Given that I have recently reassembled my local role playing group and added some new blood, the prospect of a new campaign always have me abuzz with ideas, and while I already have an inkling of which direction we are gonna go, I'd still like to dream for a bit.
Degenesis: Rebirth
I am sort of in luck, as Degenesis: Rebirth is actually a fully fledged role playing setting already. But is a deep friggin rabbit hole. Its probably not a surprise that I am fond of post apocalyptic settings, and Degenesis is one of them. What really makes this one interesting is the creators scale of vision, rather than be an America or Australia centric guns and gasoline place, Degenesis contains the remnants of the the entirety of Europe all the way to Africa and portrays these new budding cultural identities and clashes that arise from it all. The world is parted into several large regions, each with its own cults that vie for power and clashing ideologies. There is so much room to explore the identity of characters as they struggle not only against those with different values but also as they participate in the hussle and bussle within their own clan, vying for power prestige and dominion. It is such a vast and interesting scene where you can easily focus on the day to day micro dramas or even play out larger global power struggles. And their production value is drop dead gorgeous to boot.
The Occult Supergiant
It started as a series of characters all penned by the very talented Bridget Francis, and later expanded into an actual art book full of descriptions and background into the world. The Occult Supergiant is a giant factory planet built back in the day as a means to forge weapons against heaven. Since then the planet has fallen into complete disrepair and is left as a huge polluted sulfurous mess. However otherwise dormant nanomachinery now tinker away at an endless register of inhabitants, reconstructing the dead and dying in new unholy forms in order to sate its own pedantic completionism. Here people often end up mostly through faulty navigation and a resulting crash. They are now kept alive in an endless cycle of deaths, slowly loosing memories and and their identity with each hideous rebirth. It is a setting of despair, impulses and a question of humanity and soul in this new immortal hell powered by occultism, holographic magicks and black hearted cruelty.
The Geneforge Saga
A collection of 5 pc games with a very unique world all programmed and illustrated by the single person Jeff Vogel. The world centers around an illusive group of wizards, known collectively as Shapers. They have discovered the secrets of making life through magic and a few raw materials, something no-one else can accomplish. These Shapers use these gifts to improve everyday life by creating docile and tender cattle, forging living weapons and tools and create true abominations to fight their wars for them. Their order is broken into three branches: the actual Shapers who spend their lives studying and mastering their craft. Guardians who are warriors with a strong grasp of enchantment magic they are the one that tend the monstrous stables, hunt down creations that have broken free and bind them with powerful spells over mind and body. And Agents who are spies, ambassadors and assassins rolled into one, they are intermediaries that deal with the outside world and are those sent out to patch security leaks, as the Shapers do not want to risk their monopoly in any way.
Being a world where most magic and equipment is organic and weird, matter is shaped into living carapace armor, symbiotic creatures keep a literal eye in the back of your head and blades will seep venom from their glands, even doors are opened by tensing muscles that respond to familiar odors.
The setting also contains the very interesting race known as Serviles. Serviles are short crooked goblinoid people with long noses, they are bred as a servant and slave race, performing menial tasks and tasking labour that the Shapers cant be bothered with themselves. However low esteem they may be held in, many of them are smart and mainly put on a face of obedience while they hatch their plots. Other still behold the Shapers akin to gods that have given them life and purpose.
Degenesis: Rebirth
I am sort of in luck, as Degenesis: Rebirth is actually a fully fledged role playing setting already. But is a deep friggin rabbit hole. Its probably not a surprise that I am fond of post apocalyptic settings, and Degenesis is one of them. What really makes this one interesting is the creators scale of vision, rather than be an America or Australia centric guns and gasoline place, Degenesis contains the remnants of the the entirety of Europe all the way to Africa and portrays these new budding cultural identities and clashes that arise from it all. The world is parted into several large regions, each with its own cults that vie for power and clashing ideologies. There is so much room to explore the identity of characters as they struggle not only against those with different values but also as they participate in the hussle and bussle within their own clan, vying for power prestige and dominion. It is such a vast and interesting scene where you can easily focus on the day to day micro dramas or even play out larger global power struggles. And their production value is drop dead gorgeous to boot.
The Occult Supergiant
It started as a series of characters all penned by the very talented Bridget Francis, and later expanded into an actual art book full of descriptions and background into the world. The Occult Supergiant is a giant factory planet built back in the day as a means to forge weapons against heaven. Since then the planet has fallen into complete disrepair and is left as a huge polluted sulfurous mess. However otherwise dormant nanomachinery now tinker away at an endless register of inhabitants, reconstructing the dead and dying in new unholy forms in order to sate its own pedantic completionism. Here people often end up mostly through faulty navigation and a resulting crash. They are now kept alive in an endless cycle of deaths, slowly loosing memories and and their identity with each hideous rebirth. It is a setting of despair, impulses and a question of humanity and soul in this new immortal hell powered by occultism, holographic magicks and black hearted cruelty.
The Geneforge Saga
A collection of 5 pc games with a very unique world all programmed and illustrated by the single person Jeff Vogel. The world centers around an illusive group of wizards, known collectively as Shapers. They have discovered the secrets of making life through magic and a few raw materials, something no-one else can accomplish. These Shapers use these gifts to improve everyday life by creating docile and tender cattle, forging living weapons and tools and create true abominations to fight their wars for them. Their order is broken into three branches: the actual Shapers who spend their lives studying and mastering their craft. Guardians who are warriors with a strong grasp of enchantment magic they are the one that tend the monstrous stables, hunt down creations that have broken free and bind them with powerful spells over mind and body. And Agents who are spies, ambassadors and assassins rolled into one, they are intermediaries that deal with the outside world and are those sent out to patch security leaks, as the Shapers do not want to risk their monopoly in any way.
Being a world where most magic and equipment is organic and weird, matter is shaped into living carapace armor, symbiotic creatures keep a literal eye in the back of your head and blades will seep venom from their glands, even doors are opened by tensing muscles that respond to familiar odors.
The setting also contains the very interesting race known as Serviles. Serviles are short crooked goblinoid people with long noses, they are bred as a servant and slave race, performing menial tasks and tasking labour that the Shapers cant be bothered with themselves. However low esteem they may be held in, many of them are smart and mainly put on a face of obedience while they hatch their plots. Other still behold the Shapers akin to gods that have given them life and purpose.
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