotaurs are mostly from the west
Satyrs are mostly from the sylvan woods of the East (fey ancestry replaces magic resistance)
Tritons can be from any waters but west coast more from the sunken ruins
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