AnnaBlackwell
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Setting Poll
🕑 Added 2022-03-16 17:58:57 +0000 UTCPatreon is a little confusing and many of you who have been subscribed for a while might not have noticed but we're approaching my next Patron Goal :D
At £350p.m I'll start developing and releasing an RPG setting bit by bit each month but I've hit a snag; I have too many ideas and I'm struggling to choose which one which is why I'm gonna put it up to a vote :)
Options
Koma Aldri - Scottish/Scandinavian Monster Hunter
This setting is one that I started working on years ago and played a good long campaign in with my partner and friends. In the campaign we played our characters were undergoing their Koma Aldri (Coming of Age) which involves setting out into the monster filled world to hunt a specific type of beast that the village yaga chooses. However adult campaigns are more than possible and could take interesting directions.
The primary focus of this setting is the ecosystem and the beasts that live within it. Each creature would get a description of how it is involved in the world and locations would have lists of the beasts found there.
The secondary focus is hunting and making armours and weapons from said beasts a la Monster Hunter. Mechanically I'd love to work out something that can make this satisfying and feel earned while keeping the cinematic charm and free-flow narrative of the system we originally used (Those Who Play).
Setting Highlights - Creature designs are somewhat biologically feasible but with enough fantasy to make them... well, fantastical. Player bloodlines provide unique character options. It's Monster Hunter but with my own spin on it, I really can't put it better than that.
Adventure Park - Fantasy Theme Park inspired by Retail Magic
Another campaign setting, this one is a vast magical theme park built by a powerful wizard who wanted to share the magic of adventuring with the world. The park is broken up into many different sections such as the Fairy Forest, The Dwarven Hold, The Diamond Dunes, Tutoria Village, Crystal Coast, and The Tundra - with more sections under construction and hidden away in magical pocket realms for adventurous guests to find.
This was a tongue-in-cheek setting that pokes fun at MMORPGs and fantasy video games with their big colourful worlds and hand holding plots.
My original vision for it was - and probably what I would do if writing it now - that Adventure Park used to be this amazing place that kids heard all around the world but most never got the chance to go. The party, however, having grown up on tales of Adventure Park each manage to apply for and get jobs in what remains of the park after the great wizard's death.
Players would work together to do their day to day jobs (much like Retail Magic) but there would be this under-plot of working out why some of the NPCs are acting weird, what plans people have for the failing park, how to restore its former glory, and why no-one is allowed in the park at night.
Setting Highlights - Its in the same universe as Apothecaria. High Rannoc is about 300 miles north-west of Adventure Park :) Intimate roleplaying between players and with NPCs who have detailed stories and lives. A satisfying mystery to uncover about the downfall of the park and the various oddities that have sprung up in its ruin. A fun story where you go find the magical creatures, actors, and employees who left the park and learn their tales or get them to return. Mini-games!
Dreamsmith - Surreal Victorian Fantasy
This is actually the setting for my novel Ava and the Dreamsmith but we've played around with it as a campaign setting and I think it deserves to see the light of day.
An incredibly weird setting inspired by Alice in Wonderland and Discworld. With living nightmares, clockwork cities, spider trains, and puns, oh so many puns, this setting is near and dear to me.
Players would be able to take on the roles of Dreamsmiths - people who imbue objects with the feelings from their dreams and who can make objects from their dreams reality. Spinners - story tellers who can change the world around them for their listeners. Tinkerers - engineers who can create amazing clockwork creations. As well as Knights, Orphans, Lamplighters, Conductors, and more weird classes and occupations.
The big overarching threat for this setting would be the Nightmares in the Forgotten Wastes beyond the tower sized castle candle of Last Light.
Highlights - Lots of humour and silly puns. A very unique setting that I'm already knee-deep in. A good mixture of high and low stakes with plenty of adventure options.
Comments
Esben Heick
That may be, but dreamsmithing is a different and unique idea. And as you say its dear to you. In general I think creators should create things dear to them. Its obvious you feel something for this.
Anna Blackwell
The vast majority of the game is very much not like Vaesan, though there are some very small horror elements in the form of nightmare trolls.
Esben Heick
Dreamsmith! Damnit it sounds original. Koma Aldri sounds a little like Fria Ligans "VAESEN"
I’m a huge Monster Hunter fan and I’m always on the lookout for a good ttrpg for telling those kinds of stories. Fingers crossed for Koma Aldri!
Anna Blackwell
I fall into that as well which is why their will be options for playing it non-murderously :)
Sophie
I’ve really been wanting something with megafauna lately. Koma Aldri sounds great.
Spinner 8
Koma Aldri sounds really exciting but I'm afraid I would fall in to my usual Monster Hunter trap of feeling incredibly sad every time I killed something :(
I lived in Edinburgh for 6 years and so Koma Aldri immediately stood out to me as something I would probably love.
Dr James Butler
Funny enough, I was just thinking earlier how much fun a theme park running/exploration rpg in your style might be. Plus a natural expansion full of sugar-sick (requiring poison values) excitations right off the bat. Only one choice to me! ;) (that said, Dreamsmith also really stood out)
