Monday, July 23, 2018

The Lost Islands

One thought that has occurred to me is that an "Isle of Dread"-type setting could be a wonderful vessel for bringing Barbarian Conquerors of Kanahu elements into a more "standard" D&D-type fantasy campaign campaign. I am thinking about running it for traditionally-minded players who will want to play dwarves and elves, but I'll introduce them to all the weird Lost World lizardry stuff.

Crashed alien saucer on a "lost world" island with Ancient ruins, lizardmen/geckomen, and dinosaurs. Which "ordinary" fantasy heroes come to visit.

This is not Kanahu transplanted into a generic fantasy world, mind you, but a setting allows importing BCK material into a limited area of it.

This will have a "regional" map (1 hex = 6 miles) with several islands. And yes, with pirates (Arrrrrr! Shiver me Timbers!) too.

I was thinking about the Islands being a small part of a sunken, Mu-type continent, where there was once an Ancient [human] civilization (Mesoamerican-flavored). When the Ancient Land sank, the survivors made pacts with reptilian totems of the islands for protection. This was a blessing and a curse - the Ancients became various types of lizardmen; the Chaotic among them became Serpentmen and Toadmen.

So you get various lizard tribes - you get the Monitor [standard lizardman] Village, the Gecko Village, the Chameleon Village [new class/creature] - and the Serpent Pyramid!

Later, a millennium or so ago, humans islanders from other parts of the world came and settled a peninsula; they fortified the Ancient bridge connecting it to the main island and thus enjoyed some protection from dinosaurs and other dangers of the main island. They settled on a few of the smaller islands as well.

Finally, very recently, the Empire came and set up a trading-post on the peninsula to trade with local humans and with the "Lizard Village" (Monitor Village). Pirates from the Empire also settled on the Islands.

There was also an alien saucer crashed into the dormant vulcano's flooded caldera; possibly damaged by Ancient magics when investigating them.

So you have:
  • Dinosaurs and other weird fauna and flora.
  • Ancient [Mesoamerican-style] ruins with all sorts of magic (or technology?).
  • Lizardmen/geckomen/chameleonfolk, serpentmen, toadmen. May provide henchmen.
  • Local human tribes. May provide henchmen.
  • Pirates! Arrrrrr!
  • Alien ship; aliens; alien beasts/robots. Alien tech.
  • Imperial presence.
  • Islands just waiting to be conquered and inhabited!
What do you think?

2 comments:

  1. I like it. I wouldn’t bother with elves or dwarves, but thats just me. There are other lost world settings that could be adapted or plundered to assist. I’d maybe even see if i could adapt flashing blades so that a 17th century expedition to the new world goes slightly astray. Tho perhaps lotfp would be a better system to crib from for that as ACKS/BCK things would be more easily added in.

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    1. The basic idea of this mini-setting is to allow players to go from a "typical" fantasy world (where they play their dwarves - I got these players) to a cool mix of a "typical" fantasy world and Kanahu. 17th century explorers would are contrary to that purpose, but are also a possibility.

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