Midgard Worldbook

The Midgard Worldbook is a campaign setting guide for fantasy roleplaying games, presenting a complete world with distinct regions, cultures, and mythologies. It builds its foundation on Norse mythology while incorporating elements from Eastern European and Middle Eastern folklore. The book details the geography, politics, and religions of multiple kingdoms and empires across the continent of Midgard, including the Seven Cities, the Northlands, and the Dragon Empire. Each region contains information about local traditions, power groups, and adventure locations, supported by maps and illustrations. The work includes new player options, magic systems, and monsters drawn from both historical folklore and original creations. Game masters receive tools for running campaigns in various styles, from political intrigue to dungeon exploration. The setting explores themes of power and destiny, with a world where dragons scheme from shadow thrones and the gods maintain a tenuous influence over mortal affairs. Its mix of familiar and obscure mythological elements creates opportunities for both traditional fantasy storytelling and unexpected narrative paths.

Readers appreciate the deep lore and unique Norse/Slavic-inspired fantasy setting that moves beyond standard medieval European tropes. Multiple reviewers highlight the Shadow Roads system of magic and the creative monster variants as standout elements. Readers note the book provides flexible adventure hooks rather than rigid plots, making it adaptable for different campaigns. The detailed city descriptions and cultural backgrounds receive consistent praise. Common criticisms focus on editing issues, with some readers pointing out typos and organizational problems. A few reviews mention the book assumes familiarity with prior Midgard content, making it less accessible to newcomers. Ratings across platforms: DriveThruRPG: 4.7/5 (42 reviews) Goodreads: 4.4/5 (25 reviews) Amazon: 4.6/5 (31 reviews) "The setting manages to feel both fresh and familiar," notes one DriveThruRPG reviewer. Another reviewer on Goodreads states: "The layout could be better organized, but the content itself is worth working through the structural issues."

Kobold Guide to Worldbuilding by Wolfgang Baur A collection of essays from game designers explains the techniques and principles for crafting fantasy campaign settings.

Ptolus: City by the Spire by Monte Cook The 672-page city sourcebook presents intricate details of a fantasy metropolis built upon ancient secrets and dungeons.

Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting by Ed Greenwood, Sean K. Reynolds The sourcebook contains maps, histories, and lore for the most extensive fantasy setting in tabletop roleplaying games.

Cities of Fantasy: Skraag - City of Orcs by Robin Laws This setting book focuses on a complete orc civilization with culture, politics, and adventure hooks for game masters.

Red Tide: Campaign Sourcebook and Sandbox Toolkit by Kevin Crawford The combination of setting material and creation tools enables game masters to build their own fantasy campaigns in an Asian-influenced world.

🐲 Midgard began as a home campaign setting in 1985 and evolved through decades of play before becoming a published world in 2011. 🗺️ The world draws heavily from Eastern European and Nordic mythology, offering a fresh alternative to the typically Western European-inspired fantasy settings. 👑 Wolfgang Baur, the author, was a former TSR and Wizards of the Coast designer who worked on Planescape and various D&D publications before creating Kobold Press. ⚔️ The setting includes unique regions like the Dragon Empire, where dragons rule as nobility and maintain their own courts and political systems. 🎲 Midgard has been adapted for multiple game systems, including Pathfinder and 5th Edition D&D, making it one of the most versatile third-party campaign settings available.