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What trips have you taken or what places have you visited that really got your creative thoughts flowing? What places in the real world made you think of how cool a place like this would be for D&D?
I'll start--
Schloss Windeck near my old hometown in Germany..it's a ruined castle that's not on most tourist maps. When I visited there with my family in 2000, there was no one else around and the castle was fog shrouded. We parked our car at the base of the hill that the castle sat on, in the town of Windeck near Eitorf/Siegburg about 35km from Cologne, Germany. My wife, daughter and I climbed up to the castle through the cold, clammy fog and spent over an hour climbing around the ruins, discovering medieval graffiti carvings, 500 year old scorch damage and thinking about D&D a lot!!!
From what I remember, the Archbishop of Cologne had a whole series of castles and strongholds that used to communicate via light flashes and could get messages around the whole region within a few minutes using that system.
Carlsbad Caverns in New Mexico. Probably the most awesome D&D inspirational location I have been to. Descend straight downwards via switchback trails...go when few other tourists are around and half-close your eyes and imagine drow peeking around the stalactites. Smell the bat guano and sit outside the main cavern entrance at dusk when the bats take flight. Think about what it would be like to have to climb down into the cavern with just a rope, a torch and your sword to keep you company....faint dripping of water, distant hollow voices, fantastic natural scenery...one of my favorite places in the world.
Four Corners area--Shiprock, Mesa Verde, San Juan Mountains--you go from a "Dark Sun" stark desert with monumental vistas and rock formations up into pine-forest mountains. Cliff-dwellings, primeval forests. The Durango-Silverton railroad trip made me think of the Misty Mountains and stone-hurling giants (maybe because it was thundering at the time.)
Tangier, Morocco--I didn't play D&D yet when I visited there with my family when I was a little kid, but the narrow streets, street vendors, stalls, white washed buildings, camels, throngs of humanity, the exotic smells, the yelling hagglers, the snake charmers and sword swallowers sent to entertain the gawking European visitors, the harbor...I still remember it clearly.
The "Hexenbaum" in the Nutscheid Forest on a ridge overlooking my old hometown of Waldbroel, Germany--an ancient oak tree rumored to have been used to hang witches back in the 17th century (probably not true, but scary enough for a 10 year old). My friends and I used to bicycle up there just around dusk...to stand there and touch the witch's tree as the sun disappeared and the dark forest got even darker...to ride home as fast as our legs could with only our little bicycle dynamo powered lights...the shadows playing tricks on your mind and imagining wart covered hags chasing us all the way back home.....
Good thread--
Mesa Verde and other Anasazi sites (memories from seeing them when I was 10) are way cool. My homebrew campaign has a region that is sort of a "7 cities of Cibola" type place, where they make cloth-of-gold in great quantities (through alchemy) and the cities are built vertically on the canyon walls with rope-trams connecting neighborhoods, all based on my images of Mesa Verde.
Coastal rainforest at Lewis & Clark monument across the river from Astoria, OR. A day mucking about there two summers ago resulted in a vision of the forest where the gnomes live in my campaign world, with burrows disguised by illusion so you can't see there's a door in the trunk of that massive redwood tree, and the steps look like wood-ear mushrooms, etc. (I suspect the Olympic Peninsula might produce the same hallicinations).
Zhongdian and Lijiang, Yunnan Province, China. Huge snowcapped peaks that must have Frost Giants living on top (or maybe Storm Giants, or yetis). Totally cool old towns that would fit in the "silk road" part of my campaign world very nicely. Lijiang's old town is especially cool, with winding streets and wooden buildings around old courtyards, and a tastefully rebuilt palace of the local feudal lord. Native "dongba" (wizard-priests) with their spellbooks, complete with magical pictograph writing. (Well, these are mostly in the museum now--the wizard-priests didn't do too well in the Cultural Revolution). (If you can't fly there, you can probably find pictures online or in tourist photography books of China).
An obscure place in Yunnan called Jiaozi Xueshan (Saddle Snow Moutain), which has a lung-busting stairway up the side of a sheer cliff--probably a 1,000 foot climb with no flat stretches, at 12,000 foot elevation. The tour guides call it the "Stairway to Heaven"--I think because you have to roll a DC 25 fortitude save or keel over when you get to the top. When you get there, it's a very interesting mountaintop plateau surrounded with cliffs. This place became the setting for the ruins of the Lost City of Orustan, the capital of the ancient grey-elf high king Penrunior Silverhair, abandoned some 10,000 years ago . . . [As you can see, I can turn just about any piece of striking landscape into a fantasy setting!]
Tintern abbey, Wales--in ruins thanks to Henry VIII, and thus the perfect "ruined temple" vista, complete with green turf and moss growing on all the rocks. My mental siting for the "ruined abbey" sample dungeon from Basic D&D manual that got recycled in the 3e DMG. (Or the Temple of Elemental Evil, or whatever). (Winchester cathedral, stonehenge, several Welsh castles, the interesting and mysterious White Horse of Uffington, and Hampton Court.)
The Uris Undergrad Library at Cornell University, Ithaca NY. Get rid of the chattering undergrads and it's the perfect wizard's library, complete with spiraling metal staircases to reach obscure volumes housed in tower chambers and gable-garretts.
The ice festival, held every January in Harbin, China. Sculptures of everything imaginable made out of ice--simulacra? Ice golems? Full-size castles constructed out of blocks of ice, glowing with strange faerie lights (they drill out holes in the blocks and slide flourescent lights in--it looks totally cool!) Bingo, the Ice Castle of Zansarbole, stronghold of the evil enchantress Queen of the Ice Elves (IMC). (Her southward patrols into the taiga forest are depicted on the cover of Dragon 292.) Hope the big oil spill didn't screw up the festival this year!
My field research site, a township in the mountains of Yunnan, China, where the houses are still made of adobe bricks and the livestock pens are part of the house. No running water in most villages, no flush toilets, 3 cars in the whole place (the police car, 2 government cars). Interesting tombstones carved with runic writing by the native priests (not Chinese!). People from five different ethnic groups, each with distinctive clothes and hairstyles, mixing at the weekly market, haggling in three different languages. Gives me a good feel for "medieval" peasant life!
Yosemite. Get rid of the cars and the tourist crowds, and it's Rivendell!
Well, there's probably more, but this is already too long . . .
Warwick Castle in England: It has some of the best scenery I have every seen. The best was the fact that Madam Tesudeau (sp?) waxmuseum holds a medival festival there every spring. It is quite something to see real jousting and sword fighting.
The Isle of Skye: Walking in the shadow top trees I got the feeling that I was being watched. I half expected to be abducted for coming across their grove as i stared at the ring of ancient stones to my left as I came down the winding switchbacks.
Plenty other Irish and Scottish scenery but in particular the mountains that reach high and are covered in green, then the meeting of the opal colored lake at the base. Very inspirational.
In Juhai (china): There were a few monasteries. But this one was in the middle of nowhere and very isolated. You had to trek quite a ways to reach it and then the view of the surrounding mountains and lakes was quite spectacular. I really expected to see the monks to start levitating in front of me as they meditated off in the distance on rocks looking over the waters.
Fundy national Park (New Brunswick Canada): Lots of woods and coniferous forests, as well as high passes beside torent rivers. THese are the places to go adventureing. You could picture adventures runing along the same track in chase of their quarry.
Grosse Morne national Park: Lots of valleys and rivers and mountain high lakes as well. If you climb grosse morne it is nothing but scree and rock for hours (800m up!) then once there you can see all of the Fjords and lakes in the various mountains. You can see why the Vikings came there! I could still see them coming there in there long boats in search of new lands. The fierce warriors of the North.
Okay Now I want to play a Barbarian!
Mmmmmmm....Mead!
The ruins of dunnottar castle near Aberdeen are at an impressive site, at the shores of the north sea, with a rich history.
In Greyhawk, it could be in the Bone March or thereabouts.
Istanbul, with the Topkapi Saray, the Hagia Sophia, and the Blue Mosque, gives a good impression how cities based on arabian culture look like. For Greyhawk, the Baklunish lands are obvious places for this. The Hagia Sophia especially did impress me very much. The sheer size is overwhelming. The Topkapi Saray is a prime example for a sultans palace.
The whole eastern mediterranean area is of course full of ruins, predominantly of greek origin. These ruins could serve as ideas for now-ruined cities in the Great Kingdom, at least I envision the GK somewhat similar to greece or rome.
San Gimignano in nortern italy is a well-conserved medieval town, situated on a hill and with quite a number of medieval living towers of the nobility still in place. A good example for any medieval town. There even was a museum of torture instruments - men surely doesn´t need any evil god to be extremely cruel to his fellows. Just thinking of this place gives me the creeps even now.
Barcelona - The church of santa maria del mar has a small place in front of it giving it a very medieval flair. The Barri Gotic has (at least in parts) a medieval feel.
There is also a maritime museum with a (newly built) live-size late medieval galley.
Stefan
Blue Hole Natural Monument in Belize. It makes a great pirate cove, but it could easily inspire a place to plop your local tribe of sea elves, locathah (or something more sinister).
Corfe Castle in Britain. I camped in a farmer's field below this bad boy when I was 14. For some reason an oddly similar ruin made its way into the next adventure my players went through.
Meteora in Greece. Delphi was cool. Athens has the Acropolis. But the highlight of my trip to Greece was, hands down, Meteora. I believe it's shown up in a couple movies, and I'm almost positive Parkinson used it as inspiration for the cover of The Pillars of Creation
Seam Reap in Cambodia - Angor Wat, the Bayon, Ta Prom, are all worthy of being considered wonders of the world - as well as the score of other ruins in the area, it is not exaggeration to say they are equal to wonders like the pyramids.
The Bagan in Myanmar (Burma) - a collection of between 3 and 4,000 temples in an are of about 2 square miles.
Shwedagon Temple - a gorgeous temple complex
Pindaya Cave - a cave jammed with 1000s of statues of buddha
The floating farms and teple on Inle Lake
China - wow there so much in China,
But the Great Wall and the Forbidden City are near the top - imagine those things enhanced with magic
Also the terrain around Yanshou and Guilin
Thailand - again tons of stuff the Palace the temples (all of the temples) the Muay Thai arena, the backpacker district, the Phi Phi Islands and Pat Pong all inform aspects of the game.
Tibet - again so much stuff so many temples and manaseries - and the of course the Potala palace, and the terrain itself.
Nepal - the terraced farms, the villages in the hills, Thamel in Kathmandu is the perfect model for adventurers hanging ot and fitting up. The palaces, temples, and shrines all over the town.
Peru - the Amazon - giant yellow river otters, caiman, wild boar, the trees the bugs, Cuzco (the tourist district - another great adventurer town), the churches, and of course Macchu Pichu.
Ecuador - the Galapagos - create pirate sea adventure stuff, the amazon jungle, the terrain, the way Quito seems to float in the clouds.
Saudi Arabia - the desert, the call to prayer, the mosques, the traditional clothing, the Red Sea.
The UAE - like Saudi but add Saris, and tubans, and languages from all over Europe - and incredible modern architecture.
Egypt - the Pyramids, the Sphinx, Temple Luxor, Temple Karnak, all unbelievable - plus the Citadel - a fortified mosque - a D&D players dream to see that place.
The States - The Oregon coast, the rainforests, the Columbia River Gorge, Timberline Lodge, Big Sur Country, the Sonoma Valley, Four Corners, and Yellow stone top the list but there are plenty more.
Sorry gotta a go - great thread.
I think travel is best thing one can do to get a real eduction, it enriches so much, gaming (of course), reading, work, understanding of the news.
Travel On!
This is an awesome thread!
China, China, China! I lived in Beijing for three years and traveled all over and loved it!
This thread makes me think of this awesome new company's idea: Scope it:
http://www.behemoth3.com/otherworld/
I am probably hosting an excurison to Beijing with them sometime in the next year. Gaming on the Great Wall...there is little in life that if finer! :-)
I forgot one of my favorites.
The Metropolitan Art Museum in New York!
The weapons and armor collection especially, the room recreations, the art objects, the whole collection is amazing the museum itself would make a great campaign setting.
In England:
* Warwick Castle - By far my favorite castle in England - the armory alone is worth it.
* Windsor Castle - I often imagine the royal palace of Cormyr to be much like this place.
* Dover Castle - The view from on top of this castle is indescribable. You can see Calais, France on a clear day.
* Chicksands Priory (this is on the Air Force base that I lived at for five years; place was complete with ghost stories and a couple hundred year history; talk about inspiration!)
* The Tower of London - I visited the torture chambers here and it gave me the creeps. They also have a legend about the ravens here that is also reminiscent of Cormyr - if all the ravens leave the Tower, the Tower will fall (similar to the "if the Purple Dragon dies, so does Cormyr").
* Stonehenge - It may be cliche, but it's literally sitting in the middle of NOWHERE. There's no real features around it for miles, except for the occasional burial barrow. If you're visiting England, this is a required stop.
* Tintagel - In Cornwall, one of the places in the King Arthur mythos. It's tumbling into the sea now, but it's still awfully cool.
In France:
* Versailles - over the top? Yes. Extravagant? Why, yes. Great setting for a corrupt monarchy? Absolutely.
In Scotland:
* Urquhart Castle (the one on the shore of Loch Ness) - Lonely castle on the shore of a lake that's got a creature in it - always interesting. (They featured this in the Highlander movies, BTW.)
* Edinburgh Castle - again, the view from this is incredible.
* The Orkneys - My favorite setting for misty, mysterious islands in the middle of a cold northern sea. Can this image not fail to stir the creative mind into something interesting? These islands have an incredible number of standing stones, as well - great settings for druid-types.
Other Places:
* Istanbul - this city just amazes me. It's gone through so many occupations, religions and everything else, but it still stands. A great cosmopolitan city.
* Venice - I think a campaign/adventure set in a city of canals would just kick ass. Can you imagine a chase scene through the canals?
* Ayers Rock/Uluru - Again, big red rock sitting in the middle of nowhere. Karsus' Stone I imagine to be this color and mass.
* Pompeii - My mom is still pissed at my dad for not stopping here, and it's been 26 years. My favorite reference for a ruined yet preserved city.
* The Vatican - one of the best religious settings I can think of.
* Brindisi, Italy - I was born here, I don't remember a darn thing about the place, but it's on my list of Places to Go Before I Die. It existed since the time of the Roman Empire, Spartacus died there, and it's on the Via Appia, which stretches all the way to the Vatican in Rome. (I lived on 13 Via Appia in an old Italian stone house with a well and large oak tree in the front yard.) It's a port city, was a stopping point for Crusaders on their way to the Holy Land (has a castle, too), has ferries to Greece and is known for its pickpockets. I think of Westgate for reference.
* The Azores - another on my list of Places to Go, if nothing else because my boyfriend's mother was born here (may she rest in peace). I'd like to see the land that created such a spitfire of a woman.
In the USA:
* Grand Tetons - The mental image I have in my head when I think of the Storm Horns in Cormyr.
* Carlsbad Caverns - It's been a while since I've been here, but I think of this place every time the players run down to the Underdark.
* Yellowstone - Again, it's been said before, but this place is SOOOO much fun. Just don't go during the tourist season.
* Texas - every time I need to get my mind set in a hot and humid environment, I instantly think of hot San Antonio summers where you can hear the cicadas and you think you can hear the grass crackle under the heat.
* Oregon - Yeah, I live here, but the range of terrain and climates in this state is amazing. From the Oregon Coast to the rainy and lush Valley to my own High Desert to the barren rolling hills of Eastern Oregon, this place has every setting I can think of.
I am originally from Gresham.
Where are you from/living?
If you are near Portland (and you are so inclined) it would be cool to set up a met when I return to visit my mom this summer.
I'll be travelling with wife and kids but I am sure I will try to find a local game shop at some point. I've enjoyed a number of your posts it would be great to put a face with the name.
BTW - I am convinced that both Devil's punch bowls the one in the gorge, and the one on the coast, are residences for ancient aquatic dragons.
I am originally from Gresham.
Where are you from/living?If you are near Portland (and you are so inclined) it would be cool to set up a meet when I return to visit my mom this summer.
I'll be travelling with wife and kids but I am sure I will try to find a local game shop at some point. I've enjoyed a number of your posts it would be great to put a face with the name.
In Bend, actually. I do make frequent trips up to Portland, both for SCA events and for personal reasons. Powell's Books is always a stop for me, and my newest favorite game store up in Portland is Bridgetown Hobbies off of Sandy Blvd.
BTW - I am convinced that both Devil's punch bowls the one in the gorge, and the one on the coast, are residences for ancient aquatic dragons.
I wholeheartedly agree. In Benham Falls, there's a place where everything coalesces into this freaky whirlpool that I'm convinced of the same thing. I also somehow have to work in Paulina Lake - it's just too awesome not to use. And Hell's Canyon, over on the Snake River.
Another "travel destination" I recommend for everybody, at least once, is winter camping. A bunch of my friends and I decided to go camping in the first week of December. The location we chose is called "The Castle" - it's really on old cistern. The place was used as a bombing raid training area in WW2. The camp site was situated in the bottom of this deep gulch - almost 45 degrees up either side of the canyon. It was an awesome experience and still makes me think about enviromental and weather effects on people (it got frakkin' cold that night - there was snow on the ground the next morning).
I love Central Oregon. We've got Smith Rock, numerous caves out in the hinterlands (BLM land - there's even a cave that has ice in it year-round), old lava flows from Newberry Crater, Lava Butte, Lava River Caves (walk allllllll the way down to the end, where you have to stoop over to get anywhere), Pilot Butte, skiing/snowboarding (if that's your thing) at Mt Bachelor, some of the best fishing in the country - what's not to like?? (I'm convinced that most people when you mention Oregon either go "where's that?" or they think of the valley and all of its rain. Never mind the fact that most of the state isn't very rainy at all. Oh, and when people mispronouce Oregon. It's ORY-GUN, not ORY-GONE - 'cause we haven't GONE anywhere, and a large portion of us have GUNS. Er...ending rant...)
Depending on the direction you're travelling from, and if you're driving, you should take Highway 97 instead of I-5. It's a lot more scenic, especially if you're travelling north.
Ah Powell's Books, its funny that the ultimate bookstore is in Portland. The ultimate mad wizards library.
I wasn't familiar with the other locations you named, sound great though.
I'm curious how do you do links like that in the posts (waits for tirades about how the ignorant should stay away from boards where civilized people converse) - with a name rather than the detailed address?
The only winter "camping" I have done is in the army - do you know when its cold out finger stick to the metal on tanks and talk about slippery - I wonder if armor (pun intended) is the same. Some cold mornings in Tibet though, I was surprised by how incredibly arid it was, I would like to try camping in a snowy environ at some point.
...do you know when its cold out fingers stick to the metal on tanks and talk about slippery - I wonder if armor (pun intended) is the same? Some cold mornings in Tibet though, I was surprised by how incredibly arid it was, I would like to try camping in a snowy environ at some point.
I would think armor and swords would frost up similarly (remember the scene at the beginning of Gladiator where he tries to draw the sword and it sticks in his scabbard).
Central Oregon has a "high and dry" climate - more cold and dry than cold and wet in the winter. It can actually get *too* cold for snow; that's when you know it's miserable...that's also usually when the wind starts picking up, so with the wind chill, the temperature drops to oh-my-god-its-frakkin-cold-lets-go-back-inside-where-its-warmer. Right now it's the time of year where it's warm enough during the day for snow or rain...then it melts...then it freezes at night. Black ice is so NOT our friend here...
Oh, for the links, do such:
[url=http://www.paizo.com] lookit me, I'm a link[/url]
:-D
Instead of trying to describe some more. My wife and I have a website set up for our photos that we have taken in and around so china. So instead of trying to tell you about the various places I think I will just show you:) Hope you like the photos and that the link works
www.flickr.com/photos/kirstenmike
These photos aren't mine, but they give a decent idea of the sites I described (they even include some maps if folks wanted to add them to their game) and have a nice description of the sites.
Swedagon Temple and Links to Other Asian Treasures
I hope folks enjoy the images.
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These photos aren't mine, but they give a decent idea of the sites I described (they even include some maps if folks wanted to add them to their game) and have a nice description of the sites.
Swedagon Temple and Links to Other Asian Treasures
I hope folks enjoy the images.
I just now re-found this. Thanks Kyr, these are really sweet. Wish I had those floorplans 6 years ago, I was doing something gamey with Angkor Wat. I had a great aerial from a National Geographic, though.
I am glad that you were able to find them and enjoy them.
I just wish the game publishers would use some of these real world places to create great D&D stuff. I am always struck by how even with all of the intelligent races, living gods, magic, and exotic materails, how banal the campaign worlds are.
Pet peeve of mine - and why I mostly use just crunch from the books and cobble together my own fluff.
Great images!! Thanks for sharing them. Also, Alasanii, your photo album of China is spectacular.
Hi all , very nice thread indeed
As a French citizen , I have the great luck of having been surroundered since my early age with many historical and natural wonders , and this is definitely one of the great chances of the Europeans : we only have to drive , let's say , 200 kms , and there is something to see that will inspire you
Some things among others :
- The medieval city of Carcassonne : This is the most beautiful and well-conserved medieval city in Europe , where the movie "Robin Hood" by Kevin Costner was shot
pages.videotron.com/celte/chateau.html
- The Mount St-Michael : Standing over the sea , this amazing monastery is a place worth to see , especially during off-touristic season , when the skies are grey and the sea is exploding into a storm . The old legends say that there is still a dragon sleeping under the monastery...
pages.videotron.com/celte/chateau.html
- The whole region of Britanny : This is the strongest celtic culture region you can find in France , with the famous standing stones of Carnac , many many castles and of course the forest of Broceliande where Merlin is supposed to sleep . This land is full of legends , and has also a great sea/marine tradition , with the beautiful city of St-Malo who was a haven for corsairs in the 16th/17th centuries. I hotly recommend that if you go to France , you make a visit to these wonderful lands.
- The Cathars castles : you can still visit these ruined castles that were the refuges of the cathars when the kingdom of France and the Pope sent crusaders against them. They all stand on top of incredibly tall hills/mountains , and it's always quite an adventure to reach them , but the view and the general feeling is awesome.
queribus.occitanie.org/.../
peyrepertuse.html
- The Pyreneans Mountains : if you're into wild , rocky and foggy mountains , these natural borders of Spain and France are definitely worth a trip , as you always have the feeling that you're hikings in the Misty Mountains and that some dwarves or worse will appear in the minute.
Etc....Etc.....
And now as a French guy "exiled" in the green island of Ireland , the country that has more myths and legends than inabitants, I can tell you that this is definetly THE country that will put your D&D inspirations high ! Kerry , Kilkenny , Donegal , Connemara , the Giant Causeway , etc......Wonderful lands and sights ! I have the feeling since I arrived and when I the chance to leave Dublin that I hear sweet irish/folk music in my head and that some Fair folks are guiding me ! :))
Kyravahne Rhylfahne - finds a new application for bardic music in a vain effort to resssurect a lost thread...
I have actually don a lot of travel in the last year and I am offically back on my soapbox to advocate travel to all people - but especially and gamers and game developers.
RECENT DESTINATIONS
My holidays of late have been to some pretty cool places:
Petra and the Dead Sea were one trip.
Petra is amazing! The structures of a lost civilization that cut monumental architecture INTO the local cliff faces - This place is a must see - to tie it to gaming - the reality of Petra far exceeds the fantasy of Dwarves in D&D.
The Dead Sea is cool too - a sea so salty it burns - that nothing can live in it (although evidently there are 6 species of bacteria that have adapted to the salinity). On the way they we alos stopped at an old crusader castle - that supposedly withstood assault by none other than Salahuddin.
Luxor, Giza & Cairo
To see the pyramids and the sphinx is awesome but to go to Karnak and the Valley of the Kings is REALLY special. That men could do this without magic - with the resources available to them is truly amazing. In addition to the classic stuff that makes the history channel, Cairo also has a rich christian tradition that is often overlooked and has its own rich artistic style - also very cool to see.
Amsterdam
I was traveling with my 2 and 4 year old - so some of the more commonly discussed attractions of Amsterdam were out of bounds. However, there is much in Amsterdam to inspire the open minded gamer. A city of canals and bridges, with all manner of houseboats, and boats, and a rich artistic tradition.
Norway
I always wanted to see the land of the vikings, and I have to say it does not disappoint. Norway was one of the most picturesque places I have ever seen - every bend in the road presented a new and wondrous view all of the towns were clean and well maintained (a SHARP contrast to Egypt), people were pleasant and spoke excellent English. Norway looks like a land from a fantasy novel. And the Norwegian Folk Museum, Viking Ship Museum, History Museum, etc. hold a host of artifacts that would inspire any gamer to create a viking character at the soonest possible opportunity.
Rather than ramble on and bore people with my own descriptions - I encourage everyone out there to explore our world and its history - there is much adventure to be found in the real world and its history, and it is my heartfelt opinion that doing so makes the experience and the gaming table much much richer.
Ming tombs, Beijing.
Plunge into the bowels of the earth where you can survive only by the air being pumped in. Warning signs caution people with heart problems or claustrophobia to stay aboveground (or worse, both).
Shaolin Temple, Henan
Real D&D monks. Anyone who has seen them do their stuff will swear to this. The temple is amazing, and seeing what 1500 years of Wushu does to the stones underfoot is awe inspiring.
For a martial artist, visitng the temple is like a religious pilgrimage.
And others...
Has anyone mentioned Egypt yet? Oh yah, right above me, that would be my first choice.
Ming tombs, Beijing.
Plunge into the bowels of the earth where you can survive only by the air being pumped in. Warning signs caution people with heart problems or claustrophobia to stay aboveground (or worse, both).
Shaolin Temple, Henan
Real D&D monks. Anyone who has seen them do their stuff will swear to this. The temple is amazing, and seeing what 1500 years of Wushu does to the stones underfoot is awe inspiring.
For a martial artist, visitng the temple is like a religious pilgrimage.
And others...
Has anyone mentioned Egypt yet? Oh yah, right above me, that would be my first choice.
You are the first person I have heard mention Shaolin temple, I Iwent in 1994, and I wholly agree - it was really cool (although after seeing some of those guys I feel hard pressed to call myself a martial artist).
The Ming Tombs I missed - but the Terra Cotta Warriors are awe inspiring, and the Great Wall, and Forbidden City, and Temple of Heaven - and well China is a just a great over travel destination, even the more rural areas like Yan Shou (spelled like I remember it sounding)
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Maybe this doesn't sound as impressive as some of the places mentioned here, but.....
There is a place right here in Philadelphia. Down the road from my house is part of the park system called the Wissahickon Creek Trail, where I go to run. The trail itself (at least the part I use) is about 20-25 feet wide and runs for about 5 miles, with the creek downhill on one side, and rising forest (with some small, 5-10 ft cliffs here and there)on the other side. There are even ruins of stone walls, every so often. Near where I park the trail goes into a large open area where sits the Valley Green Inn, which is apparently very old (over 100 year, I think).
Anyway, the whole set-up makes me think of a party travelling along a road between a small hamlet (complete with roadside in) and "the big city". The scenario I envision is PCs getting ambushed by bandits or a wandering monster.
...
There is a place right here in Philadelphia. Down the road from my house is part of the park system called the Wissahickon Creek Trail, where I go to run. ....
Zombies don't run, there joints are to stiff. Zombies shamble and limp.
The old cover of Moonshae Isles novel, had a painting of the Iao needle in the background. It is a famous Maui land mark.
Hiking the Hana coast There are black sand beaches, rugged jagged blacks rocks rising out of the blue sea topped with green foliage. Hidden black sand coves, black and blus rock lagoons and sea side fresh water ponds, sea cliff caves and water falls,, ancient man made fishponds and hundreds of ancient Hawaiian shrines and temples. Hana on the Isle of Maui, was fought over for centuries (hence all the shrines and temples), between the chiefs of Maui and chiefs of the island of Hawaii, because it was so fertile and agriculturally productive. Couple all that with stories of sharkmen, one eyed ogres, growing magical talking rocks, menehunes (think brownies) and seductive moo (lizard women), whos kiss can drown men. I'm just always inspired out there, its magical. Especially lately since our game is heading to the Isle of Dread.
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Maybe this doesn't sound as impressive as some of the places mentioned here, but.....
There is a place right here in Philadelphia. Down the road from my house is part of the park system called the Wissahickon Creek Trail, where I go to run.........Anyway, the whole set-up makes me think of a party travelling along a road between a small hamlet (complete with roadside in) and "the big city". The scenario I envision is PCs getting ambushed by bandits or a wandering monster.
Yeah, when I go to Philadelphia I also think of getting ambushed.....
The place is crawling with "wandering monsters".FH
RPG Superstar 2013 Top 32
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I have yet to leave the United States (*sob*) so I haven't really seen any places that inspire D&D thoughts.
However, I have been to a few places that make my mind travel to White Wolf's World of Darkness.
First: Albany, New York. The buildings here are tall, dark, and spooky. This is doubly true at night. It's a fairly quiet city at night, too, unlike NYC. Adds to the creep factor.
Second: Chicago, Illinois. Downtown Chicago is terrifying. The elevated train (the "el") makes horrible metal screeching noises as it goes past. Everything is dark, rundown, and dirty. Monsters live there, I'm convinced.
What trips have you taken or what places have you visited that really got your creative thoughts flowing? What places in the real world made you think of how cool a place like this would be for D&D?
I was in Quito (Ecuator)A city and a volcano - nice if you plan to DM SCAP.
Venice - I think a campaign/adventure set in a city of canals would just kick ass. Can you imagine a chase scene through the canals?
I've run an adventure just like that. It was GREAT... one of the best we've played.
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What trips have you taken or what places have you visited that really got your creative thoughts flowing? What places in the real world made you think of how cool a place like this would be for D&D?I was in Quito (Ecuator)A city and a volcano - nice if you plan to DM SCAP.
(lol) I was running Cyberpunk, and the city where the players were was getting hot for them....one guy decided to go to "Quito, Ecuador" on a plane. Well, hell; I had to stop the game and go look up Ecuador.
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RPG Superstar 2013 Top 32
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Venice - I think a campaign/adventure set in a city of canals would just kick ass. Can you imagine a chase scene through the canals?I've run an adventure just like that. It was GREAT... one of the best we've played.
Yeah, fighting in canals is awesome. In Iron Kingdoms, the city of Corvis is built on a system of canals and we had a game where there was a gunfight between gondolas!
Being somewhat fascinated by medieval architecture, I have seen bunch of old castles, churches and whatnot in several European countries...(beside the usual suspects, I recommend western Czech Republic, there are some really nice castles and towns there, most of whose names I don't remember or cannot pronounce.)
There's been some funny individual moments too, like in one small town right after I uttered "ooh, let's go and look at that ruin of gothic church on the hill" the church bells started to ring really ominously...sort of moment that when you see it in a movie, the reaction is to yell "don't go there, you idiots!"
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Actually, apart from the facetious rejoinder to Lilith's comment on Stonehenge, some of the "close to home" stuff reminds me...
My parents live in Herefordshire, which for those that don't know is a very rural county in England on the border with Wales. There is lots of evocative scenery round there - they are close to the border, so the hills are are very rugged (called the Black Mountains, but they are not quite as impressive as the Himalayas or the Rockies) and there is a fairly romantic history of Welsh revolt against the English in the Middle Ages (Owen Glyndwyr lived for a while only a few miles down the road at Kentchurch, I think) and Owen Tudor, who was Henry VII's grandfather (I think) was executed in the town square in Hereford. So you get great, brooding hills, small river valleys, and isolated villages amongst sheep grazing in fields. I spent about six months there, walking in the hills, while between jobs (and was quite annoyed to get employment, frankly - I was having a great time and haven't been that fit again since). Even the place names are quite good - Ewyas Harold (where my parents live, and site of the first castle in England), Abbey Dore, the Golden Valley, Llanthony Priory, Much Dewchurch, Wormelow. What gets me is that you can walk around and hear nothing but birds and sheep, maybe a tractor in the distance, and nothing else - hardly any people at all. Great for thinking.
It also reminds me of a trip into Wales on the A44 (if anyone knows it) from Kington to Llandridnod (sp?) Wells, not far from my parents. You pass out of Kington, with its narrow streets, and pass along the road. You pass between a rocky gap between two hills and then drive across miles of exposed moorland, with rocky tors jutting up and the odd, twisted looking small tree. I would have been completely unsurprised if three witches had jumped up with the old "Double, double, toil and trouble" routine.
On a completely different note, we were in new England for our honeymoon a couple of months ago. A visit to the Newport Mansions is well worth it if you ever wondered what a noble's palace looks like.
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I'd have to say that the most interesting place I've been is underground. I work in mining engineering, and being able to go underground and watch the digging of tunnels and whatnot, as well as experiancing the mining comunity in the nearby town grants a certain amount of perspective. It also raises questions like "where did that crazy lich put the dirt after he dug his tomb?". The job has some great benefits as well, like providing some of the coolest maps for a real world, realistic "dungeon". Three or four levels of a mine, the map of the nearby town, and you have a night of gaming practically premade.
And you want creepy? try walking around in a giant cave, twisting and turning every couple hundred feet, with the only light being that from your helmet lamp, lighting only a small circle at any given time. also grants some perspective into illumination rules. those are some pretty powerful torches the players carry.
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I have always wanted to go to see Restormel Castle. It just seems more fanasy like then other castles to me...
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The Welsh Borders are great for castles too. If I had to recommend one, I'd go with Chepstow 'cos it ain't half big.
Gonna resurect this thread- since I just found this on Vimeo and really felt it needed to be seen. It conjures up all kinds of gaming thoughts, no?
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Petra deserves a place on this list. I think everyone has had adventures based in a place like it, whether they realized it or not.
As does the windward side of oahu, especially after a rain. I'm usually not a big fan of "lost world" style adventures, but a setting like this could make me rethink my position.
Iraq's Anbar province, especially near the Syrian border, had some amazing views (if you like sheer expanse of stony deserts), but it's hard to find pics that aren't ... depressing. Like Kyr mentioned above - the call to prayer, the shimmering heat, the scarlet skies at sunset. Could leave me speechless.
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(lol) I was running Cyberpunk, and the city where the players were was getting hot for them....one guy decided to go to "Quito, Ecuador" on a plane. Well, hell; I had to stop the game and go look up Ecuador.What trips have you taken or what places have you visited that really got your creative thoughts flowing? What places in the real world made you think of how cool a place like this would be for D&D?I was in Quito (Ecuator)A city and a volcano - nice if you plan to DM SCAP.
Dude. This is you from the future. Where you're working? Don't stay there. Get the hell out NOW! In two years the jobs will dry up and you'll be stuck!!!
sigh worth a try
The Völkerschlachtdenkmal "battle of the nations memorial" in Leipzig is amazing, it was built by the Free Masons to celebrate the first big victory over Napoleon
The kyffhäuserdenkmal in the harz mountains in Germany was build 1896 to celebrate Emporer Wilhelm I (then recently dead) and mdeiveal Emporer Friedrich I. Barbarossa
The Giant's Causeway in Co. Antrim, Northern Ireland, along with the legend of Fionn mac Cumhall and the Scottish Giant.
Also in Ireland, in Co. Wicklow, the valley of Glendalough and its 6th century monastic settlement. It wasn't a monastery per se, because the monks all lived in small houses scattered around the valley. The tower served as a lookout spot against Viking raiders.
The flak tower in Berlin Humboldthain. Flak towers were built in several big German cities to defend against allied bombing raids as well as serving as bomb shelters. Most were demolished after the war, involving several spectacular and hilarious fails.
The one in Humboldthain is an exception, because the French occupation forces blew up only one side, probably to avoid damaging a Soviet operated railway. The result can be visited today, that's why I included it here. The bunker is a cold and wet maze of ferro-concrete rooms and tunnels, including one long path on the edge of the collapsed section where the floor just slopes downward into a huge mess of rubble and bent steel rods. (Unfortunately, the pictures are very small.]
Here's another thread along these lines with pictures of locations that can be used for inspiration:
The Deutsches Museum in Munich for it's mind-boggling size. I remember going down the mining exhibit, which is essentially a replica mine that seems to go on forever when you're alone and don't know that it's not an ordinary exhibit. Pf was the first thing that popped into my head when I found myself halfway through that thing.
And the Monschsberg or 'monk mountain' in Austria is covered in old medieval fortifications. And at the bottom there's a bunch of famous graves and a monk cloister. I got to meet an actual monk there.
I've also been to Newgrange in County Meath Ireland, which is famous. I bet if you extended the structure out into some kind of Indiana Jones-esque labrinth and combined that with the picturesque surrounding area, you'd really have something.
And yes, Chicago can be scary. Why do you think WOD gave the city its own book. And I wish I could say I was surprised that Cicero was in it too, but no, not really. There's definitely monsters in Cicero.