Lets Make a D&D Fantasy Western Mash Up- Dungeons & Dragons Discussion

[@Nerdarchy]

Help Support Nerdarchy by Shopping at YOUR Favorites Places on the Internet. Just use these links and shop as usual. Nothing changes for you- Amazon- amzn.to/2jf0boA Nerdarchy the Store- goo.gl/M4YZEQ Drive Thru RPG- goo.gl/6nf5zh Easy Roller Dice- goo.gl/1n0M1r D&D and Think Geek Gear- goo.gl/LZAV5z Find Us- Patreon: www.patreon.com/Nerdarchy Website: www.Nerdarchy.com Facebook: facebook.com/Nerdarchy Nerdarchy Discord- goo.gl/qXEuGw Instagram: instagram.com/Nerdarchy/ Twitter: twitter.com/Nerdarchy

[@TheSilversepiroth]

Honestly, there's no reason for the fantasy races to not also be involved in the development of technology, because lets face it: if anybody's gonna figure out how to make a gun first, it's either a dwarf screwing around with blasting powder, or a gnome trying to figure out how to shoot their bow faster. Sure goblins may invent the bomb first, but they generally don't have the discipline to use that force you propel something in one direction. Regardless, my own personal world is kinda at this point. Guns are generally available and most medium sized cities are gonna have at least one gun shop. Mostly it's because there was a centuries long war against a coalition of devils and demons, and as much as we'd be pained to admit, war breeds advancement, especially in the "how to kill things" department

[@LJ-gu2dj]

In the real west, Native Americans were quick to adopt firearms. In the Battle of Little Big Horn, the natives had acquired better and newer rifles than what Custer's 7th Cavalry had. So it makes sense that fantasy races would have traded for weapons given enough time to do so. The Mayans and Incas did not have that option, and stone age weapons do not fare well against guns.

[@CyclopsWasRight]

In my western game the dwarves were the innovators of the railway and the gatling gun as well as being known for armored wagons. The gnomes paid for the railway and ran most banks in the eastern territories (East Coast U.S.). The kobolds were cheap labor to build the railway and were known for being great at prospecting. Halflings were the native Indians, they also took the role of the pony Express. Their outriders were unmatched in getting the most from their mounts. Magic was scarce, but shaman and warlocks were spoken of at the occasional campfire.

[@sonicalex2536]

I would play d&d just for a campaign like this.

[@J.B.1982]

I'm surprised this is one of very few videos on this idea. Either way, I've been thinking a lot about this and doing some reading and writing. I'm finding it tricky to simply swap people with fantasy races and keep to an alternate US history. Even using high fantasy is odd because of the high prevalence of magic. Why haven't these other high fantasy settings have development of gun powder? Races that live a long time throw a monkey wrench in the works. Colonialism can exist in any timeline so there's no need to make an exact parallel with US history. I'm taking a low-ish fantasy approach and taking cues from the US timeline. No Dwarves or Elves. Low magic prevalence. It feels good so far.

[@kyleward3914]

Not nearly as elaborate, but a recent session of my current campaign involved goblin cowboys. They rode giant rats and carried a hand crossbow in each hand, which I allowed to get off multiple shots before needing to be reloaded in order for them to work more like a cowboy's gun.

[@mega-bustershepard5537]

That's pretty metal my dude.

[@whitelasagna6786]

Van Helsing style repeating crossbows.

[@chefdontrun7436]

We need a discussion of Dave’s ever changing hair and beard color.

[@borderlands10]

@@michaelmudie747: So he found dye? lol

[@nedflandersmustache]

Video saturation isn't helping

[@fireaxe2516]

I was watching an old western with my Dad. You could turn any of those stories into a D&D adventure

[@jasonryder183]

My group started a Wylde West campaign as a side campaign a couple of years ago (in case not everyone could make it for a session) I swapped out the 5e races for the various ethnic segments that made up the old west. Gnomes in place of Chinese immigrants, High Elves for the ruling Class of "The South" Humans in "The North" and Goblins, orcs, kobolds, etc. were the native peoples and the Dwarves as the slaves then I made all the territories and nations analogous to the the 1860's. The trans-continental Ley-Rail was well under way.

[@rosqwadron]

I'm sure you guys were tame with the overtly racist caricatures you justified as characterizations 🙄

[@johnjackson9767]

@@rosqwadron This is mainly why people stay away from these mashups - morons will always find something to be offended about.

[@rosqwadron]

@@johnjackson9767 "morons will always find something to be offended about" *proceeds to @ me over a YT comment from 2 years+ ago* Collect yourself, you're in shambles.

[@gnarthdarkanen7464]

Great video and great discussion as usual, guy! First... mechanically... I speak from 2e. I'll prob'ly treat 5e the same as others, steal what's useful and drop the rest, letting the table (Players) decide what's best between fair and easy/convenient for the rules... SO you want guns??? GO TO GURPS... Gurps runs on a 3D6 mechanic base. SO every mechanic in the Gurps system already defaults to a 3-18 spread... Thereby making it fairly simple to utilize any of those mechanics (with a tad of tweak) in a D20 engine... like D&D... So mechanically, any silly thing you could possibly want to do is ALREADY structured. Might not be covered absolutely in full, but that just gives you ROOM to finish the flesh the way YOU want it... Guns in Gurps are also built into it... The Basic Set will already have a listing of enough calibers/millimeters for you to build that damage mechanic out, and there's some rules variations mentioned regarding variable ammunitions, slugs versus dum-dums, hollow points, and you can even go so far as Traveller 2000 for some additive info on all that... magazines, electro-chemical (if that's your thing) whatever... The damage mechanic is relatively simple in progression, too. It's by D6's with adjustments between additive dice... (I can carry that on further if anyone is interested)... Charts memorized by now...(lolz) SO what's left is the history... AND I got the idea that there's Mundane old Europe with it's travellers and explorers coming out from the Renaissance territory with Columbo first... AND with the enchanted continent of North America, full of elves and dwarves and a few native human (barbarian?) tribes... Old Chris Columbo, probably lost two of his ships to fireballs and a handful of sailors off the third to a lightning bolt to send him home no better for his mischief... Skip forward (embargos on travellers vearing out too far for Royal protection) and a band or two of Pilgrims got a somewhat less terror inspiring reception (probably since they didn't run ships bearing cannons)... AND so Cap'n Johnny Smythe (cuz...F*** spelling) became the First Great Negotiator for the Pilgrims at Plymouth Stone and Inn, a dwarven B&B... Establishing the first relevant point of colonial America (okay, we can keep Vespucci for simplicity) and so long as everybody works, they don't have to face heresy complaints in their native Europe... (Yay freedom of religion)... Salem had it's trials, but for poisoning wheat (rye?) and pissing off one of the Dwarven Ale houses... There wasn't so much a war of Independence, BUT Britain, Spain, France, and even Germany each had to try a knock for conquest... This brought up some technical advancement, but the mages' guilds in America were just too good to be brought down... Yet, guns became a thing, and the magi' Loved the idea of being able to super-sonically send an enchanted stone or metal slug to a distant target with a huge variety of effects... depending on the purpose... Slavery still exists... (no dates... YOU can make that part up)... BUT here's the caveat. It's only legal to enslave "conquered prisoners of conflict" and ONLY in so much as to re-train them to fit the culture and find their own place... SO it's more akin to "re-raising them for the price of some work" instead of a lifelong servitude at the end of a weapon... or death by whatever cruelty. In any case, there's a relatively over-simplified blueprint for creating a colonial-esque start to America and some of the inter-workings of European-mundane to American-mystical political tumult... It's probably a lot of fun, and when I get a slightly more comprehensive fleshing-out together, I may well start compiling a game for table-play... OF COURSE, I NEVER SHARE STUFF THAT I'M NOT HAPPILY GIVING AWAY... So take it... enjoy, for whatever it's worth. ;o)

[@NewAgeRenegXde]

You guys are the push I needed to my old west campaign

[@半蔵-x5h]

This was done during the 3.5 era. It was called Horizon Spellslinger from FFG. Very good setting you neend to do a lot of work to flesh it out but the basic outline was provided. My favorite part was the Dwarves they were miners exploiting the native american equivalent werewolf races ancient burial grounds. In those places undead would attack them in their mines. That was just ones races interaction, but I ran a whole campaign about exploring that idea and the ancient native culture. Throw in some classic wild west tropes and adventures for glue and I made a good campaign. It also had new classes and an entirely new magic system as well as a way to do high noon duels. The book is pretty expensive now and they never made a character sheet, but I am sure pdf's are floating around.

[@ctrl-alt-bang1324]

Im working on writing a campaign centered in a wild west setting. All my friends play on D&D beyond and its killing me not being able to make homebrew classes

[@irlbirdman1409]

I am making a short Western campaign. My main idea is not so much as rewriting history, then what would happen before a massive aired major city like Los Vegas.

[@douglasmcneil8413]

You can easily trade out trains for caravans (ie. wagon trains)

[@theperson8275]

Thinking about how tumultuous and chaotic putting guns and general modern tech into a typical fantasy world would be.

[@nooctip]

D&d Wild West splits into two sections. What your describing is more Wild West D&D I'd go more D&d Wild West. The Eastern portion of the kingdom is built up. At the western most edge there are a few cities built up to compare to the eastern cities. But about hallway west it turns into miles of open untamed country. Not uninhabited, as there are groups of locals who range between hostile, wanting to be left alone, and friendly. These natives being tied to the land are probably elves, but are usually threats so maybe orcs or hobgoblins. To the South is a powerful country that has a currently friendly relationship, but bands of bandits occasionally strike across the border. Possibly dwareves, but if you didn't use the orcs before here a good place.The King wanteing the area settled, but not having enough lords wanting to rough it has declared the land can be used by the pesantry and created a sort of entry level noble position called Mayor. This has caused several towns, and camps to gather resources to spring up. Carriage lines have been established, but are being threathened by faster gnome rail lines that are being put up. The King has sent a few Royal Sherriff to keep order, but they are few and far between. So most settler are on their own, or they can appoint a local sheriff. And duels at high noon are fought with bows and crossbows.

[@Redhaux]

Nobody in our campaign: Me as a DM: LET'S GO TO THE CYBERPUNK WILD WEST IN SIBERIA

[@aaronparks5561]

Sidewinder was a good source in my opinion . It was basicly d20 modern wild west

[@caelinthacker4106]

So the homebrew I'm doing is a slightly realistic western however there are elements of Native American mysticism monk mysticism and steam punk /will smiths wild wild west. All the races have their own strengths and weaknesses and are based on real world races.

[@andrewwalton6236]

I am about to run an Oregon Trail + Dragons inspired campaign.... I came here for inspiration....thanks as always!!!!

[@douglasmcneil8413]

Would you put the Dwarves in the Appalachians or the Rockies?

[@GrandGoblin]

Two words, *Dead Lands*

[@clericofchaos1]

Dude, put guns in D&D. They're stated out in the dmg, they were a major factor in the American west, Sam Colt's .44 army single action is one of the most iconic guns in history, from one of the most iconic times in history, the 1878 Winchester which pretty much won the west is another of the most iconic guns in history, and you shouldn't be trying to ignore such a vital element of the setting if you want to run that setting in D&D or any other tabletop game.

[@gnarthdarkanen7464]

On mixing guns and gun-play into D&D, I've conventionally dropped right into Gurps, myself. Third-ed Revised (the particular that I bought) has a complete enough listing and damage ratings on D6's, so with just a crude brush-over, even a "three second combat round" is a good idea for functionality. You only invest in one book, and there's a whole system (to do literally anything) available for additive tweaking and monkeying with mechanics. Gurps already works primarily on 3D6 rolls, so it slips neatly into a D20 game engine design... minimal work, maximum returns (play)... AND it works with ANY edition of D&D, too. (I've played 2e mostly... adding home-brews rather than updating the library) ;o)

[@clericofchaos1]

...this isn't a gurps video or channel though. This is a dnd channel and dnd has guns stated out. there's no reason not to use them.

[@railbaron1]

You mean the Single Action Army, the Peacemaker? That's a .45. Now the Walker Colt was a .44. But I'd want an 1848 Sharps with a Long Scope, 50-70 Government

[@clericofchaos1]

@@railbaron1 No, i meant the .44. Namely the .44 special, that cartridge was around longer than the .45 and is what the original army revolver's used. the peacemaker came later. Not much later granted, but later enough that the .44 remained one of the most popular calibers throughout the late 1800's.

[@railbaron1]

@@clericofchaos1 Ah, just asking because .45 Long Colt became Iconic of the Single Action Army and lead into .45 ACP. I know you can order a gun in whatever caliber you want, hell I got one in .22 Long Rifle, but it makes me wonder why the Taurus Judge didn't happen sooner.

[@railbaron1]

Dragon Versus Gatling Gun, Take Your Bets

[@DTLTTP]

I like dragons, but they tend to get bodied by dudes with bows, so a dude going at it with 40RPM of pure lead. Fly boys dropping

[@jpeck87]

Thank you I’m wanting to do this for a homebrew

[@rangerroy641]

The Trail of Tears and Wounded Knee would be horrible.

[@LichyNyx]

I feel like the game, while it allows it, does not really support taking the game to another age. I think the closest thing you cna do without a lot of problems is probably West Marches style game. If you want gun-slinging with fantasy, Deadlands already does it way better than 5e ever could. Then again, if a gm is okay with things being a little wonky, I guess why not, but I don't think it's the best way to do it, though it does not have to be, probably. Either way, it will need quite a bit of work.

[@megareavermickeybot7985]

Ok so just this idea in general of taking fantasy critters and setting them in any other setting like a western is always fun, especialy when you dile back and you think about creatying your own renditions of these creatures or the fact of bring certain animesl of myths into a world they are not native to. For example creatures like Gryphons roaming about, what are the differant breeds of Gyphon in this world? I mean their part large cat and part large flying bird if you were to allow them to be more diverse then what does this mean for things like live stock and traders and stuff? because keep in mind the wild west maybe known for it's gun slinging and train heists and stuff but it's also the deep history of the USA AND THE REST OF America and also there was alot more to it, like hunting, selling the hide's of animals, gold rushes. whast kind of minerals and riches exist in this world? Like It would make since if Dwarves were often seen as prospectors or forced to work in mines.What about Hobbits? and are Elves diverse in their own separate races? Also slavery wasn't simply somthing tied to race. there was white people enslaved by other white people ,there were indians with slaves and Black people with slaves. and the spanish had slaves. It was a common thing back then and their were people who were trying to fight against that common norm. Slavery happens to those who are vulnerable and over in Africa stronger tribes would enslave weeker tribes and sell them. That's what made the slave trade possible. Racism is a means of segrigating people of differant ethnicity and reduces empathy for people depending on their race or causes favoritism based primarily on race. it's tribalistic mentality of if your not like me this way then your something completely different and not worth thinking about. However even with racism not in the way all it takes to enslave someone is simply exploit them and control them and force them to work for you out their own expense with you getting al the spoils. So rather than basing slavery simply on the whole racism dynamic think about how racism existed but their was different ideals of how to treat different people disseminated against. The Irish were considered not white, so it would makes since that maybe the Elve's would discriminate other Elve's Orc's discriminate other type's of Orcs. and even Orc's or elve's of simular races might still enslave or mistreet those ofthe same sub race but of another tribe or faction. Another Ideal's what if extra continents were a thing and there non human colonists? some woyuld coexist with human colonists but about rival nations to our own? Back then there was native American territories, there was Canada and there was Mexico and we had thing's like the Mexican war. There was the brittish who had tried to claim other area's on our continent and we had apposed them in the past and I think that dynamic even in it self would still be fun to tackle. as well as the Civil war, especialy if the wild west took place on an original land mass that could allow for an American like country to have other type of neighbor's that would make since. nations like unto the Yukon before it became Alaska, the Aztecs and Mians if they had not fallen.maybe even some other fun what if's like a German colony. as well any possible origanal nation made up by mythical races with it's own Unique origins and such. Another fun idea is how this could reflect into the future like in the world war erra's or even better. I heard that the Civil war and other wars we were in could have became early world war's even unto themselves. Imagine if something like that was to happen in this world where pegasi and dragon's and Gryphons and centaurs were to take place? and let's just think about what all creaturesand fantasy races are we bringing in? Why stop at regular Dark age Dungone and Dragon myths? why not also pitch in some actual north and South American stuff as well? like the Lukaloo, the sasquatch? Moth Man! imagion if Moth man was in this or even Moth men? Frog men! Goat Man, the Jersey devil, a Giant glowing Bat with a horn on it's head. The Monster that looks like dome shaped alien robot? The Hide behind! and then for usual fantasy unit's you got, Elves, Knomes, dwarves, Dragons, Dragon Born, Hobbits, Mimmics, Orcs, ogres, Goblins, Giants( which did exist in American already by the way. lot's of stories about giant's over here.) Lepracauns? Unicorns, Pegasi, Gryphons, Kelpies, Leshies, Babayaga, Gremlins, Imps, devils, gargoyles, Angles, Mer folk. fauns, saitors, Gorgons, wyverns, nagas. the list goe's on and then ofcourse you got your Anthro's/ Furry types.

[@CaronDriel]

I hear fantasy western and I immediately think of the old Playstation game Wild Arms.

[@AaronWhiting18]

Maybe each country could have different races, French is Elven, Germany is Dwarvish ETC.

[@camerondilbon2248]

I love this idea! I am a huge fan of the old west. Great video guys! I will think on this!

[@shadowgear7032]

Plot twist. Instead of the underground rail road it’s the under mountain rail road. Slaves try to escape to the mountains for a clean path to Canada. Canada is ruled by a combination of the Demi human and non high elven men. I see the colonist are a mix of high elves and humans who are decked out in guns and magical items. That’s how I would run it.

[@alfzepo9976]

I started a western campaign module I made, the one problem I have is battle maps, does anyone have a collection of western battle maps for free?

[@FriendlyArchpriest]

If it were me I would make a Fantasy Western, just by replacing the medieval elements of the standard generic "totally not greyhawk" setting with western elements, Human Paladins become the Holy Gun Paladin from Pathfinder, Elves and Orcs become the "Pseudo-Native Americans", Dwarves are Dwarves with Guns...

[@jgroth3906]

That's what I did with my campaign. Worked out well enough.

[@FriendlyArchpriest]

Jgroth yeah, you can play almost anything with D&D 3.5/PF. Wanna play a "pseudo-modern day" fantasy (Comic Book level of technology but with elves and dwarves)? You can probably do it with Starfinder...

[@jgroth3906]

That's what I really like about pathfinder. I find it to be one of if not the most versatile RPG system. (Fate accelerated might be more versatile) Some people think it has too many rules but I think it has lots of depth which is what allows for that versatility. For example, although Matt Mercer created a gunslinger class, it'd be hard to have a guns everywhere setting in 5e because there'd be nothing stopping people from using plate armor that somehow protects them from bullets because there's no touch AC in 5e.

[@FriendlyArchpriest]

Jgroth how hard it is to learn Pathfinder compared to 3.5? I was planning to play 3.5 and bring things like the Magus (because the Duskblade spell list is trash), the Alchemist (because I don't want Artificers everywhere), and the Gunslinger from Pathfinder into D&D 3.5... other than that, I was planning on play with lots of Tome of Battle...

[@jgroth3906]

I mean to be honest, I'm not the best person to ask because my group just kinda goes off the SRD, which from what I understand is actually a cross between Pathfinder and 3.5. So I'm not really an expert on either system.

[@thomaslietzau2813]

IS THERE ANY LIVE ACTION WILD WEST ROLE PLAYING GAME LIKE D&D ONLY IN AMERICAN WILD WEST ?

[@TheLumpyShield]

I don't like mixing real life places with fantasy themes. If I was going to make a wild west campaign, it would be that technology has just advanced to the western age and the culture of the frontier life has developed.

[@garrettdaly9893]

Minotaur stamped

[@edh9999]

Dwarves and/or Giants could have created the Grand canyon.

[@maromania7]

So...Changeling. what you want to play is Changeling XD but seriously, look at the lore for Changeling chuck it into D&D if you don't wanna play with the White Wolf system, and scale it back a century or two. problem solved XD

[@buckhaley3032]

You guys spent way too much of this video talking about how to incorporate slavery into the world with new races when you should’ve spent more time talking about the world itself

[@valasafantastic1055]

Why is it Alternate Earth North America at all? Why not a pure made up fantasy world using the,es from the Wild West. I’m confused as to why that was not your first thought. Also to me the obvious thought is either a mix of native harmonic with nature natives or you know replace ‘human native Americans’ with ELVES it seems obvious to me. Elves tend to be like native Americans more than other standard races as is. Also Demi human seems like a racist term, all ‘races’ are people even if a bit different; fully souled fully sentient. And you can make a shaman class more based on Druidic powers and also eraser have actual Native American beliefs and magics to use to add depth to your world. I would play the natives running the invaders out and restoring the natural balance or at least splitting the continent into a native half and invader half that will be at uneasy truce bu the end of the campaign. Good thought provoking episode.

[@dougmcnair3748]

"Demi-humans" aren't real. They won't be offended.

[@TheSilversepiroth]

Isn't demi-human a term used for the humans infected that turns them into dwarves, orks, etc in Shadowrun?

[@gnarthdarkanen7464]

I believe you are correct (at least in the early editions)... Don't know if they've changed that, but in D&D, I'm not even sure when Demi-humans became a thing, honestly... (lolz)... teach me to pay attention. ;o)

[@valasafantastic1055]

Everyone has their own origin stories for varies sentient races for their own worlds. Sometimes a human is the base that is magically modifies, other times they evolved sometimes created directly by Gods. Other times they evolved or were created elsewhere and are alien invaders/settlers from another planet or dimension. So most often they are not transformed from humans that is the rarest version, but sometimes. So it seems a derogatory/in accurate term to me. I also use my term ‘intelloid’ for humanoid rather than humanoid because I feel it should not always be as if humans are the ‘real’ ‘best’ or original race.