I know there are some people out there who play in some truly far-out fantasy settings. I was wondering what everyone's candidates were for the most unconventional fantasy setting (published or homebrew) that they've seen or played?
I am currently working on a very far-out setting, based loosely around the cosmology of a psychedelic/progressive rock band named Gong. It has been on-hold for some time, but the leader of the band (Daevid Allen) is now back in contact and I'm doing some preliminary notes. Hopefully I can get on it sometime around the first of 2007. Basically it's set on earth circa the late 1960's/early 1970's and deals with comunication with this psychedelic planet called Gong, which includes such things as radio gnomes, love projectors, octave doctors and so on. So even though it's just in production, it will be the strangest fantasy setting I've ever seen.
As for ones that are already done, I prefer Dark Sun and Spelljammer for plain weirdness factor.
Jorune.
Most gimmicky settings are one-trick ponies, once the idea of playing a variation on a dwarf or an elf wears off, or the realisation that Monday is called Moogsday or some such crap - thats when players get smart and leave.
But Id second Jorune, for being so different, but there has to be a few others?
Earthdawn-Battle Angel Alita-Battletech-Spelljammer-Time Travel Crossover.
Tekumel is not only the oldest, but still one of the more unorthodox settings out there. I'm sure if you look at some of the new breed of unconventional settings, you'll see a little Tekumel staring back at you.
Wraethu?
Andy Hopp's Low Life does swords & sorcery with a cute twist, but it's certainly not to everyone's taste as it combines totally childish poo-poo humor with awesome epic adventure, all neatly wrapped in art that compares well to Crumb.
Quote from: Dominus NoxWraethu?
:hang:
Quote from: RPGPundit:hang:
Hey pundy, if you're going to plead with people to post here it helps not to bust on them when they do.
Duh.
I vote for Planescape (played) and Spelljammer (seen)... really cool and weird stuff.
Quote from: Dominus NoxHey pundy, if you're going to plead with people to post here it helps not to bust on them when they do.
I think you broke his brain. :heh:
For completeness one must place wraethu into the genre it belongs:
post apocalyptic.
"After the Analo-Caust.":cool:
Quote from: SettembriniFor completeness one must place wraethu into the genre it belongs:
post apocalyptic.
"After the Analo-Caust.":cool:
Hmm, it's got magic in it, makes it fantasy IMB.
Now, Aftermath was post apocalypse, even living steel was PA, on another planet.
QuoteHmm, it's got magic in it, makes it fantasy IMB.
What's Rifts for you?
Quote from: JongWKI think you broke his brain. :heh:
Meh, I really couldn't care less. I'm no fan of the pundy's. At first I liked him for ripping rpg.net :fu2: but then I noticed that his outrage only seemed to be hurled at forums where he, personally, was banned.
There are other forums as bad as rpg.net or even worse, but pundy wasn't banned from them so he doesn't want to criticise them, even when people show him examples of bad, hypocritical modding on them.
So he only gets outraged when he's the one getting pissed on, when others try to criticize other forums as bad as rpg.net :fu2: he tells them to drop it, which is what people tell him to do about rpg.net :fu2: and he comdemns them for.
Quote from: SettembriniWhat's Rifts for you?
Magic=fantasy, just that simple.
QuoteMagic=fantasy, just that simple.
This is a neat distinction, BUT:
In Rifts, you have all kinds of PA topoi and adventure situations flying around. Thus, preparing a rifts session, is more akin to preparing a fallout rpg session. So your neat classification doesn`t help there.
Quote from: Dominus NoxWraethu?
I dont think that is unconventional, just plain perverse
Quote from: LawbagI dont think that is unconventional, just plain perverse
Isn't 'perverse' just a form or subset of "unconventional"?
Quote from: SettembriniThis is a neat distinction, BUT:
In Rifts, you have all kinds of PA topoi and adventure situations flying around. Thus, preparing a rifts session, is more akin to preparing a fallout rpg session. So your neat classification doesn`t help there.
I call Rifts fantasy, you call it what you will.
QuoteI call Rifts fantasy, you call it what you will.
That is assured, but does your distinction really catch the underlying common-ness of what you subsumize under "Fantasy"? I say:
The pragmatics of adventure preparation points in another direction.
Quote from: Dominus NoxIsn't 'perverse' just a form or subset of "unconventional"?
I would imagine the most perverse part of the game is actually finding people who actually want to run it! I mean, what kind of "shops or venues" you have to go to just to stand a chance of finding players...
Quotewhat kind of "shops or venues" you have to go to just to stand a chance of finding players...
Lord of the Rings Elven player cast members. I did not make this up, there is one in the photo book.
Although I can see Magic = Fantasy as a useful personal criterion, I'll have to stick with those who consider Rifts and Wraeththu to be in some other category. For me Fully Automatic Slugthrowers =/= Fantasy. IMHO if my magical hermaphrodite can pack an AK, we're veered off the road to Fantasyland.
The Wizards RPG (based on the Ralph Bakshi movie) probably deserves a mention, even though I've never seen/played the game itself.
Great point, Elliot. I've never seen the game or the flick but I understand it has all the trappings of fantasy but modern firearms as well. I think labels like fantasy and sci-fi are useful even when you can find overlap. Hell, the grey areas and boundaries are often the most interesting parts to discuss.
Quote from: Elliot WilenThe Wizards RPG (based on the Ralph Bakshi movie) probably deserves a mention, even though I've never seen/played the game itself.
The movie
Wizards was a stylish post-apocalyptic fantasy with fantasy beings in the post-apoc setting, but it is a grey-area as to which is dominant, as far as this discussion is concerned. There are artifacts from the past that are used, mostly guns, and are largely connected with the bad guys of the story. The good guys are more fantasy and magic oriented. It's one of those technology vs. nature splits that has been around in plenty of stories. Since the tale itself emphasizes the purity/goodness of nature over technology, I'd say it's more fantasy.
Quote from: jrientsGreat point, Elliot. I've never seen the game or the flick but I understand it has all the trappings of fantasy but modern firearms as well. I think labels like fantasy and sci-fi are useful even when you can find overlap. Hell, the grey areas and boundaries are often the most interesting parts to discuss.
What James said...also, I
have seen the movie a couple times, so I'll put in a good word for it. It's a classic piece in the vein of underground comix.
To contribute to the digression, I think that
Thundarr the Barbarian was also fantasy (maybe more accurately S&S) even though it was a post-apocalyptic show. (And there's a free set of RPG rules out on the net for it.) Similarly Cidri, the default world for the old
The Fantasy Trip, had a sort of sci-fi dimension-shifting race as part of its backstory, which led to at least one adventure that takes place in a radiation fallout shelter that was imported to the fantasy world by the ancients.
Quote from: Dominus NoxMagic=fantasy, just that simple.
By this definition
Star Wars is "fantasy." :p
Quote from: VellorianBy this definition Star Wars is "fantasy." :p
I do consider star wars to be space fantasy, so your remark doesn't bother me at all.
I will continue to define fantasy as I choose to, and there's not one single thing anyone here can do to change that. So, to all you people who think you can nag me into changing my definition to suit yours, all I have to say is :pimpdahoe:
Quote from: Dominus NoxI do consider star wars to be space fantasy, so your remark doesn't bother me at all.
I did not intend for my remark to bother you. :)
QuoteI will continue to define fantasy as I choose to, and there's not one single thing anyone here can do to change that. So, to all you people who think you can nag me into changing my definition to suit yours, all I have to say is :pimpdahoe:
I quite agree that
Star Wars is a "sci-fi/fantasy" realm. I've also seen it referred to as a "space opera."
Would you also consider
Star Trek a "fantasy" world because of the psionic element and the godlike beings they oft encounter? I would. :)
I would also consider
Firefly to be fantasy by that same definition.
In fact, the bulk of what most people consider "sci-fi" or "horror," even, thus gets lumped into the "fantasy" category.
As taxonomies go, I generally prefer something more specific. But if that method of classification suits you, then I'm happy for you. :)
I'll just use another system that has different buckets, if you don't mind. :)
This is real laughable, as Science Fiction is the mother of Fantasy. Fantasy is a child of Sci-Fi.
Quote from: VellorianIn fact, the bulk of what most people consider "sci-fi" or "horror," even, thus gets lumped in
As one sad visit to Amazon's "fantasy" category of books will attest to.
Steampunk Musha, anyone?
It's an odd mix, but it seems fun.
Quote from: VellorianWould you also consider Star Trek a "fantasy" world because of the psionic element and the godlike beings they oft encounter? I would. :)
Where are folks like you when I am arguing with the "psionics aren't fantasy" nuts over on enworld? :D
Quote from: Caesar SlaadWhere are folks like you when I am arguing with the "psionics aren't fantasy" nuts over on enworld? :D
Psionics are just another form of magic, IMHO.
And I don't go to enworld because I don't have any personal appreciation for D20 or D&D (in its various guises). :)
However, this place looks really interesting and I've really enjoyed the conversations we've been having here. :)
Quote from: VellorianPsionics are just another form of magic, IMHO.
:highfive:
QuoteAnd I don't go to enworld because I don't have any personal appreciation for D20 or D&D (in its various guises). :)
Well... nobody's perfect. ;)
Quote from: VellorianPsionics are just another form of magic, IMHO.
And I don't go to enworld because I don't have any personal appreciation for D20 or D&D (in its various guises). :)
However, this place looks really interesting and I've really enjoyed the conversations we've been having here. :)
Well, I think psionics has at least some possible excuse in a SF campaign, if you've ever heard of the twin slit experiments involving quantumm mechanics and the possibility of knowledge affecting reality at the fundamental level.
I agree with you re D&D and d20. I respect D&D as the first rpg, but that's about it. I don't like d20 at all.