“ I was in a game with a GM that had a Masters in History, who made is a point to mention that the local peasants didn't have wheelbarrows. The rest of the players just shrugged that off but I knew that the GM was trying to tell us the peasants were on the knife edge of starvation.
All that from wheelbarrows? Yes, because before the invention of the wheelbarrow it took two men to carry that load. In it's time the wheelbarrow was the most explosive production multiplier that the peasantry could get their hands on.
This is worth two tips: One about the power of the Wheelbarrow and the other is the moral of the story...that people need to know the point you are trying to make.”
“ Orcish currency is derived from glass beads. The art of glassworking is well beyond them, but perhaps the orcs have something of value to the civilized races, such as animal pelts, and well made axes, and bows. The humans trade beads for the goods, and the orcs will trade the beads amongst themselves as a form of their own currency. Perhaps they value blood red beads above all others, or animistic orcs favor beads in the colors of their gods.
Inspired by Indian trade beads, some of which could be quite ornate and beautiful. Most North American Indian beads were made in Italy. Surprise!”
“ The creation of intelligent magical weapons is not an exact science and there are occasional failures, as such think of causing a little more stress to your players by 'rewarding' them with an insane magical weapon
eg:
Agrophobic, refuses to come out of the scabbard without a strength check to draw it.
Haemaphobic: afraid of blood, fight at a penalty against any blooded creatures but really good against undead, elementals etc
Schizophrenic, not just one mind in your sword, lets have half a dozen minds in there, all different and bound to cause confusion
the possibilities are endless”