The flexibility of the ''
Dungeons & Dragons
''Dungeons & Dragons'' (commonly abbreviated as ''D&D'' or ''DnD'') is a fantasy tabletop role-playing game (RPG) originally designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson. The game was first published in 1974 by TSR (company)#Tactical Studies Rules ...
'' (''D&D'') game rules means that
Dungeon Masters (DM) are free to create their own fantasy
campaign setting
A campaign setting is usually a fictional world which serves as a setting for a role-playing game or wargame campaign. A ''campaign'' is a series of individual adventures, and a ''campaign setting'' is the world in which such adventures and ca ...
s. For those who wanted a pre-packaged setting in which to play,
TSR,
Wizards of the Coast
Wizards of the Coast LLC (often referred to as WotC or simply Wizards) is an American publisher of games, primarily based on fantasy and List of science fiction themes, science fiction themes, and formerly an operator of retail stores for ga ...
(WotC), and other publishers have created many settings in which ''D&D'' games can be based; of these, the ''
Forgotten Realms
''Forgotten Realms'' is a campaign setting for the ''Dungeons & Dragons'' (''D&D'') fantasy role-playing game. Commonly referred to by players and game designers alike as "The Realms", it was created by game designer Ed Greenwood around 1967 as a ...
'', an epic fantasy world, has been one of the most successful and critically acclaimed settings. Many campaign settings include standard
sword and sorcery
Sword and sorcery (S&S) is a subgenre of fantasy characterized by sword-wielding heroes engaged in exciting and violent adventures. Elements of romance, magic, and the supernatural are also often present. Unlike works of high fantasy, the tale ...
environments, while others borrow Asian, Central American, swashbuckling, horror and even space-travel themes.
These are official ''D&D'' campaign settings that have been published or licensed by TSR or WotC. ''
Theros
Theros is a set of three expansions to the ''Magic: The Gathering'' game, consisting of the sets ''Theros'' (September 27, 2013), ''Born of the Gods'' (February 7, 2014) and ''Journey into Nyx'' (May 2, 2014). The setting was later used for ...
'' and ''
Ravnica
''Ravnica'' is a '' Magic: The Gathering'' block that consists of three expert-level expansion sets: ''Ravnica: City of Guilds'' (October 7, 2005), ''Guildpact'' (February 3, 2006), and ''Dissension'' (May 5, 2006). Following in the traditi ...
'' originated in the ''
Magic: The Gathering
''Magic: The Gathering'' (colloquially known as ''Magic'' or ''MTG'') is a Tabletop game, tabletop and Digital collectible card game, digital Collectible card game, collectable card game created by Richard Garfield. Released in 1993 by Wizards ...
'' franchise, another property of WotC. A number of the settings here are no longer published or officially licensed, though all have active fan bases.
''Birthright''
A setting in which the players took on the powers of the divinely empowered rulers of nations, with emphasis on tactical gameplay with a broad scope.
''Blackmoor''
The original campaign setting played for ''D&D'', created by
Dave Arneson
David Lance Arneson (; October 1, 1947Minnesota Department of Health. ''Minnesota Birth Index, 1935–2002'' atabase on-line Provo, UT, USA: The Generations Network, Inc., 2004. – April 7, 2009) was an American game designer best known ...
. Arneson created this setting for use in personal games with the ''
Chainmail
Chain mail (properly called mail or maille but usually called chain mail or chainmail) is a type of armour consisting of small metal rings linked together in a pattern to form a mesh. It was in common military use between the 3rd century BC and ...
'' rules set in 1971,
prior to ''Greyhawk'' and indeed ''Dungeons & Dragons'' itself. The D&D
Blackmoor supplement was published in 1975. In 2004, Blackmoor was again published by Arneson and Zeitgeist Games. It was also run as a Massively Multiplayer Role-Playing Game, or MMRPG, a type of living campaign.
''Conan'' and ''Red Sonja''
In 1984, TSR released two AD&D Conan modules as licensed tie-ins with ''
Conan the Destroyer
''Conan the Destroyer'' is a 1984 American epic sword and sorcery film directed by Richard Fleischer from a screenplay by Stanley Mann and a story by Roy Thomas and Gerry Conway. Based on the character Conan the Barbarian created by Robert E. ...
'' (1984), the second Schwarzenegger film. ''
CB1: Conan Unchained!'' is set in the Vilayet Sea. ''
CB2: Conan Against Darkness!'' takes place in Aquilonia. (In 1985, TSR released a stand-alone (non-D&D)
Conan Role-Playing Game boxed set based on the Marvel Superheroes RPG system.) In 1986, TSR published another AD&D module: ''
RS1: Red Sonja Unconquered'' licensed from Red Sonja Corp., which is set on the Zaporoska River, and authored by
Anne Gray McCready. All three AD&D modules (CB1, CB2, and RS1) contain a two-page setting overview of "The Hyborian World", with sections on history and geography, people, technology, monsters, spellcasters, and magic items. There are also Hyboria-specific adaptations of the AD&D rules: fear factor, luck points, and quick non-magical healing.
''Council of Wyrms''
''
Council of Wyrms
''Council of Wyrms'' is a ''Dungeons & Dragons'' setting and boxed set, published in 1994.
Contents
The ''Council of Wyrms'' boxed set provides all the rules and background material necessary for staging adventures with dragon player characte ...
'' is a ''D&D'' boxed set, published in 1994, that includes rules for playing
dragon
A dragon is a reptilian legendary creature that appears in the folklore of many cultures worldwide. Beliefs about dragons vary considerably through regions, but dragons in western cultures since the High Middle Ages have often been depicted as ...
, half dragon, and dragon servant
characters
Character or Characters may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Literature
* ''Character'' (novel), a 1936 Dutch novel by Ferdinand Bordewijk
* ''Characters'' (Theophrastus), a classical Greek set of character sketches attributed to The ...
. It includes three rule books: one for the base rules, one for dragon family and clan histories, and one for adventure modules.
In 1999 it was slightly revised and reprinted as a hardcover book.
''Dark Sun''
Released by TSR in 1991, Dark Sun diverges from the tone of "conventional" medieval fantasy, drawing heavy inspiration from novels like ''
Dune
A dune is a landform composed of wind- or water-driven sand. It typically takes the form of a mound, ridge, or hill. An area with dunes is called a dune system or a dune complex. A large dune complex is called a dune field, while broad, f ...
'' and the ''
Barsoom
Barsoom is a fictional representation of the planet Mars created by American pulp fiction author Edgar Rice Burroughs. The first Barsoom tale was serialized as ''Under the Moons of Mars'' in 1912 and published as a novel as ''A Princess of Mars' ...
'' series. The campaign is set on the harsh desert world of Athas – once a lush planet teeming with life, it has since been stripped of its fertility by uncontrolled use of defiling magic and is now a desolate and savage place where civilization has retreated to city-states controlled by god-like Sorcerer-Kings.
Psionics
In American science fiction of the 1950s and 1960s, psionics was a proposed discipline that applied principles of engineering (especially electronics) to the study (and employment) of paranormal or psychic phenomena, such as telepathy and psychok ...
are a dominant aspect of the setting and are as commonplace as magic in other D&D settings – native / latent psionic abilities are commonly found in individuals of all humanoid races and their powers are respected. Religion and divine magic is based on the worship of elemental forces, spirits or the Sorcerer-Kings themselves – the old gods have long abandoned the world.
Wizards and arcane spellcasters, on the other hand, are rarer and usually discriminated against, mainly because most of them are "defilers" who drain life force from the environment to power their magic. However, a small underground minority of magicians called "preservers" work to maintain life and ultimately restore the primeval lushness.
Playable humanoid races in Athas include the Thri-Kreen (mantis people) and Half-Giants, as well as warped variants of races found in other conventional fantasy settings: humans, the dominant race in most of known Athas, appear to be tougher than in other worlds; elves are nomadic desert dwellers and long-distance runners; halflings are depicted as savage jungle cannibals.
These elements, combined with a post-apocalyptic desert setting and the alien feel of Athas' native cultures, give Dark Sun a unique flavor among the various ''D&D'' worlds.
''Diablo II''
Wizards released several pen and paper adaptations of the ''
Diablo II
''Diablo II'' is an Action role-playing game, action role-playing hack and slash, hack-and-slash video game developed by Blizzard North and published by Blizzard Entertainment in 2000 for Microsoft Windows, Classic Mac OS, and macOS. The game, ...
'' video game, both for AD&D 2nd edition and D&D 3rd edition. Second edition products include ''The Bloodstone Tomb D&D Diablo II Fast-Play Game'' (1999), ''D&D Adventure Game: Diablo II Edition'' (boxed set, 2000), ''Diablo II: The Awakening'' (adventure, 2000), and Diablo II miniatures (2000). Third edition products include ''Diablo II: To Hell and Back'' (adventure, and its web enhancement "The Secret Cow Level") and ''Diablo II: Diablerie'' (supplement), all from 2001.
''Dragon Fist''
''Dragon Fist'', released on the Wizards of the Coast website, was promoted as a new role playing game, describing itself in its introduction as an "''AD&D'' variant". With its debut near the end of the lifespan of second edition, the variant rules blended rules found in different editions. For example, the game used the monster template of second edition, but the armor class rules of third edition. The campaign setting, created by
Chris Pramas
Chris Pramas is an American game designer and writer, as well as a founder of Green Ronin Publishing. He is best known as the designer of the ''Dragon Age'' RPG, ''Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay'' (second edition), and ''Freeport: The City of Adventu ...
, is a China-inspired realm known as Tianguo, "a fictional land based on
wuxia
( ), which literally means "martial heroes", is a genre of Chinese fiction concerning the adventures of martial artists in ancient China. Although is traditionally a form of historical fiction, its popularity has caused it to be adapted f ...
films and on
Chinese folklore
Chinese folklore encompasses the folklore of China, and includes songs, poetry, dances, puppetry, and tales. It often tells stories of human nature, historical or legendary events, love, and the supernatural. The stories often explain natural phen ...
and legend". Beyond the initial release, the product was not supported.
''Dragonlance''
''Dragonlance'' was the first complete fictional world to be intentionally produced and marketed as an RPG supplement, with product tie-ins (novels, role-playing modules, figurines, etc.) prepared and manufactured when it was first released. The success of the ''Dragonlance'' series encouraged role-playing game producers to invent and market additional fictional game worlds. Dragonlance is an epic fantasy campaign focused on a war between good and evil gods and the return of dragons after centuries of absence. It was created by
Tracy Hickman
Tracy Raye Hickman (born November 26, 1955) is an American fantasy author. He wrote the ''Dragonlance'' novels with Margaret Weis. He also wrote role playing game material while working for TSR, Inc., TSR and has cowritten novels with his wife, ...
and his wife Laura, with tie-in novels by Tracy Hickman and
Margaret Weis
Margaret Edith Weis (; born March 16, 1948) is an American fantasy and science fiction author, of dozens of novels and short stories. At TSR, Inc., she teamed with Tracy Hickman to create the ''Dragonlance'' role-playing game (RPG) world. She is ...
.
''Time of the Dragon''
This box set introduced gamers to the continent of Taladas, noted for having a large molten sea in its middle, and a nation of
minotaurs
In Greek mythology, the Minotaur ( , ;. grc, ; in Latin as ''Minotaurus'' ) is a mythical creature portrayed during classical antiquity with the head and tail of a bull and the body of a man or, as described by Roman poet Ovid, a being "pa ...
modeled on the
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire ( la, Imperium Romanum ; grc-gre, Βασιλεία τῶν Ῥωμαίων, Basileía tôn Rhōmaíōn) was the post-Republican period of ancient Rome. As a polity, it included large territorial holdings around the Mediterr ...
, with its own imperial family, senate, and
gladiatorial games
A gladiator ( la, gladiator, "swordsman", from , "sword") was an armed combatant who entertained audiences in the Roman Republic and Roman Empire in violent confrontations with other gladiators, wild animals, and condemned criminals. Some gla ...
.
''Eberron''
In 2003, Wizards of the Coast held a contest for fans to propose the most creative new setting, the reward being a publishing contract.
Keith Baker's setting won, and with additional design by Wizards of the Coast's creative department, the ''Eberron'' campaign setting was released in 2004. Straying from the "standard" Western European flavor used in many other D&D settings such as ''
Greyhawk
Greyhawk, also known as the World of Greyhawk, is a fictional world designed as a campaign setting for the ''Dungeons & Dragons'' fantasy roleplaying game. Although not the first campaign world developed for ''Dungeons & Dragons''—Dave Arneson ...
'' and the ''
Forgotten Realms
''Forgotten Realms'' is a campaign setting for the ''Dungeons & Dragons'' (''D&D'') fantasy role-playing game. Commonly referred to by players and game designers alike as "The Realms", it was created by game designer Ed Greenwood around 1967 as a ...
'', ''Eberron'' takes place in a world of pulp action and fantasy noir with
steampunk
Steampunk is a subgenre of science fiction that incorporates retrofuturistic technology and aesthetics inspired by 19th-century industrial steam-powered machinery. Steampunk works are often set in an alternative history of the Victorian era or ...
influences, where the inhabitants make extensive use of magic in place of technology, or technology powered by magical energies. Fantasy versions of steam trains, airships, and even robots are commonplace, mostly replacing the traditional medieval trope of knights in shining armor.
''Exandria''
Originally created by
Matthew Mercer
Matthew Christopher Miller (born June 29, 1982), better known as Matthew Mercer, is an American voice actor. He is best known for his work with Studiopolis, Funimation, Bang Zoom! Entertainment, Viz Media, and NYAV Post in anime, cartoons, and ...
for his personal campaigns in 2012, Exandria is the world where the ''
Critical Role
''Critical Role'' is an American web series in which a group of professional voice actors play ''Dungeons & Dragons''. The show started streaming partway through the cast's first campaign in March 2015. Campaign one ended in October 2017 after ...
'' web series is set and is a high fantasy setting
which moves away from the "harmful tropes in ''D&D''"
around monstrous races. In 2017,
Green Ronin Publishing
Green Ronin Publishing is an American company based in Seattle, Washington. Founded in 2000 by Chris Pramas and Nicole Lindroos, they have published several role-playing game–related products. They won several awards for their games includin ...
released a setting book written by Mercer and James Haeck, ''
Critical Role: Tal'Dorei Campaign Setting'', which focused on the continent of Tal'Dorei on Exandria, where the first ''Critical Role'' campaign with the adventuring group
Vox Machina took place. One critic highlighted that this campaign has the "specific flavor of high fantasy drama" akin to the "Dragonlance or Forgotten Realms books".
An updated edition, titled ''
Tal'Dorei Campaign Setting Reborn
''Critical Role: Tal'Dorei Campaign Setting'' is a sourcebook that details the continent of Tal'Dorei from the ''Critical Role'' campaign setting for the 5th edition of the ''Dungeons & Dragons'' fantasy role-playing game. It was published by G ...
'' (2022) from publisher
Darrington Press
Darrington Press is the tabletop game imprint for Critical Role Productions which launched in October 2020. It is led by Ivan Van Norman with Matthew Mercer as the creative advisor. The publishing label primarily produces board and card games a ...
, moves the timeline 20 years forward to the era of the
second ''Critical Role'' campaign.
Exandria was first mentioned in an official Wizards of the Coast publication in the adventure book ''
Baldur's Gate: Descent Into Avernus'' (2019). In 2020, after Mercer had been working with Wizards of the Coast for about a year and a half on the project, Exandria officially became a part of ''Dungeons & Dragons'' through the release of the ''
Explorer's Guide to Wildemount
''Explorer's Guide to Wildemount'' is a sourcebook that details the continent of Wildemount from the ''Critical Role'' campaign setting for the 5th edition of the ''Dungeons & Dragons'' fantasy role-playing game. Matthew Mercer, creator of the s ...
''. This book focuses on the continent of Wildemount in Exandria, where the second ''Critical Role'' campaign takes place, and adds a new type of magic called
dunamancy, which focuses on manipulating time and space. Wildemount was designed with an Eastern European influence
– specfically, the Dwendalian Empire was inspired by 15th century Russia and Prussia, Xhorhas by 13th-century Romania, and the edges by 14th-century Spain.
Critics have highlighted Wildemount specifically as breaking from traditional fantasy tropes.
A second collaboration book'',
Critical Role: Call of the Netherdeep'', includes some setting information; the adventure heads from Xhorhas to the city of Ank'Harel on the continent of Marquet.
From there, players will be drawn into the Netherdeep – "a terrifying cross between the
Far Realm and the deep ocean".
The book is "the closest to cracking open Exandria's origins that Mercer has come to date. ''Call of the Netherdeep'' is steeped in the history of The Calamity, a cataclysmic event in which the Exandrian pantheon exploded into a civil war that put the entire world in peril".
''Forgotten Realms''
Created by author and game designer
Ed Greenwood
Ed Greenwood (born July 21, 1959) is a Canadian fantasy writer and the original creator of the ''Forgotten Realms'' game world. He began writing articles about the Forgotten Realms for ''Dragon'' magazine beginning in 1979, and subsequently sold ...
as his personal campaign and detailed in a long series of articles in ''
Dragon Magazine
Dragon Magazine may refer to:
* ''Dragon'' (magazine), an American magazine for ''Dungeons & Dragons'' players
* ''Dragon Magazine'' (Fujimi Shobo), a Japanese light novel magazine
{{disambig ...
'', Forgotten Realms became the most popular D&D setting from the late 1980s onwards and has been well received by both gamers and reviewers –
Sean Patrick Fannon
Sean Patrick Fannon is an American role-playing game designer and writer. He has been working in the gaming industry since 1988, and is best known for his work with the ''Savage Worlds'' game system, including his epic fantasy setting, ''Shain ...
, author of ''
The Fantasy Roleplaying Gamer's Bible
''The Fantasy Roleplaying Gamer's Bible'' is a book detailing fantasy role-playing games (RPGs), written by Sean Patrick Fannon and published by Obsidian Studios Inc. in 1996.
Contents
In the 258-page ''The Fantasy Roleplaying Gamer's Bible'', S ...
'', has praised the setting's scope and ambition and considered that it "may be the most widely played-in game setting in RPG history".
The Forgotten Realms is a
high fantasy
High fantasy, or epic fantasy, is a subgenre of fantasy defined by the epic nature of its setting or by the epic stature of its characters, themes, or plot.Brian Stableford, ''The A to Z of Fantasy Literature'', (p. 198), Scarecrow Press, Pl ...
world – magic is powerful, legendary monsters are commonplace, and gods often intervene directly in mortal affairs. Players can indulge in several types of fantasy adventures, from straightforward hack-and-slash treasure hunting in dungeons to epic campaigns involving regional wars, cataclysms and direct contact with gods and extra-dimensional beings.
The lands of the Forgotten Realms are not all ruled by the human race: the setting's planet,
Abeir-Toril, is shared by
humans
Humans (''Homo sapiens'') are the most abundant and widespread species of primate, characterized by bipedalism and exceptional cognitive skills due to a large and complex brain. This has enabled the development of advanced tools, culture, ...
,
dwarves,
elves
An elf () is a type of humanoid supernatural being in Germanic mythology and folklore. Elves appear especially in North Germanic mythology. They are subsequently mentioned in Snorri Sturluson's Icelandic Prose Edda. He distinguishes "ligh ...
,
goblins
A goblin is a small, grotesque, monstrous creature that appears in the folklore of multiple European cultures. First attested in stories from the Middle Ages, they are ascribed conflicting abilities, temperaments, and appearances depending on t ...
, orcs,
dragons
A dragon is a reptilian legendary creature that appears in the folklore of many cultures worldwide. Beliefs about dragons vary considerably through regions, but dragons in western cultures since the High Middle Ages have often been depicted as ...
and other peoples and creatures. Technologically, the world resembles pre-industrial Earth of the 13th or 14th century. However, the strong presence of magic provides an additional element of power to the societies.
The main focus of the campaign is the region of
Faerûn
Faerûn is a fictional continent and the primary setting of the ''Dungeons & Dragons'' world of ''Forgotten Realms''. It is described in detail in several editions of the ''Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting'' (first published in 1987 by TSR, Inc.) ...
, the western part of a continent that was roughly modeled after the Eurasian continent on Earth. Faerûn was first detailed in the original ''
Forgotten Realms Campaign Set
The ''Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting'' is a role-playing game sourcebook first published by TSR in 1987 for the first edition of the fantasy role-playing game ''Advanced Dungeons & Dragons'' that describes the campaign setting of the Forgot ...
'', published in 1987 by
TSR,
and contains rough analogues of mythical versions of European, African and Middle Eastern cultures, as well as regions dominated by non-human races. Other areas include the Underdark (an underground realm dominated by evil elves), Maztica (inspired by pre-Columbian Mesoamerica), and Kara-Tur (based on the mythical Far East).
For D&D's 4th edition, the setting was reworked: the timeline advanced into the future where a major cataclysm caused by a conflict amongst gods caused the previously divided worlds Abeir and Toril to collide with several geographical areas changing place. In 2014, with the launch of the 5th edition, the world of Forgotten Realms was again returned to its previous, 3rd edition geography.
This campaign is currently officially supported by Wizards of the Coast and over the years has expanded into a variety of other media, including literature, comics and video games. The highly successful ''
Baldur's Gate
''Baldur's Gate'' is a series of role-playing video games set in the Forgotten Realms '' Dungeons & Dragons'' campaign setting. The game has spawned two series, known as the ''Bhaalspawn Saga'' and the ''Dark Alliance'', both taking place mostl ...
'', ''
Icewind Dale
''Icewind Dale'' is a role-playing video game developed by Black Isle Studios and originally published by Interplay Entertainment for Windows in 2000 and by MacPlay for the Macintosh in 2002 (both the Classic Mac OS and OS X). The game takes pl ...
'', and ''
Neverwinter Nights
''Neverwinter Nights'' is a series of video games developed by BioWare and Obsidian Entertainment, based on the ''Forgotten Realms'' campaign setting of the ''Dungeons & Dragons'' role-playing game. Aside from also being set in the Dungeons & Dr ...
'' series of video games are based on the Forgotten Realms, which is also the setting of a large number of novels, featuring, among others, the popular characters
Drizzt Do'Urden
Drizzt Do'Urden () is a fictional character appearing in the Forgotten Realms campaign setting for the ''Dungeons & Dragons'' fantasy role-playing game. Drizzt was created by author R. A. Salvatore as a supporting character in the ''Icewind Dale ...
,
Artemis Entreri
''Forgotten Realms'' is a campaign setting for the ''Dungeons & Dragons'' (''D&D'') fantasy role-playing game. Commonly referred to by players and game designers alike as "The Realms", it was created by game designer Ed Greenwood around 1967 as a ...
, and
Elminster
Elminster Aumar is a fictional character appearing in the ''Forgotten Realms'' campaign setting for the ''Dungeons & Dragons'' fantasy role-playing game. He is also known as the Sage of Shadowdale, and is depicted as a powerful Wizard (Dungeons & ...
.
The Forgotten Realms are the default setting for most adventures released for the 5th edition of ''D&D'', though the core rulebooks reference the wider multiverse.
''Al-Qadim''
Al-Qadim is a setting inspired by Arabian mythology and in particular the ''Thousand and One Nights'', with genies, elemental wizards, holy assassins, and a land unified by belief in the power of Fate. The land, named Zakhara, is located near the southern border of the continent of Faerûn, the main landmass of the Realms. However, ''Al-Qadim'' appeared under its own label, and not the ''Forgotten Realms'' label, unlike Kara-Tur and Maztica. This campaign setting is no longer officially supported; however, it is now regarded as part of the Forgotten Realms campaign setting as its setting is mentioned in some Forgotten Realms sourcebooks and novels.
''Arcane Age''
Unlike other subsettings, this product line was not separated by space, but by time, taking place in the distant past.
''The Horde''
Released as a box set, ''The Horde''s subheading on its front cover reads "Barbarian Campaign Setting". It details a region known as the Endless Waste, which lies between Faerûn and Kara-Tur. The setting is modeled on medieval Mongolia (''A Guidebook to the Endless Waste'', page 9).
''Kara-Tur''
An oriental setting loosely based on mythical and medieval
East
East or Orient is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from west and is the direction from which the Sun rises on the Earth.
Etymology
As in other languages, the word is formed from the fa ...
and
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, also spelled South East Asia and South-East Asia, and also known as Southeastern Asia, South-eastern Asia or SEA, is the geographical United Nations geoscheme for Asia#South-eastern Asia, south-eastern region of Asia, consistin ...
, featuring advanced and mystical civilizations populated by martial warriors, samurais, ninjas, spirit folk and other fantastical creatures. It was introduced in the original ''
Oriental Adventures
''Oriental Adventures'' (abbreviated OA) is the title shared by two hardback rulebooks published for different versions of the ''Dungeons & Dragons'' (''D&D'') fantasy roleplaying game. Each version of ''Oriental Adventures'' provides rules for ...
'' rulebook published in the 1980s. It later became part of the ''Forgotten Realms'' and was eventually placed on the eastern edge of Toril. The lands of Kara-Tur are split between several peoples and kingdoms, the most powerful of which is Shou Lung, a sprawling empire (inspired by historical China) and arguably the largest nation in the Forgotten Realms.
''Malatra: The Living Jungle''
A lesser known setting located south of Shou Lung in Kara-Tur, Malatra is a massive plateau containing a dense jungle environment.
Loosely based on pre-colonial Indochina, Malatra is cut off from the rest of the world by distance, geography and powerful magic. Different races and variants of races from Forgotten Realms, Kara-Tur,
and Spelljammer inhabit the plateau, and there is little in the form of technology.
True gods, money, and books are all unheard of in the setting, as it is intended to have a more primitive feel and stress heroism. Malatra was created as a Living Setting for ''Polyhedron'' magazine,
and used in organized play at conventions.
Most of the information from the setting can be found in ''Polyhedron’' magazine starting with issue 102, with a number of adventures being released every year. The setting started during second edition in 1995 and continued to release more adventures regularly into third edition through 2003. In 2007 one final adventure using the 3.5 rules was created for the organized play circuit.
''Maztica''
Maztica is a continent west of Faerûn that parallels Pre-Columbian
Mesoamerica
Mesoamerica is a historical region and cultural area in southern North America and most of Central America. It extends from approximately central Mexico through Belize, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, and northern Costa Rica. W ...
.
In the fourth edition of ''D&D'', Maztica was no longer on
Toril, but was shifted to
Abeir. The fifth edition of the game reinstated the 3rd edition geography.
''Ghostwalk''
The Ghostwalk setting consists of a single campaign book. The central locale for the Ghostwalk setting is a city called Manifest, a mausoleum city built atop a geological feature known as the Well of Souls, a gathering place for ghosts, unique as a place in which ghosts can cross over to the realm of the living.
''Greyhawk''
The first published setting for ''D&D'', created by ''D&D'' co-author
Gary Gygax
Ernest Gary Gygax ( ; July 27, 1938 – March 4, 2008) was an American game designer and author best known for co-creating the pioneering role-playing game ''Dungeons & Dragons'' (''D&D'') with Dave Arneson.
In the 1960s, Gygax created an ...
. ''Greyhawk'' is Gygax's original campaign, one which eventually turned into
an official game supplement and was greatly expanded upon with many supplements throughout the 1970s and 1980s. Many of the setting's concepts were based on ideas generated during Gary Gygax's ''D&D'' gaming sessions. Several characters in the setting were also based on characters created by Gygax's gaming partners.
Oerth (the name of the world where ''Greyhawk'' campaigns take place) is a "standard" medieval fantasy world, similar in many ways to the ''
Forgotten Realms
''Forgotten Realms'' is a campaign setting for the ''Dungeons & Dragons'' (''D&D'') fantasy role-playing game. Commonly referred to by players and game designers alike as "The Realms", it was created by game designer Ed Greenwood around 1967 as a ...
'' setting, but overall darker in tone, closer to a
sword and sorcery
Sword and sorcery (S&S) is a subgenre of fantasy characterized by sword-wielding heroes engaged in exciting and violent adventures. Elements of romance, magic, and the supernatural are also often present. Unlike works of high fantasy, the tale ...
scenario. The first official edition of the campaign was published in 1980, although sections of it had appeared in articles published by the author.
The campaign itself began as a dungeon and then expanded into an entire continent (Oerik) and eventually other added areas. In general, Oerth is an action-packed world which seems to be gradually descending into savagery and chaos and continually on the verge of war. It is originally centered on the region of Flanaess, whose fictional history has parallels with that of ancient and medieval Europe – a powerful Oeridian Empire has pushed away barbarian tribes and has become a decadent, evil state, while smaller states, kingdoms and tribes compete for power amidst wildlands populated by monsters, magic and fantastical creatures.
Greyhawk was also the "default" setting for the 3rd edition of ''D&D'', with deities from the setting being used as examples in the core rulebooks, and an organized play "living" campaign for the edition was set in Greyhawk. More recently, the 5th edition adventure book ''
Ghosts of Saltmarsh
''Ghosts of Saltmarsh'' is an adventure module anthology for the 5th edition of the ''Dungeons & Dragons'' fantasy role-playing game.
Summary
''Ghosts of Saltmarsh'' is an anthology of updated modules and adventures from previous editions, ...
'' is set in the Greyhawk setting.
''Jakandor''
''Jakandor'', released in 1998, is a self-contained "campaign arena" conceived by
Jeff Grubb
Jeff Grubb (born August 27, 1957) is an author who writes novels, short stories, and comics and a computer and role-playing game designer in the fantasy genre. Grubb worked on the ''Dragonlance'' campaign setting under Tracy Hickman, and the ''F ...
. Jakandor is an island divided between the native Charonti, a civilization that makes heavy use of magic (especially necromancy), and the Knorr, barbarians who despise the vile practice of magic and have been driven from a far-away homeland to Jakandor.
The setting was released in the form of three books, as part of the ''AD&D: Odyssey'' line. These books are:
*''Jakandor, Island of War'' (February 1998 ) detailed the Knorr barbarians and eastern side of Jakandor.
*''Jakandor, Isle of Destiny'' (June 1998 ) detailed the Charonti and western side of Jakandor.
*''Jakandor, Land of Legend'' (November 1998 ) has additional information and adventures for characters from both civilisations.
A novel written by Grubb, entitled ''Jakandor: Land of Destiny'', was planned for January 1999 but not released.
''Kingdoms of Kalamar''
A campaign setting designed and produced by
Kenzer & Company
Kenzer & Company (KenzerCo) is a Waukegan, Illinois based publisher of comic books, role-playing games, board games, card games, and miniature games.
They are known for the '' Kingdoms of Kalamar'' campaign setting and for their own '' HackMa ...
. The ''Kalamar'' setting focuses mainly on six human sub-races on the world of Tellene and its creators pride themselves on grounding the fantasy setting in 'reality' by taking advantage of realistic looking geography and political structures. This campaign setting is no longer officially supported by Wizards of the Coast, but Kenzer & Company continues to use this setting for its own ''
Hackmaster
HackMaster is a fantasy role-playing game produced by Kenzer & Company. It began as a fictional game, a parody of ''Dungeons & Dragons'' played by the characters of the ''Knights of the Dinner Table'' comic strip by Jolly R. Blackburn. The ...
'' game.
''Lankhmar''
TSR released a setting based on the ''
Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser
Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser are two sword-and-sorcery heroes appearing in stories written by American author Fritz Leiber. They are the protagonists of what are probably Leiber's best-known stories. One of his motives in writing them was to have ...
'' stories by
Fritz Leiber
Fritz Reuter Leiber Jr. ( ; December 24, 1910 – September 5, 1992) was an American writer of fantasy, horror, and science fiction. He was also a poet, actor in theater and films, playwright, and chess expert. With writers such as Robert ...
. The corrupt city of Lankhmar on the planet Nehwon is the starting place of grand adventures filled with mystery and deceit. Though Lankhmar is no longer supported as a setting for ''Dungeons & Dragons'', its rights are held by
Goodman Games
Goodman Games is an American game publisher best known for the ''Dungeon Crawl Classics'' series of adventure modules and role-playing game, the ''Dragonmech'' role-playing game, and the ''Etherscope'' role-playing games. The company produced l ...
, who have released it as a setting for ''
Dungeon Crawl Classics
''Dungeon Crawl Classics Role Playing Game'' (DCC RPG or simply DCC) is a role-playing game published by Goodman Games using the Open Game License (OGL) and System Reference Document (SRD) version 3.5 to provide legal compatibility with the revis ...
''.
''Magic: The Gathering'' planes
The various planes from the ''
Magic: The Gathering
''Magic: The Gathering'' (colloquially known as ''Magic'' or ''MTG'') is a Tabletop game, tabletop and Digital collectible card game, digital Collectible card game, collectable card game created by Richard Garfield. Released in 1993 by Wizards ...
''
collectible card game
A collectible card game (CCG), also called a trading card game (TCG) among other names, is a type of card game that mixes strategy game, strategic deck building elements with features of trading cards, introduced with ''Magic: The Gathering'' in ...
were first adapted for ''Dungeons & Dragons'' in a series of free PDF releases called ''Plane Shift'' by
James Wyatt
James Wyatt (3 August 1746 – 4 September 1813) was an English architect, a rival of Robert Adam in the neoclassical and neo-Gothic styles. He was elected to the Royal Academy in 1785 and was its president from 1805 to 1806.
Early life
W ...
, who worked on ''D&D'' for many years before moving over to ''Magic'' in 2014. Wyatt also writes the text for the series of ''Art of Magic: The Gathering'' coffee table books, which reprint illustrations from the cards with details for each plane's lore; the ''Plane Shift'' releases were created to allow players to use those books as campaign setting guides by providing the necessary rule adaptations.
Between 2016 and 2018, six "Plane Shift" articles were released:
Amonkhet
''Amonkhet'' is a '' Magic: The Gathering'' expansion block consisting of the sets ''Amonkhet'' and ''Hour of Devastation''. ''Amonkhet'' was released on April 28, 2017, and ''Hour of Devastation'' was released on July 14, 2017. The eponymous ...
,
Dominaria
''Dominaria'' is a '' Magic: The Gathering'' expansion set. It is not part of a block. In celebration of ''Magic: The Gatherings 25th anniversary, the story returned to the plane of Dominaria. The expansion was released on April 27, 2018. Marth ...
,
Innistrad
The Innistrad block is a block of the collectible card game ''Magic: The Gathering'', consisting of the expansion sets ''Innistrad'' (September 30, 2011), ''Dark Ascension'' (February 3, 2012) and ''Avacyn Restored'' (May 4, 2012). Innistrad is ...
,
Ixalan
''Ixalan'' is a '' Magic: The Gathering'' expansion block consisting of the sets ''Ixalan'' and ''Rivals of Ixalan''. The first set of the block was released on September 29, 2017 and Rivals of Ixalan was released on January 19, 2018.
Plot ...
,
Kaladesh
''Kaladesh'' is a ''Magic: The Gathering'' expansion block consisting of the sets ''Kaladesh'' and ''Aether Revolt''. The block debuted with the release of ''Kaladesh'' on September 30, 2016. The block is set on the plane of Kaladesh, the ori ...
, and
Zendikar
The Zendikar block is a '' Magic: The Gathering'' block consisting of the sets ''Zendikar'' (October 2, 2009), ''Worldwake'' (February 5, 2010), ''Rise of the Eldrazi'' (April 23, 2010). The eponymous setting is a vast, untamed wilderness, whose ...
, along with an Ixalan-set adventure.
However, these articles are not considered official material for organized play.
In 2017,
Mike Mearls
Michael Mearls is a writer and designer of fantasy role-playing games (RPGs) and related fiction. He was the senior manager for the ''Dungeons & Dragons'' research and design team. He co-led design for the 5th edition of the game. He also worked ...
wrote: "It's basically a thing James does for fun, and we don't want to burden it with needing all the work required to make it official".
''Ravnica''
The positive response to the "Plane Shift" articles lead to the 2018 publication of ''
Guildmasters' Guide to Ravnica
''Guildmasters' Guide to Ravnica'' is a sourcebook that details the ''Ravnica'' campaign setting for the 5th edition of the ''Dungeons & Dragons'' fantasy role-playing game published in November 2018. The world of Ravnica was originally created ...
'', a full hardcover setting guide to the ''Magic'' setting of Ravnica, which first appeared in 2005. It is a high-magic world with a loose Slavic flavor, and features a single city which spans the entire planet and is controlled by ten competing guilds of different ideologies. Wyatt was the lead designer on ''Guildmasters’ Guide to Ravnica'' (2018) and he stated "this book is, essentially, Plane Shift: Ravnica".
''Theros''
Theros
Theros is a set of three expansions to the ''Magic: The Gathering'' game, consisting of the sets ''Theros'' (September 27, 2013), ''Born of the Gods'' (February 7, 2014) and ''Journey into Nyx'' (May 2, 2014). The setting was later used for ...
is a setting inspired by
Greek mythology
A major branch of classical mythology, Greek mythology is the body of myths originally told by the Ancient Greece, ancient Greeks, and a genre of Ancient Greek folklore. These stories concern the Cosmogony, origin and Cosmology#Metaphysical co ...
and
Roman mythology
Roman mythology is the body of myths of ancient Rome as represented in the literature and visual arts of the Romans. One of a wide variety of genres of Roman folklore, ''Roman mythology'' may also refer to the modern study of these representat ...
.
The setting originated as part of a ''Magic: The Gathering'' block released in 2013. This plane was introduced to ''Dungeons & Dragons'' in the 5th Edition campaign setting book ''
Mythic Odysseys of Theros
''Mythic Odysseys of Theros'' is a sourcebook that details the ''Theros'' campaign setting for the 5th edition of the ''Dungeons & Dragons'' fantasy role-playing game published in June 2020. The plane was originally created for the ''Magic: ...
'' (2020). Wyatt co-led the design with
F. Wesley Schneider
F. Wesley Schneider is an American game designer and author known for his work on the ''Pathfinder Roleplaying Game'' and for ''Dungeons & Dragons'' (''D&D''). He was the co-lead designer on the ''D&D'' 5th Edition adventure anthology '' Journey ...
.
''Strixhaven''
The plane of Arcavios and its magical university Strixhaven were "created from scratch by the world-building team" for the 2021 ''
Strixhaven: School of Mages'' ''Magic: The Gathering'' set. The university is divided into five colleges: Lorehold, Witherbloom, Prismari, Quandrix, and Silverquill; each college was founded by a different Elder Dragon. In June 2021, it was announced that the next crossover campaign book would be ''Strixhaven: A Curriculum of Chaos'' (2021) which would introduce the setting to ''Dungeons & Dragons''.
''CBR'' reported that "in the world of ''Magic: The Gathering'', Strixhaven is the largest and most powerful magic academy in the multiverse
.. Due to its relatively recent addition to the ''Magic: The Gathering'' universe, it's likely this ''Dungeons & Dragons'' adventure will significantly expand on the lore associated with the magic school. A preview of ''Strixhaven: A Curriculum of Chaos'' will be available on June 8, alongside the launch of new playtest content titled ''Unearthed Arcana – Mages of Strixhaven''"''.''
Future plans
In 2020, Greg Tito, Wizards of the Coast Senior Communications Manager, confirmed that there would be more ''Dungeons & Dragons'' crossovers with ''Magic: The Gathering'' in the future, noting "there is a huge crossover between ''Magic'' players and ''D&D'' players" and since Wyatt has worked on both ''D&D'' and ''Magic'', it is even more likely that there will be more crossovers.
''Mahasarpa''
''Mahasarpa'' is a South Asian-themed campaign setting featuring seven kingdoms that are the surviving remnants of a great kingdom brought down by its own arrogance. ''Mahasarpa'' was designed by
James Wyatt
James Wyatt (3 August 1746 – 4 September 1813) was an English architect, a rival of Robert Adam in the neoclassical and neo-Gothic styles. He was elected to the Royal Academy in 1785 and was its president from 1805 to 1806.
Early life
W ...
, and was offered as a free web enhancement to the ''
Oriental Adventures
''Oriental Adventures'' (abbreviated OA) is the title shared by two hardback rulebooks published for different versions of the ''Dungeons & Dragons'' (''D&D'') fantasy roleplaying game. Each version of ''Oriental Adventures'' provides rules for ...
'' rulebook for
''D&D'' 3rd edition. ''Mahasarpa'' includes brief descriptions of the seven kingdoms, character options for the setting, new magic items, and new monsters.
''Mystara''
''Mystara'' is a campaign setting that evolved from the B and X series modules. The setting, as presented in the 1981 Expert Set, was a reworking of
Tom Moldvay
Thomas Steven Moldvay (Nov. 5, 1948 – March 9, 2007) was an American game designer and author, best known for his work on early materials for the fantasy role-playing game ''Dungeons & Dragons'' (D&D).
Career
During the 1970s while a stude ...
and
Lawrence Schick
Lawrence Schick is a game designer and writer associated with role-playing games.
Early life and education
Schick attended Kent State University
Kent State University (KSU) is a public research university in Kent, Ohio. The university al ...
's "Original Known World" OD&D home campaign which was played in Kent and Akron, Ohio from 1976–1979. This "Known World" served as the default campaign setting for the non-''Advanced'' editions of D&D throughout the 1980s and 1990s. In 1986, the ''
Blackmoor
Blackmore is a village in Essex, England.
Blackmore or Blackmoor may also refer to:
* Blackmore (name), a surname (including a list of people with the name)
* Blackmoor, Hampshire, a village in the East Hampshire district of Hampshire, England
...
'' setting was
retconned
Retroactive continuity, or retcon for short, is a literary device in which established diegetic facts in the plot of a fictional work (those established through the narrative itself) are adjusted, ignored, supplemented, or contradicted by a subse ...
to exist in Mystara's distant past. Similarly to
Forgotten Realms
''Forgotten Realms'' is a campaign setting for the ''Dungeons & Dragons'' (''D&D'') fantasy role-playing game. Commonly referred to by players and game designers alike as "The Realms", it was created by game designer Ed Greenwood around 1967 as a ...
, Mystara was also designed as a "generic" high fantasy setting, but with very close real-world cultural parallels, a lack of ''AD&D'' races and monsters (no drow—their role is filled by Shadowelves, no half-elves or half-orcs since these were not character options in Basic D&D, no illithids since there were no psionics in BD&D, and no metallic dragons other than gold, since only gold dragons are found in BD&D), many varieties of PC catfolk (Rakastas), dogfolk (Lupins), and turtlefolk (Tortles) which model real-world pet breeds and turtle species, no Good–Evil axis of alignment (only Lawful–Chaotic), and light in tone (with in-world parallels of
Magnum P.I.
''Magnum, P.I.'' is an American crime drama television series starring Tom Selleck as Thomas Magnum, a private investigator (P.I.) living on Oahu, Hawaii. The series ran from December 11, 1980 to May 8, 1988 during its first-run broadcast on th ...
,
Fantasy Island
''Fantasy Island'' is an American fantasy drama television series created by Gene Levitt. It aired on ABC from 1977 to 1984. The series starred Ricardo Montalbán as the mysterious Mr. Roarke and Hervé Villechaize as his assistant, Tattoo. Gu ...
,
John Wayne
Marion Robert Morrison (May 26, 1907 – June 11, 1979), known professionally as John Wayne and nicknamed The Duke or Duke Wayne, was an American actor who became a popular icon through his starring roles in films made during Hollywood's Gol ...
, and other pop culture icons), and aimed at younger players. However, later supplements (such as the War Machine mass combat rules, Dominion rules, and Immortals rules) rivaled AD&D in complexity. Unlike other settings, Mystara had ascended
immortal beings instead of gods, and extensive support for Immortals-level PC play.
The world map of Mystara is based on
Christopher Scotese
Christopher R. Scotese (born 4 May 1953) is an American geologist and paleogeographer. He received his PhD from the University of Chicago in 1985. He is the creator of the Paleomap Project, which aims to map Earth over the last billion years, ...
's Time-Life map of Jurassic earth. Most adventures take place in "The Known World", the southeastern corner of the Brun continent and adjacent isles, which includes a variegated patchwork of human and non-human realms: real-world analogues of medieval and renaissance European (e.g. Balkan Traladarans, French, Scottish, German, and Machiavellian Italian Glantrians, and Norse Northlanders, to name only a few), African (Egyptian analogues in Ylaruam and Thothia), Asian (Arabian and Central Asian Ylaruam, Indian Sind, and Mongolian Ethengar), Indigenous North American (the Atruaghin Clans), and Oceanian (the Hawai'ian Makai of the Kingdom of Ierenedi) cultures, Dwarvish, Halfling, and Elvish realms (including Spanish "Flamenco Elves"), a wasteland populated by orcs and other humanoid races presented in a comedic light, and two large empires (one inspired by real-world Rome and Byzantium, and the other one ruled by one thousand 36th-level magic-users). The setting includes further oddities, such as the Red Steel /
Savage Coast
Savage may refer to:
Places Antarctica
* Savage Glacier, Ellsworth Land
* Savage Nunatak, Marie Byrd Land
* Savage Ridge, Victoria Land
United States
* Savage, Maryland, an unincorporated community
* Savage, Minnesota, a city
* Savage, ...
campaign where characters gain mutant powers due to a red poisonous dust which pervades that region, and a peculiar "
hollow earth
The Hollow Earth is a concept proposing that the planet Earth is entirely hollow or contains a substantial interior space. Notably suggested by Edmond Halley in the late 17th century, the notion was disproven, first tentatively by Pierre Bougue ...
", "lost world"
refugium with dinosaurs and primordial cultures (the Hollow World sub-setting).
In the mid-1990s, TSR's attention shifted towards the advanced edition of D&D. A version of the setting was released for AD&D 2nd edition, but support was sparse. However, Mystara is one of the settings mentioned in the core rulebooks of the 5th edition of D&D, launched in 2014.
''Hollow World''
''Hollow World'' is a sub-setting for
Mystara
Mystara is a campaign setting for the ''Dungeons & Dragons'' fantasy role playing game. It was the default setting for the "Basic" version of the game throughout the 1980s and 1990s. Most adventures published for the "Basic" edition of ''D&D'' ...
located on the inner surface contained within the world of Mystara, similar to the real world legends of the
Hollow Earth
The Hollow Earth is a concept proposing that the planet Earth is entirely hollow or contains a substantial interior space. Notably suggested by Edmond Halley in the late 17th century, the notion was disproven, first tentatively by Pierre Bougue ...
. It is lit by a small, eternal red sun at the center of Mystara. The existence of the Hollow World is not, in general, known to the inhabitants of the outer world. The north and south poles are actually huge, subtly curving holes that allow passage between the outer and inner world, although it is a long, hard trek through a cold, unlit, stormy and anti-magic area. Explorers from either surface do not notice the transition until after it is already made, causing quite a shock for most.
The Hollow World was originally discovered by Ka the Preserver, an ancient Immortal who began life as a giant
carnosaur
Carnosauria is an extinct large group of predatory dinosaurs that lived during the Jurassic and Cretaceous periods. Starting from the 1990s, scientists have discovered some very large carnosaurs in the carcharodontosaurid family, such as ''Gig ...
, who, after finding it, decided to use the inner surface of the world as a refuge and preserve for creatures that were on the verge of becoming extinct in the ever-changing outer world. Characters from the surface world are severely limited by the magic used by the Immortals to preserve the stability of the various cultures. The requirements to learn magic are much higher in the Hollow World, and many spells are non-functional or unavailable. Several new player races are included: Beastmen, Brutemen, Kubbits, Krugel Orcs, and Malpheggi
Lizardmen.
''Red Steel'' / ''Savage Coast''
''The Savage Coast'' is part of the ''Mystara'' campaign setting. The area is a 2,000 mile long frontier coastline about 2,000 miles to the west of the Known World area of Mystara. Inhabited by pirates and colonists, the Savage Coast is under the
Red Curse, which eventually kills its inhabitants by mutating them unless the metal cinnabryl is worn in contact with the body. This sub-setting is influenced by the historical
Age of Exploration
The Age of Discovery (or the Age of Exploration), also known as the early modern period, was a period largely overlapping with the Age of Sail, approximately from the 15th century to the 17th century in European history, during which seafari ...
. The region was first sketched in
''X9: The Savage Coast'' (1985); but this sparse treatment was revised in the "Voyage of the Princess Ark" ''Dragon'' magazine fiction series by
Bruce Heard
Bruce Heard (born March 9, 1957, in Nice, France) is a game designer, and an author of several products for the ''Dungeons & Dragons'' fantasy role-playing game from TSR.
Early life
Heard was born in Nice, France, on March 9, 1957, to his Frenc ...
, who filled in the empty wilderness, and retconned X9 to have taken place in the distant past. The setting was subsequently rebranded as the AD&D 2nd edition Red Steel product line (1994) and again as the Savage Coast Odyssey line (1996).
''Thunder Rift''
''Thunder Rift'' is a subsetting created by Colin McComb in 1992 for the "basic" ''D&D'' product line, which was refreshed with the 1991 publication of a
new boxed set for new players and the ''
Dungeons & Dragons Rules Cyclopedia
The ''Dungeons & Dragons Rules Cyclopedia'' is a 1991 book published by TSR, Inc., as a continuation of the basic edition of the ''Dungeons & Dragons'' fantasy role-playing game, which ran concurrently with ''Advanced Dungeons & Dragons''. Its ...
'' game book. The Rift, a small and isolated valley containing many common ''D&D'' races and monsters, is presented as a location for beginning game groups that could be gradually expanded by the DM. It is the setting for a series of introductory modules. Thunder Rift can be used as a self-contained setting, or be inserted in any existing game world, and was given no official placement. Thunder Rift designers later stated that they imagined placing the Rift either in northern Karameikos or on one of the other two continents of Mystara. Yet the module ''Escape from Thunder Rift'' referred to Mystara as one of "other worlds" (p.2) reachable via a "dimensional pool" (whose function is that it "can be used to travel from one dimension to another"; p.31) which implies that Thunder Rift is a different world and dimension from Mystara. In any case, as a product line, Thunder Rift was associated with Mystara, and this module transitioned players from the boxed set to the full ''Rules Cyclopedia'' and its expansive Mystara setting.
''Nentir Vale''
''Nentir Vale'' is the sample community provided as a default setting in the 4th edition ''
Dungeon Master's Guide
The ''Dungeon Master's Guide'' (''DMG'' or ''DM's Guide''; in some printings, the ''Dungeon Masters Guide'' or ''Dungeon Master Guide'') is a book of rules for the fantasy role-playing game ''Dungeons & Dragons''. The ''Dungeon Master's Guide'' co ...
''. Most sourcebooks refer to the
cosmology
Cosmology () is a branch of physics and metaphysics dealing with the nature of the universe. The term ''cosmology'' was first used in English in 1656 in Thomas Blount (lexicographer), Thomas Blount's ''Glossographia'', and in 1731 taken up in ...
this community exists in as simply "the D&D world" though this appears to be an informal term. The overall setting is one in which great empires of various races, including
tieflings
The tiefling ( ) is a fictional humanoid race in the '' Dungeons & Dragons'' (''D&D'') fantasy roleplaying game. Originally introduced in the ''Planescape'' campaign setting in the second edition of ''Advanced Dungeons & Dragons'' as a player ...
and dragonborn, have long ago or recently fallen.
Towns and other civilization centers are described as "points of light" in an otherwise dark age, with the DM encouraged by the guidebook to leave the rest of the world largely unplanned, vague and unpredictable. The deities presented in the 4th edition ''Dungeon Master's Guide'' are a combination of ''
Greyhawk
Greyhawk, also known as the World of Greyhawk, is a fictional world designed as a campaign setting for the ''Dungeons & Dragons'' fantasy roleplaying game. Although not the first campaign world developed for ''Dungeons & Dragons''—Dave Arneson ...
'', ''
Forgotten Realms
''Forgotten Realms'' is a campaign setting for the ''Dungeons & Dragons'' (''D&D'') fantasy role-playing game. Commonly referred to by players and game designers alike as "The Realms", it was created by game designer Ed Greenwood around 1967 as a ...
'' and newly created gods. Portions of two continents, Nerath and Selduria, were mapped in 2011.
''Pelinore''
''Pelinore'' is a lesser-known ''D&D'' campaign setting that was developed by
TSR's
UK offices in its ''
Imagine
Imagine may refer to:
* Imagination
Music Albums
* ''Imagine'' (Armin van Buuren album), 2008
* ''Imagine'' (Eva Cassidy album), 2002
* ''Imagine'' (Janice Vidal album), 2012
* ''Imagine'' (John Lennon album), 1971
** ''Imagine: John Lennon' ...
'' magazine.
''Pelinore'' articles primarily focused on a major urban center, the City League, and the surrounding county. Articles in ''Imagine'' detailed small locations within the City League that could also be used in any setting, as they were almost generic in execution.
''Imagine'' presented a portion of this campaign world with each new issue from issue 16, up until its cancellation at issue 30. After the cancellation of ''Imagine'', the former assistant editor,
Paul Cockburn
Paul Cockburn is a game designer who has worked primarily on role-playing games.
Career
Paul Cockburn worked for TSR's '' Imagine'' magazine. Cockburn later led the new editorial team of ''White Dwarf
A white dwarf is a stellar core rem ...
, created ''Game Master Publications''. This series of unofficial ''D&D'' modules was set in Pelinore with newly drawn maps and some renamed locations (e.g., the "County of Cerwyn" became "Caerns"). Some modules described places beyond the boundaries of the established setting. From issue GM4 onwards ''Game Master Publications'' returned to the use of the original names and even reprinted the official maps from ''Imagine''. ''Game Master Publications'' was cancelled at issue GM5 in 1987.
''Planescape''
A setting that crosses the numerous "
planes of existence
In esoteric cosmology, a plane is conceived as a subtle state, level, or region of reality, each plane corresponding to some type, kind, or category of being.
The concept may be found in religious and esoteric teachings—''e.g.'' Vedanta (Adva ...
", as originally developed in the ''
Manual of the Planes
The ''Manual of the Planes'' (abbreviated MoP) is a manual for the ''Dungeons and Dragons'' role-playing game. This text addresses the planar cosmology of the game universe.
The original book (for use with ''Advanced Dungeons & Dragons'' 1st Ed ...
''. The setting crossed
Victorian era
In the history of the United Kingdom and the British Empire, the Victorian era was the period of Queen Victoria's reign, from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. The era followed the Georgian period and preceded the Edwardia ...
trappings with a pseudo-
steampunk
Steampunk is a subgenre of science fiction that incorporates retrofuturistic technology and aesthetics inspired by 19th-century industrial steam-powered machinery. Steampunk works are often set in an alternative history of the Victorian era or ...
design and attitude. ''Planescape'' won acclaim on its unique visual aspects, products of artist
Tony DiTerlizzi
Tony M. DiTerlizzi (born September 6, 1969) is an American fantasy artist, children's book creator, and motion picture producer.
In the gaming industry, he is best known for his work in the collectible card game '' Magic: The Gathering'' and on ...
. The city of
Sigil
A sigil () is a type of symbol used in magic. The term has usually referred to a pictorial signature of a deity or spirit. In modern usage, especially in the context of chaos magic, sigil refers to a symbolic representation of the practitioner ...
has appeared in the 3rd edition in the ''
Planar Handbook
''Planar Handbook'' is an optional supplemental source book for the 3.5 edition of the ''Dungeons & Dragons'' fantasy roleplaying game.
Contents
It contains updates for the 3.5 edition of the fictional Dungeons & Dragons universe for some mate ...
'' and the ''
Epic Level Handbook
The ''Epic Level Handbook'' is a rule-book by Wizards of the Coast for the 3rd edition of ''Dungeons & Dragons''. The book was published in 2001, and contains optional game rules for playing characters who have reached a higher experience leve ...
'', in the 4th edition in ''
Dungeon Master's Guide 2
''Dungeon Master's Guide 2'' is a supplement to the 4th edition of the ''Dungeons & Dragons'' role-playing game.
Contents
''Dungeon Master's Guide 2'' gives expansions for the Dungeon Master to add to a campaign.
The ''Dungeon Master's Guide 2 ...
'', and in the 5th edition ''
Dungeon Master's Guide
The ''Dungeon Master's Guide'' (''DMG'' or ''DM's Guide''; in some printings, the ''Dungeon Masters Guide'' or ''Dungeon Master Guide'') is a book of rules for the fantasy role-playing game ''Dungeons & Dragons''. The ''Dungeon Master's Guide'' co ...
''.
''Ravenloft''
A
gothic horror
Gothic fiction, sometimes called Gothic horror in the 20th century, is a loose literary aesthetic of fear and haunting. The name is a reference to Gothic architecture of the European Middle Ages, which was characteristic of the settings of ea ...
setting originally created by
Tracy and
Laura Hickman
Laura Curtis Hickman (born December 7, 1956, in Long Beach, California) is an American fantasy author, best known for her works in game design and fantasy novels cowritten with her husband, Tracy Hickman. She was one of the first women to write a ...
for their own game system, "the duo eventually caught the attention of ''D&Ds original publishers. They were hired to adapt it into the First Edition of ''Advanced Dungeons & Dragons'' and it was released as ''
Module I6: Ravenloft''"
in 1983 by TSR.
It was expanded into an entire series of adventure modules and then further expanded into a campaign setting for the ''AD&D'' 2nd edition beginning in 1990 with the ''
Realm of Terror'' boxed set.
TSR also published a series of novels set in Ravenloft.
In 2001, shortly after the release of ''D&D'' 3rd edition, Wizards of the Coast licensed ''Ravenloft'' to
White Wolf Publishing
White Wolf Publishing was an American roleplaying game and book publisher. The company was founded in 1991 as a merger between Lion Rampant which published Ravenloft materials through its
Sword & Sorcery Studios imprint,
but rights returned to Wizards of the Coast in early 2006.
In October 2006, Wizards of the Coast released ''
Expedition to Castle Ravenloft
''Expedition to Castle Ravenloft'' is a module for the ''Dungeons & Dragons'' (''D&D'') role-playing game, released in October 2006 by Wizards of the Coast.
Contents
''Expedition to Castle Ravenloft'' is a 226-page hardcover book, released ...
'', an expanded and updated version of the original module for ''D&D'' v3.5.
In August 2010, Wizards of the Coast released the ''
Castle Ravenloft Board Game''.
The setting was revisited in 2016 with the release of the 5th edition adventure module ''
Curse of Strahd
''Curse of Strahd'' is an adventure book for the 5th edition of the ''Dungeons & Dragons'' role-playing game. It was released on March 15, 2016 and is based on the ''Ravenloft'' module published in 1983.
Contents
Adventurers are mysteriously ...
'', with the setting's original creators, Tracy & Laura Hickman, returning as writers. ''
Van Richten's Guide To Ravenloft'', a 5th edition ''Ravenloft'' campaign sourcebook, was released in 2021.
Christian Hoffer, for ''ComicBook.com'', highlighted that this sourcebook revises many of the setting's
Domains of Dread. He wrote that "the revised domains are usually a better utilization of the ironic intent that flavors the immortal prisons of Ravenloft. The domains also now include a variety of different horror genres rather than a fixation on gothic horror. Finally, much of the misogynistic, colonialist, or racist elements have been purged out of this new iteration of Ravenloft".
''Masque of the Red Death''
A spin off of ''Ravenloft'' set in a fantasy, low magic, version of 1890s Earth.
''Rokugan''
When Wizards of the Coast published the latest edition of ''
Oriental Adventures
''Oriental Adventures'' (abbreviated OA) is the title shared by two hardback rulebooks published for different versions of the ''Dungeons & Dragons'' (''D&D'') fantasy roleplaying game. Each version of ''Oriental Adventures'' provides rules for ...
'', it included
Rokugan
Legend of the Five Rings (often abbreviated ''L5R'') is a fictional setting created by John Zinser, Dave Seay, Ryan Dancey, Dave Williams, DJ Trindle, Matt Wilson (artist), Matt Wilson and John Wick (role-playing game designer), John Wick and ...
as the official "sample setting". Rokugan is best known for being the setting of the ''
Legend of the Five Rings
Legend of the Five Rings (often abbreviated ''L5R'') is a fictional setting created by John Zinser, Dave Seay, Ryan Dancey, Dave Williams, DJ Trindle, Matt Wilson and John Wick and first published by a joint venture between Alderac Entertai ...
'' (L5R) themed games: the
''Legend of the Five Rings'' collectible card game and the ''
Legend of the Five Rings Roleplaying Game
The ''Legend of the Five Rings Roleplaying Game'' is a role-playing game originally written by John Wick and published by Alderac Entertainment Group, under license from Five Rings Publishing Group, in 1997. The game uses the Legend of the Five ...
'', which are all published by The
Alderac Entertainment Group
Alderac Entertainment Group, or AEG, is a publisher of role-playing game, board game, and collectible card game products. AEG was formed by Jolly Blackburn in 1993 and is based in the city of Ontario, California. Prior to getting into their cur ...
(AEG). However, shortly after the publication of ''Oriental Adventures'', AEG obtained all the publishing rights to all L5R properties. For a brief time, AEG published supplements that featured both L5R and D20 based mechanics. However, development of all D20 based Rokugan material has ceased, as ''Oriental Adventures'' is now out of print, and AEG has decided to focus solely on L5R based supplements for the next edition of The L5R Roleplaying Game, and this campaign setting is no longer officially supported as a ''D&D'' setting. ''Legend of the Five Rings 4th Edition'' (not related to ''D&D 4th Edition'') was released in 2010.
''Spelljammer''
A setting based in "wildspace", a
fantastical version of
outer space
Outer space, commonly shortened to space, is the expanse that exists beyond Earth and its atmosphere and between celestial bodies. Outer space is not completely empty—it is a near-perfect vacuum containing a low density of particles, pred ...
based on classical notions of the universe in which magic-imbued ships interact with each other and locations in space, including campaign setting planets such as ''
Forgotten Realms
''Forgotten Realms'' is a campaign setting for the ''Dungeons & Dragons'' (''D&D'') fantasy role-playing game. Commonly referred to by players and game designers alike as "The Realms", it was created by game designer Ed Greenwood around 1967 as a ...
'' or ''
Dragonlance
''Dragonlance'' is a shared universe created by Laura and Tracy Hickman, and expanded by Tracy Hickman and Margaret Weis under the direction of TSR, Inc. into a series of fantasy novels. The Hickmans conceived ''Dragonlance'' while driving in t ...
'', allowing for inter-campaign interaction. Throughout 3rd and 4th edition this campaign setting was not officially supported as a standalone campaign setting, but elements from the setting (such as spelljammer ships) were included in supplement materials. ''
Spelljammer: Adventures in Space'' was released in 2022 as a sourcebook for 5th edition.
''Warcraft''
The ''Warcraft'' campaign setting, based on the computer gaming franchise ''
Warcraft
''Warcraft'' is a franchise of video games, novels, and other media created by Blizzard Entertainment. The series is made up of five core games: '' Warcraft: Orcs & Humans'', '' Warcraft II: Tides of Darkness'', '' Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos ...
'', was published by
White Wolf Publishing
White Wolf Publishing was an American roleplaying game and book publisher. The company was founded in 1991 as a merger between Lion Rampant via its
Sword & Sorcery Studios imprint for the 3rd edition of ''D&D''. Under a license with Wizards of the Coast, the campaign setting was recognized as an official campaign setting, indicated by the inclusion of the official ''D&D'' 3rd edition logo on the cover of the initial setting book ("Warcraft The Roleplaying Game"). This product was supported by five other books, before the setting was updated as "World of Warcraft The Role Playing Game", a self-contained game. The game is no longer published.
''Wilderlands of High Fantasy''
''Wilderlands of High Fantasy'' grew from the officially licensed ''D&D'' material from
Judges Guild
Judges Guild is a game publisher that has been active since 1976. The company created and sold many role-playing game supplements, periodicals and related materials, but became best known during the late 1970s and early 1980s as one of the leadin ...
in the 1970s and 1980s including ''
City State of the Invincible Overlord
''City State of the Invincible Overlord'' is a fantasy role-playing game supplement originally published by Judges Guild in 1976. It was the first published fantasy role-playing game city setting, designed for use with ''Dungeons & Dragons'' (''D& ...
''. Judges Guild, through
Necromancer Games
Necromancer Games was an American publisher of role-playing games. With offices in Seattle, Washington and Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, the company specialized in material for the d20 System. Most of its products were released under the Open Game Li ...
, also published a boxed set of the Wilderlands for 3rd Edition ''D&D'' in 2005.
The original edition ran to a total of 18 half-continent sized maps (some dealing with ocean settings), with details of the cities, towns, islands and ruins/lairs to be found. The setting was then used as a locale for a multitude of modules and characters published by Judges Guild.
References
External links
Wizards of the Coast's ''D&D'' site
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dungeons and Dragons campaign settings