Dungeon Master's Guide 5E

(Nancy Kaufman) #1

  • e protagonists are motivated more by greed and self-
    rerest than by altruistic virtue. Fighter, rogue, and
    :Jarbarian characters tend to be far more common than
    izards, clerics, or paladins. In such a pulp fantasy
    : rti ng, those who wield magic often symbolize the
    :.ecadence and corruption of civilization, and wizards
    -e the classic villains of these settings. Magic items are
    · e refore rare and often dangerous.
    Certain DUNGEONS & DRAGONS novels follow in the

  • tsteps of classic sword-and-sorcery novels. The world
    ; Athas (as featured in numerous Dark Sun novels and
    ,arne products), with its heroic gladiators and tyrannical
    : rcerer-kings, belongs squarely in this genre.


IPIC FANTASY


-.devout paladin in gleaming plate armor braces her


  • ce as she charges a dragon. Bidding farewell to his
    ear love, a noble wizard sets forth on a quest to close
    e gate to the Nine Hells that has opened in the remote
    · derness. A close-knit band of loyal friends strives to
    ·ercome the forces of a tyrannical overlord.
    An epic-fantasy campaign emphasizes the conflict
    tween good and evil as a prominent element

    • r.he game, with the adventurers more or less
      :: uarely on the side of good. These characters
      -e heroes in the best sense, driven by a higher
      ose than selfish gain or ambition, and facing
      ~credible dangers without blinking. Characters
      ~·ght struggle with moral quandaries, fighting
      e evil tendencies within themselves as well as
      -e evil that threatens the world. And the stories of
      -e e campaigns often include an element of romance:
      ;agic affairs between star-crossed lovers, passion that
      :anscends even death, and chaste adoration between



  • ·out knights and the monarchs and nobles they serve.
    The novels of the Dragon lance saga exemplify the
    ::adition of epic fantasy in D&D.


_ fYTHIC FANTASY


nile an angry god tries time and again to destroy him,
clever rogue makes the long journey home from war.
3.-aving the terrifying guardians of the underworld, a



  • ble warrior ventures into the darkness to retrieve the
    : ul of her lost love. Calling on their divine parentage,
    ~group of demigods undertake twelve labors to win the
    ' blessings for other mortals.
    A mythic-fantasy campaign draws on the themes and
    :-ories of ancient myth and legend, from Gilgamesh
    Cu Chulainn. Adventurers attempt mighty feats of
    egend, aided or hindered by the gods or their agents-
    . :1d they might have divine blood themselves. The

  • nsters and villains they face probably have a similarl!ll
    :igin. The minotaur in the dungeon isn't just another
    !-headed humanoid, but the Minotaur- misbegotten
    .:r pring of a philandering god. Adventures might lead
    e heroes through a series of trials to the realms of the
    in search of a gift or favor.
    uch a campaign can draw on the myths and legends
    c any culture, not just the familiar Greek tales.

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