Looking for unique alternate fantasy worlds

[Terath Ninir]

I'm tinkering with a campaign idea that would involve the characters travelling to many different worlds, and I'm having trouble thinking up ones I haven't used before. Between the Manual of the Planes and Beyond Countless Doorways, I have plenty of alternate planes, but not so many alternate worlds.

I'm not looking for entire settings here -- brief ideas or links to things someone else has done before would be fine. The main thing I'm looking for is unique and weird worlds, but not ones so exotic that only high-level adventurers could survive there.

 

[Turanil]

Just follow the link in my sig. Plenty of fantasy worlds for you to use there.

 

[DMH]

http://alternityrpg.net/onlineforums/index.php?showtopic=1643

It is setting seeds, for fantasy, I and a few others have created over the years. You might want to dig around those forums for other ideas as well- it is pretty littered with them.

 

[jdrakeh]

Currently, we're having some fun over at theRPGsite by designing settings via Exquisite Corpse games. Here's a link. This game is almost over (Ken has two posts left), though based on the output, I have an interest in playing several more.

I've proposed (in the Off-Topic thread) that the game outputs be compiled as short PDF documents with a shared Copyright. I think that they'd make very interesting "pick-up" settings and/or hook books for use with other settings.

[Note: There are some slightly satirical entries in this particular round. Specifically, my last two lampoon Mary Sue NPCs and grognards who fear newer games (though either can be played straight with little effort).]

 

[Kafkonia]

If you don't mind doing a bit of porting from another system, you might be interested in Yrth from the old GURPS Fantasy books (and now from GURPS: Banestorm.) The short version is: elves tried to eliminate orcs with a spell that instead brought humans to their world from Medieval Europe. So you have human cultures that have evolved over the centuries from contemporaneous Christian, Islamic, and Far Eastern societies, resulting in a world that feels the-same-only-different from traditional worlds -- and a world that still experiences the occasional aftershock from the Banestorm, depositing new people from Earth (or elsewhere) into society.

 

[AdmundfortGeographer]

Between the Manual of the Planes and Beyond Countless Doorways, I have plenty of alternate planes, but not so many alternate worlds.

On the scope of alternate planes, grab the Gygaxian Fantasy Worlds VII: Gary Gygax's Cosmos Builder, by Richard T. Balsey and you'll have enough ideas to fill a lifetime.

On the matter of alternate worlds, how much detail is enough for you to go on?

How do you distinguish between an alternate plane and an alternate world?

 

[thedungeondelver]

Two spring to mind if you don't mind doing a little reading: the world of THE CHRONICLES OF PRYDAIN and the fantasy europe of THREE HEARTS AND THREE LIONS. For more of the latter, you could also add in elements from THE BROKEN SWORD. Both books are by Poul Anderson.

 

[Nuclear Platypus]

There's the various worlds of Michael Moorcock, namely his Elric stuff but also Hawkwind, von Bek and Corum among others. All are incarnations of the Eternal Champion.

To a lesser extent might be Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser, especially one of their patrons who lives in a cave that opens into other dimensions / times IIRC.

 

[thedungeondelver]

There's the various worlds of Michael Moorcock, namely his Elric stuff but also Hawkwind, von Bek and Corum among others. All are incarnations of the Eternal Champion.

To a lesser extent might be Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser, especially one of their patrons who lives in a cave that opens into other dimensions / times IIRC.

Moreover with that you've got a not-inconisderable amount of support in 2nd edition AD&D products, which (I am made to understand) flesh out the world quite a bit.

 

[Kafkonia]

A world where the Good-Evil axis for humanoids is inverted. Kobolds are Lawful Good, goblins are Neutral Good, orcs are Chaotic Good, and humans, elves, dwarves, halflings, and gnomes are various stripes of Evil.