For the past year or more the trem "Points Of Light" has been used to refer to ceretain campaign settings.
What are some published examples?
For Fantasy /Sword & Sorcery?
Science Fiction/Space Opera?
Old West /Weird West ?
Post Apocalypse?
Can you think of a new one or a new take on that idea?
Change an established setting into a "Points of Light!" setting possibly?
- Ed C.
For Fantasy gaming, The Wilderlands of High Fantasy from Judge's Guild and the relatively recent take from Necromancer Games is pretty much the gold standard for Points of Light styled settings.
I say that Wild or Weird West as well as post-apocalypse settings are Points of Light by default.
Yeah, Gamma World 1e felt pretty points of light to me.
The World of Greyhawk is about as "points of light" as you can get. When you look at the full map of the setting, you realize how few bastions of good there actually are. This is particularly true of the 1983 Boxed Set by Gygax.
Quote from: PaladinCA;391481The World of Greyhawk is about as "points of light" as you can get. When you look at the full map of the setting, you realize how few bastions of good there actually are. This is particularly true of the 1983 Boxed Set by Gygax.
It is really interesting to superimpose a map of the US (or wherever you live) onto a Greyhawk map and compare.
Err Points of Light I (http://www.goodman-games.com/4380preview.html) & II (http://www.goodman-games.com/4381preview.html) by Goodman Games.
Wildland: The fall of the Bright Empire left warring factions in its wake. As savage barbarians and wicked humanoids roam the land, the last bastions of civilization cower behind their crumbling city walls. A dark age has come, and none may live to tell the tale.
Southland: On the frontiers of the Great Kingdom, the nations of men, elves and dwarves join together against the wicked elves of Nighportal Keep and the Orcs of the Bloody Fist. A realm is yours for the taking, if you can carve it from the wilderness.
Borderland: Two factions clash over war-torn fields, battling for dominance in a civil war that that has torn a once-mighty empire in two. When brother strives against brother, and blood runs in the streets, who will emerge to unify the broken land -- and at what cost, peace?
The Swamps of Acheron: In the Outer Planes, amid fetid swamplands and ice-choked mountains, the fell god Sarrath holds court. In a realm where gods stalk the earth, will you dare to take a stand, or will you succumb to evil's siren song and take up the Serpent Banner?
The Golden Shores: A land in the midst of being colonized, where adventurers can encounter unknown cultures, old enemies, and battle a darkness that has haunted the land for millennia.
Amacui: A frontier land with only a single trading post representing the civilized world, but there are many ruins to explore and new civilizations to discover.
The Misty Isle: The greatest threat to exploration is not the natives or 'things man is not meant to know,' but enemies from the old world. Here in the Misty Isles, enemies from different realms and factions fight amid the jungles and islands.
Mazatl, the Realm of the Bat God: Rising from the vast Jungles of Zaracar is a massive shield volcano. Here the blood god, Azartac, lives in the city of Mazatl in the volcano's caldera.
So far, Mistwell is the only one to post a non-Fantasy example.
Any other Science Fiction setting examples?
- Ed C.
Quote from: Koltar;391505So far, Mistwell is the only one to post a non-Fantasy example.
Any other Science Fiction setting examples?
- Ed C.
Well, if you think about Star Trek in the "Final Frontier" sense, there are only isolated outposts, and boldly seeking out stuff. But I think that points of light probably implies more danger than exploration.
Quote from: Koltar;391505So far, Mistwell is the only one to post a non-Fantasy example.
Any other Science Fiction setting examples?
- Ed C.
Well Star Wars would be the obvious answer, with the Empire being the darkness.
Back to fantasy, Ravenloft would seem to embrace the concept as would Krynn/Dragonlance during the War of the Lance.
Pete
Rifts would qualify, very few points of light in a world of warring darkness.
Quote from: Koltar;391505So far, Mistwell is the only one to post a non-Fantasy example.
Any other Science Fiction setting examples?
Traveller New Era
Twilight 2000 maybe?
Traveller:The New Era, definitely.
Does the Points of Light concept pertain to Good/Evil or Light/Darkness only?
As far as I understand the concept, evil or darkness is threatening to engulf the landscape/world/existence and that there are few bastions of light or good left clinging on to survive the tide.
Would the PoL concept apply to civilized/non-civilized axis? For example, in the Talislanta setting the world is recovering from a catastrophe that nearly destroys the world and there are only a few enclaves of civilization while the rest of the world is still steeped in barbarism. Taken in this light, would the Talislanta setting be considered a Points of Light setting?
This article by Rich Baker was the origin of the term.
http://www.wizards.com/DnD/Article.aspx?x=dnd/drdd/20070829a
Quote from: estar;391684This article by Rich Baker was the origin of the term.
http://www.wizards.com/DnD/Article.aspx?x=dnd/drdd/20070829a
Thank you, Robert. :)
After reading that, I can say that Talislanta is definitely a Points of Light setting.
I think Warhammer's Old World qualifies, but with points of light becoming smudges of grey localised around the PCs. It's not a perfect fit, but when I think of the Empire the image of rutted, bandit haunted roads wending their way through ancient, chaos infested forests immediately springs to mind.
The cities aren't bastions of virtue by either, but compared to what plots and gibbers in the wilds they're still (somewhat) safe havens.
Quote from: Koltar;391505So far, Mistwell is the only one to post a non-Fantasy example.
Any other Science Fiction setting examples?
- Ed C.
Well, RIFTS, obviously. Also, Europe (especially England) during multiple occasions in the last 500 years.
RPGPundit
Pretty much any Western setting would qualify, most of all from a Native American perspective.
The Bughunters setting from Amazing Engine is very dark, with a handful of Points of Light.
The Orrorsh setting from TORG is a good Points of Light setting, though the Points of Light are few and have more than a hint of darkness within them.