**Aerth** for 1st Ed AD&D also compatible with OD&D

[El Borak]

Sept 19, 2016 1:04:35 GMT -5 prespos said:

Hi,



Over the coming years, i am going to detail Aerth, in terms of 1e.

All of this should be fully compatible with both OD&D and 2e.

(Of course, use this material for any FRPG of your choosing!)



Rumor has it that Gary Gygax worked on Aerth longer than any other book that he wrote. I seem to remember 3 years, but i question this. Are the rumors true?

In any event, DJ3 Epic of Aerth is my favorite work by Gary Gygax (well, either that, or the 1st. Ed. DMG).



A lot of people don't get Aerth, and, without it being in print, it is going to have a small audience, for a while.



That said, there is a lot of depth to the setting: even if you aren't into 1e, feel free to explore, and, hopefully find some inspiration for your own Fantasy Earth campaign!



I'd like to dedicate everything here to Gary.



That said, this is not the official Aerth for Mythus!

Please see, and, read, page 222 of DJ3 Epic of Aerth.



Above all, have fun.

I understand that 1e ain't the best system for a tabletop game, at times.

However, I am thinking in terms beyond the tabletop of the early 21st century.



Anyway, to START: Does anyone have any questions about either 1e, and/or Aerth??



I will be more than happy to answer.



Again, above all: have fun.



Prespos



Ps.

Can anyone here photoshop the image below?

If so, i should be able to find a better quality image to work with!

[El Borak]

Sept 21, 2016 12:53:10 GMT -5 prespos said:

So Aerth is basically a stew of Earth and its various cultures and time periods?



Basically, Yes, as it is presented here.



Aerth, as presented by Gary Gygax, is basically 17th century Fantasy Earth.



I decided to mix it up a bit, and, go for full-out anachronism. Some nation-states have technology, some don't.



I typically use a 13th c. default, but places like Rome, Greece, and Hibernia are as they existed in the ancient world.

It's an anachronism, and, doesn't make any sense, but that is OK with me. From a gamer's point of view, I thought it would be more interesting to present Aerth as a place where different time periods exist simultaneously.



With regards to technology, 13th century states do have ships && firearms, such as they existed before the 20th and 18th centuries, respectively. Tuetonia is an actual Nazi state, with WW2 technology, following an early idea in Dragon (mixing D&D and Tractics), and, following an adventure written by @chris107 . Atlantl (which includes Atlantis) is said to have advanced crystal technology. Last but not least, drawing on inspiration from Lest Darkness Fall, some Italian/Roman pantheon states do have a telecommunications network (ie. telephone poles and wires), such as one would exist during the 1960s.



This doesn't even touch on the topic of beings of extra-terrestrial origin.



Again, none of this was part of Gary's canon Aerth setting. The decision to fully embrace anachronism was made with fun in mind. I'm not familiar with Rifts, but, I'd guess that this version of Aerth is a few steps in that direction. I am aiming to assemble a fun setting for player exploration, that's all. Historical accuracy has really got nothing to do with it. Napoleon rules France, Hitler rules Teutonia, Vlad the Impaler III rules Vlachia, Henry VIII rules Albion (Brython), and, Julius Caesar rules Rome (with Cleopatra ruling Aegypt).



Working on this is constant journey of discovery: my theory is that anachronism will make for a more fun game world. From the stone age to the 17th century is the spectrum that I am working with (with a couple of exceptions, such as 19th century ships, the Italian communications infrastructure, and, the WW2 technology of Teutonia. A certain amount of anachronism can be explained by gates and/or alien contact. That said, here: fun is basically the only goal.



Prespos