Are there any active high fantasy MU*s? Nothing D&D, but more like just an interesting setting where one can play wizards, knights, etc.
If not, I might build one. I've been inspired by playing MTG a bunch lately.
I started working on one not too long ago focused on small folk (sort of like gnomes) and their high fantasy adventures/world. The knights road like snow lynxes, war ponies and wild boar. It had an encroaching enemy of other small folk (goblin-like) who mounted like winter wolves and wolverines. It was a small forest location and focused on their struggles, the bad ones were winning the struggle to control the vale/valley. It stalled as some collaborators weren't sure about playing wee folk.
A unique high fantasy would be interesting to see.
I'm just a surge protector doing my job, sir.
@lotherio I get why some people would feel that way. From my perspective, Elves and Humans tend to be the most popular fantasy races, even if I do love stodgy old dwarves myself. I just see it over and over again in various tabletop games, MMOs, what have you.
@lotherio I'd love a game set in an alternate Mythical Era. If any of you have read Mystic by Crossgen Comics, that world would be amazing as a MU*. Lots of diff magical guilds, guild rivalry, different creatures and races, and the occasional godling or two.
I think it could be done with Ars Magica. Anyone have code for that?
I don't know if there was ever mushcode for Ars Magica. Google shows old pages that referenced Pax Magica, but I believe that may have been a MUD.
As for Crossgen Comics, is there a way to just base an original theme off what the Mystic comic had? High fantasy place, guild drama throughout the realms between mystical guilds competing to control the power/resources/what have you.
Just looking at Mystic, it looks pretty in depth. It looks like Crossgen had a few comic runs going in a blended universe with lots of lore throughout all of them? It also looks like it used the rare wizard type (Sigil Bearer?) as a special character type (Jedi/Gandalf and his kind/etc).
For me, I'd more buy into original theme these days I think when it comes to high fantasy (most themes actually). I may be odd person out with wanting original themes.
@lotherio I wouldn't want the super special snowflake of the Sigil Bearer. I'd just want a world with guilds, different creatures and lots of magical intrigue/combat/adventures.
@chibichibi I believe there is still Dresden files RPG code out there that could easily be applied to that sort of setting.
Its fate though, not everyone's cup of tea.
@lotherio said in Are there any high fantasy MU*s?:
I started working on one not too long ago focused on small folk (sort of like gnomes) and their high fantasy adventures/world. The knights road like snow lynxes, war ponies and wild boar. It had an encroaching enemy of other small folk (goblin-like) who mounted like winter wolves and wolverines. It was a small forest location and focused on their struggles, the bad ones were winning the struggle to control the vale/valley. It stalled as some collaborators weren't sure about playing wee folk.
Sounds a bit like Mouse Guard, which is a MU* I would like to see sometime.
Ceterum autem censeo Carthaginem esse delendam
@ominous said in Are there any high fantasy MU*s?:
Sounds a bit like Mouse Guard, which is a MU* I would like to see sometime.
That reminds me, I need to bother looking into Pugmire one of these days.
I personally think Monarchies of Mau is the better system and setting.
@ominous said in Are there any high fantasy MU*s?:
I personally think Monarchies of Mau is the better system and setting.
I'll have to look into that as well.
@ominous said in Are there any high fantasy MU*s?:
@lotherio said in Are there any high fantasy MU*s?:
I started working on one not too long ago focused on small folk (sort of like gnomes) and their high fantasy adventures/world. The knights road like snow lynxes, war ponies and wild boar. It had an encroaching enemy of other small folk (goblin-like) who mounted like winter wolves and wolverines. It was a small forest location and focused on their struggles, the bad ones were winning the struggle to control the vale/valley. It stalled as some collaborators weren't sure about playing wee folk.
Sounds a bit like Mouse Guard, which is a MU* I would like to see sometime.
Mouseguard, Humblewood, Secret of NIMH, Peter Rabbit - numerous intimate, 'small world' references/settings abound. Its a bit of that sans the anthromorphic characters. Combined with the small folk in Ridley Scott's Legend (Honeythorn Gump, Brown Tom, Screwball, Oona). Maybe closer to Legend without humans.
For me, I couldn't do one of the established RPGs/settings like Mouseguard or Humblewood.
I'm just a surge protector doing my job, sir.
I've been drooling over the idea of a high fantasy game for a while, and I even started working on one a while back revolving around a mercenary company that might still get off the ground some time this year if I can get over some roadblocks in my head re: some setting/design stuff and just...life in general. 
Not going to sit here and act like I wouldn't do unspeakable things for an Elder Scrolls game.
@lotherio said in Are there any high fantasy MU*s?:
For me, I couldn't do one of the established RPGs/settings like Mouseguard or Humblewood.
Me either. It's kind of why I want to turn the mice into humans and just have the dangers of the world be equally large and dangerous as the dangers in Mouse Guard are to mice. Make the snake a giant snake. Make the owl a dragon, wyvern, or a roc.
Ceterum autem censeo Carthaginem esse delendam
@ominous Yeah, that would be good. I think the small folk (gnome'ish/goblin'ish) was an attempt to be more human-like for folks not interested in anthromorphic characters and still making things like giant eagle/owl a danger. Human in a dangerous world is a good idea.`
I have two curiosities:
To the original idea of high fantasy involving mystic guilds suggested by @chibichibi and to include @Wizz's idea of the Black Company. Black Company fantasy is derivative of the real world White Company from 13th-15th century Italy. Same time is a lot of the house to house warfare that made the old tower houses in a lot of towns. What if you removed noble houses and made Wizard guilds in towers, fighting for control of a city/area and had merc companies for hire to fight the battles between the guilds, similar to Italy of the time. And what if the natural world was just as dangerous for high fantasy. The north isn't humans ready to invade, its wild land ruled by some dragons or something. Going west is dangerous for other natural regions. The merc company as much fights the wars between magic guilds as it does defend the city from real world dangers. Could be other merc companies/roaming war bands too. Might make for high fantasy type adventures?
The human's in place of mice ala Mouseguard. What if it was future fantasy (Thundarr'ish)? Less cartoonish. Cities are ruled by corrupt wizards at best, the lands between is either outlaws or dangerous mutated monsters (like a moose in Mouseguard is a walking giant)?
Just thoughts in general, hopefully someone does pick up and consider a high fantasy. If someone starts original theme and needs a little support/assistance on the backend I can chip in a little as needed.
I'm just a surge protector doing my job, sir.
Not to advocate for this specific setting but The Traitor Son novels by Miles Cameron reversed the trope of man versus nature very well.
Typically the fires of industry threaten the natural balance, forests are chopped down and magic fades from the world. In these books nature is a badass not too fond of humans and their cities, so civilization is shrinking; gryphons attack settlements, exotic creatures are pushing desperate communities back behind their walls, and humankind may well be an endangered species.
This could make for an interesting setting to base a game (or campaign 
) on.
@arkandel said in Are there any high fantasy MU*s?:
Not to advocate for this specific setting but The Traitor Son novels by Miles Cameron reversed the trope of man versus nature very well.
Typically the fires of industry threaten the natural balance, forests are chopped down and magic fades from the world. In these books nature is a badass not too fond of humans and their cities, so civilization is shrinking; gryphons attack settlements, exotic creatures are pushing desperate communities back behind their walls, and humankind may well be an endangered species.
This could make for an interesting setting to base a game (or campaign
Question.
Did the humans perhaps expand aggressively into nature, threatening the natural balance, chopping down forests, and that's why nature's like, "lulz no"?
"Excuse the hell out of you. He's a bag of dicks. I'm a carefully curated box of cocks." -- to @GirlCalledBlu upon being misrepresented.
@arkandel said in Are there any high fantasy MU*s?:
Not to advocate for this specific setting but The Traitor Son novels by Miles Cameron reversed the trope of man versus nature very well.
Typically the fires of industry threaten the natural balance, forests are chopped down and magic fades from the world. In these books nature is a badass not too fond of humans and their cities, so civilization is shrinking; gryphons attack settlements, exotic creatures are pushing desperate communities back behind their walls, and humankind may well be an endangered species.
This could make for an interesting setting to base a game (or campaign
The Deathworld books by Harry Harrison have something similar.
@coin said in Are there any high fantasy MU*s?:
@arkandel said in Are there any high fantasy MU*s?:
Not to advocate for this specific setting but The Traitor Son novels by Miles Cameron reversed the trope of man versus nature very well.
Typically the fires of industry threaten the natural balance, forests are chopped down and magic fades from the world. In these books nature is a badass not too fond of humans and their cities, so civilization is shrinking; gryphons attack settlements, exotic creatures are pushing desperate communities back behind their walls, and humankind may well be an endangered species.
This could make for an interesting setting to base a game (or campaign
Question.
Did the humans perhaps expand aggressively into nature, threatening the natural balance, chopping down forests, and that's why nature's like, "lulz no"?
In the novels it was... more complicated than that. No, but also yes.
In a game or campaign that could be an interesting origin to explore though.
I've been drooling over the idea of a high fantasy game for a while, and I even started working on one a while back revolving around a mercenary company that might still get off the ground some time this year if I can get over some roadblocks in my head re: some setting/design stuff and just...life in general.
