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938:, and the impact that the franchise had on popular culture, many science fiction settings were introduced or adapted, especially during the 1980s. The scope of a science fiction setting is typically larger than that of a fantasy setting, encompassing multiple worlds or even entire galaxies. Such settings often involve detailed accounts of military and/or trading operations and organizations.
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670:, established campaign settings have the advantage of providing a wealth of material written by professional game designers. When creating a homebrew setting "you're on your own - but without limits and preconceptions", which can lead to more interesting games as the game master may be "more invested in the material and passionate about its development".
853:). Even when the main setting of a game is not taken directly from the history of our world, they still tend to draw heavily on historical models, though distorted by the presence of magic; also, as gods often have direct and tangible interactions with the world, religion is usually very unlike our world.
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settings take place in the past. Because historical games often overlap the fantasy genre, a distinguishing mark is that fantasy games are set on a "fantasy world" similar to but distinct from Earth, while historical games are set in the past of Earth. Settings that have been explored in roleplaying
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to larger media franchises. They were once rare but the number of these games is increasing. Licensed games are usually considered part of their franchise's genre rather than a genre in and of themselves. Many licensed products are now defunct because of license expiration, while others such as
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Some elements of fantasy role-playing settings were often related to the horror genre. Vampires and ghosts are typical fare in most such settings, for example. Campaign settings that combine horror and fantasy elements on an even footing include the
555:) or a specific genre of game (such as medieval fantasy, or outer space/science fiction adventure). There are numerous campaign settings available both in print and online. In addition to published campaign settings available for purchase, many
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The third type of setting is developed without being tied to a particular game system. Typically this last sort are developed first as stand-alone works of fiction, which are later adapted to one or more role playing systems such as the
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were first introduced in the early 1980s, creating a hybrid of fantasy horror and modern thrillers. These settings tend to focus on organizations and societies in which generally normal people fight against malevolent
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influences such as cyberized limbs, megacorporations and the virtual reality internet in the form of the Matrix, while also including, as a major plot element, the return of magic to the world and the classic
1137:. Humorous settings for multiple genres have since been released. Humorous settings typically develop few if any locations and organizations, focusing instead on specific characters of note and general tone.
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The setting in both these styles of horror games is often contemporary, between the 19th century and the current day. Creating the correct mood and air of suspense is very important in these games.
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literature. The setting is generally in the future, sometimes near future but also quite often in the far future, though in many cases the setting bears no connection to the world we live in, e.g.
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popularized the notion of fantasy set within elements of real-world history. Later games would update this concept even further, bringing fantasy gaming into the present day in a genre known as
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presents a detailed background for its setting, tying the existence of magic, wizards and the Faerie realms into a historical context while allowing for 'fantasy' elements to come into play.
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games are based on creating situations which are funny or have a funny premise. Humor is not usually a genre in itself (although it can be), but a modifier added to other genres. In 1983
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is one such 'historical' game, set in what its source materials call 'Mythic Europe': while history is generally accepted to unfold as depicted in real-world historical accounts,
954:. These settings lend themselves to the "adventuring" mode of most fantasy games, and thus focus on developing specific locations and loosely defined cultural or racial groups.
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game introduced a science fiction setting which used a post-apocalypse world in which to set a tongue-in-cheek game of futile struggle against a computer-controlled
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Fantasy typically remains the most played roleplaying genre. RPGs of the fantasy genre are sometimes collectively called "Fantasy roleplaying games" ("FRP").
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816:. Over the decades since, fantasy role-playing has evolved and expanded tremendously, even developing its own subgenres. The genre can be subdivided into
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658:, though there are a few exceptions of settings which were designed explicitly for role playing gaming, but without a specific system in mind, such as
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is the world in which such adventures and campaigns take place. Usually a campaign setting is designed for a specific game (such as the
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While obviously connected to game materials, campaign settings are supported also by other media, such as novels and comic books.
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The second style of horror game reverses the roles, with the player characters being such supernatural creatures as
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Nikolai Butler distinguished two types of campaign settings, homebrewed and official. According to games journalist
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set in contemporary setting where all fantastic elements from futuristic technology to mythic beings co-exist.
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Setting genres have touched on every genre of high-action fictional storytelling from role-playing's roots in
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The use of the term "world" in describing a campaign setting is loose, at best. Campaign worlds such as the
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1364:"From Rolling to Reading: An Analysis of the Adaptation of Narrative Between Role-Playing Games and Novels"
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detail entire cosmologies and timelines of thousands of years, while the setting of a game such as
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combined
Chinese historical fantasy with Kung Fu action tropes and dystopian science fiction. In
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sourcebook also provides ways to emphasize horror elements within a more typical fantasy milieu.
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combines
Chinese historical fantasy with kung fu action tropes and dystopian science fiction.
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take a system designed for a licensee's game world and create a new world to match it.
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entities. Such games often are structured as a straightforward "monster hunt", though
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1413:, the Horror Steampunk Western". In Miller, Cynthia J.; Van Riper, Bowdoin (eds.).
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The second type of setting is for games that have multiple settings such as modern
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A small number of campaign settings fuse two or more genres in a single game. In
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in 1976—dungeon adventuring on a "lost starship"—and in 1977 soon followed with
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Of Dice and Men: The Story of
Dungeons & Dragons and the People Who Play It
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create their own settings, often referred to as "homebrew" settings or worlds.
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characterized by different genre elements including steampunk and horror.
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The first type of setting is specifically tied to a single game, such as
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in which elements of horror, magic and steampunk are prevalent, and
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The first role-playing settings from the late 1960s and early 1970s (
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Examples of major campaign settings include numerous settings within
1409:
Ward, Rachel Mizsei (2013). "Genre
Mashing in the Role-Playing Game
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Dungeons and
Desktops: The History of Computer Role-Playing Games 2e
209:. Statements consisting only of original research should be removed.
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combined fantasy, science fiction, pulp, and horror elements while
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games that mix elements of different genres together. For example,
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introduced humorous modern horror/fantasy gaming. In 1984, the
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Science fiction settings for role playing were introduced with
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While pure fantasy games were initially popular, games such as
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mixes fantasy, science fiction, pulp and horror elements while
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also involves a great deal of investigation and clue-finding.
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races of elves, dwarfs, trolls and so forth. Likewise, the
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might only describe one nation within a brief segment of
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settings draw their inspiration almost exclusively from
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presents a futuristic dystopia that draws heavily from
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Fictional environment setting for a role-playing game
608:There are three primary types of campaign setting:
103:. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
777:and supernatural/mythological creatures, such as
824:where there are few or no supernatural aspects.
820:where supernatural events are commonplace, and
1332:Barton, Matt; Stacks, Shane (18 April 2019).
1004:), and Fantasy Imperium (historical Europe).
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1415:Undead in the West II: They Just Keep Coming
66:Learn how and when to remove these messages
959:Category:Science fiction roleplaying games
624:, where the game has only the one setting.
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243:Learn how and when to remove this message
225:Learn how and when to remove this message
163:Learn how and when to remove this message
18:Campaign setting (Dungeons & Dragons)
1227:More extreme mashups are also possible;
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1065:. This second style was popularized by
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1020:Category:Historical roleplaying games
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101:adding citations to reliable sources
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1362:Bjädefors Butler, Nikolai (2018).
861:Category:Fantasy roleplaying games
25:
1142:Category:Comedy roleplaying games
1111:Category:Horror roleplaying games
724:combines fantasy with cyberpunk,
569:, as well as many others such as
47:This article has multiple issues.
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1039:Modern horror settings such as
88:needs additional citations for
55:or discuss these issues on the
1388:. Scribner. pp. 223–224.
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1454:Role-playing game terminology
1296:Campaign (role-playing games)
1208:genre typically emulates the
932:races. Due to the success of
585:History of role-playing games
1368:Lund University Publications
1291:List of fictional universes
773:. Fantasy elements include
699:-oriented settings such as
205:the claims made and adding
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535:is a series of individual
1411:Deadlands: The Weird West
1286:List of campaign settings
873:settings are inspired by
952:post-apocalyptic fiction
1071:Vampire: The Masquerade
986:Japanese warring states
761:, such as the works of
1302:Dungeons & Dragons
1212:universes such as the
1202:Dungeons & Dragons
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1242:GURPS Infinite Worlds
1007:The roleplaying game
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711:GURPS Infinite Worlds
1421:. pp. 269–285.
681:in settings such as
400:Non-player character
97:improve this article
911:Metamorphosis Alpha
840:Mage: The Ascension
258:Part of a series on
1167:Castle Falkenstein
759:fantasy literature
727:Castle Falkenstein
695:. Even modern-day
517:which serves as a
323:Character creation
264:Role-playing games
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112:"Campaign setting"
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1189:Similarly,
1180:H. G. Wells
1176:Jules Verne
1174:world with
1170:presents a
1160:presents a
1152:Multi-genre
1147:Multi-genre
994:Vietnam War
943:Gamma World
920:space opera
903:space opera
891:telekinesis
822:low fantasy
814:C. S. Lewis
473:WikiProject
430:Production
426:LARP groups
380:Actual play
371:Terminology
292:Live action
153:August 2014
1443:Categories
1310:References
1260:games are
1210:comic book
1067:White Wolf
1063:werewolves
1013:Ars Magica
1009:Ars Magica
969:Historical
964:Historical
922:game. Its
830:Ars Magica
583:See also:
572:BattleTech
537:adventures
444:Publishers
390:Gamemaster
355:GNS theory
297:Video game
199:improve it
123:newspapers
52:improve it
1236:Feng Shui
1206:superhero
1197:Cyberpunk
1192:Shadowrun
1162:Wild West
1157:Deadlands
1125:Bureau 13
1097:Ghostwalk
1091:Ravenloft
1088:settings
978:Arthurian
974:Pendragon
935:Star Wars
916:Traveller
899:cyberpunk
879:Star Wars
850:Shadowrun
845:cyberpunk
805:Blackmoor
743:Feng Shui
732:steampunk
721:Shadowrun
684:Traveller
649:Star Wars
615:Warhammer
598:Deadlands
439:Designers
405:Statistic
385:Adventure
203:verifying
58:talk page
1384:(2013).
1275:See also
1258:Licensed
1253:Licensed
1130:Paranoia
1059:vampires
702:Spycraft
539:, and a
532:campaign
456:Tabletop
338:Diceless
287:Tabletop
1262:tie-ins
982:Sengoku
883:Psionic
787:dwarves
779:dragons
755:Fantasy
750:Fantasy
691:in the
675:fantasy
527:wargame
519:setting
434:Artists
328:History
197:Please
137:scholar
1425:
1392:
1342:
1184:Faerie
1178:- and
1030:Horror
1025:Horror
847:(e.g.
837:(e.g.
802:, and
689:horror
521:for a
350:Theory
333:System
310:Topics
139:
132:
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1121:Humor
1116:Humor
1002:Tibet
998:Tibet
990:Recon
930:alien
783:elves
775:magic
640:Fudge
634:GURPS
451:Games
413:Lists
302:Forum
279:Types
144:JSTOR
130:books
1423:ISBN
1390:ISBN
1340:ISBN
1230:Torg
1216:and
1140:See
1109:See
1094:and
1061:and
1018:See
957:See
918:, a
889:and
859:See
812:and
791:orcs
789:and
765:and
737:Torg
660:Hârn
116:news
1069:'s
996:),
988:),
980:),
901:or
887:ESP
687:to
677:to
637:or
618:or
525:or
201:by
99:by
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1354:^
1318:^
1214:DC
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