World Guide

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star_wyvern
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Joined: Thu Aug 16, 2018 1:20 pm

World Guide

Post by star_wyvern »

Is there a World Guide made specifically for BF? Something with religions, maps, cities etc. Or is there any that people use for your campaigns? System neutral ones. Thanks!
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Metroknight
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Re: World Guide

Post by Metroknight »

On the download page there are a few settings but nothing like you are thinking (forgotten realms or greyhawk). Most of what is supplied is very barebones so that you the GM can create your own world. There are bits and pieces scattered about in the download page, showcase forums, workshop forums that you can download, take pieces of, and turn into your own specific world.

There really is not any plug and play world setting. It is more of a DIY game with a very friendly and helpful community service. :)
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orobouros
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Re: World Guide

Post by orobouros »

The most popular setting is probably the Western Lands, which is something of a de facto world for Basic Fantasy since it's the one created for the Morgansfort campaign. It's a _great_ setting and it might be exactly what you're looking for. You could also reasonably easily port over Greyhawk, Mystara, Forgotten Realms, etc. But as mentioned, there's no explicit campaign world, and I wouldn't ever expect there to be one (at least officially).

For big corporate backed rulesets (you know which ones I'm talking about) such an official setting makes sense. But it's a bit of a crutch and a limitation. It makes it easier for players to hop between campaigns or settings and to publish (i.e. sell) modules. The old school spirit of table top rpgs is that everything is just a suggestion for you to use as you see fit. It will take more effort on the GM's part to build the world, but in the long run the payoff is greater. You get to set things up just as you like them.

So, go forth, be bold, create your own world (or borrow the parts you like from others) and share it! There's certain limitations on what can be _published_ if you grab elements from certain licensed works, but you can always talk about what you did.
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teaman
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Re: World Guide

Post by teaman »

I always start with a base town, then let them make a few forays into local dungeons, woods, or other trouble spots. Then later I may draw a larger setting map.

There was a great series on this back in DRAGON magazine somewhere at the end of the 2E era, I believe. But I was reading them at the school library and don't own them.

The other way is to do the larger world first, but I like the starting small aspect.
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wwwwwww
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Re: World Guide

Post by wwwwwww »

I think there’s a forgotten mystique in those old 1E modules where, beyond the village and caves/towers, lies a completely unknown and mysterious world. It captures the essence of early fantasy.

I like how BFRPG doesn’t focus too heavily on any grand setting. In essense, every adventure module is a tiny mini-setting that you can collectively place together with others as needed.

Even in reality, most locals in those old villages knew very little of the outside world and were even less interested in it, considering life was a daily grind to feed your family, etc. Only when their safety was threatened (usually war) did they take notice.
Snarkythekobold
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Re: World Guide

Post by Snarkythekobold »

I'm completely with what others have said. I like the mystery of not knowing what is beyond the next town, village, wilderness, dessert, etc. I am the GM for my son and his teenage group of friends and it is great to see their enjoyment at discovering new places. Some of them play in a different group and it sounds like it is kind of rail-roady and that the maps provided in the modules have to be strictly followed. I on the other hand, just provide them with a setting (usually a village or keep) and allow rumors and adventure invitations to come to them. They can do what they want to do. It's a little bit more work at the first but there is also a lot more freedom . . . and risk (they might take a more difficult venture before an easier one . . . it's up to them to investigate and decide).

Also, I do not get too far ahead of them in their adventures. I just go with the flow. I might actually change some things that I was planning to do because of the circumstances of the PC's or to make it more interesting. Anyways, things will kind of connect and play out on their own and make the world more interesting than some sort of planned out thing.
goblin1
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Re: World Guide

Post by goblin1 »

wwwwwww wrote: Tue Aug 21, 2018 5:19 am I think there’s a forgotten mystique in those old 1E modules where, beyond the village and caves/towers, lies a completely unknown and mysterious world. It captures the essence of early fantasy.

I like how BFRPG doesn’t focus too heavily on any grand setting. In essense, every adventure module is a tiny mini-setting that you can collectively place together with others as needed.

Even in reality, most locals in those old villages knew very little of the outside world and were even less interested in it, considering life was a daily grind to feed your family, etc. Only when their safety was threatened (usually war) did they take notice.
My thoughts exactly. I love and invested in printed and component materials to help me run my first game of this for all those reasons listed above.
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