Real World Setting

[scholz]

I am interested in running a D&D game that take place in medieval Europe. Does anyone have any experience doing so? Any recommendations for modules or 3rd party products?

1. How do you handle magic? I was thinking of making it low magic but I am not sure how.
2. How do you handle races? I was thinking of making the various races sort of hidden secret societies.
3. How do you handle classes? I was thinking of adding benefits to the NPC classes, and modifying the spell using classes.
4. What time period? I am thinking 843AD or so, just after Charlemagne and the Treaty of Verdun.

 

[Jürgen Hubert]

I am interested in running a D&D game that take place in medieval Europe. Does anyone have any experience doing so? Any recommendations for modules or 3rd party products?

Well, it's not D&D, but the historical GURPS books are generally very highly regarded, and they are fairly rules-lite, so you will be able to get lots of use out of them...

Of special interest are:

GURPS Middle Ages 1: Britain in various time periods.

GURPS Low-Tech: equipment - not just weapons, but also anything else of use to the medieval adventurer.

GURPS Arabian Nights: For the neighboring regions to the south - as centers of high culture and learning, they will have an indirect influence across Europe...

GURPS Russia: Medieval Russia in all its glory.

GURPS Vikings: Those friendly neighborhood raiders.

How do you handle magic? I was thinking of making it low magic but I am not sure how.

Well, one option would be to ditch the D&D spell slot system entirely and go with the one of Call of Cthulhu d20 - that should make magic pretty low-key in most cases. Decide for yourself whether or not you want to use Sanity...

Another way would be to steal liberally from GURPS Cabal and assume that all spells add three to their spell level - unless they are cast with certain appropriate materials, in certain places, and so on. Make the characters work for their spells.

How do you handle races? I was thinking of making the various races sort of hidden secret societies.

Either ditch them or keep them as NPC races. Humans should predominate, and other races would be too widely distrusted in a medieval society.

How do you handle classes? I was thinking of adding benefits to the NPC classes, and modifying the spell using classes.

Get Fading Suns d20. That book contains classes like nobles, priests, and guildmen that don't have any supernatural powers - but they have plenty of social benefits that make them the equal of standard PC classes (unlike experts and aristocrats).

Come to think of it, the theurgy and psychic classes from that book might make nice low-key magic-users as well...

 

[BrooklynKnight]

A Magical Mideival Society is the Perfect book for you.
Its from Expedious Retreat Press.

 

[Praeco]

Check out Ars Magica. The setting is basically 13th century Europe, but one where all the legends (faeries, magic, etc) are real. While its focus is geared towards magi specifically, there are still enough historical and setting ideas that don't rely on that specific theme. Regardless, the pdf edition is totally free, so you have nothing to lose by checking it out.

Edit: link added.

http://www.rpgnow.com/product_info.php?products_id=774

 

[Maerdwyn]

Check out Ars Magica. The setting is basically 13th century Europe, but one where all the legends (faeries, magic, etc) are real. While its focus is geared towards magi specifically, there are still enough historical and setting ideas that don't rely on that specific theme. Regardless, the pdf edition is totally free, so you have nothing to lose by checking it out.

I second this - the supplements for Ars Magica are great, as is the game itself

Also, the 2e Historical Reference books are pretty good. One even focuses on Charlemagne's Paladins

 

[Wombat]

Check out Ars Magica. The setting is basically 13th century Europe, but one where all the legends (faeries, magic, etc) are real. While its focus is geared towards magi specifically, there are still enough historical and setting ideas that don't rely on that specific theme. Regardless, the pdf edition is totally free, so you have nothing to lose by checking it out.

Edit: link added.

http://www.rpgnow.com/product_info.php?products_id=774

yes, Yes, YES!

(I want what he's reading...)

AM is simply the best game on the market for getting that "True Medieval Feel". And since it's a free .pdf, how can you possibly lose?

Oh, and this has nothing to do with the fact that I've been playing the game for 10+ years and have been involved in playtesting for them in the past...

 

[tzor]

I am interested in running a D&D game that take place in medieval Europe. Does anyone have any experience doing so? Any recommendations for modules or 3rd party products?

1. How do you handle magic? I was thinking of making it low magic but I am not sure how.
2. How do you handle races? I was thinking of making the various races sort of hidden secret societies.
3. How do you handle classes? I was thinking of adding benefits to the NPC classes, and modifying the spell using classes.
4. What time period? I am thinking 843AD or so, just after Charlemagne and the Treaty of Verdun.

My first thought would be to simply say "Any way you want." But if you want the flavor of Medieval Europe (more or less) and are willing to fudge a little on historical accuracy you can get quite a lot of the standard D&D faire into a Medieval setting.

I'll answer the questions in reverse order, because the way I answer the last question has an impact on the first. In the Medieval Europe model there is one religion that is official in Europe. Outside Europe this isn't the case, and there are always "heresies" (in other words other churches) that rise and fall in the mean time. I would generally allow all the classes, with the following provisions.

The Church considers arcane magic the work of the evil one. (Although some do argue the difference between "white" and "black" magic ... not everyone is in absolute agreement on anything.) Wizards, sorcerers, etc. tend to form "secret" societies, or are closely associated with the "heathens." Bards tend to not emphsize their spells and are generally only mildly disappoved by the church.

The Church considers divine magic as special gifts from God ... one that should be used only sparingly and only for important causes, mostly for use in liturgical celebrations.

Other classes would be normal. Well as normal as you would normally expect.

Races? Medieval Europe still has vast unexplored areas. Dwarves and elves can easily be found there, so can gnomes and orcs. For the most part, these races avoid humans whenever possible, and disguise themselves whenever they encounter the human menace. Half orcs, on the other hand, are just ugly humans.

Magic? Well if wizards tend to be secret societies, then magic items would be difficult to come by because they would be made and traded in secret.

 

[scholz]

Thanks for all the advice.

I think the difficulty will be making the spell-casting classes interesting enough to play, but still only give them very limited magic access. Maybe if there is little magic, a little magic will be worth while.

S

 

[Praeco]

Thanks for all the advice.

I think the difficulty will be making the spell-casting classes interesting enough to play, but still only give them very limited magic access. Maybe if there is little magic, a little magic will be worth while.

S

Magic, even a tiny bit of it, should rightly shock the bejeebers out of anyone not privy to its secrets. Regardless of the source, those with power would likely be singled out as heretics. You should consider that mages will be inclined to keep their power secret as much as possible, and most likely will belong to some type of order in which they might find protection. The prevailing idea was that the power to bestow miracles belonged solely to the kingdom of God and one would surely have to meddle with dark powers to achieve magical ability.

Additionally remember that much historical magic was not about fireballs and shocking grasps but about divination and prophecy. The mages wanted knowledge, extended life and riches. If you want to really keep the medieval feel, the mages of the society should keep to this, and very few magic spells should have the ability to create what was not previously there.

As I said, though, even the smallest healing spell would be a miracle in its own right, especially in a time when most people would die of infection before hitting 40.