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Pathfinder 1E Pathfinder vs. Greyhawk campaign settings


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Azgulor

Adventurer
Greyhawk was my go-to setting for about at least 20 years of the time I've been gaming.

I like Pathfinder (Golarion) better. It has a lot of Greyhawk-isms contained within, but is simultaneously a broader yet more consistent framework. There's a lot of additional detail contained within the Campaign Setting & Adventure Path lines if you want it but it's not necessary.

And it avoids the pitfalls of the Forgotten Realms by not letting that additional material "fill in all the white spaces" as it were. Despite all the material published, a great deal of it is flavor or plot seeds -- it doesn't feel as though it's describing the only things of note in the area.

Also, it does a pretty good job of keeping areas self-contained if you wish to focus on a single region.
 

ahayford

First Post
I like Golarian (PF) because its a very broad kitchen sink setting that provides a common groundwork for my players coming to the table. Basic lore material is available for free online so if they are interested in reading about something, they can without having to buy a book.
 

MerricB

Eternal Optimist
Supporter
I don't really connect with Golarion at all, but I've only just begun running adventures in it.

I really, really, really like Greyhawk, but it's very much my Greyhawk that I like, having run very many hours of games in it and adapted it to my own preferences. (There's a lot of later development work by TSR/Wizards of Greyhawk that I don't agree with - such as the Greyhawk Wars).

Cheers!
 

Feeroper

Explorer
It's a tough call but I think Greyhawk wins out in the end as it is the original setting imo (I don't actually know too much about Blackmoor, so that isn't meant to be a slight against it). Golarion clearly draws alot of inspiration from Greyhawk and they have a really polished setting. I love the stuff Paizo has put out for Golarion, but to me Greyhawk evokes a sense of wonder and awe like no other (FR comes in at a close 2nd). Despite the rough patches Greyhawk had, I still love it.

Golarion is still awsome though, and I think it's just going to keep getting better and better as time goes on with their AP's and other supplements.
 

billd91

Not your screen monkey (he/him)
It is a tough question because I've been a Greyhawk fan for so long. Golarion really is pretty cool too. I would happily play in or run games in both settings.
 

Henry

Autoexreginated
It occurs to me "Rathfinder" would be a good name for another RPG. :)

I enjoy both settings (Golarion and the Flanaess) but I can't choose, because they are very similar in many aspects -- by design, at that. If anything, many parts of Greyhawk are worth stealing for Golarion for home campaigns, to fill in the things that Paizo hasn't addressed yet (like Numeria).
 

Minicol

Adventurer
Supporter
I love both, but the similitudes between the two are not that clear to me.

Golarion feels a lot broader and renaissance to me, and Greyhawk looks a lot more medieval, as in baronies, duchies, knightly orders ...

Now, I love both.
 

Minicol

Adventurer
Supporter
It occurs to me "Rathfinder" would be a good name for another RPG. :)

I enjoy both settings (Golarion and the Flanaess) but I can't choose, because they are very similar in many aspects -- by design, at that. ).


I keep seeing that, but I don't see why. Would you please explain to me, why you feel that way about the settings ?
 

Yora

Legend
Both Golarion and Greyhawk are the two settings I never got at all. But for exactly the same reasons.
They both look like generic kitchen sink settings of fantasy counterpart cultures to me, with no distinct identity of their own.

But given their popularity, there must be a lot of people who get quite a lot out of either of the two. But I never figured out what.
 

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