So what's your ideal fantasy setting for D&D / NWN / gaming?

[SCI-kick]

This isn't about ALFA, it's just a general gaming discussion thread.

I've gotten into a few discussions with fellow ALFA folks about this lately, so I thought it would be an interesting topic...What makes a fun, "cool", fantasy setting for you? This might even provide some inspiration for builders, DM's, players, whoever.

So, here's some of my basic likes/dislikes:

I. Geography - I'm a big fan of frontier settings. Yes, sure there's empires, kingdoms and all, but those are 500 miles away or more, we live on the edge as adventurers.

a. low level
We start in a frontier town or small city. There's other towns too, but the roads are unsettled and not safe. There's a local militia or small defense force, maybe a governor or baron who no one really trusts. There's many ruins and such nearby that are always getting inhabited by whatever decides to make home there. This area was once part of an ancient civilization that crumbled long ago in a horrific downfall, what's left is various races trying to gain a foothold once again.

b. mid level
There's a mountain range that has a dangerous northern pass (dwarves, barbarians, giants, etc.) to the cold reaches of the "other side", or you can go through the mountains (i.e. - Moria type dungeon / area bridge) to the "other side". There's also a southern route through a forest (elves, forest beasts, etc.) that eventually leads to the southern end, desert or moors of the "other side".

c. high level or "other side" , "fallen lands" , etc.
The "other side" is basically an chaotic mess and extremely dangerous - Evil towns or small city-states ruled by fanatics, whole areas that are just basically battle grounds of various things trying to gain control of old ruins, mines, and such... maybe even a whole valley infested by undead from some old curse when the lands fell, long ago..but hiding great riches. There's even areas completely forgotten and unknown now. If adventurers can establish a base in the "fallen lands" and prevail, they can become epic heroes, even kings.

II. Races

Just some of my thoughts/opinions on various D&D / fantasy races:

1. Half-Orcs - my biggest pet peeve PC race. Always hated them as a PC since I opened the AD&D player's handbook in the 1980's. The fact that there is a big population of them never made sense to me, unless something very wicked is going on, in which case they should be basic abominations. In my D&D history, Half-Orcs were very rare, and basically were smart, and much stronger versions of orcs (i.e. Uruk-hai), and very mean....and Very dangerous.

2. Drow - nope, never a PC. Ever. And leave them as they were meant to be. . . A wicked, depraved, vile race.

3. Gnomes - Eh... Take em or leave em... not a fan. I think they work good as funny and helpful NPC's, but not really as PC's. If PC's , only magic or tinker types.

4. Halflings - only rogues, scouts, maybe wizard or druid. I hate seeing halfling paladins with mini two-handed swords laying down a whole group of frost giants. It's just silly.

5. Elves - cool for whatever, except barbarians I guess. Don't play them very often, maybe I should try.

6. Dwarves - love dwarves. But, hate wizard dwarves! Just a preference of mine.

7. Humans - sky is the limit. Make whatever within reason. I like the idea of trading the bonus human feat for a +2 ability adjustment if you want.

III. Gods , factions , and such.

Some of my favorite gods and pantheons from fantasy and history:

1. The evil Greyhawk gods - Maybe it's because I grew up fighting these dudes, but they always seemed most menacing to me. Nerull "the Reaper" , Incabulos "the Black Rider" , Erythnul "the Many" , Pyremius "the Blazing Killer" , Iuz "the Old" and of course Tharizdun . . . the long forgotten old one who just wants it all to end in dark , cold, silence for eternity.

2. Some FR gods l like - Silvanus , Tempus , Garagor , Tyr, Loviatar , (kinky)

3. Some Egyptians too ... Osiris, Set, Anubis

4. Hyborian - gotta throw in CROM . Oh, and Set again too . . . I like the Set snake- cult version in Hyboria better than the real egyptian one.

5. Cthluhu Mythos - Hastur the Unspeakable? Best name ever! The Old Ones..Who are they? We don't know but they want us all dead for eternity!

6. Asmodeus - gotta be devil worshipers somewhere about. Also, Kostchtchie for the cold north, but he's a demon.

7. Poseidon - not big on greek gods, but love the concept of a Poseidon-like clergy of a greater CN god. You piss him off? He just crumbles your city into the sea.

8. Some other Greyhawk gods : Boccob "the Uncaring" is the best mage god ever. Pholtus "of the Blinding Light" for undead hunters (the original Lathander). And St. Cuthbert . . . something is just great about a virtuous but strict Irish catholic wandering around thumping people over the head with a Shillelagh club . . .

...So, that's a few of my favorite things from various fantasy realms. Feel free to add your own memories and ideas , or discuss.

[Arianna]

I like settings that have ALOT of background / cannon already taken into consideration , FR or Greyhawk come to mind, I really don't care for Home grown worlds where they make up the background as they go along .



I prefer large towns with lots of adventure settings around it , everything from crypts to ruins to mountain ranges to the city sewers

standard normal races

elves
half elves
dwarves
humans
half orcs
gnomes
halflings

no drow
no teiflings
no gensia


Gods

Take your pick

[kid]

That list made me smile Sci. Enjoyed it thoroughly.

[gribo]

Gods
In my last PnP settings, the gods were mortal (thank you Fritz Leiber for the idea), which led to the very funny situation where the PCs killed Death.

Player races
Humans, Elves, Dwarves and either Gnomes or Halflings, not both.

[oldgrayrogue]

Gritty Frontier setting.

Playable Races: Human only

Playable Classes: Fighter, Healer or Scout

No magic except NPCs. Sorcerers and Wizards live in Towers and usually kill you.

Special races (Dwarf, Elf, Gnome?) are rare and only NPCs

Gods: Meh

[kid]

No magic - no gods, is something I enjoy.
Last world we played in (about 15 years ago) was fairly advanced middle ages pre-renaissance,
no gods, but you obviously had a few religions as strong driving forces.
no magic, that you can see at least - but you had occult stuff or faith in the Creator lets say.
Some my players were devoted to a faith, and did pray at times and it may or may not have had an effect. kinda like Inigo's "Father, guide my sword" bit (Never told them if it did or did not increase they're chances of success at something.)

Intrigue, politics, murders.
No monsters, but simply modified wildlife.
Trees and plants would be different, some dangerous.
Animals would be different and some could be brutal and dangerous.
some "felt" intelligent, but you wouldn't know because they wouldn't talk.
You could add monstrous huge carnivorous (within reason - like a very aggressive grizzly bear sized lizard = Dragon?).
That sort of thing.

My players all played the sons for a duke that got assassinated by dark magic(?!).
And were all hunted by the Inquisition suspected of witchcraft and murder.
That was a fun deadly campaign, with a lot of good RP.

[Zelknolf]

Some of these responses boggle my mind.


If we want things that are grittier and more realistic, why are we in Forgotten Realms-- the land of two tarrasques, where banging the goddess of magic is a viable path to power, and where every generation involves the apotheosis of at least one mortal? Is it just that it's the canon we all know, or do the majority of people not say anything because Forgotten Realms is just fine for them?

[Arianna]

I enjoy the FR setting

though if ALFA was set in Greyhawk I would enjoy that even more

I would not play in a DnD type fantasy world that was human only or had no magic , after all whats the point of Fantasy if you can't have mythical races and magic in my mind.

I want a world where there are gods playing puppet masters with their mortal minions

If I want to play in a world that's Human based and no magic I prefer Cyberpunk but thats Tech not fantasy

But this is not a thread with the goal of changing ALFA or its goals , simply finding out what various people enjoy

[kid]

Some of these responses boggle my mind.


If we want things that are grittier and more realistic, why are we in Forgotten Realms-- the land of two tarrasques, where banging the goddess of magic is a viable path to power, and where every generation involves the apotheosis of at least one mortal? Is it just that it's the canon we all know, or do the majority of people not say anything because Forgotten Realms is just fine for them?

This isn't about ALFA, it's just a general gaming discussion thread.

So... yeah, I think we're in ALFA cause of the RP mostly, but i'd defiantly enjoy other settings more.

[Xanthea]

A dark setting.

Civilization is pushed back and vast swathes of monster infested wilderness lie in between countries. Civilization is long past its prime. Nobody knows how to create magical items any more, or if they do, it's only the elder races like the elves and dwarves, and they're not sharing. If adventurers want power they get it by plundering the ruins of fallen civilizations, or slaying monsters who did that first.

All but the most secure nations suffer from a constant threat of monster raids and lose a significant chunk of their population to constant war. But beyond the usual "vermin" type monster threats there's also existential threats to the entire world. There's a very real chance that if, say, the orcs united they could just wipe humanity out entirely. But beyond the typical barbarous threat, there's also a number of darker nations along the lines of Mordor that are just more powerful than the civilized world and if they were ever to invade it would take everyone working together to have a chance of turning them back at all. Civilization's grasp on the world is tenuous, at best.

Edit - oh forgot the gods. The gods are less defined than in FR. They embody general concepts, nobody is 100% sure if they actually exist or not. They don't have defined alignments beyond what common sense would dictate and there are a good number of different ways someone can worship each one. Certainly nobody ever sees them.

Double edit - all the other races are fine, but no gnomes. Gnomes are terrible.

[Xanthea]

If we want things that are grittier and more realistic, why are we in Forgotten Realms-- the land of two tarrasques, where banging the goddess of magic is a viable path to power, and where every generation involves the apotheosis of at least one mortal? Is it just that it's the canon we all know, or do the majority of people not say anything because Forgotten Realms is just fine for them?

I assume a combination of whoever started this all off wanting it and it being the default option for the engine?

I would definitely prefer a different choice.

[Duck One]

I will play any setting that lends itself to adventure. I have done superheros, old west, military, futuristic, spies, you name it. Star Wars had a bit of magic, a bit of science, a bit of military. Pre-defined campaign settings like Forgotten Realms can be handy because it has a lot of detail to draw upon, but it can also be limiting in that you'll get purists who lose their mind when you bend canon. A lot of faith needs to be placed with the game master. If he's good at weaving a tale and creating a balanced challenge for the party, then give him all the room he needs to craft a world that works for him.

[orangetree]

This isn't about ALFA, it's just a general gaming discussion thread.

I've gotten into a few discussions with fellow ALFA folks about this lately, so I thought it would be an interesting topic...What makes a fun, "cool", fantasy setting for you? This might even provide some inspiration for builders, DM's, players, whoever.

So, here's some of my basic likes/dislikes:

I. Geography - I'm a big fan of frontier settings. Yes, sure there's empires, kingdoms and all, but those are 500 miles away or more, we live on the edge as adventurers.

a. low level
We start in a frontier town or small city. There's other towns too, but the roads are unsettled and not safe. There's a local militia or small defense force, maybe a governor or baron who no one really trusts. There's many ruins and such nearby that are always getting inhabited by whatever decides to make home there. This area was once part of an ancient civilization that crumbled long ago in a horrific downfall, what's left is various races trying to gain a foothold once again.

b. mid level
There's a mountain range that has a dangerous northern pass (dwarves, barbarians, giants, etc.) to the cold reaches of the "other side", or you can go through the mountains (i.e. - Moria type dungeon / area bridge) to the "other side". There's also a southern route through a forest (elves, forest beasts, etc.) that eventually leads to the southern end, desert or moors of the "other side".

c. high level or "other side" , "fallen lands" , etc.
The "other side" is basically an chaotic mess and extremely dangerous - Evil towns or small city-states ruled by fanatics, whole areas that are just basically battle grounds of various things trying to gain control of old ruins, mines, and such... maybe even a whole valley infested by undead from some old curse when the lands fell, long ago..but hiding great riches. There's even areas completely forgotten and unknown now. If adventurers can establish a base in the "fallen lands" and prevail, they can become epic heroes, even kings.

I have in the past thought this was always a good way to keep decent character progression. I love the idea of layers. After all it makes little sense for Krigor Killer of Dracolichs to be killing rats...

II. Races

Just some of my thoughts/opinions on various D&D / fantasy races:

1. Half-Orcs - my biggest pet peeve PC race. Always hated them as a PC since I opened the AD&D player's handbook in the 1980's. The fact that there is a big population of them never made sense to me, unless something very wicked is going on, in which case they should be basic abominations. In my D&D history, Half-Orcs were very rare, and basically were smart, and much stronger versions of orcs (i.e. Uruk-hai), and very mean....and Very dangerous.

Oh God yes! Definitely. Mind you half orcs are not that popular to play so the issue tends to work itself out.

2. Drow - nope, never a PC. Ever. And leave them as they were meant to be. . . A wicked, depraved, vile race.

Agreed! I am so tired of good drow. They are supposed to be a great exception. Drow are supposed to be even more evil then a demon in some ways. They could think up ways of torture that would make a succubus blush

3. Gnomes - Eh... Take em or leave em... not a fan. I think they work good as funny and helpful NPC's, but not really as PC's. If PC's , only magic or tinker types.

Eh.. neutral for me. I like the idea but they need to be more 'their own thing.' I personally like the idea of having them 'born different' in some ways, perhaps their birth as being intrinsic to their birthstone. Something that shows gnomes are as different as elves are to humans, and far different to halflings.

4. Halflings - only rogues, scouts, maybe wizard or druid. I hate seeing halfling paladins with mini two-handed swords laying down a whole group of frost giants. It's just silly.

You take that back! Ha.. aw come on, there are many different kinds of halflings. Cute ones, aggressive ones, sneaky ones... magical ones. Size has distinct game mechanic rules unless you wish to change that in your setting. Not saying you are wrong from a 'realistic' point of view. But I adore their race and history. Nature plays a strong part in their lives, and they live a life not that dissimilar to human villages. A fairy can take on a group of humans, why not a halfling take on a frost giant?

5. Elves - cool for whatever, except barbarians I guess. Don't play them very often, maybe I should try.

Pointy eared know it alls.. To be honest, most of my experiences when it comes to elf 'groups' can be rather uncomfortable. I like to keep them as a rarity in my campaigns. You are privileged to meet an elf...

6. Dwarves - love dwarves. But, hate wizard dwarves! Just a preference of mine.

Easy to fix here. Dwarves should (and I think do) have their own kind of magic to work with. I believe they are considered 'Rune-casters' in many settings. Their magic tends to focus on that mithral armor or golden hammer of really impressive blows... so magical dwarves certainly have a place. I just get annoyed with the pseudo scottish accents.

7. Humans - sky is the limit. Make whatever within reason. I like the idea of trading the bonus human feat for a +2 ability adjustment if you want.

You human lover... why in a world where you can be anything, people choose to be human? I never understood that. Though I suppose they are the most powerful race.. and I don't really like the idea of adjusting in the way you describe. It takes away the flavor of the other races and their one general key advantage.

III. Gods , factions , and such.

Some of my favorite gods and pantheons from fantasy and history:

1. The evil Greyhawk gods - Maybe it's because I grew up fighting these dudes, but they always seemed most menacing to me. Nerull "the Reaper" , Incabulos "the Black Rider" , Erythnul "the Many" , Pyremius "the Blazing Killer" , Iuz "the Old" and of course Tharizdun . . . the long forgotten old one who just wants it all to end in dark , cold, silence for eternity.

2. Some FR gods l like - Silvanus , Tempus , Garagor , Tyr, Loviatar , (kinky)

3. Some Egyptians too ... Osiris, Set, Anubis

4. Hyborian - gotta throw in CROM . Oh, and Set again too . . . I like the Set snake- cult version in Hyboria better than the real egyptian one.

5. Cthluhu Mythos - Hastur the Unspeakable? Best name ever! The Old Ones..Who are they? We don't know but they want us all dead for eternity!

6. Asmodeus - gotta be devil worshipers somewhere about. Also, Kostchtchie for the cold north, but he's a demon.

7. Poseidon - not big on greek gods, but love the concept of a Poseidon-like clergy of a greater CN god. You piss him off? He just crumbles your city into the sea.

8. Some other Greyhawk gods : Boccob "the Uncaring" is the best mage god ever. Pholtus "of the Blinding Light" for undead hunters (the original Lathander). And St. Cuthbert . . . something is just great about a virtuous but strict Irish catholic wandering around thumping people over the head with a Shillelagh club . . .

I think it's a bit annoying there isn't a neutral/Lawful insect type of god on faerun... that's my only real thought on that.

When it comes to god RP though I get a bit annoyed. Sometimes I wish we can do away with them, or put a more interesting slant in 'they are gods' and 'do what they say'. Maybe show how the god is composed of primal instincts of sentient races rather then distinct beings? I like putting a more hazy cosmology on the divine. The idea is that maybe the material world honestly doesn't know much about it and what they think they know is just the surface of a vast ocean. Gods should show their presence more but always work ambiguously. A sign here or there, a wind pushing a leaf to a certain direction...

...So, that's a few of my favorite things from various fantasy realms. Feel free to add your own memories and ideas , or discuss.

[/quote]

Great OP

[SCI-kick]

Also, FR has the Zhents, which is an interesting "bad guy" faction, but I've never seen them as very scary and it seems the "good guys" like the Harpers and such have them pretty much in check.

A scarier , more brutal group could be something like the Jun Horde from the Beastmaster , which is pretty much a copy of Thulsa Doom's raiding Set fanatics from Conan the Barbarian.

They'd be one of the more powerful armies. And, they are ruthless takers of whatever they want.

[Ithildur]

FR is a well developed (in terms of quantity at least if not necessarily quality), well known setting; it has elements of Greyhawk (which really is a pretty well suited setting for a game like DnD) and a bit of a VERY tongue in cheek/off brand/knock-off version of Middle Earth, and... a whole bunch of other stuff.

That's the thing about FR (it's both a plus and a minus imo) - most of the elements people have listed are available somewhere, somehow in FR. It's got a lot of layers/texture/options in the classic fantasy genre vein, although admittedly in a lot of cases it is a case of quantiy/volume over quality, but in a sense that's perfect for DMs/world builders to use - you have a lot of material to work off of that you can tweak/customize/throw away as you see fit. That gets a bit tricky with multiple builders/DMs/HDMs obviously, but overall, I can see why FR makes sense for the project ALFA was intended to be in scope originally.

My ideal gameworld would be something like Middle Earth but honestly, it's not going to happen. DnD/NWN2 games simply are not well suited for it.

I have zero interest in a lot of the other named worlds; other than FR and Greyhawk, Dragonlance and Darksun are the only other worlds that I would be interested in. Eberron would be interesting if it weren't for stuff like warforged.