jameson (ST) Posted January 3, 2011 Share Posted January 3, 2011 Inspiration Strikes #1 Intro. So the general idea here is that I'm going to try a somewhat coherent occasionally regular blog-type-thing. What about? Glad you asked. The simple premise is taking inspiration from media, specifically I like images. A picture is worth a thousand words, or so the saying claims. For me a good photo, drawing, render, or inkblot can often conjure an idea, sometimes its even one that is worth using in a game. So yeah, that's what I'm gonna talk about. 99% of this will be images, but I may occasionally use video, music, or even text ...[end_news_blurb]Issue #1: The Sun is a Mass of Incandescent Gas ...... or is it? Folks that played D&D back in the 90's and folks who still play now may have a passing or intimate familiarity with the Dark Sun campaign setting. I played some in high school with that system where THAC0 ruled and I could never figure out if I was rolling high, low, or why -10 armor was better than +10. *shrug* This isn't about D&D, heck, it's not even about Dark Sun, but that little strip had gotten me to thinking back when I first read it. The sun in, probably 99% of the time, yellow, orange, or orange-red. There have been the occasional science fiction stories where in the far flung future the sun has shrunken into a white dwarf, but that's even rare in my experience. Why do you suppose that is? I'll grant that in proper real life stars don't come in colors like these: Which is a damn shame, but fine, I didn't set up the natural law, I guess I'll just live with it. Unless I am GMing a game. In which case why not have a literal Black Sun? Or a deep verdant green sun that rises over the drab brown landscape of a world, taunting it with the promise of verdant life, but bestowing nothing of the sort? What's wrong with a deep azure? Occasionally you do see red suns, but they are still a bit orange, seldom truly crimson. To say nothing of purple. Fantasy worlds ofter have multiple moons, a feature which usually enhances the oddness of their own night sky. Tatooine, in that franchise about two plucky droids who saw the rise of an evil emperor and worked behind the scenes to bring about his downfall, had at least two suns. One appears to be a hotter star, nearly white, while the other looked red, but that may have been due to atmospheric dust during sunset. Maybe next time I run a fantasy world game, or simply design a fantasy world for the shits and giggles of it, I'll put up three suns, in red, blue, and yellow. Most of the time the suns will be in the sky together, their colored light providing a combined white that illuminates the landscape, but what happens when one of those suns is eclipsed? Or when one sets early or late? Could the combined power of the blue and yellow suns green light increase and improve the naturalistic magic of druids and shamans? Does the light of a the lone red sun ravage the world with Fire Elementals unleashed without the guidance of a Warlock? Does the once a century Day of Purple have some effect on the regency of the character's nation? It's something to think about at least. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jameson (ST) Posted January 4, 2011 Author Share Posted January 4, 2011 Addendum: Please let me know what you think of this. If you liked it and why or if you didn't and why. I'd hate to waste my time and yours if people aren't getting anything out of it or are not enjoying reading it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tharra of the Katjaa Posted January 4, 2011 Share Posted January 4, 2011 I think I could enjoy this thread/blog, Jim (so far, it is only the first one, after all ). I've gotten lazy, so about the only time I actively go out of my way to look for a pic for gaming is when I look for an avatar for a character. These pics, and some of the others you've linked before (IIRC, they were meteorological ones) are nice.Back in the day, when I used to troll around Renderosity all the time, there were a few artists who did really amazing landscapes...... Oh, hey, I still have them on my favourites. I'm impressed my account is even still active. Take a look at some of these artists' galleries: Neo1,Armands,jAaSuM, and gevidal.It's a little sad, I have an idea, then I look for a pic that is 'close enough', instead of just stumbling on a pic, and developing my idea from that.Keep the Inspiration flowin', Jim.And btw, Dark Sun rocks! Giant bugs, cannibal halfings, and half-dwarves ftw! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Forge Posted January 4, 2011 Share Posted January 4, 2011 First off, I will ditto the sentiments of Dark Sun Awesomeness, arguably my favorite DnD setting.AFA the 'blog' I say go for it, this first one was enjoyable.The first thing IS#1 brought to mind was the second Thomas Covenant trilogy, where the sun really did change day to day (or it could) as a result of the Sunbane and each 'sun' had a drastic affect upon The Land. Be it Fertility, Pestilence, Drought or Rain...and each phase was distinguished by a different colored corona. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joani Posted January 4, 2011 Share Posted January 4, 2011 I am enjoying it so far. It immediately reminded me of that Vin Diesel movie. It was called Pitch Black in Germany (I think its the original title). There are 3 Suns of different colors which then eclipse or something like that. First it's eternal daylight and then it's eternal darkness.Relatively nice movie and somewhat a prequel to Riddick.I'd say go for it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jameson (ST) Posted January 4, 2011 Author Share Posted January 4, 2011 I actually thought of that last evening. I'm a big fan of the series and how that one slipped my mind as I wrote this is beyond me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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