I’ve probably invented more settings than I actually remember, which is probably a good thing because what is cool at twelve, well, you know. Most of it, I invented as we played, adding details to graph paper and making the lore and its relevance in the moment. The earliest were mashups of Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings, C.S. Lewis’ Narnia Chronicles, Ursula Le Guin’s Earthsea and a healthy dose of various world mythologies. I’d add bits from novels and movies over time, and as I matured, sources from history, religions and a deeper exploration of myth.
My first ‘pre-packaged’ setting was the ‘Known World’ from the D&D Expert book, before I knew it was called Mystara, and then of course, Greyhawk. My players and I never really delved into the Forgotten Realms. But I remember the old Dragon articles and purchased the box set of the Forgotten Realms. I whispered heresy in the back of my mind, thinking Ed Greenwood’s Forgotten Realms might be better than Gary Gygax’s Greyhawk! There, I said it. I accept my exile from Grognardia.
I love settings and giving my players new worlds to explore. I’d buy all sorts of different supplements just to explore a new setting or mine it for a kernel or two; to plug and play in an existing campaign.
In looking forward to campaigns I might run, and in honor of the Hand of Kwyll with its six fingers, here are six settings, old, new, and on the horizon, that are striking the right chord for me.
- Talislanta
I was too young and foolish to fully appreciate Steven Michael Sechi’s Talislanta. Back then, we were so dedicated to D&D, that the thought of playing a d20 system that was not D&D? Unthinkable. Truly the folly of youth. We wouldn’t break that norm until we cracked the 1st edition Stormbringer box set; finally breaking the mechanics glass ceiling. Yet, I still have my original Talislanta 2nd Edition Guidebook, and have carefully, reverently, preserved it through the decades, and later added the 4th edition to my collection.
SMS gave us a unique and wondrous setting, Talislanta absolutely achieved its mission of providing a simple mechanic with an extraordinarily rich world with numerous fantasy races. Talislanta famously advertised that it was a setting without elves, and its current refrain is: “Still No Elves!” I’ll add, it doesn’t have halflings, dwarves, or any of the more traditional fantasy races of classic roleplaying games. Hell, it doesn’t even have humans! And no, just because it has fantasy races with pointed ears doesn’t make them elves. They’re no more elves than Vulcans or Romulans are. Talislanta is unique, evocative and brilliant. It was ahead of its time in the late 80s.
The most recent addition to the Talislanta catalog is Talislanta: The Savage Lands, which is set in the dark age of Talislanta after a setting defining apocalypse; absolutely great for those looking to run a savage sword and sorcery game. A dual-statted 5th edition Talislanta using a variation of the original d20 mechanic, and the current 5e ruleset is pending a Kickstarter. I look forward to telling tales for my players with Cymirilian windships burning in a night sky lined with seven moons and mighty, tattooed Thrall warriors riding Equs into battle against a furious Ur horde.
- The Forbidden Lands
What I like about The Forbidden Lands, or the Ravenland as it is sometimes called in-game, is if your players prefer the traditional fantasy races of classic RPGs, they can have that, but with unique mythic takes that are different enough from the usual tropes of the genre. Elves fell from the night sky, and each elf’s heart is a glorious red ruby. Halflings and goblins share a common heritage and sometimes a common parentage. A vast iron wall blocks the only commonly known pass to the lands to the south. Sorcery prevents most safe travel beyond the southern peaks or by the sea. The demonic Blood Mist scoured the land for centuries, isolating villages, settlements and castles until only recently when the mist receded. Ancient ruins, and other places of adventure abound; the setting is rich with a sense of a forgotten world ready for rediscovery. You can do a lot with this world.
- Dolmenwood
Scheduled for a Kickstarter for a three-book set, Dolmenwood can be accessed through Patreon, and through Wormskin magazine, where I first had a taste of the setting. Dolmenwood is perfect for a plug and play into an existing medieval or late medieval fantasy setting, for those looking to add a weird fairy tale setting with a mythic vibe. A wonderfully evocative and meticulously detailed setting with its own unique creatures and classes.
- The Age of Dusk
I purchased the Palace of Unquiet Repose because of its eerie sword and sorcery feel. Its implicit setting, the Age of Dusk, led me to the author, The Prince of Nothing’s blog, also named the Age of Dusk, where he details this excellent sword and sorcery setting. This setting evokes old empires lain low by hubris that once terrorized the world, and while ancient marvels abound, who knows what might awake from the depths? The Palace of Unquiet Repose is an excellent module in its own right, but the setting as whole deserves so much more exploration.
- Atlantis: The Second Age
I have both the First Edition of Atlantis: The Second Age and the Second Edition, and both share a core mechanic similar to that of Talislanta. I happen to like the second edition more because it replaced some of the more standard classical fantasy races and offered players a wide variety of new options, like the bizarre and inspired Jinn.
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Gods of the Forbidden North
This one isn’t published yet but warrants honorable mention. Funded through Kickstarter, it has a scheduled August 2023 release date. It caught my eye for the weirdest reasons, in one of my homebrews, I had an old, fallen kingdom that I named Hadea. Well, low and behold, Gods of the Forbidden North has a similarly named kingdom. Reading through the teasers and premise, there’s a setting here that screams pulp sword and sorcery, a genre that’s dear to my heart. I backed it, and love what I’m seeing in the updates. I’m looking forward to its full release.
These six occupy my current headspace in terms of what I’m thinking of running for my players. What settings do you use, or find inspirational, for your homebrew campaigns?