Wednesday, June 4, 2008

Classic bits - forgotten?



There are some really classic D&D style roleplay tropes. I am wondering which of these are still in play these days, considering some resistance to the "spike the doors of the dungeon room, so we can take an 8 hour rest" maneuver performed by my current Castles and Crusades group.

  • Spiking doors.
  • Carrying rations (to eat, and to throw down a corridor to lure monsters).
  • 10' pole.
  • High Hard Boots.
  • Continual light cast on a small object to be thrown into a room.
  • Henchmen.
  • Mapping.
  • Characters having a "last will and testament".
  • Fearing oozes, slimes, and jellies.
  • If you didn't bring it into the dungeon with you, DON'T EAT IT.
  • Elves make the best thieves (secret door spotting).
  • 2 Fighters (or fighter-types) for every other party member.
  • Attracting followers and building a stronghold.
  • 50' of silk rope (hemp weighs too much).
  • Small cage with a songbird in it (warns of gas problems).
  • Caltrops.
  • Humans in the rear, with polearms, fighting over shorter demi-humans in the front.
  • Hooded lantern or bullseye lantern - it makes a difference.
  • Flasks of oil.
  • Flasks of holy water.
  • Flasks of acid.
  • Extra bowstrings.
  • Hammer and pitons - because you never know.
  • At least one person in the party should wear wolfsbane.
  • Someone should carry garlic.
  • Pool extra money at the start for thieves tools and holy symbols.
  • First level fighters shouldn't balk at wearing that better armor the dead orc has on.
  • Somebody has a pouch of copper pieces, to toss on the floor and distract the kobolds.
  • Secret phrase to check for Doppleganger infiltration.



Tags:

1 comment:

Matt said...

* Every water source is untrustworthy. Magic contamination, throat leeches (throat leeches!), poisoned by kobolds, etc.
* "You enter a 10'x10' room. A lone orc is guarding a chest."
* Iron rations. Bears mentioning twice.
* Ricocheting lightning bolts.
* Overlapping fireball effect.