What do you think is the best campaign setting?

[ssampier]

Ok, I'm going to be totally honest and say that I'm interested in getting a new campaign setting (as much for reading as for playing).

I ask mainly because I have no clue whats out there now and what any of them are like.

I can't recommend any in the reading category, but for playing may I suggest you break the mold and create your own? You seem to like dark, gritty worlds. Josh Dyal has create an interesting, vibrant world that may help your creative juices flow.

http://jdyal.cheapwindows.us/day1.htm

 

[The Horror]

But there are so many great settings out there!

Dragonlance has always had a special place in my heart. I love that setting. That and Mystara. Another classic.

Ravenloft blew me away when I first saw it, and I cannot imagine how classic fantasy horror can be done much better, though Elric was a very atmospheric dark game when I played it (though not the classic vampires and werewolves stuff of Ravenloft). I still consider Castle Ravenloft to be one of the greatest adventure modules ever designed.

Magnamund is brilliant. I don't own the Lone Wolf RPG yet, but 10 years ago I was running campaigns in Magnamund with great success. Soon when I can afford it LW will be mine.

At the moment my favourite is Talislanta (hence the avatar). So much funky stuff. And the OGL version coming out next year should be quite good as well.


The Horror

 

[Horishijin]

1. Harn by Columbia Games. It has some token d20 support and rules for its own system, but most books are generic campaign setting, with no game statistics. Harn is very much a "realistic" campaign setting, based heavily on western Europe in the 13th century. I started collecting Harn when it was first published, and have not missed a product. Running Harn games is probably one of the reasons I have a degree in Medieval History and Humanities. It is very detailed, gritty, and relatively low-magic, but with room for heroes and extraordinary things. It is also very readable on its own.

2. Midninght, which is where I am running my current game. I echo the reasons stated above.

3. Middle-Earth. This is essentially homebrew, especially with regard to magic. I pull alot from ICE's old MERP stuff (mainly the maps, their take on Middle-Earth was a little goony, high-fantasy for me..) and other sources (Tolkien himself, Atlas of Middle-Earth, etc..)

4. Forgotten Realms, although I tone it down quite a bit..

 

[Psion]

Well, what does everyone else think? What campaign settings captured your attention and why?

Many captured my attention. Few held it.

You already said you have Midnight and Warcraft. After those, the published setting that most appeals to me for d20 is Scarred Lands. As for why: the world feel threatening and dangerous, which is always fertile ground for adventure. Further, it does a very good job of explaining in D&D edifices (why druids are different from clerics), has a powerful conflict with interesting implications built in, and isn't a straigh up good versus evil fight.

I don't think Dragonstar lived up to it's potential but it is nice if you want to try something a little different.

Oathbound isn't bad if you are looking for something off the beaten track, either.