Wagadu Chronicles is an Afrocentric Fantasy Game by Twin Drums set in a purgatory like world where all mortals fell from some higher plane of existence. The Lore Book can be downloaded for free here
A MMORPG based on the setting will soon be available in early access on Steam.
Wagadu Chronicles provides examples of:
- Amnesiac Dissonance: People who fall into Wagadu from the higher realm find that their memories of their life there are scrambled. It's common to meet someone who you knew while living there and find they remember things differently. One plot hook has the PCs remember that their quest giver was an enemy of theirs in the higher realm and wondering if he does.
- Angry, Angry Hippos: Ekine Hippos are spirit hippopotami and some of the nastiest creatures in Wagadu, perhaps unsurprisingly they are some of the creatures immune to being bribed.
- Armed Legs: Dyobi – the Runner is a spirit with long, needle like legs that can be used to stab enemies.
- Ascended to a Higher Plane of Existence: Inverted, all mortals on the plane descended from some higher plane.
- Badass Bureaucrat: Udo – The Rule Master is an Undead created from an Obstructive Bureaucrat and like other spirits from the Ekpo Spirit family loves to wrestle.
- "Begone" Bribe: Most monsters in Wagadu are somewhat reasonable, or at least obsessive-compulsive enough to be convinced to leave you alone in the right circumstances.
- Dark Is Not Evil: The Black Ancestor spirit family is benevolent, and considering the settings default skin color for most characters in this setting the Emere are closer to the High/Wood elf stereotype than they are to the Drow.
- Disability Superpower: Anyone who was disabled in the Upper World gets some sort of ability to make up for it after falling to Wagadu.
- Eyes Do Not Belong There: Aigamuxa – The Hungry Devil is a Undead who walks on its hands and has eyes on the soles of his feet.
- Fantasy Counterpart Culture: The setting is meant to be one for ancient Africa.
- Heel–Face Revolving Door:
Character Alignment is a lot more flexible in Wagadu than other D&D settings; a Lawful Good spirit might turn Chaotic Evil if pissed off enough and vice versa. - Intelligent Primate: Bonu Amuen are Baboon spirits with fancy hairdo's.
- Massive Race Selection:
- Asimans: Pretty much Genasi
- Daa'ima: Humanoid moth people
- Emere: Forest dwelling mystics
- Ikaki: A race of amphibious humanoids.
- The Ironmasters: Short, stocky metalurgists with a fondness for growing beards.
- Lionbloods: Humanoid lion people.
- Swala: A race of Humanoid Anthelopes descended from the Emere.
- Medieval European Fantasy: Averted, the writers intentionally wanted to subvert this trope by making a setting based on Africa.
- Mix-and-Match Critters: Several examples:
- Grootslang: Elephant Snake
- Ngloko: Hyena Bear
- Quilled Anthelope: Porcupine Anthelope
- Zamble: Anthelope Leopard
- The Mothman: The Daa'ima are a race of Moth People.
- Outdated Hero vs. Improved Society: The fourth era was full of dystopic societies and Ancestors from that era haven't adapted to modern society very well.
- Our Vampires Are Different: Adze are vampires that can shapeshift into fireflies rather than bats.
- Red and Black and Evil All Over: Played straight and subverted, two major Ancestor spirit groups are Red and Black, the Black ones are friendly but the Red ones aren't.
- Willing Channeler: The local analogue to the Barbarian Class, the Spiritual Warrior uses his barbarian rage by channeling a powerful spirit animal's power.
- Wrestler in All of Us: The local Monk analogue is the Ancestral Wrestler class, between him and the Ekpo spirits you could say that the natives are wrestlers.
