Best Campaign Setting????

[Hard8Staff]

Re: I choose Kalamar

I've seen David Kenzer (the owner of KenzerCo)

Thanks! But for the record, while I'm the current President, I'm only a minority shareholder not "owner". Our policy is to get shares into the hands of the employees so they can feel pride of authorship. Noah Kolman, Mark Plemmons and Don Morgan were just added to the roster of shareholders as of...let's see... yesterday!

Of all the kind words re: Kalamar above, the ones I may be most proud of are the ones comparing it to 1983 GreyHawk. Many, many thousands of hours were spent by this game designer running games in Keoland, Nyrond, Bandit Kingdoms (miniature wars galore), and the Great Kingdom (my favorite and still running game, though it's now set in Kalamar proper).

I also really enjoyed the first FR boxed set, though as a player (2 campaigns) rather than DM (I was busy with my GH games a the time).

No wonder Kalamar seems so standard fantasy... Others may call her generic or standard, but I consider Kalamar the natural extension of the evolutionary branch of 1e GH and FR (one of the other original authors was my FR DM).

David Kenzer

 

[Nightfall]

You've clearly never looked at Wise and the Wicked.

He did say in general Wil!

 

[Nightfall]

The best of all time? Planescape, of course.

The best D20? Oathbound, baby, Oathbound. But SL is a CLOSE 2nd....

Thanks Brannon. Though I will say I'm very pleased with Oathbound. If I wasn't already set somewhere else, this would be the place I'd choose.

*is keeping out of the debate mainly because he'd prefer to remain neutral for once* I'll let the fans speak for themselves.

 

[kenjib]

One difference between Kalamar and Scarred Lands is that while Scarred Lands is heavily themed, Kalamar is very open ended and flexible. These approaches both have benefits and drawbacks.

If you want to run a campaign out of the box using the godswar/titanspan ideas of the Scarred Lands you have lots of great support to do so. You've got an epic storyline that has shaken the world, and a land trying to pick up the pieces in the aftermath. It's a very strong theme to work with and build a story around and you can tie in lots of elements across the world into your plot if you decide to focus on this topic. If you don't like these concepts though, you're facing an uphill battle though, because even if you try not to emphasize them they are fairly omnipresent.

If you want to design your own campaign themes including elements of any of a wide range of genre conventions (including influences ranging from arthurian medieval, to roman empire, to native american, to egyptian, to meso-american, to swashbuckling high seas adventure, to african, to nordic, to evil theocracy, to slave overlords, to nation of evil humanoids with massive invading army, to city of pirates, to mythic lost city of the dead, and more), you will find that Kalamar has support for all of this and does so in a fashion that makes complete sense and feels like a real, living and breathing place. It is very flexible. It was designed intentionally to leave things open to DM interpretation and manipulation. On the flip side of this, you don't automatically get a strong theme for the world that you can use to easily define your setting for you -- nothing quick and easy to grab on to.

If you like homebrewing but don't have enough time, Kalamar might be for you -- as you can very easily take what's there and make it into the world you want. If you like a dark world with a strong built in and well supported behind-the-scenes plot that flavors every aspect of the world, Scarred Lands might be the choice for you.

I think they are both very much internally consistent. The difference is that Kalamar is consistent in a natural manner, using natural geology and anthropology, whereas Scarred Lands is consistent vis-a-vis divine intervention and magical apocalypse. Scarred Lands has a higher level of magic in general than Kalamar. While both can be adapted to any level and in the grand scope of things they are still pretty close to one another, Scarred Lands works best as high to medium magic, whereas Kalamar works best as medium to low.

They are both great settings with really strong support from their respective publishers. I think that it's a matter of taste, rather than quality.

I've tried not to be biased here, but just in case I have been I should mention that Kalamar is my personal preference.

 

[Ashy]

Thanks Brannon. Though I will say I'm very pleased with Oathbound. If I wasn't already set somewhere else, this would be the place I'd choose.

*is keeping out of the debate mainly because he'd prefer to remain neutral for once* I'll let the fans speak for themselves.

::cuckle:: You are most welcome, Nightfall, most welcome... Hey, I love the Scarred Lands - some of the coolest stuff out there, I only wish I could get a foot in the door over there at SSS...

(SIGH) If I only knew someone who could help me out with that.... ::snicker::

 

[Sanackranib]

campaign setting

from what I have seen Kalamar is a good setting and seems to have decient support, but I am a lot more 'famailar" with the SL
setting. it too has a lot of support (notice I didn't say anything about maps here Nightfall/SSS-Druid) like has been suggested its all about what style you run your game. the best advice is sit down and read through both and then decide which one (if either) is right for your style of play. either way have fun.

 

[Nightfall]

I've tried not to be biased here, but just in case I have been I should mention that Kalamar is my personal preference.

I never had any doubt about that Ken. Though I'm glad you see it as medium magic as opposed to some that see it higher...

I would like to say you CAN work around the Titanspawn versus Divine conflict. There's always the good versus evil, or even just "Hey let's go exploring!" route depending on where you travel. I will say Kalamar is definately good for DMs that want SERIOUS control over their setting. No worries about novels impeding their ideas, or even change in ownership. That said, I think people know my bias but I prefer to be flat out about it. I like the Scarred Lands. I respect the guys at Kenzer and their fans, but for me, and the people I play with, this is pretty sweet world, this place called the Scarred Lands.


Brannon, well if you sent in a submission for Creature Collection 3, you might get in. If not...well tell you what, you scratch my back, I'll scratch yours. No promises though!

Btw thanks to my assistant San (and yes thanks for not mentioning that! ) for his insight.

As to the original poster, I think it depends on what you and your players want. In both worlds, the focus is more on the players than the NPCs. The difference is, how much strange and wonderful stuff they want to encounter. (Btw ken, just curious does Kalamar use Psionics? Cause...I would like to point that Scarred Lands went the "Psionics are different" rout and I'm pretty happy with that.) I will say there is plenty that both offer. Just depends on what you want Azazu. If you'd like email me via my email link, and we can discuss it. I'm usually available.

 

[thegreatbuddha]

EDIT: Saw your post Nightfall, and just thought I'd let you know that Kalamar also uses the Psionics are Different option.

First, there isn't a "best" campaign setting. Each is tailored to a different type of audience: FR is for munchkins, SL is for munchkins who like Greek mythology, etc.

Seriously though, I'm all about the KoK.

KoK was built from the ground up by David Kenzer and a few of his friends, and the love they put into their setting shows. It also has the advantage of being an established setting. Kalamar came into being in 1993 or so, and that means it has had a decade to be refined and improved where necessary. If you like maps, you will LOVE Kalamar, especially the Atlas.

The first thing you'll want after the CS is either the Player's Guide or the Atlas, which is almost 300 pages of full color maps of Tellene, done in a 1in=25mile scale. Topographical charts, weather patterns, trade routes, natural resources, towns -- everything you could possibly want or need is in this book.

Kalamar is adaptable, but as written it lends itself most easily to a low-magic setting. It is also unique as far as D&D campaigns go in that there are almost no rules in the campaign book itself. It is purely background and plot hooks, set up almost like an encyclopaedia. Lastly, it's the only official Dungeons & Dragons setting (if that matters to you). It isn't OGL and can therefore probably go places other campaigns can't (although I'm not sure where that would be).

One last reason to buy Kalamar:

Fury in the Wastelands: The Orcs of Tellene is probably the best race book I have ever seen. Like a lot of Kalamar products, it is rules light, focusing on providing an in-depth look at the religion, culture, and habitat of orcs. That and they have the Uruk-Hai in it.

 

[Nightfall]

EDIT: Saw your post Nightfall, and just thought I'd let you know that Kalamar also uses the Psionics are Different option.

Ah well that's nice to see. I like that kind of thinking in my gaming. But that's just me. Is the information in the Campaign setting or the Player's Guide?

First, there isn't a "best" campaign setting. Each is tailored to a different type of audience: FR is for munchkins, SL is for munchkins who like Greek mythology, etc.

Along with devient behavior as shown by various groups.

 

[Hard8Staff]

Nightfall: I have a question.

I have to admit that I have looked at the SL stuff, but never had a chance to read it in depth (been busy what with 3 girls under 5 and 13 employees that act under 5). But after seeing your sig so many times, I've become extremely intrgued with this setting you're advertising there. So, praytell, what is so great about these

"Scabbed Lands" of which you are sage??

The name sounds kinda gross, but I have a very open mind.

Seriously, I had to do a double-take on the "r"s!

Dave...feeling a bit playfull and overtired.

PS In a fit of seriousness, I'd like to point out that I've enjoyed the politeness of this thread. Messageboards, when done right, are simply fantastic and enjoyable. It's like sitting around at a con with good gaming buddies.