All These Worlds…

Whether it’s the subterranean world beneath our feet, other planets racing through the sky, or intersections with other planes of existence, the worlds we can visit through role-playing games are infinite. The November 2018 RPG Blog Carnival hopes to capture a few of them.

The topic is inspired by the final message from the David Bowman at the end of 2010: Space Odyssey Two:

“ALL THESE WORLDS ARE YOURS EXCEPT EUROPA.
ATTEMPT NO LANDING THERE.
USE THEM TOGETHER. USE THEM IN PEACE.”

At movie’s end, Jupiter is transformed into a small star by the iconic Monolith. It’s four Galilean moons- Ganymede, Callisto, Europa, and Io – are transformed by the new star, as is Earth. I loved — and still love — the potential of this idea. What wonders await on the once-icy, now-Terran-like moons? How is the hellscape of Io changed? What new secrets await in the depths of Europa’s oceans … and the new Monolith that waits there? And what of Earth, whose inhabitants will now live under the light of two stars?

Equally inspirational is Jake Chambers’ last words to Roland in Stephen King’s The Dark Tower, Book 1: The Gunslinger.

“Go then. There are other worlds than these.”

I get shivers every time I read those words. And that’s what I’m shooting for with this blog carnival. “All These Worlds…” is meant to inspire us to create new worlds, revisit old ones, or ruminate on the art of world building. Throughout the month I’ll be posting some of my favorite worlds from my home campaigns, including planar destinations from Dungeons & Dragons, interstellar locations from Star Wars, and new gate addresses for Stargate.

What should you post? While I’m focusing on building new worlds, the act of world-building — of creating new cultures, religions, organizations, etc. — is certainly a valid approach. So is reminiscing about your favorite destinations from your own campaigns, fantasy and science fictional worlds, and anything else that inspires you.

The sky (or rather, the multiverse) is the limit.

Featured Image Meta

A view of Saturn backlit by the sun taken by the Cassini space probe. Credit: Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

 

19 thoughts on “All These Worlds…”

  1. At Rising Phoenix Games we’ve been going to the world below the waves, exploring the oceans and what the D&D core books have to offer us for building your underwater campaign:

    Part 1 looks at the Player’s Handbook:
    http://www.risingphoenixgames.com/blog/underwater-adventures-in-dungeons-dragons/

    Part 2 dives into the Dungeon Master’s Guide:
    http://www.risingphoenixgames.com/blog/dnd-undersea-adventures/

    And part 3 explores more options hidden within the depths of the Monster Manual:
    http://www.risingphoenixgames.com/blog/sea-monsters-dnd-ocean-adventures-part-3/

    What are you waiting for, plunge right in 😉

  2. Thanks again for all the entries folks! I haven’t had a chance to read them all yet, but I’m looking forward to doing so.

    My second entry for “All These Worlds…” is the Ghost Walk Star Cluster:

    https://www.nuketown.com/the-ghost-walk-star-cluster/

    I originally wrote it up for my Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic campaign. In fact, this location inspired one of that campaign’s most memorable sessions:

    The Final Flight of the Aeon Harrier
    https://www.nuketown.com/game-day-the-final-flight-of-the-aeon-harrier/

    Ken

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