Help, give some recomendations of Dark Fantasy TTRPG

[Marc_C]

Symbaroum has a dark fantasy setting. Magical corruption of the natural order is almost everywhere. Magic is dangerous and can destroy those who use it.

 

[Aldarc]

Dark Sun is a dystopian medieval fantasy setting.

I'm not sure if I would call it "medieval" though. Its aesthetics lean far harder into pre-Middle Age civilizations (e.g., Tyre, Ur, Babylon, Greek City-States, etc.) than anything we would identify as "medieval."

 

[Ixal]

What exactly is "dark fantasy"?
Because I get the impression that for many people everything not perfectly black and white, with modern morals and the players completely on the "white" side is automatically called gritty and dark.

 

[Jd Smith1]

Dark Sun is a dystopian medieval fantasy setting.

Flint weapons and bone armor? Definitely not.

 

[Jd Smith1]

What exactly is "dark fantasy"?
Because I get the impression that for many people everything not perfectly black and white, with modern morals and the players completely on the "white" side is automatically called gritty and dark.

A good question.

Your impression isn't far off. Generally, the term 'dark' starts getting tossed around any time the metagame opposition requires more than tossing a ring into a hole in the ground to defeat.

 

[AtomicPope]

Flint weapons and bone armor? Definitely not.

Wrong.

I'm not sure if I would call it "medieval" though. Its aesthetics lean far harder into pre-Middle Age civilizations (e.g., Tyre, Ur, Babylon, Greek City-States, etc.) than anything we would identify as "medieval."

It's dystopian. That's like saying any Zombie Apocalypse movie is pre-Middle Age because they're using spears and have no electricity.

Dark Sun has a pre-apocalyptic history.

 

[Aldarc]

It's dystopian. That's like saying any Zombie Apocalypse movie is pre-Middle Age because they're using spears and have no electricity.

Dark Sun has a pre-apocalyptic history.

This is a bit of an incoherent argument.

(1) Athas has pre-apocalyptic history, but that doesn't make it medieval or Middle Ages either in its past or its present.

(2) Whether or not Dark Sun is "dystopian" has no bearing on whether it is 'medieval' or not. We are talking about the aesthetics and tropes of the setting as it exists, which are pretty obviously meant to lean into ancient and classical city-states rather than the aesthetics and/or tropes of the European Middle Ages.

(3) Even with spears and no electricity, the aesthetic of zombie apocalypse movies are still exceptionally modern in their aesthetics. (I'm struggling hard trying to think of one that isn't.) Conversely, we can't say that Dark Sun is particularly medieval in a similar fashion.

 

[Jd Smith1]

Wrong.

It's dystopian. That's like saying any Zombie Apocalypse movie is pre-Middle Age because they're using spears and have no electricity.

Dark Sun has a pre-apocalyptic history.

I don't think you understand what 'Medieval' means. Let's check Webster: adjective relating to the Middle Ages.

Of which, flint weapons and bone armor are not a feature.

I think perhaps are are confusing 'dark age', which reflects a diminished de-centralized period, with both 'medieval' and 'post-apocalyptic'.

But as Aldarc noted, as it stands now, your argument is incoherent.

 

[aramis erak]

Dark Sun was definitely not medieval.

We've already listed several dark medieval fantasy settings in the posts above.

Technically, outside of Bretonnia, Most of the Warhammer world is actually renaissance technology; Tilea and The Empire are both pretty strongly renaissance, but without the loss of superstition... (Probably justified, since the supernatural is so strong and evident in-setting)

 

[AtomicPope]

I don't think you understand what 'Medieval' means. Let's check Webster: adjective relating to the Middle Ages.

Of which, flint weapons and bone armor are not a feature.

I think perhaps are are confusing 'dark age', which reflects a diminished de-centralized period, with both 'medieval' and 'post-apocalyptic'.

But as Aldarc noted, as it stands now, your argument is incoherent.

Saying, "bone armor is not a feature" while referencing the dictionary is just beyond stupid.

Definition of MEDIEVAL

of, relating to, or characteristic of the Middle Ages; having a quality (such as cruelty) associated with the Middle Ages; extremely outmoded or antiquated… See the full definition

www.merriam-webster.com

Here's some acceptable versions of the dictionary definition you chose:
very old : too old to be useful or acceptable (like flint)
extremely outmoded or antiquated

Pre-Edo Japan is categorized as medieval. They had non-metal armor and weapons, even stone and bone weapons. Japan never had any extensive use of metal armor, like Dark Sun. Most Japanese, and Chinese armor was made of non-metals like wood, silk, and bamboo. You completely lost the script.