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Post by Deleted on Jul 19, 2007 6:48:57 GMT -6
We were wondering how many of you use real world settings in your campaigns, how do you use them and to what extent? Which ones do you think are most easily used in a campaign and which ones do you think would be most difficult to use? We are looking for advice on how to lay out mulitiple countries for a campaign world.
This info is from a thread by Llaurenela at Knights & Knaves Alehouse:
Consider the following as setting for a D&D campaign world, which would interest you the most and why? Note: in all cases consider that the setting noted does not have gunpowder, ie no guns or cannons.
What type of cultures would you put into your campaign world and why? What real world cultures (from throughout history) would you use and why? Or would you create a whole new culture(s) and how would you go about it.
1. Sub-saharan African Kingdoms
2. Southeast Asian Kingdoms
3. Feudal Japan Bushido, Sengokou, Usagi Yojimbo
4. Ancient China
5. Mongolia - Ghengis Khan style
6. Elizabethan England remember no gunpowder
7. Early or mid-Dark Ages Europe/western Asia
8. 12th-16th century Korea
9. Pre-Sengoku Japan - Heian-kyo, Nara, Asuka, Yamato
10. Byzantine Empire
11. Roman Empire - first 500 years
12. Roman Empire - second 500 years
13. Mesopotamian Empire
14. Like the Barbary coast in the Middle Ages
15. The Last Ice Age
16. Viking 800-1100 AD
17. Polynesia in its heyday of colonization
18. Egypt
19. The Iroquois Nation
20. Easter Island
21. Mu
22. Atlantis
23. The Zulu Nation
24. Mogul India
25. Eskimo
26. The Irish
27. The Scots
28. The Welsh
29. Persia
30. Central and South American Indians
A. Aztec
B. Maya
C. Olmec
D. Inca
E. Toltec
31. Plains Indians w/horses
32. Huns
33. Ancient Greeks
34. Ottoman Empire
35. Phoenician
Please add any others that come to mind that you have used or would like to use.
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Post by Finarvyn on Jul 19, 2007 7:30:40 GMT -6
Well, I've run a few "real world" adventures but I tend to drift into the "alternate history" settings instead because that gives me a little bit of wiggle room as to my use of facts.
I've run campaigns that were Roman, Egyptian, King Arthur (psudo histoical) for OD&D.
My horror campaigns (usually not OD&D) are typically based on modern-day New England (with Arkham and the like pulled from H.P. Lovecraft) and so I often use modern maps and such for those games. My wild-west campaigns (often using Boot Hill rules) are based on Kansas/Oklahoma/Arizona and I have used actual maps of Tombstone, AZ for games.
So ... my OD&D games may steal elements from various historical places but are usually not specific forages into history. Most of my historical role-playing is done with other game systems.
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Post by crimhthanthegreat on Jul 20, 2007 22:04:36 GMT -6
If I interpret the intent of your post correctly, I think you are asking how many of us have used the flavor (culture/ethnic bits,etc) of and features of real world settings in our campaigns and how did we implement that in our campaigns. I don't know that I am going to go into that in a lot of detail, at least not in this one post, but I will give you some info about what I have used and then maybe I can flesh it out for you a bit now and then as time permits. Some of these are used a lot and some only a little. Also this is spead across four campaigns at different locations on the planet. The more barbaric version has been used for some of the orc tribes and for some of the other monsters. I also flavored up some of the elves, dwarves and hobbits.
1. Sub-saharan African Kingdoms
I have used this for the black humans IMC. I have made some of them more advanced than others and I have tried to place at least some of each of the different human races on an equal footing at both ends of the spectrum of power, technology, culture etc.
I will note here that I have humans of the following races IMC: White, black, red, yellow, green, blue and brown. This is in addition to the Barsoom human types.
2. Southeast Asian Kingdoms
Yes
3. Feudal Japan Bushido, Sengokou, Usagi Yojimbo
Yes
4. Ancient China
Yes
5. Mongolia - Ghengis Khan style
Yes
6. Elizabethan England remember no gunpowder
No
7. Early or mid-Dark Ages Europe/western Asia
Yes
8. 12th-16th century Korea
No
9. Pre-Sengoku Japan - Heian-kyo, Nara, Asuka, Yamato
No
10. Byzantine Empire
Yes
11. Roman Empire - first 500 years
Yes
12. Roman Empire - second 500 years
Yes
13. Mesopotamian Empire
Yes
14. Like the Barbary coast in the Middle Ages
Yes
15. The Last Ice Age
No, but there is a great place on the map for that
16. Viking 800-1100 AD
Yes
17. Polynesia in its heyday of colonization
No, but there is a great place on the map for that
18. Egypt
Yes
19. The Iroquois Nation
Yes
20. Easter Island
No, but there is a great place on the map for that
21. Mu
No, but there is a great place on the map for that
22. Atlantis
No, but there is a great place on the map for that
23. The Zulu Nation
Yes
24. Mogul India
No
25. Eskimo
No, but there is a great place on the map for that
26. The Irish
Yes
27. The Scots
Yes
28. The Welsh
Yes
29. Persia
Yes
30. Central and South American Indians
A. Aztec
B. Maya
C. Olmec
D. Inca
E. Toltec
No, but there is a great place on the map for that
31. Plains Indians w/horses
Yes
32. Huns
Yes
33. Ancient Greeks
Yes
34. Ottoman Empire
Yes
35. Phoenician
Yes
As noted above, I will plan to expand on each of these from time to time in separate posts with some info about how I use the flavor of the different cultures IMC and how it impacts the players. A lot of this I have always done in my head on the fly and not a large amount is written, so it will be fun to actually commit more of it to paper. I am interested in what others have to share on this.
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Post by crimhthanthegreat on Jul 23, 2007 21:12:25 GMT -6
1. Sub-saharan African Kingdoms
A. Kush
B. Axum
C. Egypt
D. Mali
E. Equatorial rain forests (Pygmies)
F. The towering Masai herdsmen found in Kenya and Tanzania
G. The San (aka Bushmen) of the Kalahari desert
H. Zulu who challenged the Brithish Empire in the nineteenth-century in South Africa.
I will add more to this post later.
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Post by crimhthanthegreat on Jul 24, 2007 20:57:41 GMT -6
Here is a little bit of info that comes into play IMC.
Historically, most African peoples believed that the gods existed everywhere in nature. They also believed that things like the sun, moon, oceans, rivers and mountains contained spirits or deities. Generally there was no focus on an afterlife, African religions tended to be focus more on everyday life.
In many African traditions there is a supreme creator god who is omnipresent and omniscient but is often gone from the scene due to displeasure with mankind. Even though the creator god has removed himself from the scene, there is still a whole pantheon of active gods who can be called on through various methods. One religion still practiced in Africa has 1,700 divinities called orishas.
Many Africans have beliefs similar to other ancestor worshiping cultures such as the Chinese and others. They believe that the souls of their deceased ancestors can be looked upon as guardians and sources of wisdom for the living.
As is common in many native traditions around the world, there is the mythic character of the trickster.
Magic as used by priests/medicine men is prominent in their religions.
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Post by crimhthanthegreat on Jul 24, 2007 21:13:15 GMT -6
Some Creator Gods of Africa:
Amma who is worshipped by the Dogon of Mali in western Africa.
Bumba who is worshipped by the Bushongo of the Congo.
Mbombo who is worshipped by the Kuba of the rain forests of Zaire.
Cagn who is worshipped by the San (Bushmen) of the Kalahari Desert region in Southern Africa.
Dxui who is worshipped by the San (Bushmen) of the Kalahari Desert region in Southern Africa.
Chuku who is worshipped by the Ibo or Igbo of Eastern Nigeria.
Imana who is worshipped by the Banyarwanda of Rwanda in central Africa.
Kalumba who is worshipped by the Luba of Zaire.
Leza who is worshipped by the Kaonde of southern Africa.
Mawu and Liza the twin creator gods who are worshipped by the Fon of Benin in western Africa. Mawu and Liza are born from an older creator god Nana-Buluku and Aido-Hwedo.
'Ngai who is worshipped by the Masai of southeastern Africa.
Nyame who is worshipped by the Ashanti of Ghana.
Unkulunkulu who is worshipped by the Zulu and Xhosa of southern Africa.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 14, 2007 6:06:28 GMT -6
Yes, Crimhthan The Great, that is what we intended. Thank you for the great info. We appreciate anything anyone posts.
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Post by crimhthanthegreat on Aug 17, 2007 20:13:50 GMT -6
TSR historical supplements
A Mighty Fortress Campaign Sourcebook
Age of Heroes Campaign Sourcebook
Celts Campaign Sourcebook
Charlemagne’s Paladins Campaign Sourcebook
The Crusades Campaign Sourcebook
The Glory of Rome Campaign Sourcebook
Vikings Campaign Sourcebook
These are all very portable to OD&D
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Post by crimhthanthegreat on Aug 17, 2007 20:16:16 GMT -6
Another setting that you could add to that list would be India. You have the caste system, tigers, elephants, cobras, mulitple religions a huge pantheon etc.
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Post by crimhthanthegreat on Aug 17, 2007 20:29:29 GMT -6
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Post by crimhthanthegreat on Aug 17, 2007 20:41:13 GMT -6
The Dragon #12 - The Persian Mythos by Jerome Arkenberg
The Dragon #13 - The Japanese Mythos by Jerome Arkenberg
The Dragon #16 - Near Eastern Mythos by Jerome Arkenberg
The Dragon #19 - The Mythos of Australia in Dungeons & Dragons by Jerome Arkenberg
The Dragon #20 - The Mythos of Polynesia in Dungeons & Dragons by Jerome Arkenberg
The Dragon #27 - The Mythos of Africa in Dungeons & Dragons by Jerome Arkenberg
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Post by crimhthanthegreat on Sept 7, 2007 21:30:56 GMT -6
Here is an expansion on the original post at the top:
1. Sub-saharan African Kingdoms
A. Kush
B. Axum
C. Egypt
D. Mali
E. Equatorial rain forests (Pygmies)
F. The towering Masai herdsmen found in Kenya and Tanzania
G. The San (aka Bushmen) of the Kalahari desert
H. Zulu who challenged the Brithish Empire in the nineteenth-century in South Africa.
2. Southeast Asian Kingdoms
3. Feudal Japan Bushido, Sengokou, Usagi Yojimbo
4. Ancient China
A. Shang dynasty
B. Shou dynasty
C. Qin China
D. Han China
5. Mongolia - Ghengis Khan style
6. Elizabethan England remember no gunpowder
7. Early or mid-Dark Ages Europe/western Asia
8. 12th-16th century Korea
9. Pre-Sengoku Japan - Heian-kyo, Nara, Asuka, Yamato
10. Byzantine Empire
11. Roman Empire - first 500 years
12. Roman Empire - second 500 years
13. Mesopotamian Empire
14. Like the Barbary coast in the Middle Ages
15. The Last Ice Age
16. Viking 800-1100 AD
17. Polynesia in its heyday of colonization
18. Egypt & Ancient Egypt
19. The Iroquois Nation
A. Mohawk
B. Onondaga
C. Seneca
D. Oneida
E. Cayuga
f. later the Tuscaroras
20. Easter Island
21. Mu
22. Atlantis
23. The Zulu Nation
24. Mogul India
25. Eskimo
26. The Irish
Fomorians
Fomhóire
Partholonians
Nemedians
Fir Bholg
Firbolgs - three tribes -Domnu, Gaillion, Bolg
Tuatha De Danann
Laigain
Milesians
Irish Celts
Picts aka Cruithni
Glasraighe
Laigin (Leinster)
Osraige (Ossory)
Ui Bairrche
Ui Chennselaig
Ui Maile
Ui Laoighis
Ua bhFailghe
Hy-Regan
Fotharta
Seven Septs of Laois (sept or clan) - O'Moore, O'Kelly, O'Deevy, O'Doran, O'Lalor, O'Dowling and McEvoy
Connacht
Luigne
Gailenga
Ui Maine
Ui Briuin
Ui Fiachrach
Siol Murray - (O'Conors, MacDermots, O'Beirnes, O'Flanagans, MacManuses, O'Brenans, O'Monahans, MacGeraghtys, O'Flynns and others)
Breifne
Conmaicne Rein
Conmaicne Mara
Tribes of Galway - (Athy, Blake, Bodkin, Browne, D'Arcy, Ffont (or De Fuente), Ffrench, Joyes (or Joyce), Kirwan, Lynch, Martin, Morris and Skerrett.)
Ulster
Dal Fiatach
Dal nAraide
Dal Riata
Fir Manach
Cineal Fógartaígh
Airgialla (Oriel)
Ui Cremthainne
Erainn
Decies
Deise
Ciannachta
Eile
Desmond
Corca Luighe
Eoghanacht
Corca Duibhne
Thomond
Dal gCais
Ui Neill
Cenel nEoghain
Cenel Conaill
Cineal Chonaill
Mide (Meath)
Brega
Southern Ui Neill
Four Tribes of Tara
27. The Scots
28. The Welsh
29. Persia
30. Central and South American Indians
A. Aztec
B. Maya
C. Olmec
D. Inca
E. Toltec
F. Chavin
G. Huari
31. Plains Indians w/horses
(See below)
32. Huns
33. Ancient Greeks
34. Ottoman Empire
35. Phoenician
36. Summerians
37. Ancient Babylon
38. Hittites
39. Assyrians
40. Parthians and Sassanians
41. The Islamic Empire
42. Indus Valley Civilization
43. Mauryan India
44. Minoan Crete
45. Mycenae
46. The Etruscans
47. The Khmers (Cambodia)
48. The Hopewell and Mississippi Peoples
49. Southeast, Northeast, Woodlands and Great Lakes Indians (see Iroquois Nation above)
Hurons
Micmac
Maliseet
Pequot
Mohegan
Narragansett
Passamaquoddy
Penobscot
Tuscarora
Wampanoag
Nipigon
Ojibwa
Michipicoten
Mattagami
Timagami
Dokis
Nipissing
Eastern Ojibwa
Mississauga
Golden Lake
Southern Ojibwa or Chippewa
Ottawa
Mascouten
Potawatomi
Illinois
Fox
Kickapoo
Kaskaskia
Moingwena
Illini
Tamaroa
Cahokia
Michigamea
Peoria
Potawatomi
Miami
Wea
Piankashaw
Shawnee
Masapelea
Miami
Timiskaming
Algonkin
Manouane
Maniwaki
Malecite
Penobscot
Passamaquoddy
Western Abenaki
Eastern Abenaki
Pennacook
Pocumtuc
Nipmuc
Massachusett
Nauset
Wampanoag
Pokanoke
Narraganset
Tunxis
Mohegan
Paugusset
Metoac (Montauk, Shinnecock, Poosepatuck)
Mahican
Wappinger
Musee
Rockaway
Delaware
Unami
Piscataway
Nanticoke
Choptank
Conoy
Powhatan
Chickahominy
Mattapony
Nansemond
Pamunkey
Potomac
Rappahannock
Weapemeac
Chowanoc
Roanoke
Machapunga
Pamlico
Secotan
Hatteras
Bear River
Neusiak
Coree
Peun or Tobacco Nations
Huron
Wenro
Wyandot
Tuscarora
Susquehannock
Erie
Mingo
Winnebago
Five Civilized Tribes of the Southeast (the Cherokee, Choctaw, Chickasaw, Creek, and Seminole also later the Tuscaroras)
Natchez
50. Pacific Northwest Indians
Achomawi Indians
Chemakum Indians
Chukchansi Indians
Clayoquot Indians
Coast Salish Indians
Cowichan Indians
Haida Indians
Hupa Indians
Hesquiat Indians
Karok Indians
Klamath Indians
Koskimo Indians
Kwakiutl Indians
Lummi Indians
Makah Indians
Nootka Indians
Puget Sound Salish Indians
Quileute Indians
Quinault Indians
Shasta Indians
Skokomish Indians
Tolowa Indians
Tututni Indians
Willapa Indians
Wiyot Indians
Yurok Indians
51. Southwest Indians
Acoma Indians
Apache Indians
Cochiti Indians
Havasupai Indians
Hopi Indians
Hualapai Indians
Isleta Indians
Jemez Indians
Jicarilla Indians
Keresan Indians
Laguna Indians
Maricopa Indians
Mohave Indians
Navajo Indians
Pima Indians
Qahatika Indians
Taos Indians
Tewa Indians
Tigua Indians
Tohono O'Odham Indians
Yuma Indians
White Mountain Apache Indian Tribe
Yavapai Indians
Zuñi Indians
52. Great Basin Indians
Cahuilla Indians
Chemehuevi Indians
Comanche Indians
Cupeño Indians
Diegueño Indians
Mono Indians
Northern Paiute Indians
Shoshonean Indians
Washo Indians
53. Great Plains Indians
Arapaho Indians
Arikara Indians
Assiniboine Indians
Atsina Indians
Brule Indians
Cheyenne Indians
Chipewyan Indians
Cree Indians
Crow Indians
Dakota Indians
Hidatsa Indians
Kainah Indians
Mandan Indians
Oglala Indians
Osage Indians
Oto Indians
Piegan Indians
Ponca Indians
Quapaw Indians
Sarsi Indians
Siksika Indians
Teton Indians
Wichita Indians
Yanktonai Indians
54. Northwest Plateau Indians
Cayuse Indians
Chinookan Indians
Kalispel Indians
Klikitat Indians
Kutenai Indians
Nespelim Indians
Nez Perce Indians
Salish Indians
Salishan Indians
Spokane Indians
Tlakluit Indians
Umatilla Indians
Walla Walla Indians
Yakama Indians
55. California Indians
Kato Indians
Maidu Indians
Miwok Indians
Pomo Indians
Wailaki Indians
Wintun Indians
Yokuts Indians
Yuki Indians
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Post by thorswulf on Sept 7, 2007 21:59:50 GMT -6
Wowzers! Those are some lists! I have to say I have been interested in running a Medieval India campaighn for several reasons. The miniatures would just be too cool! Secondly, a simple bless spell froma cleric suddenly becomes a lot more useful against rakshasas! And finally the landscapes with all of the temples and palaces would be wonderfully fantastic, and yet very real!
I have toyed around with a Dark Ages world where The Vikings are really a pain in the neck to everyone, and most kindoms are like those of 5th century Britain- small and not heavily populated. BY the way I heartily recommend any books by Nancy Berberick ( sorry if the spelling is off, my books are loaned out), as her 5th centry England has dwarves, and elves and is heavily steeped in Saxon mythology.
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Post by crimhthanthegreat on Sept 9, 2007 16:39:51 GMT -6
Wowzers! Those are some lists! I have to say I have been interested in running a Medieval India campaighn for several reasons. The miniatures would just be too cool! Secondly, a simple bless spell froma cleric suddenly becomes a lot more useful against rakshasas! And finally the landscapes with all of the temples and palaces would be wonderfully fantastic, and yet very real! I have toyed around with a Dark Ages world where The Vikings are really a pain in the neck to everyone, and most kindoms are like those of 5th century Britain- small and not heavily populated. BY the way I heartily recommend any books by Nancy Berberick ( sorry if the spelling is off, my books are loaned out), as her 5th centry England has dwarves, and elves and is heavily steeped in Saxon mythology. Both of those sound like a lot of fun, I generally import things into my campaign and change all the names, but there is no reason why you couldn't keep all of the names the same. Is this the Nancy Berberick of which you speak? |
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Post by crimhthanthegreat on Sept 9, 2007 18:52:27 GMT -6
I added this to the post above, this is people and clans of Ireland a partial list.
Fomorians
Fomhóire
Partholonians
Nemedians
Fir Bholg
Firbolgs - three tribes -Domnu, Gaillion, Bolg
Tuatha De Danann
Laigain
Milesians
Irish Celts
Picts aka Cruithni
Glasraighe
Laigin (Leinster)
Osraige (Ossory)
Ui Bairrche
Ui Chennselaig
Ui Maile
Ui Laoighis
Ua bhFailghe
Hy-Regan
Fotharta
Seven Septs of Laois (sept or clan) - O'Moore, O'Kelly, O'Deevy, O'Doran, O'Lalor, O'Dowling and McEvoy
Connacht
Luigne
Gailenga
Ui Maine
Ui Briuin
Ui Fiachrach
Siol Murray - (O'Conors, MacDermots, O'Beirnes, O'Flanagans, MacManuses, O'Brenans, O'Monahans, MacGeraghtys, O'Flynns and others)
Breifne
Conmaicne Rein
Conmaicne Mara
Tribes of Galway - (Athy, Blake, Bodkin, Browne, D'Arcy, Ffont (or De Fuente), Ffrench, Joyes (or Joyce), Kirwan, Lynch, Martin, Morris and Skerrett.)
Ulster
Dal Fiatach
Dal nAraide
Dal Riata
Fir Manach
Cineal Fógartaígh
Airgialla (Oriel)
Ui Cremthainne
Erainn
Decies
Deise
Ciannachta
Eile
Desmond
Corca Luighe
Eoghanacht
Corca Duibhne
Thomond
Dal gCais
Ui Neill
Cenel nEoghain
Cenel Conaill
Cineal Chonaill
Mide (Meath)
Brega
Southern Ui Neill
Four Tribes of Tara
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