Non-Boring Environments that need Fantasy Representation
Tropical Rainforests
Scrubland/Dry Forests. For extra effect make them the sort that burn very often; some native plants never germinate until after a fire, and some animals not only rely on fire to smoke out prey, but may even start them themselves.
Savannas/Tropical Grasslands
Temperate Rainforests. I almost didn’t include this bc New Zealand is covered in them, and that’s where they filmed Lord of the Rings. But tbh, no one really knows about them, so it belongs here
Taiga Forests
Barren Tundra, perfect for some extreme seasonal dichotomy
Polar Ice Sheets
Desert-Grasslands (arguably the same as Scrubland but Australia’s good at adding its own twists)
Barren Desert
If you like Cacti, look at American Deserts like the Sonoran
Salt Flats
Soda Lakes and Alkaline Lakes
Madagascar’s Karst Limestone Formations
Madagascar’s Spiny Forests
Madagascar’s Baobab Forests
Madagascar’s Subhumid Forests (Madagascar is cool as hell ok)
Danxia Landforms
Badlands/Mountainous Deserts
Steppes and Highland Prairies
Flood Basalts
Newly-Formed Islands, still rife with Volcanic activity
Now for Underwater Environments, sure Coral Reefs are cool.
But there are SO MANY other kinds of environments for aquatic settings, it’s unbelievable:
Seaside Cliffs
Archipelagos. Not just Tropical Island chains like Polynesia (Moana anyone?) but also Coldwater Archipelagos like the Aleutians.
Tidal Flats
Bayous/Cypress Swamps
Tropical River Basins, AKA Seasonally Flooded Rainforests
Mangrove Swamps/Deltas/Beaches
Kelp Forests
The Open Ocean
Coastal Seabeds
Rocky Beaches with Tidepools
And there are a LOT more I could name but this post is already obscenely long as is, if you’d like to toss in your own go right ahead, but my point is if you limit yourself to European Deciduous Forests you’re a wimp.
Tell the players the dungeon is in one of those places but when they get there it’s a European Deciduous Forest with a huge sheet of wallpaper draped over it.
My tortoise Ozzy just had her 4th birthday, so I made her a watermelon and cantaloupe layered cake with carrot candles. She had zero respect for my presentation.
oh but she loves it so much!!! happy birthday ozzy!!!
Matthew Mercer: I haven’t had a character in a long time actively try and research the world around them
CR Cast: did not know for 3+ years that Exandria had 2 moons
Oh Mathew my lovely, I’ve had this same experience.
Usually when the players sleep outside and travel by night, I make a note to go out of my way to mention the ‘unusually large moon’ in the sky, and never heard a mention of it. I’d even go out of my way to mention that the outline was apparent in the sky during the day, just much dimmer.
Recently I was discussing the planes of existence and how I like to imagine they sync up with a normal, scientific universe (spoiler; not well. i’m of two minds on that subject so i just sort of go with both), and I mentioned that in my mind, the world of Anthron that I usually run and that I’ve been running for them for year is actually a moon.
Everyone looked like I was crazy. They told me that I should’ve mentioned there was a massive fucking planet in the sky.
I think my response was the closest exact representation to the emoji ’ 😐 ’ that anyone has ever successfully managed to create with their face. Life imitating art, that.
I’m not sure. Hey lovely people who have taken me over half way to a cool million! If you’d like to reblog again, I’d love that, if not, I still love you, and hope you’re having a great day. I’m gonna go do some stand up tonight.
So these Christian anti-feminist protestors showed up at my school and were just yelling misogynist things at everyone, when this guy suddenly walks up in front of them mid-rant and just starts…. singing opera
me reading up on the lore of the game: Oh man this is fascinating I love this setting!
my GM: *contradicts canon material and makes his own stuff*
me, allready throwing canon over my shoulder and beating my lashes dreamily at my GMs vision and the chance to get to know about His version of the setting: Haha and then what? öuö
Motherfucking Cowboy Meowchow 