Trying to reconcile with fantasy

[dragonewt]

Some of Rodney Matthew's art work might provide some inspiration for a different gaming world:

Gallery - RodneyMatthews.com

( Ignoring the LOTR works )

Edited June 14, 2009 by dragonewt

[RogerCooper]

For an interesting take on Medieval Fantasy, you might want to investigate the Ars Magica RPG, where the players are Mages and their companions in an otherwise historical setting. Not a BRP product, but the ideas and scenarios would be usuable.

The Pendragon RPG is based upon Arthurian legend. All players are knights. The system is BRP-related, so conversion is easy.

[kaddawang]

If this thread is moving towards fantasy-settings that are not standard, and that I like, look at:

-Ars Magica(available for free)

-Cthulhu Dark Ages

-Dark Sun(lots of huge and free downloads at their site. Never played it, but always wanted to)

-Earthdawn. Granted, they throw in every fantasy-trope ever devised, and then some, but it is still a brilliant game

-Stormbringer(of course)

-Warhammer(preferrably 1.ed. A wealth of free downloads are available)

-Freeport

-SLA Industries. Not fantasy, but very cool. Also available for free.

With a little bit of work, all these can be used as a setting for BRP.

[soltakss]

The trouble with High Fantasy is that most people see it as elves/orcs and dwarves. It's not just Tolkein, of course, many other fantasy authors have used the elf/orc model to good effect.

I've never really run anything in that style, apart from D&D, but I mainly run Glorantha, which is definitely an acquired taste for many.

If you want a named setting that is High Fantasy but not about elves and orcs, then look at David Eddings' setting as covered in The Belgariad/Mallorean books. It is High Fantasy with powerful wizards but steers clear of classic orcs and elves. The character Silk comes straight out of BRP/RQ, in my opinion. I've just seen on Wikipedia that he passed away this month - I hadn't heard anything about that.

Otherwise, use something out of Fantasy Earth - you can have as high fantasy as you want, with as much magic as you want. If you don't want elves and orcs and whatnot then don't have them in the game.

[seneschal]

The Arthurian saga is another high fantasy example that doesn't include lots of demi-human races. There are sorcerers like Morgan Le Fay ("the Fairy" in French) and a ruthless giant or three. But most of Arthur's opponents are unscrupulous humans. I know the Pendragon game threw in lots of medieval folklore critters, but they aren't there in Le Morte de Arthur. Evil knights and sexy enchantresses were the villains de jour.

The Chronicles of Narnia (C.S. Lewis) and The Chronicles of Prydain (Lloyd Alexander) both include a variety of mythological and folklorish creatures, but non-humans rarely take center stage, and the bad guys, as in Arthur, are usually selfish humans. I don't recall an orc or a high elf in the lot, although Lewis included dwarves and Alexander fairies (who acted more like dwarves than Tolkien-style elves).

As someone else has mentioned, running a campaign with critters based on actual folklore rather than popular fantasy literature would have quite a different feel. Folklore doesn't make clean separations among fairies, elves, goblins, dwarves and the like. All of them are generally hostile towards man; the difference between a "good" fairy and a "bad" one is that the "good" fairy won't go out of his way to harm you and will allow himself to be bribed with suitable offerings of grain or milk. Many are child-sized or smaller, but since they usually can shape-shift, turn invisible, or conceal their true appearances with "glamour" how can you tell? The little guys are likely to kidnap your wife and children. Larger fairies such as ogres, trolls, and giants tend to eat your wife and children. People were genuinely scared of fairies; this fear determined where and how they built their homes, what they planted, how they dressed, where they were willing to travel and when. Being accused of trafficking (conducting business) with the fairies is as dangerous as being accused of witchcraft. It is dangerous even if you aren't caught; fairies are notably capricious, easily offended, and inclined to double-cross their human customers. Human-fairy relations generally resemble an elaborate protection racket. Courtney Cumrin and the Night Things captures this aspect of fairies quite well.

[Rurik]

I always wanted to base a short campaign around GWAR's necromythology... but I could never come up with anything that wasn't pretty much all battle all the time.

I disagree. GWAR is about much more than just warfare and killing.

Raping and pillaging should account for at least half of such a game.

>:->

[Dyvim Matt]

Wow! I leave for a few days and when I come back, there's even more suggestions. Thanks!

In due time, I should come up with a setting idea that I will bounce off you just for second opinions.

Oh, and thanks to Rurik for enforcing proper respect towards GWAR's extremely deep and complex mythology. Simsala, you oversimplify too much!!!

[Dredj]

Just buy Mythic stuff Mythic Game Master Emulator

and you and your players should be able to have fun with high fantasy and BRP whenever they decide they want to play high fantasy.

If you want a different setting, try this:

Steampunk Musha - Precis Intermedia | RPGNow.com

[Agentorange]

As several have already suggested some kind of historical campaign might be the order of the day. Arthurian England has been mentioned, what about a vikings campaign, see if you can pick up a copy of the old RQ Vikings pack somewhere. You could have your heroes mixing it up with brooding Finnish woodland spirits in the east ( I think there are a couple of Hero wars supplements out that would provide source material ) , or sailing west to Vinland... Mythic Iceland is apparently close to completion.

Or, go east young man. There's a MRQ Japan supplement and the RQ3 Land of ninja pack crops up secondhand reasonably regularly. You might have a Chinese Wuxia Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon style campaign.

Or, how about the ancient middle east? Assyria, Egypt, Tyre....think mummy and ghoul infested tombs in the valley of kings, demons haunting the night in ancient Babylon. if you want to be a bit elastic with the timeline ( it is fantasy after all ) you could have some Homeric era Greek stuff going on in the north at the same time.... what is the truth of the minotaurs labyrinth in Minoan crete ?

And we haven't even left Earth yet

[skarl]

I cannot argue GWAR-inspired gaming is where it is at, but I will also chime in on the post stating that Tolkien-inspired high fantasy isn't the only high fantasy out there. There are plenty of terrifying stories regarding elves and monsters (i.e. Tales Before Tolkien and anything by Lord Dunsany or Clark Ashton Smith). I throw everything into a blender and run with it.

After playing Demigod for a few days I think that starting players out as minions to some crazed demigod trying to ascend to godhood would make for a fun kickoff for a campaign.

[Mechashef]

How about a campaign based around medieval Europe (or perhaps Roman Empire) attempting to colonise parts of the Americas?

The campaign could be against the Indians, or Aztecs, or Maya or Inca.

My own campaign is based around a Highish medieval empire colonising a land inspired by Mythic Australia. The colony is used as a prison by the Emopire, but there are also many free settlers. The PCs often work as bounty hunters, chasing down escaped convicts.

Chaos is a major enemy (obviously like Glorantha). The empire recognises that everyone has at least some Chaos in them, and believes that identical twins are those people who have the least Chaos in them (because they are identical).

When Identical twins are born, they are taken to the capital, trained, and when they reach 12 put through tests. Their performance in these tests determines which government jobs they will receive (including the position of Twin Emperors). Some die during the testing. One of the PCs is a twin whose brother died during the testing. He is also deemed to have failed the testing.

btw. The main campaign area is bordered by:

North: A dried up inland sea (like some of the salt flats in Australia) dominated by lizard (goanna) people who sail the Salt Flats in magical wheeled sailing ships. They capture people hunting for the famed opals, taking them back to their main citadel, never to be seen again.

East: An immense swamp, mainly inhabited by nomadic frog people who live in family groups. Each family group builds a house on the back of a domesticated behemoth. They don’t take kindly to outsiders hunting for the prized black pearls from the giant swamp clams.

South: An area of sea where the islands move about. The natives (based on the Lapita culture) are usually friendly, but some are cannibals. While it is possible for outsiders to navigate through the Sea of Islands, only members of one of the native cults know the proper rituals that will help them to navigate to a specific island.

West: A huge mountain chain inhabited by Incan inspired dwarves. They don’t generally live underground, but inhabit mountain valleys where they grow potatoes and sacrifice people to mountain spirits. Some people are sacrificed to the sun god by incinerating them with giant lenses. They also practice a local martial art based on TaeKwon-do. After all, if you are as short as a dwarf, a martial art that incorporates jumping is probably a good choice :-)

If you read through to here, you have probably been pointing out to yourself, where I got each idea from. I’ll be the first to admit that I’ve probably never had an original Role Playing idea.

[Agentorange]

An emopire ?

An empire run by really intense musicians presumably ?

It actually sounds like a lot of fun. I especially like the idea of the Incan style Dwarves

[Mechashef]

An emopire ?

An empire run by really intense musicians presumably ?

OMG!

An empire of black wearing, depressed and angst ridden citizens!

What have I unleashed!

Their suicide squads are a bit unusual. They never get out of their own barracks!

[cjbowser]

An emopire ?

An empire run by really intense musicians presumably ?

It actually sounds like a lot of fun. I especially like the idea of the Incan style Dwarves

I hear the sons of the city and dispossessed

get down, get undressed

get pretty, but you and me

we got the kingdom, we got the key

we got the emopire, now as then

we don't doubt, we don't take direction

Lucretia, my reflection, dance the ghost with me

[Agentorange]

What a national anthem !

[Connallmac]

I would certainly second Dark Sun, which takes many fantasy elements and turns them on their heads. Simple survival can be difficult and the planet itself is one of the PC's major adversaries.

I also like the idea of Matchlocks & Magic. I have been toying with the idea of a campaign based around Bob Howard's Solomon Kane, perhaps with a bit more magic. It would also have some influences from the television Supernatural. Though it would probably be more correct to say that Supernatural is influenced by Solomon Kane.

Another good example of fantasy taken out of it's usual trappings are Jim Butcher's Harry Dresden novels. Harry is a modern day wizard/private eye who protects the city of Chicago from supernatural threats. Humorous and entertaining, and definitely a good model for a modern fantasy campaign.

[Barliman]

Though it would probably be more correct to say that Supernatural is influenced by Solomon Kane.

The Solomon Kane connection to Supernatural is an interesting idea: I hadn't thought of that. On the other hand, I'd bet a good amount of money that the show runners for that series have a copy or two of In Nomine on their shelves. Particularly since the introduction of the angels, the show has been almost straight out of that game.

We now return you to your regularly scheduled thread.