Tired of traditional Fantasy Campaigns?

[Agemegos]

Why is Tolkien always the measuring stick?

Because it is widely familiar, and sadly few people have read The Worm Ouroboros, The King of Elfland's Daughter, The Roots of the Mountains, or anything by Snorri Sturlinson.

There is no point in using a measuring stick that is unfamiliar to most of your intended audience.

 

[CalrinAlshaw]

Biggus, you mentioned Exalted was free on drivethruRPG earlier today? I just went there and it is 15 bucks...

Calrin Alshaw

 

[Prince of Happiness]

Ohhh yes...but then again I also love stories by Clark Ashton Smith, Robert E. Howard, Leiber, Dunsany, and Friel. Pulp sword and sorcery with romanticism, I love to skew my western fantasy campaigns towards that kind of flavor. Writers in love with orientalism, indeed. I've had an idea of more, err, psychedelic mode of fantasy as well.

Right now? OA, baby. Tired of Tolkien? Try the other half of the planet. Start reading Japanese setsuwa bungaku, folklore, Chinese novels like Romance of the Three Kingdoms...hobbits? What are ho-bi-tsu?

 

[Corinth]

Just wondering pepole, how many of you run campaigns not tolkien-type, but the ones like Talislanta, where you dont have the "classic" races like halfings, dwarves, etc?

I've done it, but I prefer not to do so outside of well-known and well-defined alternatives such as Rokugan or (for non-d20) Exalted.

 

[JoeGKushner]

I usually run a standard fantasy campaign or one based on the "dark ages" feel where humans are the dominate race ala Conan or Slaine. I think that people cry that they want something different and those different settings ala Dark Sun do find their audience but that audience usually isn't as large as a standard one, especially in terms of buying supplements as most generic settings have rules that can be adopted to any game.

 

[Charles Dunwoody]

Talislanta is a great setting. The races feel like they really belong and most are similar enough to things the players know to make the game appealing. For instance, the thrall are magically created warriors who freed themselves from slavery. They tatoo their entire bodies in color patterns. Most players can grasp this idea very well.

Warhammer FRP is also a great setting. Instead of the rules coming first and the setting being tacked on, the setting is part of the rules. The players may get involved in straight up combat but more likely they will start uncovering plots and terrible things man was not meant to know.

I'm considering running the githyanki campaign from Dungeon 100 but after they are defeated. The players can play humans, celestials, githzerai, or slaad. The other races will be there as NPCs.

 

[Raven Crowking]

Why is Tolkien always the measuring stick? Do many people look into the sources that influenced and paved the way for Middle Earth?

Such as, but not limited to:
E.R. Eddison
the Elder and Prose Edda
Lord Dunsany
William Morris

For example, the works of Dunsany and Morris are excellent for campaign material. Tolkien merely expounded upon the notion of a medieval world that was more chivalrous and wondrous than the harsh, stark reality that it was.

I think people use Tolkein as the benchmark because he created such a strong, believable fantasy world that fantasy became mainstream. Also, even if they've never read the books, everyone knows something of the story, especially with the movies out now. I'ver read LotR more than thirty times now, including aloud several times to my son, and each time I find something I didn't notice before.

That said, I'm glad I'm not the only one reading other, older fantasy authors. It's so hard finding Lord Dunsany! I would also include Mervyn Peake's Gormenghast trilogy as must-reads from a non-Tolkein point of view. Also, Ursula le Guin's Earthsea books. I understand that some of these "classics" are coming back into print, and I've been trying to run down the ones I don't have.

I can remember when Dragon used to have "Giants of Legend," which put literary characters into D&D terms. It used to give one interesting leads on where to go for a good read.

RC

 

[Raven Crowking]

How about Flatland d20? Players take on the roles of lines, squares, circles, and polygons on a two-dimensional plane?

 

[Rasmus]

Why has no one mentioned Earthdawn?!

My personal favorite fantasy RPG (Non-d20), and I am a proud owner of a complete 1st Ed. collection.

It has a great system, a very creative, atmospheric and well supported world. It is superbly illustrated, and IMHO it is the best fantasy RPG of the 90's.

It has unique races like the Obsidimen, Windling, T'skrang and Blood Elves. It has a fantastic magic system, with naming magic, blood magic, numerous inventive spells, creepy monsters and great campaign material. I can't praise it enough!

 

[Prince of Happiness]

That said, I'm glad I'm not the only one reading other, older fantasy authors. It's so hard finding Lord Dunsany! I would also include Mervyn Peake's Gormenghast trilogy as must-reads from a non-Tolkein point of view. Also, Ursula le Guin's Earthsea books. I understand that some of these "classics" are coming back into print, and I've been trying to run down the ones I don't have.

RC

Lord Dunsany shouldn't be too hard to find anymore, as in the past few years his novels and short story collections have come back into print. Ditto Clark Ashton Smith.

A good website to order pre-Tolkien fantasy:

http://www.wildsidepress.com/index2.htm