08-21-2021, 07:35 AM | #1 |
Join Date: Sep 2004
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[DF] Medieval Europe as a Dungeon Fantasy Setting
So, as someone who likes both Dungeon Fantasy campaigns as well as the concept of alternate Earths, I was wondering about making an alternate, "Dungeon Fantasy" focused Earth.
I've seen this done a few times before. One of my favorites was the Pathfinder setting Kingdoms of Legend line from Interaction Point Games, which sadly seems defunct. It's premise involved humanity in a world with all the fantasy trappings, like dragons, elves and magic, but with society evolving much as on our Earth, minus monotheism (or at least, minus Christianity and Islam), with religions based on the Olympian pantheon dominating western culture, albeit with Interpretatio Graeca/Germanica being used to translate the Twelve Gods into different cultures. So Jupiter/Zeus was also seen as Taranis by the Celts, or Thor by the Germans. (one of the last sourcebooks they produced seemed to hint at them expanding this to the Egyptian and Vedic pantheons, but alas, I think it's a dead line). There are other changes, but otherwise, the setting is currently in its year 1415 CE (Year 0 here being the moment when Rome declared the worship of anyone BUT the Twelve illegal), but other than the replacement of real world religions and the addition of fantastic races and magic, the world is very recognizable: the Black Death occurred on schedule 60 years ago, depopulating much of Europe; the Holy Roman Empire dominates much of Western Europe, rivaled by the wealthier Kingdom of France, and so on. That's just one of my favorite examples that I can think of from, although I can think of at least three GURPS settings that might also qualify: -Midgard, originally from GURPS Alternate Earths 2 (world where Viking raids on Rome and Byzantium have reduced Christianity's influence, and Europe is now mostly Norse-flavored) -Pandemonium, from Pyramid vol.4 #1, a world where Demons started invading in 1000 C.E., which would mostly work for a Dark Fantasy setting. This would most likely be a human-focused setting, as nonhuman races might get confused with demons. -Roma Arcana, from GURPS Fantasy, for a decidedly more Roman-flavored setting. It shouldn't be too hard to add nonhumans here; elves could make up some of the celtic tribes, dwarves could dwell in the alps, the germanic tribes might have giants and orcs among their numbers, etc. And adding functional Dungeon Fantasy magic wouldn't really break the setting; the Roman Legions just add battlemages and combat clerics to their ranks. Mostly farming ideas here. Has anyone else considered turning Medieval (or Older) Earth into a Dungeon Fantasy setting, and if you have, what were your ideas? I might come back to this thread if I have new ideas myself, but I open the floor here. |
08-21-2021, 08:26 AM | #2 |
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Panama
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Re: [DF] Medieval Europe as a Dungeon Fantasy Setting
The GURPS Banestorm is also just that but in another world. Even in another world most of the politics and all the regional flavor is basically medieval Europe and Middle East with the traditional fantasy elements added.
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08-21-2021, 12:57 PM | #3 | |
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Shoreline, WA (north of Seattle)
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Re: [DF] Medieval Europe as a Dungeon Fantasy Setting
Although I've never run it, I did come up with something for the middle ages:
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08-21-2021, 03:15 PM | #4 | |
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Portland, Oregon
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Re: [DF] Medieval Europe as a Dungeon Fantasy Setting
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The point is that you do not have to make more of a bother about religion than necessary. Just do not assume it to be the world of history. Assume it to be the one of literature.
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08-21-2021, 07:30 PM | #5 |
Join Date: May 2021
Location: Eastern Kentucky
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Re: [DF] Medieval Europe as a Dungeon Fantasy Setting
This and just transplant it back on continents that look like earths. The cultures etc.. probably work. Though you could tweak the non-humans if some didn't suit your taste as far as origins go.
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08-22-2021, 04:46 AM | #6 |
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: U.K.
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Re: [DF] Medieval Europe as a Dungeon Fantasy Setting
I’d probably look at Ars Magica as an intermittently period-myth-accurate fantastification of medieval Europe for game purposes. Light on dungeons, but one can add those.
I have a vague feeling that Ken Hite tackled this theme once or twice during the run of Suppressed Transmission.
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08-22-2021, 07:42 AM | #7 | |
Join Date: Sep 2004
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Re: [DF] Medieval Europe as a Dungeon Fantasy Setting
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Another two concepts I can think of involved Holy Roman Emperor Otto the Great; one was a riff on Lord of the Rings, where the Ring was actually the Rhinegold from the Nibelung Saga, and another riff based on Star Wars. I really should go into my collection of articles to get more details. |
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08-22-2021, 02:10 PM | #8 |
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: traveller
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Re: [DF] Medieval Europe as a Dungeon Fantasy Setting
One of the problems with adapting medieval Europe as a run-of-the-mill Dungeon Fantasy setting is that these tend to be severely depopulated and unstable -- more post-Apocalyptic than post-Classical.
You'd want either a series of disasters (beyond even the Mongols, the Black Death, and the Hundred Years War) to turn the European heartlands into wilderness and seed them with abandoned ruins, or to set the campaign on the wild fringes of the region. Something like the Pandemonium timeline might work, if the demons would break out of the areas they control every two or three generations and lay waste to civilization. (I note with amusement that Sylvester II, who was pope in AD 1000, was often accused both during and after his lifetime of consorting with demons.) You should also account for the effect of different mana levels: normal in DF, vs. (presumably) low or none in the Real World (tm). A massive shift in mana levels -- perhaps tied to the "Event of AD 535" -- might be a useful departure point, although history would diverge pretty quickly thereafter. (I think this is another favorite Ken Hite topic.) Another possibility is if Christianity evolved into a more tolerant and syncretic religion, along the lines of Buddhism, rather than a mostly monopolistic one. If the Church adopted and encouraged pre-Christian folk beliefs instead of suppressing them, you might wind up with a more openly magical society with lots of supernatural entities on the margins. (I don't know enough about Ars Magica to know if this is part of its background already.) Last edited by thrash; 08-22-2021 at 02:18 PM. |
08-22-2021, 03:20 PM | #9 |
Join Date: May 2020
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Re: [DF] Medieval Europe as a Dungeon Fantasy Setting
They're obviously coming much later in the timeline, but the two GURPS Castle Falkenstein books might at least have some helpful ideas for handling nonhumans in a European setting.
Besides, every setting is better with airships, no matter how you get them in there. |
08-22-2021, 07:11 PM | #10 |
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: New York City
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Re: [DF] Medieval Europe as a Dungeon Fantasy Setting
The book series The Videssos Cycle by Harry Turtledove is set in a fantasy world that's effectively the Byzantine Empire. (A roman legion gets magically transported there.)
I think it's an excellent series & highly recommend. It may have some ideas for you. |
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