Best d20 Setting?
- Thread starter KDLadage
- Start date
I liked Greyhawk better then FR and I guess that is what first drew me to Kalamar. It feels more like a "real" world to me. No, I can't qualify what I mean but I may be able to shed some light on it. FR feels like a cartoon world to me (everyone is so powerful that a character can fall from a 100-foot cliff and walk away like Wile E. Coytee). Scared Lands is more of a "aftermath" world. I like Kalamar because it doesn't rely on a cataclysmic event to shape the world, it has a "natural feeling" evolution to it that I like. The Iron Kingdoms will be a very good setting, but I am not sure how my players would react to the "steam punk" elements.
There is another published world that I have not heard anyone say anything about: Arcanis by Paradigm Press. I have not looked at this world, but it doesn't really matter to me now because I have found my world of choice with Kalamar. Much like most of you have already found your world of choice.
But, Kalamar is the best setting and you are all wrong
There is another published world that I have not heard anyone say anything about: Arcanis by Paradigm Press. I have not looked at this world, but it doesn't really matter to me now because I have found my world of choice with Kalamar. Much like most of you have already found your world of choice.
But, Kalamar is the best setting and you are all wrong
Renshai
First Post
FR
No, I don’t. I remember correctly. I have been away for a while so perhaps you don’t do so right now, but you were once very vocal (in FR threads) about your distaste for the setting.
I don’t remember the good things, perhaps I missed that. But do you deny saying that anyone who picked up the book and liked it was simply falling for the glitz and glamour of the product rather than judging it on its own merit? That was you, and if I recall correctly, it was a tirade… as much about the evils of people falling for eye candy as people not being able to make choices based on the material and not the artwork/presentation.
All your other arguments about the Realms I had seen before, and well, that’s fine.
Like it or don’t like it. I just tire of people painting the setting (and people who play it) with such a wide brush. I daresay you would actually like playing in one of my Forgotten Realms campaigns…. I may be wrong, but I don’t think so. The backdrop is there for a lot of development, as well as a lot of history to draw on for that development. As with anything, you get out of it what you put into it…
Ren
No, I don’t. I remember correctly. I have been away for a while so perhaps you don’t do so right now, but you were once very vocal (in FR threads) about your distaste for the setting.
I don’t remember the good things, perhaps I missed that. But do you deny saying that anyone who picked up the book and liked it was simply falling for the glitz and glamour of the product rather than judging it on its own merit? That was you, and if I recall correctly, it was a tirade… as much about the evils of people falling for eye candy as people not being able to make choices based on the material and not the artwork/presentation.
All your other arguments about the Realms I had seen before, and well, that’s fine.
Like it or don’t like it. I just tire of people painting the setting (and people who play it) with such a wide brush. I daresay you would actually like playing in one of my Forgotten Realms campaigns…. I may be wrong, but I don’t think so. The backdrop is there for a lot of development, as well as a lot of history to draw on for that development. As with anything, you get out of it what you put into it…
Ren
Nightfall
Sage of the Scarred Lands
Metaplot? Really? Huh...funny cause as far as I can tell, while it's not a static world (things will probably change), so far Calastia is STILL at war with Burok Torn, Mithril is STILL fighting against the Ledan barbarians and other nasties, Hollowfaust is STILL working out if it will survive another Siege...
So far the only book that seems to factor into SL is that Champions of SL, which is just an anthology and a series of novels about the Forsaken Elves. Funny doesn't seem as bad a metaplot as a certain spellfire wielder, an series about overgods and avatars, or even just a series about bringing back order in a realm. Then again we don't have that problem of people leaving domains behind but that was copy right wasn't it?
So while there MIGHT be some house rule issues for some (have yet to run into in my games), that metaplot thing seems confined to a possible return of a god. Considering the fact gods die all the time in other world, the possible resurrection of ONE god doesn't seem that earth shattering compared to say...the Slacerians coming back, or the Calastian Hegemony dominating all of Ghelspad or even the Dark Carnival becoming a city state that's bent on destroying the world.
Btw, Say, don't worry I won't launch into you about depth. I've decided you Kokers are just to darn kooky for me to convert just yet!
So far the only book that seems to factor into SL is that Champions of SL, which is just an anthology and a series of novels about the Forsaken Elves. Funny doesn't seem as bad a metaplot as a certain spellfire wielder, an series about overgods and avatars, or even just a series about bringing back order in a realm. Then again we don't have that problem of people leaving domains behind but that was copy right wasn't it?
So while there MIGHT be some house rule issues for some (have yet to run into in my games), that metaplot thing seems confined to a possible return of a god. Considering the fact gods die all the time in other world, the possible resurrection of ONE god doesn't seem that earth shattering compared to say...the Slacerians coming back, or the Calastian Hegemony dominating all of Ghelspad or even the Dark Carnival becoming a city state that's bent on destroying the world.
Btw, Say, don't worry I won't launch into you about depth. I've decided you Kokers are just to darn kooky for me to convert just yet!
Rashak Mani
First Post
I have to admit I´m frankly surprised that Kingodoms of Kalamar got such good voting... I didnt expect some setting was out there better worked than FR. I like the 3rd ed Forgotten ten times more than 2nd Ed... but it still lacks some kind of authenticity. It feels like a collection / mosaic of kingdoms and terroritories. Like a bunch of things thrown in together and matched badly side by side.
Background of course now is much better... but its so much stuff the DM has very little leeway I think.
I use my own home brew... but as a player I have played in FR more often than not.
I will check out KoK... must be good for the number of votes.
Background of course now is much better... but its so much stuff the DM has very little leeway I think.
I use my own home brew... but as a player I have played in FR more often than not.
I will check out KoK... must be good for the number of votes.
Davelozzi
Explorer
arcady said:Kalamar:
It's the ONLY published setting that doesn't have ALL of:
Silly geography that makes NO sense.
Uber author-sex-fantasy-alter-ego NPCs.
Silly oversized inconsistant pantheons.
No ethnographic cohession.
No logic to it's historical patterns.
Illogical trade routes.
Improbable status between power groups.
Improbable status between humans/demihumans and 'humanoids'.
A meta-plot so huge it changes every DMs game every 3 months.
More house rules than you can shake a stiff kobold at.
Birthright has none of those qualities except for the house rules, and you can toss them out the window if you just want to use it as a campaign setting rather than playing a regent.
Oh yeah, and it's not CURRENTLY published.
Davelozzi
Explorer
coyote6 said:
I agree. Everything that people say that they like about Kalamar is something that I look for in a campaign setting but no matter how hard I try I just can't get into it. I usually plow through game products like nothing but I have the KoK campaign setting and the Root of All Evil and every time I try to read them it's like doing math homework. However, I have been enjoying wsclark's story hour version of that adventure, so I guess it's just the writing.
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