African Adventures

[haakon1]

I have kept some people that are black in Pazio adventures as being black despite it not really making sense in my renaissance version of Greyhawk.

Me too, but blacks do make sense in Greyhawk. The continent of Hepmonaland (just south of the Scarlet Brotherhood and northern tip visible on the main Greyhawk maps) is basically sub-Saharan African. The Touv race of humans from this continent are rare in my campaign, but in my campaign certainly not absent from the major maritime cities around the Azure Sea and the southern Solnor Ocean.

Most notably, that includes Sasserine and Cauldron (the setting of 2 of Paizo's 3 Greyhawk Adventure Paths), and in my mind the Wild Coast (including Greyhawk City), the Hold of Sea Princes, Rel Astra, and Gradsul in Keoland.

The Greyhawk "Africa" source book is "The Scarlet Brotherhood", from the post-1998 TSR revival of Greyhawk, so likely published ~1999. Hope that helps.

 

[Shades of Eternity]

Greetings!

Currently enjoying a mug of good coffee, and smoking a fine *Brick House* cigar. You have posted an interesting topic, a subject that I have also enjoyed contemplating for many years. Years ago now, I simply grew tired of waiting for some company, some game designer, somewhere, to finally produce a quality, thorough African-based campaign book. I was tired of waiting, and frustrated with the few weak and pathetic modules and source-books haphazardly put out over the years. *Nyambe* being a recent, and noted exception. Nyambe is a good product that makes a serious effort to present a comprehensive, quality work on an African-based campaign book.

I resolved finally to just do it myself.

Celebrim, I really appreciate your passion, attitude, and devotion to your campaigns over the years! You have mentioned before how some game designer somewhere, is not going to be likely better at producing something that you have worked on for your own campaign world. I fully agree. People can be quite surprised by what they can do themselves through passion and effort!

I proceeded to gather together the resources to do the job. Lol. I used my own personal library-already quite extensive on history, religion, mythology, geography, gaming, and so on as a basis for research. I added several new history books, prehistory books, world mythology, African mythology, animal books, geography, atlases, books on trees, fish, and so on.

I proceeded to develop an African-based continent for my own campaign world of Thandor, the African-based continent in my world of Thandor is Arghanda. Arghanda features three large empires, a dozen or more kingdoms, a confederation of city-states, a dozen distinct pantheons, various spiritual philosophies and political systems, and 75 different languages and cultures.

In Arghanda, I have developed four major regions dividing the continent, with sub-regions, regional climate and geography tables, different tables of animals and creatures, types of trees, woods, plants, economic resources, and more, region by region. Extensive essays on history, cultures, religion, political development, warfare. Some two dozen cities have been developed, trade routes detailed, major animal populations, as well as numerous special zones, dinosaurs, ancient ruins, mysteries and more.

I have developed an interesting, dynamic African-based continent for my campaign world. It has certainly demanded effort, time, and attention. The good thing is, I now have no real need for any commercial product on the topic. I don't need to wait and hope, endlessly, for a product never to see daylight.

I highly recommend jumping in, and doing it yourself. As to the politically correct nonsense? Yeah, just do what you want. Read, research, write. Be inspired by real history, geography, animals, mythology--mix in fantasy and crazy, and it's good!

African people are no different essentially from anyone else. They eat, conquer, love, build and destroy like people have everywhere throughout history.

Semper Fidelis

Shark

so what's your premise?

 

[doctorbadwolf]

There's a new African fantasy video game out made by Africans, which imagines a history free of western colonialism, and which is created pretty much sans western fantasy tropes, but I can't remember what it's called right now.

GURPS has material for African adventures. Not a huge amount, but it's there, and it's oriented toward adventuring.

Don't let anyone talk you into not caring about the "PC" angle. "PC" is about treating commonly disrespected people and cultures with the respect they deserve. Africa is not just Europe with more black people. Sub Saharan Africa is not less deserty North Africa. There are over 50 nations and anywhere from 1000 to 3000 languages spoken accross the continent, which is the second largest continent by both area and population. Said population is extremely diverse, with thousands of distinct ethnic groups. It's home to the most genetically diverse people on Earth. So diverse that two Africans are more genetically different from each other than a Chinese and a European are from each other.
ALso, in terms of global fertility, Africa is possibly the most important continent, as not only does it feed large chunks of the globe, but it's soil and biodiversity is carried by trade winds around the world, which is literally the primary reason that South America is as fertile as it is.

In short, Africa is incredibly important, and is the seat of the origins of everything we are. It is so much more vastly complex than any major media ever shows it to be, so if you can, treat it with the respect and consideration it deserves.

other resources: Crash Course on youtube has a lot of really great info about African history and culture, as does the vlogbrothers channel.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T_sGTspaF4Y that'll take you to one CC vid that talks about Africa (amongst other things) the whole WOrld History series (two seasons) is worth watching, whether you're a history buff or a noob.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dldHalRY-hY video about maps, and how they shape our understanding of other places, and the world as a whole. Also search results for africa on their channel, https://www.youtube.com/user/vlogbrothers/search?query=africa bc theyv'e done a lot of videos, including JOhn Green going to Somalia and talking to college students, among other things.

Quinn Norton has written about Africa and about how we don't like to think about Africa, but it's really modern stuff, which I imagine isn't what you're looking for.

Look into African explorers, the history of Timbuktu and the Somalian trade states for bits that can fit right in.

Hope some of this helps. The crash course videos will, I mush warn you, send you down a rabbit hole of research. It's my favorite thing about them, but it is a time sink.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

ALso, scientifically, black people make more sense than white people in any world with humans that are assumed to be the same species as earth humans, since not being black is a mutation that only even perpetuated because mellanin blocks a certain amount of solar radiation, but in cloudly cold climates like Northern Eurasia it's helpful, rather than a drawback, to soak in as much as possible. But even then, darker people live just fine in the far North of N. America.

So, don't be afraid to fill places with European style cultures with dark skinned humans. After all, culture doesn't come from your skin, and we already have plenty of the opposite.

 

[Connorsrpg]

Um, I did not start this thread for a history lesson or for PC reasons or comparisons regarding people from different parts of the world. It is no good getting on here stating there is a rich history with lots of languages, religions, kingdoms, etc. Thet is pretty much true for any part of the world.

Let's just keep this to Role-playing games and African 'influences'. (Thanks for some history links though. I am actually a history teacher and will find them handy).
[MENTION=1131]SHARK[/MENTION]. Have you considered posting your work on the DM's Guild? And count me interested in you 'premise' too. What big events are going on? Anything to distinguish it from other African settings, inc real world Africa?

 

[Shades of Eternity]

I'm doing a rough draft of Africa as an adventuring setting for my own rpg: Dark Revelations - The Role Playing Game.

If anybody is interested in reviewing it once completed (or heck wants to see it when the fluff is fleshed out), please contact me at drevrpg@gmail.com .

 

[doctorbadwolf]

Um, I did not start this thread for a history lesson or for PC reasons or comparisons regarding people from different parts of the world. It is no good getting on here stating there is a rich history with lots of languages, religions, kingdoms, etc. Thet is pretty much true for any part of the world.

Let's just keep this to Role-playing games and African 'influences'. (Thanks for some history links though. I am actually a history teacher and will find them handy).

@SHARK. Have you considered posting your work on the DM's Guild? And count me interested in you 'premise' too. What big events are going on? Anything to distinguish it from other African settings, inc real world Africa?

Wow. If that is your attitude toward it, you're just going to make a mother crappy setting based on false stereotypes and extraneously broad generalizations. Have fun with that.

edit: fix mistakes made by autocorrect.

 

[Celebrim]

Wow. If that is your attitude toward it, you're just going to make a mother crappy setting based on false stereotypes and extraneously broad generalizations. Have fun with that.

edit: fix mistakes made by autocorrect.

I'm not sure you should be lecturing anyone on attitude.

How did you go from the OP's statement that he didn't intend this to become a political debate, to the idea that he wants a setting based on false stereotypes and broad generalizations?

You've obviously got a big chip on your shoulder. Let's just get a few things out of the way:

1) No one in the thread is denying the size and diversity of Africa or that it indeed occupies a unique place in real world history.
2) No one in the thread if they played with or in an African setting would prefer a setting filled with false racial stereotypes or other demeaning generalizations.
3) No one in the thread thinks that Africa is just Europe with black people, although you then immediately did go on to say, "So, don't be afraid to fill places with European style cultures with dark skinned humans.", so I'm not certain exactly where you stand on this

Now, on a side note, I haven't watched the particular youtube videos you linked to so I can't judge it particularly, but from of my few past viewings of the channel I do associate 'CrashCourse' and vlogbrothers with some of the lamest, most poorly reasoned, one dimensional, illogical, poorly sourced populist trash you're ever likely to find in something purporting to teach history (or anything else). I suppose its slightly better than getting your history from a conspiracy theorist, but only just. I basically see that face on a video, and go "Oh no. Not him again. Can't he just recite Wikipedia instead." I mean, I know it's just supposed to be broad overview, but if there was a word that meant distilling things down to broad to the point of erroneous generalizations based on misconceptions and partial truths, like I don't know 'stereotyping' maybe, then John Green's face would beside it. Just an opinion, take it or leave it, but those links do the opposite of impress me.

In any event, you are just proving to me that this sort of stuff is nearly impossible to incorporate into your campaign because someone will always have some definite opinion of how it should be done and will find be offended otherwise.

 

[Connorsrpg]

[MENTION=4937]Celebrim[/MENTION].
I was going to respond to the person who thought they had my "attitude" pegged, but the first part of your post does a better job than me. But now we ARE off on that tangent I wanted to avoid.

I simply started this thread to talk about African-influenced settings, rules, monsters etc that people may have used. I don't care what colour the people's skins are or whether they are even human! Nothing needs to be flatly compared to real-world history and sociology. It might be in your game, but I am simply wishing to ask people about parts of their game that is influenced by Africa (it does not have to BE Africa).

Just as 'standard' DnD is NOT Europe, but is clearly influenced by European Medieval times.

Man, how can you just discuss gaming as gaming. You know, to have fun with. Mix stuff up? Anyway, if you have mixed stuff up that might have been inspired by something you read/saw/heard about Africa, that was what I wanted to hear about it.

Please, let's not go back and forth on this.

Anyway, I just noticed that my obsidian dwarves look to be coming in an EN5ider article soon. I actually had not heard, but it is on the news this morning. The obsidian dwarves are a little controversial, in that they are cannibalistic (and I have tied a class feature to gaining power from this). These dwarves were 'influenced' by stuff I have read about Africa - I have a foot note stating you can use them as utuchekulu in such a setting IF YOU WISH. (Now please don't write, "Now the guy from the OP thinks all Africans are/were savages that ate eat other... as stated I got the inspiration from a mythological creature, supposedly from Africa I hope I don't have to do that every time I write something here).

Anyway, have others created/used other such ideas? And would you be willing to see/use more?

 

[Connorsrpg]

[MENTION=4937]Celebrim[/MENTION].
Just read your initial post in this thread again. Seems we could not avoid a lot of your 'fears' as to why this does not happen more

Having just reread the thread, I see there are a lot of people stating sources where you can get info for real-world Africa and plenty of fantasy Africa too. Thanks. But I REALLY want to know is, have you USED any of this? Is there anything you would like to see developed? Which parts/ideas? Have you mashed any of this with other fantasy elements in your setting? Like the red-skinned dwarf pirates mentioned above - don't care if it is not 'true to real world' - just where the idea came from and how it went.

As for my

mother crappy setting based on false stereotypes and extraneously broad generalizations.

Read more: http://www.enworld.org/forum/showthread.php?458297-African-Adventures/page3#ixzz3zu5i6IQ4

, well take a look.

I have already posted a link to one of my mini-settings (Kodo), and I will post it here too. (Be forwarned - this setting was designed using a lot of random elements, but 'fantasy Africa' was the underlying base from which it grew):
http://kodo.wikidot.com/start

As for a larger, 'full' setting, out main one is Kage. (A setting worked on over many years with 2 friends). If interested, take a look and go to the section on Djana - our 'African-fantasy-influenced' continent.
http://cellworld.wikidot.com/

Neither of these are fully detailed on the sites, there is still a lot to work with. Also, both make good use of Nyambe, including 'ripping off' straight from the human cultures presented in that book. However, each also show what I mean.

I am not out to create a whole new African-only setting. Just interested if anyone has done something like these and used them. (Or, as stated above, has used/mixed ANYTHING really. ).