Dungeon Master's Guide
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- e protagonists are motivated more by greed and selfrerest<br />
than by altruistic virtue. Fighter, rogue, and<br />
:Jarbarian characters tend to be far more common than<br />
izards, clerics, or paladins. In such a pulp fantasy<br />
: rting, those who wield magic often symbolize the<br />
:.ecadence and corruption of civilization, and wizards<br />
-e the classic villains of these settings. Magic items are<br />
· erefore rare and often dangerous.<br />
Certain DUNGEONS & DRAGONS novels follow in the<br />
- tsteps of classic sword-and-sorcery novels. The world<br />
; Athas (as featured in numerous Dark Sun novels and<br />
,arne products), with its heroic gladiators and tyrannical<br />
: rcerer-kings, belongs squarely in this genre.<br />
IPIC FANTASY<br />
-.devout paladin in gleaming plate armor braces her<br />
- ce as she charges a dragon. Bidding farewell to his<br />
ear love, a noble wizard sets forth on a quest to close<br />
e gate to the Nine Hells that has opened in the remote<br />
· derness. A close-knit band of loyal friends strives to<br />
·ercome the forces of a tyrannical overlord.<br />
An epic-fantasy campaign emphasizes the conflict<br />
tween good and evil as a prominent element<br />
• r.he game, with the adventurers more or less<br />
:: uarely on the side of good. These characters<br />
-e heroes in the best sense, driven by a higher<br />
ose than selfish gain or ambition, and facing<br />
~credible dangers without blinking. Characters<br />
~·ght struggle with moral quandaries, fighting<br />
e evil tendencies within themselves as well as<br />
-e evil that threatens the world. And the stories of<br />
-e e campaigns often include an element of romance:<br />
;agic affairs between star-crossed lovers, passion that<br />
:anscends even death, and chaste adoration between<br />
- ·out knights and the monarchs and nobles they serve.<br />
The novels of the Dragon lance saga exemplify the<br />
::adition of epic fantasy in D&D.<br />
_ fYTHIC FANTASY<br />
nile an angry god tries time and again to destroy him,<br />
clever rogue makes the long journey home from war.<br />
3.-aving the terrifying guardians of the underworld, a<br />
- ble warrior ventures into the darkness to retrieve the<br />
: ul of her lost love. Calling on their divine parentage,<br />
~grou p of demigods undertake twelve labors to win the<br />
' blessings for other mortals.<br />
A mythic-fantasy campaign draws on the themes and<br />
:-ories of ancient myth and legend, from Gilgamesh<br />
Cu Chulainn. Adventurers attempt mighty feats of<br />
egend, aided or hindered by the gods or their agents<br />
. :1d they might have divine blood themselves. The<br />
- nsters and villains they face probably have a similarl!ll<br />
:igin. The minotaur in the dungeon isn't just another<br />
!-headed humanoid, but the Minotaur- misbegotten<br />
.:r pring of a philandering god. Adventures might lead<br />
e heroes through a series of trials to the realms of the<br />
in search of a gift or favor.<br />
uch a campaign can draw on the myths and legends<br />
c any culture, not just the familiar Greek tales.