Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 harimonk Jun 12, 2008 22:10:22	How do you, as DM, go about attaining that "Arabian Nights" feel? I attempted to run a 3.5 version of Al Qadim, but it fell flat, and one of the comments was that it felt like a regular D&D game, only in funnier hats. How does one go about maintaining, or creating in the first place, the feel of the setting? Any tricks, tips, advice? -HariMonk
#2 csk Jun 12, 2008 22:13:21	I've had reasonably good luck by renaming all the classes and building some new ones of my own. And making genies pop up all over. We also played in the Ruined Kingdoms a lot, so there was a nice jungle/lost city vibe. Nothing like the Cities of the Heart though.
#3 Palladinae Jun 17, 2008 4:01:12	I only ran quasi-Al-Quadim adventure in Ravenloft. First of all I have chosen appropriate music (it was Arabian Music Marathon, Dead Can Dance, sisters of Mercy etc). Secondly i examined what makes an Arabia an Arabia. I came out with: great bazaars, minarets and muesins calling for prayers, camels, silk clothes, golden domes and white walls etc. Think of Sindbad movies, mid XX century Hollywood motion pictures . Secondly I decided to design a little different adventure. Goal had to be different, reflecting another culture and principles of domain. In my case it was quite complicated story concerning avenging family's honour, revenge for death, lustful genie and secret cabal of holly assassins. Instead of slaying monsters or finding lost items, my PC's had to find a way to put a ghost to rest (ok it was more Ravenloftish), find a way to clear family's honour and satisfy genie lust (this one was a failure, they killed him instead, but still it counts). Anyway, to achieve "Arabian nights" feeling you must combine several factors: music, Arabic names, locations and characteristic things (events, places, customs) and change adventure goals (capture las, so she could marry his love or secretly entering harem to expose an assassin) or means.