Is there a decent renaissance-era setting?

[Jd Smith1]

That said, I think @Jd Smith1 is kind of out of luck. There's a weird lack of engagement on the Renaissance, even the Italian Renaissance, the one pop culture loves the most.

I suspected as much, but I thought I would check. Real depth in settings is rare, but it does crop up here and there among indie publishers.

I'm also checking with minis game material; needing only a setting makes that a possible source.

 

[aramis erak]

Arrowflight. Less depth than 7th sea (pun intended) but more conventional. Definitely renaissance/Age of Sail. Not sure it's still supported. I also much prefer 1e to 2e, but that's irrelevant to your needs. Plenty of prose, and good stuff.

Warhammer FRP. Unlike WFB, WFRP 1/2/4 are renaissance in tone, circa late 15th- mid 16th C German early Renaissance. Its issues are, however, that it's an intentionally humorous take, and that WFB is really more like early 14th C with 19th for the dwarves. Plus, the setting is buried in supplements and adventures.

The ones I like better, however, are all using mechanics to imply a lot of setting elements, rather than providing readable prose.

• Warlock - a knock-off of warhammer setting and tone wise, skills only (no atts other than HP). Similarly 15th/16th early ren.
• Lace and Steel - Musketeer tech era, setting largely extrapolated from comments in the rules and especially the gear sections
• Crimson Cutlass - the game's random encounter system is a large part of the setting materials. Unfortunately, Red and Conrad are "updating" all their old games... It's early colonial, which is also late Renaissance and Age of Sail.

 

[Autumnal]

Gran Meccanismo, by Mark Galeotti, is set I’m da Vinci’s Florence. It has some of his gadgets but is not steampunk, and Mark knows his history.

 

[John Dallman]

Steve Jackson Games have GURPS Hot Spots: Renaissance Venice and GURPS Hot Spots: Renaissance Florence available, if you'd like to go back to the original Renaissance setting. Not much GURPS in them, mostly history and how the societies work.