Gygax 75 Challenge: Intro and Week 1 (The Concept)

Show Notes:

The Pitch:

  • Early medieval-style world- (no plate armor, no established codes of chivalry or feudalism).
  • The world is recovering from the fall of the great Lizardman Empire and the death of their god-king.
  • Dragons are the living gods of the Lizardmen and are active in the lives of mortals. However, for reasons unknown, they cannot see or manifest through stone (the Sanctuary of Stone).
  • Before the fall, the most numerous species were the various lizardfolk (lizardmen, troglodytes, basilisks, bullywugs) and humans. There are a few elves and dwarves originating from other planes, who were captured by lizardfolk sorcerers but escaped during the fall.
  • It’s a hardscrabble world in which adventurers try to fill the vacuum left by the self-destruction of the lizardmen.

Inspiration:

  • Fall of the Roman Empire , Gibbon;
  • The Eagle (movie);
  • Reign of Fire (movie);
  • Fallout (videogame series);
  • The Iliad, Homer;
  • Conan the Barbarian, Howard; and,
  • Journey to the Center of the Earth, Verne.

I love that concept of the Dragons being unable to see through or master stone.
Just the idea that they are “Gods” and I could imagine them being OUTRAGED if any smaller beings manage to build a stone castle or would be driven to hiring adventurers to plumb stone dungeons for mysterious reasons, all the while blazing through the sky constantly.

1 Like

Personally, I kinda like natural stone better. Something about the idea of humanity having to take refuge underground and in the mountains and hills appeals to me. It adds a bit of a Planet of the Apes vibe to it-- Planet of the Lizardmen?

I would totally play a character deadset on securing a foothold on the surface and building a fort out of stone to try to reclaim the surface in some small way (probably getting smashed by Dragons before long). Maybe it’s some kind of sacrificial thing almost, sending off some warriors to the site of the ruined stone fort to defend it against the Lizardmen.

1 Like