Natives vs. Outsiders - Downloaded from the Wizards Community, all coding removed by Solauren

Natives vs. Outsiders

Post/Author/DateTime Post
#1
emjaysmash
Apr 06, 2007 17:13:55 I'm failing to understand comparing and contrasting the differences between Natives in Ravenloft and Outsiders being pulled into Ravenloft. I've never run a "native" campaign, and have wanted to run one, but really didn't want to screw it up.
Apoligies if this has been up before.
-Emjaysmash
#2
kwdblade
Apr 06, 2007 21:14:48 There really isn't anything special about natives or outsiders. Natives obviously know more about their particular home domain, and know the languages of it. They may know a few legends, heard of famous people like Van Richten, etc. Other than that, they follow the standard rules of Ravenloft. No biggie.
#3
crazymarv
Apr 07, 2007 6:11:50 I'm in a game now where I'm using a Ranger from Darkon and the rest of the party has been drawn in from one of our homemade worlds. It makes for interesting conversation at times, since things that are perfectly normal to me (like the world being flat, the presence of mists around the core, etc) don't make and sense to them, and vice versa. So, you could try a mix like that, it's pretty fun actually.
#4
rotipher
Apr 08, 2007 1:00:51 By far the biggest difference between a Native campaign and an Outlander campaign is the PCs' emotional response to the setting. If you're just playing kick-in-the-door (which usually isn't the best fit for Ravenloft), it's not such a big deal, but if the in-character feelings and objectives of the PCs mean very much in your campaign's style, the difference can be huge.

To natives, Ravenloft is home. They may not approve of its rulers, or feel very safe there, but it's where they grew up, where their loved ones live, and where they expect to make a name for themselves as adventurers. They have a built-in emotional investment in the setting, and consider it a part of their 'comfort zone', despite the scary weirdness that might crop up from time to time. After all, Mists and curses and sinkholes of evil are just how the world works, right...? They're not all fun, but they belong there, and so do the PCs.

To outlanders, Ravenloft is a trap. They want to leave, to get away from this place that doesn't "work right" -- not spells, not geography, not even heroism as it's supposed to be -- and they can't believe that anyone would want to stay there. They may build emotional connections over time, but it's always going to be second-best: "home" is wherever they came from, and they feel cheated out of that. No matter how used to or resigned to it they get, part of them still wants to wake up and discover that the Land of Mists was just a bad dream.

That's what makes Native and Outlander campaigns different.
#5
emjaysmash
Apr 08, 2007 9:37:41 Thanks Guys, this has definitly helped!
#6
ravenloftlover347
Apr 10, 2007 21:09:30 I used to run my champaign where if you were an Outsider, you didn't can bonus to the Ravenloft (Fear, Horror, Madness) saves without feats unless your character had lived in Ravenloft for at least 5 years. This could be explained in the background of a starting character that would obviously be foreign to the Deminplane of Dread.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 emjaysmash Apr 06, 2007 17:13:55	I'm failing to understand comparing and contrasting the differences between Natives in Ravenloft and Outsiders being pulled into Ravenloft. I've never run a "native" campaign, and have wanted to run one, but really didn't want to screw it up. Apoligies if this has been up before. -Emjaysmash
#2 kwdblade Apr 06, 2007 21:14:48	There really isn't anything special about natives or outsiders. Natives obviously know more about their particular home domain, and know the languages of it. They may know a few legends, heard of famous people like Van Richten, etc. Other than that, they follow the standard rules of Ravenloft. No biggie.
#3 crazymarv Apr 07, 2007 6:11:50	I'm in a game now where I'm using a Ranger from Darkon and the rest of the party has been drawn in from one of our homemade worlds. It makes for interesting conversation at times, since things that are perfectly normal to me (like the world being flat, the presence of mists around the core, etc) don't make and sense to them, and vice versa. So, you could try a mix like that, it's pretty fun actually.
#4 rotipher Apr 08, 2007 1:00:51	By far the biggest difference between a Native campaign and an Outlander campaign is the PCs' emotional response to the setting. If you're just playing kick-in-the-door (which usually isn't the best fit for Ravenloft), it's not such a big deal, but if the in-character feelings and objectives of the PCs mean very much in your campaign's style, the difference can be huge. To natives, Ravenloft is home. They may not approve of its rulers, or feel very safe there, but it's where they grew up, where their loved ones live, and where they expect to make a name for themselves as adventurers. They have a built-in emotional investment in the setting, and consider it a part of their 'comfort zone', despite the scary weirdness that might crop up from time to time. After all, Mists and curses and sinkholes of evil are just how the world works, right...? They're not all fun, but they belong there, and so do the PCs. To outlanders, Ravenloft is a trap. They want to leave, to get away from this place that doesn't "work right" -- not spells, not geography, not even heroism as it's supposed to be -- and they can't believe that anyone would want to stay there. They may build emotional connections over time, but it's always going to be second-best: "home" is wherever they came from, and they feel cheated out of that. No matter how used to or resigned to it they get, part of them still wants to wake up and discover that the Land of Mists was just a bad dream. That's what makes Native and Outlander campaigns different.
#5 emjaysmash Apr 08, 2007 9:37:41	Thanks Guys, this has definitly helped!
#6 ravenloftlover347 Apr 10, 2007 21:09:30	I used to run my champaign where if you were an Outsider, you didn't can bonus to the Ravenloft (Fear, Horror, Madness) saves without feats unless your character had lived in Ravenloft for at least 5 years. This could be explained in the background of a starting character that would obviously be foreign to the Deminplane of Dread.