Although d20 isn't as popular as it used to be, there is still plenty of room for RPGs that take influences from beyond Germanic mythology, Star **** media, or Martial-Arts films.
Nyambe is based on (Sub-Saharan) African myth and history, with a little bit of the Middle East and Indian Ocean cultures worked in, as the North and East of Africa were heavily-influenced by interactions with Arabia, India, etc. Traditional F20* races and classes are adjusted accordingly, particularly for the lack of heavy armor in hotter climates.
*http://site.pelgranepress.com/index.php/see-p-xx-the-f20-era/
In Nyambe, oral histories go back to the doorstep of creation, but knowledge of the ancient ruins doesn't make them any less deadly. Unlike some settings, humans are divided into several ethnic groups, some with kingdoms, others without. Demihumans resemble beings from African myth, and wild/dire animals can be as dangerous as any monster. Adventurers will look and act differently, due to environmental and cultural factors.
Human Ethnicities
- Azzazza = Punt/Nubia
- Hutali = Buganda?
- Marak'ka = ?
- Mbanta = Dogon
- NaBula = Songhai
- Shombe = Masai
- Tisambe = Dahomey
- Tembu = Shona
- Tuslan = KhoiSan
- Xon'mo = Yoruba?
- Zamara = Azande
- Nghoi = Mbuti
Demihumans
- Agogwe = Halflings adapted for burrowing with large badger claws. They take their names from dangerous beasts or monsters with supernatural abilities.
- Kitunusi = Gnomes comfortable with darkness & bureaucracy. Live in partially-submerged cities. Like other gnomes, they're gifted at magic.
- Ngoloko = Half-Orcs constantly tempted by dark magic. Hairier than normal Orc-kin.
- Unthlatu = Lizardfolk with Dragon blood. Aquatic abilities, but weak culture due to lack of parental involvement; children are ready to hunt and swim once hatched.
- Utucheckulu = Dwarves adapted for volcanic, hilly terrain. Ritualistic heart-eating and similarly-disturbing practices.
- Wakyambi = Arboreal Elves with tails; fond of benign meddling and gift-giving.
New Classes:
- Gamba = Fighter, with less armor, more dodging and grit.
- Mchawi = Dark wizards, can't be good, a penchant for necromancy and other suspect magic.
- N'anga = Cleric that talks to spirits: natural, ancestral, celestial, fiendish, geographic, etc.
- Nanala = Rogue, with less gimmickry, more dirty fighting.
- Ngoma = Bard with Divine magic. Drummer & dancer. See Unearthed Arcana.
- Sei = Sorceror, with more overt Draconic power (bonus spells and breath weapons).
- Other classes are less well known, such as the Engolo wrestlers (Monks).
Foreign adventurers are also present, referenced as being "Near Easterners," "Far Easterners," and "Northerners." However, they usually need local assistance in dealing with the tropical climate and different customs.
As a partial setting, Nyambe could easily be fit into another setting. I've really wanted to insert it into Eberron, given the latter's relatively small world size and room for another continent. Obviously, there are questions that must be answered (by the GM to themselves) before such a thing would be done.
