tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3963301430435684577.post3445590900903926416..comments2023-06-17T02:28:24.456-07:00Comments on A Hero Twice A Month: Always Winter and Never Christmas! - Using Holidays in RPGsMedrauthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12625405387492836763noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3963301430435684577.post-71462681966666636262008-12-22T17:12:00.000-07:002008-12-22T17:12:00.000-07:00I distinctly recall the Dragonlance books (and DnD...I distinctly recall the Dragonlance books (and DnD campaign setting by extention) celebrating yule. I believe it was somewhere in the trilogy where the twins travel back in time to ancient Istar.. and they made a big point that many parties often followed the actual holiday for weeks. Similar use of "real world" holidays that are largely abandoned or transmuted by modern society are included in many games and fiction. Notably, in games like warhammer fantasy roleplay and Earthdawn, you will find a wealth of opportunity. Those games are focused more on "life" and less on "adventure". Adventures happen, but it is difficult to base one's life on them (unlike dnd and similar games which more or less assume that adventurers are professional mercinarys or crusaders of some sort it seems).<BR/><BR/>One might also make good use of birthdays as a holiday which is quite easy to work in. Take lord of the rings as an example... perhaps not making a point of each birthday, but focusing on landmark ones (which would change from setting to setting I am sure). I recall one memorable home brew setting where a wood elf's "name day" was sort of a crossing between a birthday and barmitsva, taking place twice a decade on the aniversery of the day one was declared an adult after his first successful hunt. Taking "normal" holidays and spinning them slightly in this fashion can add a great deal of color to a game; especially when one is playing a cleric or other religious figure.Scaflochttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00402492810399682040noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3963301430435684577.post-19356961230683285442008-12-11T06:13:00.000-07:002008-12-11T06:13:00.000-07:00Holidays are a good idea to place in campaigns. I...Holidays are a good idea to place in campaigns. I agree that ripping off religious holidays like Christmas (Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, whatever) is a bad idea. However, most holidays of the 'real world' are still pretty usable if you drop the modern view on them.<BR/><BR/>Say, for instance, a winter holiday in late December. Why is christmas in late December? Winter Solstice. Spring Equinox is an important time as well... when was Easter again?<BR/><BR/>Thanksgiving is just a harvest festival that got religion all over it. Midsummer's day is a good one for fantasy worlds as well.<BR/><BR/>Of course, with as many gods as most D&D universes have, religious holidays would exist in abundance there as well.<BR/><BR/>Good article and good food for thought!Davidhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10546100677119484489noreply@blogger.com