Standard Fantasy Setting

Basic Information

The default setting of the vast majority of fantasy genre worlds is heavily influenced by Lord Of The Rings and Dungeons & Dragons. Heroic Fantasy and High Fantasy will hit on the majority of these elements. Low Fantasy may skip out on a few key elements to further define themselves.
Usually best summed up as the Middle Ages with extra cheese.

Omnipresent Tropes

• At least 3 of the Five Races, being specifically:
  • Dwarves (The Mighty Glacier)
  • Elves, especially Tolkienesque Elves (The Fragile Speedster)
  • Humans, often People of Hair Color and Fantasy Counterpart Culture.
• Our Monsters Are Different
  • Fantastic Sapient Species Tropes
• Fantasy Religions
• Functional Magic
  • Magic A Is Magic A
  • Black Magic
  • Squishy Wizards
• Linear Warriors Quadratic Wizards
• A Left Justified Fantasy Map with least two of the following:
  • The Empire
  • The Kingdom
  • The Alliance
  • The Horde (usually Undead or Orcish)
• European Medieval Fantasy
  • Medieval Stasis

Optional (but likely) Tropes

• Always Chaotic Evil
• Arcadia
• The Dung Ages
• Everythings Better With Princesses
  • Classic Princess
  • Rebellious Princess
• Fantasy Gun Control
• Fate And Prophecy Tropes
• Gorgeous Period Dress
• Vancian Magic
• White Magic

Sources

Bibliography

1. TV Tropes Wiki

Game and Story Use

• The default setting archetype works perfectly for diving into games, especially one-shots.
• Turning it on end, tweaking it a little, or giving it a head-to-toe deconstruction can help breathe new life into a fantasy game.