Middle Earth is a fantastic fantasy world and it can be used for tabletop roleplaying games. There are games designed with Middle Earth in mind (MERP by Iron Crown, The One Ring by C7, Adventures in Middle Earth by C7), but they are all out of print. Given the vast amount of Middle Earth content available elsewhere it should be quite fine to use any fantasy roleplaying system not written for a specific setting, right? I particularly like the simplicity of OSR. Well, it is that thing with magic.

Magic in fantasy roleplaying games

Magic in fantasy RPGs is most often about spells. Sometimes they are spectacular and action oriented. Often there are clerics getting their powers from deities, and sorcerors taming raw magic power.

This is not obviously a good match for Middle Earth. Clerics praying to Valar for spells is kind of unheard of. Saruman and Gandalf use magic, but not so easily and not very spectacularly, and they are Maia (half god-like spirits) not men. Powerful elves have some magic abilities. But regular men being educated wizards casting fireballs is quite not in the books.

Magic in Middle Earth

I am presuming a (late) Third Age campaign.

There is definitely magic in Middle Earth. Many magical items are mentioned. There are things like the river horses that swept away the nazgul outside Rivendell, the tempest Saruman used to stop the fellowship from crossing the misty mountains, and whatever was done to Theoden.

However, most magic is very old, connected directly with Elves, or connected to Maia.

When Sauron appeared in Dol Guldur he was thought to be a Necromancer. So the free people of Middle Earth found the existence of a necromancer a possibility (more likeely than the return of Sauron). If a powerful necromancer could have appeared there should also exist magic practitioners.

The question is, how and to what extent can magic be available to the player characters, and their enemies?

What are we looking to solve?

Obviously, if GM and players agree, then so is it: Clerics worhipping Valar and fireballs. However, I think we can do better.

Also, if we want much magic (like in Forgotten Realms) then perhaps it is better to play in setting with more open magic (like FR). But I think we can do better.

Sam feared that Gandalf would turn him into something unnatural. In the movie Gimli warns the hobbits of the elf witch who lives in Lorien […] all under her spell and are never seen again. No one in the fellowship (except Gandalf) had imagined the Balrog in their darkest dreams. So I argue that it is in the essential nature of Middle Earth that unexpected magic and supernatural things can happen. If you mostly remove magic you actually turn your Middle Earth game into less than it deserves to be.

I would like to have a Middle Earth where magic is not at all commonplace, but where it can feasibly and arguably exist. Ideally, I would like to interpret and explain magic so that I can mostly use simle OSR rules, with moderation.

Ideas and possibilities

I will now present some arguments for why (OSR style) magic could be used to some degree in a late Third Age Middle Earth RPG campaign.

Alatar and Pallando: Tolkien wrote in a letter about the two blue Istari: I suspect they were founders or beginners of secret cults and ‘magic’ traditions that outlasted the fall of Sauron. This is clearly an opening for the existence of sorcerors or wizards in Middle Earth, even though they played no part in the books.

Religion: We don’t read in the books about clerics praying and sacrificing to Valar. But the Third age is 3000 years old, and it is not hard to imagine that the free peoples were actually worshipping and praying. That works of fiction do not mention religion does not mean religion can not exist. The most important building in Gondor was obviously not a cathedral, that we know. But can there be no shrines, nowhere, at all?

However, worshipping is one thing, being granted spells is a different story.

Valar: Since the end of Second Age, Valar has a kind of non-intervention policy. However, they sent the Istari to Middle Earth on a mission. Someone sent Gandalf back as the white wizard after the fight with the Balrog. So I think it is unnecessarily restrictive to imagine they have no power whatsoever in Middle Earth.

Maia: The Maia helped Valar create the world, so they are powerful magical spirits creating and changing reality. All of them are not named and they are not numbered. Gandalf said: There are older and fouler things than Orcs in the deep places of the world. The Balrog had been hidden for long times when the dwarves disturbed it. I think as a GM you have quite some space to use unmentioned Maia as source of magic powers.

End of Third Age: The Valar has been quite absent for three millennia. Sauron is rising but driven from Dol Guldur, Smaug is killed, and large parts of Middle Earth (Arnor) is largely desolate and open. The Istari is not supposed to use force, but Saruman has other plans. This is a situation with two factors:

• it is a power vacuum – there for somone (Maia or other) to fill
• the rules are rewritten – Istari are failing their mission

And things can have been going on for centuries quite secret in the background.

Multiverse: The first chapter of Silmarillion does not start with These events took place in a little corner of the multiverse. No other creation myths start like that either. Nevertheless the multiverse idea is that different game settings exist in simultaneously and that the deities can be present in several of them. If Middle Earth is really left alone by the Valar, why would not some other power show interest in it?

Leave it open

I am not suggesting that you as a GM write down exactly who is granting or teaching what magic powers in Middle Earth and tell your players all about it. That serves no purpose and the players need not know.

What you tell the players is that just as the fellowship did not know about the Balrog, they also don’t know about all powers of Middle Earth.

You can tell that the Istari – or other unknown Maia – during the last millennia of the third age may have taught, shared or granted magic to smaller groups of rather unknown spellcasters. The characters know nothing of this, of course, but the players may ask.

You are now free, with moderation, to introduce spellcasters as part of your adventures.

And if a players wants to be a cleric, wizard, sorceror or warlock, it can be done. It may come with risks though

• being accused of witchcraft and black magic is always dangerous
• that magic teacher or spell-granting-deity, who is it really?

Sauron decieved the Numenoreans to worship Morgoth and make human sacrifices.

Conclusion

I think it is possible to run a Middle Earth campaign with a simple OSR system (or your favorite game) and use the magic system of that game mostly the way it is. That does not mean that magic appears in Middle Earth just as it does in Forgotten Realms (or some other hi-magic setting). It just means that magic is possible.

I don’t suggest you to turn Middle Earth into a hi-magic setting. But I also think it is a mistake to have so little magic that there is nothing mysterious or unexpected to the players and their characters to discover.

D&D (and many other RPGs) have ability scores. You are supposed to roll 3d6 for each of them, but most often players want better scores and DMs allow methods that gives better scores.

Each ability has a value in the range 3-18 and it gives a bonus in the range -4 to +4 (for Classic D&D: -3 to +3).

Lets forget about child mortality and assume 3d6 is for those who reach adulthood (without racial ability modifiers). This would give that the average citizen of a fantasy world has a total ability value of 63 (6 x 10.5) and a bonus of 0. It makes sense that the player characters – adventurers – are better than average. Not everyone becomes an adventurer.

If we imagine our D&D town or village not to be so very different from how children grow up today, I think this is a reasonable way to think of it (approximately)

• 1/4: most talented among siblings
• 1/10: most talented kid on the street
• 1/30: most talented in class
• 1/200: most talented in school
• 1/1000: most talented person in a village
• 1/10000: most talented person in town
• … and beyond that, exceptional and rare talent

How does this match ability scores and bonuses?

Ability Score

6 abilities	Better than
63	47%
64	53%
65	58%
66	63%
67	68%
68	73%	Most talented sibling
69	77%
70	81%
71	85%
72	88%
73	Best of 10	Most talented kid on street
74	Best of 14
75	Best of 18
76	Best of 24
77	Best of 32
78	Best of 45
79	Best of 64
80	Best of 92
81	Best of 136
82	Best of 205	Most talented kid in school
83	Best of 316
84	Best of 499
85	Best of 808
86	Best of 1341	Most talented person in village
87	Best of 2287
88	Best of 4009
89	Best of 7237
90	Best of 13472	Most talented person in town

So, a character with an average score of 15 would have a total of 90. On one hand that is a person who would probably have received some attention for her talents when growing up. On the other hand, it is far from unrealistic that such a person exist.

Bonuses

So what about total bonuses?

Total Bonus 6 Abilities	D&D 5e Better than Best of	D&D Classic Better than Best of
0	45%	41%
+1	55%	59%
+2	66%	75%
+3	75%	87%
+4	83%	/17
+5	89%	/45
+6	/15	/135
+7	/26	/473
+8	/50	/1 924
+9	/103	/9 075
+10	/229	/49 840
+11	/554	/320 497
+12	/1 476	/2 435 080
+13	/4 344	/22 166 682
+14	/14 251	/246 959 710
+15	/52 658	/3 481 658 707
+16	/221 926	/65 692 122 012
+17	/1 083 583	/1 846 464 029 852
+18	/6 251 574	/101 983 687 214 006

What I find interesting with this is that it can somehow be connected to the background story of the character. If the character is just an unknown nobody who left her village for adventuring a total bonus of +6 (or +4 for Classic) is on the high side (a best-in-class-character would probably have recieved som attention). If, on the other hand, it is understood that the character is somehow distinguished, priviliged or meant for great deeds, it is not at all unreasonable with a total bonus of +12 (+8 in classic).

Even higher bonuses than that are very possible as long as it is understood that the characters are extraordinarily talented individuals in their society.

Other Rolling Methods

What if the DM allows other methods of rolling (Classic in parenthesis)?

	~1/10 bad roll	Average roll	~1/10 good roll
3d6	-5 (-2)	+0 (0)	+5 (+2)	Average person
2d6+6	+4 (+2)	+8 (+5)	+12 (+8)	Best in large class (~50)
4d6 drop worst	+1 (+1)	+6 (+4)	+10 (+7)	Best kid on street (~15)
5d6 drop worst 2	+5 (+3)	+9 (+6)	+13 (+8)	Best in small school (~100)
5e: [15, 14, 13, 12, 10, 8]		+5 (+2)		Best sibling
5e: My House Rule		+6		Best kid on street (~15)

What this table says, roughly, is that if the player rolls once using this method it is likely she will get the average outcome. Only about 1/10 she will get the bad result from the bad column, or the good result from the good column. It is not at all likely that any of your players will roll a +14 (+9) character (which would correspond to best one of 10 000, or most talented in town) with any of the methods.

Conclusion

From this little experiment, two things came to me.

First, when it comes to NPC, villains and heroes (Conan and Robin Hood if you like) sometimes the stats of such figures are published and they can seem ridiculously good. But that is quite fine. They may be one-in-a-million type of humans who really made a footprint in their time.

Second, most established methods for generating abilities will produce characters that are the most talented among their siblings or perhaps the most talented in their school. For a player to roll anything significantly better there are some ways:

• Very much luck
• Rolling very many times
• Cheating
• Inventing a very powerful method

I think, more than just focusing on the rolling and the methods, it makes sense to talk to they players and ask: who do you reasonably think your character is. If they are the son of Conan, or the only one girl selected by the archmage in the country to study magic because of her extraordinary talents, then very high ability scores are perfectly reasonable.

Source Code

The source code for this is written in JavaScript and runs with Node.js on your computer. It is not quite written to be published, but here it is anyway.

Parameters are hard coded in the top of main().

const objcopy = (obj) => {
  return JSON.parse(JSON.stringify(obj));
};

const num2prop = (n) => {
  if ( n < 0 ) return '' + n;
  if ( 0 < n ) return '+' + n;
  return ' 0';
};

const numcmp = (a,b) => {
  return +a - +b;
};

const abilities = () => {
  const ret = {};
  let i;
  for ( i=3 ; i<=18 ; i++ ) ret[i] = 0;
  return ret;
};

const dice3d6 = () => {
  const ret = abilities();
  let i, j, k;
  for ( i=1;i<=6;i++ ) for ( j=1;j<=6;j++ ) for ( k=1;k<=6;k++ ) ret[i+j+k]++;
  return ret;
};

const dice2d6p6 = () => {
  const ret = abilities();
  let i, j;
  for ( i=1;i<=6;i++ ) for ( j=1;j<=6;j++ ) ret[i+j+6]++;
  return ret;
};

const dice4d6drop = () => {
  const ret = abilities();
  let i, j, k, l;
  for ( i=1;i<=6;i++ )
    for ( j=1;j<=6;j++ )
      for ( k=1;k<=6;k++ )
        for ( l=1;l<=6;l++ ) {
          const a = [i,j,k,l];
          a.sort(numcmp);
          ret[a[1]+a[2]+a[3]]++;
        }
  return ret;
};

const dice5d6drop = () => {
  const ret = abilities();
  let i, j, k, l, m;
  for ( i=1;i<=6;i++ )
    for ( j=1;j<=6;j++ )
      for ( k=1;k<=6;k++ )
        for ( l=1;l<=6;l++ )
          for ( m=1;m<=6;m++ ) {
            const a = [i,j,k,l,m];
            a.sort(numcmp);
            ret[a[2]+a[3]+a[4]]++;
          }
  return ret;
};

const multiplestats = (dist,n) => {
  let ret = objcopy(dist);
  let i;
  for ( i=1 ; i<n ; i++ ) {
    ret = multiplestats_2(ret,dist);
  }
  return ret;
};

const multiplestats_2 = (total,one) => {
  let ret = {};
  let t, o, r;
  for ( t in total ) for ( o in one ) {
    r = num2prop(+t + +o);
    if ( !ret[r] ) ret[r] = 0;
    ret[r] += (total[t] * one[o]);
  }
  return ret;
};

const bonuses = {
  'Classic' : () => {
    return {
      '-3' : 0,
      '-2' : 0,
      '-1' : 0,
      ' 0' : 0,
      '+1' : 0,
      '+2' : 0,
      '+3' : 0
    };
  },
  '5e' : () => {
    return {
      '-4' : 0,
      '-3' : 0,
      '-2' : 0,
      '-1' : 0,
      ' 0' : 0,
      '+1' : 0,
      '+2' : 0,
      '+3' : 0,
      '+4' : 0
    };
  }
};

const ability2bonus = {
  'Classic' : (a) => {
    switch (a) {
    case 3: return '-3';
    case 4: case 5: return '-2';
    case 6: case 7: case 8: return '-1';
    case 9: case 10: case 11: case 12: return ' 0';
    case 13: case 14: case 15: return '+1';
    case 16: case 17: return '+2';
    case 18: return '+3';
    };
  },
  '5e' : (a) => {
    switch (a) {
    case 3: return '-4';
    case 4: case 5: return '-3';
    case 6: case 7: return '-2';
    case 8: case 9: return '-1';
    case 10: case 11: return ' 0';
    case 12: case 13: return '+1';
    case 14: case 15: return '+2';
    case 16: case 17: return '+3';
    case 18: return '+4';
    };
  }
};

const dist_ability2bonus = (distDice,version) => {
  const distBonus = bonuses[version]();
  const getBonus = ability2bonus[version];
  let a;
  for ( a=3 ; a<=18 ; a++ ) distBonus[getBonus(a)] += distDice[a];
  return distBonus;
};

const toPercent = (dist) => {
  const ret = {};
  const keys = Object.keys(dist).sort(numcmp);
  let total = 0;
  let i,k;
  for ( i=0 ; i<keys.length ; i++ ) {
    k = keys[i];
    total += dist[k];
  };
  total = 100 / total;
  for ( i=0 ; i<keys.length ; i++ ) {
    k = keys[i];
    ret[k] = dist[k] * total;
  };
  return ret;
};

const accumulate = (dist) => {
  const ret = {};
  const keys = Object.keys(dist).sort(numcmp);
  let acc = 0;
  let i,k;
  for ( i=0 ; i<keys.length ; i++ ) {
    k = keys[i];
    ret[k] = acc;
    acc += dist[k];
  }
  return ret;
};

const rounddecimals = (dist) => {
  let k,v;
  for ( k in dist ) {
  v = dist[k];
  if ( !Number.isInteger(v) ) {
    if ( v < 10 )
      dist[k] = '1/' + (100/v).toFixed(0);
    else if ( 90 < v )
      dist[k] = '1/' + (100/(100-v)).toFixed(0);
    else
      dist[k] = v.toFixed(1);
    }
  }
};

const main = () => {
//const rolldist = dice3d6();
//const rolldist = dice2d6p6();
//const rolldist = dice4d6drop();
  const rolldist = dice5d6drop();
//const bonus = '5e';
  const bonus = 'Classic';
  const rollcount = 6;
  const percent = true;
  const accumulated = true;
  const round = true;
  const printall = true;
  let workdata = [{ dist:rolldist , lbl:'Roll Dist'}];
  const last = () => { return workdata[workdata.length-1].dist; };
  if ( bonus ) workdata.push({
    dist : dist_ability2bonus(last(),bonus),
     lbl : 'Bonus: ' + bonus
  });
  if ( 1 < rollcount ) workdata.push({
    dist : multiplestats(last(),rollcount),
     lbl : '' + rollcount + ' stats'
  });
  if ( percent ) workdata.push({
    dist : toPercent(last()),
     lbl : 'Percent'
  });
  if ( accumulated ) workdata.push({
    dist : accumulate(last()),
     lbl : 'Accumulated'
  });
  if ( round ) workdata.forEach((w) => { rounddecimals(w.dist) });
  if ( printall )
    console.log(JSON.stringify(workdata,null,4));
  else
    console.log(JSON.stringify(last,null,4));
};

main();

This post is about using our Earth as a fantasy setting for roleplaying games like D&D or Fantasy!.

The appeal

The appeal with using Earth is that everyone already knows things. Egyptians, the Atlantic Ocean, Samurais, the Church and many other things are already there. If you play in a culture that your group is already familiar with there are symbols that can be used immediately for a feeling of authenticity.

The problems

The most obvious problems are the absence of supernatural fantasy things, and WHEN to set the campaign. I have seen the division of campaigns into Historical, Epic or Fantasy. I want to go for fantasy: there will be dragons, magic, and orcs.

The problem of WHEN is that in the history of Earth, civilizations are emerging and disappearing. And as some empires grew large, nature was also tamed and less land was truly wild and unexplored.

Another problem is unfortunately that there are people who are offended or triggered when something they care about is being depicted in a way they don’t approve with.

The solution (in principle)

We obviously need to rewrite history. Let us say the year is about 1000, but many civilizations and empires remained – smaller than at their peak – and they are now technologically mostly equal. Between these civilizations (and underground) there is wilderness, chaos and evil.

I suppose you need to cherry pick what remains and what was never there, based on what is meaningful and interesting to your group. I live in Sweden and I and my players (sadly) know nothing about the history of Belarus. So I can do what I want with that spot on the map (maybe it is an ancient empire of elves, or goblins). But you may be Polish or Ukrainian and want to center your campaign there, and Belarus has lots of references to you that you care about. Sweden on the other hand can be a land of viking barbarian orcs to you.

Europe Centric A-Z

Here follows short descriptions of countries and civilizations that can coexist. The exact borders matters little to me at this point.

Note that most nations consist largely of wilderness and that both internal and external borders can be quite fluid.

This is Europe centric because it is what I and my group know best. There is nothing right and wrong here – I am just trying to be practical.

The Alps

The naturally protected alps are home to dvarves in the mountains and elves and halflings in the valleys. There are well protected and profitable trade routes going through (and under) the mountains. However, other humanoids and dragons also dwell here.

Arabic Caliphate

Under Islamic leadership and with its political center in Mekka, the Arabic Caliphate is spreading from Southern spain, most of Sahara and northern Africa, around the Red Sea and over Arabic peninsula to the Persian gulf. These are arid, warm lands and its people are mostly fast moving nomads on camels, waging wars on many fronts. Egypt and many fertile settlements on the on the Mediteranean south coast are being proteced and held by the Roman Empire (and Christian allies and mercenaries).

Babylon

Babylon, being one of oldest great settlements, remains on the banks of Euphrates. The persians, romans, ottomans and arabs have all tried to lay hands on this desert jewel but ancient sourcery and powerful allies have kept Babylon an independent city state (effectively ruling the fertile lands around it). This is a melting pot yet an ancient place where culture, traditions, rituals and worship has survived for centuries.

Baltic Nations

The three Baltic Nations are officially duchys of Russia. However, in practice they participate in the Hansa League, and often see themselves raided by barbarians and vikings.

Byzantine Empire

The Byzantine Empire covers Balkans and Bulgaria. It is home to Orthodox Christianty and a remaining part of the once huge Roman empire. On one hand the Byzantine Empire profits from being the crossroads of trade between east and west, on the other hand it struggles to protect all its boarders.

Catalonia

Catalonia has liberated itself from Muslim occupation and since then acted as an independent state.

Denmark

Denmark is a viking monarchy, often at wars with its neighbors. It is a strong agriculture and trading nation and Christianity has made little progress here.

Egypt

The ancient religous nation of Egypt was under control of the Roman Empire for long. However, it regained independence and is strongly allied with Rome against the Muslim campaigns and domination in northern Africa. Egypt is a religous dictatorship ruled by a divine Pharao, with some cities (mostly Alexandria) being open to foreigners and more international and multicultural.

England

England is a Kingdom of wealth and struggle, often at war with its neighbors. The Christian Anglican church dominates, but there are conflicts with other christian groups, pagans, druids and even vikings.

Finland

Finland is the land of Elves in northern Europe. Some towns along the coast have a significant human population and manage trade with Hansa.

France

France is a Christian kingdom, engaged in holy wars far from its own borders, while struggling to stay safe from Saxons, Germanic tribes, and Muslim onslaught in the south.

Germanic Tribes

The lands of Germany and Poland are largely wilderness, inhabited by barbaric tribes (and other humanoids). However, there are smaller kingdoms in these lands, and trade routes going through them.

Greece

Greece, the cradle of democracy, remains. Athens being the cultural and political center and Sparta being the home of the military that has defened the ancient nation countless times. Christianity is tolerated side by side with the old gods of Greece. Greece is also largely a nation of islands with a significant trade and military fleet.

Hansa Trade League

Towns and lands around southern Baltic sea form the Hansa Trade League. This is an economic, but also military alliance, with influence far beyond its member towns.

Holy Lands

Between the Ottoman empire, Egypt, the Persian Empire and the Arabic Caliphat lies the Holy Lands. Christians and Muslims struggle for control of the holy sites, especially Jerusalem. There is obviously room for a jewish aspect, or not, depending on your preferences. Apart from Jerusalem, there are desert city states like Palmyra here.

Iceland

Iceland, populated with outcasts and refugees from Scandinavia and the British isles, is a viking meritocracy and democracy. The Icelandic’s have settlements also in Greenland and Newfoundland.

Ireland

Ireland is a rural and pagan country dominated by druids. In some towns along the south east coast there are many Christians and they serve as intellectual melting pots. Both halflings and elves are common in Ireland.

Italy and the Roman Empire

Northern Italy consists of free city states, advanced in trade, culture and freedom of expression, and melting pots in the crossroads of Europe.

Southern Italy is the core of what remains of the West Roman Empire. There is decadence and arrogance but the empire is rich and with a strong military. However much wealth comes from lands in northern Africa which are part of the empire but now at war with Muslim forces.

Many Romans worship the old gods of the empire, however at the same time the Vatican and Pope in Rome are the head of Christians.

Normandy

The ambitious Normands managed to forge their own kingdom, aspiring to expand over the English channel.

Norway

Norway, the coastal areas, are lands of vikings making a living plundering, trading and fishing. There is not much central government (although attempts are being made). The vast mountains hosts dvarves and monsters.

Ottoman Empire

The Ottoman Empire has internal religious power struggles between different religons groups (both Christian and Muslim). It is a vast country with untamed dangerous wilderness and ambitous rulers struggle to maintain the borders even though they occationally engage in foreign campaigns.

Persian Empire

The Persian empire is ancient vast and complex. Islam is growing more influential.

Portugal

Portugal is a Christian kingdom mostly looking westward doing trade and some warfare in South America. Portugal has a strong fleet and is a strong trade nation.

Romania (Transylvania)

Romania has been part of both the old Roman Empire, the Byzantian Empire and the Ottaman empire. However, dark forces are moving here and Romania now consists of city states and smaller independent nations. However it is well established that sourcerors, vampires and perhaps even priests in unholy alliances rule these lands.

Russian Empire

The huge Russian empire has few borders. This nation upholds civilization in unlikely places. Officially the Tsar rules with an iron hand, but in practice power is given to local lords and the empire is losely kept together.

Chistianity dominates among the elite and in the large cities.

Saxony

Saxons are an old people with a young nation located south of the English Channels. Saxons have been influential in England and they have been at war with all their neighbors.

Scotland

Southern Scotland is a kingdom (Scotland), often at war with England, and often allied to France. Christianity is dominant in Scotland.

Northern Scotland is inhabited by barbarian clans.

Spain

Spain is a Christian kingdom at war with Muslims occupying the southern parts of the nations since over a century. The kingdom has family and political relations to the kingdoms of France, Normandy, England and Scotland but because of the wars within its own borders it has lost position to England and France.

Catalonia has declared independence from the weakened kingdom, yet stands against the Muslims.

Sudan

Sudan and Khartoum are centres of trade between Africa, Europe (via Egypt) and the middle east. Slaves is one of the most important goods.

Sweden

Southern Sweden is a quite rural pagan evolving feudal monarchy. This is a land of mostly wilderness and civilization is centered around some towns. Norse gods are still worshiped but Christianity is growing.

Gotland and the southeast of Sweden belongs to the Hansa trade league, and is a bit more advanced.

Northern parts of Sweden lack government and consists of vikings, barbarians, nomads (samis), dwarves, and other humanoids.

Wales

Wales is druid land, opposing monarchy and Christianity.

Beyond and other Continents

China and India deserves the same complexity, diversity and depths as all of Europe and if you choose to locate your campaign here you probably know what to do. I think of China as en ancient empire, struggling with being united and shattered over and over again.

North America is probably home to elves and native tribes (druids and rangers), and some viking settlements.

South America has its own militaristic empires, and som portuguese settlements.

Africa south of Sahara is a rich land of kingdoms and perhaps even empires of its own.

Japan is an advanced monarcy, quite isolated, but not unknown.

Antarctica has huge potential with ancient elven kingdoms under the ice, and lurking horrors.

Islands

Islands are great opportunities for things more outside the norm on Earth. Svalbard, Corse, Sicily, Crete, Canary Islands and the Hebrides all provide opportunity for extra spicy things.

Monsters and Beasts

Europe can seem crowded. But Africa and Siberia can host wild creatures and dragons that occationally visit Europe and even settle there. Evil humanoids (goblins and orcs) live in forests, mountains and underground.

Religion

I think religion is one of the best reasons to place your campaign on Earth. Apart from the world religions you also have old Norse, Greek, Roman and Egyptian gods, as well as druids and nature worshipping. It is all quite consistent and familiar, with lots of useful references and symbology.

Languages

Not being able to talk to anyone is rarely useful for good roleplaying experience. Latin comes in handy, perhaps in combination with a “common-anglo-germanic” language.

Historic People

I have avoided making references to historic people. I think Buddha, Jesus and Mohammed are needed. I can imagine the french making references to Charlemagne (as former or current king) and why not make references to Ceasar as well?

History

The exact passing of history was, and is, not known to most people or even most historians. You don’t need to know. They players don’t need to know. You can use “I am a direct decendent of Saladin, liberator of Jerusalem” in your game, and the players can believe what they want. Or you can make reference to the 100-year-war-between-babylon-and-persia, if you need to.

Hyborian Age

Was this Fantasy Earth following the Hyborian Age as in Howards stories about Conan? If you want to, it can be a soure of references: ancient artifacts, lost underground cities and Set the snake god.