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Roxxy
2014-09-16, 12:05 AM
When it comes to campaign setting design, I have fun with writing stuff based on the Americas. Outside of that, I find that I just don't have the same passion and knowledge base, and worldbuilding isn't as enjoyable, so I tend to either not get much done or do shoddy work. I want a global setting where PCs can go adventure in Asian or European themed nations, but I also want stuff that's done well, so I'm working on the continents based off of American themes, while representing the rest of the world with published settings modified to fit the lore of my setting. So far, I've got the excellent Nyambe to serve as an African-inspired continent, and for Asia I'm leaning towards inserting the Tian Xia region of Golarion (though I do own Jade Oath and Rokugan...). I'd like to buy settings with continents I could use to represent Europe and the Middle East. I do not want settings that take place on Earth, I want fantasy counterpart cultures (Nyambe, Rokugan, and Golarion are good indicators of what I want). It doesn't need to fit my setting as-is, but I need to be able to modify it to add in magitech, and gods need to be removable. I am willing to buy more than one setting. I don't really want to use more of Golarion than Tian Xia (except maybe Osirion), and I am debating getting Al-Qadim. I play Pathfinder, but am willing to buy 3.E/3.5 materiel, or something non-compatible if it is really good and I don't need any of the rule content.

Grinner
2014-09-16, 07:30 AM
I don't know if this message will reach you in time, but for the next two-and-a-half hours the Bundle of Holding (http://bundleofholding.com/index/current) has Ptolus on sale. For about $30, you can get the Ptolus sourcebook and adventure modules plus a bunch of other sourcebooks by Monte Cook.

I'm recommending Ptolus simply because you mentioned magitek, and the bundle includes a Ptolus supplement called Chaositech, which you might find useful.

Edit: If you end up not making it in time, you can get Chaositech (http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/product/680/Chaositech) for $6, but you won't get all of the other supplements, particularly Ptolus itself.

Roxxy
2014-09-16, 11:25 AM
From what understand, Propose is a city. I need something with a continent I can use.

LibraryOgre
2014-09-16, 11:57 AM
As you mentioned, you might want to grab Al-qadim for an Arabian-themed setting; while you're not looking for things set on Earth, there's going to be GURPS Arabian Nights and Ars Magica's Blood and Sand: The Levant Tribunal, which you can mine for ideas.

You might also look at Maztica, for the Forgotten Realms, which is going to have some semi-Mesoamerican cultures you can work with.

BWR
2014-09-16, 03:18 PM
It's hard to go wrong with the old Mystara/Known World Gazetteers. All of them are immensely fun and easy to use. They are made for BECMI but the mechanics can easily be ignore for the most part, and when you feel the need to convert it sholud be pretty obvious what an appropriate PF mechanic is even if you aren't familiar with BECMI.
What exactly do you mean by 'magitech'? Magic used industrially in an otherwise somewhat low-tech setting or magic in a setting with better than Renaissance technology? Eberron might be what you're looking for if you want the former. If you want high tech and magic, try Fantasy Flight Games' Dragonstar setting. It's D&D in space, only not so whimsical and low tech as Spelljammer, with ray guns and spaceships and computers etc..

Beleriphon
2014-09-16, 05:49 PM
It's hard to go wrong with the old Mystara/Known World Gazetteers. All of them are immensely fun and easy to use. They are made for BECMI but the mechanics can easily be ignore for the most part, and when you feel the need to convert it sholud be pretty obvious what an appropriate PF mechanic is even if you aren't familiar with BECMI.
What exactly do you mean by 'magitech'? Magic used industrially in an otherwise somewhat low-tech setting or magic in a setting with better than Renaissance technology? Eberron might be what you're looking for if you want the former. If you want high tech and magic, try Fantasy Flight Games' Dragonstar setting. It's D&D in space, only not so whimsical and low tech as Spelljammer, with ray guns and spaceships and computers etc..

And evil dragon emperors..... Its actually a pretty fun setting that ports all the D&Disms in to sci-fi setting. Heck, it basically all but states that a typical D&D world is an undiscovered world that hasn't reached space flight level tech yet, and is just waiting for the drow inquisitors with ray guns and powre armour to show up.

galan
2014-09-17, 03:29 PM
i've been thinking about it for a while now. at first i was going to say 'oh its not possible to create a fantasy version of middle east, its too complex even without trying to be politically correct.'

now i think you have two real options. the first one is to go with 'arabic theme'. never read al-qadim, but it might do the job. not much for me to say here.

the other one is to try to make a more.. living middle east, and thats have nothing to do with actual middle eastern countries. i think actual middle east is a mish-mash of a lot of cultures, a place where empire rise and fall and everyone is sure their culture is the best one while mimicking everyone else. the greek brought names and the moon as a calander (which sucks, and the reason why both hebrew and muslim holidays act weird when it comes to an actual date), the roman brought their citys and systems, and every new ruler brought new gods and religions. the point is not to try and mimic some real places (and really, its hard to know what to mimic. with the british&french mandates everywhere, not to talk about israel which for some time wasn't sure if its communist or anti-communist, its a mish-mash already), but to merge a lot of different and opposing ideas together. instead of creating 'egypt, but with magic', make a whole new place who could have been the middle east if empire x won against empire y.

of course i'm not thinking thats the only or the best way to do it, but thats what i would have done.

TheThan
2014-09-17, 04:30 PM
There’s also Mahasarpa for a pseudo-India area, it was put out by wizards of the coast as a free PDF when they made the 3.0 version of Oriental Adventures, it shouldn’t be too hard to dig up. Speaking of which, you could look up Legend of the five rings for a pseudo-Japanese area. I don’t know of anything more for Asia though I'm sure a Chinese setting is out there somewhere, and I have no clue about the various south-east Asian cultures.

though I suspect the hardest one to find would probability be an African setting.

IAmTehDave
2014-09-17, 07:55 PM
though I suspect the hardest one to find would probability be an African setting.

Nope. I remember reading much of this and thinking it was interesting. (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?353258-Let-s-Read-Spears-of-the-Dawn)