So I’m away from my gaming group for a few months traveling and am setting up the campaign world for our next game during the trip. I would like some input from any that would care to comment, as I’m not a very strong historian and might come up with some silly stuff.
The setting will be in a world very similar to the real world circa 1200 A.D. except for that magic exists and non-humans are common and unremarkable.
I understand that the influx of magic would radically alter the way things were in the middle ages, but my conceit for the game world is that it’s an alternate universe out of an infinite number so even though the situation is different they overall happen to end up being the same.
For instance one might argue that magic would make food plentiful and reduce infant mortality. In point of fact, dragons or other magical creatures either eat or destroy enough grain to make it a wash. To the extent that magic can make people’s lives healthier, for every child saved by a wandering cleric, another is sucked dry by a pennengalen. So the mortality and wealth is the same as our world at the time.
The setting will be the holy land. In Jerusalem, which currently under muslim control allows christian pilgrims to come and go. I figure Acre and Jerusalem will be the two main campaign cities in the beginning.
Languages: I figure the two most “common” languages will be French and Arabic. It’s my understanding that most knights of the third crusade would be french, and even the english ones would probably speak it. Latin would likely be common, and christian clerics would probably have to take it.
Races: One of the ideas I’ve had is that Augustus Caesar issued a proclamation during his rule that non-humans are to be treated as normal citizens of the empire. During the pax romana people got used to non-humans living among them, so most people have no prejudice against them.
Elves: I like the idea that Julius Caesar in his campaigns smashed the Eladrin empire and forced the majority of them back to the fey lands. Of the few that remained, some split into the Elves and Drow and the remaining Eladrin haunt deep forests.
Tieflings: The remaining patricians of Rome during it’s decline in the fifth century sought to regain their former glory by forming pacts with demonic forces.
Religion: I think that I like the idea of Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Zoroastrianism, take the place of the specific d&d gods. I think it might work to, for instance, have Christianity changed into a pantheon and have the individual saints worshiped as separate gods. I know that catholics aren’t supposed to actually worship the saints, but I think for game purposes it might be close enough.
Anywho, that’s all I can write for now without my notes. If anyone has any ideas or comments please feel free. If not, let this sink 