Slavic AD&D Campaign Setting Resources [closed]

Question

In the future I would love to play AD&D in a campaign setting based off of the mythologies of Eastern Europe, specifically that of Ukraine, Belarus and Russia. Similar to the idea that was attempted with Oriental Adventures, but instead focusing upon the Wild East.

I am unsure if this is too broad, though I doubt it, as I doubt there were many (if any) attempts to bring the rich (but little known) spectre of Slavic mythology to AD&D.

Are there any resources available that detail stats and mechanics for Slavic monsters, gods, weapons, etc?

Answer 1

As Dakeyras said, there's no official, concise, complete Eastern European setting for D&D.

However, with a little effort , you can create your own, based on fragmented D&D resources and material for other rpgs, both of which will require conversion... but as a GM/DM that shouldn't be too much of a challenge.

I'd suggest taking a thorough look at the rather cool GURPS Russia book (here's an official excerpt), not for the rules, but for the wealth of info on the topic. Here's its blurb from its official page. (Note that it's an old publication. And its blurb is old as well, apparently. :))

GURPS Russia presents the Russian world from its beginnings in the 10th century to its new beginnings in the early 18th. In this book, the GM will find complete details on the history, folklore, and daily life not of the Soviet Union or of the Imperial Age, but of medieval Russia – a culture that seems all but forgotten in the twentieth century, overborne and overshadowed by the U.S.S.R. To most Westerners, the word "Russia" is synonymous with communism, nuclear war, competing space programs, and WWI-level farm equipment serving in the fields of The People.

This book puts characters into the Russia of the Middle Ages, from the 10th century to the 18th. It also opens up the world of Russian folklore and fairytales, where all sorts of interesting – and sometimes frightening – creatures dwell.

Sure, you might want to go for a GURPS to D&D rules conversion solution as well. Then, if you've read GURPS Russia, all you have to do is come up with your own stats for creatures and people... or find their equivalents in D&D... or find them in D&D (though you might still need to do some conversion between editions), in which google will definitely help (here's a pointer for Baba Yaga, for example. And here's another. Both are official D&D.)

Answer 2

Sadly, I think the answer's no. There's a list of campaign settings on Wikipedia that seems to be quite complete, especially for earlier D&D editions. There's also a list of D&D settings, which isn't missing anything I can see. Neither of them have anything like what you're looking for, so odds are that you can't even use another system's setting as inspiration. There may be a fan-made version, but if so, I'd guess it's in a Slavic language. I haven't found anything on Google (in English), and I've tried a variety of terms.

On the other hand, if all you want to do is stat up some weapons, monsters and gods and you already have sources for them, it's not that hard to do yourself. Bladed weapons especially will usually fall in a damage range between dagger and longsword. In 1st edition, pretty much all special abilities are simply in the description. If you were to rewrite a monster description and come up with a fair estimate of the hit dice and armour class, as well as movement speed, that's most of the work done.

Answer 3

The Wild North setting in Fight On #3 was written by myself and it is my attempt at combining Russian mythology with D&D tropes. You can get it from Lulu either printed or in PDF. Warning Lulu has expensive overseas shipping so the only practical option may be the PDF. While statted for Original D&D it works with any classic edition.

It is based on my understanding of Early Slavic and Kievan Rus.

Finally I highly recommend GURPS Russia, which was an inspiration for me writing the Wild North.

Answer 4

The only setting I'm familiar with that had even a touch of Slavic influence was the 2e Birthright setting.

The Vosgaard region was explicitly based on medieval Rus, and you should be able to find some information in the Tribes of the Heartless Waste accessory if you can find it.

Beyond that I don't know if there's much more out there.

Answer 5

It's not for D&D specifically, but I own Mythic Russia which is a HeroQuest-based game that is completely about that kind of setting, written by a professor of Russian history. He has a "Mythic Russia" blog that is still active! Maybe take a break from AD&D and run that, or at least loot it for info. I haven't played Mythic Russia but HeroQuest (of Glorantha fame) is a well respected game system. It and a supplement are available on Lulu.

Answer 6

If you're okay with something more constrained, the Pathfinder "Reign of Winter" adventure path is explicitly Russian in flavor, set in a Russian expy called Irrisen and pitting the player characters against Baba Yaga. (There's a more direct link, too, but saying more runs the risk of spoilers.)

Answer 7

If you can find it, the Ussura supplement for the 7th Sea game depicts a land based on mediaeval Russia.

Answer 8

Don't know if it's still pertinent, but I recently started running such a game (called Lukomorye). Based on 5e rather than AD&D rules, but nevertheless. I don't have a completed bestiary as this is a work in progress, but I have a more-or-less complete set of custom classes, archetypes, races, and backgrounds, as well as equipment lists, and material on politics, economy, religion, etc.

I blog about it here:

http://bardichesandbathhouses.blogspot.com/