D&D General What Bits of History Inspire Your Homebrew Setting?

[Ruin Explorer]

Like it says on the tin. What elements from history and historical technology have made it into your homebrew setting—whether technology, events, etc.?

For example, I was reading up on the Mycenaeans, and saw a reconstruction of the Dendra armor (see below) and immediately thought of dwarven elite warriors.

But, beyond that, my homebrew setting features an empire that takes inspiration from both the Roman Empire under Marcus Aurelius as well as the Mauryan Empire under Ashoka, but begining to strain under its own weight so to speak.

HELL YES to this ridiculous armour that actually looks like it would work.

Personally, history-wise, I'm just really overly attached to Dark Ages-era cultures, real and fictional - Byzantium, Frankia, The Old North/Hen Ogledd, and so on, basically anything except the bloody Vikings, I've had enough of the bloody Vikings!

 

[Azzy]

HELL YES to this ridiculous armour that actually looks like it would work.

Personally, history-wise, I'm just really overly attached to Dark Ages-era cultures, real and fictional - Byzantium, Frankia, The Old North/Hen Ogledd, and so on, basically anything except the bloody Vikings, I've had enough of the bloody Vikings!

But how do you feel about spam?

 

[Reynard]

I don't generally aim for verisimilitude or immersion, so broadly speaking I don't consciously incorporate too much history. But I am enamored with the cold war and potential nuclear Armageddon so in many of my games, regardless of genre, super weapons and the end of the world feature prominently.

 

[Belen]

Currently, my campaign is inspired by the bronze age collapse. A volcanic eruption and earthquakes have shattered the civilized empires and now "sea peoples," mass migration, and anarchy are changing the landscape of the regions.

 

[el-remmen]

Currently, my campaign is inspired by the bronze age collapse. A volcanic eruption and earthquakes have shattered the civilized empires and now "sea peoples," mass migration, and anarchy are changing the landscape of the regions.

Do you watch the Historia Civilis YouTube channel?

Anyway, I have a plan to incorporate elements of that (with a sneakier build up to the mass migration/assault).

 

[Belen]

Do you watch the Historia Civilis YouTube channel?

Anyway, I have a plan to incorporate elements of that (with a sneakier build up to the mass migration/assault).

I do not but I will check it out.

The campaign takes place in a remote region so they just fended off an attack my sea and will soon be hit by first wave migration.

The eruption also re-opened a path to the Aethyr that had been sealed in the last cataclysm 3000 years ago so they are also about to be hit by Aethyrial beings.

 

[el-remmen]

I do not but I will check it out.

The campaign takes place in a remote region so they just fended off an attack my sea and will soon be hit by first wave migration.

The eruption also re-opened a path to the Aethyr that had been sealed in the last cataclysm 3000 years ago so they are also about to be hit by Aethyrial beings.

The specific video I linked is about the Bronze Age Collapse, but his Roman History and other videos on political crises and processes have been invaluable to my world building more generally.

 

[Tonguez]

HELL YES to this ridiculous armour that actually looks like it would work.

Personally, history-wise, I'm just really overly attached to Dark Ages-era cultures, real and fictional - Byzantium, Frankia, The Old North/Hen Ogledd, and so on, basically anything except the bloody Vikings, I've had enough of the bloody Vikings!

In my first homebrew I did a Great Britain analogue called "Cruithne" and based it on a mix of Dal Riata, Hen Ogledd, the Ulster Cycle and The Book of Invasions of Erenn.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

I borrow lightly from history, but some of my favorite bits to steal from are pre-Reconquista Spain, colonial and Mexican California (depending on the campaign, anything from 1500s to late 1800s), Viking Age Scandinavia, pre-Christian Ireland and Wales, more recently I’ve been inspired by things I’ve learned about certain points in the history of Japan and Korea.

But I always heavily mix mythology into the history I am inspired by.

 

[el-remmen]

I always heavily mix mythology into the history I am inspired by.

Yes. I used the world "history" broadly when thinking of my responses, because I would include our historical understanding of culture and folklore into how history inspires, not just events.

I also thinks history (whether real-world or stolen from fiction) is best mixed up and re-combined to allow for new possibilities to emerge, esp. when used for a fantastical genre and in how the PCs might interact with the setting.

A worldbuilding DM should be careful when using historical inspirations. We can see the result of those events and old understandings, but it is best not to implement them in such a way to that constrict possibilities to those results only.