Where to set modern/urban fanatsy world?

[tecnowraith]

I have been wandering something about a setting I have writing. The question is where to put my setting: on Earth or on a earth-like world (like Final Fantasy, Dragonball or Naruto) and which would be more interesting, fun and different that has not be done a lot?

 

[Whisper72]

Well, I think it depends a bit on how much fantastic elements you want to include.
If the level of realism is high, then simply using real earth is the easiest way to go. You already have all the maps... also, it is very easy for the players to understand what is going on, what is where etc.

If you do change a lot, then making bunches of changes into existing earth may be more trouble than simply making up an entirely new world....

 

[S'mon]

What mood & feel are you going for?

I tend to think that if it's going to parrallel Earth very closely, you might as well use Earth.

 

[Dioltach]

I think one of the defining characteristics of urban fantasy, as compared with traditional fantasy, is precisely that its setting is modern-day Earth. If you go with an alternative Earth or an Earth-like world, you're pretty much venturing into the realm of more traditional fantasy.

One option might be to set it in the near future, say 20-50 years ahead of now. You can give the players some gear options that wouldn't otherwise be available, and it also allows you to change present-day Earth to suit your needs. You can have a grim and gritty Bladerunner-type setting, or a more utopian world, whatever you want.

For example (not urban fantasy, but just to illustrate some possibilities), I set a long-running d20 Modern campaign 100 years in the future, in a totalitarian world resulting from global war and diminishing resources, and added a small degree of technological advancement (mostly weapons). Then threw in some mutants and demons and planar travel (angels in tanks!) for fun.

 

[tecnowraith]

What mood & feel are you going for?

I tend to think that if it's going to parrallel Earth very closely, you might as well use Earth.

So far, I am want the feel of superheroric with magical (and some supernatural) feel to it and possible the mood would be somewhat semi-chaotic world that a coming war is near, Where the old and new is mixed and both the weird and fantastic is open.

I think one of the defining characteristics of urban fantasy, as compared with traditional fantasy, is precisely that its setting is modern-day Earth. If you go with an alternative Earth or an Earth-like world, you're pretty much venturing into the realm of more traditional fantasy.

One option might be to set it in the near future, say 20-50 years ahead of now. You can give the players some gear options that wouldn't otherwise be available, and it also allows you to change present-day Earth to suit your needs. You can have a grim and gritty Bladerunner-type setting, or a more utopian world, whatever you want.

For example (not urban fantasy, but just to illustrate some possibilities), I set a long-running d20 Modern campaign 100 years in the future, in a totalitarian world resulting from global war and diminishing resources, and added a small degree of technological advancement (mostly weapons). Then threw in some mutants and demons and planar travel (angels in tanks!) for fun.

I know I do not want to go too far in the future since every other designer is doing it. I am also doing the same adding Fair Folk, Lovecraftian monster, awaken animals and few others.

 

[tecnowraith]

At this point I want to stay on Earth but change most of the world through history mostly by magical wars, dragons scorching some areas, ecological means by other dimension sipping through, colossal creatures walking around and natural progression.

 

[Whisper72]

hmm... does it have to be _future_ ?

You could also go a bit more steampunkish/fantasy. Set the stage right before or right after WWI... this way, a lot of modern events do not interfere with a more magical background.

Replace the planes of WWI with dragons.
Replace the use of chemical warfare with the use of alchemical / eldritch magic forces etc.
Play up the bermuda triangle as a place where the veil between realities is thin
This time, the world has not been charted fully yet, so you still have room to put a 'lost valley' with dinosaurs somewhere in africa or southamerica
Also, the north and south poles are not yet fully charted / explored, so there's room for your Cthulhu mythos out there as well...
The fairy tales are real, and the mountain ranges of scandinavia are home to giants (firbolg), ireland is home to real lepreachaun, pixies etc.
Deep in the dark reaches of africa live tribes of wild elves...
The possibilities are endless...

That way, you can stick with 'modern' earth and still make it more fantastic...