Which Campaign Setting has the best fluff? Why?

[DaveMage]

Only on sourcebook count. In word count, it's probably Dragonlance (count the novels).

Actually, it's not even that close with counting the novels.

Dragonlance has 157 novels (I counted a hardback and softback with the same title as 1 novel) and 75 game products (228 total). The Fifth Age gaming products (using the Saga system) are included in the game product total above.
(Source: http://www.dl3e.com/)

Forgotten Realms has over 140 game products and 140 novels (280+ total).
(Source: http://www.candlekeep.com/index.html)

Dragon magazine articles are not factored in, however, so Biggus gets extra points for pointing that out.

 

[Odhanan]

If you cite a homebrew describe what makes your fluff unique or more appealing than a published setting.

Then the homebrew comes first for me. Mainly because an homebrew setting allows you to take bits of fluff you like here and there and work them together toward an intelligible, coherent whole. If that work is succesful, no matter the critera, then it will be better than any published stuff taken apart, at least from your point of view.

Thus, for me, it would be my setting. It's AE based, uses bits of Monte's campaign, Ptolus, like the Banewarrens, Laelith, a french-developped medieval city, Ghostwalk, and lots of different things here and there. The result pleases me and my players (so far), so it's worth the effort.

 

[Gez]

Wow! I would not have expected Laelith to be known in British Columbia!

 

[the Jester]

For me the best campaign fluff comes from my campaign setting, simply because I know it so well. One thing that helps make it cool is that a significant amount of stuff has come up via player contributions or has been player-inspired. That's cool, to me- the synergy of my stuff inspired and admixed by that of the people I play with. There's a ton of really cool campaign art various players have done over the years, too.

For published settings, I prefer Greyhawk and Eberron. GH has the right level of grittiness and Dark Ages feel for my personal preference, while Eberron has a sort of 'natural consequences' feel to me- if you extend dnd demographics and magic across society, this is what you get. I dig that, and it's a world where the major npcs won't overshadow the pcs (like in some campaign worlds I can think of).

 

[lyle.spade]

That's a tough one. Here's what I think...
1. Eberron, and not because it's the newest. It is different not only in look and feel, but tone, as well, and that is probably the greatest, albeit somewhat subtle (if you really try and do it well in the game) difference between it and Greyhawk and FR. I find those two to be, well, pretty stale and bland. Greyhawk seems to be the default fantasy world we've all got in our heads after being raised on Tolkein, right? FR is cool, but from a reader's standpoint; there is just too much, IMO, information to really assimilate and run as a DM...I strive for consistency, and I know FR drives me nuts because there is TOO MUCH to know in order to guarantee it as a DM.

So Eberron it is...my die-hard Cyberpunk player loves it, because it's urban and sophisticated, sleazy and devious, and my old school Greyhawk player loves it because it's still very solid DnD.

There you have it. You may all rest easy now that I have answered your question.

 

[megamania]

I can't say I have "tested" all the games out there but currently Eberron seems to win for me. So much info and suggested history. But even with the sheer volume of fluff, it can be tracked unlike FR which has too much info available (give Eberron 15 years and I'm sure it'll surpass FR)

 

[Snotlord]

Judging by the settings I know, Forgotten Realms easily wins the prize. Its rich history, countless npcs and locations gives me as a FR DM and homebrew-miner a vast library of fluff to draw on. Books like the Forgotten Realms Adventures, Lands of Intrigue, Lost Empires of Faerun and the 3e FRCS are classics. I have not seen any gaming book that cramp more info on a two-page spread than the Forgotten Realms Adventures. A fantastic book.

Runner-ups: Howard's Conan world, Freeport (judging by a couple of the modules), Dark Matter and Lankhmar.

 

[ThirdWizard]

Planescape!

Planescape has its own flavor very different from most other settings. It also has lots of leeway for DMs to take the ideas presented in it in many different directions. It has never been one for over-detailing, so DMs who like to have this and that planned out already arn't going to like it. I always found that it was a great setting for taking and making your own, however. It has so many options and so many flavors that I've been playing it since it first came out without any feelings of been there done that.

 

[Banshee16]

I'd have to say Planescape, followed by Iron Kingdoms. Midnight is also pretty good. Forgotten Realms is good at times.

Banshee

 

[GrimJesta]

OK, I lied: OGL Conan RPG is tied for first with Kingdoms of Kalamar. I'm a huge REHoward fan, so I was mad skeptical about it being d20. But, I'm also a huge Mongoose fan, so I bought it anyway. I love it. The reason I remembered to tie it for first place with Kalamar is because I use the game mechanics in my Kingdoms of Kalamar game. KoK is more Late-Roman/Early-Dark Ages than medieval or such, so Conan has the feel needed for the setting.

But I still read all the Conan RPG fluff, and it's amazing. I often struggle with myself as to which setting I want to run.

So yea, Kingdoms of Kalamar and Conan RPG OGL are my votes.

-=Grim=-