What's the "Perfect" medieval setting?

[painandgreed]

I'm partial to what could be be described as the high middle ages IIRC. No gunpowder. Vassalage. Serfdom. Monarchy mixed w/city states. Roughly defined borders. Lords raiding each other even within the same kingdom. Expanding population. Lots of wilderness still. Social station matters but one could still prove worth by force of arms. Clerics are part of the social order.

Add in fantasy elements. The wilderness is that much more dark and dangerous because it contains creatures hostile to man. Items (eg full plate) more commonly associated with the late middle ages or early modern era can be supplied by more civilized cultures (ie elves and dwarves). Being a wizard is a rich man's hobby, usually only practiced by lords who did not become fighters or clerics.

That, in a nutshell, describes my homebrew. Of course, I am also a big fan of Harn.

 

[Griffith Dragonlake]

For inspiration, I like Chivalry & Sorcery, Pendragon, and World of Darkness: The Dark Ages (Vampire, Werewolf, Changeling, etc.). Ars Magica and Mage: The Sorcerer's Crusade are good as well. There was also a very good book on Robin Hood that is OOP by Iron Crown IIRC.

In terms of ideas, here are some that I've used to good success:

1. The Black Plague as an apocalyptic Romeroesque zombie disease (also see All Flesh Must Be Eaten). Remeber that the Plague hit Europe many times, not just the mid-14th C.

2. Early Medieval dynasties founded by deities with Half-Celestial royals and Aasimar knights. Inspired by Merovingian and Viking lore. Of course some royals are half-fiends and their knights tieflings. . .

3. The Inquisition on Steroids: The Church (Lawful) is intent on destroying all Chaos. Lawful/Evil "Paladins" hunt down and kill all creatures who radiate "chaotic." I alterned the rules slightly so that only creatures with spellcaster levels, spell-like or supernatural powers would radiate Chaotic or Lawful. And like Ravenloft, Evil and Good cannot be detected.

4. Attila the Ogre and Genghis Centaur. What would happen if a charismatic half-ogre managed to bring together all the ogre tribes to attack the 'civilized' lands? What if the Mongols were all centaurs with Human IQ and Mongolia the ancestral home of centaurs?

5. Persecution of Dwarves. Historically the Jews of Europe were restricted in their occupations while at the same time Christrians were forbidden from conducting usury (charging high interest rates). Fantasy dwarves would probably have a monopoly on all mines and in turn monopolilze the metalworking and jewelsmith trades. Their success would naturaly lead to banking (what to do with all the cash). Their would grant loans to monarchs at usurious interest rates in order to buy the arms & armor that they produce. When the monarch cannot pay off the debt, the dwarves are driven out of the kingdom or worse blamed for poisoning the water supply, kidnapping children, etc.

6. Slave Trade. Haven't tried this one, but it would add a vile twist. Forbid Human slaves in Human kingdoms but freely allow non-Human slaves (Elves, Dwarves, etc.) in Human kingdoms. Do the same in non-Human kingdoms. A typical adventuring party might find half of its members captured by slavers.

7. Crusades. Haven't tried this one either but thought about it a lot. A morality tale where Dwarves play the role of Jews and Elves or Orcs of Muslims. At this point in the game, Humans follow a religion founded by a Dwarf who broke with ancient Dwarven religious tradition. The Elves follow a religion founded by an Elf who builds upon the Human and Dwarven religions. Dwarves, Humans, and Elves all identigy their holy land as the same. All 3 races are Good-aligned but compete with each other. Over time the Neutral and Evil members of those societies come into power and decided to take the holy land. The Elves succeed first but the Humans won't stand for it.

8. Use all of the above.

Personally, I enjoy morality tales, fables, and satire. Instead of having D&D mirror the modern world (which is so overdone in D&D and in fantasy novels) why not have it mirror the "real" Middle Ages in all her glory and shame?

 

[TheAuldGrump]

Magic Users are likely to be burned on sight.

Unless of course they are either tied to the nobility, or better, the Church. (Look up Saint Albertus Magnus - One of the best known 'historical' wizards, and still on the Orthodox calendar. )

The Auld Grump

 

[airwalkrr]

Greyhawk

not really medieval, but it has medieval style, which is the most important thing

 

[kolvar]

I am fairly certain that is a contradiction, sir.

Not realy. There are scientists, who are of the opinion, that the middle ages ended only with the french revolution (and our (false) vision of the middle ages (i.e. heavy witch burnings etc) is based mostly on the time after the fall of konstantinople, columbus and luther (which are what I learned as a vague end of the middle ages)

 

[Odhanan]

There's no "perfect" medieval setting. What I want is coherence. Doesn't matter what's implied by the setting, or whether the setting has pirates or orcs or whatever. What I want before all that stuff is coherence. A world that makes sense and doesn't feel like a patchwork of ideas.

What do I see when you tell me "medieval setting"? I see England at the time of Richard the Lionhearted. I see Cadfael. There are some good sourcebooks on medieval England out there, as far as RPG are concerned. There's the very good Robin Hood sourcebook for RoleMaster, and the systemless Lionheart, to just name two. Maybe these could provide you with ideas for flavor.

 

[Turanil]

In terms of ideas, here are some that I've used to good success:

<...>

Plenty of good ideas to borrow here!

 

[William_Ward]

Something with the plague might be enjoyable.

 

[Owen K.C. Stephens]

India, from about 1200 to 1650. These are the eras of the Dehli Sultinates and the Mughal Empire. They represent a time when there were multiple, competing, major and accepted religions (much more common in D&D games than most European knights-and-swords eras), a monetary economy, the use of monsters (elephants) in warfare, and the construction of fairytale palaces (including the Taj Mahal). Both crude firearms and very advanced compound bows were in use, and the rich Indian legends provide plenty of inspiration for magic.

You have things like a Muslim class ruling over a largely Hindu population (monotheism and polytheism accepted in the same territory), though both Zoroastrianism and Christianity are also present (and some of the rulers were remarkably tolerant of other faiths). Armies that claim the blood of Genghis Khan fight in war to overthrow the existing ruling class and become the new lords. Fortresses atop mountains are lain siege (Chittor), and only defeated after an artificial mountain is built by the sieging army (Mohair Margi). Emperors building palaces in the desert (Fatehpur Sikri) which must be abandoned intact. And then toward the end, corrupt officials and outdated weapons spell the end of it all.

Just search for Chittor, and that alone (with its three sieges and seven gates) should give you a campaign's worth of ideas, even if you decide to westernize the look rather than leave things Indian in flavor.

 

[Danyael]

Oh my God! I've just returned after a week or so, and look at this! A LOT OF GOOD STUFF! The problem now is... I feel like a kid in a toy store: WHAT SHOULD I PICK!?

Anyhow, I started to test my system, practically starting the setting on the fly (so much info made my jaw drop). Let's see if we can get in the middle of this huge crossroad, trying to meet the visions of all of you. I will just state what the first adventure was about, without giving any details of what the setting feels like (races, *magic, system; * only a narrative overview, just imagine how the system actually runs!)

The first of the two characters made for this was the son of a duke, who had fallen ill and vested his heir with all his powers. The new duke "inherited" actions of a colonial mission, introducing our "hero" to the Society of D'jor (the council that administers the colonies of the empire<<<< yes, empire. There are three in total). Our first hero also inherited his father's problem; now that the colonies are producing practically half of the income of the empire, the emperor limits the rights of the Society, and takes much of its income. This has angered all of the society, which, according to one of the administrators, is planning a coup.

The second character is the daughter of a retired captain. The 15 years old is quite liberal, although the law establishes that any action you realize must be authorized by the head of your family (usually the elder, unless he or she bestows his/her powers to another kin). Since the family is the one responsible to administer punishment, our girl saves herself, "mysteriously" manipulating her father. This time though, she must travel to the imperial capital; her brother is serving as the new captain (inherited position). Why? Her hometown is preparing war machines (thoughts welcome, I'm not revealing technology level) to lay siege to a colonial fortification that was captured two months ago by "rebels". (She knows better, and is trying to stop her brother).

(Keep thinking on the setting, and bring it on)...

(Not revealing the role playing part...) the duke had been summoned by his majesty, while our girl is trying to convince her brother who has his orders already.

Both characters were on the same bridge on the outside of the palace, when turmoil headed the throne; a mysterious man was slaying any guard, soldier or civilian that stood in his way. The guard at the castle's gates closed the gates, leaving our heroes outside, while other soldiers climbed on the roofs of the several buildings in the district to shoot at the assailant. Those on the bridge were wordless to see the man strike every man down.

When soldiers on the Society of D'jor building shot a volley of arrows against the stranger, he made a quick slash with his sword and the arrows were simply destroyed, but the power of the swing made its flight towards the soldiers, who were killed instantly, limbs and blood raining to the street below. Anyhow, when he got closer, the heroes could notice his state; the left side of his head was black, as if burned; his left eye gone, his left arm was broken (possibly in two different parts, maybe more) and he bled through his ears. The soldiers held their fire, and allowed him to approach the bridge. Our characters maintained the distance and tried to reason with him, but to no avail (clearly deaf). When made his first step on the bridge, soldiers on the towers and on the buildings behind him opened fire, piercing his torn body several times. The pained man let a desperate scream reawaken his senses; he jumped about the height of two men, and thrusted his sword into the bridge. He "cracked" the bridge, and the crack immediatly extended towards the two towers and the two buildings behind, ending with four simultaneous explotion that ended the life of his enemy... at the cost of his life.

Adventure ended. Not much eh? Anyway, I was drinking by the time we began playing... I ended the cold life of 22 beers that night... I'll miss'em.

Now... What could the setting be around this events? Thoughts?