Best NonWOTC Campaign setting?

[Zakter]

I am looking for some good ideas on a setting that Isn't Freeport or any Wizards of t the Coast product. I mention Freeport becuase we are already running thru that campaign under a different DM. So send me your suggestions for a grand world to call our home.


Zakter

 

[lior_shapira]

I nominate Midnight by FFG, its well supported, has an active community and is ... well... excellent!

The tone is very dark, sort of Lord of the rings only Sauron won, the dark god Izrador conquered the land of Eredane and almost all of the races are slaves. The heroes are those who fight against the shadow, the few left who still have hope of one day freeing the land.

Its a high powered - low magic campaign setting with radically different spell system and classes (ranger,paladin,cleric,wizard,sorcerer,monk out - all replaced)

 

[Zakter]

That sounds like a major change removing ALOT of classes. whats is left, tons of fighter type varients?

Zakter

I nominate Midnight by FFG, its well supported, has an active community and is ... well... excellent!

The tone is very dark, sort of Lord of the rings only Sauron won, the dark god Izrador conquered the land of Eredane and almost all of the races are slaves. The heroes are those who fight against the shadow, the few left who still have hope of one day freeing the land.

Its a high powered - low magic campaign setting with radically different spell system and classes (ranger,paladin,cleric,wizard,sorcerer,monk out - all replaced)

 

[JoeGKushner]

Should be interesting to see what the people state.

First though, what type of campaign are you looking for? There are several models (internal accuracy, horror, high-fantasy, old school), etc... and I'd hate to recommend something that didn't fit the genre you were trying to capture.

 

[Zakter]

I basically want something that does't require change of major classes. I like Forgotten Realms a great deal, however we have beaten that setting to death.

Zakter

Should be interesting to see what the people state.

First though, what type of campaign are you looking for? There are several models (internal accuracy, horror, high-fantasy, old school), etc... and I'd hate to recommend something that didn't fit the genre you were trying to capture.

 

[Ryltar]

My vote goes to Midnight, also. The tone and mood of this setting are just excellent and make for a refreshing change from FR or similar settings.

Zakter: No, they still have magic in Midnight. It's just very rare and dangerous to use (not only in terms of rules - Izrador's goons will try to kill you at every turn if they find you a magic-user. Or an elf. Or a dwarf, for that matter). The classes are only "new" insofar that they have been adapted to the setting and renamed.

 

[GSHamster]

That sounds like a major change removing ALOT of classes. whats is left, tons of fighter type varients?

It is, and it isn't. A lot of the Midnight classes are simply non-spellcasting versions of the current classes. Like the Wildlander is a Ranger, only he doesn't cast spells, etc.

The biggest difference is that there are no clerics (except evil ones, that is ). Otherwise, it's really all about the tone of the setting. Personally, I think it's a very neat campaign setting.

 

[scadgrad]

Hands down, nothing comes close...

Midnight.

There are changes made to the core classes, but it is well worth it. I think you'll find it is quite different from FR, but refreshingly so. The game becomes much more story driven and quite less about "kill things & take their stuff."

Read the reviews if you want to hear more of the same.

 

[JoeGKushner]

I basically want something that does't require change of major classes. I like Forgotten Realms a great deal, however we have beaten that setting to death.

Zakter

1. Kalamar. Very good internal consistancy. Fairly low magic world but magic isn't changed.

2. Morningstar. Has an epic feel to it but no changes in the rule set.

3. Bluffside: Another city setting, but with their own book on the desert, makes a nice mini-camapign that can be slotted into any other setting.

4. The Hunt: Lots of different cultures and clashes abound. No changes to the rule set. Fairly inexpensive with lots of web support. (Anyone know what happened to the comic they were working on?)

5. Scarred Lands: It used to have a lot of internal consistency! It's still one of the big boys. Changes on magic are minimal but the various sourcebooks have added a lot not only to the setting, but to the d20 system itself. I still plunder heavily from it.

You might want to include what level of support you'rel ooking for. #2, 3, and 4 don't have a lot of support but are still solid. #1 and #5 do but are completely different settings.

 

[DaveMage]

"Oathbound: Domains of the Forge" by Bastion Press is easily my favorite non-WotC setting.

Great for role-playing (political intrigue, etc.) or hack-n-slash or anything in between. The world seems to have been designed for adventuring.