Different types of fantasy you'd like to see?

[Corvus]

Most (though not all) fantasy seems to be fairly similar in setting - a psuedo-middle ages psuedo-European setting, all knights and castles and the like. With magic and other races thrown in. And even they tend tobe similar, the immortal elven archers frolicing in their forest homes, of the dour, doughty dwarves mining away in their mountain halls. If you get lucky, you may have a psuedo-Arabia or Psuedo-China tacked on the edges.

That said, if you could see a different type of fantasy, what would it be?

A primative setting, set at the dawn of history in the stones ages?

Something set in the bronze age/early iron age, akin to the Illiad/Odyssey era, or the times of the Assyrians, Hittites, Babylonians and Egyptians?

Something else distinctly not Middle Ages?

For myself, I'd like to see a setting that is Napoleonics in time frame, but in a fantasy setting, minotaurs and goblins and dragons alongside muskets and cannons and men of war ships.

[DomaDoma]

I've never had much interest in the mythological-Greek genre, and I'm afraid the Egyptian variety would end up as a neo-pagan catechism a la Bradley, but based on my experiences with Bartimaeus, I'm going Victorian. Yes I know it isn't Victorian per se, but it does have that feel to it.

[Dhavaer]

I'd like to see something Roman-esque. Probably high magic with the decadence turned up to 11.

[Gaelbert]

I probably wouldn't play a stone age campaign, because it seems like there aren't too many options. The only weaponry they would have would be primitive, and that would make playing a fighter even less enticing. Playing in a napoleonic era on the other hand, would be fun.

[Lemur]

Actually, I haven't found all fantasy to be necessarily so similar. Then again, I guess I do read a lot of Japanese comics. I like steampunk/pseudo-Victorian settings. I'd even like to see something further along the timeline, like a Great War/Roaring Twenties era type setting. I'd also like to see a reletively generic fantasy setting with magic and whatnot, except with invaders with futuristic equipment, like spaceships and exoskeleton mechs.

Also, any and all of the above could be improved with the inclusion of dinosaurs. If anyone knows of any good books or other media that incorporate cowboys, magic, and dinosaurs, feel free to mention them.

[terror_drone]

One word: Manga

It has every potential setting one could imagine, from pre-historic periods to future based space faring fantasy.

[Tom_Violence]

I'd like something steampunk-ish avec magic, similar to how the game Arcanum was, but with both the magic and technology toned down a chunk. High magic settings bore me, in much the same way that contemporary action films have removed the 'special' from 'special effects', as over the top is now completely commonplace.

[Xuincherguixe]

Fantasy works in every setting.


I've had some thoughts about doing a Norse Cyberpunk setting.

A recent post got me thinking about doing a wild west villain campaign. I quickly realized of all the possible settings this one probably works the best for villains. There's a lot of potential for other sorts of games too, but I likes me the evil.


There's also something appealing about an aboriginal campaign. (Such as Native Americans), I'm not quite sure how a game like that would work, but I think there's some potential there.

A buddhist or hindu game might be great too. Some good Wuxia, or a Ninja game would not be unwelcome either.

[Serpentine]

I'm reasonably happy with the pseudo-medieval Europe thing, but I do have a couple of suggestions for you if you're looking for something different:
Weaveworld is set in "modern" times. It's a bit... odd, somehow, but pretty decent.
Once... is also "modern", but 18+ I'm afraid ("erotic fantasy horror").
Annnd there's another I'm trying to remember the name of... it's so prehistoric there aren't even any humans there, just dragons. I don't think I'm giving anything away, especially as I can't even connect a name with it, but better safe than sorry... When the magic of the world collapses, the bones of an ancient giant turn into dinosaur bones, and the "magical" dragons (as opposed to the "natural") have to very quickly rearrange their magically-altered physiques to one appropriate for staying in the air. Anyway, yeah, it has a very prehistoric feel to it.

[Attilargh]

First of all, it's spelled "pseudo".


Something set in the bronze age/early iron age, akin to the Illiad/Odyssey era, or the times of the Assyrians, Hittites, Babylonians and Egyptians?
I actually was idly planning a setting with early iron age setting with political and civilized (former perhaps more than the latter) angel-like desert people, Tibet-influenced bears and Warcraft-inspired island-dwelling trolls. Then my computer ate the notes, which was kind of a... bummer.

You might like Iron Kingdoms, by the way. It's got undead pirates with guns.

[Angela]

Naomi Novik has a few fantasy novels set during the Napoleonic wars, including dragons :smallsmile: I've not actually read them, as I bought the second book without realising it was the second, so I'm waiting until I've read the first...

[bosssmiley]

Most (though not all) fantasy seems to be fairly similar in setting - a psuedo-middle ages psuedo-European setting, all knights and castles and the like. With magic and other races thrown in. And even they tend to be similar, the immortal elven archers frolicing in their forest homes, of the dour, doughty dwarves mining away in their mountain halls. If you get lucky, you may have a psuedo-Arabia

You mean like the "Al-Qadim" setting?


or Psuedo-China tacked on the edges.
You mean like the Quan Empire of Talislanta, or like Kara-Tur, or like Rokugan, or like the setting for "Bushido"?


That said, if you could see a different type of fantasy, what would it be?

A primitive setting, set at the dawn of history in the stones ages?

Like the "Primal Legends" 3rd party setting?


Something set in the bronze age/early iron age, akin to the Illiad/Odyssey era,

What, like TSR's old "Age of Heroes" or Sean K. Reynold's "New Argonauts (http://www.seankreynolds.com/skrg/products/002TNA/)"?


or the times of the Assyrians, Hittites, Babylonians and Egyptians?

Glorantha, GURPS Ancients, the Jakandor setting for D&D (Egyptianate necromancers vs. tribal sea-peoples), Talislanta, Tekumel, that Egypt-heavy Gygax 3rd edition setting, etc.


Something else distinctly not Middle Ages?

TSR's Historical Reference series of sourcebooks (HR1-7), everything from ancient Celts to the Elizabethan/English Civil War era via Ancient Greece, Rome, the Carolingians and Vikings.

Or the GURPS series - they did everything up to and including Aztecs sourcebooks.


For myself, I'd like to see a setting that is Napoleonics in time frame, but in a fantasy setting, minotaurs and goblins and dragons alongside muskets and cannons and men of war ships.

Oh, you mean like "Flintloque (http://www.alternative-armies.com/caaa464.htm)"? Or perhaps more like "Dragonmech" or the "Iron Kingdoms" setting? :smallwink:

Joking aside I really think you're doing generic fantasy a dis-service. Done right it's so much more than 'the middle ages with wizards, elves and dragons'. I honestly don't mind thinking of my own settings as generic 'western euro-centric' fantasy. It's what you do *within* the tropes of that genre what sets your fantasy apart from the truly (bad and lazy) Eddings/Feist/Brooks/Gemmell-inspired potboilery.

Just look at the Birthright setting: Rich Baker started out with a Tolkien pastiche and ended up with setting gold! Go to paizo.com, download the "Blood Enemies" sourcebook ($4, it's nowt). Kewlest array of iconic beasties and BBEGs evar! More plot hooks than I dunno what. And all totally of the 'generic fantasy' genre.

[Siric]

Ice Age time period: "Use Fire3 against the glacier!"

Or... Some sort of Jurassic Fantasy. "Oh noes, the Dinosaur's trying to eat us! Cast Meteor! Cast Meteor!"
...

[Yellow]

Time travel.

Think Heroscape. Gogogo Huns/Cavemen vs. Knights/Apaches~

[Capt'n Ironbrow]

It's surprising what kind of settings there actually are...

for Corvus who wants Napoleonic fantasy: get Flintloque and/or it's offshoots! It's the napoleonic wars with the Elves as the French (Ferach), Orcs as British (Albion) and Dogmen as Austria and Dwarves as Germany... The Russians are undead.

A way darker fantasy than most is Chronopia: Still pseudo-medieval but most races are radically different from the stereo-types. The best difference is the way the dwarves have been done: yes, they still live underground and in clans but are animalistic totem worshippers whose fallen gods now live among them as monstrous "Blood Totems" who rip their enemies (and careless dwarves) to pieces (no runes, no magic spells, no cannons). The Elves are also clan-oriented and treacherous drug-addicted schemers who don't even THINK about trees and how cool trees can be and the human kingdom brought about the very evil they sought to prevent... And the Orcs are great race too, a mixture of goblins, trolls, ogres and orcs with a middle-eastern culture.
The force of Evil, the Devout have some really freaky units/characters on their side with weird names: Abyssal Crawler, Evil Eyes, The Damned (some freaked out centaur creature) and the cursed (red armoured axe men).

I also like the pseudo-renaissance of Warhammer Fantasy, it bred one of the most interesting fictional human nations: The Empire... And it's one of the few RPG's to include gunpowder weapons -bang!-

[Attilargh]

I also like the pseudo-renaissance of Warhammer Fantasy, it bred one of the most interesting fictional human nations: The Empire... And it's one of the few RPG's to include gunpowder weapons -bang!-
Few? You don't play much Modern or World of Darkness, do you? :smalltongue:

Barring the obvious, in FR there is the smokepowder from Lantan and in Iron Kingdoms there is the combination of red and black powders which go boom. Exalted has guns as well and you can find boomsticks in Warcraft as well.

...Okay, that's not many.