Mmmmmmm. Thanks for bringing this back into view, CleverNickName - this thread (and more importantly the asspociated links) was a trip down memory lane.
I like a variation of the Progenitor category, tied up in cycles of destruction/creation. Gods are then expressions of deeper (unknowable?) forces that shape and are shaped by the current reality.
I ended up making all the goblinoids into a single species - they're all plants.
Goblins grow in patches (and sometime wild), looking somewhat like vegetables or fruits when they are "born." This accounts for a wide variety of coloring. As they age/grow their flesh hardens, and by the time they...
I can neither confirm nor deny that there's a kingdom of elven ghouls/wights down there. Also, I can share no information whatsoever about the plot hooks I had scheduled for mid levels.
:)
EDIT: Spelling.
Pre-coronapocalypse, I ran a campaign set on a floating island that had many of the characteristics mentioned so far in this thread. For the initial map, we took a topographical map of Hokkaido and marked it up with campaign specific features. The island itself was situated so that it was...
My take:
Criminal background.
Cleric (grave domain?)
Reason: The character is actually more concerned with how well the dead (stay) resting than with their valuables. Anything of value taken from the grave during those normal “quality checks” are considered posthumous donations.
Very little. With 5e’s ease of magic item identification, it’s fairly easy to put the description in one side, fold the card in half, and put the mechanics in the inside (and tape the edge). You can also do things like put little checkboxes for permanent charges, or cut little strips/tabs into...
I’ve started using envelopes and index cards for the contents of chests, bag, and other containers. If a player opens the envelope, then that PC is the one who gets the first peek at the contents.
Also, it allows me to put in things like a card that says “a swarm of clockwork spiders - roll...
I’m in the “why would they?” camp.
Shifting away from D&D to a self made RPG would be akin to a video game company abandoning Unreal to make their own engine. Sure, it can happen. But why would the business incur the additional cost if it could spend that money on additional IP?
Our table had been using inspiration-like mechanics since late 2nd edition, so 5e’s version was an easy sell for us.
Currently, I hand out inspiration (tokens, to make them tangible) at the beginning of the session, and spent inspiration goes into a pool from which players can dole out...
I was going to say "remembering all the crap I had to make up on the fly because the players threw me a curveball," but your take is probably more accurate for my situation, too.