What kind of campaign world do you run?

[ForceUser]

Non-European Medieval Fantasy. Specifically, Asian. Here's a clip:

"The setting is feudal Vietnam, glamorized for fantasy D&D. Two hundred years ago, a hero of the people threw off the yoke of a thousand years of Chinese oppression, founding the first Ly dynasty and the Great Viet State. But the tiny empire of Dai Viet, as it is known, struggles to maintain its sovereignty amid the chaos of a Mongol-ruled China to the north and the opportunism of the hated hindu state of Champa to the south. Twice now the Viet have repelled Mongol invasions, and twice has the capitol, Thang Long, been conquered and sacked by Champa. It is a difficult period for the children of the Dragon King, and their turmoil will define a people as their deeds echo through history."

You can read more in my Story Hour!

 

[willpax]

Like Greybar, my "European with a twist" has a twist involving the inversion of symbolic categories: in my case, black/dark is associated with life, fertility, and power, and whiteness is associated with death, sterility, and weakness. This basic symbolic opposition finds parallels in politics (where the dominant empire is dark-skinned), agricultural theory (black soil is best), theology (the earth is the source of power, not the sky), and all those little areas that our metaphorical prejudices insinuate themselves into.

There is one other little change: no horses. Any herd-type animals in open areas were hunted to extinction by dragons. If you've read _Guns, Germs, and Steel_ (or other books on ecological history), you will already be familiar with the wide ranging impact on society. The population is much less advanced overall (because a greater portion of the population is needed in food production, despite divine aid). Travel and trade are more expensive and dangerous, creating a further brake on development. Military tactics tend to depend upon a small group of well-armed and well-trained elite soldiers backed up by masses of untrained militia (think The Iliad without the horse-drawn chariots).

Overall, it has more of a "dark ages" feel (say, Europe around 800) than the higher middle ages that is the closest analogue to the D&D assumed world.

 

[dave_o]

Eldram!

My homebrew campaign is entitled Eldram. It's heavily influenced by the Renaissance, as far as the new emphasis on learning in concerned. Gone are the stereotypes of 'stupid commoner' and 'dimwit farmer'. Learning is a widespread, important aspect of life.

The main body of the world consists of Humans. It is their time to shine, perhaps. Most of the world is under the Imperium, which is very similar to the Roman government...only, they are happy with the space they have. The races of Elves, Halflings, Gnomes, and Dwarves have all diminished and live mostly in their 'natural habitats'.

Religion is a Monotheistic doctorine, featuing a god named the Benevolence. It's very young, cosmically, and before it's coming (well beyond the span of most rememberance), the world was clothed in darkness. Cthulu, Igigi, and Nanna are the nemises of this religion, and are at the present banished beyond the stars.

Various smaller cultures are represented. Greek, Byzantine, Arabic, Celtic, Balkan, etc.

I just love to see how all these cultures react. I have as much fun determining the course of events 'elsewhere' as I do running the game. Which is good, since it's entirely PC driven.

 

[LostSoul]

You didn't put in my category:

WICKED AWESOME!

I made a low-magic world as a reaction to high magic Forgotten Realms. Now that the PCs are hitting 13th level, magic is coming back. And I've realized (thanks to these boards) that that's a Good Thing.

 

[Redleg06]

Here is the "Thesis Statement" and "What’s new? What’s Different?" paragraph from my one-pager. It's now my standard setting.

_____________________
A feudal world where everyone believes in Gods, Giants, Elves and Dwarves, but only crazy old wise-women and men who drink too much have actually seen them, until now.

Adventurers are truly unique individuals. You won’t find an “Adventurers Inn” with elves and dwarves and orcs sipping ale together, next door to a “Magic-Swords-R-Us”. The races are separated, but are forming alliances that serve their various interests. Most humans believe in magic and fey creatures, but few have seen either. That is changing.
________________

It's a loosley Norse-based mythology, with a tech-level that is mostly 1100 AD England/Normandy/France (Nasal Helms and Hauberks!) with a few wealthy "core" kingdoms that are up to early 100yrs war technology.

The short version of the short version is there used to be Gods, Giants, elves and dwarves. They fought a war (of course there is always a war) that nearly destroyed them. The races "went away" after the war and in the time since mankind (who were cave-dwelling neandrthals) have evolved and basically taken over the earth. The old races are returning (for whatever reason I am still working on) and they are bringing magic with them.

 

[Rabbi Shlomo]

Flordia must be counting the votes, becuase mine for Stanatd Setting isn't showing up. Oh well.

 

[Tiefling]

I'm with Psion. An entire world shouldn't have only one culture, one "feel."

 

[Redleg06]

I like haveing a consistant "feel" for the game. I think it makes the setting more believeable and gets rid of some of the randomness you tend to get i n game settings. But I don't think you need only one culture to get that consistant feel to the game.

 

[Tiefling]

What is your definition of "feel," then? I was refering to, for example, a faux medieval feel. Which is pretty closely tied to a culture, and thus wouldn't be found across an entire world (unless the world is very, very small).

 

[Chrisling]

I feel obliged to mention that only in the most abstracted sense do most games take place in "the world." They usually take place in a particular part of the world, such as the "fragments of the Great Western Empire" or whatever. So, for the players and the GM, the "world" is really just the places where the GM decides will affect that world.

So, if the feel of the game is a High Middle Ages sort of feel, does it really matter what's happening across the world? Those events won't ever effect the game, or the players.

I'd much rather the GM focus on what will effect my Cs than spend his time working on places where my Cs will never go and have no interest in.