In a paragraph: A Bronze to Classical Antiquity type Sword & Sorcery setting based in Southeast Asia during the last Ice Age. The content on this blog is a mixture of high-level ideas, detailed information, resources and tools to help you create your own Sundaland setting.
Where to start?
1. Read this: Introduction: What and where is Sundaland?
2. Then this: Sundaland Workbook: What does your Sundaland Look Like?
3. Create an adventure with these Adventure Ideas or this Sword & Sorcery Adventure Generator
4. Play a game using your favourite RPG rules. I like to use the free IronSworn RPG rules which suit a gritty Sword & Sorcery style. Just remember to swear your vowes on Bronze instead of Iron! You can read some of my play reports using those rules here: Game Diary: Elephant Queens & Tiger Kings
Play to find out what happens! If you want more setting construction tables, resources and lore have a look at the resources below, ranging from high level concepts, to specific adventure ideas.
High Level Information
Biomes of Sundaland Maps
Elder Beings: Truth of the Star Gods Random Tables
Magical Metals of Sundaland Random Tables
Orichalcum: The Magical Metals of Sundaland Random Tables
Plant, Animal, Mineral and other Resources of Sundaland Random Tables
Population: Cities, Town and Villages in Sundaland
Seafaring and Sea Gypsies
Volcanoes
Plant, Animal, Mineral and other Resources of Sundaland Random Tables
Population: Cities, Town and Villages in Sundaland
Seafaring and Sea Gypsies
Volcanoes
Maps and Locations
21,000 Years in Sundaland Animated Map
Adventure Location: Underground Cities
Ancient Rock City of Sigiriya
City Generation Random Tables
Adventure Location: Underground Cities
Ancient Rock City of Sigiriya
City Generation Random Tables
Giant Sinkholes
How to start a Bronze Age: Metal Resources in Sundaland Map
Spice Trade in Sundaland Random Tables, Map
Sundaland Geographical Map MapSpice Trade in Sundaland Random Tables, Map
Real History and Geography: Llanos de Moxos and Tepui
The True Size of Sundaland Maps
Cultures and People
Character Backgrounds for Bronze to Classical Ages
The True Size of Sundaland Maps
Cultures and People
Character Backgrounds for Bronze to Classical Ages
Cultural Flavour Tables Random Tables
Cultures: The Long Heads
Cultures: Lemukét
Hominids: Denisovans and Homo Floresiensis in Sundaland
Random RPG Faction Generator Random Tables
Sundaland Culture Generator Random Tables
Cultures: Lemukét
Hominids: Denisovans and Homo Floresiensis in Sundaland
Random RPG Faction Generator Random Tables
Sundaland Culture Generator Random Tables
The Gods and Religions of Sundaland Random Tables
Beasts and Monsters
Cave Hyena
Frog people of the Sundaland swamps
Giant Apes
Beasts and Monsters
Cave Hyena
Frog people of the Sundaland swamps
Giant Apes
Sundaland Sword & Sorcery Adventure Generator Random Tables
Meta
Constructing fictional worlds while leaving room for other people's imagination and creativity
Creating Culture Shock In Sword & Sorcery Settings
Player Rewards That Invoke A Bronze to Classical Age Setting
Setting Influences: The Maya
Why You Should Use The Number 72 In Your Game
Imagery and Inspiration Boards
Pinterest Sundaland Inspiration Board
Books and articles about Sundaland
New Scientist: Where it all began
Atlantis in the Java Sea: A great overview of the Sundaland civilisation hypothesis.
Wikipedia: Austronesian Peoples - Out of Sundaland Model
Eden in the East: Drowned Continent of South East Asia
Magicians of the Gods: The Forgotten Wisdom of Earth's Lost Civilisation
1177 BC: The Year Civilization Collapsed
Flash Fiction
An Account of Sundaland by Alom Takal
Film Inspirations for Bronze Age aesthetics and Sword & Sorcery feel
Personally my preference for the technology level and mood of this setting is Bronze Age S&S. The films listed below are clearly not authentically depicting the Bronze Age, nor the ethnicities of the people of Sundaland. But I like the architecture and locations as well as the Sword & Sorcery feel. While it's definitely interesting to incorporate some of the aesthetic of the known civilisations and cultures of Southeast Asia, there's no reason to expect much similarity given the thousands of years that lie between the eras.
For the later period just before the floods I would look to the Classical Antiquity for inspiration (at least in terms of technology), the Greek, Roman, Gupta and Han empires at their height as well as the central and South American civilisations such as the Aztec, Mayan, Incan etc. For information about the ethnicities of the people of the area see further below.
Apocalypto (2006)
Conan the Barbarian (1982)
Exodus: Gods and Kings (2014)
The Scorpion King (2002)
Troy (2004)
Recommended RPG Resources
The links to products hosted on DriveThru RPG are affiliate links, I receive a commission for any products that you buy after following them.
Film Inspirations for Bronze Age aesthetics and Sword & Sorcery feel
Personally my preference for the technology level and mood of this setting is Bronze Age S&S. The films listed below are clearly not authentically depicting the Bronze Age, nor the ethnicities of the people of Sundaland. But I like the architecture and locations as well as the Sword & Sorcery feel. While it's definitely interesting to incorporate some of the aesthetic of the known civilisations and cultures of Southeast Asia, there's no reason to expect much similarity given the thousands of years that lie between the eras.
For the later period just before the floods I would look to the Classical Antiquity for inspiration (at least in terms of technology), the Greek, Roman, Gupta and Han empires at their height as well as the central and South American civilisations such as the Aztec, Mayan, Incan etc. For information about the ethnicities of the people of the area see further below.
Apocalypto (2006)
Conan the Barbarian (1982)
Exodus: Gods and Kings (2014)
The Scorpion King (2002)
Troy (2004)
Recommended RPG Resources
The links to products hosted on DriveThru RPG are affiliate links, I receive a commission for any products that you buy after following them.
Ancient Worlds: Atisi RPG
Article: Of Bronze, Burning Palaces, and “Certain Kinds of People”
Babylon On Which Fame And Jubilation Are Bestowed 2nd Edition
Babylon: Tribes and Armies
Brazen Backgrounds: Character Backgrounds for Bronze Age Settings
Blood and Bronze RPG
Article: Of Bronze, Burning Palaces, and “Certain Kinds of People”
Babylon On Which Fame And Jubilation Are Bestowed 2nd Edition
Babylon: Tribes and Armies
Brazen Backgrounds: Character Backgrounds for Bronze Age Settings
Blood and Bronze RPG
Modiphius Conan RPG (defunct)
Spears of the Dawn RPG
Totems of the Dead Game Masters Guide to the Untamed Lands
Totems of the Dead Players Guide to the Untamed Lands
Twenty Five Personalities of the Kingdom of Babylon
Xoth RPG Setting
The Yaurcoan Empire - Setting
Yoon Suin - Setting
Spears of the Dawn RPG
Totems of the Dead Game Masters Guide to the Untamed Lands
Totems of the Dead Players Guide to the Untamed Lands
Twenty Five Personalities of the Kingdom of Babylon
Xoth RPG Setting
The Yaurcoan Empire - Setting
Yoon Suin - Setting
I use the IronSworn RPG for solo games:
Real History
I've collected the great number of posts about real history in one place: Real History Posts
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