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Describe your ideal D&D setting . . .

Posted: Wed Oct 18, 2017 10:01 pm
by SCI-kick
This is for all to describe things they like to see in a fantasy setting to adventure in. Might be good tool for ideas for players, builders, and DMs alike. I'll start . . .

I have taken time recently to scribble up a little D&D setting on a few pieces of scrap paper, it's a place I call:

"The Fallen Lands"

The basic premise is a frontier like setting that's on the edge of civilization , in an area where there was once old kingdoms and empires, which have fallen into chaos and ruins, and the population is trying to re-settle.

It would be a simple west to east type set-up, starting in a decent sized frontier town. The further west you go, the more chaotic it gets. There is a giant mountain range down the middle, separating east from west. There would be basically three paths west around or through the mountains. . .

North path - this would lead into hills, and then possibly Dwarvish lands or town, and a snowy mountain pass with giants, barbarians and such. The mythology here would be mostly Norse type, of course.

South path - this would lead into moors with humanoids, then a desert southern mountain pass with nomad settlement, gnolls, and such. There might be temples to Egyptian gods here.

Directly west - This would lead to a forest, possibly some Elvish areas or a village. After the forest is a lake and swamp, and a Moria - like entrance that leads under the mountains to the west side. It's a massive underworld dungeon, not too hard to get through the mountains, but deep levels are hellish.

The western Fallen Lands - the west side of the mountains is truely chaotic, and could have any of these type areas:
- A gothic, creepy "Ravenloft" type area ruled by a vampire or lich, inhabited by many undead and lycanthropes. Maybe has temples to Nerull, Orcus, or Malar. Abandoned towers, castles.
- A chaotic and wicked city of cultists and assassins, that has a gladiator arena and supports bandits. It might have Temples to gods like Set, Loviatar, Pyremius, Asmodeus, etc.
- A barbaric frontier, that had open hordes of humanoids wandering about, and maybe a viking port town.

Gods / pantheon :
I always liked Norse Mythology and Egyptian Mythology, they mend well with a world that has both northern and southern climates.

I never found FR evil gods very intimidating or "scary". Some of the Greyhawk gods seem more frightening, like Nerull, Incabulos, Erythnul, Pyremius. I also like Asmodeus being a diety, so that people actually know who "The Devil" is. I do like the FR evil gods Malar, Loviatar, and Talos though. I like the idea of a Cthulhu Mythos type god of madness and void, like Hastur "the Unspeakable"

A few others are St. Cuthbert - something I like about the idea of a Catholic priest thumping sinners on the head with a shilelagh.
Boccob - totally neutral god of knowledge and magic.

Anyway, that's all I had penciled out while I scribble ideas down for worlds that I will never actually create or DM D&D in. :D

Re: Describe your ideal D&D setting . . .

Posted: Fri Oct 20, 2017 9:34 am
by shad0wfax
2e FR
2e Norse

Re: Describe your ideal D&D setting . . .

Posted: Fri Oct 20, 2017 9:34 am
by FoamBats4All
shad0wfax wrote:2e
That's not a setting, you njub.

Re: Describe your ideal D&D setting . . .

Posted: Fri Oct 20, 2017 4:43 pm
by orangetree
A variety of races, with unique skills or abilities that could even surpass humans at some things... or everything? (must include a small race!)

Something that doesn't depend so much on 'coincidence' .. that you can only do stuff if you meet the right people, the right place, and the right time with the right equipment. Effectively, there needs to be some things people can do solo without risking life.

Magic! Magic should be rare and wondrous.. even a level 1 spell should be something held in quiet awe, and greater magics shrouded in mystery.

A small amount of rivalry between groups. Not an all out war, but certainly an interesting dynamic between separate factions.

Actual significant change happening as a result of character actions. If monsters are not dealt with, a town could find more monsters at the gates or even regular attacks that require armies to move around and resources to be allocated.

No cheaters.

Great DMs with interesting plots that characters can feel part of.

Friendly players, willing to give characters a shot.

A very strong narrative to play in, with exception to the narrative being... well.. exceptional.

Nice avatars with great hair styles.

Re: Describe your ideal D&D setting . . .

Posted: Mon Oct 23, 2017 8:27 pm
by SCI-kick
orangetree wrote:A variety of races, with unique skills or abilities that could even surpass humans at some things... or everything? (must include a small race!)
I'm actually more of a Tolkien-type traditionalist when it comes to races. Humans, Elves, Dwarves, and Halflings. Maybe gnomes too , but no Half-Orcs. I never liked them as a PC race. In my old PnP Half-Orcs were more like Saruman's : monster abominations that are more cunning than normal orcs, fearful and extremely dangerous. Definitely not a PC type race.

I also made humans more varied : example Northmen with high con, lower int or dex. Or, a player can trade the extra human feat for 1 pt in an ability.