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.
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