D&D 5E 30/5 D&D Alumni Archives: Beyond Feudalism - Experimental Genres

[Ruin Explorer]

I'd say the closest was Mystara if you're playing something in BECM D&D, and assuming you ever get into the domain rulership game. Even that requires a lot of work from the GM to get it close.

I'd say Taladas got closer in terms of social/societal realism, but it was Dark Ages rather than Medieval (an astonishing setting, really), but I came to Mystara late, after a lot of silly business had been added to a more sensible core, so perhaps that affects my opinion.

I think the TV series is skirting close to torture porn in the way it has dealt with Theon's story.

Indeed, but it's the polar opposite of the book in that regard.

 

[Thaumaturge]

I think the TV series is skirting close to torture porn in the way it has dealt with Theon's story.

I wouldn't know, but it's not surprising. My understanding is the show veers closer to porn on the whole.

Thaumaturge.

 

[Derren]

I'd say the closest was Mystara if you're playing something in BECM D&D, and assuming you ever get into the domain rulership game. Even that requires a lot of work from the GM to get it close.

Speaking of rulership, how was Birthright? If any D&D setting would capture feudalism it would have been that, considering that in most others the PCs usually do not come into contact with authorities unless they fight or preform quests for them.
But considering how the power of monarchs is kinda limited in a feudal society I have my doubts if Birthright used it (well).

 

[Bluenose]

I'd say Taladas got closer in terms of social/societal realism, but it was Dark Ages rather than Medieval (an astonishing setting, really), but I came to Mystara late, after a lot of silly business had been added to a more sensible core, so perhaps that affects my opinion.

I was never familiar with Taladas, since I never really found dragonlance too exciting and hence never paid much attention to it. Though it sounds like the sort of setting I'd be interested in. As for Mystara, it had it's weak points but they were mostly due to trying to cram too many societies into too small an area. Somewhere like Norwold or even Karameikos worked quite well as a semi-feudal setting, I think, but in a lot of other places it didn't really fir the type of society.

Speaking of rulership, how was Birthright? If any D&D setting would capture feudalism it would have been that, considering that in most others the PCs usually do not come into contact with authorities unless they fight or preform quests for them.
But considering how the power of monarchs is kinda limited in a feudal society I have my doubts if Birthright used it (well).

Birthright was not really feudal. Medieval, but late medieval with state bureaucracies and standing armies, plus the Divine Right of Kings added on. Perhaps if the setting had been the Empire before it fell and the PCs were in that sort of relationship with their liege, but that was history in the time of the game setting.