For STAP, I'm playing a crazed archivist (Heroes of Horror) driven by concerns that "something" is out there. While this will fit with the eventual theme of the campaign, I am also interested in random occult facts on Greyhawk such as deities, demigods, weird magic, etc. that my mad one could have heard rumors of. Could be made up things (I'm doing that a lot IC), but I am interested in folks who know Greyhawk better than I who could suggest some odd things as above.
I've looked at the Deity list at Wikipedia for Greyhawk, which is a start, but I'm interested in other suggestions. Mostly for fun, so my character can mention that "The Koran Horn has power to bind the Dark Mountain Walker according to the The Legends of Black Furyondy" or "The Seven Signs of Shargoth ward against specific plagues, but when used together have resonance with places curses."
This is not a spoiler thread; as I said, not looking at STAP specific lore (that's what in game Knowledge checks are for). Just things appropriate to the setting. Could be fun to make up a few!
Well . . . I don't have any exact knowledge of what you're looking for, but I do have a suggestion.
If your character is going to be quoting stuff in game .. . I'd say use stuff referenced in the prior AP's. The Apostlisic Scrolls or whatever they were called that the Raknian guy used in chapter five of AWAP . . .
or, taking from the pages of dragon, inthe Core Beleif articles, I think it ussually mentions one or two holy texts of the deities . . . i.e. "The Sun Dial, the Holy Book of Pelor, states that blah blah blah . . . "
just a thought that the rambling sleep deprived mind of mine generates.
I played a warlock similarly to this - he was a scholar first and foremost, always reading books and quoting from them at length.
The best source for sinister sounding book titles is, and always will be, H.P. Lovecraft. And that sort of feeling has come into D&D quite a bit. The Book of Vile Darkness and the Book of Exalted Deeds. The Codex of Infinite Planes. Iggwilv's Demonomicon. Quote from these books, making it clear that you've only been able to read "mere notes and annotations" on the real deals. Mention the gods and their holy books often, the shadier the god the better. Like the Apostolic Scrolls of Kyuss and Vecna's Tome of Shared Secrets. Consider the use of planar ally spells (at higher levels) for the Knowledge skills of the outsiders you contact as much as their combat capacity.
Good suggestions! I've already dropped some obscure AoWAP references (I'm DM'ing it, so I know them cold), but I'm avoiding SCAP since 1) I just started playing it and 2) with the same DM as STAP. :)
I like the names of "canonical" book references; that was exactly that type of thing I was looking for.
Good suggestions! I've already dropped some obscure AoWAP references (I'm DM'ing it, so I know them cold), but I'm avoiding SCAP since 1) I just started playing it and 2) with the same DM as STAP. :)
I like the names of "canonical" book references; that was exactly that type of thing I was looking for.
Going old school again, some of Doc Strange's quotes could be recycled as well. He was always calling out some old and forgotten stuff.
Good suggestions! I've already dropped some obscure AoWAP references (I'm DM'ing it, so I know them cold), but I'm avoiding SCAP since 1) I just started playing it and 2) with the same DM as STAP. :)
I like the names of "canonical" book references; that was exactly that type of thing I was looking for.
I recommend getting your hands on the following issues of Dragon, if you can:
#253: (includes descriptions of non-magical tomes of the Flanaess, which would be useful for historical, but not necessary occult references).
#268: Greyhawk Grimmoires
#269: Greyhawk Grimmoires
#270: Zagig's Comedicon
268 0r 269 (don't remember which), contains information on Vecna's Ineffable Variorum, Iggwilv's Nethertome, and Acererak's (from "Tomb of Horrors" fame) Libram.
Pages 21-24 of the module WGA4, "Vecna Lives!" (available as a PDF), has descriptions of several historical and/or occult tomes found in the Great Library of Greyhawk.
I suggest you let your DM know what you plan on checking out before you do so, just in case s/he has campaign plans for the tomes contained within the above sources.
If you haven't already checked out the Canonfire! website, check this link out, it should help you find dozens of interesting historical/religious/occult ideas (non-canon, for the most part, but many are of good quality):
http://www.canonfire.com/cfhtml/modules.php?name=Topics
I hope that helps!
|
Tharizdun, the God of Destruction and Madness and all things abberrant and "outside" the universe, is a perfect analog for a Cthulu-like mindset (i.e. occult).
Tharizdun is imprisoned and constantly seeks release. I have bubbling in the back of my head a coda of sorts after the STAP ends: A Epic adventure that reveals that the Savage Tide, while hatched by Demogorgon, is/was being subverted by the Doomdreamers (Tharziduns hidden clergy) using agents within the scarlet brotherhood. This Epic level advebture would reveal that ALL Oerthian cataclysms are 'merely' engines of destruction created to free Tharizdun:
The Twin Cataclysms
The First Savage Tide
The First Temple of Elemental Evil (which led to Iuz's involvement...and thus the Greyhawk War...)
The Tharizdun cults (or elder elemental eye cults for that matter) seek to promote destruction.
Since it doesn't play into the adventure itself, having your character spout out "nonesense" about the "The Fiery Eye" (ie Tharizdun) searching for the character and other non-sequiters would really add flavor.
Since it doesn't play into the adventure itself, having your character spout out "nonesense" about the "The Fiery Eye" (ie Tharizdun) searching for the character and other non-sequiters would really add flavor.
Done and done! I love these ideas! I've already accused a door knocker of bearing the Fiery Eye. :)
Thanks all!