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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Winterthorn" data-source="post: 862557" data-attributes="member: 1702">Welcome to ENWorld, Bluemoon! <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /> I am a DM currently running a Kingdoms of Kalamar for my 5 players.Firstly I'd say that settings are very much a matter of taste, so I encourage you to select a setting that is to your liking as a DM. It is so much easier than running something your players vote for but you have no interest in--without an attentive DM there's no game!Next, I am glad you have an interest in Kingdoms of Kalamar, I recommend it to you with respect to the criteria you've mentioned. It is a rich political setting with a strong early dark ages-to-medieval feel (no renaisance & black powder though). There are 6 main human cultures, divided into many nations (<a href="http://www.kenzerco.com/rpg/kalamar/nations.php" target="_blank">have a look here</a> ) with plenty of political and cultural mixing. Additionally, Hobgoblins are strongly featured in this setting as an organized humanoid force: there are two hobgoblin kingdoms on Tellene (that's the name of the main continent). Dwarves, elves, gnomes, halflings, and orcs all have their respective niches as well. The KoK setting is static and has many options for DM's: you the DM can decide the degree to which your campaign is humanocentric or multicultural or political and so on--even the level of magic can be adjusted to your liking because the KoK material is quite neutral about the degree of magical power. You can easily tone things down, or ramp things up!I encourage you have a good look at the Kingdoms of Kalamar Campaign Setting Sourcebook. It is ~95% rules free background material--"fluff" as some say--and worth adding to your gaming library because you could use the setting for other game systems some day! There's a wonderful colour map of Tellene to be found within as well. I've had mine grace my rec-room wall for months! <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" />The KoK Player's Guide holds all the new crunch you might need! And it's all optional--just pick and choose what you want in your campaign. (Btw: since you are familiar with Forgotten Realms, you'll recognize about 30% of feats, domains and spells. I wasn't troubled by this since the PG includes generous cross-indexes for most of the D&D feats and spells that are not otherwise Open Gaming Content. It's convenient for me.) This great players' tome also features more background material for character definition. Much of it covers clerics and religion--something most other settings barely delve into. You'll also find material on setting-specific herbs, poisons and discussions (and rules) on slavery and the Divine Right of Kings! <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" />The 3rd book I'd recommend is the KoK Atlas. No other publisher has taken such a leap! I'm very happy with it--I'm glad Kenzer took the risk. Here's another nice wrinkle: like the Campaign Source Book, the Atlas is ~95% rules-free!If you are tight on cash, invest in just the KoK CS and the KoK Atlas--there are years of potential gaming material right there! (Regardless of game system!) Just focus upon the material that best suits your campaign. I think you will like it.Now... I will be honest, I like about 80% of the Kingdoms of Kalamar. There are a few things I would have different but nothing a skillful DM can't alter to taste IMHO. FREX: I find 4 to 5 gods for each alignment a tad "top-heavy" divinely speaking LOL. I think 43 gods can be pared down without disturbing the setting... Another issue, I have is the names, while the Atlas realistically shows cultural trends in language over the spanning geography, I find the pronounciation of many names a challenge--and I speak three languages in RL! Changing a name or some spelling as needed is not a problem--just keep track of what you've done.There are a number of clever treatments of D&D concepts in KoK, here are three:1) The gods of Tellene are without gender or race--each culture and religion has their own names for these divine entities. And these gods discretely "interact" with their followers in whatever form they deem appropriate. Thus the gods are defined by the porfolios they cover more than anything else (love, lust, war, bigotry, duty & honor, pain, justice & truth, peace and so on).2) The "common tongue", is called Merchant's Tongue, it has it's own in-setting logic and history--and is a far cry more elegant than the unimaginative term "common tongue" of core D&D that is bereft of any background. Simple. It works. I like it. <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" />3) Variant language rules: instead of assuming everyone but barbarians are literate, the KoK PG offers something more logical and relatively easy to implement. Read/Write Language as a new skill, and supplementary language points... IIRC Characters get a number of free ranks in Speak Language in their native tongue(s). I found the core D&D rules treatment of language and literacy rather irritating, almost immature, and I found the KoK PG's variant rules very much to my liking as an experienced DM!I could ramble on about many more things but I think, if you had the chance to borrow some KoK material to read from a friend, you'll get hooked! While I haven't everything associated with KoK, I am pleased with what I have for my DMing needs. <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" />Good luck, "Welcome to Tellene" <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f600.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":D" title="Big grin    :D"  data-smilie="8"data-shortname=":D" />W.PS: If Kingdoms of Kalamar weren't available, I would have seriously considered Scarred Lands, or using the converted Birthright setting!</blockquote>

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