Current Fantasy settings that are not England/France/Japan/China inspired?

[seycyrus]

Have you thought about GURPS? The various worldbooks are universally recognized to be extremely well researched. They have covered many different historical settings in many different product forms.

In fact there was a product just released, "Hall of Judgment" which is strongly based on Nordic culture and created for the DFRPG (Dungeon Fantasy Role Playing Game - powered by Gurps) via kickstarter. It does a great job of outlining and creating a Northern culture.

Gurps Egypt
Gurps Arabian Nights
Gurps Aztects
Gurps Celtic Myth
Gurps Russia
Gurps Greece
Gurps Vikings
...

EDIT: WOOPS major fail on reading skill of first post!

[GavinRuneblade]

If you are into sci-fi I would recommend Starfinder or there are several different versions of Deadlands that can whet your appetite.

Not really into sci-fi. I'm specifically looking for things pre-industrial age. The older the better.

[GavinRuneblade]

I wouldn't say rules. This is setting, so each country/nation/region has short summary in the core rulebook and in each sourcebook they are expanded further, giving you full overview of the world. For example the sea nations of Argos and Zingara are given brief overview in the core book, while in Conan the Pirate they get expanded much more - customs, politics, specifics, overall flavor of the place. The oriental-themed Zamora is very well detailed in Conan the Thief.

The mechanics and rules you have are related to those settings - theivery, sailing, mercenary activities, kingdom ruling and etc.

The best in Conan and this revision, is that the setting information not full, it gives you good foundation but leaves to the GM and players to complete. Settings where every corner of the world is documented is a bit limiting for me in certain situations.

Are these rules published, like can I get a copy of the book right now? When I tried to find one on the website they were still linking to kickstarter and talking about pre-orders. I am not worried about things that define everything. I'm cool changing stuff when it suits me. hehe.

There's the Southlands setting by Kobold Press.

That one is quite interesting, I'll check it out. Very nice production quality too it looks like. I have a friend who DMs Pathfinder regularly so I'll see if I can talk him into a game. Thank you!

[Trenloe]

Are these rules published, like can I get a copy of the book right now? When I tried to find one on the website they were still linking to kickstarter and talking about pre-orders.

Yep you can. My FLGS has a lot of the books in. The PDFs can be poruchased here: https://www.drivethrurpg.com/browse/...25_25091/CONAN. There's a free QuickStart that gives you some idea what it’s about.

[shadzar]

I can't recall any games or settings for pre-colonial Africa other than a few rifts expansions.

The only Caribbean settings I know of are decidedly post colonial and include gun powder. So those are out.

Polynesia? Can't recall that anywhere. Someone has to have made an ocean world campaign that I never found.

The only really heavily "we're different from Earth" settings I've seen are either sci-fi or full of white people with English/French clothing and equipment and architecture. Or like Avatar the Last Airbender, basically Japan/China again. Are there any really alien ones that have a fantasy level of technology?

Sadly to the many who complained for years to have every country on the planet included, most RPGs will focus on their country of origin or base medieval Europe.

as you said, Al-Qadim exists and can be used in 5e. Maztica, where lots of Tomb of Annihilation takes place is loosely South America, most of the Forgotten Realms was specked out from all over the world.


All it takes is to add your own flavor out country to any RPG to have it in there. there is weapons from every culture you need only compare to your chosen game to adapt them to similar items.

Ocean World and "Desert Planet" have been done. Waterworld was oddly the name of the persons ocean world, and "Spice Must Flow" was the name of the "desert planet" world.

as to the white people.... not many non-white people make entire game systems only about non-white people. to be honest an RPG like that probably would recover costs as it would be too niche in the current social climate.

are you looking for a new settings without "white people" or medieval europe focus? just collecting a list of all the settings demographics from design?


not sure what you re needing, but i think Cadillacs and Dinosaurs has: white people, non-white people, and talking dinosaurs, and non-talking dinosaurs. technology levels were swords, revolvers, lasers, and yes, Cadillacs... even spaceships and android/mech dinos.... my memory is fuzzy, but it was a very weird book for that game...

[Nylanfs]

That one is quite interesting, I'll check it out. Very nice production quality too it looks like. I have a friend who DMs Pathfinder regularly so I'll see if I can talk him into a game. Thank you!

I listened to Ben talk about this setting. He had done a LOT of african research for a game setting that ended up not being able to be used because it was a Euro centric setting and didn't fit in. So he took it to Wolfgang and they made this wonderful book.

[GavinRuneblade]

Sadly to the many who complained for years to have every country on the planet included, most RPGs will focus on their country of origin or base medieval Europe.

I don't want every country, just ANY OTHER one, currently being produced. Exactly because, as you point out, often these products are niche or don't make a profit. DnD will keep me covered for the rest of my life with the big four. I don't ever need to worry about them stopping being focused on these four countries. I want to spend money to support someone who doesn't have the most popular product in the world.

as you said, Al-Qadim exists and can be used in 5e. Maztica, where lots of Tomb of Annihilation takes place is loosely South America, most of the Forgotten Realms was specked out from all over the world.

All it takes is to add your own flavor out country to any RPG to have it in there. there is weapons from every culture you need only compare to your chosen game to adapt them to similar items.

Actually, except for the atlatl and a few others nearly every setting only has british/French weapons and Japanese weapons. I've never seen a Gada in any RPG, nor an Urumi or any of a bunch of other ones. It always comes down to the same very few weapons. Granted, from a gamist point of view there is not a whole lot to differentiate most weapons, you could easily call a Gada a "great club" and call it a day. It's really only when you get very simulationist and go for tiny differences for no reason other than to have a difference. But I do get sick to death of the omnipresence of the same four sources.

And the two specific reasons I am looking for an in-production game, are #1 that while I absolutely CAN make adaptations myself, I don't have a lot of time so I prefer something I can grab and go and only need minimal change.#2 I want to vote with my wallet and support the development of more of this variety of product. buying and using a 20-year-old book doesn't help anyone. The company that is getting the money already fired everyone who made the 20-year old book and moved on to other things. Sure they're going to take my money but they're not going to make anything new.

as to the white people.... not many non-white people make entire game systems only about non-white people. to be honest an RPG like that probably would recover costs as it would be too niche in the current social climate.

are you looking for a new settings without "white people" or medieval europe focus? just collecting a list of all the settings demographics from design?

Blue, purple, wolfmen, fish, whatever. Just dress and look and have architecture that is not from England, France, Japan or China. Beyond that I don't care.

There are plenty of alternate Europe settings that were developed in the past that are variant enough. Someone pointed me to the Southlands, but their Midgard is also a great Norse setting and that's cool too because it isn't England or France. A nice ancient Greece would be fine. I just used the racial reference because I've seen a lot of games that are touted as original and different but are really just England and France with funky names. Like take Eberron. Great setting, but it is England and France with a few variations on the side for flavor. Yes, I can pretend Aundair, Breland, Cyre, Eldeen, and Thrane don't exist and that the dragonmarked houses weren't inspired by British trade guilds. Or just set a campaign in one of the other countries. I really love the unique take on elves, gnomes, and orcs from Eberron. But I already own virtually every Eberron book ever published. Going forward, I'd prefer to spend my money supporting a different developer compared to the same thing in a new edition.

It's not just about wanting the product. I have that. It's also about who I can support in my tiny way.

not sure what you re needing, but i think Cadillacs and Dinosaurs has: white people, non-white people, and talking dinosaurs, and non-talking dinosaurs. technology levels were swords, revolvers, lasers, and yes, Cadillacs... even spaceships and android/mech dinos.... my memory is fuzzy, but it was a very weird book for that game...

That would be fun if they ever do a pre-gunpowder version. I'd also love to see a good stone-age setting using at least somewhat accurate paleoanthropology.

When I game, I really don't enjoy the more modern stuff so much. I have had fun with vampire, shadowrun, and a few others from time to time. But they never hold me like ancient settings do.

[GavinRuneblade]

Yep you can. My FLGS has a lot of the books in. The PDFs can be poruchased here: https://www.drivethrurpg.com/browse/...25_25091/CONAN. There's a free QuickStart that gives you some idea what it’s about.

Weeeee thank you! I was looking on the developer's page. Never even thought to check drive thru, which I really should know better by now.

[Oberoten]

I'd suggest taking a look at old "Quest for Glory IV" which draws heavily on Slavic legends for the setting.
- Obe

[Nylanfs]

Ben said Spears of the Dawn is also a good pick