D&D 5E Fantasy Africa

[UnknownDyson]

This is why I listed several African civilisations.

Its not racist to depict others as less technologically advanced as long as you are respectful about it.

I never said it was, in an ideal world there wouldn't be any problem with any of this. However in reality, "depictions" were used as spurs for dogmas like manifest destiny. There is too much history there for me to ignore it when it suits the interests of others.

 

[gyor]

This is why I listed several African civilisations.

Its not racist to depict others as less technologically advanced as long as you are respectful about it. D&D is roughly 16th century tech and that is around when Europe did start to pull ahead of the rest of the world, it was more definitive in the 17th century. The gap is either not their or marginal before guns became common- the African nations struggled to deal with that, Morocco invading Songhai being a prime example. And magic/magitech can duplicate guns or be more powerful so in a fantasy world its not a given that colonisation as it happened historically will happen. Even then its a slice of history the previous 1000 years (7th to 16th/17th century) before that it was Europe getting invaded generally (Spain, Balkans, Russia) or raided for slaves (Crimean Khanate, Berber states).

See this is why many developers don't want to tackle a fantasy africa, it's a mine field where any mistep will get you accused of racism. Who wants to deal with that.

 

[UnknownDyson]

See this is why many developers don't want to tackle a fantasy africa, it's a mine field where any mistep will get you accused of racism. Who wants to deal with that.

The highest selling movie in recent memory, Black Panther is about a fantasy Africa. Granted a black director made the movie, it's not impossible to portray a culture without stepping on the "landmines". Again, noone is calling anyone racist. Is that the narrative you want?

 

[Zardnaar]

I can run a gritty game on occasion and I have fantasy Teutonic Knights with fascist overtines but generally do not use fantasy Africa or if I do it's iften uninhabited or full of non humans. It's easier I suppose.

Over the years I have shown some D&D depictions of fantasy Polynesia (X1, X8) to some of my Polynesian friends and they generally find it funny over offensive.

 

[Derren]

Your list seems a bit random. For example Carthage and the Berber states are one and the same geographically.
Imo it would be good to settle on a roughly common time frame and go from there.

So my ideas:
- Rich kingdom flush with wealth which imports a lot (Mali)
- Desert nations which trades for the gold of the kingdom above (historically it was salt)
- Primitive but aggressive conquerers (Zulu)
- Kingdom at the door between Africa and Europe with a blend of culture (Ethiopia)

Not sure what happened in central Africa so no idea how to represent it.

As for slavery, etc. Africa practised extensive slavery even before the Europeans arrived, so add it in the form of one slaver kingdom which raids its neighbours (Oya).

 

[gyor]

I can run a gritty game on occasion and I have fantasy Teutonic Knights with fascist overtines but generally do not use fantasy Africa or if I do it's iften uninhabited or full of non humans. It's easier I suppose.

Over the years I have shown some D&D depictions of fantasy Polynesia (X1, X8) to some of my Polynesian friends and they generally find it funny over offensive.

I think Polynesian folks are pretty cool in general, I mean Risa and Risians on Star Trek is a rip on Polynesian cultures, but I have never heard any complaint. Honestly I wish FR had a Polynesian region, such a rich and diverse set of cultures, It does have some unnamed continents, so there is room for it.

Or it occurred to me that you could put fantasy Polynesian and fantasy Micronesian cultures on the Islands around Osse, that would help Osse from be more diverse.

 

[Nagol]

Your list seems a bit random. For example Carthage and the Berber states are one and the same geographically.
Imo it would be good to settle on a roughly common time frame and go from there.

So my ideas:
- Rich kingdom flush with wealth which imports a lot (Mali)
- Desert nations which trades for the gold of the kingdom above (historically it was salt)
- Primitive but aggressive conquerers (Zulu)
- Kingdom at the door between Africa and Europe with a blend of culture (Ethiopia)

Not sure what happened in central Africa so no idea how to represent it.

As for slavery, etc. Africa practised extensive slavery even before the Europeans arrived, so add it in the form of one slaver kingdom which raids its neighbours (Oya).

Add a few cultures heavily focused on sea trade along the north. Most of the primary northern civilizations (Carthage, the unnamed one destroyed by the Hanseanic League, and the Muslim North Africa) owned or contested the Mediterranean trade routes.

 

[Derren]

Add a few cultures heavily focused on sea trade along the north. Most of the primary northern civilizations (Carthage, the unnamed one destroyed by the Hanseanic League, and the Muslim North Africa) owned or contested the Mediterranean trade routes.

I am unaware of any African power engaging in maritime trade unless you go way back to the Roman era. The med was mainly contested between the Italians, the Ottomans (which the Berber states were a part of) and the Byzantines while they existed.
That doesn't mean you can't add a maritime trading nation to fantasy Africa, but I would be hard pressed to come with what types of ships they would use and what their culture would be.

 

[Nagol]

I am unaware of any African power engaging in maritime trade unless you go way back to the Roman era. The med was mainly contested between the Italians, the Ottomans (which the Berber states were a part of) and the Byzantines while they existed.
That doesn't mean you can't add a maritime trading nation to fantasy Africa, but I would be hard pressed to come with what types of ships they would use and what their culture would be.

There were two main African trading powers later. The first was the Islamic golden age where the Arab empire controlled 75% of the sea 800 - 1100 AD. The second is barely a footnote in history and I always have some difficulty in finding it. The Hanseanic League launched a war that completely obliterated an African nation because it started to compete along the trade routes. The League did a very good job of it and it wasn't until modern times the ruins were recognized for what they were.

ETA I call the Arab empire African is this case because much of the feet and direction came from Al Andulas and Morocco. It held territory up to Sicily and the main centres were in the Middle east.

 

[gyor]

Kingdom of Aksum maybe.