Understory
Understory
noun
1: an underlying layer of vegetation
specifically : the vegetative layer and especially the trees and shrubs between the forest canopy and the ground cover
2: the plants that form the understory
I picked up Nature Guide to the Northern Forest, and it inspired me to start working on a woodland fantasy RPG setting based on the forests of northern New England.
I have no clue yet what I'd use for a system. I don't know what I'd focus the game play around. Maybe exploration, maybe social situations. Maybe I'll have some sort of dietary mechanic that emphasizes conflict over resource management, who knows.
I'd want it to be very much based on this specific region. I want to put an emphasis on the ecology of the setting. There's a certain equilibrium that's maintained by a complex cycle of growth and change. I like the idea that everything is interacting with everything.