Shattered Kingdoms

lol

You do realize this is the idea commentary thread, not the idea suggestion one?

The best way to do this would be for us to throw around ideas here. The real idea thread should be locked, and Mira should quote good ideas there that cut the mustard, or Dulrik should quote ideas he's "added to the list" ... or both.

This way no one is tempted to complicate what, really, is a genuinely good activity for the game and community.

Agreed

I second the "drow" idea.

Drow is a trademarked name of TSR / Wizards of the Coast and if I remember correctly Dulrik was approached by lawyer type retained by said trademark holders and "suggested" that he remove the reference from the game.

That might just have been a rumor however.

I was a player back when this change was made. We're talking a long [REDACTED] time ago, a real long time ago, and I may be very wrong but I don't think this is true. I actually this this was a change made to fit Dulriks Vision of shattered kingdoms, and I think he's the one who said it was changed because that's what he wanted.

I would really like to hear from Dulrik on this. Because the idea I have, from back in those days, is that this was a whim of Dulriks. Some of the stuff on this mud doesn't relate to real world mythology at all. I mean the "real world" has centaurs and griffons and all that but some things were made up by Dulrik here.

Like C'thonians. I think those are invented by Dulrik. Which again i am curious if that is true or not because Dulrik doesn't build as far as I know. Hope he responds to this.

Chthonians are part of the Lovecraft mythos. Think landsquids. Cthonic deities are a type of Earthly deity in Greek mythology, contrasted with the Heavenly Olympians. A decent enough analogy might be the two types of Norse divine beings: the aesir and the vanir. Recall that creation was divided three ways when Saturn was slain: Neptune got the ocean, Pluto got the underworld, and Jupiter got the Sky, after a fashion. In this sense, the Cthonic Gods were Shadow-Gods or even Bizarro Gods.

I am certain the copyright on Lovecraft has expired, and the copyright on Greek paganism doubly so.

Drow, however, are content covered by the Open Game License. In other words, Drow are part of the SRD. They have not been exclusively reserved by WoTC like other D&D elements (e.g., the mind flayer, if memory serves.) However, WoTC is rather fickle with their Open Game Content, and some manner of nod to D&D would have to be given. This nod may not be something Dulrik wanted to give.

No. When you play as awesome a griffon as Ezeant, H0logram or I then we'll talk.

Awesome griffons do not exist.

Apparently you've never met my griffsham fist. Rawr.