Eastern Mediterranean Campaign Setting

[Aust Diamondew]

I've decided to start running a d&d game taking place in the Eastern Mediterranean (with a little magic, but almost no magic items, and mythological creatures aboud). Anyone have any advice for trying to run such a setting? Anyone ever try to do so before?
I'm not going for historical accuracy here because I want my campaign to have a mythological feel to it with epic battles, great heroes, powerful gods and mighty monsters in it.

I know a good deal about ancient Greece in all respects as well as Egypt (at least enough I feel to run a game taking place there), but I'd like to know more about the area that became the Persian Empire before running the game. Can anyone point me in the direction of some good sites so I can gain more knowledge about everyday Persian life and religion as it was in Ancient Times?
Any other Mediterranean powers I should concern myself with?

 

[Desdichado]

Persians were already post-Ancient -- they belong to the "classic" Greek age. The "Heroic" i.e., Achaian greek age, the age of Troy, so to speak, would have had Hittites as a major power in the area, as well as Assyrians, though. Maybe Hurrians too.

As for the Persians, there's plenty of good books out there, most for laymen that aren't too long and detailed. Your local public library should have half a dozen, I'd bet.

 

[Voadam]

Green Ronin's Testament has good stuff on the general area for biblical times (Pre Persian empire) including Israel, Egypt, Canaan, and Babylonia and Sumeria.

 

[johnsemlak]

What time period do you want to run?

 

[Desdichado]

I'm sure there's a few GURPS books as well.

For this kind of stuff, I prefer to just get library material, though. I think we need some more clarification on what you're looking for. The "Persians" went through several stages culturally. The latest Sassanid Persians were the prototypes of Medieval knights in many ways, as the technology developed there moved westward.

 

[Pramas]

I've decided to start running a d&d game taking place in the Eastern Mediterranean (with a little magic, but almost no magic items, and mythological creatures aboud). Anyone have any advice for trying to run such a setting? Anyone ever try to do so before?
I'm not going for historical accuracy here because I want my campaign to have a mythological feel to it with epic battles, great heroes, powerful gods and mighty monsters in it.

We have a book called The Trojan War coming out in June. It might be just the thing.

http://www.greenronin.com/cgi-bin/product.cgi?prodid=1405

 

[Khayman]

You could take a look at Sean K Reynold's site, as he is running a campaign set in ancient Greece. Otherwise, I'd second Green Ronin's Testament as a sourcebook.

Hmmm. Troy, eh? Sounds interesting...

 

[Dogbrain]

There's always the wonder and splendour of the Christian Vasileon Rhomaosini vs. the barbaric Ferengi to the west, the Slavs to the north, and the Persians to the east.

 

[Dirigible]

There's always the wonder and splendour of the Christian Vasileon Rhomaosini vs. the barbaric Ferengi to the west, the Slavs to the north, and the Persians to the east.

Where do the klingons fit?