D&D General Why Fantasy? Goin' Medieval in D&D

[Gravenhurst48]

Are Dresden Files and the various WoD games superhero games?

I followed your link and the Dresden Files novel's are included as Urban Fantasy, along with Ghostbusters, Buffy Vampire Slayer, Teen Wolf, Gremlins. This is interesting because any vampire, werewolf, undead theme would be classed as an Urban Fantasy, I suppose? I did not see Lovecraft listed, possibly due to Horror has its own category type?
Then the Underworld films would be classed under urban or horror? I guess it depends in the purpose of the story. If the monster is meant to only kill you and to be hunted as a pest, then it is classed as a Horror. And if the monsters co-live in your society, thus film/comic Blade would be Urban fantasy, like the Larping games Werewolf and Vampire, and video game Cyberpunk? This would be good to start another blog thread to answer this maybe? Lol.

 

[Gravenhurst48]

I think your basic point is valid. It's even more valid because I agree with it.


True story: I rented GTA:III from a video store (remember those?) and the first time I shot someone in the head with the sniper rifle and a geyser of blood gushed into the air I laughed out loud. When I had to return the game I went out and bought it immediately. Good times.

Oh man, I could start a new thread topic about gratuitous violence in gaming. Not a fan since becoming a father, but when I was teenager I can relate to anything that is bad because I experimented or did anways.

 

[Gravenhurst48]

Relative lack? - are there any sports RPGs out there?

The only ones I can think of are Pro Wrestling RPGs - which really pushes the boundaries of what I'd call a "sport" but as a "soap opera stunt show" can make a pretty good environment for an RPG.

I'm really curious to go off to Drive Thru or itch and see if I can find a football RPG now...

Games Workshop has Warhammer BLOODBOWL!

 

[Mannahnin]

Well, Blood Bowl isn't really an RPG. It's a skirmish war/board game with miniatures, with two players opposing each other to win the game. You can organize a league to play a whole campaign/season, but there's normally no referee/GM to adjudicate any shenanigans outside the strict rules, and each player runs a team, not an individual character.

 

[Gravenhurst48]

Well, Blood Bowl isn't really an RPG. It's a skirmish war/board game with miniatures, with two players opposing each other to win the game. You can organize a league to play a whole campaign/season, but there's normally no referee/GM to adjudicate any shenanigans outside the strict rules, and each player runs a team, not an individual character.

Bloodbowl is Warhammer FANTASY or 50K, thus still RPG related, to be technical, so totally disagree. D&D had reincarnated Chainmail based off Battlesystem if I recall, trying to compete with Game Workshops 50k miniature army games. I know its not an actual RPG but Chainmail and Bloodbowl are implied as RPGS because they borrow from the RPG rules and mechanics from their parent RPG company.
A Bloodbowl Team could be a PC group who are captains of their squads. Just like gambling night in D&D with Knuckle Bones and Dragon Chess, etc.. The players are at a tavern drinking and gambling to win the oot. The same can be done with Bloodbowl to include more roleplaying scenarios and incorporate the bloodbowlers as a PC class, like a gladiator on weekends in the arena, and when not in the arena, a hired bodyguard, mercenary, killer, thug, adventurer to pay for better protection and cleats, etc.. And if you know Warhammer, it is based on career paths so, Bloodbowl can be easily adapted into an RPG because it uses Warhammer RPG mechanics.
Way off topic, as I only contributed to above comments to someone else comments, which ain't important because they ain't related to the thread topic. LMAO. I love Warhammer as much as D&D.
And to steer this back onto discussion, which I have yet to fully contribute my own opinion own the topic, Dungeons and Dragons works best in the middle ages because the fantasy of make believe is relatable, like fantasy football instead of jousting.

 

[gamerprinter]

As far as A goes, I agree. I do play Old West, and Sci-Fi, though both are fantasy as well with the latter being Starfinder, which is science fantasy.

B and C, in general I agree at least, but I'm a bit corner case, like some, in that I sometimes seek distinct historical cultures and delve more deeply, seek more nuance, and in a sense achieve more historic accuracy, despite operating as a fantasy setting. Noting of course, like my Kaidan setting of Japanese Horror (PFRPG) which is set in a feudal Japan analog, it's not Japan. So doesn't have to cleave to every historical aspect of Japan, even though I tried to be as authentic as I could in it's development.

In a previous personal setting, I ran a 8th century inspired Vikings, Anglo Saxons & Celts England analog campaign, which I limit access to weapons, armor and the technologies of the time. So while my personal and published settings are fantasy, and often cleaving to some historical epoch at least in inspiration. I know most people aren't so specific in their "medieval fantasy", but some people, like myself, to a degree are at least moreso.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

I avoid any sort of historical setting because I would be so worried about getting it wrong that I wouldn't be able to have fun. Fantasy is fantasy, not history.

 

[gamerprinter]

I avoid any sort of historical setting because I would be so worried about getting it wrong that I wouldn't be able to have fun. Fantasy is fantasy, not history.

That's why I only use historical inspiration, I don't do true history, though emulating it closely is still a goal. Still it's not historical fantasy, but I find it immensely fun, especially if you can provide a immersive setting doing so, that even educates to a degree. I don't find it an obstacle in creating great environments, or in any way lessens the fun to be had.