Diamond Throne Setting, so whats cool about it

[midknight12]

I was looking into the AU book and its setting. How is it? Is the setting cool? What are the cool parts about it? Yes, I am yet another gamer bored with the Tolkein-esque fair. In the past, I loved the Planescape, Dark Sun and Spelljammer setting among other TSR settings. For non-D&D setting, I like Fading Suns (VP System), Exalted, Blue Planet, Alternity, some WoD, and other settings. I am not impressed with settings like Scarred Lands and Tribe 8 (although, I tried to like it).

I hope this is enough info. BTW, if there is another setting that i might like, let me know.

David

 

[Staffan]

Personally, the DT setting didn't really strike me as having anything particularly cool. Perhaps it's the lack of detail, or the way there's really only one nation described.

I do like the AU rules, however (though I think they would have been better if they had incorporated more of the 3.5e changes, like combining some skills and using new DR). The magic system is especially cool, and the classes are quite neat.

If you like the "everything but the kitchen sink" nature of Planescape or Spelljammer, you might like Oathbound as well. In Oathbound, there are these really powerful almost-divine creatures that pull in people from other worlds, which means that many places there also have that mixed-up feeling.

 

[John Q. Mayhem]

Lemme see, coolness in DT... The PrCs are cool. Somnamancer and Mage-Priest especially. The potential for most excelent crossovers-there's a place full of portals from when the Dramojh were looking for weapons, and one of the NPCs for that area is a 7th-level warrior who "calls himself a dwarf-evidently the word means something other than 'short human' to him." Tres cool. The weapons/armor are cool, monsters are VERY cool, Dark Wardens and dream hunters 'specially. It's got a WHOLE lot of general coolness, but much less specific coolness, if that makes sense. It's cheap, so buy it anyway, and DEFINATELY buy it if you have AU.

 

[Varianor Abroad]

Is the setting cool?

Yes. (I'm biased. )

What are the cool parts about it?

A #1 for me is that it's not detailed to death. It's like Greyhawk when the setting book first came out. So much room with just enough detail.

What's also cool is the background. It's a land ruled by giants, who took it over after some half-dragon half-demons called the dramojh had almost finished conquering it.

There's tons of cool ideas floating around. Like the Floating Forest. There's plenty of neat, but not overwhelming flavor. I particularly like the way that Monte did the monster list so that you work with creatures that were created by the now-vanished dramojh. Having that notion helps explain contextually why there are so many critters running around.

In the past, I loved the Planescape, Dark Sun and Spelljammer setting among other TSR settings.

All of which are very non-standard fair. In that respect, DT is not as ground-breaking IMO. It's a very solid fantasy setting inspired more by Stephen Donaldson than Tolkien. It's not really far out. Which is actually better in my opinion because my players relate better to it than something intellectually amazing (*cough* *cough* Sky Realms of Jorune) that they have trouble absorbing.

However, it can merge with a fantastic setting with just a bit of tweaking. Thartholan is a country wracked by the dramojh who brought in bits of things (including entire cities) from other dimensions to rob for power. That's a great lead-in to Planescape or something similar. (Monte is working on Beyond Countless Doorways even as we speak, I believe.)

 

[Desdichado]

It's a book of nothing but hooks. It's a perfect gamer's (or GM's really) resource, because everything in it is useful. It's not necessarily that unique or different (unless you consider "replace elves with faen" kinds of things as unique or different -- I don't really) but I don't necessarily care about that; I care about execution of good ideas, original or not. In this case, I think AU and Diamond Throne are top-notch.

 

[Henry]

Think of Stephen R. Donaldson's books (such as Illearth War) for a hint of the direction of Diamond Throne. It's not a perfect match, but many nods are given there.

It's best to differentiate between the AU rules and the Diamond Throne setting. The AU Rules are quite cool indeed, and very innovative with regards to the magic system as a whole. The DIamond Throne is a really neat setting, and tailored to the AU rules, but to me there's nothing that just stands out and screams, "COOL!" before the gaming public. Plenty of great ideas and a world ready to be populated and explored by your players, but not moreso than any other campaign setting.

 

[PJ Mason]

It was perfectly average. Which, to say the least, was a suprise for me. I also bought the Siege on Ebonring keep (one of the adventures for DT). So between the DT book and the SOEK, i dropped 40+ smackers on some boring stuff. AU is quite awesome, i'd advise to just stick to that book.

PS- the fact that the Floating Forest doesn't actually float really irritated me to no end!

 

[JeffB]

AU is quite awesome, i'd advise to just stick to that book.

My thoughts exactly. AU is great! TDT was ho-hum at best, IMO.

 

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

I think there is nothing especially cool in the Diamond Throne Setting.

There are some things I like, though:
The Archvillains:
This demi-goodess wanting to destroy the plane so reminds me of the godess Glory of Buffy.
The Chorrim seem to be a mixture from Peacekeepers and Scarrans (FarScape).

Since many things are only broadly defined, the group (and especially the DM), has much more freedom to do anything it wants, (Quite opposite to my feeling of the Forgotten Realms Setting) while still avoiding you to define everything on your own...

Mustrum Ridcully

 

[satori01]

DT had certain "technical" details that I absolutely loved:

1) Every city and most locations described in the PDF, had well thought out NPCs or adventure hooks,(often both), right in the description. Really useful and imaginative stuff. I ran a mini DT campaign, and my players randomly picked to go to a city, and with the NPC and adventure hook I was able to come up with something quite easily.

2) Subtle flavor abounds in the setting. Wether it be history from long forgotten civilizations, to the ceremonies and dreams that play a huge influence on daily life, the setting while lacking flash can have teeth. As DT assumes AU rules the role of the gods are diminished, and gods seem more localized and less omnipotent, the giants are essentially benevolent dicatators, and trade and adventure opportunities abound.

3) Nice easily transportable elements. The prestiege classes,(mage-priest, and somanmancer in particular), monsters, and organizations described in this book are very neat and could be used in any world. This is important to me, since for me it is doubtfull I will be playing in the same setting 3 years down the road. Thus portability of material is nice, I use the Jaren currently in my non DT world.

4) The PDF is realtively inexpensive. Under $20 is a nice price for something like this, and again it has details that can be exported, and the setting is flexible enough to import almost anything.