Help Me Feel Not Dissatisfied Please

[The NPC]

A combination of things (Mostly pertaining to Golarion/paizo) have been making me dissatisfied with Golarion of late.

What are the places in Golarion that aren't copies of real world cultures (Or at least the less obvious ones) and where can I call Cthuhlu and not have him hear me?

[Inkwell]

The NPC wrote:

[...] What are the places in Golarion that aren't copies of real world cultures (Or at least the less obvious ones)[...]

You mean like the Mana Wastes, Numeria, or the Worldwound? None of those, to me, feel like they are very obvious copies.

[The NPC]

Inkwell wrote:

The NPC wrote:

[...] What are the places in Golarion that aren't copies of real world cultures (Or at least the less obvious ones)[...]

You mean like the Mana Wastes, Numeria, or the Worldwound? None of those, to me, feel like they are very obvious copies.

You make a fair point about the Mana Wastes and the World Wound. Cimer... I Numeria is eh. Robert-E.-Howard-Land.

I realize his whole thing might come off poorly, but i'm just trying to find some bright spots.

[Steve Geddes]

Rahadoum?

[danielc]

I think you should not try so hard. Take a break. Do something else. Have fun. Then when you are ready, return and enjoy.

I have always lived by the idea that if you are having to force it, you need a time out. ;-)

[harlequinn]

What do you mean by bright spots? Golarion is intended to be a mix of settings, so that people who want Robert-E.-Howard-Land can have it, and people who want Vikings can have them, and people who want Ninjas can have them. That's the guiding design principle: pop culture mash-up with a fantasy overlay. If there are no hooks there for you, then of course you're dissatisfied: you walked into a McDonalds and asked about the vegetarian menu.

I'm not sure there is any such thing as "fantasy role-playing" that isn't based on real world cultures, or Howard, or Burroughs. Tolkien's societies all had real-world analogues. Fantasy is, by its very nature, a metaphor for our world.

That said, I can't think of a nation ruled by witches (Irrisen) or hobgoblins (Kaoling) or snake-people (Nagajor). There was technically no "Pirate Nation" in the vein of the Shackles. The Worldwound reminds me a lot of living in New Jersey, but I don't think it's directly based on Paramus.

Maybe what you need isn't suggestions for making Golarion less of what you don't want, but suggestions for different settings that will give you what you do want. GURPS has a legion of different books that might be the thing, for example. I've heard good things about "Houses of the Blooded," but I've never read it.

[Heine Stick]

The Realm of the Mammoth Lords doesn't seem like a copy to me. I don't recall any regions in our world that have megafauna and dinosaurs running around.

Nex and Geb have a very distinct feel to them. One is a nation ruled by undead, something I really hope isn't happening anywhere near where I live, while the other is all about magic. I've yet to manage turning tea into cola.

While it might be argued that modern politicians make deals with Hell on a regular basis, I doubt Cheliax is based on any Real World nation or region.

I'm disturbed by the notion that Nidal might exist anywhere in our own world.

Varisia is a vast frontier that leans heavily on the ancient-ruined-empire idea but, while ruins and hints of ancient empires can be found everywhere here on earth, I find Thassilon to be a rather unique take on the ancient empire idea.

Hermea is another interesting option. A nation ruled by a gold dragon.

As for Numeria being Robert E Howard-land, or even the majority of the world of Golarion as we know it drawing heavily on our own world for inspiration, I think you'll be extremely hard pressed to find any published campaign setting that isn't inspired to some degree by Real World literature, culture, and mythology.

It makes perfect sense for Paizo to include a lot of Real World material in their campaign setting, simply because a LOT of gamers like to play in fantasy versions of Scandinavia or Egypt or Russia or the Middle East or the Caribbean etc. The same goes for Real World literature such as that written by Robert E Howard or H P Lovecraft. They're very popular among gamers and roleplaying games exist because we like to take centerstage in those stories.

As this thread shows, it's not for everyone and that's cool. I do think Golarion offers plenty of material for gamers such as yourself who aren't into the regions and nations inspired by Real World literature, culture, and mythology.

[The NPC]

harlequinn wrote:

What do you mean by bright spots? Golarion is intended to be a mix of settings, so that people who want Robert-E.-Howard-Land can have it, and people who want Vikings can have them, and people who want Ninjas can have them. That's the guiding design principle: pop culture mash-up with a fantasy overlay. If there are no hooks there for you, then of course you're dissatisfied: you walked into a McDonalds and asked about the vegetarian menu [...]

I do understand that I do and get they had to do it that way. Which is why I was trying to focus on the less obvious parallels. Irrisen for the most part and even the least part I might be able to get over. The mana wastes and world wound work. Upon reflection I think maybe I need to play more and run less.

[SwnyNerdgasm]

harlequinn wrote:

The Worldwound reminds me a lot of living in New Jersey, but I don't think it's directly based on Paramus.

As someone from New Jersey, I was almost insulted by this, then I remembered what midnight in parts of Newark are like.

[Jeven]

The NPC wrote:

I do understand that I do and get they had to do it that way. Which is why I was trying to focus on the less obvious parallels. Irrisen for the most part and even the least part I might be able to get over. The mana wastes and world wound work. Upon reflection I think maybe I need to play more and run less.

You could just concentrate on the central-north region - Varisia, Nidal, Irissen, Belkzen, Lastwall, Nirmathas, Razmiran, Kyonin, River Kingdoms. None of those are strongly tied to a specific culture or at most are the generic pseudo-Germanic-medieval type settings that you see in most fantasy gaming.

Whenever you have castles, warriors in plate and chain armor, walled cities with half-timbered houses, kings and guilds, dragons and giants and trolls, and so on, you are referencing medieval central Europe and its folklore. So its hard to avoid real-world parallels.