D&D 5E Info on African folklore needed

[TheIdeaOfGood]

Recently, I am working on a setting idea that would pull together many of my favourite ideas - science-fantasy, cosmic horror, pulp action, post-apokalyptic, Japanese and Norse folklore, ancient history and the Old West. The basic premise is that, sometime during the Third Crusade, a spaceship crashlands on Earth near Jerusalem. As it crashes, the drive core catastrophically overloads - maybe it was sabotaged - and the ensuing energy surge disrupts the space-time-continuum around Earth. as a result, multiple portals to other dimensions and times open, causing not only monsters to appear but also for people of different time periods and cultures to meet. A bit of RIFTS in here but more...stable. somewhat. One of my main inspirations is the wonderful boardgame Shadows of Brimstone.
The setting subscribes to the many-worlds theory which basically means that the past can be changed all you want, it merely creates an alternate timeline.
Now, the times and places the portals lead to are:

Mesopotamia, 3000 B.C.

Norway, 950 CE

Palestine 1191 CE

Great-Simbabwe, 1250 CE

Japan, 1500 CE

USA, 1874 CE

Mexico, 2056 CE

Now, for all the other times and places, I have more than enough info, but I find myself sorely lacking in information about African folklore. Is there any book or maybe even third-party supplement for D&D I should take a look atß Maybe some monsters from the area statted out for 5e?

 

[vpuigdoller]

Misunderstood question. Sorry.

 

[Voadam]

Here is a thread with a bunch of Fantasy Africa RPG resources. Many of them are more D&D than African folklore but it is a start.

Also I would use wikipedia if you want to check out 1250 specific country stuff.

 

[Zardnaar]

My advice would be to pick an area of Africa and start reading.

It's roughly as diverse as any other continent. Iirc there's 3 or 4 major language groups (Europe has 3).

I would recommend one of these areas.

Kush/Ethiopia
Egyptian influence in Kush and Ethiopia has several major kingdoms.

West Africa.
Mali and Songhai Empires.

Butua/Zimbabwe
Gold mines, plugged into coastal trade ports.

Kilwa
The coastal trade ports. Possibly reached Australia, traded with Arabia, India and China.

Do you have Amazon Prime?

 

[aco175]

Are you trying to be historically accurate, or to make a game that is fun? I think it would be difficult to keep the accuracy if the PCs are traveling across these times and places. Too much bleed into the other times with technology.

 

[Mistwell]

To me, Kush/Ethiopia/Abyssinia will prove the most easily adaptable to a fantasy setting.

 

[Zardnaar]

To me, Kush/Ethiopia/Abyssinia will prove the most easily adaptable to a fantasy setting.

Yeah this is probably my go to.
Very interesting area.

 

[Ath-kethin]

As fantasy takes on Africa go, my favorite has long been Nyambe. You can read about it HERE, which will tell you what you need to look for. Some of the supplements are available for free, I believe.

It was originally designed for 3rd Edition, but the non-mechanical stuff is still really good.

 

[TheIdeaOfGood]

Are you trying to be historically accurate, or to make a game that is fun? I think it would be difficult to keep the accuracy if the PCs are traveling across these times and places. Too much bleed into the other times with technology.

I know and there will be a lot of leeway, of course, since there will be a lot of pulpy elements to it. But I, as a white dude, want to avoid falling into cliches.

 

[Zardnaar]

I know and there will be a lot of leeway, of course, since there will be a lot of pulpy elements to it. But I, as a white dude, want to avoid falling into cliches.

What I do is just avoid stereotypes. I don't try and match up RL beliefs to much in game.

I've read up a bit in African kingdoms and empires, not an expert mist if them are Christian or Islamic IRL.

I take an idea say Timbuktu being the capital of a prosperous empire that's a center if learning. Jeep that idea don't make it Islamic (generally avoid RL contemporary religions).


A lot of Africa's problems are geography namely the Sahara.

So a fantasy not Africa can still be warm etc but you can simply change the geography. No Sahara limiting contact you can sidestep a lot if RL problems.

Magic can also sidestep a lot of problems but you may not want to have it conveniently sidestep a lot of things (teleport gates, magic boats, planes, water purification etc).

Unless you have a high magic campaign of course personally not a fan of magitech to much Eberrons pushing the extent of my limits ymmv.