TSR TSR's Lawrence Schick on the Development of The Known World

D&D historians may be interested in this fascinating article by TSR's head of design and development in the 1980s, Lawrence Schick. It deals with the creation of the Known World (which later became Mystara), one of the earliest D&D campaign settings (first officially mentioned in Module X1: The Isle of Dread). "We decided to plot out a single giant Pangea-type continent on which there would be fantasy-fictionalized versions of each of the above cultures. We also added homelands for the nonhuman races: Orcs, Goblins, Elves, Dwarves, Hobbits, Lizard-Men, Deep Ones, Kzinti Catfolk, and Barsoomian Tharks, as well as a pirate kingdom, and areas where prehistoric creatures were the norm. Plus in every land there would be hidden cults that worshiped Lovecraftian Elder Gods... We dubbed this setting the “Known World,” to imply there was more out there yet to be discovered..."

The article is well worth a read if D&D history is even slightly your thing.

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[havard]

Tharks aren't beastfolk though. Four armed Martians, which are even less fitting arguably than a catfolk race

Why less fitting?

The Ohio Campaign seems to share many traits with other 1970s campaigns where anything that sounds like its going to be fun is thrown in. As the campaign transitioned into the published form of Mystara, it adapted to 1980s game setting conventions, but retained a certain anything goes charm. That is one of the things I love about it





-Havard

 

[DJINNIMAN]

No, really - did any other setting have so many varieties of beast-folk or "easily-recognized essences" countries?
That they managed to pull this without getting downright ludicrous was an achievement in itself, IMHO.

I think that was the brilliance of it. By borrowing so heavily from obvious influences, it was much easier to get the setting across to my players. I love settings like Greyhawk and Dark Sun and Dragonlance just as much as the next person, but differentiating between nations, peoples, etc. is difficult. Using shorthand like "D&D Rome" lets you get right to the roleplaying and worry less about needless world-building.

 

[havard]

I think that was the brilliance of it. By borrowing so heavily from obvious influences, it was much easier to get the setting across to my players. I love settings like Greyhawk and Dark Sun and Dragonlance just as much as the next person, but differentiating between nations, peoples, etc. is difficult. Using shorthand like "D&D Rome" lets you get right to the roleplaying and worry less about needless world-building.

Yep. Easily recognisable tropes. At the same time, if you read the gazetteers, there is alot of depth behind these tropes. It seems the same was true for the original campaign, long before it became Mystara.

-Havard

 

[Zarithar]

Why less fitting?
-Havard

Maybe a poor choice of words. As underwhelming as the recent John Carter flick was, I really did love the portrayal of the Thark, and think they would make a decent fantasy race.

 

[havard]

Maybe a poor choice of words.

My bad. I think I see what you meant now

As underwhelming as the recent John Carter flick was, I really did love the portrayal of the Thark, and think they would make a decent fantasy race.

I actually liked the movie quite a bit, but yeah they would work even better in a fantasy setting where such strange races could belong.

-Havard

 

[FighterMageThief]

What a great read. Thanks for posting!

 

[Voadam]

Beast folk and real world analogues have been all over the place throughout D&D.

Gnolls, lizardmen, minotaurs. Reptilian dogmen kobolds, pig-faced orcs, furry muppet bugbears. This is just from the 1e MM and not counting shape shifters or extraplanar creatures.

Greyhawk has vikings, arabs, and gypsies.

Forgotten Realms has celtic ffolk, ancient egypt, babylonians, greek city states, mongols, arabs, asian countries, and meso-americans.

Golarion has every other country being an analogue of something.