The DM's Idea Vault

Yeah, kind of like a bank, I guess. This is a good place to throw ideas into. If you've got an idea for a campaign, a weapon, puzzle, spell, class, or some other item dealing with any tabletop RPG, feel free to open it to the public. Of course, you may have ideas that you want to keep to yourself because you plan on making something on the interwebs for it, and you don't want some one else to take it for their own before you have a chance to perfect and post it. I have a few of those myself. However it is a good place to show others something that they might can use for themselves, find some inspiration for something in your own campaigns, or just post an idea you have in the works and wouldn't mind getting some suggestions to help it along. Feel free to upload maps, pictures, and other helpful information.

One thing though:
If you grab someone else's idea, I don't think it would be right, unless they gave permission, for you to use it on the internet or in any other public venue. This is more stuff for personal use with your own little RPGs at home with your friends.

Oh and please state which RPG these might work best with. It may work with many or may just work with D&D or BESM, etc. Just try to clarify that to some extent, even if it is possible to convert it to other tabletops (which, usually, most ideas probably will be).

Most of my stuff will be based from Dungeons and Dragons, as are these first two:

I have a lot of ideas, that I always think are cool, but a lot of the time, I overdue it. Like I had an idea a long time ago to have some kind of campaign that was gonna have stupid powerful enemies. Like, having a bunch of evil dieties for some unknown reason all band together(and by unkown, I mean unknown; I never really figured out the how, when I had the idea). I just wanted some kind of really awesome final battle thing with way too many good monsters, and way too many bad monsters. =D Not the best one I've ever had, but I had a whole set up for a really cool, and ginormous dungeon. Yeah just something fun and overzealous that's always kind of in the back of my mind. I'll probably never make my poor little friends go through that, though.

I've been working more recently on a campaign to start off my friends on. It's going to be long, I know that much. I plan to take them from level 1 to 20, on kind of a crusade-like campaign. I was gonna start them off in a little village and they were gonna go from place to place, trying to rid some kingdom of the evil emissaries of some far off evil ruler. Most of it is still in the works and I'm still drawing most of the terrain maps, which are usually pretty sketchy, so if I end up posting it, don't be too surprised if it looks like junk.

I might post some other ideas that I've had a little later.

love
dani
dude

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Originally Posted by Yugure's Goddess

I've been working more recently on a campaign to start off my friends on. It's going to be long, I know that much. I plan to take them from level 1 to 20, on kind of a crusade-like campaign. I was gonna start them off in a little village and they were gonna go from place to place, trying to rid some kingdom of the evil emissaries of some far off evil ruler. Most of it is still in the works and I'm still drawing most of the terrain maps, which are usually pretty sketchy, so if I end up posting it, don't be too surprised if it looks like junk.

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Ok. That's basically the plot of every NES RPG.

Now that's fine for the middle school D&D set. But as you get older you might want to think about trying something different.

May I suggest a city campaign? The key here is that it's much much easier to have reoccuring NPCs and actually get some character development from the and the players. The players will also slowly get a feeling for the city and be able to interact with it or choose to go to specific places.

Well on the current DnD campaign I have going, I decided to make a world in itself, throw in it's capital and such things, and even set some Mythos and history.

I'm basing this world on the world I created for an RP here on AF a loooong time ago. Gun are available, but obviously nothing like assault rifles and such. The idea is that the fire arms are usually driven by magic, though alchemy brings in the idea of gunpowder and such things. This allows an Alchemist to aid in the creation of Magical or Alchemical ammunition for the nearest gunsmith (Weaponsmith/Blacksmith skill). I have created my own line of ammunition, magical or otherwise, though I'm still trying to fine tune the system.

The strength of firearms is dependant on how many rounds your weapon can hold and what those rounds do. The max being 4 rounds for rifle (More expensive sorts) and similarly for canister/cartridge based weapons (Obviously the more closer magical link of the two weapons here). It takes a certain amount of time to reload your guns, unlike how a bow is much faster to release and keep on going. I'm still working on the bumps and bruises.

As for other things, I work with my players to come up with Races which suit them, and I try to balance out such a thing.

Though I must resort to improvisation depending on how the players move along, and how they approach situations that might not be straightfoward.

I'm currently in the conception stage of a 28 Day Later survival horror, mostly to satiate my need for awesome zombiness. It's going to be a very generic plot involving a top secret military bioweapon being sprayed on an unsuspecting small town. The bioweapon goes awry and zombie apocalypse ensures.

I'll be starting a thread once I get down a very detailed conception of the actual 'zombie virus'. Which I'm making eerily plausible and very, very nasty.

I'm still all D&D and stuff.

heh. I tried to create some kind of Samurai prestige class about a year ago, and some other prestige class I came up soon after with but I forgot what the premise of it was, but I think it some kind of thief-assassin-type knock off thing.

I know a friend of mine created his own race, but he apparently had to make everyone else's characters level 43 to balance things out. I was like, whoa! That's a little much don't you think? o.o He said he's still working on it.

love
dani
dude

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Originally Posted by Yugure's Goddess

I'm still all D&D and stuff.

heh. I tried to create some kind of Samurai prestige class about a year ago, and some other prestige class I came up soon after with but I forgot what the premise of it was, but I think it some kind of thief-assassin-type knock off thing.

I know a friend of mine created his own race, but he apparently had to make everyone else's characters level 43 to balance things out. I was like, whoa! That's a little much don't you think? o.o He said he's still working on it.

love
dani
dude

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Wow I'm impressed at +43 Level Adjustment monsters. What was it? Bhallspawn?

And they already have Samurai as a base class (gotta love Complete Warrior).

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Originally Posted by SGI

Wow I'm impressed at +43 Level Adjustment monsters. What was it? Bhallspawn?

And they already have Samurai as a base class (gotta love Complete Warrior).

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There's an Oriental Adventures version too. I would much prefer the Complete Warrior, myself.

Yeah, but that one doesn't count as it's basically Legend of the Five Rings D20

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Originally Posted by SGI

Yeah, but that one doesn't count as it's basically Legend of the Five Rings D20

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Well, it's not as though classes haven't transmigrated from OA into traditional D&D, like the Wu Jen. It's fairly defensible to stick it in the traditional multiverse.

And let's be fair, monks have no business in a western fantasy universe either.

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Originally Posted by Manhattan_Project_2000

Well, it's not as though classes haven't transmigrated from OA into traditional D&D, like the Wu Jen. It's fairly defensible to stick it in the traditional multiverse.

And let's be fair, monks have no business in a western fantasy universe either.

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Well that is only true until the Craft (Overpriced Beer) skill becomes canon.

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Originally Posted by SGI

Wow I'm impressed at +43 Level Adjustment monsters. What was it? Bhallspawn?

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lol close enough. I don't remember. It was some kind of draconic-type monstrosity... I'd have to talk to him about it, again.

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And they already have Samurai as a base class (gotta love Complete Warrior).

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Oh, I know, but that was a long time ago, I didn't have that book, and it was really my only decent idea, at the time, for a prestige class and I really wanted to create a prestige class. I never finished it, granted, but that's beside the point.

Also, I've got a player that's dead-set on either being half-dragon or raising a dragon in our D&D game. (Beginner!) You guys got any tips as to where I could find crap for either? I think I could get the race thing with my dungeon master's guide, but the dragon-hatching and raising crap threw me through a bit of a loop. I was all like "man! I'm just trying to get you into this! Why can't you just play a human fighter, just for this first campaign or something like that! Why do you have to make this so difficult?" I've already got one beginner on a rogue and another on a wizard! He just HAS to make things even MORE complicated. Why is it that every beginner I take on has to be all over-zealous on the first go-around? X_X I swear, they're trying to kill me. ...Could I get some help?

love
dani
dude

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Originally Posted by Yugure's Goddess

lol close enough. I don't remember. It was some kind of draconic-type monstrosity... I'd have to talk to him about it, again.


Oh, I know, but that was a long time ago, I didn't have that book, and it was really my only decent idea, at the time, for a prestige class and I really wanted to create a prestige class. I never finished it, granted, but that's beside the point.

Also, I've got a player that's dead-set on either being half-dragon or raising a dragon in our D&D game. (Beginner!) You guys got any tips as to where I could find crap for either? I think I could get the race thing with my dungeon master's guide, but the dragon-hatching and raising crap threw me through a bit of a loop. I was all like "man! I'm just trying to get you into this! Why can't you just play a human fighter, just for this first campaign or something like that! Why do you have to make this so difficult?" I've already got one beginner on a rogue and another on a wizard! He just HAS to make things even MORE complicated. Why is it that every beginner I take on has to be all over-zealous on the first go-around? X_X I swear, they're trying to kill me. ...Could I get some help?

love
dani
dude

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The Draconomicon book is your one-stop-shop for all your dragon needs. It supplies rules for dragons as mounts/cohorts/familiars/characters, although the Races of the Dragon book is also relevant to dragon-descended characters.

An interesting alternative may be the Draconian race in the Dragonlance campaign setting.

As for raising a dragon, don't even THINK about it until higher levels. the Draconomicon may be a huge help in that respect though. I've never been big on Dragons so I would only be of limited help.

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Originally Posted by Manhattan_Project_2000

The Draconomicon book is your one-stop-shop for all your dragon needs. It supplies rules for dragons as mounts/cohorts/familiars/characters, although the Races of the Dragon book is also relevant to dragon-descended characters.

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That would be pretty awesome. I just have to get money then find a Hastings or something and buy it. He may have to wait a while for his frickin' egg.

Sorry about that, I'm just a little flustered. I mean, I've barely had time to work on the campaign, and he's got things planned out way in advance and he hasn't even completed his character. I spend time with all my beginners at once, and I'm like simultaneously explaining the deal with known spells and daily spells to my wizard, while explaining what feats are to my beginning fighter, while explaining the mechanics of a sneak attack to my rogue, and he's all "I want a dragon!" #$&*#@&^%$#*$%!!!!!

EDIT: @ SGI, that was another problem that I keep trying to warn him of. I mean I'm not just gonna out and give him an egg from the get-go. I'd make him raid a dragon's nest for it or whatever, and it'll be a while before they're even remotely strong enough to do something like that. Then you know, it'll take who knows how long to hatch it, then he has to be in the right place at the right time, from what I understand. Like don't you have to hatch a red dragon in a volcano, a silver in below freezing conditions, etc.? Then when it's hatched, what good will it be? His character'll be dead before the things old enough to be of any use in combat or as a mount. I said that and he said something about he's an elf and he'll live long enough. *slams head against wall* There's no getting through to him!

Anyway, thanks MP2K. I'll look into that.

love
dani
dude

An idea I had was to actually give them what they wish for. Give him the incredibly powerful dragon for them to raise. Good freaking luck in him taming it XD.

Oh my gosh. XD That could be very interesting. I could have fun with it, too, and give them a very powerful and annoying gold dragon. Or a red dragon. Both of which he does not want. He wants a silver dragon. I'm probably not going to give him a silver, if I give him anything. Well, I'll probably give him something.

Either way, Thanks, guys!

love
dani
dude

You could always give him the evil equivalent (i.e a Blue Dragon). Less cooperative.

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EDIT: @ SGI, that was another problem that I keep trying to warn him of. I mean I'm not just gonna out and give him an egg from the get-go. I'd make him raid a dragon's nest for it or whatever, and it'll be a while before they're even remotely strong enough to do something like that.

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Most dragons leave their eggs unattended. Occasionally protected by loyal servants or something, but you don't have to kill the dragon for them or anything.

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Then you know, it'll take who knows how long to hatch it, then he has to be in the right place at the right time, from what I understand. Like don't you have to hatch a red dragon in a volcano, a silver in below freezing conditions, etc.?

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The conditions aren't that exacting. Red dragons need an open flame and/or an overall temperature greater then or equal to 140 F. Reds, Brasses, and Golds are the only real problem, for the rest it's pretty much keeping it in one location that somewhat resembles the dragon's native environment. Blue in extreme desert temperatures, Silver below freezing, etcetera.

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Then when it's hatched, what good will it be? His character'll be dead before the things old enough to be of any use in combat or as a mount. I said that and he said something about he's an elf and he'll live long enough. *slams head against wall* There's no getting through to him!

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(Using gold as an example) About 2 1/2 year to hatch, Six years to become Very Young and therefore large enough to serve as a mount. Look at about 17-18 years or more to become large enough to ride for the smaller dragons. 52 years for Whites, which is the extreme opposite example.

Another idea: Make him play a Paladin, and give him a Dragon as a special mount. Early on he'll get stuck with fake dragons, later he'd get real ones.

Evil Idea: Make him a dragon's pet.

Ok. So my facts weren't perfect. I was just saying. It would be a hassle for everyone, especially him. And even if dragons leave their nests unattended, I'd probably be evil and make him fight mama, anyway. Just 'cause. I'm trying to disuade him so I don't feel as guilty should I decide to COMPLETELY IGNORE HIS REQUEST. Ok, I wouldn't do that but... just grrr, alright?

Thanks again. If you couldn't tell, you are far more competent DMs than I, so I'm grateful for your help. (yeah, I'm a kiss-up! Get over it!)

love
dani
dude

Jakiao sent me.

A little History first:
A long time ago me and Jakiao worked for the same guy. We met through him and cultivated a long standing friendship centered around our hate for this fellow. Subsequently I did some work for Jakiao and we've been friends since.

Yesterday we were catching up and I mentioned I'd like to build a browser based Tabletop rpg system. He directed me here. So here I am, yay. I'm mostly here for the convo, but if a working relationship comes out of it, so be it.


But yeah, this seemed like the most appropriate place to post my idea.

Having a webpage where someone could in flash, java or another system play multiplayer D&D, AD&D, RIFTS, Shadowrun et cetra. The page would also be a repository for tools such as character generators, dice rollers, map creators and npc generators. Most likely the view would be of a top down grid or square based map (customizable by the DM using preset tiles) and simple Avatars. A chat system would be included along with a dice roller and a stat sheet that can be altered to fit the style.

Anywho thats the gist of my idea.

@ Pdquinn - A phpbb forum host might be the best bet for your idea. I know they have a lot of mods that include a lot of that stuff you're looking for. I'm pretty sure they have dice-rolling mods and cash mods and stuff. And for the front site, Word Press is a cool option and... agh! I dunno. You're probably going to have to try and find or make something that integrates the rpg and front site together. Kind of like Gaia Online, I suppose. That's the first thing that comes to mind when you mention your idea.

Or just VBulletin (which uses phpbb). I mean, look at this site. It has shops, blogs, and they're even working on they're own little RPG thing at the top. It's pretty amazing.

The only problem is... that could be REALLY awesome, and that means that it's also going to be ridiculously difficult to get in motion. Just getting a framework for all of that is going to take quite a bit of time.

love
dani
dude

Php could do alot of what I need. But what I ment by Top down grid based map is to have it Real time interactive so the players could move and make actions and dice rolls in real time without having to refresh the page.

And yes it is difficult to get anything awesome going. Heh, luckily I have good friends like "Jakky"

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Originally Posted by Pdquinn

Jakiao sent me.

A little History first:
A long time ago me and Jakiao worked for the same guy. We met through him and cultivated a long standing friendship centered around our hate for this fellow. Subsequently I did some work for Jakiao and we've been friends since.

Yesterday we were catching up and I mentioned I'd like to build a browser based Tabletop rpg system. He directed me here. So here I am, yay. I'm mostly here for the convo, but if a working relationship comes out of it, so be it.


But yeah, this seemed like the most appropriate place to post my idea.

Having a webpage where someone could in flash, java or another system play multiplayer D&D, AD&D, RIFTS, Shadowrun et cetra. The page would also be a repository for tools such as character generators, dice rollers, map creators and npc generators. Most likely the view would be of a top down grid or square based map (customizable by the DM using preset tiles) and simple Avatars. A chat system would be included along with a dice roller and a stat sheet that can be altered to fit the style.

Anywho thats the gist of my idea.

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You could probably lift alot of the code from http://pcgen.sourceforge.net/ assuming you know/know someone who knows Java.

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Originally Posted by Manhattan_Project_2000

You could probably lift alot of the code from http://pcgen.sourceforge.net/ assuming you know/know someone who knows Java.

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I know a little Java. I took two years of computer science and programming learning only Java and some basic HTML. I'm not advanced... I mean... I still don't understand recursion, but yeah... there's that. I'd help but I'd probably need extra help from some one who is much more well-versed in programming. Not even really Java. Some one who knows C++ could jump right into Java. If need be, we could find someone that knows C++ and I could transpose the code into Java. Or something like that...

@ Pbquinn - hmm... I don't know what to tell you for the real time map. That's probably the biggest thing where you're going to need Java applets and stuff. That's doable, but probably the most difficult part of it all.

love
dani
dude

Well I have a domain I use for project at YouDeclare.net, We could work on the php portion of it including the theme until we find a programmer, If you want feel free to instant message me, anyone interested is free to message me.