This is a list of campaign settings published for role-playing games. Since role-playing games originally developed from wargames, there are many historical and alternate-history RPGs based on Earth. The settings for such games are excluded from this list, unless they include significant fictional elements.
Many RPG campaign settings are based on fictional universes from books, comics, video games, or films. Campaigns have been created for Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, Star Trek, and James Bond, for example.
| Campaign setting name | Subgenre | Setting location | Game system(s) | Publisher(s) | Period(s) published | Comments | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aerth | High fantasy | The planet Aerth | Dangerous Journeys | Game Designers' Workshop | 1992-1994 | Developed by Gary Gygax before and after he was forced out of TSR. | |
| Agone | High fantasy | Multisim | 1999-2008 | ||||
| Akhamet | Ancient Egyptian Fantasy | Akhamet | D&D 5th edition | First Ones Entertainment | 2018–present | ||
| Al-Qadim | Arabian fantasy | The continent Zakhara on planet Abeir-Toril | AD&D 2nd edition | TSR | 1992-1998 | ||
| The Diamond Throne | Medieval fantasy | d20 System | 2003 | A giant-dominated setting; created by Monte Cook and first published in 2003. | |||
| Arcanis: the World of Shattered Empires | Medieval fantasy | The continent of Onara on the Planet of Arcanis | d20 System, Arcanis rules system, 5ed D&D | Paradigm Concepts | 2001–Present | Focuses on moral ambiguity and politics | |
| Ars Magica | Medieval fantasy, heroic fantasy | Mythic Europe | Ars Magica rules | Lion Rampant, White Wolf, Wizards of the Coast, Atlas Games | 1987-2004 | ||
| Auvron | Heroic fantasy | Auvron | Somlói Ferenc, Kovács Olivér | 1995 | Hungarian language | ||
| Birthright | Medieval fantasy | The continent of Cerilia on the planet Aebrynis | AD&D 2nd edition, D&D 3rd edition | TSR | 1994-2005 | Players each run their own country, and vie economically, politically, and militarily with or against each other and the rest of the countries on the map. | |
| Blackmoor | High fantasy | The planet Mystara | D&D | Judges Guild, TSR, Zeitgeist Games | 1977-2009 | First role-playing game campaign setting developed (1971-) for the purpose, later placed on Greyhawk, then on Mystara, then again relaunched as a standalone world | |
| Blue Rose | Romantic fantasy | The planet Aldea | True20 | Green Ronin Publishing | 2005–present | ||
| Council of Wyrms | High fantasy
| AD&D 2nd edition | TSR | 1994-1999 | Players roleplay dragon characters | ||
| The Dark Eye | Sword and sorcery | Aventuria | Fantasy Productions, Ulisses Spiele | 1984–present | Primarily in German | ||
| Dark Sun | Post-apocalyptic Sword and Sorcery[1] [2] | The planet Athas | AD&D 2nd edition, D&D 4th edition | TSR, WotC | 1991-2010 | ||
| Discworld | High fantasy | GURPS Discworld | Steve Jackson Games | 1998-2002 | Based on Terry Pratchett's Discworld series | ||
| Dragonlance | High fantasy
| The planet Krynn | AD&D, D&D 3rd edition, D&D 5th edition[3] | TSR, Sovereign Press, Inc | 1984–present | ||
| Earthdawn | Sword and sorcery | province Barsaive | FASA | 1993–present | |||
| Eberron | High fantasy | D&D 3rd edition, D&D 4th edition, D&D 5th edition | WotC | 2004–Present | |||
| Exandria | High fantasy | The continents of Tal'Dorei, Wildemount, and Eiselcross[4] [5] | D&D 5e | Green Ronin Publishing, WotC, Darrington Press | 2015–Present | Originally created by Matthew Mercer for his personal Pathfinder campaign. It is now the setting for campaigns in the web series Critical Role and the spinoff web series Exandria Unlimited; it is also an official D&D setting.[6] [7] | |
| Forcelia | High fantasy | The continent of Alecrast | D&D (not TSR's official), Record of Lodoss War, Sword World RPG, Legend of Crystania and Rune Soldier | Group SNE | 1989–present | Primarily in Japanese. | |
| Forgotten Realms | High fantasy | AD&D, AD&D 2nd edition, D&D 3rd/4th/5th edition | TSR, WotC | 1987–present | Originally created as a paracosm by Ed Greenwood in 1967 to provide a setting for his childhood stories. | ||
| Freeport: The City of Adventure | Swashbuckling Medieval fantasy | Generic local setting | d20 System, Pathfinder | Green Ronin Publishing | 2000–present | As a generic setting, Freeport can be expanded by the gamemaster, or inserted into another campaign setting. | |
| Garweeze Wurld | Sword and sorcery | The planet Aldrazar | Hackmaster 4th edition | Kenzer & Company | 2001 | Based on the main setting played by the characters of the Knights of the Dinner Table comic series. It is strongly characterized by Hackmaster's wuss slapping honor system, +12 swords, sidewinder fireballs, etc. | |
| Glorantha | High Fantasy | The planet Glorantha | RuneQuest, Hero Wars, HeroQuest, 13th Age | Chaosium | 1978–present | First introduced in White Bear and Red Moon board game in 1975. | |
| Golarion | Multi-cultural Medieval fantasy | Pathfinder Chronicles | The planet of Pathfinder Roleplaying Game | Paizo Publishing | 2008–present | Regions strongly similar to Europe, Arabia, and Africa | |
| Greyhawk (aka World of Greyhawk) | High fantasy | The planet Oerth | AD&D | TSR, WotC | 1980-2008 | ||
| Hackjammer | Sword and sorcery | The sky, Wildspace, the Phlogiston | Hackmaster 4th Edition | Kenzer & Company | 2005 | Parody of Spelljammer, and add-on to Garweeze Wurld | |
| Hârn | Medieval fantasy | The planet Kethira | HârnMaster | Columbia Games | 1986-2003 | ||
| Hollow World | Classical fantasy | Inside the planet Mystara | D&D | TSR | 1990-1992 | ||
| Hyborian Age | Sword and sorcery | Earth during the Hyborian Age | Conan Role-Playing Game, GURPS Conan, Conan d20, | TSR, Steve Jackson Games, Mongoose Publishing | 1985, 1988-1989, 2004-2007 | Based on Robert E. Howard's Conan stories | |
| Incunabuli | Gothic fantasy | The Coast | Incunabuli system playtest, Various systems | Incunabuli.com | 2017–present | Players inhabit the role of "cutters," professional adventurers who rob ruins and dungeons in the service of banks and esoteric patrons | |
| Iron Kingdoms | Gaslamp fantasy | Immoren | Privateer Press | 2004-2013 | |||
| Kalibruhn | Sword and sorcery | Generic, d20 system | Creations Unlimited, Necromancer Games, Different Worlds | 1987, 2001-2004 | Developed by Robert J. Kuntz, in close association with Greyhawk, as early as 1973. | ||
| Kara-Tur | Wuxia | The continent of Kara-Tur on planet Abeir-Toril | AD&D | TSR | 1985-1990 | Located on the same continent and Planet as Forgotten Realms and Al-Qadim. Created for the 1st edition of Oriental Adventures but not used for the 3rd edition product of the same name | |
| Kingdoms of Kalamar | Sword and sorcery | The planet Tellene | D&D 3rd edition, HackMaster 5th edition | Kenzer & Company | 1994-2008 | ||
| Lankhmar – City of Adventure | Sword and sorcery | The city of Lankhmar on the planet of Nehwon | AD&D | TSR, Inc. | 1985-1992 | ||
| Legend of the Five Rings | Historical fantasy based on Bushido | Empire of Rokugan | D&D 3rd edition, L5R rules | Alderac Entertainment Group | 1997-2010 | Rokugan was previously used for the D&D 3rd edition Oriental Adventures | |
| Lost Lands | High fantasy | The planet Lloegyr (aka Boros) | d20 System, Pathfinder, Swords & Wizardry, D&D 5th edition | Frog God Games/Necromancer Games/Greg A. Vaughan | 2000–present | Combines the entire catalog of adventures from Frog God Games and Necromancer Games into a single coherent setting. It first appeared in Necromancer Games' 2000 adventure The Wizard's Amulet, was first incorporated into a single setting in Frog God Games' 2010 adventure The Slumbering Tsar Saga, and was first formally branded and described as its own setting in foreword of Frog God Games' 2013 adventure LL1: Stoneheart Valley. | |
| M.A.G.U.S. | high fantasy | Ynev | Valhalla Páholy | 1993 | Hungarian language. Based on the "Tier Nan Gorduin" books by Wayne Chapman. | ||
| Melniboné | Dark fantasy | Stormbringer, Elric!, Elric of Melniboné RPG | Chaosium, Mongoose Publishing | 1981-2007 | Based on the Elric of Melniboné books by Michael Moorcock | ||
| Middle Earth | High fantasy | Middle-earth Role Playing (MERP) rules system, Lord of the Rings RPG (CODA System) | Iron Crown Enterprises (ICE), Decipher, Inc. | 1984-1999, 2002-2006 | |||
| Midgard | Dark fantasy | D&D, Pathfinder, 13th Age, Fantasy AGE, Swords & Wizardry | Kobold Press | 2006–present | Originally the setting for publisher Wolfgang Baur's own D&D campaign, the world which would later be named "Midgard" first appeared in a published product with the release of the 2006 adventure Steam & Brass. | ||
| Mystara | Sword and sorcery (early), high fantasy (late) | The planet Mystara | D&D | TSR | 1981-1996 | Originally referred to as the "Known World", Mystara first appeared in X1 Isle of Dread and Moldvay edition D&D Expert Set. Some earlier D&D Basic modules were integrated into the Mystara world. | |
| Norrath | Sword and sorcery | The planet Norrath | EverQuest RPG | Verant Interactive and 989 Studios | 2002-2006 | ||
| Numenera | Science fantasy | The Ninth World; a future Earth | the Cypher System | Monte Cook Games | 2013–present | Nanites and technology from eight previous advanced civilizations litter the otherwise medieval Ninth World, and some beings can tap into these forces as mages of other fantasy settings could with magic. | |
| The Old World | Sword and sorcery | Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay | 1986-2009 | A spin-off and a parallel universe to Warhammer Fantasy Battle miniature game | |||
| Palladium Fantasy | Sword and sorcery | 1983–Present | |||||
| Planescape | Supernatural interdimensional fantasy | The Great Wheel, aka the Multiverse | AD&D 2nd edition | TSR | 1994-1998 | Interconnects campaigns via pathways and portals but also by providing opportunities for characters from different planes to meet in Heaven, Hell, and in the other planes on the Great Wheel. | |
| Planet Eris | Sword and Sorcery | The planet Eris | OD&D, Generic | The Scribes of Sparn | 2019–present | Human-centric sword & sorcery world with splashes of ERB and other weird fiction. Developed (2010-) by Jimm Johnson. | |
| Scarred Lands | post-apocalyptic fantasy | The planet Scarn | d20 System | Sword & Sorcery Studios (part of White Wolf Publishing) | 2000–present | The rights were acquired in 2013 by Nocturnal Media and Onyx Path Publishing to revive the setting. | |
| Shadow World | High fantasy | The planet Kulthea | Rolemaster | Iron Crown Enterprises | 1987–present | ||
| Spelljammer | Space opera | The sky, Wildspace, the Phlogiston | AD&D 2nd edition, D&D 5th edition [8] | TSR | 1989-1993 | Solar systems contained within crystal spheres floating in the Phlogiston. Spelljammer interconnects other campaigns, by allowing characters to travel between crystal spheres. | |
| Tékumel | Sword and sorcery | The planet Tékumel | Empire of the Petal Throne | TSR, Different Worlds Publications, Guardians of Order | 1974-2005 | The creation of this imaginary world originates in the 1940s. Original D&D in 1974 inspired its development as an RPG setting. | |
| Théah | High fantasy | The continent Théah | 7th Sea (role-playing game), (d20 System) (Swashbuckling Adventures) | Alderac Entertainment Group | 1999 - Present | Modelled on historic Europe | |
| Thieves' World | Sword and Sorcery | The city of Sanctuary, the Rankan Empire | Generic, Runequest 3rd edition, d20 system | Chaosium, FASA, Green Ronin | 1981-1986, 2005-2007 | Based on Thieves' World novels series. | |
| Titan | Sword and sorcery | The continents of Allansia, Khul and the "Old World" | Fighting Fantasy RPG, Advanced Fighting Fantasy, d20 system | Puffin Books, Arion Games | 1984-2014 | Originally a setting for Fighting Fantasy game books since 1982. | |
| Warcraft Universe | Sword and sorcery | Planets of Azeroth, Draenor and others | (d20 System) | Blizzard Entertainment | 2003-2005 | ||
| Westeros | High fantasy | A Game of Thrones RPG | 2006-present | Based on the setting of American author George R. R. Martin, as featured in his series of high fantasy novels titled A Song of Ice and Fire. | |||
| The Wheel of Time | High fantasy | Wheel of Time RPG, d20 System | WotC | 2001-2002 | Based on an epic fantasy series by Robert Jordan. | ||
| Wilderlands of High Fantasy | High fantasy | Generic D&D, D&D 3rd edition | Judges Guild, Necromancer Games | 1976-1983, 2004-2005 | Better known as City State of the Invincible Overlord, it is the first ever published city setting for RPG and the surrounding world developed around it. | ||
| World Tree RPG | High fantasy | the World Tree | Padwolf Publishing | 2001 | Focuses on the culture and social structure of anthropomorph animals and monsters in a surreal setting where the world is a large living tree | ||
| Yrth | Sword and Sorcery | The Planet YRTH | GURPS Fantasy, GURPS Banestorm | Steve Jackson Games | 1986-2005 | Alternate Earth with multiple fantasy races. The Banestorm, caused by a critical spell failure by Elves, brought in people from other worlds, thus any fantasy element can be placed onto this world; GURPS Fantasy: Tredroy and GURPS Fantasy: Harkwood provide additional information. Also GURPS Basic 3rd Ed. has a starter adventure "Caravan to En Arris" which is on a separate continent which can be added anywhere. | |
| Castlemourn | Post-apocalyptic fantasy | Planet of Castlemourn | D&D 4th edition | Margaret Weis Productions | 2006-2008 | ||
| DragonMech | Gaslamp fantasy | Planet of DragonMech | d20 System | Goodman Games, Sword & Sorcery Studios | 2004-2006 | ||
| Eredane | Dark fantasy | d20 System | Fantasy Flight Games | 2003-2009 | |||
| Ptolus | Gaslamp fantasy | Planet of Praemal | D&D 3rd edition | Malhavoc Press | 2002-2009 | ||
| Urban Arcana | Gaslamp fantasy | Generic local setting | d20 Modern | Wizards of the Coast | 2002-2003 | Builds on a small campaign model and adds magic and monsters to the game, and rules for playing Shadowkind characters. | |
| Matter of Britain | High fantasy | Mythological Great Britain and Brittany | Multiple, first used by Pendragon | Mythology, Setting is used by multiple RPGs | 1985-present | A default setting for all RPGs taking place in the world of King Arthur, Merlin and Morgan le Fay. | |
| Jakandor | Sword and sorcery | Island of Jakandor | Advanced Dungeons & Dragons | Wizards of the Coast | 1997-1998 | The setting was released in the form of three books, as part of the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons: Odyssey line. | |
| Uresia | anime fantasy | Planet of Uresia | Systemless, Big Eyes, Small Mouth | Guardians of Order | 2003-2012 | Written by S. John Ross. | |
| Sword and sorcery | Multiple planes including Ravnica, Theros | D&D 5th edition | Wizards of the Coast | 2005-present | The various planes from the collectible card game. | ||
| Roundwander | Fantasy | multiverse of Everway | Everway | Wizards of the Coast | 1995 | Revolves around heroes with the power of "spherewalking," traveling between worlds called "spheres." Spheres typically consist of many "realms." |
New Europa