What is your campaign world

Bestial Warlust · 12-08-2019, 10:42 AM

I ran a few sessions several months back to make sure my group would like TFT before committing to developing anything. Since then we're been back to our D&D campaign ( not 5th for this curious). I've been going through the process of figuring what setting I'm going to use ,I'm not sure if I'll use the "official" setting. I say that whispering as I don't want the SJGames police coming to my home and arresting me ;).

I'm curious to know what campaign settings are people here using. Are you using pre published settings? Those of your own design? A mix of different settings?

larsdangly · 12-08-2019, 10:47 AM

I have significant experience (a couple dozen sessions or more) with four TFT campaign settings:

Cidri: This is kind of a cop out answer because your corner of Cidri might be radically different from everyone else's. But that is also kind of the point, so embrace it!

Hyborian age: My 'conan' TFT campaign has been one of the funnest uses of the system.

Middle Earth: a surprisingly great match

Fantasy 16th century Europe. This one called for significant expansion of the Jobs rules and house rules re. magic to make it feel right, but in the end was very satisfying.

amenditman · 12-08-2019, 12:38 PM

I use the default setting, Cidri. But made it my own place, not using anything published.

Skarg · 12-08-2019, 01:13 PM

For TFT, I and the players I used to play with used our own developed locations on Cidri (tending to be mostly or all omitting certain things, e.g. Mermen, Prootwaddles, Centaurs...). My largest TFT campaign is a huge set of maps expanding in all directions from the original Dran map, which I keep using for ease, familiarity, nostalgia and attachment to a campaign I've used for so long.

I think the outlined defaults in ITL are a nice starting place, but what I most like to do is make my own maps of my own places and have each place there deviate in interesting and sometimes extreme ways from the ITL baseline, so that there ends up being an interesting game of exploring and travelling the world and finding different opportunities, challenges, allies and opponents etc in each place, and the game world takes on a life of its own.

The Dran map is a nice ready starting location... BUT it has disadvantages in that many players will have access to just read (or already have memorized) what's there. And that the GM needs to read someone else's details and get familiar with them. And then that if they continue playing that setting, they're stuck with Dran in it, and need to work that into whatever they create later. For an experienced world-builder, I'd recommend creating their own world with a similar level of mapped detail to start with, and then build on it as needed for ongoing adventures.

The main strategic GM decisions I know about involve the magic - I found out after including everything, and regretting it, was that I wanted to edit the lists of spells and enchantments and potions to omit or limit what magic is known and available in what forms and for what prices, where and to whom.

And establishing that there are many gates available for public use, tends to directly undermine the exploration and travel meta-game I mentioned above. We tended to have occasional gates available to specific places for limited times, for not-insignificant fees (and often observed by authorities).

Shostak · 12-08-2019, 02:51 PM

The game I'm running for my group is set in a setting I created for a GURPS group and have ported over to TFT. I've placed the TFT version in a far-off corner of Cidri because the other initial members of our gaming group all played in Cidri back in the day and seemed eager to head back there. In the area this campaign is set in, races like orcs, goblins, halflings, etc., are extremely rare. Permanent enchantments like magic items and gates are also seldom seen.

ParadoxGames · 12-08-2019, 10:00 PM

I play in Cidri, and mostly do arena combat situations, while developing some locations for a campaign, which I'll drop in between a few of the pre-made adventures, like Clockwork Tower.

Axle · 01-26-2020, 06:57 PM

I like gritty role playing so I went with a real swords and sorcery setting and used an old hero games supplement called The Valdorian Age. It’s set in one major city, Eleweir. Just so happens that that is where the Thorzs palace is. Most of the area around the city is the Eurasian steppe, with lots of invading tribes, all being pressed westward from the murgos (the mongols). There is some magic but it’s pretty rare. Some Orcs and goblins and beasts but most people are Human. The players are agents who work for the thorz.

It’s a very deadly environment with lots of tribal loyalties. Makes things a little tricky when there is no good/evil/chaos/law... everything is in shades of gray.

Ages ago- like in the early 80s, I had a ITL world that was based around the duchy of Dran but also included land beyond the maintains- including the forest lord of Dihad and Darok (and the other counties). Very fun times!

The new game I’m running brings back so many fun memories of ITL, melee and wizard.

12-08-2019, 10:42 AM	#1
Bestial Warlust Join Date: Jul 2018	What is your campaign world I ran a few sessions several months back to make sure my group would like TFT before committing to developing anything. Since then we're been back to our D&D campaign ( not 5th for this curious). I've been going through the process of figuring what setting I'm going to use ,I'm not sure if I'll use the "official" setting. I say that whispering as I don't want the SJGames police coming to my home and arresting me ;). I'm curious to know what campaign settings are people here using. Are you using pre published settings? Those of your own design? A mix of different settings?

12-08-2019, 10:47 AM	#2
larsdangly Join Date: Dec 2017	Re: What is your campaign world I have significant experience (a couple dozen sessions or more) with four TFT campaign settings: Cidri: This is kind of a cop out answer because your corner of Cidri might be radically different from everyone else's. But that is also kind of the point, so embrace it! Hyborian age: My 'conan' TFT campaign has been one of the funnest uses of the system. Middle Earth: a surprisingly great match Fantasy 16th century Europe. This one called for significant expansion of the Jobs rules and house rules re. magic to make it feel right, but in the end was very satisfying.

12-08-2019, 12:38 PM	#3
amenditman Join Date: Nov 2018 Location: Florida Peninsula, Earth, Sol Sytem	Re: What is your campaign world I use the default setting, Cidri. But made it my own place, not using anything published. __________________ The first rule of GMing "If you make it, players will break it"

12-08-2019, 01:13 PM	#4
Skarg Join Date: May 2015	Re: What is your campaign world For TFT, I and the players I used to play with used our own developed locations on Cidri (tending to be mostly or all omitting certain things, e.g. Mermen, Prootwaddles, Centaurs...). My largest TFT campaign is a huge set of maps expanding in all directions from the original Dran map, which I keep using for ease, familiarity, nostalgia and attachment to a campaign I've used for so long. I think the outlined defaults in ITL are a nice starting place, but what I most like to do is make my own maps of my own places and have each place there deviate in interesting and sometimes extreme ways from the ITL baseline, so that there ends up being an interesting game of exploring and travelling the world and finding different opportunities, challenges, allies and opponents etc in each place, and the game world takes on a life of its own. The Dran map is a nice ready starting location... BUT it has disadvantages in that many players will have access to just read (or already have memorized) what's there. And that the GM needs to read someone else's details and get familiar with them. And then that if they continue playing that setting, they're stuck with Dran in it, and need to work that into whatever they create later. For an experienced world-builder, I'd recommend creating their own world with a similar level of mapped detail to start with, and then build on it as needed for ongoing adventures. The main strategic GM decisions I know about involve the magic - I found out after including everything, and regretting it, was that I wanted to edit the lists of spells and enchantments and potions to omit or limit what magic is known and available in what forms and for what prices, where and to whom. And establishing that there are many gates available for public use, tends to directly undermine the exploration and travel meta-game I mentioned above. We tended to have occasional gates available to specific places for limited times, for not-insignificant fees (and often observed by authorities). Last edited by Skarg; 12-08-2019 at 01:16 PM.

12-08-2019, 02:51 PM	#5
Shostak Join Date: Oct 2015 Location: New England	Re: What is your campaign world The game I'm running for my group is set in a setting I created for a GURPS group and have ported over to TFT. I've placed the TFT version in a far-off corner of Cidri because the other initial members of our gaming group all played in Cidri back in the day and seemed eager to head back there. In the area this campaign is set in, races like orcs, goblins, halflings, etc., are extremely rare. Permanent enchantments like magic items and gates are also seldom seen.

12-08-2019, 10:00 PM	#6
ParadoxGames Join Date: Feb 2016 Location: New Jersey	Re: What is your campaign world I play in Cidri, and mostly do arena combat situations, while developing some locations for a campaign, which I'll drop in between a few of the pre-made adventures, like Clockwork Tower. __________________ Daring adventurers are invited to join The Fantasy Trip Discord server: https://discord.gg/Z7AtdCe Ogre gamers unite: https://discord.gg/VmfVkuh

01-26-2020, 06:57 PM	#7
Axle Join Date: Dec 2019	Re: What is your campaign world I like gritty role playing so I went with a real swords and sorcery setting and used an old hero games supplement called The Valdorian Age. It’s set in one major city, Eleweir. Just so happens that that is where the Thorzs palace is. Most of the area around the city is the Eurasian steppe, with lots of invading tribes, all being pressed westward from the murgos (the mongols). There is some magic but it’s pretty rare. Some Orcs and goblins and beasts but most people are Human. The players are agents who work for the thorz. It’s a very deadly environment with lots of tribal loyalties. Makes things a little tricky when there is no good/evil/chaos/law... everything is in shades of gray. Ages ago- like in the early 80s, I had a ITL world that was based around the duchy of Dran but also included land beyond the maintains- including the forest lord of Dihad and Darok (and the other counties). Very fun times! The new game I’m running brings back so many fun memories of ITL, melee and wizard.