Dungeon Fantasy Earth idea

[b-dog]

The world I have is loosely based on the real world but with no technology but with magic instead. In this world European explorers went to the Americas, Africa and Asia just like they did in the real world. They set up societies in the new lands and this created conflicts with the locals. Over time Europe lost its colonies and the countries gained independence and use the same names as we have today. Cuba is Cuba in this world and has been blockaded by the United States Empire but on Cuba there is Santeria which was brought by the Africans and many of the monsters of African myth have followed them to Cuba from Africa. Deeper in the jungles are the ruins of the indigenous people who have disappeared but there are dungeons said to be filled with gold and ancient magic. The pirates of the Caribbean are real and they pose a threat to explorers. In Mexico there are many Aztec and Mayan pyramids to explore filled with treasure and monsters to defeat.

[Tom H.]

Sounds like a good basis for exciting myths and adventures.

Even though your history encompasses a version of our whole world, am I correct to assume that the campaigns would focus on the extended region of the Caribbean and the Americas?

[Tom H.]

Originally Posted by b-dog

. . . by the United States Empire . . .

I'm also curious how developed your United States Empire is?

Is it very centralized with a mature government and military, or does it lend itself rather to lots of exploration, frontiers and new settlement?

[Tom H.]

P.S.

. . . If the latter, you could even reinterpret a wild west genre among your collection of themes.

[b-dog]

Originally Posted by Tom H.

I'm also curious how developed your United States Empire is?

Is it very centralized with a mature government and military, or does it lend itself rather to lots of exploration, frontiers and new settlement?

I guess that he USA is mature but there is still the Wild West while the coasts have well developed cities. Mostly the reason for this setting is Asia which I am interested in. I have an adventurer that s set in Sarawak Borneo where there is an Iban tribe of headhunters who lost their colllection of skulls and have now lost their spiritual powers to be able to defeat demons that are invading their island. They are further destroying their forrests so that the spiritual powers of the Iban are reduced. The DF PCs are sent a letter by a decemdant of the white Raja to the city of Kuching where the rangers of Sarawak are trying to hold off the demons from conquering the city. The PCs are sent up river to meet and old Iban tribesman to ask what is to be done and he says the PCs must try to find their skulls so that he can contact the rest of his tribe to be able to defeat the demons. The quest leads to destroying pirates and then going up mount Kinabalu to retrieve the skulls where the demon king has secured them with guard monsters traps and dungeons.

[Tom H.]

Originally Posted by b-dog

Mostly the reason for this setting is Asia which I am interested in.

Oh okay.

I'm still intrigued about the idea of using the "New World" of North America and the Caribbean as a geographic model for traditional fantasy campaigns.

It seems that a lot of fantasy world building has relied more on a European-centric model. I understood that Tolkien may have used Europe as a rough plan for his section of Middle Earth in Lord of the Rings. (In fact, was that region actually intended to be Europe in ancient "middle" history?) And of course, the universal identity and history of the Mediterranean Sea may have inspired such bodies and "inner seas" in fictional maps.

So it seems to me that using a retro North America as an undiscovered country with its Caribbean Sea provides a great basis to develop brand new mythology, discoveries, and adventures.