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Post by The Archivist on Mar 7, 2015 13:11:28 GMT -5
First, considering the dictionary definitions:
Culture :the arts and other manifestations of human intellectual achievement regarded collectively. :the customs, arts, social institutions, and achievements of a particular nation, people, or other social group. :the quality in a person or society that arises from an interest in and acquaintance with what is generally regarded as excellent in arts, letters, manners, scholarly pursuits, etc. :the sum total of ways of living built up by a group of human beings and transmitted from one generation to another.
Second, consider each of the following questions:
1. How would you define culture in terms of designing a backdrop for a D&D campaign. What definition would you write or how would you tweak the above definition(s).
2. What type of cultures would you put into your campaign world and why? What real world cultures (from throughout history) would you use and why? Or would you tweak the real world cultures (to protect the guilty) and how would you do it? Or would you create a whole new culture(s) and how would you go about it.
3. If you could design the ideal culture for your character to play the game in, what would it be and why? That is, "Hey ref! could I play in this world?
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Post by cadriel on Mar 7, 2015 13:26:52 GMT -5
I've been a fan of including ancient Atlantis as a background culture. I do them as similar to Greece, with Greek-type bas reliefs and sculpture, but with some "extra" figures that aren't recognizable to the modern eye. They had powerful alchemy and the mystic metal orichalcum, which makes things like +1 weapons without casting a spell. I use GURPS Atlantis as a reference to the myths.
Another thing I've thought about but haven't worked into a dungeon yet is a Bronze Age Celtic culture, with things like arm-rings and conical helms and Druidic lore and references to Irish and Welsh mythology. I'd really like to have bronze leaf-shaped blades as magical swords, for instance.
Real world cultures appeal to me for background because, as a history buff, I get to use actual knowledge instead of inventing something that feels like the dime store version of the real thing.
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Post by randyb on Mar 7, 2015 14:56:35 GMT -5
I've been a fan of including ancient Atlantis as a background culture. I do them as similar to Greece, with Greek-type bas reliefs and sculpture, but with some "extra" figures that aren't recognizable to the modern eye. They had powerful alchemy and the mystic metal orichalcum, which makes things like +1 weapons without casting a spell. I use GURPS Atlantis as a reference to the myths. Another thing I've thought about but haven't worked into a dungeon yet is a Bronze Age Celtic culture, with things like arm-rings and conical helms and Druidic lore and references to Irish and Welsh mythology. I'd really like to have bronze leaf-shaped blades as magical swords, for instance. Real world cultures appeal to me for background because, as a history buff, I get to use actual knowledge instead of inventing something that feels like the dime store version of the real thing. If you like GURPS Atlantis for background, have you looked at GURPS Celtic Myth?
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Post by cadriel on Mar 7, 2015 15:02:31 GMT -5
If you like GURPS Atlantis for background, have you looked at GURPS Celtic Myth? I haven't; simply because it's not one of the relatively few GURPS books I have. I guess this is a recommendation?
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Post by randyb on Mar 7, 2015 18:26:05 GMT -5
If you like GURPS Atlantis for background, have you looked at GURPS Celtic Myth? I haven't; simply because it's not one of the relatively few GURPS books I have. I guess this is a recommendation? Yes. I haven't checked to see if it has been re-released as a PDF, though.
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Post by The Archivist on Mar 12, 2015 9:41:29 GMT -5
I've been a fan of including ancient Atlantis as a background culture. I do them as similar to Greece, with Greek-type bas reliefs and sculpture, but with some "extra" figures that aren't recognizable to the modern eye. They had powerful alchemy and the mystic metal orichalcum, which makes things like +1 weapons without casting a spell. I use GURPS Atlantis as a reference to the myths. Another thing I've thought about but haven't worked into a dungeon yet is a Bronze Age Celtic culture, with things like arm-rings and conical helms and Druidic lore and references to Irish and Welsh mythology. I'd really like to have bronze leaf-shaped blades as magical swords, for instance. Real world cultures appeal to me for background because, as a history buff, I get to use actual knowledge instead of inventing something that feels like the dime store version of the real thing. Would love to see you post details of this.
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Post by Admin Pete on Mar 12, 2015 11:40:49 GMT -5
As would I!
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Post by tetramorph on Mar 12, 2015 15:26:32 GMT -5
I don't usually think in terms of "culture" when I think of my campaign.
I am building a pretty traditional, fairly "high" fantasy campaign setting. It is set in a fantastical and lost forested region in the middle of Europe in the middle of the middle ages!
That choice gives me a certain cultural inheritance to start from and to work with.
I imagine I will let cultural oddities and details arise through play, from my side of the screen as ref, much as I do not like to start a PC with a bunch of background, but to derive "background" through creative play. I think G Gygax once said something like "character background is levels one through three." I see myself doing something analogous in my campaign world with regards to cultural detail.
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Post by Mr Darke on Apr 5, 2015 20:14:03 GMT -5
I have a bit of the culture mapped out for my setting. The funny thing was that in order to explore it better I began living parts of it. It has been an interesting experiment and has drawn me closer to my world.
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Post by Admin Pete on Apr 5, 2015 21:06:10 GMT -5
I have a bit of the culture mapped out for my setting. The funny thing was that in order to explore it better I began living parts of it. It has been an interesting experiment and has drawn me closer to my world. Now that warrants more info. The perfect teaser to lead us on.
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Post by Mr Darke on Apr 6, 2015 14:27:22 GMT -5
It's really not that exciting. Basically it is in the realm of trying to remove the spiritual and secular divide, living as close as I can to a more pastoral or agrarian lifestyle and such. While I do still smoke I try to smoke a pipe more, spend a fair amount of time away from the large amounts of media consumption we have these days and be more conserving around my house.
I also go out on hikes to get ideas of what the landscape would be around the culture and I do explore some 'ruins' near me. The biggest open secret is that I am borrowing a lot from my Ozarks heritage and have traced it back to our origins as Scots-Irish or Ulster-Scots.
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Post by merctime on May 2, 2015 18:25:01 GMT -5
My take is simple, so I'll likely address all 3 points at once. See, I LOVE LOVE LOVE Robert E. Howard's approach to cultural creation (or at least what I get out of it). He seems to draw from real cultures in our own history rather heavily; Only changing minor things such as culture name or a habit or two. I find this approach is hugely valuable, especially if the new name is similar enough to recognize the connection, because the ONE SPOKEN WORD gives immediate personal knowledge of a wide variety of facets to that culture. My campaign features 7 cultural groups. They are geographically-based. Playing off the above statement, let's try a little test now, shall we? YOU tell ME who each of the following is!! 1. The Etruscans 2. Viklund 3. Amazonia 4. Arabia 5. Gaul 6. Anglica 7. Rostovia Note also that each culture is, again, geographically and not racially based. One may encounter an Arabic dwarf or Rostovic halfling, for example. A great benefit to this procedure is that I have to write up a bare minimum of description for cultures, as most of what I would write is already common knowledge Note also that I do NOT condone or utilize mechanical benefits by cultural types in my game; Each culture is almost purely a tool for role-play with only a few minor implied (read: success or failure not determined by dice rolls) abilities. For example, Viklunders commonly know their way around watercraft, but don't get a" plus 1" or anything. And absolutely in no case whatsoever do cultural backgrounds provide bonuses to stats. There are, in fact, puny Cimmerians, after all!! They just might not adventure much
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Post by Vile Traveller on May 2, 2015 20:20:11 GMT -5
I love ancient cultures, but they tend to appear in my RuneQuest games so I stick to later technological eras for D&D. I try not to pull cultures whole cloth from the real world, but I introduce bits and pieces based on the actual situation on the ground - technology and geography tend to create some of the same solutions around the world but I like to throw in a curve ball such as human sacrifice (under rare and very specific circumstances) in the accepted Lawful religion, or town planning that has more in common with ancient or eastern cultures than medieval Europe. The reason for the latter is that Lawful to me comes with a capital "L", so the artefacts of Law display that in ways such as formal street grid layouts and more detailed architecture, for example.
Based on the extremely low population density we get out of the 3LBB implied setting, communities would also tend to be much more self-sufficient and less geared to war against their neighbours - there being huge tracts of Wilderness to cross before they even get to a neighbour. Visitors from another civilised Realm are more likely to be welcomed and allowed some latitude for their foreign (but Lawful) ways.
By not having a whole recognisable culture players can get a handle on, there remains an element of fantasy and wonder at all times, such as the symbolism of the typical church plan in the "Known World" of BLUEHOLME™ (you'll see what I mean when The Necropolis of Nuromen is done).
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Post by merctime on May 2, 2015 20:42:32 GMT -5
Vile Traveller said, "Based on the extremely low population density we get out of the 3LBB implied setting, communities would also tend to be much more self-sufficient and less geared to war against their neighbours - there being huge tracts of Wilderness to cross before they even get to a neighbour." This is a huge factor in my campaign creation. My population bases are perhaps sparse enough to have an almost 'post-apocalyptic' feel, as opposed to an extraordinarily high populated world such as the forgotten realms, where every square inch of the place is occupied. My world is like New, if you will. Tons of primal wildlands between the cultures. Some enterprising merchants from each gather together in near military force (think the listing for Man, Merchant in the AD&D monster manual) for bi-annual forays a cross the wilds to neighboring cultures. This is the primary (and really only) form of travel and trade between them, even for player characters, outside of raids and the like.
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Post by DeWitt on Sept 14, 2016 17:49:05 GMT -5
I'm currently writing a detailed culture for my campaign. This has been on my mind lately, here is my take.
1. At the center of culture is language. I try to think of the material circumstances that surround the people. Then I define their language system. With these as my guide I outline largely what the definition does. Although I drop intellectual achievements because philosophy, natural science, etc rarely if ever come up in gaming.
2. I'm not sure what you mean by "type of culture". I usually begin with a single idea, like flowers. I then look at real world cultures who privileged flowers and why they did. Then I gather them all up and re-mix into a single culture.
The Aztec Alliance, Heian Japan, Yaqui Indians, and Ancient Hawaiians all revered flowers and used them in their culture to varying degrees.
I thought, the three Aztec tribes relied on different flowers to bolster a diet light in domestication. My culture will be lacking in domesticated plants and animals, using flowers to bolster their diets. So cuisine is heavily flower based.
Yaqui people have a whole theology based upon flowers. So my culture has a magical world accessed through dreams where plants talk to them. This becomes the basis for magic in my world.
And I keep going fleshing out all those things in the definition. However, I also take care to tie the culture to d&d mechanics as well. So through remixing and adding my own ideas and molding it to d&d rules it becomes new, in a way.
3. I'm not sure. There are so many disparate things that I find fascinating. I would love to play in a Meso-American game run by an expert in the area. So many possibilities. I would love to play in an Atzlan game where the 7 tribes live in caves and were ruled by an oppressive overlord. I would love to delve the depths of Xibalba. I would love to play in the court of Nezahualcoyotl. Hell, even an ancient aliens game where Maya are visited by extraterrestrials would be fun.
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Post by robkuntz on Sept 15, 2016 17:47:31 GMT -5
I'm currently writing a detailed culture for my campaign. This has been on my mind lately, here is my take. 1. At the center of culture is language. I try to think of the material circumstances that surround the people. Then I define their language system. With these as my guide I outline largely what the definition does. Although I drop intellectual achievements because philosophy, natural science, etc rarely if ever come up in gaming. 2. I'm not sure what you mean by "type of culture". I usually begin with a single idea, like flowers. I then look at real world cultures who privileged flowers and why they did. Then I gather them all up and re-mix into a single culture. The Aztec Alliance, Heian Japan, Yaqui Indians, and Ancient Hawaiians all revered flowers and used them in their culture to varying degrees. I thought, the three Aztec tribes relied on different flowers to bolster a diet light in domestication. My culture will be lacking in domesticated plants and animals, using flowers to bolster their diets. So cuisine is heavily flower based. Yaqui people have a whole theology based upon flowers. So my culture has a magical world accessed through dreams where plants talk to them. This becomes the basis for magic in my world. And I keep going fleshing out all those things in the definition. However, I also take care to tie the culture to d&d mechanics as well. So through remixing and adding my own ideas and molding it to d&d rules it becomes new, in a way. 3. I'm not sure. There are so many disparate things that I find fascinating. I would love to play in a Meso-American game run by an expert in the area. So many possibilities. I would love to play in an Atzlan game where the 7 tribes live in caves and were ruled by an oppressive overlord. I would love to delve the depths of Xibalba. I would love to play in the court of Nezahualcoyotl. Hell, even an ancient aliens game where Maya are visited by extraterrestrials would be fun. All very fine wonderings/wanderings, especially the last. Anything the beats tracks 'Beyond the Fields We Know' gets a big thumbs up from me.
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Post by Admin Pete on Sept 15, 2016 21:15:52 GMT -5
I liken it to this, looking at a wide angle shot of rugged mountains with a trail leading into them. You see bits of the trail here and there until it disappears into the mountains for good. When I see that, I think, "I want to walk down that path and find out where it goes, do you? Then come join me and we will explore it together." I want to go find new things, new places, new peoples, new treasures and new mysteries to unveil and I am enjoying this thread, because it inspires me to do just that!
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Post by robkuntz on Sept 16, 2016 3:26:02 GMT -5
I liken it to this, looking at a wide angle shot of rugged mountains with a trail leading into them. You see bits of the trail here and there until it disappears into the mountains for good. When I see that, I think, "I want to walk down that path and find out where it goes, do you? Then come join me and we will explore it together." I want to go find new things, new places, new peoples, new treasures and new mysteries to unveil and I am enjoying this thread, because it inspires me to do just that! Tell me many tales, O benign maleficent daemon, but tell me none that I have ever heard or have even dreamt of otherwise than obscurely or infrequently. Nay, tell me not of anything that lies within the bourne of time or the limits of space; for I am a little weary of all recorded years and chartered lands.
Tell me many tales, but let them be of things that are past the lore of legend and of which there are no myths in our world or any world adjoining. . . . Tell me tales of inconceivable fear and unimaginable love, in orbs whereto our sun is a nameless star or unto which its rays have never reached.To the Daemon, A prose Poem by Clark Ashton Smith
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Post by Admin Pete on Sept 16, 2016 6:30:30 GMT -5
I love that quote, wish I could consistently achieve it!
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Post by DeWitt on Sept 16, 2016 17:05:52 GMT -5
robkuntz I know what you mean. It's the best thing about od&d to me. It doesn't have as much assumed fantasy devices built in. So you can warp it much more easily than other games.
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