Dungeon Master's Guide

·arfare in a fantasy world is rife \.Vith opportunities
-adventure. A war campaign isn"t generally concerned
- i.be specifics of troop movements, but instead
_ --es on the heroes whose actions turn the tide of
- e. The characters carry out specific missions:
_·ure a magical standard that empowers undead
·e . gather reinforcements to break a siege, or
_ -- ough the enemy's flank to reach a demonic
-mander. In other situations, the party supports
- larger army by holding a strategic location until
_:orcements arrive, killing enemy scouts before
_ can report, or cutting off supply lines. Information
_ --~ring and diplomatic missions can supplement the
combat-oriented adventures.
- e War of the Lance in the Dragon lance Chronicles
-;: - and the War of the Spider Queen in the novel
of the same name are prominent examples of
-s in D&D novels.
::XIA
--------------------------------
-~n a sensei disappears mysteriously, her young
em must take her place and hunt down the oni
rizing their village. Accomplished heroes, masters
· ·eir respective martial arts, return home to free their
ge from an evil hobgoblin warlord. The rakshasa
'er of a nearby monastery performs rituals to raise
- led ghosts from their rest.
-.campaign that draws on elements of Asian martial-
- movies is a perfect match for D&D. Players can
"" e the appearance of their characters and gear
·er they like for the campaign, and spells need only
- - flavor changes so that they better reflect such a
- g. For example, when the characters use spells
::;>ecial abilities that teleport them short distances,
_ actually make high-flying acrobatic leaps. Ability
to climb don't involve careful searching for holds
· .e characters bounce up walls or from tree to tree.
-· ·ors stun their opponents by striking pressure
-· . Flavorful descriptions of actions in the game
-change the nuts and bolts of the rules, but they
·e all the difference in the feel of a campaign .
.=..:ni!arly, a class doesn't need new rules to reflect
~ ural influence; a new name can do the trick. A
· -onal Chinese wuxia hero might be a paladin
-'las a sword called the Oath of Vengeance, while a
- e e samurai might be a paladin with a particular
--of Devotion (bushido) that includes fealty to a
-:. daimyo) among its tenets. A ninja is a monk who
-::"•es the Way of Shadow. Whether called a wujen,
" ·ai. or a swami, a wizard, sorcerer, or warlock
· :acter works just fine in a game inspired by medieval
n cultures.
:-xiA WEAPON NAMES
ing players refer to a tetsubo or a katana rather than
,. atclub or a longsword can enhance the flavor of
_tia campaign. The Wuxia Weapon Names table
·""" alternative names for common weapons from
- PJayer's Handbook and identifies their real-world
cultural origins . An alternati>e name changes none of
the weapon's properties as they are described in the
Player's Handbook .
CROSSING THE STREAMS
The renowned paladin Murlynd, from the world of
Oerth (as featured in Greyhawk novels and game
products), dresses in the traditional garb of Earth's
Old West and wears a pair of six-shooters strapped
to his waist. The Mace of St. Cuthbert, a holy weapon
belonging to Greyhawk's god of justice, found its way
to the Victoria and Albert Museum in London in 1985.
Somewhere in the Barrier Peaks of Oerth, the wreckage
of a spacefaring vessel is said to lie, with bizarre alien
lifeforms and strange items of technology on board. And
the famous wizard Elminster of the Forgotten Realms
has been said to make occasional appearances in the
kitchen of Canadian writer Ed Greenwood- where he is
sometimes joined by wizards from the worlds of Oerth
an,d Krynn (homeworld of the Dragon lance saga).
Deep in D&D's roots are elements of science
fiction and science fantasy, and your campaign might
draw on those sources as well. It's okay to send your
characters hurtling through a magic mirror to Lewis
Carroll's Wonderland, put them aboard a ship traveling
between the stars, or set your campaign in a far-future
world where laser blasters and magic missiles exist
side by side. The possibilities are limitless. Chapter
9, "Dungeon Master's Workshop," provides tools for
exploring those possibilities.
WUXIA WEAPON NAMES
Weapon
Battleaxe
Club
Dagger
Dart
Fl ail
Glaive
Greatclub
Greatsword
Halberd
Handaxe
Javelin
Lance
Longbow
Longsword
Mace
Pike
Quarterstaff
Scimitar
Shortbow
Shortsword
Sickle
Spear
Trident
War pick
Other Names (Culture)
fu (China); masakari (Japan)
bian (China); tonfa (Japan)
bishou, tamo (China); kozuka, tanto (Japan)
shuriken (Japan)
nunchaku (Japan)
guandao (China); bisento, naginata (Japan)
tetsubo (Japan)
changdao (China); nodachi (Japan)
ji (China); kamayari (Japan)
ono (Japan)
mau (China); uchi-ne (Japan)
umayari (Japan)
daikyu (Japan)
jian (China); katana (Japan)
chui (China) ; kanabo (Japan)
mao (China); nagaeyari (Japan)
gun (China); bo (Japan)
liuyedao (China); wakizashi (Japan)
hankyu (Japan)
shuangdao (China)
kama (Japan)
qiang (China); yari (Japan)
cha (Ch ina) ; magariyari (Japan)
fang (China); kuwa (Japan)
CHAPTER 1 I A WORLD OF YOUR OWN
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