Whould you buy a system-free setting?

[VirtualWizard]

I would certainly buy the setting if I found it inspiring. However, special effects like magic may pose a challenge without an included ruleset. Mainly because special effects in general have a strong impact on the setting. Without guidelines, they can be problematic.

All in all, I would want to see a sample of the setting before making a purchase.

 

[drothgery]

It's hard enough to get people to try out a setting when you're not the DM. Try out a setting without D&D/d20 Modern/whatever rules for it? No thanks.

 

[prosfilaes]

I saw a "systemless" nonfiction book on Narnia back in junior-high school, and a collection of fantasy maps had one of of Lewis's maps for the settings which I assume can be found there or somewhere else. Most major settings do have some book that gives a nonfiction overview of the setting, and not every RPG book can or does give all the political details and everything on every settlement you might want to play in.

Frankly, I don't think I'd jump at buying setting-free books for gaming. For one, one of the questions that makes it hard to stat up a setting is the stats for an orc/klingon/kziniti; how strong is it, how intelligent, how tall and heavy (and what's the range on that), etc. Just about any system will give me that information in a form I can translate to my favorite system. If I have D&D stats, I can at least make a guess at how to translate them to GURPS. It at very least should make sure that stuff like usable claws and infravision is noted.

I also agree with the concept that the system matters. In D&D, high-level characters are superheros and can be challenged mainly by other high-level characters and monsters. If a high-level character was still a mortal human, and an army could still drop them, and was the only thing that could stop a dragon or other major monster, it'd make for an entirely different world. Even minor changes, like making the first spell that could do force damage 3rd level instead of 1st could make large differences in the power of certain creatures.

I suspect that Freeport will still be D&D, just not officially. To which I can only see not have the characters stated up as a disadvantage; if I'm forced to assume something equivalent to the D&D magic system, it'll be easier for me to have some sort of D&Dish stats there.

 

[RedWick]

I love picking things up for the nature of their ability to inspire ideas. If something was suitably engaging and filled with ideas to mine, I don't see why I wouldn't (barring money, of course).

 

[DragonLancer]

What if they were PDF products and put out cheaply?

 

[Voadam]

I could see using the Scarred Lands Gazetteer as a basis for a campaign, and that book has no d20 rules content that I'm aware of.

I picked up the World of Warhammer Illustrated Encyclopedia and have used elements of it in my D&D games.

I got the Illustrated Guide to the Wheel of Time and think it would be a fine basis for a campaign setting, even without the Wheel of Time d20 book.

I got a full color Star Wars Bestiary with no stats that I enjoy.

I have an old game book about the world at the time of Atlantis, I think it is all setting and no rules.

I prefer d20 D&D stuff because that is what I play and would be most easily adaptable into mt games, but an interesting setting with great evocative art I'd consider getting when it is system free.

 

[Darklone]

The Kalamar setting book is mostly system-free. And I like that.

 

[Stormborn]

I am some where between the first and second choices. If I was interested in the setting, and the price was right, I would likely pick up the first book and then may or may not pick up supplements depending on my reaction to it and the nature of the supplements. It is unlikely, however, that I would buy all of them unless I was really taken with it.

As everyone else seems to say, it would depend on how they were written ut personally I love timelines, maps, gazetters, plots, etc and could probablly find in my colletion a system that worked with a setting I liked. You just have to make sure to leave out glaring things that would be very setting specific.

 

[Whimsical]

LOL, that's not a world, it is a fragment of one.

When I say world, I mean world, not a city-state.

Ah, well. Ptolus can be the entire "world" as far as the PCs are concerned. Although it can be adapted to be used as a noe of several cities that is part of a campaign world, running a Ptolus campaign which takes PCs from level one to level 20 without ever needing to leave the city walls is fully supported. In fact, the final adventure is always visibly posted on top of a mile high spire above the PC's head, continuously and quietly suggesting that "you must be this tall to ride this ride."

A nice change of pace if you typically play globetrotting campaigns.

 

[Gundark]

yes...but quality would be a huge factor.

Edit :
After some thought the answer still is yes, however the product would have to amaze me. What I mean is that in the current market there is so much that has already been done. I see people who want to market their homebrews and after checking the link (if they got a webpage) I have to say that it isn't different enough to make it a worthwhile purchase.

Most worlds (including my own) have one or two "tricks" to it and the rest is just the same.

So it would have to have some very innovative idea to get my dollar. To be honest I think that the reason some books sell is becuase of the rules behind it.