04-27-2020, 12:31 AM | #1 |
Join Date: Aug 2004
|
Sourcebooks and tools for low-tech campaign setting
I'm looking for book and tool recommendations. I'm thinking of running a fantasy campaign set in a world somewhat analoguous to classical antiquity. The PCs would do a lot of travelling, by sail or road, mostly visiting minor kingdoms, port cities on islands, etc.
I'm looking for resources that would save me some of the trouble of coming up with believable settlements and help answer questions like:
Costs, head counts, distances, things like that. I have the GURPS Low-Tech books (3rd and 4th edition). They're great books, but I'm looking for something more specific and less universal. I'd appreciate ease of use and convenience above all! It doesn't need to be all that realistic, because this is a fantasy campaign with magic and gods. It doesn't need to be exactly the right period either: I can work with medieval or early modern assumptions, fudge as necessary, and get by on flavor. I'd like to minimize the amount of work I need to do beforehand, and only work out what I need in a given area when the PCs get there. I'm fully comfortable with filing the serial numbers off setting-specific or historical books, as long as they're not focused on plot hooks or fantasy stuff, since those are things I don't need help providing. All recommendations are welcome! System- or setting-specific or fully generic, $40 hardcover or $2 pdf, software tools, websites, spreadsheets, anything.
__________________
https://diceandlives.wordpress.com |
04-27-2020, 07:12 AM | #2 |
Join Date: Jul 2006
|
Re: Sourcebooks and tools for low-tech campaign setting
These are some of the modern classics for that sort of thing, and there's plenty more suggestions in the "also purchased" racks below them:
https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product...rain-Into-Gold https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product...orge-and-Steam https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product...Western-Europe Note that the Magical Medieval Society is very 3.x D&D so that if you don't like their assumptions, it may not fly for you. whereas this is all GURPS: http://www.saduria.co.uk/sitebuilder...arketplace.pdf (as I understand it this pdf is free-to-user fanmade, if it's not a legit download, please kill it) |
04-27-2020, 07:37 AM | #3 |
Join Date: Aug 2004
|
Re: Sourcebooks and tools for low-tech campaign setting
Thanks! Those look promising. Based on your warning and the preview, I'll give Magical Medieval Society a miss, but I'll look into those others!
__________________
https://diceandlives.wordpress.com |
04-27-2020, 12:25 PM | #4 |
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: traveller
|
Re: Sourcebooks and tools for low-tech campaign setting
Swords and Sorcerers, for Chivalry & Sorcery, had a lot of embedded economic information, not only for the Vikings, Celts, and Mongols explicitly covered in the sourcebook, but also in a section on medieval European "Instant Manors and Baronial Holdings." Plus the price is right ($0.00 on DTRPG).
|
04-27-2020, 05:30 PM | #5 |
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Austin Texas
|
Re: Sourcebooks and tools for low-tech campaign setting
I second grain to gold. Its probably in my top 5 world creation tools. I converted the standard charts to excel so that I could easily change a few things to make unique cities with different common items.
You might also try most things from HarN for inspiration and city builder https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product...ng-Communities
__________________
He stared out in the distance to see the awesome might of the Meerkat war party. Last edited by mehrkat; 04-27-2020 at 05:37 PM. |
04-28-2020, 03:13 PM | #6 |
Join Date: Sep 2018
|
Re: Sourcebooks and tools for low-tech campaign setting
As long s we're on SJGAMES.COM Have a look at GURPS Low Tech, lots of interesting historical technology and side-panel about they were used.
|
05-05-2020, 12:00 AM | #7 |
Join Date: Mar 2006
|
Re: Sourcebooks and tools for low-tech campaign setting
There's the old Medieval Demographics Made Easy. If you don't already have them, there are also the old 3E sourcebooks for historical times/places, like Celtic Myth, Egypt, Greece, etc. I've done pseudo-historical low-tech fantasy worlds using those books before, and it's worked out well. Then there's Rolemaster's And a 10' Pole, which is a super-dense list of equipment, and will have the added value of giving you a consistent set of prices across all eras (IIRC, it's Tin Pieces, Copper Pieces, Silver Pieces, and Gold Pieces).
Do you have the Low-Tech pdf's for 4E? Last edited by namada; 05-05-2020 at 12:03 AM. Reason: fixed link |
Tags |
book recommendations, cities, economics, history, prices |
Thread Tools | |
Display Modes | |
|
|