Which campaign setting is the best?

[Torchiest]

I am currently running a campaign in the Forgotten Realms setting with a lot of original material. I've been contemplating either having part of the campaign move to other settings, or starting new campaigns elsewhere. 2nd edition was, as far as I'm aware, the edition with, by far, the most alternate settings. I'm curious who has played some of the other ones, and which they enjoyed the most.

This does NOT include Dragonlance or Greyhawk, which are basically the same traditional fantasy setting. I'm talking about the following:

Al-Qadim
Dark Sun
Maztica
Planescape
Ravenloft
Spelljammer

And I know they didn't really have a Kara Tur campaign boxed set, but if anyone thought the oriental adventures stuff were good enough to try a conversion, that would be good to hear as well. Thanks for all input!

 

[Dandu]

 

[RUMBLETiGER]

Um... All of them?

What is it you're looking for? Variety? High Magic? Low Magic? Grim & Gritty? Gothic? Steampunk? Dragons? Goblins? Munchkins?


Really, "Best" is more about personal taste, or at least "Best in some particular category".

 

[Torchiest]

Um... All of them?

What is it you're looking for? Variety? High Magic? Low Magic? Grim & Gritty? Gothic? Steampunk? Dragons? Goblins? Munchkins?


Really, "Best" is more about personal taste, or at least "Best in some particular category".

Well, I guess what I mean is, which did you enjoy the most? Right now, I'm thinking I would like the Al-Qadim setting the best. It has the added bonus of being the closest to the main FR area. As for an entirely new campaign, I think Dark Sun would be cool.

I guess I'm also wondering what people's experience with the various settings were, and if they had a preference.

 

[jcbdragon]

There was a Kara-Tur boxed set: [ame=http://www.amazon.com/Kara-Tur-Eastern-Forgotten-Oriental-Adventures/dp/0880386088]Amazon.com: Kara-Tur: The Eastern Realms (AD&D/Forgotten Realms/Oriental Adventures) [BOX SET] (9780880386081): David Cook: Books[/ame]

 

[billd91]

I'm talking about the following:

Al-Qadim
Dark Sun
Maztica
Planescape
Ravenloft
Spelljammer

And I know they didn't really have a Kara Tur campaign boxed set, but if anyone thought the oriental adventures stuff were good enough to try a conversion, that would be good to hear as well. Thanks for all input!

Kara Tur and Al-Qadim were both excellent. We had a lot of fun playing with both of those. In fact, we played more in those campaigns in the late 1980s and early 1990s than in any other. Both had some of the best adventure material produced at TSR at the time.

 

[Torchiest]

There was a Kara-Tur boxed set: Amazon.com: Kara-Tur: The Eastern Realms (AD&D/Forgotten Realms/Oriental Adventures) [BOX SET] (9780880386081): David Cook: Books

Yeah, but that was still first edition AD&D I think. I'm lazy and prefer to stick with 2nd edition only, to minimize conversion effort.

Kara Tur and Al-Qadim were both excellent. We had a lot of fun playing with both of those. In fact, we played more in those campaigns in the late 1980s and early 1990s than in any other. Both had some of the best adventure material produced at TSR at the time.

Very cool. I purchased the Land of Fate boxed set and the Arabian Adventures book last week. I plan on first having the current party travel there as foreigners for a temporary side adventure, then later having a new party of natives. Any recommendations for specific modules/accessories?

 

[rgard]

Dark Sun was fun as a change of pace for us.

You don't list it, but I really enjoyed Lankhmar both as a DM and player:

Lankhmar ? City of Adventure - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[AdmundfortGeographer]

Al Qadim set the bar for excellent production values. Top notch stuff, and it was tightly woven using 2nd edition rules, like kits. Every class was required to have a kit. Again, very well thought out.

I'd recommend having a look at something that is a wild change from medieval fantasy. Consider the Age of Exploration, TSR published the Red Steel campaign. Like Al Qadim, it built upon the idea of requiring characters to have a kit. Based around the real world time when European powers were exploring the world and setting up their first colonies. Plus, swashbuckling and fantasy gunpowder.

TSR's entire Red Steel setting line was released as as free downloads, so there is no need to buy any book. It was designed to be a subregion that a DM could import into any campaign or world, but was placed on the world of Mystara.

 

[slwoyach]

It's all about the Birthright.