Planning & Worldbuilding The Name of Love's Dungeons and Dragons Campaign Idea Thread

tirrene

Tooty toot, a corpse is you
I had thought of a character concept, but since it was a wandering mercenary and caravn guard and it is now supposed to be royalty I'm just going to wait for you to tell us just what the culture of these kingdoms is gonna be like. I wouldn't want to make a MEGA-EDGY NECROMANCER DUDE if the kingdom in question sentences all zombos to being squashed by a minotaur or something.
 

Ganurath

Well-known member
What makes you say that?
Time spent visiting with foreign royalty is time not spent administering local nobility that tasks of governance are delegated to. While that might not be an issue for a primarily rural archipelago that leans heavily on their navy and a strong tradition of shamanistic worship of nature gods, or for a primarily dwarven kingdom with strong oral and military traditions, I can only begin to imagine what happens when you have a nation of drow steeped in academia.
I don't have that book, so I don't feel comfortable about you using it unless I know what it is that you are using.
Unearthed Arcana is test content from the official website, not a print publication that you need to buy.
What do you guys think?
Seems like a solid start.
 

tirrene

Tooty toot, a corpse is you
Okay, the books I do have (besides the Player's Guide, the Dungeon Master's Guide, and the Monster Manual) are Xanathar's Guide to Everything, Modenkainen's Tome of Foes, the Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide, and Volo's Guide to Monsters. So if you want to use some option from one of those books, feel free to do so! Just be sure to mark where you are getting your options.



You don't have to completely post everything about your characters right now, but I'd like to know your character's class, race, and basic outline will be like so that I will begin constructing your kingdom with you. Also, if you want to have a say in what your character's kingdom is like, let me know.

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Okay, I have the idea for the starting adventure.

I'd imagine that, as royal heirs, the PCs would have the kind of boredom rich kids tend to get. They've grown up hearing tales of how their parents were these great heroes, and they've even gotten to see them in action, and they want some of that excitement. But more than that, they want to prove themselves worthy. So they decide to meet together in a small town to do the medieval equivalent of slumming. They get to know some of the locals, beat up some gang members, get to meet some of the quirky characters, etc. Whatever your characters come up with, they'll try to get done. Then, at night, a monster attack occurs, the town's leaders are killed, and the town itself is devastated. Now, the PCs must show their leadership chops by helping the surviving townsfolk. In doing so, they prove themselves to be worthy royal heirs and their legends truly begin.

What do you guys think?
You posted this right as I was writing my thing. I like the idea, and since you've said that the story will fit our characters, I'm going to get back to making my guy.
 

Grav

A confused leftist
I don't have that book, so I don't feel comfortable about you using it unless I know what it is that you are using.

Keep in mind inter-party class synergy; you need to be able to discuss among your fellow players what classes you want to be. Also keep in mind that your character's race and class are going to really matter in terms of what your kingdom is like.


Out of curiosity, why do you want a drow wizard? Do you know what your potential Drow monarchy going to be like?

I was thinking of a desert kingdom, and the drow seemed to fit there. The monarchy is the main family consisting of the king and Queen, the mc and his sisters.

It’d kind of be like ancient Egypt.
 

The Name of Love

Far Right Nutjob
I had thought of a character concept, but since it was a wandering mercenary and caravn guard and it is now supposed to be royalty I'm just going to wait for you to tell us just what the culture of these kingdoms is gonna be like. I wouldn't want to make a MEGA-EDGY NECROMANCER DUDE if the kingdom in question sentences all zombos to being squashed by a minotaur or something.
You posted this right as I was writing my thing. I like the idea, and since you've said that the story will fit our characters, I'm going to get back to making my guy.

Look, I'm going to be as flexible as I can be with you guys, but I have to set boundaries, else you aren't going to be doing things.

Time spent visiting with foreign royalty is time not spent administering local nobility that tasks of governance are delegated to. While that might not be an issue for a primarily rural archipelago that leans heavily on their navy and a strong tradition of shamanistic worship of nature gods, or for a primarily dwarven kingdom with strong oral and military traditions, I can only begin to imagine what happens when you have a nation of drow steeped in academia.

I understand and agree with that sentiment, but these are kingdom, if small ones. Like, these are about the size of small European countries. Not as big as something like, say, Texas, but not exactly city-states either. That said, if you want your particular kingdom to be a city-state, be my guest. It'd add more variety, at least.

If you want a visual, picture a general coastline with a bunch of small states lining it. Like the East Coast of America. These aren't city-state exactly, but they are pretty small points of light in an otherwise barbaric world.

Seems like a solid start.

Thanks.

I was thinking of a desert kingdom, and the drow seemed to fit there. The monarchy is the main family consisting of the king and Queen, the mc and his sisters.

It’d kind of be like ancient Egypt.
I'm not sure… I mean, I could make a desert but I was really basing this continent on Europe. I described what Urope was like in my first post, right?

I mean, I don't see anything wrong with borrowing the god-king style of monarchy from the Egyptians. Heaven knows, your country is about a few days away from this fantasy world's equivalent of Egypt by ship, though there isn't really any civilized people there anymore.
 

Grav

A confused leftist
Look, I'm going to be as flexible as I can be with you guys, but I have to set boundaries, else you aren't going to be doing things.



I understand and agree with that sentiment, but these are kingdom, if small ones. Like, these are about the size of small European countries. Not as big as something like, say, Texas, but not exactly city-states either. That said, if you want your particular kingdom to be a city-state, be my guest. It'd add more variety, at least.

If you want a visual, picture a general coastline with a bunch of small states lining it. Like the East Coast of America. These aren't city-state exactly, but they are pretty small points of light in an otherwise barbaric world.



Thanks.


I'm not sure… I mean, I could make a desert but I was really basing this continent on Europe. I described what Urope was like in my first post, right?

I mean, I don't see anything wrong with borrowing the god-king style of monarchy from the Egyptians. Heaven knows, your country is about a few days away from this fantasy world's equivalent of Egypt by ship, though there isn't really any civilized people there anymore.
You don’t need to add a desert so maybe a cold mountain range kingdom. With lush evergreen forests, and the monarch rules through challenge of combat.
 

Ganurath

Well-known member
You don’t need to add a desert so maybe a cold mountain range kingdom. With lush evergreen forests, and the monarch rules through challenge of combat.
...I don't see how such a government would be stable long enough to become friends with the non-barbaric kingdoms, what with staging coups being a legal tradition. I don't know which character concept I'm using yet, but either one's nation would be made more than a little nervous about such a neighbor.
 

Grav

A confused leftist
...I don't see how such a government would be stable long enough to become friends with the non-barbaric kingdoms, what with staging coups being a legal tradition. I don't know which character concept I'm using yet, but either one's nation would be made more than a little nervous about such a neighbor.

The combat doesn’t really happen because the ruling family is friends with all the nobles and the populace is happy with them. Without inner conflict they get to focus on infrastructure.
 

The Name of Love

Far Right Nutjob
You don’t need to add a desert so maybe a cold mountain range kingdom. With lush evergreen forests, and the monarch rules through challenge of combat.

… Maybe?

We'll have to work out the details.

...I don't see how such a government would be stable long enough to become friends with the non-barbaric kingdoms, what with staging coups being a legal tradition. I don't know which character concept I'm using yet, but either one's nation would be made more than a little nervous about such a neighbor.

Well, if it can work for Wakanda, it can work for the Drow kingdom. Just keep in mind that, considering I'm not against Drow being main characters, I'm probably not going to have the Drow all be Underdark-dwelling, Chaotic Evil worshippers of Lolth.

Also, about staging coups and the like... there was, in medieval law, the idea that if the king was unjust, the subjects had a right to rebel and kill the king. Perhaps there's something like that going on here?
 

tirrene

Tooty toot, a corpse is you
Hmm, since we are throwing around ideas for what these kingdoms would be like, I have one that might be interesting. As it has been pointed out before, our characters wouldn't seem to be particularly good at ruling, since even as princes they seem to be more invested in hanging with their bros and punching villains. So why not make a country with a symbolic monarchy, like pretty much all modern kingdoms? Up until now we've been thinking of medieval-style absolute monarchies where our royalty is loved, but this doesn't really have to be the case.
 

Grav

A confused leftist
… Maybe?

We'll have to work out the details.



Well, if it can work for Wakanda, it can work for the Drow kingdom. Just keep in mind that, considering I'm not against Drow being main characters, I'm probably not going to have the Drow all be Underdark-dwelling, Chaotic Evil worshippers of Lolth.

Also, about staging coups and the like... there was, in medieval law, the idea that if the king was unjust, the subjects had a right to rebel and kill the king. Perhaps there's something like that going on here?

If the king was unfair and unjust the people can rebel and replace him.
 

Ganurath

Well-known member
The combat doesn’t really happen because the ruling family is friends with all the nobles and the populace is happy with them. Without inner conflict they get to focus on infrastructure.
1. This feels like it should have been mentioned before the Klingon Promotion part.
2. Assuming there's no outer conflict from the barbarian realms that our DM keeps saying we're surrounded by. Unless @tirrene and @Pluff0 have front liner characters to represent front liner nations that take up pretty much all our land borders, the odds are good that you'll have at least one border with... trouble.
 

Grav

A confused leftist
1. This feels like it should have been mentioned before the Klingon Promotion part.
2. Assuming there's no outer conflict from the barbarian realms that our DM keeps saying we're surrounded by. Unless @tirrene and @Pluff0 have front liner characters to represent front liner nations that take up pretty much all our land borders, the odds are good that you'll have at least one border with... trouble.

We’re still world building. I didn’t think I had to have the full plan for a medieval society.
 

Pluff0

4d10 Force Damage
1. This feels like it should have been mentioned before the Klingon Promotion part.
2. Assuming there's no outer conflict from the barbarian realms that our DM keeps saying we're surrounded by. Unless @tirrene and @Pluff0 have front liner characters to represent front liner nations that take up pretty much all our land borders, the odds are good that you'll have at least one border with... trouble.
I'm probably going to play a caster of some kind, though a nation of wizards certainly wouldn't be defenseless.
 

The Name of Love

Far Right Nutjob
Hmm, since we are throwing around ideas for what these kingdoms would be like, I have one that might be interesting. As it has been pointed out before, our characters wouldn't seem to be particularly good at ruling, since even as princes they seem to be more invested in hanging with their bros and punching villains. So why not make a country with a symbolic monarchy, like pretty much all modern kingdoms? Up until now we've been thinking of medieval-style absolute monarchies where our royalty is loved, but this doesn't really have to be the case.

You could do that if you want. It's not what I had in mind though. The reason your characters would be "hanging out as bros" is because in these kingdoms, traditionally, the royalty not only help the lords administrate affairs, they also deal with problems directly using their superhuman powers (aka their class abilities).

We’re still world building. I didn’t think I had to have the full plan for a medieval society.
You don't. That's my job. I just want your kingdoms to fit your characters and your preferences.

I'm probably going to play a caster of some kind, though a nation of wizards certainly wouldn't be defenseless.
A nation ruled by wizards will have regular soldier too though. It's not like the entire population is made up of wizards. @Ganurath
 

Grav

A confused leftist
Drow are usually a matriarchal society, so maybe the Queen is the supreme ruler. Then his sisters all come before him for leadership. With the mc being the youngest.
 

Ganurath

Well-known member
I figured wizard land would have soldiers, but I felt compelled to point out that a lack of internal conflict didn't assure a lack of conflict. It's part of why my druid concept is an archipelago, so that the farmland and fishers (which would export excess food to inland neighbors) is safer from external threats.
 

Grav

A confused leftist
I figured wizard land would have soldiers, but I felt compelled to point out that a lack of internal conflict didn't assure a lack of conflict. It's part of why my druid concept is an archipelago, so that the farmland and fishers (which would export excess food to inland neighbors) is safer from external threats.

Conflict is always there, but they could be powerful enough in the mountains to repel most invaders. Being on the higher ground is a military advantage on itself.
 

The Name of Love

Far Right Nutjob
Drow are usually a matriarchal society, so maybe the Queen is the supreme ruler. Then his sisters all come before him for leadership. With the mc being the youngest.

You could play a female character.

I figured wizard land would have soldiers, but I felt compelled to point out that a lack of internal conflict didn't assure a lack of conflict. It's part of why my druid concept is an archipelago, so that the farmland and fishers (which would export excess food to inland neighbors) is safer from external threats.
A Druid archipelago kingdom sounds kind of dope, my dude.
 

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