Fantasy settings

[badcat]

Are you saying they are looking for a D&D style setting for BRP?

[Simlasa]

Well... what are the basic features you need in place to start a game in a 'believable' setting?

I remember the old GURPS basic rules had a list on the back... something like Government, Religions, Languages, Tech level, Local flora and fauna, Laws, and Customs.

Of those the hardest one for me has always been religions... most fantasy religions either sound silly to me or sound like a thinly veiled retread of a RL religion. It probably stems from my being something of an agnostic...
But what is an example of a fantasy religion that is actually intriguing and works well to flavor the story?

[Trifletraxor]

Originally Posted by Simlasa

But what is an example of a fantasy religion that is actually intriguing and works well to flavor the story?

Hinduism, with its multitude of strange gods would be a good pick.

SGL.

[Steffworthington]

I've run RuneQuest in my own fantasy setting (called 'Paleador') for 20 years. it includes a chain of islands with a god in the middle (actually a volcano), an entire city on an island which is the figment of the imagination of a homeless man, a king dressed in feathers, an undead king stuck at the bottom of a fjord, and others.

[Triff]

Originally Posted by Trifletraxor

Hinduism, with its multitude of strange gods would be a good pick.

SGL.

Ow... That didn't sound good.

Hinduism would be an example of an intriguing RL religion, misinterpreted you question a bit.

SGL.

[Jason Durall]

Originally Posted by badcat

Are you saying they are looking for a D&D style setting for BRP?

From a recent email from Dustin (edited for public viewing) regarding future submissions:

Short Setting Books - preferably with a heavy focus on player content.

I'm driven to release followup support material for BRP. The initial format I think we can use is 64 - 96 page (30,000 - 48,000 word) setting books. These books are short for several reasons.

- Such books should come together rather quickly, rather than taking years of drudgery to complete.

- There is a lot of ground to cover. I'd like to get several settings out quickly so we can find out which will be popular enough to support with more printed releases

The field is wide open. We need all the genres.

[Aycorn]

Originally Posted by Simlasa

Well... what are the basic features you need in place to start a game in a 'believable' setting?

I remember the old GURPS basic rules had a list on the back... something like Government, Religions, Languages, Tech level, Local flora and fauna, Laws, and Customs.

Of those the hardest one for me has always been religions... most fantasy religions either sound silly to me or sound like a thinly veiled retread of a RL religion. It probably stems from my being something of an agnostic...
But what is an example of a fantasy religion that is actually intriguing and works well to flavor the story?

http://www.rpgmud.com/WorldBuilding/Mythopoets/tmm.html

This online book will help you out tremendously. It's excellent. Really helped me think about religions in fantasy settings.

[Simlasa]

WOW! That looks like a cool resource of ideas... very useful. Thanks!

[Trifletraxor]

I'm driven to release followup support material for BRP. The initial format I think we can use is 64 - 96 page (30,000 - 48,000 word) setting books. These books are short for several reasons.

- Such books should come together rather quickly, rather than taking years of drudgery to complete.

- There is a lot of ground to cover. I'd like to get several settings out quickly so we can find out which will be popular enough to support with more printed releases

I'm not sure I like the sound of that. That's Mongoose size.

I want Dorastor, Pavis & Big Rubble, Borderlands - that kind of stuff.

A 64 page setting book? What can you fit into that? A setting book should be bigger, then it can later be followed by smaller supplements.

SGL.

[badcat]

It sounds like the monograph format, to test the market I suppose.

I wish they could find another way to do that, I hate buying things twice. But if it's the only way...