The Witcher

**Dirty Chai** · February 23, 2014, 12:13 AM

I was simply pondering about how much I love the place-names used in the Witcher universe as opposed to place-names in ASOIAF, as well as the heraldry, and started to wonder..
If a person did a Witcher-themed RPG here on TWC, how would it best be done?

I - Nobles and Kings
Players typically play the landed lords and rulers of the Northern Kingdoms, with some other classes thrown in like priests and probably something for Witchers themselves.
This would be akin to older games like GSTK and Game of Thrones, but with a handful of kingdoms and a giant, evil NPC empire in the south.

I - Group(s) of Adventurers
Players play individual characters bound together into a group on a common cause, perhaps attempting to defend a certain location or achieve a goal.
An example would be fighting for Vergen and a Free Pontar Valley like in the second Witcher game by CD Projeckt.

In summary:
I - Big armies, RP between nobles and commanders, political intrigues
II - Better, personalized RP, zoomed in on individualized interactions; more detailed with skills and classes; detailed events and locations

**Clagius** · February 23, 2014, 01:02 AM

Well we had many discussions about this on Steam eons ago. I'd still stick with Nobles and Kings. But alternatively people should be able to play Adventurers.

**Zectorman** · February 23, 2014, 06:59 AM

unfortunately I have little to no knowledge on the Witcher or its own lore : /

**Ace_General** · February 23, 2014, 09:01 AM

Isnt the witcher a historical allegory of late medieval eastern Europe or something? And isnt redmania poland or something?

**Axis Sunsoar** · February 23, 2014, 12:39 PM

I would say it would start with nobles and kings, but if it were to get a restart, it might switch to adventurers, depending on how nobles/kings went.

**Dirty Chai** · February 23, 2014, 12:41 PM

Originally Posted by Ace_General

Isnt the witcher a historical allegory of late medieval eastern Europe or something? And isnt redmania poland or something?

You can't take any one of the realms in the Witcher universe and apply to it any single historical region, but yes, it is the best fantasy world I have seen that uses a lot of Slavic influences.
It's a typical fantasy world, based on Western Europe, but because its author is Polish, Western Slavic influences also appear.

Aesthetically, the world is very Western European.

**Dirty Chai** · February 23, 2014, 01:02 PM

Here's how I'd do it then:

Either..

Temeria

or...

Temeria, Redania, Kaedwen, and Aedirn

Either way, Nilfgaard would be an NPC Empire always looming in the south, and a good source for invasions and such.

**Axis Sunsoar** · February 23, 2014, 02:49 PM

I'd prefer Temeria, Redania, Kaedwen, and Aedirn

**Lucius Malfoy** · February 23, 2014, 04:01 PM

I would have to agree with Axis.

And I do also have to agree with the view of this universe from Sotha. Though its influences are eastern, the world is very much so Western European. Titles and names are very Western and not so much Eastern.

**Pinkerton** · February 23, 2014, 04:34 PM

1st option

**Dirty Chai** · February 23, 2014, 04:42 PM

What's really important is that the Northern Kingdoms all pretty much hold the same culture. In the games they all speak the same language, though in books they might have different dialects or something. There's no cultural customs that are different between the men of the Northern Kingdoms, with the exception of some various different religious beliefs (different patron gods, some follow a holy flame, others worship both, etc) with overlapping syncretism.

Also, Sapkowski really put more emphasis on the themes of prejudice in the universe, with the Dwarves and Elves being allegories for Jews, Gypsies, and other ostracized or downtrodden peoples.
Pogroms (which were against Jews starting in the historical Middle Ages) regularly occur against non-humans in areas of human population, for example.