D&D General A bit of zodiac fluff

[Dioltach]

I just had an idea for a D&D zodiac system: twelve zodiac signs based on the twelve classes, in nine-year cycles named after the races. For example:
"I was born under the sign of the Rogue, in the year of the Dwarf."
"Well, that certainly explains why you have trouble making friends."

If nothing else, it would be an interesting way to randomly choose personality traits for your character.

 

[LuisCarlos17f]

In Dragon Magazine #340, they used the astrology signs: Beholder, Harpy, Ettin, Dryad, Stirge, Wyvern, Dragon, Unicorn, Hydra, Chimera, Kraken, Basilisk.

But it couldn't work in Spelljammer setting where people can be born from different wildspaces.

 

[Corinnguard]

I once played around with the idea for a setting where each of the races represented one of the signs in the Western Zodiac.

 

[Tales and Chronicles]

I've been working on-off on a setting based on the Angelarium illustrated by Peter Mohrbacher, with a huge emphasis on the Zodiac replacing Alignments in terms of characters' drive and general mannerism.

 

[Baron Opal II]

Those are amazing illustrations! I know that he made some for a variety of angels and the Sephirot, but did he also do the Zodiac?

 

[Umbran]

I just had an idea for a D&D zodiac system: twelve zodiac signs based on the twelve classes, in nine-year cycles named after the races.

In general, a neat idea. But not all GMs use classes as in-game concepts. Especially in 5e, where classes are specifically Player Character concepts, and do not need to apply to NPCs/monsters.

If you want to use the concepts, it might be better to name the constellations after monsters or mythological figures from within the setting that have similar behaviors to the stereotype classes, rather than metagame concepts.

 

[Laurefindel]

I just had an idea for a D&D zodiac system: twelve zodiac signs based on the twelve classes, in nine-year cycles named after the races. For example:
"I was born under the sign of the Rogue, in the year of the Dwarf."
"Well, that certainly explains why you have trouble making friends."

If nothing else, it would be an interesting way to randomly choose personality traits for your character.

(huh? forget the "haha" emoji and take a "thumbs up" instead. Not sure how it got there...)

I'm a big fan of thematic appropriation of mechanical concepts; the zodiac sounds like a great idea to me. Obviously the accompanying setting needs to lean heavily on these themes too, otherwise there's not point really, but done right it can be a refreshing reskin. If you want to go nuts, rip all fluff out of the phb (or srd if you want to stay legit), including name of non-generic abilities, and rewrite it all in light of zodiac themes.

Name of fantasy races as character ethnicity is less imaginative though, and less in the themes of zodiac iconography. It would work better if you take Umbran's advise and use mythological creatures instead of zodiac signs. Planets would work though (either include Pluto to make it nine, or use the seven antiquity planets and add Neptune and Uranus), so would metals and rare earths and other alchemical mumbo-jumbo.