What kind of campaign world do you run?

[Psion]

I suppose you would call major regions of my world European in flavor, inasmuch as it is basicly a D&D game, which draws from European myth for many of its elements. However, cultural elements are a bit broader. I have analogs of Polynesia, east Asia, Haiti, pre-colonial America, and India in various places in my world, as well as locales that are not inprired directly from any real-world source. The bottom line is that my game world is a world and as such it has a variety of cultures in it.

So I put the "I hate categorization" category.

 

[Greybar]

"Ancient/Non-European" is the closest match.

My campaign world originally grew from the idea of a fairly isolated society with extremely defined gender roles and the intentional reversal of the sun/moon associated genders. Noble women (known as Sunborn for their ties to Immortal Hara Sunmother) run the cities, politics, most lawful-oriented religion and the sciences. Noble men (known as the Moonborn for their ties to Tangi Moonfather Ever-Reborn) control the area outside of the cities proper, are in charge of the execution of warfare (generally), agriculture, and most of the gritty crafts and work such as mining. Women are considered to have immortal souls and ascend upon death. Men are considered to have reincarnate souls.

Commoners of both genders tend to live a life much more like the "european medieval" stereotype, toiling and without the strong gender division of the nobles.

Essentially there are only humans in the society. No elves, dwarves, halflings, or the rest of the conventional menagerie.

The society is very isolated from other cultures, and where they are just starting to touch those foreign cultures is a place where plot develops...

John

 

[Mr Fidgit]

i usually run FR from the Silver Marches or Cormyr, with some forays to more 'exotic' lands like Anauroch or Chult

 

[Chrisling]

The game I'm in, right now, I call Dungeons and Cthulthus and it's ostensibly a Planescape game, though what's going on right now is Hastur has just conquered Sigil and is probably going to beat the Lady of Pain's pert behind next game session. Byakhee are going around murdering dabus with lightning guns, and the factions have been replaced with aristocratic families. Other dire things in other places are certainly going on, too, out in the planes. I suspect this puts me in the "weird" or "unclassifiable" category. ;p

My previous game was set in a home-brew world, the Wicked Earth, which had a serious East and South Asian influence. There was a "standard European" section of the world, but it was the subject of much ridicule as the civilized Akivashans and Tsao-Chaoans poo-pooed the culturally backwards dwarves, elves, and humans unfortunate enough to be living in the Far Lands. In terms of plot, the game was actually a law-chaos struggle game framed in the context of cosmic conspiracy theories. Y'know. A cabal of demons was working through a group of dragons to influence a bunch of naga, yuan-ti and undead to control some pirates and governments to control the amount of chaos in the world.

 

[seasong]

I run a variety. I typically run any given setting for 6-12 months, long enough for a complete story, and then shift to another setting, genre or style. I like 'em all, but there wasn't an All Of The Above option .

 

[Tuerny]

"Ancient/Non-European" is the closest match.

My campaign world originally grew from the idea of a fairly isolated society with extremely defined gender roles and the intentional reversal of the sun/moon associated genders. Noble women (known as Sunborn for their ties to Immortal Hara Sunmother) run the cities, politics, most lawful-oriented religion and the sciences. Noble men (known as the Moonborn for their ties to Tangi Moonfather Ever-Reborn) control the area outside of the cities proper, are in charge of the execution of warfare (generally), agriculture, and most of the gritty crafts and work such as mining. Women are considered to have immortal souls and ascend upon death. Men are considered to have reincarnate souls.

Commoners of both genders tend to live a life much more like the "european medieval" stereotype, toiling and without the strong gender division of the nobles.

Essentially there are only humans in the society. No elves, dwarves, halflings, or the rest of the conventional menagerie.

The society is very isolated from other cultures, and where they are just starting to touch those foreign cultures is a place where plot develops...

John

Wow. That sounds cool.
I love screwing with gender roles in a setting.


Do you have any more material on it?

 

[Maerdwyn]

European, Dark Ages Fantasy - other cultures in other parts of the world.

 

[Nightfall]

Do you really have to guess what kind of World I run Tuerny?
*is kidding*

IF though I was doing a Homebrew, I'd make for new type of setting. While it's technology would be Bronze Age, I'd stratify the social classes on two thing. Physical beauty and Moral aptitude. What does that mean? They have to be able to be learned in some skill and adventurers are more like mercs. There is no REAL noblity, only social castes that can't be ascended to.

There would be more than just humans but I'd only use Dwarfs sparsely and Elves, would be like Wood Elves, hidden and unknown for much of the place. Half orcs would be more of Empire like the Klingons, full of blood and death. They also would be closer to their Orc kin than any humans. Finally no halflings or gnomes.

Magic would be under constant scrunity and the entire human population inside the city is more of dedance demon/devil worship, while the rural people pay homage to the gods and the forces of nature.

 

[Tuerny]

Wow Nightfall, I am surprised you were able to restrain yourself.

Bravo!

 

[Nightfall]

I have my moments!