I have a setting which I call "Fantasy Earth". I started in a Europe/North Africa centered area and I've been expanding slowly to incorporate as much of the core D&D critters and races as I can.

It is a heavily Human-centric world with non humans limited to where they originated, more or less, in Real World Myth...at least as I'm familiar with it.

This particular game setting is my attempt to incorporate "Lost World" stories and myth into the main world, along with a place to put Dragons (core to a game named Dungeons and Dragons, but vanishingly rare in appearance in Earth Myth) and Dragonborn.

So I took South America, which I hadn't used, yet, and am turning it into dragon/dinosaur centric setting. No mammals, other than at sea, and the few birds limited to the north and south. Plenty of Reptiles, Amphibians and Insects, however.

Available races will be limited to Dragonborn, Lizardmen, and Kobolds. Dragonborn replace Humans as the main race.

Note that the situation of the isolated continent causes some greater variations than the PHB and/or Volo's give, such as tribes of "purebred" dragonborn.

Also keep in mind that there are reasons for the isolation of the Dragon Continent: As such ships are limited to shore hugging fishing boats, and something keeps folks from just walking north through Panama to North America. That, too, has been addressed in the main world setting, but will likely never come up here.
This message was last edited by the GM at 19:48, Thu 06 June 2019.

Please keep in mind that I am trying to construct a world setting based on Earth Myth. While you may find this the perfect place for your favorite D&D specific critter or race, if it is based on Earth myth I may have already placed it elsewhere, and, if it isn't, I don't plan to place it much of anywhere.

I'm looking for folks to help me try out the setting as I see it. I'm probably not going to change things around to incorporate something I'm not even familiar with or have never heard of, and certainly not something homebrew or from non WoTC sources.

That being said, you can always ask, if you have a reference source for it that I can refer to. Preferably one published or posted by Wotc. I'm not adverse to Unearthed Arcana, for instance. Just please be prepared for a "no".
This message was last edited by the GM at 21:17, Tue 01 Aug 2023.

The clannishness of Dragonborn on a continent where they are the dominant sapient races has preserved the original 10 sub races to some degree. Clans tend to a single scale color, with the related breath weapon and etc, and live in the general environment of their dragon type.

Kobolds also tend towards a distinct tribal color pattern with the same ramifications (although that's mostly limited to sorcerers). In fact, the metallic scaled Kobolds tend towards Neutrality rather than Evil, although good Kobolds can occasionally be found anywhere.

It should be noted that dragon types not only have a particular elemental affinity as referenced by their resistance and breath weapon, but a distinct terrain type they are most comfortable in. I have extended this to purebred Dragonborn and Kobolds. It is already true of Lizardfolk.

There are two types of city, generally speaking:

Trade Cities:
These are cities that just happened, more or less. They are generally coastal or river based. A small tribal village grew into a town as other tribes moved in and joined for mutual wealth and growth, then interbred into the Brown scaled Mixed Dragonborn.

Library Cities:
Silver Villages that had larger libraries, or taught more than one wizard specialty would tend to draw more researchers and students and require more infrastructure, and hence, draw more non silver rural sorts trying to make their fortunes. And, again, as generations pass, more and more interbreeding makes for more and more Citybred Brownscales.

This means that most cities are either coastal, river side, or mountainous. So far, at least.

It should be noted that the Dragon continent is both older, by far, than other continents (as evidenced by the more "primitive" evolutionary status of much of the lifeforms), and somewhat stagnant and stuck in time (or, at least, slower advancing), making it somewhat more backward or younger seeming than the greater world at large.

Being older than the rest of the world, one would think that the Dragon Continent would be more advanced...but if that were so, they wouldn't be so isolated with plenty of ocean access and a land bridge to  the Northern Continent.

Firstly, of course, they are, in regards to evolution, older and more primitive life forms. This likely includes intellect. They just don't seem to be as imaginative. Naval science is a prime example. They just can't go far from shore safely. This is likely due to a lack of ability to handle inclement weather at sea along with a lack of Navigation knowledge.

Then, too, Purebreds (both Dragonborn and Kobold) seem genetically predisposed to certain environment types, inhibiting travel and the genetic blending that is just now happening in cities. Lizardfolk share this trait as well, even without the black or green dragon blood that influences most Lizardfolk tribes. In fact, most warlike situations are probably tribes of Lizardfolk and Purebreds arguing over who's swamp or forest it is.

Moreover, magic is in their blood, especially the Dragonborn. They just don't need the technological advancements that other races do. Magic is second nature and any Dragonborn can learn it simply by deciding it would be a good idea to do so. Half the population likely knows a bit of magic. Prestidigitation alone replaces the need for tinderboxes, cleaning supplies, and personal spices. Plus a bit of Draconic sorcery makes light armor moot.

As such, technological advancements that Europe takes for granted have been slow in coming, while the mechanical expertise of the Gremlins and Artificers of Araby are still centuries away.
This message was last edited by the GM at 21:24, Tue 01 Aug 2023.