Settings for DF

[lachimba]

Some people seem to want an official setting for DF. I am not one of those (though I would use a setting rather than just barebones), I prefer to have really non conventional settings for this type of beer and pretzels game rather than Forgotten Realms, Banestorm or even something like Dark Sun.


Anyone got anything interesting?


Two from me with zero originality.

Hex Punk:

Basically a Fantasy Cyberpunk campaign as outline in GURPS Cyberpunk. Substitute Merchant Guilds for Corps, Knights for Street Samurais, Amulets for cybertech etc. Misisons include 'hacking' bases, fieldtesting new hex tech, and stealing tech


League of Legends (Lite):

Fantasty arena combat only the arenas are huge (think 100 square miles) dungeons (including wilderness etc) with two + teams. PCs are observed magically to provide entertainment for millions.

Dungeons are filled with neutral creeps, allied and enemy minions, shops, items, traps etc But the adventure ends when one of the two teams is defeated or the players successfuly take out the other teams nexus.

[MIB.6361]

I think using a "default" setting would be good for those that don't want to have to flavor their own backgrounds.

All I did is use my existing home-made fantasy world as the backdrop. The DF is effectively an "alternate reality" that looks like my fantasy world, but doesn't overlap or interfere with anything going on there.

Considering this is my second fantasy world since coming to GURPS and my fourth (or so) ever, having a shadow of one isn't a big stretch for me.


I wouldn't mind seeing one of the suggestions you made or something like World of Warcraft or some other "quest heavy" setting behind it though. Only problem would be those areas where it conflicts with my ideas on what DF should be (which is how I end up with a shadow realm in the first place).

[lachimba]

A few more which are well more original.


Bushwakcers V Jayhawkers:


At the end of the last great war divine intervention meant that both sides ended up signing a truce. The consequence of breaking the truce, (which is defined as troops crossing the border) is divine intervention for the other side. A sure thing to tip the balance between the two evenly matched sides in the defender's favour.

Both sides' intelligence agenices have found a way around this though, by recruiting Nationalist privateers (unpaid, non uniformed and with no chain of command). These privateers cross the demilitirized zone (a 20 mile wide 1000mile long no go zone for troops to avoid accidentally crossing the border) to raid enemy fortifiations, towns, temples, sacred sites etc. They even try to sell their loot (and buy new goods) in the other sides territory to cause inflation!

The Privateers have to deal with patrols in the demilitirized zone, along with traps left over from the last war and monsters (intentionally let loose) along with rival privateers. Their long term goal is to force the other side to respond in anger or to permanently withdraw from the border.

Superheroes:

Puny ordinary fighters with St 12 and Skill 14, clerics with first aid and no magic, bards who's only skill is to play a harp! That's what this world is full of.

That said there are those more powerful, men and women with access to magic weapons, trained to ridiculous skill levels, or access to eldritch power!

The heroes protect the weak etc the supervillains prey on them. They also have their own lairs which need protection!


Holy War:

Your God lost. Virtually powerless he can only barely support his most loyal followers thanks to his secret worshippers scattered around the world.


That can change though! He has seven holy temples. Some occupied by new gods and some abandoned now filled by bandits, monsters or undead.

Clear the temples. Bring your god back. Smite them!


And one that I don't really like and isn't really original, but I include for completeness

Sliders:

You, started off in one of those conventional fantasy worlds, but you pulled the lever at the end of the dungeon and fell through a portal into another world. Now, you are trying to find your way home by going through a series of portals. You have a a crystal that tells you where the next portal will be, and gives you a countdown of how long till it appears. You trudge across the countryside and hack your way through a dungeon untuil you get there. then you hold the position till the portal opens.

The only thing is that these portals are in increasingly dangerous dungeons/ planes.

[lachimba]

Another two:

Gangs:


The world looks like North America: in so much as there are large cities linked by long highways with lots of varied wilderness outside of town. Sure its TL3/4, the cities aren't so large etc, but magic keeps things going.

Ths PCs are an outlaw gang. They are involved in raiding other groups bases, protecting friendly convoys, dealing magic gear, dishing out justice, avoiding the law and stopping other gangs from moving into their territory.

Postapoplytic


The world was great.... that times over.

Now the survivors eke out their existence; they scavenge old cities full of monsters and try to rebuild their world one gold piece at a time.

[MIB.6361]

Originally Posted by lachimba

Another two:

Gangs:

The world looks like North America: in so much as there are large cities linked by long highways with lots of varied wilderness outside of town. Sure its TL3/4, the cities aren't so large etc, but magic keeps things going.


Postapoplytic


The world was great.... that times over.

Both of these ideas make me say this. I say yes! to Car Wars Dungeon Fantasy!

[lachimba]

Originally Posted by MIB.6361

Both of these ideas make me say this. I say yes! to Car Wars Dungeon Fantasy!

I was thinking horses, but yeah Motorbikes and cars in DF would be neat

[David Johnston2]

My default dungeon setting has always been one where a great and magical civilisation was levelled by a war with dragons. They retreated below ground to escape the aerial attacks then mostly re-emerged when the active dragon population went down...except for the ones that were wiped out by things that burrow.

[copeab]

Originally Posted by lachimba

Postapoplytic

The world was great.... that times over.

Now the survivors eke out their existence; they scavenge old cities full of monsters and try to rebuild their world one gold piece at a time.

This is, IIC, essentially the setting for the game Earthdawn. 'Dungeons' were magical fallout shelters for communities. Some had their wards fall and let Things in ...

[Kage2020]

Originally Posted by copeab

This is, IIC, essentially the setting for the game Earthdawn. 'Dungeons' were magical fallout shelters for communities. Some had their wards fall and let Things in ...

And that was what I was about to say, darn it. Can I get some love for mentioning Desolation? ;)

[Jürgen Hubert]

Once my Doomed Slayers setting is published (and it's in the hands of the layouters now), it should pretty much be perfect for Dungeon Fantasy - after all, it started out as an exercise in "how can we justify all those roaming bands of adventurers looting dungeons?"